20241012

not loyal enough

2 Kings 13:1-25 (JDV).

2 Kings 13:1 In the twenty-third year of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years.
2 Kings 13:2 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
2 Kings 13:3 So Yahveh’s anger burned against Israel, and he handed them over to King Hazael of Aram and to his son Ben-hadad during their reigns.
2 Kings 13:4 Then Jehoahaz sought Yahveh’s favor, and Yahveh heard him, for he saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel.
2 Kings 13:5 Therefore, Yahveh gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped from the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel returned to their former way of life,
2 Kings 13:6 but they didn’t turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Jehoahaz continued them, and the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria.
2 Kings 13:7 Jehoahaz did not have an army left, except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Aram had destroyed them, making them like dust at threshing.
2 Kings 13:8 The rest of the events of Jehoahaz’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and his might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 13:9 Jehoahaz rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoash became king in his place.
2 Kings 13:10 In the thirty-seventh year of Judah’s King Joash, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years.
2 Kings 13:11 He did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he continued them.
2 Kings 13:12 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and the power he had to wage war against Judah’s King Amaziah, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.
2 Kings 13:13 Jehoash rested with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
2 Kings 13:14 When Elisha became sick with the illness from which he died, King Jehoash of Israel went down and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
2 Kings 13:15 Elisha responded, “Get a bow and arrows.” So, he got a bow and arrows.
2 Kings 13:16 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Grasp the bow.” So, the king grasped it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
2 Kings 13:17 Elisha said, “Open the east window.” So, he opened it. Elisha said, “Shoot!” So, he shot. Then Elisha said, ” Yahveh’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.”
2 Kings 13:18 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.
2 Kings 13:19 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 strike down Aram only three times.”
2 Kings 13:20 Then Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to come into the land in the spring of the year.
2 Kings 13:21 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 13:22 King Hazael of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz,
2 Kings 13:23 but Yahveh was gracious to them, had compassion for them, and turned toward them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was not willing to destroy them. Even now he has not banished them from his presence.
2 Kings 13:24 King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad became king in his place.
2 Kings 13:25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in war from Jehoash’s father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times and recovered the cities of Israel.

not loyal enough

Israel was to have victory over Syria, but not total victory. God had provided a savior (probably Assyria) which would distract Syria. Israel was not loyal enough to the LORD, so that generation would not see peace from its enemies. Peace with God must come first. Unless our disappointments turn us toward him, we miss the point.

LORD, help us to see our real problem, and seek you, for you are the real answer.