Friday, September 27, 2013

Jereboam II’s Reign

II Kings 14:23-29

“In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.” (II Kings 14:23-24)

About fifteen after Amaziah became king of Judah, Joash of Israel died and his son Jeroboam became king.  Though he never served God, adhering faithfully to the first Jeroboam’s imitation of the worship of God rather than the truth, he would have one of the longest reigns of any of Israel’s kings, reigning forty one years.  Hosea, Jonah and Amos all prophesied during his reign.

“He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.  For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.  And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.” (II Kings 14:25-27) 

Under Hazael and his son, Benhadad, Syria gained control of the Mediterranean Coast of Israel  and everything around the Sea of Gallilee to about twenty miles south. Israel was left with only of what had originally belonged to Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh.  Because Joash had been content to just stop their encroachment and had not destroyed their power, Syria was again trying to take over what was left.

After Joash’s invasion of Judah under Amaziah, Judah was not about to come to their rescue, and Syria had already defeated all their neighbors, so there was no one to come to Israel’s aid.  Because of his promise to preserve Abraham’s family, despite their sin, God would not let them be destroyed.

Little is known of Jonah’s prophecies other than the prophecy against Nineveh found in the book of Jonah, but he was the prophet God used to inspire Jeroboam the second to fight for their land.  As a result, Jeroboam was able to recover most of the land as far north as the Sea of Galilee, and prevent their being killed or absorbed into the Syrian culture.  He was able also to reclaim the section of Damascus one of the Earlier Benhadad’s had promised king Ahab in  I Kings 20.

“Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?” (II Kings 14:28)

While Jeroboam’s other actions were recorded in official records, they were not included in scripture.   Amos describes the attitudes of the leaders of the false religion Jeroboam th first started.

“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.  For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land. 

Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court.” (Amos 7:10-13)

Amaziah, the high priest of Jeroboam’s religion accused Amos of treason, and warned that his teaching would cause a division in the land, because Amos said that Jeroboam would be killed and Israel would be relocated from their land.

He told Amos that if he was going to preach such things, he needed to Move to Judah because the religion there belonged to the king and he decided what was to be preached.  Religious leaders had no right to oppose governmental actions.

Throughout history, Governments have taken this attitude toward religion, that it must be subject to the government.  It was to prevent this that the first part of the first amendment to the Constitution was adopted, which states, “Congress shall no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof:…”

When the Internal Revenue Service was allowed to establish rules as to what a religious organization must teach in order to retain tax exempt status, the first amendment was violated.  While I do not approve of polygamy, the prosecution of the Mormon church for practicing it was a violation of the first amendment.  Clearly, the United States government feels free to violate those protections to promote it’s own power.

“Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.  Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. 

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.” (Amos 7:14-17)

Amos pointed out that he had not been interested in being a prophet but that God had commanded him to prophesy to Israel.  Their orders to not prophesy were in direct contradiction to God’s command.  Their refusal to hear would not change the results.  Women in the city would be forced to turn to prostitution to support themselves, their children would be murdered and their land taken away.  They would be forced into slavery and die surrounded by evil because the didn’t take any action.

It was unfair not to let the people know what they faced, but Jeroboam and his priests refused to allow them to be warned.

“And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.” (II Kings 14:29)

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