The events of this chapter are contemporary with the prophecy of Hosea.

So Hosea was speaking of the events in Israel prior to it being taken by the Assyrian.

Vs.4-6 Tilgath-pileser (745-727 BC) first attacked Samaria in the time of Ahaz (2Chron 28:20); but it was Shalmaneser IV (726-722 BC) who later attacked Israel and Samaria. 

Hoshea had been obliged to render a yearly tribute to Assyria, but had now refused.  Thus, Shalmaneser put Hoshea in prison and laid siege to Samaria for three years.  However, it was Sargon who completed the job.  After this, the remnant of Israel which amounted to 27,290 persons was exiled. 

Vs.20,24 The Assyrians would scatter their conquered people to many different places, and bring in others to inhabit the conquered areas.  And thus, in 721 BC, the Northern Kingdom ceased to be, as Yahweh punished and rejected it for its sin.  

Vs.24,28,29,33 The poor Israelites who were left in the land intermarried with those of other nations, worshipping foreign gods while at the same time serving Yahweh.  This group became known as Samaritans.  These were the ones whom Ezra and Nehemiah later rejected (Ezra 4:1-3; Neh 4:7). 

Their violent opposition to the Jews became such that a Samaritan in the Jewish psyche was the lowest form of humanity imaginable.  This sentiment gave rise to the powerful lessons of Jesus through the woman of Samaria (John 4:7-30); and the parable of the Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).  

In the 6th verse we see the end of the northern kingdom. We marvel at the longsuffering of our Heavenly Father in permitting them to remain so long. Thoughout there shines out the mercy of our Heavenly Father towards His wayward children. V.13 & 14 are a commentary on their back sliding. The only thing that can be added to this is written by the writer to the Hebrews. Take heed, brethren, lest there be any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, lest any of you should be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin

17:6 One wonders what the men in Judah thought when Samaria was taken by the |Assyrians. Maybe there was fear that they would go the same way or maybe there was a self righteous attitude – they deserved that because they were sinful. Whilst they were sinful the latter would not be an acceptable way to think of the situation. We must take care that we do not emulate that short of attitude when we see brethren and sisters fall into trouble when we have judged them to be behaving in an unscriptural way.

V.1 Hoshea means salvation (or deliverer). It is the same name as that of the prophet Hosea. Often, names in the Bible fit the personality or the function of the holder.  In this case, Hoshea is misplaced as he did not deliver his people.

Vs.26,27  People of the Near-East were superstitious about gods.  They were sensitive about not offending foreign gods while being in their respective territory.  Hence, the attempt by the king of Assyria to appease the God of Israel.  This was not recognition of Yahweh as being the only true God, but an effort to pacify the perceived anger of a strange god.

17:5 we are now entering the death throes of the Northern kingdom. We should have this in mind especially when we are considering actions in Judah for they would have been well aware of the Assyrian activities in the North.

17:13 At this time there were a number of prophets speaking both against Israel and Judah – in fact it was a time, as far as recorded prophets are concerned, when there were probably more prophets speaking than at any other time in the history of Israel and Judah. A review of the first few verses of the prophets will enable you to produce your own list of active prophets at this time.

v 15-19 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Was overturned>History of fulfilment
Go to Deut 28:49 to see more details of the history of Israel and its overturning.

2Kin 17:5,22,23.
4. The Northern Kingdom ended in BC 720 during the reign of Hoshea. The ten tribes went into captivity after Samaria was beieged by Assyria for three years. (Prophesied 1Kin 14:15) 2Kin 17:5,22,23.
Go to Deut 28:49 to see more details of the history of Israel and its overturning.

V.1 Hoshea was the nineteenth and last king of Israel.  He never reigned freely but was subject to the Assyrian king.  Hoshea was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and rebellious to his Assyrian master.

Vs.3,4 At first, Hoshea gave tribute to Assyria, but later rebelled. The Assyrians put him in prison and we do not hear from him again. Hoshea came and went without much consequence (Hos 10:7; 13:11).

Vs.7-12 Israel was punished because of its idolatry.  Samaria was destroyed and Israel was scattered in captivity throughout the provinces of Assyria.

