Author: Calleen Hough

Recovery

Jehu did not walk in the law of the LORD (2 Kings 10:31), therefore, “the LORD began to cut Israel short; and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel” (2 Kings 10:32). Hazael, the king of Syria, was a ruthless dictator appointed by God to afflict Israel because of their idolatry. Hazael had been in power approximately 12 – 15 years when Johoash a.k.a. Joash began to reign at the age of seven.

While Jehu was alive, Hazael focused on the northern kingdom of Israel. For twenty three years, Johoash had a chance to restore the temple of God and to rid Judah of Baal worship. Jehoash’s plan to reignite the people’s passion for their temple centered on the repair of breaches in the house of God (2 Kings 12:5). The breaches may have been gaps in the exterior wall or the interior chamber known as the Holy of Holies. The temple’s existence for more than a hundred years suggests that the building had become old and worn down.

The temple had been Jehoash’s home for seven years while he was being hidden from Athaliah. No doubt, he was very familiar with the structure and the condition of its chambers. As a child, he probably explored places that no one had entered for years. In spite of his order to collect money and make the repairs, the priests refused to follow Jehoash’s command. By the twenty third year of his reign, nothing had been accomplished(2 Kings 12:6).

One of the problems with furnishing the temple was it attracted attention from the surrounding nations. Solomon’s temple was known for its extravagance. Most of the utensils and furnishings were made of precious metals and had been stolen on previous occasions. If the temple became operational, it could be assumed that treasure was available for the taking. Finally, when the repairs began, “there was not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 12:13).

After the repairs had been made, Hazael, king of Syria, attacked Jerusalem. “And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicate, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem” (2 Kings 12:18).

 

Out of the darkness

God’s covenant with king David assured him that God would “stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:13). It is clear the kingdom promised to David was to be an eternal kingdom, but its location was not specified. The use of the term for ever implies that David’s throne would exist in heaven, and yet, in the time David lived, man did not have access to heaven. Therefore, David’s kingdom would have to transcend the barrier between heaven and earth.

Typically, in the times of the Old Testament, a king “‘reigned’ as the earthly representative of the god (or God) who was recognized as the real king” (4427). So, David’s throne was designated as the throne through which God would govern his people. It was a precursor to the throne of Jesus Christ. In order for David’s kingdom to be transferred to heaven, the Messiah, Jesus Christ had to be born and take possession of David’s throne.

After David’s kingdom was divided, the kingdom of Judah retained the rights to David’s throne. Through the course of time, Solomon’s descendants maintained possession of God’s kingdom until the death of Ahaziah, approximately ninety years later. “And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal…And Athaliah did reign over the land” (2 Kings 11:1,3).

Athaliah, the daughter of king Ahab and Jezebel, was a worshipper of Baal. Her position as queen of Judah indicated that Baal had taken over possession of God’s kingdom. This situation triggered a stipulation in God’s agreement with Solomon that he would cut off Israel out of the land if they “go and serve other gods, and worship them” (1 Kings 9:6). Nevertheless, God did not break his promise to David.

“Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stale him from among the kings sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain” (2 Kings 11:2). Even though Athaliah reigned over the land, she did not reign over God’s kingdom. In essence she was a puppet queen. God’s sovereignty did not rest in the position she held, but in the person who was God’s designated representative. Only David’s descendants had the authority to rule over God’s kingdom.

The land that Athaliah reigned over was “the temporal scene of human activity, experience, and history” (776). “All human rule is under God’s control” (4467). Consequently, Athaliah’s effort to destroy all the royal seed (2 Kings 11:1) was unsuccessful and she was removed from her position as queen (2 Kings 11:16).

 

 

Balance of power

The divided kingdom of Israel made it possible for God to control his peoples’ destiny through a balance of power. Bassha’s evil influences on the people of Israel was counteracted by Asa’s reforms and dependence on God. King Ahab’s wicked deeds were offset by Jehoshaphat’s devotion to God and obedience to his word.

Jehu was made king of Israel at a time when the kingdom of Judah was extremely vulnerable. All the male descendants to the throne had been killed except one (2 Chronicles 22:10-11). Athaliah, the daughter of king Ahab, was reigning over the land of Judah while her grandson, Jehoash was hidden away in the temple of God (2 Chronicles 22:12).

Jehu’s cleansing of Israel began with the death of king Joram (2 Kings 9:24) and Jezebel (2 Kings 9:33), then he had all of Ahab’s seventy sons put to death (2 Kings 10:7). After that, Jehu dealt with the idolatry that had taken over the people’s hearts. Jehu’s first action was to befriend the leader of a conservative movement in Israel named Jehonadab (2 Kings 10:15). Jehu invited Jehonadab to participate in his effort to rid Israel of Baal worship. “And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot” (2 Kings 10:16).

