Jotham and Ahaz

Jotham-Ahaz (southern kingdom, Davidic dynasty)

Jotham

(2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chronicles 27)

Jotham was the son of the king (Uzziah) who went into the temple and was struck by leprosy. Uzziah was then confined to a room and Jotham took on many administrative functions, almost like a co-monarchy.

In a weird way, it was almost refreshing to see a king so zealous for God that he went into the temple. It was refreshing because in the time since devolution, the northern kingdom had exclusively bad kings with the exception of Jehu. Because of this, the northern kingdom is heading for total annihilation. Likewise, at this same time, prophets are emerging and warning the northern kingdom to change or else the end will come.

After Uzziah died, Jotham became official king of Judah. He reigned for 16 years. He did what was pleasing to God, although he did not destroy the pagan shrines nor stop the sacrifices. The presence of the shrines and sacrifices to other gods is frequently mentioned in these sections. I suspect that part of the reason was because human sacrifice was involved. It also highlights the religious practice of the people in general. If the shrines are up, then the population is worshiping at them.

The most notable things about Jotham's reign was that he directed some construction projects in the kingdom and he conquered the Ammonites who paid an annual tribute to Jerusalem. Again, the boundaries of the empire are being restored.

Ahaz

After Jotham died, his son Ahaz became king. Ahaz seems to be the worst king of the southern kingdom thus far. He worshiped other gods in the shrines. He even sacrificed his own children in the fire. This may have been what the local people were doing at all these other shrines and why it was pointed out.

This is a marked contrast to his grandfather Uzziah who was so zealous for God that he entered the temple. Likewise, his father Jotham was pleasing to God.

Meanwhile, king Pekah of Israel allied itself with the king of Aram and attacked Jerusalem. They could not take the city.

Where other kings sought God for help during invasions, Ahaz seeks the Assyrians. To make things worse for Ahaz, he pillages the gold from the temple, pledges himself as a vassal to the king of the Assyrians, and gives it the gold to the king of Assyria. The Assyrians come and attack the Arameans, take Damascus and cart the people off for assimilation into the Assyrian empire.

A longtime foe, the Arameans, is now destroyed. However, a new foe, the Assyrians, is on the warpath.

Similarly, the political situation parallels the religious one. Where the empire grew under Jotham's reign, the empire is now a vassal state to a much larger empire, the Assyrians.

2 Chronicles 28 fills in some more details of the reign of Ahaz. Verse 3 suggests that the sacrifice of his children in the fire occurred in the valley of Ben Himnon and not in the shrines of the high places.

Child sacrifice is frightening on many levels. But another detail to consider is that these children are the descendants of King David. Hence, they would also be the relatives of Jesus. Against this context, Isaiah's first message of King Ahaz takes on even more significance.

This chapter also suggests that these religious practices were the spiritual reason that God allowed/used the northern kingdom and the Arameans to attack the southern kingdom.

The Arameans took many people of Judah captive and took them back to Damascus. We know that the Assyrians will do the same to the entire city of Damascus, so we have our first of people in the southern kingdom being taken away. However, once in the Assyrian empire, the people become completely lost to history. So, we have a portion of Judah who is now "lost".

The army of the northern kingdom takes many captives from the southern kingdom as well. This time though, God intervenes with a prophet Oded who convinces them to release their captives or be cursed by God. It works and they release them. The dialogue shows some recognition on the part of the soldiers from the north that they should not make God even more angry than God already is.

A new prophet emerges (Isaiah 6)

Meanwhile, in the southern kingdom, a priest is tending to the temple during the year that king Uzziah of Judah died. Suddenly, he sees a vision of God, 6-winged seraphim, and the robe of God fills the temple. The 6-winged seraphim use two wings to cover their faces, two wings to cover their feet, and two wings to fly.

The man trembles and feels unworthy to see what is before him.

One of the seraphim picks up a burning coal from the altar and flies to the priest. He touches the coal to the priest's lips, cleansing it so he may speak for God.

Thus begins the ministry of Isaiah the prophet. He will have a lot to say.

A quick succession of northern kings (2 Kings 15)

Jeroboam II - Zechariah (end of Jehu's mini-dynasty)

Shallum

Menahem - Pekahiah

Pekah

Hoshea

Zechariah became king after Jeroboam II died. He did evil in God's sight and reigned only 6 months before being assassinated in a coup d'état. He was the fourth generation of descendants after Jehu and his reign fulfilled God's promise to Jehu.

