Sermon Outline

Peter J. Leithart, March 21, 2006

INTRODUCTION
Through several chapters, the author of Kings has emphasized Yahweh's faithfulness and mercy to the Northern kingdom. He sent prophets to the Omride kings, and gives Jehu's dynasty four generations. But when they’ve persisted in sin, their time is up.

THE TEXT
"In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. . . ." (2 Kings 15:1-31).

A LOOK BACK
For superficial readers, Kings appears to be nothing more than an endless series of brief accounts of reigns. But there actually only a couple of places in Kings where the author falls into this sort of rapid-fire, dry-as-dust chronicle: 1 Kings 15-16 and 2 Kings 14-16. These sections share several features besides their style. In both sections, the rapid-fire style matches the rapid pace of events, since many kings reign in a short time.

Both sequences begin with a Jeroboam, and each summarizes the reigns of seven kings before there is a significant break in the narrative. Jeroboam I is followed by Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab. Then the stories of Elijah begin. Jeroboam II is followed by Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea – then the exile. Both sections record a plethora of conspiracies, coups, overthrows of dynasties. Few kings die peacefully in these sections, and few are buried in the capital city:

1 Kings: Nadab overthrown by Baasha 2 Kings: Zechariah overthrown by Shallum
Elah overthrown by Zimri Shallum overthrown by Menahem
Zimri overthrown by Omri Pekahiah overthrown by Pekah
(Ahab overthrown by Jehu) Pekah overthrown by Hoshea

In the center of these two sequences are the dynasties of Omri and Jehu, the only two dynasties that can be called dynasties in the N. This gives the history of the North a chiastic structure:

A. Jeroboam--> six more kings: rapid change: leads to Ahab
B. Ahab's family
B'. Jehu and his dynasty
A'. Jeroboam--> six more kings: rapid change: leads to exile

AND FAST FORWARD
Once Yahweh starts moving against the dynasty of Jehu, things move very rapidly. Jeroboam II reigned for 41 years and ruled a vast territory, but he is followed by a succession of comparatively brief reigns: Zechariah (6 months), Shallum (1 month), Menahem (10 years), Pekahiah (2 years) and Pekah (20 years). The time between Jeroboam and Pekah is a bit over a decade, and during that time there are four kings. The chronology of the period is full of difficulties, a sign that the times are out of joint.

Shifts in power within Ancient Near East have been rapid. Instead of confronting the regional power of Aram, Israel has to deal with the Assyrians, an expansive empire from the east. Like Elijah, Assyria pops up from nowhere in the narrative to turn Israel into a tributary power. Menahem bought of Pul to protect Israel, but during the reign of Pekah he comes back to take a large swath of Israel's territory in the North and to capture Israelites for exile. Within a lifetime, Israel moves from the comparatives glories of Jeroboam II to captivity. We often operate under the false assumption that great historical movements are always slow. Not so. Remember Berlin, 1989.