DBG - April 30 - II Kings 13-15

In this chapter Elisha’s ministry ends as Syria presses on Israel.

vs. 1-9 – Jehoahaz, the new king of Israel, followed in the ways of Jehu and Jeroboam. He was not a good king and did not seek the Lord on his own. He reigned 17 years. However, when the Syrians under Hazael continued to menace the kingdom, then Jehoahaz did seek after the Lord (vs. 4). Since Jeroboam is still mentioned, this was not full repentance to return to proper worship but a heartfelt attempt at repentance using Jeroboam’s system of religion. But God did answer Jehoahaz and sent a “savior” (vs. 5). This appears to be a military leader that brought them some relief. It is most likely his son Jehoash (see 13:25).

vs. 10-13 – Jehoash continues the pattern of kings of Israel in not following the Lord and continuing the ways of Jeroboam. He reigns sixteen years. His son, Jeroboam II, succeeds him.

vs. 14-21 – Elisha’s parting message is to encourage king Jehoash in his battles against the Syrians. He does so with an object lesson using a bow and arrows. The king lacks the zeal to smite the ground multiple times, and God grants him victories only for the three times he smote the ground. An interesting story occurs after the death of Elisha. A dead soldier is cast into Elisha’s tomb as the Moabites raided the land. As soon as the corpse touched the bones of Elisha it returned to life.

vs. 22-25 - God judged Israel through these Syrian conquests. Note vs. 23, in that God would not destroy Israel in order to keep His covenant with Abraham. Benhadad III becomes king of Syria after the death of Hazael. Jehoash is able to reclaim their lost territory from him. The Tell al-Rimah stela from the Assyrian ruler Adad-nirari III mentions a “Jehoash the Samarian”.  The accounts of this ruler’s victories show the weakening of the Syrians at the time.

In this chapter war breaks out between Judah and Israel.

vs. 1-6 – Amaziah starts well in following the ways of God like his father did in his better days. He has the assassins of his father killed, and in doing so took care to follow the Law (Deuteronomy 24:16). He reigns twenty-nine years total.

vs. 7 - Amaziah led a campaign to subdue Edom and bring it back under Judean control. This is treated in much more detail in II Chronicles 25.

vs. 8-14 – Amaziah is overconfident after his victories against Edom and proposes a war with Israel.  Jehoash responds with a parable.  In it, the thistle is Amaziah and the cedar is Jehoash.  The jest of it is that Amaziah was nothing and would be trampled like a weed. The armies meet at Bethshemesh (“house of the sun”) on the border of Judah and Israel. The battle was a complete disaster for Amaziah and Judah. They are routed from the field and the king is captured. Israel breaks down the 600 feet of the wall around Jerusalem and spoils the city. Perhaps Amaziah ransomed himself with these spoils.

vs. 15-16 – These verses review the information from 13:13

vs. 17-22 – Amaziah falls prey to a conspiracy and is killed at Lachish. His son Azariah (“whom the Lord helps”), a.k.a. Uzziah (“strength of Jehovah”), succeeds him.

vs. 23-29 - Jeroboam II continues in the path of his father Jehoash in strengthening the Northern Kingdom and retaking captured lands.  Note the appearance of the prophet Jonah in vs. 25.

In this chapter the stable reign of Azariah over Judah and a series of unstable rulers over Israel.

vs. 1-7 – Azariah/Uzziah was a good king that reigned for 52 years over Judah.  We will deal further with him when we get into II Chronicles, where it goes into more detail about how he became a leper.  He was succeeded by his son, Jotham (“Jehovah is upright”).

vs. 8-12 – There appears to be an interregnum period in Israel of about 12 years between the death of Jeroboam II and ascension of Zachariah, perhaps showing a succession crisis that was slow to resolve.  Zachariah was publicly assassinated after a reign of only six months. His death ends Jehu’s dynasty in its fourth generation from its founder, fulfilling the prophecy of II Kings 10:30. Zachariah is succeeded by his assassin, Shallum (“retribution”).

vs. 13-15 – The assassin Shallum is in turn assassinated by Menahem (“comforter”).

vs. 16-22 – Menahem begins his reign by attacking the city of Tirzah that refused to submit to him.  We must also note the arrival, and first historical appearance in Scripture, of the Assyrian empire. Historians identify this as the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Be careful not to mix up the Syrian and Assyrian empires. In English these names are similar, but they are two distinct kingdoms. Both are descended from Shem (Genesis 10:22) through Aram (Syria) and Asshur (Assyria). Syria was a regional kingdom around the capital of Damascus. Assyria was a far stronger and more expansive empire centered around the original capital of Asshur. The Assyrian king Pul (“lord”) is generally accepted to be Tiglath-Pilesar III, the king who led the resurgence of the Assyrian power. The Assyrians were given a tribute/bribe to leave that was 1,000 talents ($26,407,417), equal to 3,000,000 shekels. It appears that Menahem put this burden on wealthy individuals in the land, at 50 shekels (a weight that is called a mina) a piece. Thus, there would have been 60,000 men so taxed. This in part proves the testimony of the prophets that the Northern Kingdom was very prosperous and wealthy at this time. Menahem was succeeded by his son Pekahiah (“whose eyes Jehovah opened”).

vs. 23-26 – Pekahiah was yet another wicked king on the throne of Israel. He reigned only two years before being assassinated by Pekah (“open-eyed”).

vs. 27-31 – Pekah is yet another wicked king over Israel. We will look at an expedition Pekah made with Syria against Judah in the next chapter.  Tiglath-Pilesar III and the Assyrians take large portions of the Northern Kingdom’s territory. The towns and areas in vs. 29 are around the Sea of Galilee and in the Trans-Jordan. Pekah was assassinated and succeeded by Hoshea (“salvation”), who was a friend of Pekah’s according to Josephus.

vs. 32-38 - Jotham was a good king for Judah, following the pattern of Uzziah in his better days.  He was succeeded by his son Ahaz (“possessor”).

I find Elisha’s interaction with Joash while on his death bed to be one of the strangest in the Scripture.  Why shot an arrow?  Why smite the ground with arrows?  The object lessons are clearly explained, for which I am very thankful.  Why did Joash only smiting with the arrows three times have any meaning?  I think because it reveals something of his character.  He was obedient to the command, doing just enough without doing extra.  This would be a fatal flaw on the battlefield, as demonstrated hundreds of times in history when generals failed to follow through on their victories and crush their enemies.  It is the same principle we see in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, where faithfulness is small affairs is rewarded with greater responsibilities.  The truest tests of our character are the small things, not the major things. 

Our hymn today, “There’s A Wideness in God’s Mercy”, by Frederick Faber, reflects the display of God’s grace seen in 13:23. 

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
like the wideness of the sea;
there’s a kindness in His justice
which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner,
and more graces for the good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in His blood.

For the love of God is broader
than the measure of our mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more simple,
we would take Him at His word,
and our lives would be illumined
by the presence of our Lord.