true prophet was rejected. The full account of the battle is given in I Kings 22:, which

records how Ahab died, and how the word of the Lord was fulfilled.

HOSHEA.  We read of Hoshea being involved in a conspiracy in II Kings 15: 30.

The king of Assyria fought against the king of Israel and took a number of cities, and all

the land of Naphtali. Hoshea (the son of Elah) made a conspiracy against Pekah (king of

Israel), and killed him. He then reigned in his stead.

When we come to II King 17: 1, we are told that in the 12th year of Ahaz, king of

Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel. His reign lasted

only 9 years. He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; however it is added

"but not as the kings of Israel that were before him". Young's Concordance contains a

note about Hoshea. It says "The nineteenth, last, and best king of Israel".

The king of Assyria fought against Israel again, and Hoshea was subdued and became

a servant to the king of Assyria. He had to render tribute to him and it seems that Hoshea

was responsible for the collection of tribute from the king of Egypt; he sent messengers

to Egypt for this purpose. Once more Hoshea was involved in a conspiracy. Messengers

were sent to Egypt but no tribute reached the king of Assyria. When the king of Assyria

realized that Hoshea had been dishonest, he caused Hoshea to be bound and confined to

prison (17: 4).

Then the king of Assyria besieged the land and took Samaria. The people of Israel

were carried away in captivity to Assyria and placed in Halah and in Habor by the river

Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. So, because the children of Israel had sinned

against the Lord and served other gods, the judgment of the Lord fell upon them and they

began a period of captivity.

Hoshea's prison experience was a punishment for his conspiracy and dishonesty, but it

was the worshipping of idols and Israel's turning away from the One and True God that

was the cause of their going into captivity.

HANANI The Seer.  The king of Judah enjoyed a period of peace, and we read in

II Chron. 15: 17 that although the high places were not taken away (where idolatry was

practiced), the heart of Asa (king of Judah) was "perfect all his days".

Then, we read in II Chron. 16: 1 that Baasha, king of Israel, began to invade, and to

build Ramah, with the object of blocking any communication with Asa, king of Judah.

So Asa sent a present to Benhadad, king of Syria, who was at Damascus, invoking an

agreement for mutual aid, and asked him to break his league with the king of Israel.

Benhadad agreed, and sent his troops against the cities of Israel, and in consequence

Baasha discontinued the work of building at the town of Ramah.