Berean Study Bible Jehoahaz Reigns in IsraelJoash had survived Athaliah’s attempt to destroy the royal family and had ruled Judah from Jerusalem since childhood. His reign provides the southern-kingdom date for Jehoahaz’s accession, during the divided monarchy established after Solomon’s death. 2Ki 11:21 Joash was seven years old when he became king. Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel, Jehoahaz inherited the northern throne from Jehu, whose house had been promised four generations of rule because of his judgment against Ahab’s dynasty. Yet Israel continued in the sins associated with Jeroboam, and Jehoahaz’s reign would be marked by spiritual compromise and severe pressure from Aram. 2Ki 10:35 And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria,… and he reigned in Samaria seventeen years. Samaria, founded by Omri, remained Israel’s capital and center of government. During Jehoahaz’s seventeen years, Hazael and Ben-hadad of Aram reduced Israel’s military strength and subjected the nation to oppression. 2Ki 14:23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash… And he did evil in the sight of the LORD Jehoahaz ruled the northern kingdom in continued rebellion against God. His reign was measured not by political success but by faithfulness to the covenant. 1Ki 15:26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD… and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; He maintained the idolatrous worship Jeroboam had established at Bethel and Dan, preserving the false system that had led Israel away from the worship of the LORD. 1Ki 14:16 So He will give Israel over on account of the sins… he did not turn away from them. Jehoahaz made no reform and did not abandon Israel’s entrenched idolatry, leaving the nation under the consequences of its persistent disobedience. 2Ki 10:29 but he did not turn away from the sins… So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, Israel’s continued idolatry under Jehoahaz brought the covenant judgment their disobedience deserved. God’s anger was a holy and just response to a nation that persisted in sin. Jdg 2:14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel,… and He delivered them continually into the hands of Hazael king of Aram Hazael ruled Aram from Damascus and became one of Israel’s most destructive enemies. Aramean raids and military pressure weakened Israel, reduced its army, and left the northern kingdom vulnerable for an extended period. 2Ki 10:32-33 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel.… and his son Ben-hadad. Ben-hadad succeeded Hazael and continued Aram’s oppression of Israel. The judgment endured through two Aramean reigns, showing the lasting consequences of Israel’s rebellion while preparing the setting for God’s later mercy and deliverance. 2Ki 8:7-15 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad was sick,… Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the LORD, Jehoahaz, Jehu’s son and king of Israel, turned to the LORD during the severe oppression imposed by Aram. Though his reign continued Israel’s idolatrous practices, he recognized that deliverance could come only from God. 2Ch 33:12-13 And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD… and the LORD listened to him The LORD answered Jehoahaz in mercy, showing His willingness to hear the cry of His afflicted people despite their unfaithfulness. 2Ki 20:5 Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people… because He saw the oppression God knew the depth of Israel’s suffering and did not overlook the devastation caused by Aram’s attacks. Deu 26:7 So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers;… that the king of Aram had inflicted on Israel. Hazael of Aram, and later his son Ben-hadad, weakened Israel’s army and dominated much of its territory. Israel’s hardship reflected God’s judgment for sin, yet His response also revealed His covenant mercy and His purpose to preserve His people. 2Ki 10:32-33 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel.… So the LORD gave Israel a deliverer, The deliverer is not identified. God intervened on behalf of Israel despite the nation’s continuing unfaithfulness, raising up help against Aramean oppression through the changing political and military conditions of the period. Jdg 3:9 But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD,… and they escaped the power of the Arameans. Aram had reduced Israel’s army and kept the northern kingdom under severe pressure. The Lord’s deliverance broke that domination and gave Israel relief from its enemies. 1Ki 20:28-30 Then the man of God approached the king of Israel… Then the people of Israel lived in their own homes as they had before. With Aramean control lifted, Israel again enjoyed the security and settled life that had been disrupted by war. 1Ki 4:25 Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt… Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, Jeroboam’s calves at Bethel and Dan remained central to the northern kingdom’s false worship, corrupting Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord. 2Ki 10:29 but he did not turn away from the sins… but they continued to walk in them. Even after God granted relief from Aramean oppression, the people and their rulers persisted in the religious system that had led the nation away from obedience. 