2 kings 13

2 Kings 13-14: Evil Escalates and Kings Fall Fast

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A Story of God’s Mercy in the Bible

Are you ready for a wild ride? Things are picking up pace with this gripping tale of flawed kings, the miracles of Elisha, and God’s mercy in the Bible. It’s a powerful experience as we witness it unfold through the stories of King Jehoahaz, King Jehoash, and King Amaziah in chapters 2 Kings 13 and 2 Kings 14. 

2 Kings 13 – King Jehoahaz and a Glimmer of Faith

The story begins in a time of spiritual and political decay when King Jehoahaz takes the throne of Israel. He’s busy doing evil in the eyes of the Lord when a desperate moment inspires him to turn to God. 

Moved by compassion, God delivers Israel. If you’ve been listening to the Bible Book Club Podcast for a bit, then you won’t be surprised to hear this act of God’s mercy in the Bible is not met with gratitude. Instead, the people return to their sinful ways, clinging to idolatry. 

King Jehoash and the Miracles of Elisha

Time seems to pick up speed as we flow through King Jehoahaz’s 17-year reign and into his son, King Jehoash’s, 16-year reign. We already know from our list of the Kings of Israel that every king in the north will do evil in the eyes of the Lord. 

Yet, in a bizarre twist, King Jehoash randomly visits the prophet Elisha. This is unusual, considering King Jehoash worships false gods, not the God of Israel whom Elisha serves. However, the story gets even more mysterious when Elisha gives the king instructions to shoot an arrow out the window. As we find out, the arrow is a symbol of how Israel will destroy the Arameans.

Next on the agenda for this strange meeting? Elisha tells King Jehoash to strike the ground. This is a thinly veiled test of faith, and King Jehoash fails miserably, lacking zeal as he strikes the ground halfheartedly only three times. The result? Elisha reveals Israel will only defeat the Arameans three times but will not destroy them. 

Bible Bender Moment

After this visit, Elisha dies and is buried. There is a shocking lack of fanfare, especially compared to the chariots of fire Elijah received. However, God’s work, through the miracles of Elisha, is not over. Decades later, when Elisha’s body is nothing but bones, a man’s body is hastily tossed into his tomb.

What happens next is the Bible Bender. Through Elisha, even after his death, God works a miracle, resurrecting the man when he touches Elisha’s bones. This miracle illustrates God’s power to bring life even in death and foreshadows Christ’s ultimate victory over the grave. 

To make this even more interesting, it is the second resurrection God performed through Elisha. He is the only person in the Bible to perform more than one resurrection (aside from Jesus, of course). This appears to be the fulfillment of Elisha’s request to receive a double portion of the Holy Spirit.

2 Kings 14 – King Amaziah and the Pride Before the Fall

Meanwhile, back in the southern kingdom of Judah, we get a breath of fresh air, or so we think, with the rise of King Amaziah, son of Joash. He begins his reign doing right in the eyes of the Lord. However, like King Jehoash, his efforts are half hearted. 

It all starts when King Amaziah decides to battle Edom without checking in with God first. He gets a great victory, but doesn’t bother to stop and praise God for the win. Instead, the success fills him with pride, and he’s on the hunt for another win. King Amaziah reaches out to King Jehoash, king of the north, with an invitation to battle. 

Interestingly, King Jehoash declines the challenge with a response in the form of a fable about a thistle and a wild beast, but King Amaziah doesn’t take the hint. His pride thrusts Judah into a devastating defeat. The walls of Jerusalem are torn down, the temple treasures are looted, and Amaziah ultimately flees, only to be assassinated. 

King Amaziah’s pride, lackluster commitment to faith, and his refusal to remove the high places is enough to get him excluded from our good king list. 

God’s Mercy in the Bible Revealed…Again

Meanwhile, back in the northern kingdom, King Jeroboam II rises to power and…you guessed it…does evil in the eyes of the Lord. After all these evil leaders, the people of Israel are suffering and there’s no way out. 

Moved with pity, once again, God’s mercy in the Bible is abundant. Not only does the Lord save Israel but He allows temporary expansion and a return to the promised land. Israel has yet another chance to repent. 

It’s powerful to witness, despite Israel’s repeated betrayal, God maintains His covenant with them. Not only that, but he accomplishes this by working through both faithful and unfaithful kings. 

However, we have a just God. He has laid out clearly for the people of Israel the path to good or evil. For generations, they have had the opportunity to make their choice. 

Now, an ominous cloud hangs over the Northern Kingdom. In our next podcast episode, we will see the results of their persistent choice to reject God’s mercy and choose disobedience. 

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Show Notes Mentioned:

Bible Verse Links:

The Kings of Israel Chart

 

kings of israel

 

The Path to Good or Evil

the path to good or evil

Themes of this podcast episode: The failures of human leadership and the enduring faithfulness of God shine through in this story of turmoil from 2 Kings 13 and 2 Kings 14.

  • King Jehoahaz teaches us when we call out to God, even in our sinful state, He can be moved to pity. 
  • King Jehoash’s and King Amaziah’s choices both demonstrate how half hearted faith limits the fullness of God’s blessings.
  • Through the miracles of Elisha, God reveals his power to bring life even out of death. 
  • King Amaziah also gives us a frightening example of what happens when we cut God out of our lives and our plans.
  • Still, through all this, God’s mercy in the Bible endures. Even in rebellion, God offers abundant opportunities for repentance and restoration.
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