II
K I N G S
CHAP. XIII.
This
chapter brings us again to the history of the kings of
Israel, and particularly of the family of Jehu. We
have here an account of the reign, I. Of his son Jehoahaz, which continued
seventeen years. 1. His bad character in general (ver. 1, 2), the trouble he
was brought into (ver. 3), and the low ebb of his affairs, ver. 7. 2. His
humiliation before God, and God's compassion towards him, ver. 4, 5, and 23.
3. His continuance in his idolatry notwithstanding, ver. 6. 4. His death, ver.
8, 9. II. Of his grandson Joash, which continued sixteen years. Here is a
general account of his reign in the usual form (ver. 10-13), but a particular
account of the death of Elisha in his time. 1. The kind visit the king made
him (ver. 14), the encouragement he gave the king in his wars with
Syria, ver. 15-19. 2. His death and burial (ver.
20), and a miracle wrought by his bones, ver. 21. And, lastly, the advantages
Joash gained against the Syrians, according to his predictions, ver. 24, 25.
|
The
Reign of Jehoahaz.
|
B.
C. 839.
|
|
|
1 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.
2 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.
3 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. 4 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. 5 (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.
6 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.) 7 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. 8 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? 9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him
in
Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
This general account of the reign of Jehoahaz, and of the state of Israel
during his seventeen years, though short, is long enough to let us see two
things which are very affecting and instructive:--
I. The glory of Israel raked up in the ashes, buried and lost, and turned into
shame. How unlike does Israel appear here to what it had been and might have
been! How is its crown profaned and its honour laid in the dust! 1. It was the
honour of Israel that they worshipped the only living and true God, who is a
Spirit, an eternal mind, and had rules by which to worship him of his own
appointment; but by changing the glory of their incorruptible God into the
similitude of an ox, the truth of God into a lie, they lost this honour,
and levelled themselves with the nations that worshipped the work of their own
hands. We find here that the king followed the sins of Jeroboam (v.
2), and the people departed not from them, but walked therein, v.
6. There could not be a greater reproach than these two idolized calves were
to a people that were instructed in the service of God and entrusted with the
lively oracles. In all the history of the ten tribes we never find the least
shock given to that idolatry, but, in every reign, still the calf was their
god, and they separated themselves to that shame. 2. It was the honour of
Israel that they were taken under the special protection of heaven; God
himself was their defence, the shield of their help and the sword of their
excellency. Happy wast thou, O Israel! upon this account. But here, as often
before, we find them stripped of this glory, and exposed to the insults of all
their neighbours. They by their sins provoked God to anger, and then he delivered
them into the hands of Hazael and Benhadad, v. 3. Hazael
oppressed Israel v. 22. Surely never was any nation so often
plucked and pillaged by their neighbours as Israel was. This the people
brought upon themselves by sin; when they had provoked God to pluck up their
hedge, the goodness of their land did but tempt their neighbours to prey upon
them. So low was Israel brought in this reign, by the many depredations which
the Syrians made upon them, that the militia of the kingdom and all the force
they could bring into the field were but fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and
10,000 footmen, a despicable muster, v. 7. Have the thousands of
Israel come to this? How has the gold become dim! The debauching of a
nation will certainly be the debasing of it.
II. Some sparks of Israel's ancient honour appearing in these ashes. It is not
quite forgotten, notwithstanding all these quarrels, that this people is the
Israel of God and he is the God of Israel. For, 1. It was the ancient honour
of Israel that they were a praying people: and here we find somewhat of that
honour revived; for Jehoahaz their king, in his distress, besought the Lord
(v. 4), applied for help, not to the calves (what help could they give
him?) but to the Lord. It becomes kings to be beggars at God's door, and the
greatest of men to be humble petitioners at the footstool of his throne. Need
will drive them to it. 2. It was the ancient honour of Israel that they had God
nigh unto them in all that which they called upon him for (Deut. iv. 7),
and so he was here. Though he might justly have rejected the prayer as an
abomination to him, yet the Lord hearkened unto Jehoahaz, and to his
prayer for himself and for his people (v. 4), and he gave Israel a
saviour (v. 5), not Jehoahaz himself, for all his days Hazael
oppressed Israel (v. 22), but his son, to whom, in answer to his
father's prayers, God gave success against the Syrians, so that he recovered
the cities which they had taken from his father, v. 25. This gracious
answer God gave to the prayer of Jehoahaz, not for his sake, or the sake of
that unworthy people, but in remembrance of his covenant with Abraham (v.
