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The Kings of Isra’el
First Kings 15:25 to 16:34

Now the story shifts to the northern kingdom of Isra’el, where it will stay until the last verse of First Kings. Two issues dominate the narrative. First, rapid turnover in leadership becomes commonplace in Isra’el. Nothing was more characteristic of the northern kingdom than its extreme internal instability. Few failures could be more damaging to a new nation. Second, the power of the prophetic word emerges again. Predictions old and new come true. Prophets old and new call on kings to account for their actions, which indicates that God had not abdicated His role as LORD of history.383

The sins of Jeroboam were visited on seventeen of the other kings of Isra’el (to see link click Dd – Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel). Only one, Jehu, did not. Nevertheless, Isra’el got off on the wrong foot and never recovered. What is a holy God doing amidst all this evil? He is not there because He relishes in it – obviously He hates sin (Proverbs 6:16-19). But He is there because He is simply that kind of God. He is sovereign, and no moment in history, however given to evil, will find Him absent from it. Hence, here we meet evil men in the hands of a good God.384 All this was a result of Solomon’s sin of spiritual adultery (see Bx – Solomon’s Wives).

While the capital of the Davidic dynasty remained in Jerusalem, the northern kingdom had several capital cities. The first administrative capital established by Jeroboam following the division of the monarchy was located at Shechem, located on the eastern side of the pass between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim (First Kings 12:25; Second Chronicles 10:1). The second northern kingdom capital was located at the Transjordan town of Penuel, a move possibly connected with Shishak’s invasion of parts of Jeroboam’s territory a few years into his reign (1 Kings 12:25; 2 Chronicles 12:1). After Penuel, Jeroboam set up a capital at Tirzah, located at the junction of important roads about six miles north of Shechem. Tirzah remained the capital city for the subsequent northern kingdom rulers until the establishment of Samaria during the sixth year of Omri’s reign (879 BC). Not that Omri ruled for six years from Tizrah while battling against Tibni for control of the northern kingdom. Samaria remained the capital of the northern kingdom until its fall in 722 BC.385

Jeroboam I 931-910 BC      22 years

Nadab 910-909 BC      2 years

Ba’asha 909-886 BC      24 years

Elah 866-885 BC      2 years

Zimri 885 BC      7 days

Tibni/Omri 885-880 BC      6 years

Omri 885-874 BC      12 years

Ahab 874-853 BC      22 years

Ahaziah 853-852 BC      2 years

Joram 852-841 BC      12 years

Jehu 841-814 BC      28 years

Jehoahaz 814-798 BC      17 years

Joash 798-782 BC      16 years

Jeroboam II 783-752 BC      41 years

Zechariah 752 BC      6 months

Shallum 752 BC      1 month

Menahem 752-742 BC      10 years

Pekahiah 742-740 BC      2 years

Pekah 752-732 BC      20 years

Hoshea 732-722 BC      9 years

Assyrians conquered Northern Kingdom in 722 BC

Following the general conquest policy, the Assyrians replaced the deported Israelites with refugees from other lands. Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria (First Kings 17:24).