Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Kings 13:1–9, “In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days. And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.) Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.”
While the Davidic dynasty continued in Jerusalem, the dynasties changed on a regular basis in Samaria. Jehu had delivered Israel from the evil that Ahab brought to the northern kingdom when he tried to make them like the neighbouring nations. On the other hand, Jehu didn’t make any effort to go back from the sin of Jeroboam. The Lord promised Jehu some continuity because he was faithful in delivering Israel from the Baal’s of their neighbour. His son became king in his place and had a fairly long reign. Never the less, he didn't show any interest in Israel’s God and continued to allow Jeroboam’s false religion to prosper. Hazael and Benhadad his son both came down from Syria and conquered Israel and they served the Syrian king. The fact that there are several kings with the same or similar names in both Israel and the other nations is very much like things today. Every country that has a monarchy will allow a new king or queen to choose the name that will use as rulers and some names are more popular than others. Jehoahaz, the king, prayed to the Lord to deliver Israel from the Syrians and they were saved for a time. However, they didn’t repent of their sin. The Lord had always remained faithful to His relationship with both Israel and Judah and His only intention, during the years of oppression, was to bring them to their knees in submission and obedience. When Israel cried out the Lord, He saved them but, when the didn’t submit to Him, He allowed them another opportunity to realise they needed Him and cry out in submission. Jehoahaz, was left with only a token army and no ability to defend himself against any armies coming to Israel. He died and was replaced by his son Joash.
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