THE DYNASTY OF JEHU--JEHOAHAZ (B.C. 814-797)--JOASH (B.C. 797-781) 175
Israel at its nadir--Calf-worship--Oppression of Hazael--Disappearance of Elisha--Repentance of Jehoahaz--Joash of Israel visits the death-bed of Elisha--"The arrow of the Lord's deliverance"--Three victories over the Syrians--Death of Elisha, and posthumous marvels--Joash and Amaziah--Contemptuous answer to the King of Judah--Crushing defeat of Judah.
Jeroboam II. the greatest of the kings of Israel--His conquests and wide dominion--A dying gleam of prosperity--Cause of his success--Relations with Assyria--Dawn of written prophecy--Jonah.
Amos describes the condition of Israel--Growth of usury and vice--Humble origin of Amos--His burdens--Degenerations of the "calf-worship"--Uncompromising denunciation--Collision of Amos with Amaziah the high priest at Bethel--His expulsion from Bethel--The curse denounced--His justification of his mission--Hosea the saddest of the prophets--His pictures of Ephraim--Jeroboam II.--His death--His son Zachariah--His desertion and shameful end.
Wane of Assyria--Uzziah a wise and good king--His other name Azariah--Expansion of the story of his conquests in the Chronicles--Training of his army--Defeated by the Assyrians (?)--Stricken with leprosy--The story--Jotham acts as his public representative--Diminished power of Judah under Jotham--Beginning of Isaiah's prophecies--Death of Jotham.
THE AGONY OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM--SHALLUM, MENAHEM, PEKAHIAH, PEKAH (B.C. 740-734) 217
Shallum, an usurping murderer--Rapid disappearance of kings--Distracted epoch--The prophet Zechariah and the three shepherds--Zechariah's prophecies--The cruel shepherd, Menahem--His savage deeds--Portentous appearance of the Assyrians in Israel--Menahem pays tribute--Tiglath-Pileser--Fulfilment of Hosea's prophecy--Pekahiah--His murder--Pekah--His alliance with Rezin against Judah--Ahaz appeals to Assyria--Defeat and death of Rezin--Fulfilment of prophecy of Amos--Beginning of the captivity of the Ten Tribes--Tiglath-Pileser's successors--Murder of Pekah by Hoshea--Horrible state of Israel as described by Isaiah.