By Mary Fairchild
1581 Bunting Clover Leaf Map; Israel in the center.
AMAZIAH and JEROBOAM II : 2 Kings 14:2; 2 Chron. 25
Though unbelieving skeptics scoff at the experience of Jonah, Christ authenticates Jonah’s miraculous deliverance from the great fish, saying it was a type of Christ’s three days in the grave and of His resurrection (Matt. 12:39-41). When Jonah preached, Assyria was prepared for repentance. Not only were they weakened militarily and politically, but a series of epidemics had brought death to many. A total eclipse of the sun (June 16, 763 B.C.) added t the nation’s ripeness for repentance.(Leonard Wood, “A Survey of Israel’s History” [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Co, 1970]).
THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH IN JUDAH—2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25: After Asa and Jehoshaphat had enjoyed long, prosperous reigns, Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Queen Athaliah led Judah into idolatry. Then for over 100 years, Joash, Amaziah, and Ussiah together ruled and were generally conscious of the Lord’s direction, bringing Judah national recovery. Amaziah followed his murdered father Joash, reigning 29 years, though the last 24 years were co-regnant with his son Uzziah.
Amaziah continued his father’s policies of allowing worship in the high places. He had all of his father’s assassins put to death. Judah had lost control of Edom under King Jehoram. Needing southern trade routes, Amaziah hired soldiers from Israel to join him in regaining control of Edom. When he was rebuked by a prophet for hiring the soldiers from Israel, Amaziah sent them home and without their help destroyed the capitol city and won control of Edom. However, he displeased the Lord by bringing the images of Edom’s false gods to Judah and worshipping them along with Jehovah. A prophet said to him, “Why hast thou sought after gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out to thine hand? Amaziah’s downfall was prophesied at this point (2 Cron. 25:15-16).
In their journey home to Israel, the rejected northern soldiers of Israel plundered the southern Judean villages. Amaziah, confident in his victory over Edom, then challenged King Jehoash of Israel to war. The southern kingdom of Judah was defeated at Beth-shemesh and Jehoash marched into Jerusalem, destroyed 600 feet of city wall, stole treasures form the Temple, and took hostages. (He probably captured Amaziah the king—a punishment for worshipping the gods of Edom—and Amaziah’s son Uzziah may have ruled in Judah until his father’s release after Jehoash died.)
THE REIGN OF JEROBOAM II IN ISRAEL—2 Kings 14:23-27: After Amaziah had reigned 15 years in Judah, Jeroboam II was crowned in Israel. He was the third successive descendant of Jehu and capably ruled Israel for 41 years. HE PREACHED CALF WORSHIP instated by Jeroboam I. In spite of this, God was merciful to Israel and used Jeroboam II to recover Israel’s boundary in the north to the extent of Solomon’s day. He also recovered Damascus, Hamath, and other holdings taken by Hazael. With these extended boundaries, Israel was the largest and most influential country along the eastern Mediterranean. Jeroboam II was widely known and respected, as both Assyria and Syria were weakened nations at this time.
WORKS CITED
- Revelation and Church History
- Church Age
- Old Testament Study
- KING JAMES BIBLE
- MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY
- A Beka Book High School Bible Series “United Kingdom: Kings of Israel A;” 1995 Pensacola Christian College; www.abeka.com