2 Kings 13

Jehoahaz becomes Israel’s King, pestered by Syria

In the twenty-third year of King Joash’s (Ahaziah’s son) reign over Judah, Jehoahaz (Jehu’s son) began to reign over Israel from Samaria, and he reigned for seventeen years. He did what was evil in the Existing One’s sight and followed in offenses of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) leading Israel to do the same. This angered the Existing One, and he repeatedly handed them over to Syria’s King Hazael. That made Jehoahaz try to gain the Existing One’s favor. The Existing One listened to him because he saw how much Syria’s king oppressed them. (The Exising One gave Israel a savior so they were able to escape from the Syrian’s clutches and return to their former homes. Even so, they refused to give up the sins Jeroboam taught them, and  the Asherah remained in Samaria.) Jehoahaz’s army didn’t even have fifty horsemen, ten chariots, or ten thousand footmen, because Syria had destroyed them, turning them into dust. The rest of Jehoahaz’s history along with everything he did is recorded in the book The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers in the ground, and he was buried in Samaria while his son Joahsh reigned in his place.

Joash becomes Israel’s king

In King Joash’s thirty seventh year of reigning over Judah, Jehoash (Jehoahaz’s son) began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for sixteen years. He also did evil in the Existing One’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the ways Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) had sinned, but rather he walked in them and caused Israel to do the same. The rest of Joash’s history, including everything he did and the way he battled against Judah’s King Amaziah are recorded in the book The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. So Joash slept with his fathers in the ground, and Jeroboam reigned in his place. Joash was buried in Samaria with the rest of Israel’s kings.

Elisha prophesies on deathbed

Now Elisha had gotten so sick that he was on his deathbed, and Israel’s King Joash visited him and cried his eyes out, saying,

“My father, my father! Israel’s chariots and horsemen!”

And Elisha told him, “Take a bow and arrows,” so he did. Then Elisha said, “Draw the bow,” so he drew it. And Elisha put his hands on the kings hands and said, “Open the east window,” so he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” so he shot. Then he said,

“The Existing One’s arrow of victory: the arrow of victory over Syria. You will fight the Syrians in Aphek until you bring them to an end.”

And he said, “Grab the arrows,” so he grabbed them. Then he said, “Hit the ground with them,” so he hit it three times then stopped. Then the man of God got mad and said,

“You should have hit it five or six times! Then you would have struck Syria down until they were destroyed, but now you’ll only strike them down three times.”

Elisha’s corpse resurrects another corpse

So Elisha died, and the buried him. In those days, bands of Moabites used to invade the country every spring. As one man was being buried, believe it or not, a group of raiders came, so the man was thrown into Elisha’s grave, and as soon as that man touched Elisha’s bones, he revived and stood to his feet.

Israel struggles with Syria

Now Syria’s King Hazael oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s entire reign. But the Existing One was gracious to them and had compassion on them. Because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he wouldn’t destroy them or reject them till now.

When Syria’s King Hazael died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place. Then Jehoash (Jehoahaz’s son) reclaimed the cities that Hazael had captured. Three times Joash defeated Ben-hadad and recovered Israel’s cities.