Shallum is the man who assassinated Zechariah and became king. He reigned one month before being assassinated by Menahem, who became the next king.

Menahem reigned for 10 years and did evil in God's sight. He massacred the civilian population at Tirzah and ripped open the stomachs of pregnant women. Previously, such war atrocities had been done by foreign invaders. Here, an Israelite king is doing it.

The king of Assyria invaded the northern kingdom but Menahem bought him off with silver. Menahem levied heavy taxes to pay off the Assyrians for them to withdraw the invasion.

His son Pekahiah became king after Menahem died. Pekahiah did evil in God's sight, ruled for 2 years, and was killed in a coup d'état by the commander of his army, Pekah.

Pekah reigned for 20 years and he did evil in God's sight. During his reign, the Assyrian army returned. This time, they captured a number of towns and took the population into exile in their empire. Here, we have the warnings of Amos starting to be fulfilled - Israelites being taken into exile. However, one the Israelites disappear as captives into the Assyrian empire, they lost their cultural identity and become lost to history.

Amos' warning also contained a promise that the people could escape invasion exile if they repented. The rest of the northern kingdom is still intact, but will they repent now that Amos' prophecy is starting to come true?

Meanwhile, Hoshea assassinates Pekah and became king.

The Book of Amos

Amos was a shepherd who lived in Judah. He received a series of visions during the reign of king Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom and king Uzziah of the southern kingdom.

At least chronologically, he is the first prophet who's Biblical record is principally an apocalyptic writing. There were other prophets, like Elijah and Elisha, who were associated with major miracles as they pronounced judgment.

Amos' ministry was principally to pronounce the judgment of God. If anything, God has given up on trying to miraculous demonstrations of power to convince the people to turn back to him. No, that did not work.

This ministry is similar to Jonah. But there are two major differences between Jonah and Amos. First, Jonah's prophecy was directed solely to the people of Nineveh, enemies of Israel. The book of Amos covers God's judgment on Israel's neighbors, but mostly focuses on Israel itself.

Likewise, the book of Jonah primarily focuses on what Jonah did with the message - he ran away. In contrast, Amos largely focuses on the receipt and interpretation of the message itself.

Later in the book, we find Amos in Bethel. So, it sounds like Amos went from Judah north to Bethel where he proclaimed God's judgment. I will explain the significance of Bethel later.

God's message

The first judgments in the book of Amos are against Israel's neighbors and enemies. The Edomites, Philistines, Arameans, Ammonites, Moabites, and the city of Tyre each have a judgment of God.

Intriguingly, it says that God will send down fire to smite their walls and cities. It is easy to picture a Sodom and Gomorrah type destruction, but it is not clear how literal we should take that either. Even if literal, the fire of God's judgment could come from invading armies setting fire to buildings. Or, it could be a spiritual fire that does not necessarily manifest in actual fire that leaves the place spiritually vulnerable to destruction from anything else.

One notable neighbor is absent from the list of calamities - the people of Nineveh/Assyria. It could be because they are repenting from Jonah's message or because God plans to use them to fulfill some of these judgments.

The people of Judah do not escape this either. God's fire will destroy all the fortifications of Judah.

However, the primary focus on Amos' message is the northern kingdom. God is angry that they have forsaken vast sections of the Mosiac law and worship idols at Bethel. Bethel was one of the two places that Jeroboam I had placed golden calves to prevent his people from going to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. At the time, Jeroboam had said that this was the god that brought them out of Egypt. Likewise, God had sent a prophet who proclaimed that the altar of Bethel would be destroyed by a descendant of David.

The judgment of Amos refers to Bethel and the worship of idols on a number of occasions. The description of Amos makes it sound like the grain offerings and sacrifices required by the Mosiac law that they should do in Jerusalem were brought to the golden calf at Bethel.

Nevertheless, God offers a chance for repentance. Otherwise, the day is coming when they will taken as exiles to a "land east of Damascus" (5:27). We know from history it is the Assyrians that do this. Part of the way the Assyrians subjugated people they conquered was to relocate them within their empire.

The end of the book describes specific visions that Amos received and his reaction to them. First was a swarm of locusts that ate every green plant in Israel. Amos begs for God's forgiveness on behalf of Israel and pleads to God to not do this. God relents and says "I will not do this."

Second, a great fire comes and consumes Israel. Amos again pleads to God and God relents from this plan.

Third, Amos sees God testing Israel with a plumb line to determine if it is still straight. God does not relent from this plan and God will test Israel. In particular, the shrines and temples will be destroyed and king Jeroboam II will die.

