Jehu's mini-dynasty (2 Kings 13; 14:23-29)

Jehu-Jehoahaz-Jehoash

God promised that Jehu's family will reign in the north for four generations. 2 Kings 13 covers his son and grandson, Jehoahaz and Jehoash, respectively. Both were bad kings and let the Ashereth poles stand. God allowed Hazeal, king of Aram, to frequently harass and defeat the northern kingdom at this time.

Both Jehoahaz and Jehoash cried out to God at various points with all these military defeats by Aram and God gave them some victories and peace. But it was not enough for them to turn to God in a substantial way.

Elisha became old knew and he knew he was going to die. Jehoash visits him on his deathbed and asks for deliverance from the Arameans. The French Bible says that Jehoash said that Elisha was worth many chariots and charioteers of Israel, but the English (NLT) translates it slightly differently in that he sees chariots when he sees Elisha. This would indicate that the kings of Israel see Elisha as militarily valuable, which would be understandable given that Elisha struck the Aramean raiders blind one time. It would also indicate that Elisha is looked upon favorably with the kings, which was very different than the treatment that Elijah received from Ahab/Jezebel.

Elisha has the king shoot an arrow the window. The arrow symbolizes the victory of God over the Arameans. Elisha then has him strike other arrows on the ground. He does this three times. Elisha is frustrated because the king did not do it 5-6 times, which would mean total victory over the Arameans, whereas the king would only get 3 victories for striking the arrows 3 time.

When I first read this, I was sympathetic to the king. How could the king know what striking the arrows on the ground meant? On a second reading, I have less sympathy because Elisha explained to him, quite literally, what the arrows meant when he shot it out of the window. The arrows mean God's victory. The king already understands that when Elisha makes a prediction, it will happen.

The king's casual attitude to the arrows indicates he understood what he to be doing to be a ritual performance, rather than an invitation by God (through Elisha) to get involved at a deeper level. Did he not understand God or what Elisha was saying? I think the answer is no and hence, that explains why Elisha gets frustrated.

Sure enough, he gets 3 victories over Hazeal's son, Ben-Heddad.

Elisha dies from a sickness and is not taken up to heaven like Elijah was. At least, not in the similar way. Going back to Elijah's whirlwind to heaven, since it was not visible to the other prophets who were present besides Elisha, it would indicate that it happened on a spiritual level and not necessarily on the physical level. So, we don't know how often that happens.

Regardless, Elisha's death is different from Elijah and Moses - there is a body to be buried. Elisha's corpse is in a tomb when another body is thrown into it and the corpse of the second man becomes alive.

Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23-29)

Great grandson of Jehu

Jeroboam II became king after his father Jehoash died. He was a bad king in God's eyes, but despite that, he had many military victories and a fairly long reign.

He even recovered some of the land that had been lost. Some of the victories had been prophesied by Jonah.

He is also the fourth generation of the dynasty, inclusive of Jehu. Jehu was the best and the rest of the dynasty did poor in God's eyes, although they treated God's prophets much better than their predecessors (Ahab-Elijah) or their contemporaries in the south (Joash-Zechariah). It will be interesting to see what God has to them now that the promised fourth generation is reached.

Joash (2 Kings 11-12; 2 Chronicles 23-24)

Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash (Southern kingdom, Davidic line)

Ahaziah, king of the south, had been killed along with Joram, king of the north took Jehu took command of the northern army and led a coup d'etat.

Back in the south, Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah heard of this. She immediately killed off the rest of the Davidic Royal family to rule as queen of the south. Her sister (probably right before being killed herself) hides a young infant boy Joash and his nurse in the temple. The high priest protects Joash for 6 years.

After 6 years, the high priest, Jehoida, leads a revolt against Athaliah and has a 7 year old Joash coronated as king. Jehoida first has all the soldiers in Jerusalem swear an oath to him before telling them his plan and revealing the boy. He then divides the soldiers on duty for the Sabbath into 3 groups of protection around the temple and palace. He also stations all the soldiers off-duty for the Sabbath in places to protect the corronation.

Why do this on the Sabbath? I don't think the text says why. There certainly was a lot of activity on the Sabbath by the temple, so the preparations would probably not raise immediate suspicions. It would also underscore the religious implications and authority of the revolt, for after all the high priest was doing it. It would also implicitly state to Jerusalem and the southern kingdom that God disapproves of Athaliah's reign.

