Jeroboam II: Israel's Last Flourishing

Jeroboam son of Joash reigned forty-one years — longer than any other king of Israel. He restored the border "from Lebo-hamath to the sea of the Arabah," that is, from the northern pass into Syria to the Dead Sea: very nearly the territory Solomon had held. Scripture says plainly that this was done "according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher" — the same Jonah who would later go to Nineveh.

The explanation given is unexpected: the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that there was neither bond nor free and no helper for Israel — and He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam. Not for the king's merits: "he did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat."

From the outside this is the summit. From the inside it is what the prophets working in exactly these years saw. Amos of Tekoa: they sell the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals; they lie on beds of ivory and drink wine by the bowlful; and there is no justice in the gate. Hosea son of Beeri: there is no truth, no kindness and no knowledge of God in the land. Both date themselves to the days of Uzziah king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel.

Thirty years after Jeroboam's death Samaria would be gone. The distance between the splendour and the end is one generation — and the prophets named that distance in advance.