Were the 11th and 12th kings of Israel also bad? What use is prayer and turning back to doing wrong? Let’s continue the saga in 2 Kings 13.
Though God rescued Israel from an invasion, under king Jehoahaz, did the nation keep sinning?
Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in the twenty-third year of Joash's rule in Judah. Jehoahaz ruled 17 years from Samaria and disobeyed the Lord by doing wrong. He never stopped following the example of Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin. The Lord was angry with the Israelites, so he let King Hazael of Syria and his son Benhadad rule over them for a long time. Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord for help, and the Lord saw how terribly Hazael was treating the Israelites. He answered Jehoahaz by sending Israel a leader who rescued them from the Syrians, and the Israelites lived in peace as they had before. But Hazael had defeated Israel's army so badly that Jehoahaz had only 10 chariots, 50 cavalry troops, and 10,000 regular soldiers left in his army. The Israelites kept sinning and following the example of Jeroboam's family. They did not tear down the sacred poles that had been set up in Samaria for the worship of the goddess Asherah. Everything else Jehoahaz did while he was king, including his brave deeds, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. Jehoahaz died and was buried in Samaria, and his son Jehoash became king. (2 Kings 13:1-9 CEV)
Just to confuse things, was there also a king Jehoash of Israel? But was this king also evil in the manner of the northern kings?
In the thirty-seventh year of Joash [Jehoash] king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. He also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them. Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and the might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. (2 Kings 13:10-13 ESV)
As Elisha was dying what was his final prophecy to king Jehoash of Israel?
When Elisha became sick with the illness that he died from, Jehoash king of Israel went down and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Elisha responded, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he got a bow and arrows. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So the king put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. Elisha said, “Open the east window.” So he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. Then Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, yes, the arrow of victory over Aram. You are to strike down the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them.” Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them. Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to them, but now you will only strike down Aram three times.” Then Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to come into the land in the spring of the year. Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a raiding party, so they threw the man into Elisha’s tomb. When he touched Elisha’s bones, the man revived and stood up! (2 Kings 13:14-21 HCSB)
How did Elisha’s prophecy find fulfillment as the Aramaeans or Syrians attacked?
Meanwhile, King Hazael of Aram had been oppressing Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz, but the Lord showed grace to them, displayed his compassion toward them, and turned to them due to his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would not destroy them or evict them from his presence up until that time. After King Hazael of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad replaced him as king. At that time, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash recaptured from Hazael’s son Ben-hadad the cities that Hazael had captured through warfare from the control of Jehoahaz, Jehoash’s father. Joash defeated and recovered cities of Israel from Ben-hadad three times. (2 Kings 13:22-25 ISV)
What can we learn from a nation that prays to God, is delivered, but turns right back to sin?
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:20-22 KJV Proverbs 26:11)
Were the 11th and 12th kings of Israel also bad? What use is prayer and turning back to doing wrong? You decide!
