The reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam II together are referred to as the "Indian Summer" for the nation, a last chance before the storms. Both kingdoms experienced significant prosperity as a declared gift of God, and a final opportunity to turn around. Uzziah did quite well with his chance, and his realm lasts for quite some time after him. Jeroboam rejected Jehovah, and Israel soon disappeared. Having already mentioned Obadiah and Joel, we will examine those prophetic books that appear to have been written during this time.
Hosea -- From the content of his prophesy, we can discern Hosea ministered roughly between 750 and 725 BC. He almost surely knew Isaiah, and was contemporary with Amos and Jonah, as well. Hosea personally experienced what it felt for God to deal with Israel. He married a known harlot, and had children given names symbolic of Israel's unfaithfulness. He eventually divorced her, but love triumphed as he marries her again. Hosea shows proof positive what is mistaken for mere politics is actually a matter of righteousness. He addresses the oppression of the peasantry by heavy taxation and regulation. He survived the fall of Samaria in 722 BC and published his work afterward, during the reign of Hezekiah.
Amos -- While we cannot link him to an important ruling family, Amos was clearly better educated than average. He did not bear the office of prophet, but merely prophesied once. He was called directly by God from the sheep pastures of Tekoah, a dozen miles south of Jerusalem. He also cultivated fruit-bearing sycamore trees. His phrasing is loaded with images of this pastoral lifestyle. He took his prophecy around 760 BC to Bethel, in the northern kingdom. The comfortable prosperity and the trendy pagan worship practices of the nobility of Israel led them to flout every custom and law. Not only would they not obey the law, they actively prevented others, thus denying justice to the citizens. Eventually he was driven out of the area near the Bethel shrine, came home and recorded his message.
Jonah -- Jonah relates more of his own story than his contemporaries, and is named in the historical texts (2 Kings 14:25). There is mentioned his prediction that Jeroboam II would successfully pacify his enemies. Jonah hailed from the area we now call Galilee. The story in his prophetic book takes place sometime between 780 and 750 BC. After the Battle at Qarqar, Assyrian power and threat had subsided a great deal. The imperial capital was then at Caleh, a royal suburb of Ninevah. Imperial records indicate during this time frame the palace took a swing toward monotheism for a time. There were also several major events regarded as portents of divine judgment, including plagues and a total solar eclipse. These may have paved the way for acceptance of Jonah's message.
Jonah was already a prophet when the Lord directed him to Ninevah, regarded with some contempt as an especially cruel and rapacious enemy of Israel. As a true patriot, Jonah didn't want to help the enemy of his people, knowing God would surely be merciful if they repented. Rather than travel northeast up to Charan and back down the Mesopotamian Valley, he headed west down to the Mediterranean coast. There at the Philistine port of Joppa, he took passage on a Phoenician ship headed for Spain (Tarshish). The storm that struck was completely out of season. The pagan sailors were too far out to simply row back, so they dumped their cargo to gain maximum buoyancy in the huge, high waves. They all prayed loudly and fervently to their various gods. Jonah was asleep when they demanded he join the prayers. God used their pagan ritual of casting lots to see who was the target of this storm to indict Jonah. Knowing he would be guilty of their demise if he didn't act, Jonah convinced them to toss him overboard. When they finally did, the storm ceased immediately. No one knows what kind of fish could do this, but Jonah was transported back to the Palestinian coast and tossed up on the dry shore. When the Word of God came again to direct him to Ninevah, he went.
The entire city-state was known by the name of its chief city, Ninevah. The city-state was the primary political division of the ancient valley since human memory. It would encompass the city walls and all the land around it necessary to provide food and other resources. It was the ancient equivalent of a fiefdom. Jonah wandered the entire district preaching his message for three days. If we could picture a similar modern parallel, Washington DC would compare favorably. In this case, the federal officials remain aloof, but the residents and local government react deeply. Just so, the governor of the district, not the emperor, declares a period of repentance and fasting, even draping domestic herds in sackcloth. God relented the impending judgment. Jonah argued this was what he hoped to avoid. While the obvious message is Jews hating Gentiles was wrong, since they were called to be a nation of priests to bring redemption to the Gentiles, there is more to it than that. It indicates beforehand the justice of God when Israel would be destroyed. If a pagan city-state can find God's mercy, surely His own people could. The army based in this Ninevah would become the instrument of God's judgment on Israel.
2 Kings 14:23-29 -- Early in Uzziah's reign, Jeroboam II (793-753 BC) succeeded Joash on the throne of Israel. Already established in co-regency with his father, and having commanded the army in three victorious battles against Syria, Jeroboam II was an even better ruler than Uzziah in human terms. His fame eclipsed that of Uzziah, and there is evidence Jeroboam influenced him somewhat. The army of Syria went home in defeat, and that kingdom soon became a tributary of Israel. Assyria was busy on other fronts, having not yet fully recovered from the massive losses at Qarqar nearly 100 years earlier. The power vacuum allowed Jeroboam II a chance to regain mastery of everything once held by David and Solomon to his north. He ruled as far as the old Kingdom of Hamath. It appear he regained economic control of the entire East Bank of the Joran down to Ammon. This had all been prophesied by Jonah before. Archaeological digs in Samaria have uncovered the rich splendor of his reign. He doubled the wall around the city, decorated his palace with ivory inlays, and amassed exquisite art from all over. At the same time, he made the spiritual life of his kingdom exceedingly poor. He funded grand improvements to the paganized temples at Dan, Gilgal-ephraim and Bethel. He removed all restraints from the ruling class, creating a horrendous level of oppression on the common folk. Justice became a market commodity, sold to the highest bidder. Crushing and capricious taxation made the peasantry de facto slaves.
Assyria eventually finished business on her other borders and began planning a new invasion. A new class of emperors arise, starting with Tiglath-pileser III. A decade after Jeroboam II passes, Assyria returns with a vengeance. Time is about to run out on Israel.
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Ed Hurst
16 April 2005
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