V.13 Yahweh had taken pains to warn His people to turn from their wicked ways.  Prophets had given this warning over many years. 

Yahweh gives plenty of notice about His requirements and intentions.  He allows a lot of time for His message to be broadcast so that people have no excuse. 

Noah spent 120 years preaching while the ark was being built.  We live in the end times, and they are like the days of Noah (Luke 17:26).  The warning to people to change has gone out for many years.  And as surely as Yahweh called time in Noah’s day, he will shortly call time on this dispensation.

That leaves the follower of Jesus with a couple of responsibilities: to preach to friends and neighbours, and to the local public as never before (2Tim 4:2); and to put one's own house in order (Luke 6:47-49).

17:9.23 There is an irony in this. Israel did ‘secretly’ as if God could not see, so He did take them out of His sight’

v.4 & 9 That Yahweh will 'not ... pity' Israel forces them to see the reason why the captivity is to come upon them. Deuteronomy 19:8 and the context there shows that this language is used to speak of how Israel were to view those who served other gods.

v.15 The sword bringing punishment is lamented by Jeremiah in Lamentations 1:20.
We appreciate that Jeremiah saw that what Ezekiel predicted came to pass.

7:4,9 Again we see that God's eye will not spare as we saw in Eze 5:4. So terrible were the abominations of Judah at this time. There was, in the words of the chronicler  'no remedy' 92Chron 36:160

7:16-18  There are some who would appear to escape God’s judgment. However they would be caused to realise their error and lament.

7:24  Israel have already been accused of being impudent – hard faced (2:4). Now they are seen as proud. It is only through pride that anyone would try to stand against God.

V.2 The expression four corners of the land is interesting. It is meant to convey the complete coverage of the territory. Four corners in Hebrew is arbeh kanaphot. The singular form of kanaphot is kanaph which means wing or edge, particularly as it pertains to a garment or blanket.

Thus, Yahweh is saying that the whole territory will be blanketed (covered) for destruction. A similar figure is used to show Peter that the Gentile world, as well as the Jews, would also be covered by the salvation of Christ (Acts 10:11 - read to end of chapter for appreciation).

7:15 The ‘sword’ ‘pestilence’ and ‘famine’ seen here and in Eze 5:12, 12:15 is a re presentation in Babylon of what Jeremiah had spoken of to these same individuals when they were in the land of Israel – Jer 14:11, , 21:7, 24:10 etc:

7:19 That ‘their bowels’ would not be filled echoes the promised punishment –Lev 26:26 - spoken of as a warning by Moses.

Vs.7,10 It was in the morning that judgment was rendered (Jer 21:12; Zeph 3:5).

Vs.10,11 Ezekiel uses the metaphor of a blossoming rod to show that pride and violence had budded.

V.16 See Isa 38:14.

V.19 Riches cannot save in the day of adversity.  Only obedience to Yahweh will save (Prov 11:26).

V.23 Make a chain (KJV) is symbolic of the captivity that would come upon Judah.

God in our image, after our likeness

v20 is immensely enlightening. Not only had Israel put idols on every hill and under every tree (6:13), not only had Judah set their idols in God's temple (Jer 7:30), but their idols were based on the image of God's glory shown in the golden items in the temple (v20). So in v19 "their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them" is directly referring to the idols they had made in God's image, or so they liked to think.

This is a shocking discovery, but only natural when you think about it. We want to have a god we can see. So rather than making up a completely new, visible god, we take the true God and give Him shape and form. I'm not talking about gold and silver, but the way in which we denigrate God's true likeness just to bring Him down to our level: Do we read a precise version of scripture, or a loose version? Do we seek the answer to Bible questions, or just an answer? Do we minimise the meaning of some scripture and maximise other parts, rather than being even handed? All of these don't seem much of a problem, but they can be symptoms of a bigger danger. Namely, that we want to make God what we want Him to be, rather than what He is.

7:2  The ‘end’ which was to come ‘upon the four corners of the land’ was an announcement, in Babylon, that Jerusalem was finally going to be overthrown.