Jehu’s zeal for the LORD could have been described as righteous indignation over the Baal worship that Ahab had instigated. Ahab had gone so far as to build a temple for Baal in his capital city of Samaria (1 Kings 16:32). When Jehu called all the Baal worshippers to a solemn assembly, it says in 2 Kings 10:21, “And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to the other.”

Jehu put and end to Baal worship in Israel (2 Kings 10:28), “but Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin” (2 Kings 10:31). Jehu was not devoted to God. More than anything, Jehu wanted to punish Ahab for what he thought he had done wrong, compromise Israel’s position of power.

Jehu knew God, but he didn’t have a personal relationship with him. Jehu didn’t pray or ask the LORD for guidance. He merely carried out the assignment he was given to cut off the house of Ahab (2 Chronicles 22:7). Jehu’s zeal for the LORD served the purpose of restoring Israel to a position of power, but it didn’t last. The shift was only temporary until Jehoash was able to take the throne and reform the kingdom of Judah.

Judgment

God’s government system operates in such a way that once a verdict has been rendered it cannot be appealed or pardoned. The sentence must be carried out. There were two situations in king Ahab’s life where judgments were pronounced against him. The first was when he made a covenant with Ben-hadad, king of Syria (1 Kings 20:34) and the second was when he stole Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21:16).

The second message of judgment was delivered to Ahab by Elijah. “And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD, behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel…And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel” (1 Kings 21:20-21, 23).

After hearing God’s judgment against him, Ahab repented (1 Kings 21:27), so God delayed his punishment until after Ahab was dead (1 Kings 21:29). It wasn’t until 15 years later, during the reign of Joram the son of Ahab, that Jehu was anointed to be king of Israel and God’s judgment was carried out (2 Kings 9:8). As Jehu road in a chariot toward Joram’s castle, a watchman saw him and told Joram he was coming. “And Joram said, Take a horseman and send to meet him, and let him say, Is it peace?” (2 Kings 9:17).

Joram was unaware of the purpose of Jehu’s visit. As soon as Jehu was anointed to be king, he rode in a chariot 45 miles to Jezreel where Joram was (2 Kings 9:16) in order to surprise him. If Joram knew what Jehu intended to do, he could have protected himself and foiled Jehu’s plan. As it was, Joram ended up right where Jehu wanted him. “And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out each in his chariot, and they went against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite” (2 Kings 9:21).

With one shot, Jehu killed Joram and his body was thrown into the field that Ahab had stolen from Naboth. Then, Jehu went to the apartment where Jezebel was staying. “And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lift  up his face to the window, and said, who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot” (2 Kings 9:33).

The future

During Elisha’s ministry, the focus of God’s plan for the Israelites shifted from their past and present to their future. God used Elisha to manage the transition. Elisha’s reputation became a vehicle for him to minister to leaders inside and outside of Israel. Because people began to believe in God again, Elisha was able to direct everyone’s attention toward the change that was about to take place.

Israel’s relationship with Syria had become more and more of a problem as they fell into idolatry. King Ahab’s covenant with Ben-hadad had done little to ward off attacks. Ben-hadad II was not as ruthless as his father, but was still determined to keep the Israelites from breaking free from his control. In order to starve them to death, “Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria” (2 Kings 6:24).

The word translated besieged, tswur (tsoor) means to cramp or confine (6696). Basically, what Ben-hadad did was surround Samaria with his army so the people couldn’t go out and get food. Eventually, the situation got so bad, “an ass’s head sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver” (2 Kings 6:25).

“Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria” (2 Kings 7:1). Elisha’s prediction indicated that the situation would be turned around overnight. For the most part, people were used to seeing Elisha perform miracles, but the dramatic change he described was beyond people’s comprehension.

“Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? (2 Kings 7:2). What he was referring to was God’s blessing flowing freely to his people. The people  of Israel were so steeped in sin that it was unimaginable that God would suddenly make everything right.

What the people of Israel still didn’t seem to understand was that God’s blessing wasn’t dependent on them being good. God didn’t bless the Israelites because they were good people. God blessed the Israelites because they were his people. “And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken” (2 Kings 7:18).

The Israelites unbelief was the real reason God kept punishing them. In spite of continual demonstrations of his miraculous power, the people of Israel would not give up their idolatry and worship God. Finally, God brought judgment on the people of Israel through Ben-hadad’s successor, Hazael. After seeing a vision of what Hazael would do to Israel, Elisha wept.

