2 Kings 8 Land grabs, regicide and new kings

2 Kings 8 

A while ago we saw how Elisha raised the son of a Shunammite woman back to life - now he warns the woman to leave the land for a while as a drought is coming that will last seven years.

At the end of seven years she went to the king of Israel asking for her land back.
As it happens the king was talking to Elisha's servant Gehazi (who apparently had recovered from his leprosy) asking about Elisha's miracles.
Gehazi had just mentioned raising the woman's son to life when she came in, recognised her and the king got her account first hand.

She got all her land back.

Next thing is that Elisha has gone to Damascus and Ben-Hadad the king asked one of his servants, Hazael, to take Elisha a gift and ask if he will get better from his illness (man flu?).
Elisha told Hazael that the king will recover , but nevertheless he will die. Fixing Hazael with his gaze, Elisha started to weep.

Hazael is a bit taken aback and asked "why are you weeping?"

Because you will cause hurt to the Israelites, setting fire to fortified places, killing even women and children, you will become king of Aram.

He took a thick cloth soaked in water and spread it over the kings face, so that the king died.

The next king of Judah is Jehoram - he became king at the age of 32 and reigned for 8 years (dying two years younger than I am if it comes to that!)

Jehoram was not a particularly good king according to the bible, he followed the examples of Ahab (he was married to Ahab's daughter) 
In the time of Jerhoram, Edom set up their own king again, which Jehoram was unable to quell.

The next king of Judah was Ahazia - he was 22 years old and lasted a whole year as king - he died as the result of wounds inflicted in a battle against Hazael.

2 Kings 7 Unexpected news

2 Kings 7

Remember at the end of the last post, Samaria has been besieged by Aram and the city is close to collapse. The king is getting desperate, when Elisha says that food will be plentiful in  the city as soon as tomorrow.

There were 4 lepers living in a small colony close to the city walls of Samaria and they are starving to death, so they figure to go down to the Aramean army camp and accept either food to go away or a quick death from a weapon, they really have nothing to lose at this point.

God had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of a massive attacking army with chariots and horsemen and a great army - the Arameans had assumed that Israel had got help from Egypt or the Hittites, panicked and fled trampling each other in their haste to get away leaving all their gear and supplies behind them.

The lepers came into camp, finding nobody helped themselves to clothes and silver and food, came back for seconds before they said - "Do you think we should tell them in the city?"
They shouted to the guards on the wall and word was reported to the king. 
The king sent out scouts to find what the Arameans had done - they found scattered military gear dropped all the way to the river Jordan but no sign of the army.

Word reached the citizenry of Samaria who ploughed straight into the camp and plundered it. very soon food was again cheap and plentiful.

The final irony is the captain of the guard who had commented that he did not believe that God would do this was standing in the city gateway and got trampled to death by the rush of people going out of the gate into the camp, thus he saw food going cheap, but was not able to taste any of it.

One thing on this story that strikes me, during the time of Solomon there was peace with a strong king endowed with wisdom, now the land has deteriorated to that the capital city of Israel is under siege 

2 Kings 6+7 More of Elisha's adventures

2 Kings 6
Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of the Spirit of God given to Elijah - I am informed that for every miracle that Elijah performed, Elisha performed 2 - at least that is what is recorded.

To start with a company of prophets decide to build a club house by the river Jordan with each prophet bringing a contribution of a pole, and they ask Elisha to join them in their endeavour.
Suddenly (in what today would be a reportable near miss accident) an axe head flies off the axe that some prophet is using and splash it lands in the river.
The priorities of these guys is a bit screwy if you ask me - his first concern is that the axe was borrowed. Not that the axe was unsafe!
When I was at University somebody turned on a lathe where the chuck (the bit that holds the piece of work secure while it turns) had not been properly attached. This chuck which is solid steel about 15 cm deep and 25 cm diameter flew off - bounced off a wall, span for a bit on the floor and then took off down the workshop - I tell you I was glad to be wearing safety glasses on that occasion - not to mention safety boots. Though had it hit anybody it would have made a real mess regardless of safety boots or glasses. 
Anyway "health and safety gone mad" put aside for a moment, Elisha asked where the axe head fell, threw in a bit of wood and the axe head came bobbing to the surface where they could pick it up.

