Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-06-16

Hoshea, the last king of the northern
kingdom of Israel. was no worse than
his predecessors, but he was no better.
There was the trouble For 254 years
there had been a steady decline in all
that made for Israel's upbuilding as
nation-her relation to Jehovah. You will
recall that it had Begin with the disrup-
ton after Solomon's death. Jereboam,
the son of Nebat, had been raised to
prominence from obscurity, and should
have led the people away from the luxu-
rioas life that had been Solomon's undo
ing There were grave dangers to the
nation attending such course, and Jere-
boam had the chance of leading them to
a large life in God. but he failed. He
was selfish and self-seelxing. He feared
that his house would lose its prestige
and power which it had now acquired,
and that the people would go back to
David's house, as he rearranged God
order of worship to keep them away
from Jerusalem. 1t was plausible ex-
cuse that he offered-their convenience
but it brought disastrous results. 1t was
an easy step to idolatry; Ahab was the
tool in the hands of his heather wife,
Jezebel, that brought the people into
gross idol worship. Not one of the kings
who followed him resisted the tide of
sin, and under Hoshea the tribes were
captured and scattered.
Hoshea therefore was no worse than
his predecessors, but he should have
been better. 1t is rather striking that
of each of the Is kings who followed
= a. 81 l,A
did that which was evil in the sight of
the Lord. according to the sins of Jere-
beam, the son of Nebat, who made Is
rael to sim" The history of the northern
kingdom was a continuous record of
failure when viewed in its largest sense.
There had been five dynasties; and each
had been worse than that preceding it.
Under Jereboam IL there had been a
period of prosperity, but in general the
kingdom was weakening. During the
early years of Hoshea an expedition
had been successful against Israel, and
Hoshea had had to pay tribute to the
Assyrian king. In the sixth year he re-
belled, and tried to form an alliance with
the king of Egypt. This precipitated a
war between Israel and Assyria. Sa-
maria, his capital, made a desperate re-
sistance for three years, but finally had
to yield Hoshea was made prisoner,
and over $1,000 of the best of the northern
kingdom of Israel were carried captives,
and scattered from Habor in Gozan, just
east and north of Damascus, to Halor,
in the border of Assyria, and even be-
yond in the cities Of the Modes. Look
on your map to see their wide distribu
ton.
GODS PATIENT LOVE.
want to suggest a reason that has
occurred to me as the one why the dis
persion came under Hoshea. Think of
all that God had done for Israel during
these years. He had sent them proph-
cts to plead with and warn them; He
had dealt with them by famine. by d.
rect judgments. by affection, by sub
jecting them to their eBemies, by WOO
ing them-yet all of these methods had
produced an effect upon them-they had
gone from bad to worse.
Note the number and the character of
the prophets He had sent them First.
there was Jehu the son of Havain, of
whom we know very little. Then came
Elijah, uncompromising with sin in any
form. and terrible in his denunciation
of 1t. ne was followed by Elisha, a
man Of an entirely different type, being