Chapter 42 Syrian coup

In Aram, there was also a coup d'état.A Syrian general named Hazael killed King Ben-hadad II and made himself king. Hazael increased the power of the country, but when the Assyrian king Salmaneser II attacked Syria, the glory of the usurper disappeared.The Syrian army was defeated near Mount Oman, and Damascus fell.When news of this reached the Mediterranean coast, the rulers of Sidon, Tire, and Israel hastened to accept the terms of the Assyrian conquerors.They knew they had found their master. The Assyrian records that we have from that era state that the Battle of Mount Oman took place in 842 BC.Jehu, who successfully inherited the throne of Omri, personally paid tribute to Assyria.

In order to make up for the loss, Hazard Saman-Iser invaded northern Israel and occupied several Jewish areas as soon as he returned to Nineveh.He wiped out the entire tribes in these areas, killed the men, plundered the women, and threw the children off the cliffs, and migrated from Aram to these areas. Jehu panicked and asked his master Salmaneser for help.But before the Assyrian rescue arrived, the Syrians who heard the news invaded Israel for the second time, wiped out a large number of Judah troops, and plundered the Jewish country together with the Moabites, Elekites, and Philistines.

Those who escaped without starvation became slaves. The only city left in Jewish hands-Samaria. In this time of calamity, Elisha came to rescue the king.Together the king and the prophet defended the city until Assyrian reinforcements arrived. From a patriotic point of view, they saved the country.The Assyrians defeated the king of Syria, captured Damascus, and relieved the pressure on Israel.But these came at a price, and the Assyrians came up with a bill for the services rendered. They asked Israel to pay huge sums of money and pay annual tribute in exchange for friendly relations with Assyria.

For a full century, Israel has managed, sometimes with considerable success, to shake off the shackles it has put on. Jehu's son Johashzi was lucky in the War of Independence.His army captured Damascus and even pushed east as far as Nineveh. And his son Joash was also lucky as a warrior.He listened to Elisha and supported the great prophet until his death.Joash was faithful to his religious duties.However, whenever he had the opportunity, he plundered the property of the temple in Jerusalem, although he had great respect for the Lord. It was Jeroboam, son of Joash, who gave Israel a final taste of independence and glory.

In the eyes of contemporaries, the good old days of Solomon's time - under the great king's reign are back.They were smug about the country's imminent return to its former status as one of the great Eastern powers. But they will be disappointed in the end. A bright sky doesn't mean a new day is coming.The era of Jeroboam was only the last twilight before the sun set for the Jewish nation. There was a sudden boom in the first fifty years of that century.Overnight, the countryside turned into a city.Shepherds leave their flocks to share in the wealth of nearby markets.The old trade roads were reopened, and camel caravans once again traveled east and west, north and south.

But the pursuit of wealth brings with it all the drawbacks of an economic system based on speculation. The patriarchal way of life preserved in the simple villages has completely disappeared. Back is the worst of Solomon's time. No one takes Jehovah seriously.Before long he was forgotten.The great prophets of the eighth century, Amos, Isaiah and Hoshea, with infinite patience, bravery and tenacious perseverance, constantly warned people not to believe in heresies, knowing that only pursuing wealth will not lead to happiness. Elijah and Elisha condemn the evil in the world during the thunder and lightning.Amos, Hoshea, and Isaiah were different.They didn't just preach, they wrote books.

Because the Jews at this time had learned to write from their neighbors, the Babylonians.They began to record all kinds of legends in history, and they were sorting out and transcribing the words of the prophets in order to pass on the wisdom to their descendants. Isaiah, Hoshea, and Amos repeatedly repeat their warning that accumulating wealth is not the sole purpose of life.They try to persuade the younger generation that, while there is nothing wrong with pleasure in itself, it does not produce the mysterious spiritual satisfaction without which life is empty and meaningless. When they realize that everything they have done is in vain and the country's independence will inevitably be lost.Now they dropped the tone of warning, and poured out shameful words to God, such words as had not been heard since the time of Elijah.

For the most part, however, they distance themselves from social issues and are content to discuss the truth. These people should be called "social reformers" in modern times.