Remember in the last chapter Naaman, commander of the Aramean army came to Israel seeking a cure for his leprosy? - well his cure did not seem to make Naaman favourably disposed toward Israel - Every time the army of Aram tries to conduct a raid on Israel, god warns Elisha, who in turn warns the king and locals who deprive them of plunder and fun.
Eventually the king of Aram thinks that one of his officers is a traitor in league with Israel, but eventually they figure out that it is God and Elisha thwarting their plans.
So the king of Aram sent troops specifically to capture Elisha at his house in Dothan.
Next morning Elisha's servant got up to make breakfast and notices that the city is surrounded by Aramean chariots and soldiers.
Elisha is unconcerned "those on our side still outnumber them" which is a bit of a puzzle to his servant until Elisha prayed that the servant's eyes be opened - at which point he can see surrounding the Arameans is a large horde of flaming chariots (chariots of fire - to coin a phrase!)

Elisha prayed that God strike the attacking army with blindness, then he became a very helpful local offering to guide the army to the man they seek.
Elisha led the army into the capital city of Israel, Samaria. When they are totally surrounded and at the mercy of the Israelites who could wipe them out in minutes, Elisha asked God to restore sight to the Arameans.
Finding an army at his Mercy the king of Israel asked "Should I kill them all?"

Elisha prevented the king from killing them in cold blood, instead he arranges a feast for them and sends them on their way. 
I suspect this act embarrassed them into not invading for a bit!

However some time later Ben Hadad, king of Aram invades again and has put Samaria under siege.
The conditions get so bad that food became scarce and expensive  the people even start eating the children 
The king put the blame for this situation at the feet of God and more importantly the man of God, Elisha, vowing to behead Elisha.

2 Kings 7 - I cannot leave the story here - the next chapter is just too ironic!

Elisha sent a message back to the king of Israel, "This time tomorrow the siege will be lifted, and food will sell for pre siege prices at the city gate.

The army officer who was supporting the king said "Even if the LORD should open the floodgates of heaven, this ain't going to happen" 
Elisha then tells him that due to this he would see that God's promise was true, but he would not get to enjoy it.

I'm going to leave the story here - tune in to the next post to see what happens

2 Kings 5 Naaman

2 Kings 5

Naaman, commander of the army of Aram (one of Israel's on and off enemies) became infected with Leprosy which may have been any undefined infectious skin disease and not necessarily what would be diagnosed as leprosy today.

Leprosy was and still is a very much feared disease and leper colonies are still around. In biblical times it would have been devastating, after all we saw in Leviticus and the books of the law that leprosy was actually covered in particular detail and lepers were ceremonially unclean, forced to live outside the community and cover their faces, ring a bell and shout "unclean" to make sure they did not infect any non sufferer.

So Naaman's career looked like it was over and he could look forward to a life of hardship and discrimination. However at some point in the past Aram had captured a young slave girl who was a slave to Naaman's wife, and the slave girl mentioned a prophet in Israel.

Naaman told the king of Aram (his boss) that he wanted to see the prophet in Israel. The king sent a letter to the king of Israel along with a gift of gold, silver and clothes (don't know why clothes? but there you go perhaps fashion?)

The letter basically said "I am sending Naaman the commander of my army to you to heal him of his leprosy"
On receiving the letter the king of Israel failed to see the joke and  throws a bit of a fit - he is thinking that Aram is saying heal my man or there will be consequences!

Meanwhile Elisha the prophet heard about this, tells the king of Israel to get his act together and send Naaman down to him.

Naaman turns up at Elisha's house with his guards, chariots and the rest of the military clobber.
Elisha sent him a note - he did not even bother to get up and meet his guest, who carried a lot of weight politically and in military terms a guy with an army is a guy you don't really want to upset when he is waiting at your door!

The note told Naaman to go an wash in the river Jordan seven times and his medical condition would be cured

Naaman at this very impolite welcome goes off in a sulk - why should he wash in rotten Israel water, when his land has perfectly good rivers what is wrong with them.
Eventually his servants calm him down saying if the task that the prophet had given him had beeen particularly difficult or dangerous  he would not have as big an issue, look it is a simple thing, stop whining and do what he says, what is the worst that could happen?

Naaman is cured, his skin is like a young boy again and he is delighted offering Elisha valuable gifts.
Elisha declined to accept any gifts from Arameans, instead Naaman is given some earth from Israel and he will worship only the God of Israel, but hopes that God will forgive him if he goes into the temple of the local god of Aram with his king .
In peace Elisha let him depart, but his servant, a guy called Gehazi decided that Elisha had been too lenient and went after Naaman asking for a gift of a talent of silver and 2 changes of clothes, Naaman doubled the silver on the spot.
Elisha asked Gehazi where he had been and challenged him for accepting gifts against God's wishes. Gehazi found that he was now a carrier of Naaman's leprosy, but washing in the river would not cure him.

