2 Kings 13
In this chapter the northern kingdom of Israel has a new king - Jehoahaz son of Jehu (the king killer) succeeded his father as king and rules for 17 years from the capital city of Samaria.
The bible records that he was not a good king and did "Evil in they eyes of the LORD" like his father before him he did not sort out the idol worship of gold cows that the first king of Israel after the split Jeroboam had made.
The Bible says that due to God's anger, Jehoahaz was at war with Aram for much of his time as king and his army had been virtually wiped out - he was down to 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers. (About the size of the police force and paramilitaries of Mauritius - which does not have an official armed force, but the police carry out security work)
Jehoahaz sought God's favour and the bible records that God sent a deliverer for Israel - though does not mention who it is (I suspect another regional country)
However the idols were not removed, nor was a Asherah pole removed from the centre of Samaria
Jehoahash became the next king of Samaria when Jehoahaz died, he did nothing to stop the idol worship in Israel, continuing the pattern of the earlier kings.
Remember Elisha? Well by this time he is seriously ill with a terminal illness, and Jehoahash went to visit this influential prophet in his sick bed.
Elisha tells the king to get a bow and arrows, he tells the king to open the east window and shoot - you think that this is Robin hood don't you? "Wherever the arrow lands, bury me" so they buried him on top of the wardrobe!
Well you're wrong this does not happen - King Jehoahash fires God's arrow of victory.
Elisha then tells the king to strike the other arrows on the ground - which the king does, three times.
Elisha got angry at the king's half hearted effort "If you had struck the ground 5 of 6 times, God would have granted you total victory over Aram, as it is you will defeat them 3 times.
Elisha died soon afterwards and was buried.
Raiders from Moab used to invade Israelite territories every spring, one time some friends were holding the funeral for a man when they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the body into Elisha's tomb.
When the body hit Elisha's bones, he came back to life and stood up!
I guess this is Elisha's final miracle - from the grave.
God has been angry with Israel now for quite a long time - they have deserted the God of their ancestor Abraham, but he still has compassion on them and does not want to destroy them or banish them from his presence.
This is one aspect that critics of the Bible and God often miss- they expect a cartoon like vengeful, wrathful God ready with a lightening bold to "smite" any evil-doers or athiests and then assume that God does not care, or exist, if there is no bolt of lightening or booming voice from heaven, while this passage tells me that God does not want to totally abandon any of his people to oppression or banishment, he would much rather we come to him and try and follow his ways.
In this chapter the northern kingdom of Israel has a new king - Jehoahaz son of Jehu (the king killer) succeeded his father as king and rules for 17 years from the capital city of Samaria.
The bible records that he was not a good king and did "Evil in they eyes of the LORD" like his father before him he did not sort out the idol worship of gold cows that the first king of Israel after the split Jeroboam had made.
The Bible says that due to God's anger, Jehoahaz was at war with Aram for much of his time as king and his army had been virtually wiped out - he was down to 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers. (About the size of the police force and paramilitaries of Mauritius - which does not have an official armed force, but the police carry out security work)
Jehoahaz sought God's favour and the bible records that God sent a deliverer for Israel - though does not mention who it is (I suspect another regional country)
However the idols were not removed, nor was a Asherah pole removed from the centre of Samaria
Jehoahash became the next king of Samaria when Jehoahaz died, he did nothing to stop the idol worship in Israel, continuing the pattern of the earlier kings.
Remember Elisha? Well by this time he is seriously ill with a terminal illness, and Jehoahash went to visit this influential prophet in his sick bed.
Elisha tells the king to get a bow and arrows, he tells the king to open the east window and shoot - you think that this is Robin hood don't you? "Wherever the arrow lands, bury me" so they buried him on top of the wardrobe!
Well you're wrong this does not happen - King Jehoahash fires God's arrow of victory.
Elisha then tells the king to strike the other arrows on the ground - which the king does, three times.
Elisha got angry at the king's half hearted effort "If you had struck the ground 5 of 6 times, God would have granted you total victory over Aram, as it is you will defeat them 3 times.
Elisha died soon afterwards and was buried.
Raiders from Moab used to invade Israelite territories every spring, one time some friends were holding the funeral for a man when they saw a band of raiders, so they threw the body into Elisha's tomb.
When the body hit Elisha's bones, he came back to life and stood up!
I guess this is Elisha's final miracle - from the grave.
God has been angry with Israel now for quite a long time - they have deserted the God of their ancestor Abraham, but he still has compassion on them and does not want to destroy them or banish them from his presence.
This is one aspect that critics of the Bible and God often miss- they expect a cartoon like vengeful, wrathful God ready with a lightening bold to "smite" any evil-doers or athiests and then assume that God does not care, or exist, if there is no bolt of lightening or booming voice from heaven, while this passage tells me that God does not want to totally abandon any of his people to oppression or banishment, he would much rather we come to him and try and follow his ways.
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