# 1 > First Kings 16 describes a twelve-year period of prosperity, palace intrigue, and ever-increasing apostasy in the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah also experienced decay and corruption at this time but to a lesser degree. In this type of environment, power, opportunity, and prosperity accelerated the effects of corruption like yeast in a lump of dough. In some ways, this parallels the history of the church as well as the trajectory of the United States with God's many attempts throughout human history to have a "clean" people. Those who founded the United States sought freedom to follow the Lord according to conscience.