2Ki 17:22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins… The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria. The pagan shrine in Israel’s capital showed that idolatry had become entrenched under the monarchy. Israel’s refusal to remove such worship prepared the way for the judgment and exile that later came upon the northern kingdom. 1Ki 16:32-33 First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in Samaria.… Jehoahaz had no army left, Jehoahaz inherited a kingdom weakened by persistent Aramean attacks. Israel’s military collapse reflected the consequences of its continued idolatry and refusal to turn fully from the sins established under Jeroboam. 2Ki 14:26 For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites… except fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, What remained was scarcely enough to defend the northern kingdom. Israel had once fielded a far larger force, but its cavalry, chariots, and infantry had been reduced to a small remnant. 2Sa 8:4 David captured from him a thousand chariots,… because the king of Aram had destroyed them Hazael of Aram had repeatedly invaded Israel during Jehoahaz’s reign, crushing its resistance and placing the nation under severe oppression. 2Ki 10:32-33 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel.… and made them like the dust at threshing. Israel’s army had been scattered and ground down until it was as helpless as chaff and dust on a threshing floor. 2Sa 22:43 I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed… As for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, ruled Israel for seventeen years during a time of continued idolatry and severe Aramean oppression. Scripture records only selected events from his reign, while other actions remained part of Israel’s broader royal history. 1Ki 15:31 As for the rest of the acts of Nadab, along with all his… along with all his accomplishments and his might, Although his army was greatly weakened by the Arameans, Jehoahaz exercised royal authority and carried out acts of leadership not preserved in the biblical account. 2Ki 10:34 As for the rest of the acts of Jehu, … are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? The writer directs readers to the official royal annals of Israel, a historical record that contained fuller accounts of the northern kingdom’s kings but has not survived. 1Ki 14:19 As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he waged war… And Jehoahaz rested with his fathers Jehoahaz died after a troubled reign marked by Aramean oppression and Israel’s spiritual decline. His death brought the rule of Jehu’s son to an end, yet the dynasty continued through his descendants. 2Ki 14:16 And Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria… and was buried in Samaria. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, was the royal center established by Omri. Jehoahaz’s burial there identified him with the kings of Israel and the ruling house of Jehu. 1Ki 16:28 And Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria,… And his son Jehoash reigned in his place. Jehoash succeeded his father as king of Israel. His reign continued the conflict with Aram, but the Lord granted Israel victories through the word of Elisha. 2Ki 12:21 His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad…
Jehoash Reigns in IsraelIn the thirty-seventh year of Joash’s reign over Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel. While Joash had overseen repairs to the temple in Jerusalem, the northern kingdom continued in the idolatry introduced by Jeroboam. 2Ki 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king… Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel Jehoash, whose name means “Yahweh has given,” son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel following his father’s troubled reign during a period of Aramean oppression. As a descendant of Jehu, he continued the dynasty established after Jehu removed the house of Ahab. His reign included significant contact with the prophet Elisha and a measure of military recovery for Israel. 2Ki 14:1 In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz… in Samaria, Samaria was the capital established by Omri and the seat of Israel’s kings. Its strategic location made it an important political and military center. 1Ki 16:24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer… and he reigned sixteen years. During these years Jehoash recovered territory from Aram, yet Israel did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam or abandon its idolatrous worship. 2Ki 14:15-16 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash… And he did evil in the sight of the LORD Jehoash’s reign was measured by God’s standard, not by military success or political stability. Though he preserved Israel’s strength in a time of conflict with Aram, he continued in conduct that violated the covenant. 2Ki 8:18 And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel,… and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, The northern kingdom remained bound to the idolatrous system established by Jeroboam. Its rulers retained the unauthorized worship centers and practices that had drawn Israel away from wholehearted devotion to the Lord. 2Ki 10:29 but he did not turn away from the sins… but he walked in them. Jehoash did not correct the nation’s course but upheld the sins of earlier kings through his own rule. His reign continued Israel’s settled pattern of disobedience. 1Ki 16:31-33 And as if it were not enough for him to walk… As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, Jehoash, also called Joash, ruled Israel during a period of continued conflict between the northern kingdom and Judah. The record of his reign includes events beyond those preserved in Kings. 