I also find it interesting that there are soldiers stationed on-duty during the Sabbath. During the time of Moses, we saw a lot of things that the Israelites were not to do on the Sabbath, including a person being stoned to death for collecting firewood (the event also coincided with the first command of having a communal assembly for worship). We also saw a command for the priests to do work, in particular animal sacrifices. Likewise, Joshua's military campaign against Jericho straddled the Sabbath.

Note, 2 Chronicles 23 suggests that these soldiers guarding the temple were Levites.

Here, we have custom of work that had emerged - soldiers were on duty for the Sabbath. But not all of them, only some of them. Whether the soldiers took turns being on duty for the Sabbath, we are not told. But given Jehoida's role as high priest and what he does as regent, God approved of Jehoida's actions, for instance soldiers worked on the sabbath and a coup d'etat happens on the Sabbath.

It seems that, for ancient Israel, God was OK was societal necessary work on the Sabbath

Jehoida leads the revolt and has Athaliah killed. Jehoida then ruled as a pseudo-regent even though Joash was king. Jehoida even picked two wives for Joash. Jehoida suppressed the worship of Baal, killed the high priest, and tearing down their altars. Something similar had happened in the northern kingdom under Jehu. So, at this time, both the northern and southern kingdom are at least stamping out Baal worship.

Joash decides to collect taxes and restore the temple. The temple was restored and many of the gold utensils were replaced.

Joash followed God and had a peaceful reign while Jehoida was alive. When Jehoida died, things took a dark turn for Joash. He allowed the people to worship Ashereth poles. Jehoida's son, Zechariah, warns the people about all this and Joash even orders the stoning of Zechariah in the temple courtyard.

That must have been a heartbreaking moment. Jehoida was in many ways an adoptive father for Joash and raised him from infancy. Later on, after Jehoida is dead, Joash orders the stoning of Jehoida's son, Zechariah. Since Zechariah was a priest, it also shows that we have come full circle during the reign of Joash. Joash's reign was established in part as priests took killed the monarch, showing the religious authority is superior to political authority. Here, Joash's killing of Zechariah shows an attempt an usurpation political authority over religious authority.

I also think that Zechariah, son of Jehoida, is the first prophet stoned to death by the people. Christ refers to this legacy.

God is now angry with the southern kingdom and helped a small army of Arameans led by Hazeal (who Elijah anointed) to ravage the land. They plundered Jerusalem and the temple. Joash was severely wounded during the war. As he lay in his bed recovering from his wounds, several people who were angry with the Zechariah incident came and killed him. Perhaps they blamed him for the religious and political changes that happened after Jehoida died, symbolized most crucially by Zechariah's death.

His son Amaziah became the next king.

2 Kings 8-10

Elisha requested a double portion of the spirit of God that Elijah had. I think it is hard to see how that manifests except that there does not seem to be a record of Elisha's doubt of faith. Elijah's weakness was clearly Jezebel and could seem manic depressive and paranoid at that time. We don't see that with Elisha and aside from that, which may be the fruit of a double portion of God's spirit.

Another difference - i don't remember Elisha meeting directly with current kings. Elijah seemed to meet regularly with Ahab. When Elisha contacts kings, it seems to be through intermediaries.

The anecdotes continue...

The woman and her boy

Elisha told the woman whose son had been brought back to life to leave Israel because a famine will hit it for 7 years. So, she stays in the land of the Philistines. She returns after 7 years and heads to the king in Samaria to ask for her land back.

At the same time, the king is hearing about great things that Elisha has done from Gehazi. So, the greedy assistant who was struck by leprosy is still around. Given that he is telling the king about Elisha, he might even still be Elisha's assistant.

Gehazi is talking about the boy who was brought back to life when the same boy and his mother walk in. The king is so impressed by this that he gives her land back and restitution from the crops that were harvested on her land in her absence.

So, if crops were harvested on her land, then the famine could not have been that bad, at least in terms of crop production. Or, the famine may have also been caused by warfare and we can tell from other contexts that the northern kingdom was locked in intermittent war with the Arameans/Syrians.

The king of Aram

Elisha goes to Damascus just as the king of Aram, Ben-Heddad, is on his deathbed. He hears that Elsha is in town and sends Hazeal to meet with him. Ben-Heddad probably remembers that this man healed his general of leprosy and struck his men with blindness. Hopefully, Elisha can heal him.