And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip  up their women with child. (2 Kings 8:12)

Open his eyes

Elisha’s gift enabled him to perceive things that were normally outside of human awareness. When the king of Syria attacked Israel, Elisha knew what he was planning to do and warned the king of Israel. The king of Syria thought someone in his camp had leaked the information to the Israelites. “And he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber” (2 Kings 6:12).

The king’s servant knew about Elisha’s ability, therefore,  Elisha’s reputation for revealing secrets must have been widespread. The servant’s reference to Elisha telling what was said in the king’s bedchamber implied that no place was outside of Elisha’s awareness. It is possible that Elisha could actually hear what the king was saying, but the information may have been relayed to him through some other supernatural means.

Elisha’s insight into the spiritual realm included an ability to see angelic beings and heavenly objects. When Elijah was taken up to heaven, Elisha saw what was happening (2 Kings 2:12). The chariot of fire and horses of fire were spiritual objects that the normal person could not perceive. When the king of Syria sent his army to capture Elisha, he told his servant to “fear not: for they that be with us are moe than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16).

Elisha was referring to the heavenly host that was camped around him and his servant. In order to alleviate his servant’s fears, “Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see, and the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).  Elisha’s servant was given a rare glimpse into the world that Elisha lived in everyday. There is no way to know for sure why he was given this opportunity, but Elisha’s servant went from being completely unaware to aware of what was going on instantaneously, as if a curtain had been pulled back from a stage.

Wash, and be clean

Naaman  the leper was the commanding officer of the Syrian army, one of Israel’s fiercest enemies. During one of his raids, he “brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife” (2 Kings 5:2). The young girl told her mistress about Elisha and suggested that if Naaman went to see him, Elisha would heal Naaman of his leprosy” (2 Kings 5:3).

The idea that it would be God’s will for Naaman to be healed was most likely a result of the girl’s own personal experience with Elisha. She may have lived in an area of Israel where Elisha spent a lot of time or had a family member healed by him. In spite of her captivity, she understood that God loved everyone and the little girl was willing to share her knowledge with Naaman’s wife.

Naaman was a powerful man and no doubt had a significant influence in Syria’s relationship with Israel. It could have been God’s plan to heal him in order to protect Israel from attack. Naaman’s violent temper was evident when Elisha refused to speak to him face to face. It says in 2 Kings 5:11, “But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper…So he turned, and went away in a rage” (2 Kings 5:11-12).

Naaman wasn’t a good man and probably didn’t deserve to be healed, but he was offered the opportunity to get well, if he wanted to. All he had to do was obey Elisha’s instructions and God would take away his disease. “And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, wash, and be clean? (2 Kings 5:13).

The obstacle to Naaman’s faith was his pride. He thought too highly of himself to immerse himself in the muddy waters of the Jordan river. And yet, he listened to his servants and did what Elisha told him to. The key to Naaman’s action was his desire to be well. When Elisha told Naaman to wash, and be clean, he identified Naaman’s real problem, guilt. Naaman was a sinner. “The baleful effect of sin was recognized when a person contracted the dread disease of leprosy” (2891).

Naaman experienced not only a complete healing of his leprosy, but also a purification from his sins. As he immersed himself in the Jordan, Naaman was made clean, uncontaminated by sin, similar to what Christians experience when they accept Christ. After he was healed, Naaman “returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15).

Intercession

The ability Elisha had to perform miracles was not dependent on prayer, nor was he limited in the kinds of miracles he could do. On two separate occasions,  Elisha asked the person he intended to bless what she wanted him to do for her, as if he could do anything (2 Kings 4:2,13). Elisha gave one the resources to pay off all her debts (2 Kings 4:7), and the other who was childless, a son (2 Kings 4:17).

Unlike most prophets that proceeded him, Elisha was not a spokesperson for the LORD, but an intercessor on behalf of the people. Like Elijah, I believe Elisha had the ability to see what was going on in the spiritual realm, as well as, the ability to discern motives and intensions. When the woman to whom Elisha had given a son came to him with an urgent request, her problem was hidden from him, indicating Elisha’s ability was blocked (2 Kings 4:27).

The source of Elisha’s power was attributed to the spirit he received after Elijah was taken up to heaven (2 Kings 1:11). The spirit was “the mighty penetrating power of the invisible God” which enabled Elisha “to feel, think, speak, and act in accordance with the Divine will” (7307). In essence, Elisha experienced a life similar to that of Jesus Christ. Although Elisha was not God, he had the ability to act like he was.