23), which, in such exigencies as these, he had long since promised to have
respect to, Lev. xxvi. 42. See swift God is to show mercy, how ready to hear
prayers, how willing to find out a reason to be gracious, else he would not
look so far back as that ancient covenant which Israel had so often broken and
forfeited all the benefit of. Let this invite and engage us for ever to him,
and encourage even those that have forsaken him to return and repent; for there
is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared.
|
The
Reign of Joash, King of Israel.
|
B.
C. 839.
|
|
|
10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king
of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and
reigned sixteen years. 11 And he did that which was
evil in the sight of the LORD;
he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made
Israel sin: but he walked therein. 12 And the rest of the
acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against
Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel? 13 And Joash slept with his
fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria
with the kings of Israel. 14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his
sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and
wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel,
and the horsemen thereof. 15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow
and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. 16 And he said to
the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon
it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. 17 And he
said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said,
Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD's
deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the
Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. 18 And he
said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of
Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 19
And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten
five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it:
whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.
We have here Jehoash, or Joash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu, upon
the throne of Israel. Probably the house of Jehu intended some respect to the
house of David when they gave this heir-apparent to the crown the same name
with him that was then king of Judah.
I. The general account here given of him and his reign is much the same with
what we have already met with, and has little in it remarkable, v.
10-13. He was none of the worst, and yet, because he kept up that ancient and
politic idolatry of the house of Jeroboam, it is said, He did that which
was evil in the sight of the Lord. That one evil was enough to leave an
indelible mark of infamy upon his name; for, how little evil soever men saw in
it, it was, in the sight of the Lord, a very wicked thing; and we are
sure that his judgment is according to truth. It is observable how lightly the
inspired penman passes over his acts, and his might wherewith he warred,
leaving it to the common historians to record them, while he takes notice only
of the respect he showed to Elisha. One good action shall make a better figure
in God's book than twenty great ones; and, in his account, it gains a man a
much better reputation to honour a prophet than to conquer a king and his
army.
II. The particular account of what passed between him and Elisha has several
things in it remarkable.
1. Elisha fell sick, v. 14. Observe, (1.) He lived long; for it was now
about sixty years since he was first called to be a prophet. It was a great
mercy to Israel, and especially to the sons of the prophets, that he was
continued so long a burning and shining light. Elijah finished his testimony
in a fourth part of that time. God's prophets have their day set them, some
longer, others shorter, as Infinite Wisdom sees fit. (2.) All the latter part
of his time, from the anointing of Jehu, which was forty-five years before
Joash began his reign, we find no mention made of him, or of any thing he did,
till we find him here upon his death-bed. He might be useful to the last, and
yet not so famous as he had sometimes been. The time of his flourishing was
less than the time of his living. Let not old people complain of obscurity,
but rather be well pleased with retirement. (3.) The spirit of Elijah rested
on Elisha, and yet he was not sent for to heaven in a fiery chariot, as Elijah
was, but went the common road out of the world, and was visited with the
visitation of all men. If God honour some above others, who yet are not
inferior to them in gifts or graces, who shall find fault? May he not do
what he will with his own?
2. King Joash visited him in his sickness, and wept over him, v.
14. This was an evidence of some good in him, that he had a value and
affection for a faithful prophet; so far was he from hating and persecuting
him as a troubler of Israel that he loved and honoured him as one of the
greatest blessings of his kingdom, and lamented the loss of him. There have
been those who would not be obedient to the word of God, and yet have the
faithful ministers of it so manifested in their consciences that they could
not but have an honour for them. Observe here, (1.) When the king heard of
Elisha's sickness he came to visit him, and to receive his dying counsel and
blessing; and it was no disparagement to him, though a king, thus to honour
one whom God honoured. Note, It may turn much to our spiritual advantage to
attend the sick-beds and death-beds of good ministers and other good men, that
we may learn to die, and may be encouraged in religion by the living comforts
they have from it in a dying hour. (2.) Though Elisha was very old, had been a
great while useful, and, in the course of nature, could not continue long, yet
the king, when he saw him sick and likely to die, wept over him. The aged are
most experienced and therefore can worst be spared. In many causes, one old
witness is worth ten young ones. (3.) He lamented him in the same words with
which Elisha had himself lamented the removal of Elijah: My father, my
father. It is probable he had heard or read them in that famous story.