Previously, God had told Elijah to anoint Hazeal as the next king of Aram. We can assume that Elijah did this before he was taken up into heaven.

Hazeal asks Elisha if the king will recover, to which he responds "tell the king he will recover, but I know he will die.". Elisha begins to cry and explains to Hazeal that he will be the next king of Aram and he will cause great damage to Israel, including massacres of the civilian population and brutally treat pregnant. Again, similar to cannibalism, these things were prophesied in the curses of Deuteronomy should Israel fall away from God. Now, Elisha sees it in the near future and knows who will do it, the same man that Elijah anointed king of Aram.

Hazeal goes back, tells the king (ben-heddad) that he will recover, but the next day kills him. Hazeal then usurps the throne.

Political level stuff

Meanwhile, Jehoram of Judah dies and his son Ahaziah becomes king. Ahaziah is related to Ahab by marriage and follows the family example. So, now the family of Ahab is spreading in power to the Southern Kingdom, even though Elijah prophesied it would be wiped out.

Ahaziah made an alliance with Joram of Israel The two of them go to war with the Arameans over Ramoth-Gilead. This is hotly contested ground. During this battle, Joram of the northern of the northern kingdom is wounded. Joram is taken to Jezreel and Ahaziah is visiting him.

Something else very important happens here during these fights over Ramoth-Gilead.

God tells Elisha to instruct his prophets to anoint Jehu the next king of Israel, the northern kingdom. Jehu is a soldier on the front lines when the prophet comes and anoints him. Jehu is also to wipe out the family of Ahab.

Jehu immediately heads off to Jezreel to kill Joram, who is wounded from the battle. There, he finds Joram and shoots him with an arrow. He directs his men to put the corpse in the plot of land that had been Naboth's vineyard, which Jezebel had Naboth murdered. Jehu has his men kill Ahaziah too.

Jehu went up to the palace and Jezebel leaned out the window wearing make-up. Jehu has several eunuchs throw her down and her body is then eaten by dogs.

In 2 Kings 10, Jehu goes on a rampage killing all the entire family of Ahab and his allies and priests. This was in fulfillment of Elijah's prophecy after Ahab/Jezebel had Naboth killed for the vineyard.

After this, Jehu devises a plan to kill of the priests and worshipers of Baal. He tells the city that there will be a big feast at the temple of Baal and all the worshipers of Baal had to be there. They all come, but it is a ruse as he plans to kill them. He makes sure he soldiers take care that only the worshipers of Baal are present. He then has his soldiers go in and kill anyone identified as a Baal worshiper. They then destroy the temple and turn it to a public toilet.

The text says this eradicated worship of Baal from the northern kingdom, but Jehu did not remove the golden calves set up by Jeroboam. Nevertheless, God was happy and gave Jehu a dynasty of 4 generations because of this. However, Jehu did not follow God and God allowed the northern kingdom to shrink. They lost the portions east of the Jordan, including the contested land of Ramoth-Gilead, plus portions west of the Jordan.

Thus far, Jehu was the best king for the northern kingdom since the original split after Solomon's death.

The floating axe head and the war (2 Kings 6-7)

Another amazing anecdote of Elisha's ministry happened where a borrowed axe head falls into the Jordan River. Elisha breaks a stick and puts it where it had fallen into the water and the axe floats on top of the water.

In contrast to something small and relatively insignificant, but incredible like a lost axe head, Elisha was instrumental in major military victories.

Israel and the Arameans were at war again. The healing of Naaman did not stop this. Elisha alerted the king of Israel of the Aramean plans so much that the king of Aram thought there was a traitor telling the Israelites what the Arameans were doing. His officers tell them about how Eisha is powerful, knows private conversations, and is advising the king. This was probably inspired by the healing of Naaman.

The king of Aram then sends soldiers to arrest Elisha. Elisha, now in Dothan, awakens to find Aramean raiders outside the city. His servant (unnamed, but probably no longer Gehazi) fears the Arameans, but Elisha prays for him to see what Elisha sees. Suddenly, the servant sees a host of flaming chariots protecting them. Elisha prays for the raiders to be struck blind and then he leads them to Samaria, where they are captured by the kings soldiers. Elisha protects them as prisoners of war.

