Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, is the new king of Israel, and he does evil in the sight of the Lord, so God delivers Israel into the hands of the Syrians. Hazael, the king of Syria, decimates Israel’s army, but when King Jehoahaz pleads with the Lord (one of the few northern kings who actually calls on the Lord) the Lord delivers them from the hand of the Syrians. God honors those who call upon Him. After Jehoahaz dies, his son Jehoash becomes the next king of Israel.
The king of Syria then turns toward Judah, so King Joash gives Hazael all the sacred things from his home and the house of the Lord. The Syrian king takes the goods and goes home, but judgment still comes upon Joash and the leaders of the people of Judah who had caused the king’s heart to turn from the Lord and kill the prophet Zechariah (2 Chron. 24:17-22; Matt. 23:35). King Joash is killed by his servants and his son, Amaziah, becomes the next king of Judah.
The reading ends with the Syrians attacking Israel and Elisha telling Jehoash, king of Israel, that they would defeat the Syrians. “And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz,” King Jehoash’s dad. “But the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.”
Elisha dies today as well as Hazael, king of Syria. Ben-Hadad, Hazael’s son, becomes the next king of Syria and Jehoash, king of Israel, defeats him 3 times as prophesied by Elisha—for God honors the king who came to seek and to honor the dying prophet.
Tomorrow we meet a prophet named Jonah who is in for a great adventure. 🐳 Keep reading!
(2 Kings 13:1-11, 2 Kings 12:17-21, 2 Chronicles 24:23-27, 2 Kings 13:14-25)
#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching
Chronological Bible in Layman's Terms 