(23) In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. (24) And he did that which was evil in the sight of ADONAI; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin. (25) He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath unto the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of ADONAI, the God of Israel, which God spoke by the hand of God's servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher. (26) For ADONAI saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel. (27) And ADONAI said not that God would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but God saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
- Why might it be important for the reader to identify Jonah as this same prophet?
- What do we learn about the people of Israel in this time period according to II Kings?
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(2) He prayed to ADONAI, saying, “O ADONAI! Isn’t this just what I said when I was still in my own country? That is why I fled beforehand to Tarshish. For I know that You are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, renouncing punishment.
(6) And ADONAI passed by before him [Moses], and proclaimed: ‘ADONAI, ADONAI God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; (7) keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation.’
(18) Who is a God like You, Forgiving iniquity And remitting transgression; Who has not maintained God's wrath forever Against the remnant of God's own people, Because God loves graciousness! (19) God will take us back in love; God will cover up our iniquities, You will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea. (20) You will keep faith with Jacob, Loyalty to Abraham, As You promised on oath to our fathers In days gone by.