Stories of the Prophets (Before the Exile)

dy With a

hing. A palace is no more protection against conscience than a hovel; and Shallum passe

lect a large force of followers to protect him or his ill-gotten throne. Wh

he capital of Israel for fifty years after the Kingdom of Solomon was divided. Within a month after Shallum had proclaimed himself

ahem started a reign of terror, until nobody in the

r the new king

hom Amos had warned the weakened Kingdom of Israel, had accomplished many co

rian conqueror off, and save their countries the spoliation and ruin that followed in the wake of the Assyrian armies, Me

To raise this amount, he levied a tax of fifty silver shekels each on "a

tarted by Shallum and

effect. The great su

ised by "all the might

poor by cheating, ro

all observers. The final overthrow of the kingdom, which Amos declared to be

d upon secret understandings with rebel associates of Menahem and the wealthy merchants to raise the Assyrian tribute at the expense of the people. Bein

could no longer stand aside and see rulers, priests and "all the mighty men of wealth" despoiling his well-beloved fatherla

elling on Gomer, their mother, from whom he had not heard a single word since she went away. As he came downstairs he heard shouting and screaming and hurrying foots

d pain him was the discovery that the attacking party was und

And, strange to say, the thought of Gomer, his wife, whom he loved devotedly, whom

ore than Gomer understood what Hosea desired of her. If Gomer had continued loving her husband, as from the beginning, she would never have left him; if Israel had continued loving God, as from the beginning, Israel would never have strayed away from His l

somewhat lightened now, because he read God's mission to him in the tragedy of h

eaching to the people against the corrupt priesthoo

of God, ye chil

oversy with the inha

o truth, nor l

ge of God i

ght but perj

and s

e and b

doth the l

inhabitant

none bri

none r

are but as the

ng destroyed for

u has rejec

lso reje

halt be no

orgotten the inst

o forget t

e their glor

e, like people

h not understand sh

and the hirelings of the king. Undaunted, he rebuked Menahem and the usur

is, O ye

n, O house

ed, O house

you is the

ave made kings, w

rinces, but with

commit

and the troop of rob

sider not in

ber all thei

remembering the sorrow of his life, wh

I do unto yo

I do unto y

ve is like a

dew which go

ng sacrifices, all their sins and crimes were forgiven them by God. Amos had objected strenuously to

Bethel as Bethaven (

a re

t ye int

ye up to

, 'As God

ave seen a ho

ickedness i

re I ha

wickedness of

e them out

ove them

go with t

eir herds t

shall not

drawn Himsel

who heard him, but could not or would not understand, calle

ophet i

t hath the

abundance of

all cry

e Israel k

th cast off tha

h forgotte

hey go on

r themselves

idols according t

work, al

h they

crifice, k

d and shall reap

his rebuke and denunciation w

rselves rig

reap lovin

your fall

time to se

f righteousness

e plowed w

reaped d

ten the fr

elight in, and

God and not b

ered that even here the king and his advisers were double-dealing with Assyria. The

ending precious gifts to him. Menahem wanted to create an

the proposed alliance with Egypt could help the corrupt, degraded people. He

hall bear

rebelled aga

them from the

deem them

th thy plag

y pestilen

forever hid fr

a back to his home all wrought up. Never had he spoken so

other." After watching them for a moment in silence and in thought,

real mother

lose to his heart-and wept. Hos

Would that he could find her! With all her faults he would forgive her, if she would repent and return. And yet, that mornin

much the more so does God love His people; how much the more so will G

t seemed that God had

inspire him in his fur

mer, was to be sold as a slave at public auction