Jeroboam II

Jeroboam (II)
Biographical
Born	Late 9th Century B.C
Died	c. 753 B.C
Parents	Jehoash (father)
Offspring	Zachariah (son)
Other Names	Jeroboam, son of Jehoash Jeroboam
Social
Social class	Royalty
Occupation	King of Israel
Nationality	Israelite
Ethnicity	Hebrew
Religion	Paganism
Race	Semite

Jeroboam II, (Hebrew: יָרָבְעָם, Yāroḇə‘ām) son of Jehoash, reigned as king of Israel, being the fourth of the dynasty the Jehu. He reigned for 41 years (793-753 B.C., inclusive), the longest of any other king of the northern kingdom.

He became king after his father's death in the fifteenth year of Amaziah (793 B.C). He was a contemporary of Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jotham, kings of Judah, and the prophets Amos, Hosea, Jonah and Isaiah.

Biography

Name and Family

The name Jeroboam means "the people will contend", an unusual name in the ninth century BC. However, it had been the name of the first king of the northern kingdom which claimed the name "Israel" after ten tribes split from Judah and Benjamin. In light of the promise of the LORD to Jehu, his grandson Jehoash may have envisioned his son restoring the kingdom to his "better" days. The dynasty had begun with Jehu, an zealous crusader used by God after Elisha had anointed him king. Jehu had reigned 28 years, followed by 16 years of Jehoahaz. It is not known whether Jeroboam was born after his father Jehoash had begun his reign. Nevertheless, his son would be the fourth on the throne. By inclusive reckoning, that would have indicated the dynasty was coming to an end within a generation. Jeroboam's own son, would be the fifth king, but would be killed a month in the fourth generation following Jehu.

Succession

In all, the dynasty of Jehu had lasted for about fifty years, from the days of the prophet Elisha to the time of the great prophet Isaiah. Young Jeroboam, probably around 30, had come to expect a comfortable life as the heir apparent. His father had boldly invaded Jerusalem, in the southern kingdom, that is Judah, taking much of the treasure from the temple and Amaziah's palace. Times were tense between the neighboring cousins. It was into this tumult that Jeroboam buried his father and rose to the throne. He became king in the fifteenth year of Amaziah.

An Unlikely Savior

Though Israel had been used by the LORD to bring disaster upon Judah, times had become harsh after a century and a half of evil kings. Jeroboam II was no better than his namesake, but God had made a promise to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The nation of Israel had been formed from the twelve sons of Jacob, renamed Israel. Because of this, Yahweh called his servant Jonah from Gath-hepher", a town near the Sea of Chinneroth (Galilee) in eastern Israel. The prophet went to the king to tell him to fight for the land claimed in the days of the Judges. True to His promise, the God of Israel sent Jeroboam to save His wayward people.

The Extent of Jeroboam's Power and Control

The extent of the holdings of the kingdom spread from Lebo-hamath, in the north to the Dead Sea in the south.

Jeroboam renewed relationships -- and control -- of parts of Damascus in Syria and Hamath, a tributary of the Davidic dynasty in which Solomon built storehouses. In asserting the control of these locations, the land Israel saw largest largest expansion in its history.

When Israel Felt the Power of God

In the concurrent reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam, that is in the first half of the eighth century B.C., a shepherd from Tekoa, a town near Bethlehem-Judea, by the name of Amos, was shown the future of the people of God, especially of the apostate northern kingdom of Israel. Though a subject of Uzziah of Judah, the humble shepherd spoke of the wrath of God against apostacy and ungodliness. It is almost certain that Jeroboam heard of this. Within two years of these visions, God sent an earthquake that those reading the written form practically dated recent history.

The land of Israel, as united in the days of Solomon, and divided in the reigns of Uzziah and Jeroboam, stood along a major fault. Earthquakes and tremors were common, but this particular earthquake was remembered in the years of the prophet Zechariah about 200 years later. This means that the magnitude was probably greater than any other experienced in the time of whole history of the land. However, the warnings were not heeded, even after the king, and his kingdom, had a very physical presentation of the power of Yahweh.

Death and Legacy

Jeroboam II of Israel reigned from 593 BC to 553 BC, all but one year within the even longer reign of Uzziah of Judah (592-540). Even so, his 41 years, concurring with those of his distant cousin, meant a stability in the region that provided a false since of security in both Jerusalem and Samaria.

He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He reigned for 41 years being the longest reigning king of Israel. The dynasty of Jehu had lasted for 88 years, and would end within six months at the violent death of his son Zachariah.