King Hoshea was the last king of the northern kingdom of Israel before it was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC. He reigned from around 732-722 BC. Here is an overview of what the Bible tells us about King Hoshea:
Hoshea Becomes King
Hoshea came to the throne of Israel after he conspired against and assassinated the previous king, Pekah. This is recorded in 2 Kings 15:30 (ESV): “Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.”
So Hoshea took power by violent and deceptive means. He was not a rightful heir to the throne but usurped it. The Bible does not give details about Hoshea’s family background or ancestry.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness Continues
Sadly, Hoshea continued the same sins of Israel’s previous kings by leading the people into idolatrous practices. 2 Kings 17:2 (ESV) says: “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.”
While Hoshea was not quite as wicked as some of his predecessors, he still sinned greatly against God by refusing to turn the nation back to proper worship of Yahweh. The people continued offering sacrifices at pagan sites and engaging in evil practices.
Assyrian Invasion and Captivity
During Hoshea’s reign, the Assyrian empire invaded Israel and made them into a vassal state. Hoshea initially agreed to pay tribute to Assyria. But after a number of years, Hoshea stopped sending the tribute money and tried to rebel against Assyria by making an alliance with Egypt. The Assyrian king Shalmaneser discovered Hoshea’s treachery and treason.
2 Kings 17:4 (ESV) records what happened next: “But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.”
After imprisoning Hoshea, the Assyrians then besieged Israel’s capital of Samaria for 3 years until it finally fell in 722 BC. The people were deported from the land and strangers from other nations were resettled there in an early example of ethnic cleansing.
Hoshea’s Reign Ends
With the fall of Samaria in 722 BC, Hoshea’s reign came to an end. The kingdom of Israel was no more. The ten northern tribes were exiled and dispersed, becoming known as the Ten Lost Tribes. This marked a tragic ending to a once great nation that had been blessed mightily by God.
Hoshea was powerless to stop the Assyrians. His alliance with Egypt failed. He was imprisoned and we hear nothing more about his fate. He was the last king of Israel and his legacy was leading the nation into its final downfall through sin and rebellion against God.
Key Facts About Hoshea
- He reigned circa 732-722 BC for around a decade
- He assassinated the prior king Pekah to gain the throne
- He continued Israel’s idolatry but was not as wicked as some prior kings
- During his reign, Israel fell completely under Assyria’s control
- He rebelled against Assyria by not paying tribute and allying with Egypt
- This led the Assyrians to invade Israel, besiege Samaria for 3 years, then conquer and exile the northern kingdom
- Hoshea was the last king of Israel before the kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC
Hoshea in Biblical Prophecy
Although he was an unrighteous king, Hoshea’s reign was foretold by the prophets Hosea and Isaiah prior to his becoming king:
The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. (Hosea 1:1-3 ESV)
Hosea’s ministry occurred during the decades prior to Hoshea’s reign and included prophecies of Israel’s coming judgment for sin. Similarly, Isaiah 7-9 contains prophecies by Isaiah speaking to the kings prior to Hoshea about Israel’s coming defeat and exile by Assyria.
So while an evil king, Hoshea’s rise and fall were foreseen by God’s prophets as part of Israel’s coming judgment for turning away from the Lord. Even amidst Israel’s rebellion, God was working to bring about His purposes.
Lessons From Hoshea’s Life
Though primarily a negative example, Hoshea’s life does provide some lessons for us today:
- Unrighteous leaders often seize power through deception and manipulation rather than honest means.
- Political change by itself cannot turn a nation toward righteousness when hearts are turned against God.
- Sin has consequences, and leaders who turn from God eventually bring ruin on themselves and their people.
- God is sovereign even through the rise and fall of nations – no king or kingdom thwarts His purposes.
- All sinful rebellion will one day face the judgment of God. Nations must repent and seek God or face decline.
Contrast With Hezekiah
An interesting contrast can be made between Hoshea and Hezekiah who was king of the southern kingdom of Judah at the same time. While Hoshea continued the sins of Israel, Hezekiah instituted major spiritual reforms in Judah, purging idolatry and restoring proper worship of Yahweh:
He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah [idols]. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it. (2 Kings 18:4 ESV)
As a result, Judah experienced revival during Hezekiah’s reign rather than judgment. Hoshea shows us a ruler who failed to lead his people back to God, while Hezekiah models a leader who championed spiritual reformation.
Concluding Thoughts on King Hoshea
King Hoshea represents a low point in Israel’s history – an unrighteous ruler who failed to avert the nation’s downfall. Though not as wicked as some prior kings, Hoshea’s sins led to continued idolatry and rebellion against God by the people.
Rather than spearheading national repentance, Hoshea’s attempts at political maneuvering to free Israel from Assyria ended in disaster and sealed the nation’s fate. Within a decade of taking the throne, he saw his kingdom conquered and decimated by invading armies.
While a seemingly tragic figure, God was working through Hoshea’s failures to bring judgment on Israel’s rampant sins. Though he exercised poor leadership, the ultimate causes of Israel’s fall were spiritual, not political. Hoshea highlights the need for a nation’s leaders to seek the Lord and lead people back to righteousness.