2Ki 14:15-16 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash… along with all his accomplishments and his might, His strength was displayed especially in restoring Israel’s military position after the oppression of Syria. Under his rule, Israel recovered cities that had been lost and regained influence in the region. 2Ki 14:11-14 But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel… including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, Jehoash defeated Amaziah at Beth-shemesh after Amaziah provoked the conflict. He then entered Jerusalem, broke down part of its wall, and carried away treasures from the temple and the royal palace. 2Ch 25:20-24 But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God… are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? The author points to the royal annals of Israel, a historical record that contained fuller accounts of the kings’ reigns but has not been preserved. 2Ki 12:19 As for the rest of the acts of Joash… And Jehoash rested with his fathers, Jehoash’s reign over the northern kingdom came to an end, and he joined the generations of Israel’s kings who had gone before him. 1Ki 22:40 And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah… and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. His son Jeroboam II inherited the kingdom, preserving the dynasty of Jehu and ruling Israel during a period of renewed strength and expansion. 2Ki 14:16 And Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria… Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Samaria, Israel’s capital, was the royal burial place of the northern kingdom. Jehoash was buried among its kings, confirming his place in Israel’s royal line. 2Ki 10:35 And Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria,…
Elisha’s Final ProphecyElisha’s final illness brought his long ministry to its earthly close. Though God had worked many miracles through him, Elisha remained mortal, and his death marked the passing of Israel’s leading prophetic voice. 2Ki 8:8-9 So the king said to Hazael, “Take a gift in your hand… Jehoash king of Israel came down to him Jehoash, king of the northern kingdom, recognized that Elisha’s counsel and ministry had been a source of strength for Israel. His visit reveals the prophet’s enduring influence during a period of military pressure and spiritual decline. 2Ki 3:12 Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The word of the LORD is with him.”… and wept over him, The king mourned the loss of the man whose presence had represented God’s help and protection for the nation. Elisha’s death left Israel facing its enemies without the prophet who had guided kings and confronted national unfaithfulness. 2Sa 1:11-12 Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them… saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Jehoash honored Elisha as a spiritual father and Israel’s true defense. Elisha’s ministry had shown that Israel’s security depended not ultimately on armies, but on the Lord’s power working through His servant. 2Ki 2:12 As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father,… Elisha told him, Though near death, Elisha continued to speak with prophetic authority. As Elijah’s successor, he had long served as God’s messenger to Israel and now gave Jehoash instructions concerning the nation’s conflict with Aram. 2Ki 4:29-31 “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand…”… “Take a bow and some arrows.” The weapons pointed to the coming struggle with Syria. Elisha’s command began a symbolic act through which God would reveal His purpose to grant Israel victory over its enemy. Gen 27:3-4 Take your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out… So Jehoash took a bow and some arrows. Jehoash obeyed the prophet’s instruction, acknowledging Elisha’s authority and preparing to receive the message God would give through the act. 1Sa 17:40 And David took his staff in his hand,… Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, Elisha speaks to Jehoash, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, as Aram continues to threaten Israel’s security. Though Elisha is nearing death, he still serves as God’s prophet, directing the king according to the Lord’s purpose. 2Ki 3:15-17 But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played… “Put your hand on the bow.” The bow, symbolizing warfare and military strength, represents Israel’s coming conflict with Aram. Elisha directs the king to prepare for a symbolic act that portrays the military deliverance God will give. Psa 18:34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can… So the king put his hand on the bow, Jehoash obeys Elisha’s instruction, acknowledging that Israel’s hope in battle depends on the Lord’s guidance rather than military strength alone. 1Ch 12:2 they were archers using both the right and left hands… and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. Elisha’s hands upon the king’s hands signify God’s power accompanying the king’s action. Israel’s victory over Aram will come through the Lord working on behalf of His people. 2Ki 4:34 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy,… “Open the east window,” said Elisha. The window faced toward Aram, Israel’s enemy to the northeast. Elisha prepared King Jehoash for a prophetic sign of God’s coming deliverance. Ezk 43:1-4 Then the man brought me back to the gate that faces east,… So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” Jehoash obeyed, acting under the prophet’s direction. 