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5.83 2 Kings -- Jehoash of Israel

All these kings with 'J' names get confusing.  The grandson of Jehu was Jehoash, who "did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam" (2 Kings 13:11).  His only claim to dubious fame was his visit to the dying Elisha.

         

Elisha was last heard from when Jehu was anointed king (2 Kings 9).  Jehoash was his grandson, so Elisha was OLD.  Jehoash said of Elisha what Elisha said of Elijah as he was being taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2:12):

        "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen of it!" (2 Kings 13:14).

        Belatedly he realized that Israel was helpless without the spokesman of God.

       

Elisha then had Jehoash perform a sign against Aram.  He shot an arrow out the window, symbolic of an attack on Aram.  Then he struck the ground with the arrows, but stopped after three times.  Elisha was angry, and told him he should have struck five or six times. Then Aram would have been totally defeated.

       

After this, Elisha died.  This great prophet was not spared illness and death.  Yet even in death, his body retained a measure of the Spirit of God.  The Bible records that a dead man who was thrown into his tomb came back to life (2 Kings 13:20-21).

       

Meanwhile, Jehoash defeated the son of Hazael and retook some of the territory Aram had won from Israel (2 Kings 13:24-25).

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