Futility! This seems to be the one word which can be used to summarize the thoughtless action of Hoshea the king of Israel who rather preferred affinity with the King of Egypt as the weapon needed to shake out the yoke of the Assyrian King, instead of doing the right thing by leading the whole nation back to God. He revolted against Shalmanesser’s control, only to discover that their ally, So, the Egyptian King, was no more than a mere “broken tooth” which can’t be trusted for desired coverage.
Had the king and people of Israel applied to God, made peace with God and directed their petitions to Him, they might have recovered their liberty, peace and honour.
“In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes” (2 Kings 17:6).
But they preferred to withhold their tribute, and trust the king of Egypt to assist them in their revolt, which of course merely changed the banner from one oppressor to another.
Their wrong approach in looking for a solution only aggravated their problem.
King Hoshea was bound and imprisoned. Since they were suffering as a result of sin (2 Kings 17 verses 7,8), their king should have led them back to God rather than deeper into the mud of sin by having affinity with the king of Egypt.
Sincere repentance and unconditional return to God remains the only solution to what every suffering sinner needs (2 Chronicles 7:14). Any attempt to cut corners would end in disappointment and worsen the case.
Are you pressed under the heavy weight of divine judgment because of your sin? Has the “Assyrian king” brought you under servitude because of your backsliding and compromise?
Well, don’t pack it up, there is still hope, if only you can humble yourself before God, and return fully unto Him like the prodigal son.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Trusting in man ends in disappointment.
Leave a Reply