1Sa 20:20-22 I will shoot three arrows to the side of it… So he shot. The arrow marked the beginning of Israel’s campaign against Aram. 2Sa 22:15 He shot His arrows and scattered the foes;… And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD’s arrow of victory, Israel’s success would come from the LORD rather than from its weakened army or king. 2Ch 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem!… the arrow of victory over Aram, Aram had long oppressed the northern kingdom and remained a serious military threat. 1Ki 20:13 Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel… for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek Aphek was associated with earlier battles between Israel and Aram and would again become the place of Israel’s victory. 1Ki 20:26-30 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans… until you have put an end to them.” God offered complete deliverance, though Jehoash’s later halfhearted response with the remaining arrows would limit the victories to three campaigns. 1Sa 15:3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote… Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” Elisha directed King Jehoash to use the arrows in a prophetic sign of Israel’s coming conflict with Aram. They represented the victories the Lord would grant against Israel’s enemy. 1Sa 20:21-22 Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’… So he took them, Jehoash followed the prophet’s instruction, continuing the enacted message begun with the bow and arrow. Gen 22:3 So Abraham got up early the next morning,… and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” Striking the ground pictured repeated military blows against the Arameans. The king’s actions would reveal the extent of Israel’s victory. Exo 17:6 Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.… So he struck the ground three times and stopped. Jehoash stopped after three strikes. Elisha’s response shows that he should have continued, for Israel would defeat Aram three times but would not destroy it completely. 1Ki 17:21-22 Then he stretched himself out over the child three times… But the man of God was angry with him Elisha’s anger revealed the gravity of King Jehoash’s response. As the Lord’s prophet, Elisha had directed the king in a symbolic act that declared God’s purpose to give Israel victory over Aram. Jehoash’s limited action showed that he had not fully embraced the promise set before him. 1Sa 15:11-12 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away… and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Repeatedly striking the ground would have demonstrated determined confidence in the victory God was granting. Five or six blows would have symbolized a complete and thorough campaign against Aram, ending its oppression of Israel. 2Ki 5:10-14 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash… Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. Aram had long troubled the northern kingdom, and the Lord was prepared to give Israel decisive deliverance. The opportunity for a final defeat of this enemy had been placed before Jehoash. 1Sa 15:18-23 ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinful Amalekites.’… But now you will strike down Aram only three times.” Because Jehoash stopped after three blows, his victories would be limited to three campaigns. Israel would gain relief from Aram but not the lasting freedom that could have followed fuller obedience to God’s instruction. Jdg 2:20-23 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel… And Elisha died and was buried. Elisha’s death ended a long ministry in the northern kingdom marked by faithful prophetic service, counsel to Israel’s kings, and extraordinary acts of God. Though greatly used by the Lord, he shared the mortality common to all men. His burial reflects the honor due to a respected servant of God. Deu 34:5-6 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there.… Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring. Moab took advantage of the spring season, when travel and raiding were easier and crops were beginning to provide supplies. These recurring attacks reveal Israel’s continuing vulnerability and the unrest that marked the nation during this period. Jdg 6:3-5 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites,… Once, as the Israelites were burying a man, Israel was living amid unrest and enemy incursions. Burial was an important family and communal duty, normally carried out with care and honor. 1Sa 25:1 When Samuel died, all Israel gathered to mourn for him;… suddenly they saw a band of raiders, The raiders were likely Moabites, who had been attacking Israel during this period. Fear of attack forced the burial party to act quickly. 2Ki 5:2 At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands… so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. Elisha had been one of Israel’s greatest prophets, and the tomb was apparently nearby. The men sought immediate safety rather than completing the burial as intended. 1Ki 13:29-32 So the old prophet lifted up the body of the man of God,… And as soon as his body touched the bones of Elisha, God’s power, displayed repeatedly through Elisha during his life, was shown again after his death. The miracle did not arise from the bones themselves but from the Lord’s sovereign power. 