3:2 The word of God came unto Ezekiel 1:3
3:4 The voice ... of God Isaiah 40:3
3:22 In thee I am well pleased Isaiah 42:1

v.1 - 2 This is another occasion when God passes by the mighty to reveal Himself to one who was lowly - though called of God. Notice also that John was 'in the wilderness' not in some majestic palace.
The use of the language from Ezekiel 1 highlights the import of what was happening through John.

v. 23 The beginning of Jesus' ministry at the age of thirty matches Ezekiel - the 'son of man' Ezekiel

In Luke we find over and over again two types of people. There were the "righteous", consisting of the Scribes, Pharisees, Herodians, Lawyers, and such like. There were also the "sinners", consisting mostly of the publicans, tax collectors, harlots, adulterers, and the sick and demon possessed. When we come to the teaching of Jesus, we find that it was only to be received by the latter group (see Luke 4v18, 15v1, Matthew). So what did John do to make this second group of people receptive to Christ's message?

In this chapter we find that John preaches a single message.... "repent!!". In v7 he couldn't be more clear: "brood of vipers...bring forth fruits worthy of repentance...every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire". Note that this message is universal, and not just to the "righteous", as it was later when Jesus spoke the same words. So something happened in between time to the people to separate them into these two groups. In vs 10-14 we find those who humbled themselves under this message. What John was doing was to "convict all under sin" (see Romans 3 v 9,19), so that the message of forgiveness that Jesus would preach, would be effective. This message of reconciliation by faith would never make an impact unless the people realised they were sinful! This, I believe, was the lowering of the mountains, and the making straight of the crooked places.

"But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.....Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Gal 3v22-24)

John was the representative of that law, which was why he had the genealogy he had (1v5-6), and why Jesus called him "born of woman" (Matt 11v11, cp.Gal 4v4).

3:38  Jesus was the 'second Adam' (1Cor 15:45) in speaking of Adam as 'the son of God' we seethe family likeness. But of course there were major differences

3:8 The challenge that John makes to those who would rest their confidence in Abraham as their father is seen fulfilled – John 8:39.

3:1 These words indicate the precise time ordained by God for John to appear in and about the country of Jordon. How precise is God in all his ways. As we review those names recorded here, we see what a black period of time this was, evil men ruling in high places.

We all know that the darkest hour of the night quite often comes just before dawn. When all may seem black and hopeless, the God of all comfort and mercy intervenes to bring light and life and immortality to light through the gospel of His beloved Son. The news of his imminent appearing is the message from God to John in the wilderness. 

V.1 At aged 54, Tiberius Caesar succeeded Octavian (the Caesar Augustus of Luke 2:1). Tiberius ruled 14-37 AD and was the emperor in place during Jesus' mission period and His death. And so, the events of this chapter occurred in 29 AD.

Vs.23-38 The genealogy of Jesus presented here is considered to be through Mary. The genealogy shown in Matt 1:1-17 is generally accepted as being through Joseph.

3:1-3 As the gospel was sent to a noble Roman (see comment on Luke 1:3 this year) we can conclude that the list would help the official to understand precisely, in a roman context, when these things took place.

V.4 John came to prepare the way of Jesus.  Therefore, he was preparing the Jews, because it was to these people that Jesus, initially, came (Matt 15:24).

The types of people John addressed in the Jewish Community consisted of:

-a multitude (of ordinary folk) v.7

-publicans v.12

-soldiers (those belonging to either Herod or Philip) v.14 

3:7 ‘vipers’ echoes the teaching about the serpent in Gen 3:1-4

V.2 Annas (or Ananias) was the father-in-law of Caiaphas.  They took turns in operating as high priest, although it seems that Caiaphas was the more prominent (John 18:13).

V.7 The phrase generation of vipers is meant to show those who have given, or are affected by, corrupt (poisonous) doctrines and teachings (Deut 32:33).

V.14 These soldiers were those belonging to Herod or Philip.  John told them to do three things: do no violence; neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages (KJV). John did not tell them to resign their posts.

The injunction to do no violence is meant in the context of not taking goods and money from people by force. These soldiers were particularly notorious for doing this.  The Roman soldiers were also guilty of this kind of behavior.

3:20  Herod clearly had a catalogue of sins to his ‘credit’ however jailing John was the worst. Considering his sexually infidelity and the way that the law of Moses condemns that the jailing of John has to be seen as a terrible sin.