2 Kings - Chapter 13

I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we're covering chapter 13 of 2 Kings. In chapters 8 through 10, we learn that Elisha sent another prophet to go to Ramoth Gilead where a battle was going on between Israel with Judah's help against Aram. The prophet was to find the commander Jehu and anoint him as king of Israel. His men were thrilled and Jehu went to Samaria and killed King Ahaziah the son of Ahab. The people also helped him kill all of Ahab's family and Jezebel's servants pushed her out the window to her death. He also put to death all the prophets of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal. The king of Judah was also related to Ahab so he was killed and in chapters 11 and 12 the writer focused on Judah and the mother of the king of Judah, Athaliah. Once she realized her son was dead, she killed off all the rest of the family and made herself queen. What she did not realize was that Ahaziah's sister hid her baby nephew Joash in the temple until he became 7 years old and then the prophets and the people hailed him king of Judah. One of the activities he is known for was repairing the temple of the Lord. Now in this chapter the focus goes back to the northern tribe of Israel. It is now Joash's 23rd year being king of Judah when Jehu died and his son Jehoahaz became king in Samaria. We find in chapter 10 verse 30 the Lord said to Jehu because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. Jehoahaz is generation number one and he reigned around 814 to 798 BC for 17 years. Even though Jehu's reign was not perfect because he kept the golden calves in Israel he did some good things but in verses 2 and 3 we find that Jehoahaz did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat which he had caused Israel to commit and he did not turn away from them so the Lord's anger burned against Israel and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben Hadad his son. That would be Ben Hadad the third. Due to the attacks of the king of Aram which now controls all the land on the east of the Jordan river Jehoahaz sought after the Lord and the Lord listened to him. Verse 5 says the Lord provided a deliverer for Israel and they escaped from the power of Aram. The commentators all compared this to the cycle of the judges. When persecution hit the people cry out to the Lord and the Lord would lift up a judge and they would win and have peace for a time until that judge died. It was a cyclical process that continued to cycle downward which brought the request for a king. There is great discussion on who that deliverer was. Two main views are some think it was Elisha since he was sort of a judge for the people but others believed it was the nation of Assyria which was quickly becoming a world power. They had begun attacking Aram from the north which could have drawn their attention away from Israel. But like the judges once the deliverer came and the threat was gone the people went back to their idolatrous ways and even added Asherah poles which was foreign gods. We read in chapter 10 verses 32 and 33 that the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel which was how Hazael was able to take all the land on the east side of the Jordan. In chapter 13 verse 7 it says, Nothing had been left of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers. For the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dust at threshing time. Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria and generation two took the throne and this was Jehoash. Jehoash was still king of Judah when Jehoash became king of Israel and he reigned sixteen years. He also did evil in the eyes of the Lord just like his father and like Jeroboam the first king of the northern tribes after the kingdom was divided. Very little is said here about his reign except in verse 12. As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash all he did and his achievements including his war against Amaziah king of Judah are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. So here we just have one line about a war between Judah and Israel that is probably better than when they intermingled and Judah was brought down into Baal worship like Israel did. Jehoash died and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. The third generation of Jehu was Jeroboam the second which was mentioned in verse 13 but then the story goes back and tells a little bit more about Jehoash's reign before he died. Verse 14 starts now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died Jehoash went down to see him and wept over him. My father my father he cried the chariots and horsemen of Israel. Now this is what Elisha cried out when he was separated from Elijah with the horses and chariots of fire and when Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind. When Elisha saw it it made more sense because Elijah was his father in the faith and ministry and he saw the fiery chariot and horsemen from heaven. Here it makes less sense because Elisha was a prophet of the Lord and this king did not care much about the Lord. The comment about the chariots and horsemen of Israel probably refers to the fact that Israel would win when the Lord through Elisha fought for them which could lend to the idea that Elisha was the deliverer of Israel. At this Elisha directed Jehoash to get a bow and arrows and shoot out the east window and he did which is the direction of Aram. Then in verse 18 Elisha commanded him to take his arrows and strike the ground. He did three times. Verse 19 says the man of God was angry with him and said you should have struck the ground five or six times then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it but now you will defeat it only three times. Paul our house said apparently Jehoash should have struck the ground until Elisha gave him instructions to stop. Again his blessings were dependent upon how well he fulfilled Elisha's command. It also shows us that we do not live in a fixed universe but one where our actions affect our future. Verse 20a Elisha died and was buried. We then see one more miracle the Lord did through Elisha. We learn that some Israelites were burying a man and when they saw Moabite raiders they quickly threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb and when the body touched Elisha's bones the man came to life and stood up on his feet. Paul house also said even after his death Elisha still performs miracles. Nothing can stop the power of God's word and God's spirit in his life. This made me think of something that Beth Moore said at a conference I heard. She was teaching on Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 which says being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. She pointed out that it does not say until our death but until the day that Jesus comes again. The good work that the Lord is doing in you and through you goes far beyond our own lives but it goes on and on and on and on and on until Jesus comes with that last trumpet sound. Ladies Elisha's life is still affecting our lives to this day through the stories of his life and we are a part of that story. Verses 22 and 23 say Hosea king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz descendant number one but the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence. Because Israel had separated themselves from the promise of King David and his descendants David was not mentioned here but they are of the promise made to the patriarchs of the Jewish faith. Keep in mind Jacob's name was changed to Israel and they are a part of his family even if the kingdom is divided. This passage ends with the death of Hosea king of Aram and his son Ben Hadad the third reigned over Aram. Jehoash descendant number two did fulfill the last recorded words of Elisha and three times he did defeat Aram and recovered the cities of Israel. Ladies if Jehoash a king of Israel that did evil in the eyes of the Lord sought after the Lord and the Lord listened to him how much more will the Lord listen to you if you seek him. There is a prophet that is quickly coming on the scene now that Elisha is gone and his name is Isaiah and he wrote in chapter 55 verses 6-9 seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will freely pardon. If you have heard his voice today please don't harden your heart if we keep doing that there may be a day that he may not be found anymore instead let's be women who seek the Lord call on him turn from our ungodly ways and we will see his mercy and his grace until next time and thanks so very much for listening.