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ELISHA INFLUENCES ISRAEL IN LIFE AND DEATH.

2 Kings 13:1-25

Q.1. What prompted God to show favour to King Jehoahaz and Israel? – (2 Kgs.13:1-9, 22-23)

Ever since the division of Israel into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, the north had continued in the apostate ways of King Jeroboam. Sadly, Jehu’s son, Jehoahaz was no different (2 Kgs.12:1-2). In anger, God sent the Arameans against Israel. However, as so often happens, judgment brought about a change of heart and Jehoahaz cried out to God. On the surface, this is why God sent a deliverer to save His people even though there was no proper response from them – (2 Kgs.13:3-6). God demonstrated that He is a God of grace and – the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them or cast them from His presence until now (2 Kgs.13:23). If God only rewarded us for our faithfulness, who would stand? We stand because God keeps His promises in spite of our sinfulness. We stand because of the kind of God He has proved Himself to be.

Q.2. What kind of man was King Jehoash? Why was Elisha angry with his response to his instruction? – (2 Kgs.13:10-19, 24-25)

Joash was also named Jehoash in order to distinguish him from Joash, king of Judah (2 Kgs.13:9-10). It is clear that Joash was a more accomplished warrior king than his father (2 Kgs.13:12 & 25). His father, Jehoahaz had cried out to God for deliverance when the nation went astray (2 Kgs.13:4 & 5). Joash, however, was given an amazing opportunity to gain God’s help, through the dying prophet Elisha. Though Joash said the right things, he was a stranger to God (2 Kgs.13:14). He was confident in war but weak when responding to the prophet’s call. He was promised much by Elisha – The Lord’s arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them (2 Kgs.13:17). Yet his response to the prophet’s call to strike some arrows brought an unconvincing response from Joash – So the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times” (2 Kgs.13:19). Joash was self-confident, not God-dependent. Elisha had been a faithful prophet of the Lord. His fame continued after he died, as when the Moabites threw a body into Elisha’s grave – … and when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet (2 Kgs.13:21).  If the dead prophet brought a dead man to life, how much more the resurrected Son of God.