There are some uncomfortable elements in this story - why was the slave girl not freed as part of the deal? What was so wrong about accepting  a gift from Arameans?
Really I think Naaman's cure is just poor imaginative writing - If Tolkein had been writing this there would probably have been battles with goblins and orcs, a tremendous battle and after much suffering and sorrow Naaman would have been healed bathing in an Elven stream in Rivendell

I don't know if there are historical evidence for this chapter outside of the Bible - but to me the sheer anticlimax of the non meeting between Naaman and Elisha suggests truth to me, who would make up something that boring or easy?

On a personal note - thank you for following my rambles - I realise I seem to have dropped in frequency to about once a week, sorry about that.
I will try and get my act together a bit and publish more regularly, but frankly I am finding the history books actually more challenging to be interesting than the law. Who would have thought that was possible?
Sure there are a lot of stories but many of them just roll on by without me really having a reaction to them.
The situations are so far away from modern life that there is no real connection.

2 Kings 4 Elisha's deeds

2 Kings 4

In a previous post when Elijah is taken into heaven, Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit from God.
This chapter is some of his acts as a prophet - some of which echo Elijah.

First off a widow of one of the prophets is facing debt problems and likely to lose her sons to pay off the debt goes to see Elisha.
Elisha asks what she has to sell in the house, but there is nothing but a small jar of olive oil. Elisha told her to ask her neighbours for empty jars - not just a few of them either.
the woman pours olive oil from her jar into jar after jar, and it is only empty when she is told that there is not another jar.
The widow was then able to sell the oil to pay off the debt and had some left over to help her restart her life.

Elisha used to stay at the home of a Shunammite - Elisha asked if she wanted him to help her and her husband, the only thing they really want is a child, Elisha said that next year she would be pregnant,
A son is born to her, but he died and Elisha bought him back to life

Elisha also managed to eliminate poison from a pot of stew by adding flour and feed a hundred people using nothing more than 20 loaves of barley bread with some left over.

2 Kings 3 Elisha takes over

2 Kings 3
Joram, son of king Ahab of Israel took over as king following the death of his father.
The Moabites had an arrangement that they had to pay tribute to the king of Israel to the tune of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 sheep every year, but the Moabites decided that enough was enough and stopped paying the tribute.
Joram called on the king of the other half of what used to be Israel, Judah, and asked Jehoshaphat to join him in going after Moab.
they decide to attack through the desert of Edom, meeting up with the king of Edom on the way and after a fairly complicated march they wound up short of water and stuck, at the mercy of the king of Moab who if he attacked they would be unable to resist for long due to lack of water.

The Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God around who they could ask. An officer in Joram's army remembered Elisha and they went to find him.

Elisha was not impressed by Joram, his Father and Mother had been very hostile to God and Elijah had given them what for on mount Carmel, and Joram should ask the prophets of his parents, and is only there at all out of respect for Jehoshaphat.
Elisha asked for a harpist to play and while music was playing the word of God came to him - I will fill this valley with pools of water, even though there is no rain, - this is easy for God, and he will also deliver Moab into the hands of Israel and Judah who will overthrow every town and city, stop up rivers and streams, cut down trees and ruin fields with stones.
That evening water appeared, flowing from Edom into the valley.
Meanwhile the Moabites had armed the entire able bodied population to repel Israel at the border, but at dawn next day the sun reflecting on the water looked like blood and the army thought that Israel and Edom and Judah had had a massive fight and rushed in to plunder the carnage.

Israel raised up and attacked the Moabite army until they fled. Israel then basically ruined the land by blocking rivers, felling trees and throwing stones onto the fields until they were covered.

In a last ditch attempt, the king of Moab and 700 swordsmen tried to attack the king of Edom, but failed. 
The king of Moab then sacrificed the heir to the throne on the city walls in defiance and Israel withdrew.

It is interesting perhaps - music can help people hear God? Remember that David used to play harp for Saul when he was troubled mentally? 

Unfortunately for you, dear reader, I play trombone not harp!

2 Kings 2 Swing low sweet chariot? Or not!

2 Kings 2 

Many years ago I heard a memorable sermon on this chapter of the Bible, something remarkable happens in this chapter.

