How does Hosea 8:4 relate to the events in 2 Kings 15:14? Key Scriptures • Hosea 8:4: “They set up kings, but not by Me; they make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves, to their own destruction.” • 2 Kings 15:14: “Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, entered Samaria, and struck down Shallum son of Jabesh there. He killed him and reigned in his place.” Setting the scene • Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom (Israel) in the eighth century BC, a time marked by political turbulence and rapid turnover of kings. • 2 Kings 15 provides a running record of that turmoil: Zechariah is assassinated (vv. 8–10), Shallum lasts only a month (v. 13), and Menahem seizes power by violence (v. 14). • This pattern of coups underscores a kingdom choosing rulers independently of God’s direction. Hosea’s indictment • “They set up kings, but not by Me” – leadership installed without seeking or heeding the Lord. • “They make princes, but without My approval” – power grabs rooted in human ambition, not divine calling. • The same verse ties political rebellion to idolatry: the same self-willed spirit that ignores God’s choice of king also forges images of silver and gold (cf. 1 Samuel 8:7–8). Connecting Hosea 8:4 to 2 Kings 15:14 • Hosea speaks in general terms, but 2 Kings 15:14 supplies a vivid example. – Shallum murders King Zechariah and takes the throne (15:10,13). – Menahem immediately murders Shallum and usurps the throne (15:14). • Neither Shallum nor Menahem is appointed through prophetic sanction, covenant ceremony, or divine anointing. Their rule exemplifies “kings… not by Me.” • The rapid succession of assassinations reveals the destructive fruit Hosea warned about: “to their own destruction.” Within forty years the kingdom itself will fall to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). The root issue: rejecting God’s sovereignty • Israel was meant to recognize the LORD as ultimate King (Deuteronomy 17:14–20). • By self-selecting rulers through violence, the nation echoed its earlier rejection of divine kingship (1 Samuel 12:12). • Hosea links political autonomy to spiritual adultery; when God’s voice is ignored in the palace, idols soon fill the temple (Hosea 8:5–6). Lessons for believers today • God claims the right to appoint leaders—civil and spiritual; ignoring His voice invites chaos (Romans 13:1; Acts 20:28). • Ambition unchecked by submission to God breeds both instability and idolatry. • Trusting God’s sovereign hand, even when earthly rulers shift, guards the heart from fear and compromise (Psalm 75:6-7; Daniel 2:21). |
    |