When Elisha went into the woman’s house and saw that her child was dead, “He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD” (2 Kings 4:33). The Hebrew word translated prayed in this verse is palal, which means to judge (6419). Elisha was acting as a mediator between the woman who had lost her son and God. In this sense, it was not really Elisha who was praying, but the spirit that was upon him that was praying on the woman’s behalf.

The mother of the child that died is described as a “great woman” (2 Kings 4:8).The meaning of the word translated great is twofold. First, the woman was older. She may have been past the age of having children, but most likely she was capable of having a child. Second, the woman was probably wealthy. She and her husband provided a room in their home for Elisha and his servant Gahazi. Elisha’s intention in giving the woman a child and then bringing him back to life after he died was not to reward the woman for her generosity, but to show the woman that God was concerned about her well being and would go to great lengths to make her happy.

Elisha’s behavior demonstrated God’s love for his people. The miracles he performed were not so much to make people aware of God’s power, but to let people know that God’s power was available to everyone. It was God’s desire to bless his people and Elisha made it possible for everyone to see that God could and would take care of them if they gave him the chance to.

The intersection of heaven and earth

Elijah is one of only two people in the Bible that didn’t die and the only person in the Old Testament of which it is said, he went to heaven (2 Kings 2:1). On the day that Elijah was to be taken up into heaven, he traveled more than 20 miles to deliver final messages to sons of the prophets in Bethel and Jericho. At his side was his faithful servant Elisha. The only person to witness his departure.

Elisha knew that Elijah’s ministry was coming to an end and he didn’t want to assume that he would be Elijah’s successor. So, when Elijah was called to go to Bethel, even though Elijah told him to remain in Gilgal, “Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee” (2 Kings 2:2). What Elisha meant by not leaving Elijah was that he wouldn’t abandon the ministry Elijah had started.

The sons of the prophets were actually students of the word of God. This group consisted of followers of Elijah that were committed to God and were most likely expecting the judgment of Israel foretold by Moses because of their idolatry. When it became known that Elijah was going to be taken away, the sons of prophets and Elisha may have feared the end was near.

Elijah’s ascension into heaven is similar to what will happen to believers when the great tribulation takes place. God’s wrath will be poured out on the world and Jesus will come back to rule and reign on earth. Elisha may have been unsure if Elijah’s departure signaled the end of God’s mercy toward his people. When Elijah and Elisha came to the end of their day’s journey, and it was time for Elijah to leave, Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to be upon him (2 Kings 2:9).

The double portion represented an inheritance of Elijah’s ministry. Elijah’s response indicates he was uncertain of his ministry’s continuance. “And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee: but if not, it shall not be so” (2 Kings 2:10).

At this point, Elijah and Elisha had reached their final destination. Since they were both still together, the only way Elisha wouldn’t have seen Elijah taken up was if he was blinded or killed in the process. “And it came to pass as they still went on and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it” (2 Kings 2 :11-12).

Divine Intervention

King Ahab’s son Ahaziah did not pretend to be a follower of God. In fact, he was blatant in his pagan worship. When he became seriously ill, he sent messengers to “inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron” (2 Kings 1:2). The word translated inquire, darash suggests that Ahaziah worshipped Baal-zebub (1875) and may have offered sacrifices to the god of the Ekronites.

Ahaziah’s role as king of Israel required him to submit to the LORD and to execute God’s will for his people. Ahaziah had usurped God’s authority and was guilty of violating God’s commandments. Whereas king Ahab’s heart was divided between God and Baal, Ahaziah had no allegiance to God whatsoever.

While Ahaziah’s messengers were traveling to Ekron, God sent Elijah to intercept them. As instructed, Elijah told them, “Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shall surely die” (2 Kings 1:4). When the messengers returned and gave Ahaziah the bad news, he sent 50 soldiers to capture Elijah and kill him (2 Kings 1:9).

King Ahaziah thought he could annul God’s word by killing his prophet. Ahaziah was so steeped in the ways of pagan worship, that he was oblivious to God’s control over his life. Not only did God have the power to remove Ahaziah from his office, but God had the right to punish Ahaziah for his idolatry. The problem with Ahaziah’s way of thinking was he placed himself above God. Ahaziah actually thought he could subject God to his will and could overcome his illness with the help of Baal-zebub.

After three attempts to capture and kill Elijah, king Ahaziah was confronted with the truth:

And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. (2 Kings 1:16)

“So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken” (2 Kings 1:17).