This vision makes its way to Jeroboam and Amos is accused of hatching a plot against the reigning monarch. Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, tells Amos to go back to Judah. If Amaziah was priest of Bethel, then he probably was a priest of the golden calves set up by Jeroboam I. Amos then proclaims a specific prophecy on Amaziah. Specifically, Amaziah's wife will become a prostitute, his children will die, and he will did in exile.

Amos then received a fourth vision of ripe fruit. The interpretation was the Israel was ripe for punishment. God also plans to do famine of speaking to Israel. People will recognize the dearth of God's word, look for it, but not be able to find it.

The final vision is God destroying the Temple. In the context of the rest of the book, it sounds it could be temple at Bethel housing the golden calf. But it is a little nebulous but it probably refer s to the temple of Jerusalem.

This is further supported because the book concludes with a restoration of the house of David and bringing the people of Israel back from exile. We know from history that this happened explicitly with the people of Judah after the Babylonian captivity. However, an unrecorded return from exile could have happened with the "Lost 10 Tribes". The conclusion of Amos gives some indication that might have been on God's mind.

Jonah

One day, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh that God plans to destroy the city. God does not make this conditional or that God will retract it if Nineveh repents.

Nineveh is the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. At this time in history, the Assyrian Empire was very aggressive and brutal. Eventually, they will destroy the northern kingdom of Israel. Nineveh corresponds today with the city of Mosul in northern Iraq.

Jonah knows the reputation of the Assyrians. He might even have an inkling or a prophecy that it would be the Assyrians that destroy Israel unless Israel repents. For after all, Elisha foresaw Hazeal's future war atrocities against Israel before Hazeal was even king of Aram. Likewise, they are the major aggressive empire of the day so it would be an easy connection to make.

Jonah disobeys God and instead hops on a boat in the Mediterranean. We find out later that Jonah even tells the crew that he is running from God.

We do not know why Jonah jumped on the boat. To Jonah, God destroying Ninevah is good news. That might save Israel. The instruction did not include a possible retraction if they repent. If anything, it would be good news to go and watch Nineveh be destroyed. We don't know how God wanted to destroy it, perhaps by fire from heaven like Sodom and Gomorrah or even by war.

On the boat, a mighty storm tosses the boat and the sailers fear for their lives. Meanwhile, Jonah is found sleeping. The captain wakes him up and tells him to pray to his god that the storm might cease.

The storm does not abate, so they cast lots to see who is responsible for this. The lot falls on Jonah who explains that his god is God of the land and sea and he requests to be thrown overboard. The other crew do not immediately do this, but eventually they do. The storm immediately stops and the crew members become worshippers of God. A giant fish comes and swallows Jonah and keeps him in its belly for "three days and three nights". In the fish, Jonah makes a prayer in which he likes his situation to death and salvation before the fish spits him on dry land.

There are a number of parallels in the ministry of Christ just in the ocean scene alone. First, Christ was found sleeping below deck during a storm that scared everyone else on the boat. Second, Christ rebuke the storm and it ceased immediately, just as how this storm ceased. Third, Christ alludes to Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights while discussing his death and resurrection. Taking death and deliverance further, Jonah's prayer in the fish speaks of death and how he was already redeemed from God. Finally, I think the story foreshadows a central New Testament theme of the Gospel to the Gentiles, as the crew members became worshippers of God.

At this point, Jonah is the disobedient prophet. We have seen two other similar situations thus far, both ended worse for the disobedient prophet. Moses was forbidden to see the promised land for striking the rock in disobedience to God, to say nothing about being almost killed because his kids were not circumcised. Likewise, the nameless prophet who was not allowed to eat or drink during his mission who was killed immediately by a lion because he was tricked into eating and drinking.

Here, Jonah's disobedience from God is even worse than those two incidents. It was premeditated, he went far out of his way, and involved other people. But yet, God not only saved his life, but used the occasion to bring the other crew members to God. Further, Christ redeems Jonah's story further by specifically referencing it with regard to the resurrection.

So, was Jonah actually in the belly of fish for three literal days and three literal nights, i.e., 72 hours? It might not be, for the events of the crucifixion of Christ happened on Friday but Christ first appeared to Mary on Sunday morning.

Back to the story, Jonah heads to Nineveh and tells them that God will destroy the city in 40 days. God did not actually state the 40 day deadline.