Later, the full Aramean army lays siege to Samaria and there is a massive famine in the city. People resort to eating non-kosher items like donkey heads and dung to stay alive. They even resort to cannibalism. Cannibalism was predicted among the curses at the end of Deuteronomy if the Israelites had forsaken God. It was a key precursor to being wiped out. So, we know which way Israel is headed, but yet God has sent them Elisha. Yet, Elisha is not using the power to punish Israel, but to rescue them. This contrasts the 3-year drought during Elijah's ministry, which I would call punishment.

Elisha predicts that the famine will end in a day, but the king's officer is skeptical about God's power to do it. Elisha tells him he won't enjoy it. The next morning, the Aramean camp is empty because God caused them to hear another army approaching, perhaps the angelic army of fire from the previous chapter was in fact on the move.

The people run out to plunder the camp and the same skeptical officer is trampled to death.

The healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5)

Naaman was the general of the Aramean (Syrian) army and he came down with leprosy. He heard from his wife's Israelite slave that there was a man in Samaria who could heal him. So, the king of Aram sent him to Israel with a lot of gifts to buy healing.

Elisha does not meet with him at first, but has messengers tell to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman gets mad and wants to go home, but his entourage talk him into bathing in the Jordan. He becomes clean. He then tracks down Elisha and tries to give him money. Elisha does not want anything and Naaman believes there is no other God in the world except the God of Israel. That said, Naaman wants forgiveness beforehand for when he has to bow down to the Aramean god to please the Aramean king.

Elisha's servant, Gehazi, after Naaman and lies to him to get a bunch of money. Elisha of course knows this is going on and curses him with the same leprosy that Naaman had.

I suspect that Elisha was really heart-broken about this action by Gehazi. I suspect that he was preparing Gehazi to be his successor, just as how Elisha was Elijah's servant before passing on the prophet ministry to Elisha. We don't know fully one way or another, but there was a pattern of mentorship and here the trust was destroyed.

It also shows that even though Elisha was in Samaria, he still avoided the limelight and lots of publicity. That said, his reputation and through him God's reputation, was being spread all the way to Damascus.

Elisha's ministry (2 Kings 4)

Elijah had more political ministry, but Elisha worked more directly with common people.

A widow of one of the prophets owes debts and the creditor threatens to take her children as slaves. According to the Mosiac law, the kids would not have been permanent slaves. That said, there is no indication that Mosiac law was being followed.

She has a flask of oil, so Elisha tells the woman to fill her empty jars with the oil. Further, he tells her to borrow as many jars of oil as possible and fills those with oil. Miraculously, all the jars were filled with oil and when they could not find any more jars, that is when the oil stopped flowing. This was enough to pay off here debts.

Another time, Elisha is treated kindly by a woman. She wants nothing in return, but Elisha's servant says that she has no son and her husband is old. Elisha tells her that a year later, she will be holding a child. This happens. A few years later, the same boy dies while working in the field, perhaps of heatstroke. The woman runs go find Elisha and brings him to the dead child. Elisha puts his mouth on the child and lays on top of the kid and the child comes alive.

During a famine, Elisha's purifies a stew that had been accidentally poisoned by wild mushrooms. He also feeds a hundred people with only a sack of grain and 20 loaves of bread.

He is handy to have around. He also does not seem to be hunted by the regional authorities, nor have the doubts of faith that Elijah had.

Joram's alliance with Jehosophat and Edom (2 Kings 3)

Joram is a better ruler than Ahab, Jezebal, and Ahaziah in that he took down a great statue of Baal, but that's it. He still was a wicked ruler.

He mobilized an army to retake Moab. He garnered up an alliance between Jehosophat and the king of Edomites to go with him. This coalition of 3 armies runs out of water in the desert and they begin to panic.

Joram even blames the impending disaster on God, saying that God let them to attack Moab. This is strange because the text is silent about him asking God if he should, which probably means it did not happen.

Jehosophat asks if there is a prophet from God that they could ask. They find Elisha, who wants nothing to do with them, but helps out of respect for Jehosophat. He prays and prophesies that water will enter the area. Sure enough, the next day, water mysteriously appeared in the camp. The Moabite army woke up and perceived it to be blood and that the 3 armies fought and killed each other. This is a somewhat understandable interpretation because the Moabites were part of the alliance that broke and self-destructed when it went to attack Jehosophat.

The Moabites run into the Israelite camp, but the Israelites are not dead. They wake up, prepare for battle and destroy the Moabites.