2 Kings 13

This chapter details the reigns of Jehoahaz and Joash, kings of Israel, as well as the death of the prophet Elisha. It illustrates the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness to God and the mercy extended through the intervention of Elisha, even after his death. The chapter emphasizes the ongoing conflict between Israel and Syria and God’s continuing involvement with His people despite their recurring disobedience.

2 Kings 13:1-5 (NKJV)
1 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years.
2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. He did not depart from them.
3 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-Hadad the son of Hazael, all their days.
4 So Jehoahaz pleaded with the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.
5 Then the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as before.

Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, became king over Israel and, like his predecessors, continued in the sins of Jeroboam by encouraging idol worship. This disobedience provoked God's anger, and He allowed Israel to be oppressed by the Syrians under Hazael and Ben-Hadad. Despite Jehoahaz's wickedness, he cried out to God in desperation, and God, in His mercy, listened and provided a deliverer for Israel. This brought temporary relief from the oppression, showing God's compassion even when His people were unfaithful.

2 Kings 13:6-9 (NKJV)
6 Nevertheless they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin, but walked in them; and the wooden image also remained in Samaria.
7 For He left of the army of Jehoahaz only fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
9 So Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Then Joash his son reigned in his place.

Even though God provided relief, Israel did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam. The people clung to idol worship, including the Asherah pole in Samaria. God allowed Syria to severely weaken Israel’s military, reducing it to a mere shadow of its former strength. Despite this, Jehoahaz’s reign ended with him being buried in Samaria, and his son Joash succeeded him, continuing the narrative of Israel's rulers.

2 Kings 13:10-13 (NKJV)
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
11 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, but walked in them.
12 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, all that he did, and his 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?
13 So Joash rested with his fathers. Then Jeroboam sat on his throne. And Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Jehoash (Joash), the son of Jehoahaz, became king over Israel, and like his father, continued in the sinful practices initiated by Jeroboam. Despite being a powerful ruler, his actions were displeasing to God. His reign included conflicts with Amaziah, the king of Judah. After reigning for sixteen years, he died, and his son Jeroboam succeeded him. This section shows the continuous cycle of disobedient kings in Israel.

2 Kings 13:14-19 (NKJV)
14 Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”
15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows.
16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17 And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.”
18 Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped.
19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

As Elisha neared death, King Joash visited him, recognizing Elisha's vital role in Israel's protection. Elisha gave Joash a symbolic task involving a bow and arrows to demonstrate God's deliverance from Syria. However, when instructed to strike the ground, Joash only struck three times, revealing a lack of full faith or urgency. Elisha rebuked him, explaining that because of this, Israel would only have partial victories over Syria instead of a total defeat.

2 Kings 13:20-21 (NKJV)
20 Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year.
21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.

After Elisha's death, a remarkable miracle occurred: a dead man was revived when his body touched Elisha’s bones. This event underscores Elisha’s powerful connection to God, even after his death, and serves as a testament to God’s ongoing presence and power through His prophets. It also demonstrates that God's work continues beyond the physical life of His servants.

2 Kings 13:22-25 (NKJV)
22 And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.
23 But the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.
24 Now Hazael king of Syria died. Then Ben-Hadad his son reigned in his place.
25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel.

Although Israel was oppressed by Syria under Hazael, God’s compassion was evident as He remembered His covenant with the patriarchs. He did not abandon His people, even in their rebellion. After Hazael’s death, Joash was able to defeat his successor, Ben-Hadad, three times, just as Elisha had prophesied. This partial restoration of Israel's cities highlighted both God’s mercy and the consequences of incomplete obedience.