This spurns the people to repentance and God decides not to destroy the city. Jonah is very angry and now he wants to die. Jonah watches the city from outside and overnight a plant blooms next to him and gives Jonah shade. He becomes happy again. Overnight again, a worm kills the plant and Jonah is not only saddened by the loss of the plant, but must face a scorching sun without shade. He wants to die again.

God points out to Jonah that Jonah was more sad about the loss of the plant than the potential loss of 120,000 people that would have happened had God destroyed the city. That is where the text of the story ends.

Again, this foreshadows the Gospel to the Gentiles message of the New Testament as well. Here, God is specifically reaching out to the Gentiles. God might also be planning the seeds for his work to continue when these same people conquer northern kingdom. Or, God might be trying to get the Assyrian empire to partner with Israel as representatives of God on earth.

Also, just in terms of numbers and effectiveness, Jonah was an extremely effective evangelist. Just one trip to Nineveh spurned the capital city of a major Near East empire to repentance almost overnight.

Uzziah, king of Judah (2 Kings 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 26)

Uzziah was the son of Amasiah and he began his reign at 16 years old. He had a long reign of 52 years and mostly did what was pleasing to God.

Uzziah sought God's guidance through another Zechariah. Zechariah instructed Uzziah with divine visions.

He fought wars with and defeated the Philistines, Arabs, and Meunites. The Meunites paid him an annual tribute, so the empire of southern kingdom is growing.

He did many public works projects around Jerusalem, including increasing it's fortifications and water supplies.

There was one major blight on his reign. He became proud and although he eagerly sought God, it crossed a line. He entered the inner sanctuary of the temple and burned incense. The high priest and 80 other priests challenged him and told him to leave because he was not a Levite. Uzziah was still holding an incense burner when a spot of leprosy appeared on his forehead. He ran out, but the leprosy remained. He was confined to an isolated room for the rest of his life.

This effectively incapacitated him so his son Jotham took over governorship of the country.

It is sad that he had good reign for a long time and one mistake ruined it. But that said, violating God's ceremonial instructions was a big deal. He actually got off lucky. The sons of Aaron, the first high priest, were struck with a fireball when they violated the rules. Likewise, Eli (Samuel's mentor) lost his legacy as high priest because his kids abused their access to the Tabernacle and Eli did nothing.

There was strict access to God and even the king could not violate it, even if he eagerly sought God.

Amaziah, king of Judah (2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25)

Amaziah followed God, but not wholeheartedly. The text likens him to his father Joash and not David.

He executes the people who assassinated his father, Joash. However, he did not kill their children out of respect for Mosiac law. This would indicate Mosiac law is being followed to some degree in the land.

He conducted a military census and then hires mercenaries form the northern kingdom. However, unlike David, God does not get mad at the military census, but rather it is the mercenaries from the northern kingdom that are the problem. A prophet advises him to dismiss them because God is not with the northern kingdom. Amaziah dismisses them, but is disappointed with the lost money since the mercenaries were paid. The same prophet advises Amaziah that God can give him more money.

The mercenaries go back to the northern kingdom are angered by their dismissal. They actually conduct raids in the border towns.

Amaziah had important victories over Edom. However, he brought back the idols of the Edomites and began worshipping them. It is amazing how often that happens in these stories. If the gods of the Edomites did not save or protect them from conquest, what is the incentive the people of Judah to worship them?

God is of course angered by this. God sends a prophet to warn Amaziah. Amaziah threatens to kill the prophet. The prophet then says that God will destroy Amaziah for turning his back on God and not heeding the prophet's advice.

The next thing that appears in the text is that Amaziah wants to start a war with the northern kingdom. He even sends Jehoash a letter stating as such. The army of Jehoash defeats the army of Amaziah.

So, why did this happen? There was no indication in the text of hostilities between the northern and southern kingdom, so it seems kind of out of the blue. Likewise, the king of Aram seems to be a bigger threat to either of them.

That said, there had been raids from the northern mercenaries and it seems that Jehoash did nothing to stop them. However, the hostile letter comes right after Amaziah's worship of Edomite idols and the warning by the prophet. So, I would think they are connected. We have seen God inspiring kings to make disastrous invasions before once they rejected God. The best example was Ahab and the warning by Micah when Jehosophat asked for a prophet of God. Although the text is not clear as to why Amaziah wants to fight with Jehoash, this may have been something similar.

Amaziah loses the battle and Jerusalem is plundered. Amaziah is not killed in the battle, but rather dies year later at the hands of other assassins.