Note, Those that give just honours to the generation that goes before them are
often recompensed with the like from the generation that comes after them. He
that watereth, that watereth with tears, shall be watered, shall be so
watered, also himself, when it comes to his own turn, Prov. xi. 25. (4.) This
king was herein selfish; he lamented the loss of Elisha because he was as the
chariot and horsemen of Israel, and therefore could be ill spared when Israel
was so poor in chariots and horsemen, as we find they were (v. 7), when
they had in all but fifty horsemen and ten chariots. Those who consider how
much good men contribute to the defence of a nation, and the keeping off of
God's judgments, will see cause to lament the removal of them.
3. Elisha gave the king great assurances of his success against the Syrians,
Israel's present oppressors, and encouraged him to prosecute the war against
them with vigour. Elisha was aware that therefore he was loth to part with him
because he looked upon him as the great bulwark of the kingdom against that
common enemy, and depended much upon his blessings and prayers in his designs
against them. "Well," says Elisha, "if that be the cause of
your grief, let not that trouble thee, for thou shalt be victorious over the
Syrians when I am in my grave. I die, but God will surely visit you. He
has the residue of the Spirit, and can raise up other prophets to pray for
you." God's grace is not tied to one hand. He can bury his workmen and
yet carry on his work. To animate the king against the Syrians he gives him a
sign, orders him to take bow and arrows (v. 15), to intimate to
him that, in order to the deliverance of his kingdom from the Syrians, he must
put himself into a military posture and resolve to undergo the perils and
fatigues of war. God would be the agent, but he must be the instrument. And
that he should be successful he gives him a token, by directing him,
(1.) To shoot an arrow towards Syria, v. 16, 17. The king, no doubt,
knew how to manage a bow better than the prophet did, and yet, because the
arrow now to be shot was to have its significancy from the divine institution,
as if he were now to be disciplined, he received the words of command from the
prophet: Put thy hand upon the bow--Open the window--Shoot.
Nay, as if he had been a child that never drew a bow before, Elisha put his
hands upon the king's hands, to signify that in all his expeditions
against the Syrians he must look up to God for direction and strength, must
reckon his own hands not sufficient for him, but go on in a dependence upon
divine aid. He teacheth my hands to war, Ps. xviii. 34; cxliv. 1. The
trembling hands of a dying prophet, as they signified the concurrence and
communication of the power of God, gave this arrow more force than the hands
of the king in his full strength. The Syrians had made themselves masters of
the country that lay eastward, ch. x. 33. Thitherward therefore the
arrow was directed, and such an interpretation given by the prophet of the
shooting of this arrow, though shot in one respect at random, as made it, [1.]
A commission to the king to attack the Syrians, notwithstanding their power
and possession. [2.] A promise of success therein. It is the arrow of the
Lord's deliverance, even the arrow of deliverance from Syria. It is God
that commands deliverance; and, when he will effect it, who can hinder? The
arrow of deliverance is his. He shoots out his arrows, and the work is done,
Ps. xviii. 14. "Thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, where they
are now encamped, or where they are to have a general rendezvous of their
forces, till thou have consumed those of them that are vexatious and
oppressive to thee and thy kingdom."
(2.) To strike with the arrows, v. 18, 19. The prophet having in
God's name assured him of victory over the Syrians, he will now try him and
see what improvement he will make of his victories, whether he will push them
on with more zeal than Ahab did when Benhadad lay at his mercy. For the trial
of this he bids him smite with the arrows on the ground: "Believe
them brought to the ground by the arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and
laid at thy feet; and now show me what thou wilt do to them when thou hast
them down, whether thou wilt do as David did when God gave him the necks of
his enemies, beat them small as the dust before the wind," Ps. xviii.
