21. JEROBOAM II

JEROBOAM II

"Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, for forty-one years. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah.He restored the border of Israel.according to the word of Jehovah the God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the prophet, the son of Amittai, who was of Gath-Hepher. For Jehovah saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter."

2Ki 14:23-26 The reign of this second Jeroboam was longer than that of any other king of Israel. Outwardly it was a time of prosperity, but there were deep-rooted problems. Jeroboam walked in the sins of his predecessor Jeroboam I and like him did evil in the sight of Jehovah. The prophet Amos, who lived at this time, denounced the luxury of Israel’s well-to-do upper class in no uncertain terms. For this, Amos was told to flee the country and go to Judah. The sanctuary at Bethel, he was told, was the king’s sanctuary, and he was not to prophesy there. Today too in many countries believers are persecuted and told what they are to preach and teach, and what topics they must avoid. In some places attempts are even being made to have the Bible classified as hate literature because of its uncompromising presentation of God’s holy standards and its stern denunciation of sins such as homosexual behavior. Sinful man is quite ready for a religion that he himself can devise and control but he refuses to submit to God’s standards.

Jonah’s prophecy mentioned here was doubtless far more to his liking than the message of impending judgment God used him to bring to the people of Nineveh in the book called by his name. Both messages were equally of God and manifest His loving heart. Whether He uses a wicked king to deliver His undeserving people or turns a wicked nation to repentance, He is God and sovereign.