2Ki 4:34-35 Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy,… the man was revived and stood up on his feet. The dead man was restored to life, confirming that God remained active in Israel despite its spiritual decline and political weakness. Luk 7:15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak!… And Hazael king of Aram Hazael had seized the Aramean throne after the death of Ben-hadad and became a persistent enemy of Israel. Under his rule, Aram expanded its control southward and repeatedly attacked Israel’s northern and eastern territories. 2Ki 10:32-33 In those days the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel.… oppressed Israel Aramean pressure reduced Israel’s military strength, territory, and resources, leaving Jehoahaz with only a small remnant of his army. The suffering came during a period when Israel continued in the sins introduced by Jeroboam. Jdg 10:8-9 who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites… throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. Jehoahaz ruled Israel for seventeen years, during which Hazael’s campaigns kept the kingdom weak and vulnerable. Though Jehoahaz later sought the Lord and Israel received relief, Aram remained a severe threat until Hazael’s death. 2Ki 14:26-27 For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites… But the LORD was gracious to Israel Though Israel had persisted in idolatry and disobedience, the LORD did not deal with them according to what their sins deserved. His mercy rested on His own faithful character and purpose. Exo 34:6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out:… and had compassion on them, He saw their oppression under the Arameans and responded with pity rather than abandonment. Israel’s deliverance came from God’s mercy, not from national repentance or military strength. Hos 11:8 How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender… and He turned toward them The LORD continued to regard Israel with favor and acted to preserve them. Even during a season of judgment, He remained involved in their history and provided relief from their enemies. 2Ch 30:9 For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons… because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God remembered the promises He had made to the patriarchs concerning their descendants, their land, and His enduring relationship with them. Israel’s preservation depended on His covenant faithfulness. Exo 2:24 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant… And to this day, the LORD has been unwilling to destroy them The kingdom of Israel would later face exile because of continued rebellion, yet God did not erase the people descended from Jacob. His purposes for Israel remained intact. Deu 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God;… or cast them from His presence. Though judgment would bring separation from the land and the loss of national security, the LORD did not permanently reject His covenant people. Ezk 39:28 Then they will know that I am the LORD their God,… When Hazael king of Aram died, Hazael had ruled Aram as a powerful and persistent enemy of Israel. After taking the throne from Ben-hadad, he led campaigns that devastated Israel’s eastern territories and pressed into Judah. His rise and victories occurred under God’s judgment against Israel’s idolatry. His death ended the reign of the ruler most responsible for Aram’s dominance during this period. Amo 1:4 So I will send fire upon the house of Hazael… his son Ben-hadad reigned in his place. Ben-hadad succeeded his father as king of Aram. Under his rule, Aram’s strength declined, and Israel began recovering cities and territory that Hazael had taken. The change in leadership prepared the way for the victories promised through Elisha and marked the beginning of relief from Aramean oppression. 2Ki 8:7-15 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad was sick,… Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz Jehoash, also called Joash, succeeded his father Jehoahaz as king of Israel. He was part of Jehu’s dynasty, which continued on Israel’s throne according to the Lord’s promise to Jehu. 2Ki 14:1 In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz… took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael Ben-hadad ruled Aram after Hazael, whose military strength had severely oppressed Israel. Jehoash’s victories weakened Aram’s hold over Israelite territory. 2Ki 8:7-15 Then Elisha came to Damascus while Ben-hadad was sick,… the cities that Hazael had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Hazael had captured these cities during Jehoahaz’s troubled reign, when Israel suffered under Aramean domination. Their recovery marked a significant renewal of Israel’s security and strength. 2Ki 8:12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. …… Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times, These three victories fulfilled Elisha’s final prophecy to Jehoash. The king’s earlier failure to strike the ground more than three times limited the extent of his triumph over Aram. 1Ki 20:29-30 For seven days the armies camped opposite each other,… and so recovered the cities of Israel. Israel regained territory lost under Jehoahaz, showing the Lord’s mercy toward His people even during a period when the nation remained spiritually compromised. 2Ki 14:25-27 This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel.… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
    |