40, 42. The king showed not that eagerness and flame which one might have
expected upon this occasion, but smote thrice, and no more. Either out of
foolish tenderness to the Syrians, he smote as if he were afraid of hurting
them, at least of ruining them, willing to show mercy to those that never did,
nor ever would, show mercy to him or his people. Or, perhaps, he smote thrice,
and very coldly, because he thought it but a silly thing, that it looked idle
and childish for a king to beat the floor with his arrows; and thrice was
often enough for him to play the fool merely to please the prophet. But, by
contemning the sign, he lost the thing signified, sorely to the grief of the
dying prophet, who was angry with him, and told him he should have smitten
five or six times. Not being straitened in the power and promise of God, why
should he be straitened in his own expectations and endeavours? Note, It
cannot but be a trouble to good men to see those they wish well to stand in
their own light and forsake their own mercies, to see them lose their
advantages against their spiritual enemies, and to give them advantage.
|
The
Death of Elisha.
|
B.
C. 837.
|
|
|
20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. And
the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a
band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and
when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and
stood up on his feet. 22 But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel
all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 And the LORD
was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them,
because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy
them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. 24 So Hazael
king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. 25
And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son
of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his
father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of
Israel.
We must here attend,
I. The sepulchre of Elisha: he died in a good old age, and they buried him;
and what follows shows, 1. What power there was in his life to keep off
judgments; for, as soon as he was dead, the bands of the Moabites invaded the
land--not great armies to face them in the field, but roving skulking bands,
that murdered and plundered by surprise. God has many ways to chastise a
provoking people. The king was apprehensive of danger only from the Syrians,
but, behold, the Moabites invade him. Trouble comes sometimes from that point
whence we least feared it. The mentioning of this immediately upon the death
of Elisha intimates that the removal of God's faithful prophets is a presage
of judgments coming. When ambassadors are recalled heralds may be expected. 2.
What power there was in his dead body: it communicated life to another dead
body, v. 21. This great miracle, though very briefly related, was a
decided proof of his mission and a confirmation of all his prophecies. It was
also a plain indication of another life after this. When Elisha died, there
was not an end of him, for then he could not have done this. From operation we
may infer existence. By this it appeared that the Lord was still the God of
Elisha; therefore Elisha still lived, for God is not the God of the dead,
but of the living. And it may, perhaps, have a reference to Christ, by
whose death and burial the grave is made to all believers a safe and happy
passage to life. It likewise intimated that though Elisha was dead, yet, in
virtue of the promises made by him, Israel's interests, though they seemed
quite sunk and lost, should revive and flourish again. The neighbours were
carrying the dead body of a man to the grave, and, fearing to fall into the
hands of the Moabites, a party of whom they saw at a distance near the place
where the body was to be interred, they laid the corpse in the next convenient
place, which proved to be Elisha's sepulchre. The dead man, upon touching
Elisha's bones, revived, and, it is likely, went home again with his friends.
Josephus relates the story otherwise, That some thieves, having robbed and
murdered an honest traveller, threw his dead body into Elisha's grave, and it
immediately revived. Elijah was honoured in his departure. Elisha was
honoured after his departure. God thus dispenses honours as he pleases,
but, one way or other, the rest of all the saints will be glorious, Isa. xi.
10. It is good being near the saints and having our lot with them both in life
and death.
II. The sword of Joash king of Israel; and we find it successful against the
Syrians. 1. The cause of his success was God's favour (v. 23): The
Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them in their miseries and respect
unto them. The several expressions here of the same import call upon us to
observe and admire the triumphs of divine goodness in the deliverance of such
a provoking people. It was of the Lord's mercies that they were not consumed,
because he would not destroy them as yet. He foresaw they would destroy
themselves at last, but as yet he would reprieve them, and give them space to
repent. The slowness of God's processes against sinners must be construed to
the honour of his mercy, not the impeachment of his justice. 2. The effect of
his success was Israel's benefit. He recovered out of the hands of Benhadad
the cities of Israel which the Syrians were possessed of, v. 25. This
was a great kindness to the cities themselves, which were hereby brought from
under the yoke of oppression, and to the whole kingdom, which was much
strengthened by the reduction of those cities. Thrice Joash beat the Syrians,
just as often as he had struck the ground with the arrows, and then a full
stop was put to the course of his victories. Many have repented, when it was
too late, of their distrusts and the straitness of their desires.
Contents
|
Next
Section
