2 Kings Chapter 13 Twenty-three years into Joash’s reign, Jehoahaz succeeds his father Jehu as the new king of Israel. Like his dad, he doesn’t do what’s right in the eyes of God. He still follows the sins of Jeroboam. God gets angry. He lets first Hazael of Aram and later his son Ben-Hadad attack Israel. But Jehoahaz pleads with God and God decides to have mercy on the Israelites. He gives them a savior (it doesn’t say who) and liberates them from the clutches of the Arameans. They continue to follow in the sins of Jeroboam anyway: there are a lot of sacred poles around. Jehoahaz is left with a decimated army, however, having only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen. After he dies, his son Joash-Jehoash (not to be confused with the other, good Joash—so we’ll call this one Jehoash) takes the throne. Thirty-seven years into Joash of Judah’s reign, Jehoash of Israel starts to reign. Like his ancestors, he’s a fan of the sins of Jeroboam. Hence, God is not a fan of Jehoash. During his reign, Jehoash fights with Amaziah of Judah. When he dies, his son Jeroboam II sits on the throne of Israel. Straight Shot When Elisha is about to die, Jehoash (still alive at this point too) comes to see him. He salutes Elisha saying the same words Elisha said when he saw Elijah ascending to heaven. “The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” Elisha tells Jehoash to take a bow and arrow. Elisha places his hands on Jehoash’s as he draws the bow and Jehoash fires the bow out the window. Elisha says it’s an arrow of victory over Aram. They will defeat that Aramean army at Aphek. Elisha tells Jehoash to strike the ground with the arrows. Jehoash strikes three times and stops, but Elisha gets mad at him. He says Jehoash should’ve struck the ground five or six times. Now, he’ll only strike the Arameans down three times. Elisha dies. When they’re putting him in his grave, raiding Moabites come by and the corpse of another man falls into Elisha’s grave with him. Miraculously, this other dead man springs back to life. A Little Mercy God has mercy on Israel. Remembering his covenant with their ancestors, he helps them defeat Aram. Per Elisha’s deathbed prediction, Jehoash takes cities that the Arameans had originally captured, defeating the King of Aram: Ben-Hadad. Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. https://temtube.com/
2 Kings Chapter 13 and Galatians 6:2