God is about to take the prophet Elijah, chief prophet of God in Israel and worker of miracles, into heaven.
Elijah and his assistant Elisha are making their way up to Bethel from Gilgal and Elijah tells Elisha to stay and God has called him to Bethel. Elisha says "As surely as the LORD lives, and as you live , I will not leave you." The preacher of the sermon I recall translated that to "Not on your nellie pal, I'm coming with you"
The Prophets in Bethel come up to Elisha and say "Don't you know God is going to take your master away today?"

Elisha replied "Yes I know - so be quiet" - or SHUT UP - I know already!
Elijah then told Elisha to stay in Bethel as God has told him to go to Jericho. Elisha basically says not on your nellie, pal, I'm coming with you"

The Prophets in Jericho say the same as in Bethel, "God is going to take your master away today" and they are told "I know so shut up".

In Jericho Elijah tries to shake off Elisha again saying he is going to the Jordan. Not on your nellie comes the reply.

50 men from the company of prophets - does that sound like a business name to anybody else? witness Elijah and Elisha crossing the Jordan river, Elijah having rolled up his cloak and hit the river with it.

Eventually after they crossed Elijah asked Elisha exactly what he wanted before he is taken away.
Elisha wants a double portion of Elijah's spirit and he is told it will happen if Elisha sees Elijah getting taken away, if not it won't happen.

As they were walking along a chariot of fire (The inspiration for the title of the film incidentally) came between Elijah and Elisha. Also the origin of the spiritual "Swing low sweet chariot" when a whirlwind carried Elijah off to heaven, leaving only his cloak.

Elisha, in mourning picked up Elijah's cloak and reaching the Jordan cried out "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" and struck the river with Elijah's cloak and it dried up again.
The prophets from Jericho recognise that God's spirit has transferred to Elisha and they make an offer to go and search for Elijah - in case God dropped him in a remote valley or on a mountain. Elisha said "Don't bother, he has gone"
They insisted until Elisha got embarrassed and let them go an look, without success, for 3 days.
Elisha could not resist a "I told you not to go" when they got back.

Elisha starts to work miracles now - there is a problem with the cities water supply.
Elisha threw salt into the spring saying "the LORD Says "I have healed this water, never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive" 

The end of this chapter is fairly close to my head - I am a bit thin on top as was Elisha apparently.
He was walking along when some yobs started taunting him for his lack of noddle thatch.
Elisha looks at them, then curses them in the name of God.
2 bears came out of the wood at this and mauled 42 of the boys.
Elisha returned to Samaria by way of Mount Carmel.

Now I don't condone Elisha cursing a mob of extremely rude and unpleasant youths, Jesus said "Bless those who curse you, bless and do not curse" so I hope that I would not act as Elisha did here - HOWEVER I feel the moral is don't mock bald people - bad things can happen (Not that I would wish that!) 

2 Kings 1 Ahaziah

2 Kings 1

Ahaziah, son of Ahab had a bit of an accident - he fell through a roof lattice and seriously injured himself.
He sent messengers to enquiry of Baal Zebub the god of Ekron to enquire of the god if he would live or die.

The word of God came to Elijah and told Elijah to intercept the messengers and give them a message from God, the God of Israel. "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go and ask a foreign god? Because of this you will certainly die, never leaving your bed".

The King asked why the messengers came back so quickly and they explained that a man gave them a message. Demanding a description of the man - they said he wore a hair coat and leather belt, which apparently was enough for Ahaziah to recognise him as Elijah.
Ahaziah sent a captain and 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah.

Coming to where Elijah was sitting on top of a hill the captain demanded "Man of God, the king says "come down""
Elijah is unimpressed, replying that if he is a man of God fire will fall from the sky and consume the men.

Ahaziah sent another captain and the same thing happened.

The third captain asked Elijah to consider the lives of his men. Elijah gave his message to the king in person and Ahaziah died as Elijah had said.

Ahaziah had no children, so somebody else became king.

I'm not sure what is most disturbing here - is it the arrogance of the military captains or the fact that fire destroyed over 100 people?

It puts me in mind of the old one about a radar signal that was picked up on the radar of an American battleship on manoeuvres with the fleet.

Captain - This is the USS Battleship to the unidentified vessel - you are ordered to alter your course 3 degrees south.
Response - Negative battleship - you alter course 3 degrees to north

The captain got the Admiral -
Admiral - Listen son this is the Admiral of the fleet on board the battleship - I am in command of a battle fleet and licensed to use deadly force to defend myself from possibly hostile forces - this is your final warning - you are ordered to alter course 3 degrees south
Response - I am an able seaman and you are instructed to alter course 3 degrees north, by the way I'm in a lighthouse - your move admiral.