The same people that told you they were winning in Vietnam, that Saddam was about to attack you, that Afghanistan was a "Win" and that Biden was "Sharp as a tack"
— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) July 26, 2024
Have told you Russia is the aggressor.
And that Ukraine is a democracy.
They are liars. pic.twitter.com/DtQ6pCMKP6
There is a level of sinfulness that overcomes a people from time to time that only this instrument can separate it from the people once again.
Israel has always been a people marked by history, by tradition, by wandering. Now, just as in the days of Amos, we find ourselves asking questions—questions that seem to lead us in circles. What does God do with Israel now? Does the Book of Amos shine light on such questions? And are the sins of today a mere echo of the past? It’s a mystery, one we’ll unravel step by step, piecing together the clues, until the truth emerges and perhaps—just perhaps—Israel finds its way back to God.
I want to review the history surrounding the king Jeroboam II as he is introduced to us in the first verse of Amos. All of the sins we see in the days of Jeroboam are still in existence today. Like weeds they may get cut down for a season but they will be back. What about justice, and righteousness, and peace? Why don't they grow back as easily when they get cut down?
Amos 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
[jehr uh BOE ahm] (meaning unknown) – the name of two kings of the northern kingdom of Israel:
Jeroboam II, the 14th king of Israel, who reigned for 41 years (793 B.C. – 753 B.C.). Jeroboam was the son and successor of Joash (or Jehoash); he was the grandson of Jehoahaz and the great-grandson of Jehu (2 Kings 13:1,13; 1 Chron 5:17). The Bible declares that Jeroboam “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 14:24).
2 Kings 13:1-9 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam I the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin; he did not turn from them. 3 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.
4 Then Jehoahaz entreated the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. 5 The Lord gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as formerly.
6 Nevertheless they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, with which he made Israel sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained standing in Samaria.
7 For he [Hazael] left to Jehoahaz of the army not more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and 10,000 footmen, for the king of Aram had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
Made then like the dust by threshing. Threshing in the East is performed in the open air, upon a level plot of ground daubed over with a covering, to prevent as much as possible the earth, sand, or gravel from rising. A great quantity of them all, notwithstanding this precaution, must unavoidably be taken up with the grain; at the same time, the straw is shattered to pieces. Hence, it is a most significant figure, frequently employed by Orientals to describe a state of national suffering little short of extermination (Isa 21:10; Mic 4:12; Jer 51:33). The figure originated in a barbarous war-custom, which Hazael literally followed (Amos 1:3-4: cf. 2 Sam. 12:31; Judg. 8:7).[1]
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and Joash his son became king in his place.
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel sin, but he walked in them.
The prophet Elisha dies (2 Kings 13:12-21)
22 Now Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them or cast them from His presence until now.
24 When Hazael king of Aram died, Ben-hadad his son became king in his place. 25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of Jehoahaz his father. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.
Jeroboam [son of Joash] was successful in his military adventures. His aggressive campaigns “recaptured for Israel, from Damascus and Hamath, what had belonged to Judah” (2 Kings 14:28).
2 Kings 14:28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might, how he fought and how he recovered for Israel, Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
The boundaries of Israel expanded to their greatest extent since the days of David and Solomon: “He restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah” (2 Kings 14:25).
Jeroboam II was king during the prosperous interval between the economic reverses of other rulers. The prophets Hosea, Amos, and Jonah lived during his reign (Hos 1:1; Amos 1:1-2). During this time of superficial prosperity, the prophet Amos especially spoke out against the many social abuses in Israel. A severe oppression of the poor had been instituted by the newly prosperous class. Justice was in the hands of lawless judges; dishonest merchants falsified the balances by deceit; and worship was little more than a pious smokescreen that covered the terrible abuses of the poor. Amos prophesied that the destructive fury of God would fall upon the house of Jeroboam (Amos 7:9).
Amos 7:9 “The high places of Isaac will be desolated and the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste. Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
After Jeroboam’s death, his son Zechariah succeeded him on the throne of Israel (2 Kings 14:29). Zechariah reigned in Samaria only six months before he was assassinated by Shallum (2 Kings 15:10).
Lockyer, Herbert (General Editor), Nelson’s Bible Dictionary
Here are several questions that draw parallels between the time of Jeroboam II and our current era:
1. The text mentions that sins from Jeroboam’s time still exist today. How do you see similar patterns of corruption, injustice, and moral decline in our society?
2. Why do you think negative behaviors (likened to weeds in the text) seem to persist more easily than positive virtues like justice, righteousness, and peace? How can we cultivate and maintain these positive qualities in our communities?
3. The passage describes a time of economic prosperity coupled with social injustice. How do you see this dynamic playing out in today’s world? Are there examples of economic growth masking underlying social issues?
4. Amos spoke out against the oppression of the poor by the newly prosperous class. In what ways do you see similar economic disparities and exploitation in our current society?
5. The text mentions “lawless judges” and “dishonest merchants.” How do these issues manifest in our modern systems of justice and commerce? What can be done to promote integrity in these areas?
6. Religious practice in Jeroboam’s time is described as “little more than a pious smokescreen” covering abuses. How might religious or moral pretenses be used today to disguise or justify unethical behavior?
7. The passage describes cycles of sin, punishment, repentance, and deliverance. How do you see similar patterns playing out in societies or individual lives today? What lessons can we learn from this cyclical nature of human behavior?
8. Despite repeated warnings and opportunities for repentance, Israel continued in its sinful ways. What parallels do you see in how modern societies respond (or fail to respond) to calls for reform or warnings about societal issues?
9. How can we, as individuals or communities, work to break cycles of injustice and promote lasting positive change in our society?
10. The text mentions God’s compassion and faithfulness to His covenant despite the people’s failings. How might this aspect of the narrative inform our approach to addressing societal issues and seeking positive change?
Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, Andrew Robert; Brown, David, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary ↑
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