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The Book of 2 Kings Like You_ve Never Seen Before · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: Fire reigns from heaven, Kings fall, empires crumble, a prophet
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vanishes in a whirlwind, while another raises the dead with
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his bare bones. Welcome to Two Kings, where miracles collide
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with political intrigue and divine judgment reshapes nations. This isn't
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just ancient history. It's the explosive climax of Israel's Golden Age,
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turning to ashes. From Elijah's fiery chariot to Jerusalem's burning walls.
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Witness how pride destroys kingdoms, faith moves mountains, and God's
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promises never fail even in exile. You think you know
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these stories, think again. Prepare for two Kings like you've
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never experienced before, raw, dramatic, and absolutely unforgettable. The accident
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happened so fast. King Ahazia fell through the lattice of
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his upper room in Samaria and lay there, injured and
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worried would he recover. Most kings would ask them priests
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or seek God's guidance, But a Hasiah made a different choice.
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He sent messengers to consult bal Zebub, the god of Ekron,
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about his future. But God had other plans. As recorded
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in Chapter one, verse three, the Angel of the Lord
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spoke to Elijah, arise, go up to meet the messengers
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of the King of Samaria, and say to them, is
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it because there is no god in Israel that you
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are going to inquire of bal Zebub, the God of Ekron.
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Elijah intercepted those messengers on the road and delivered God's message,
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you shall not come down from the bed to which
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you have gone up, but you shall surely die. When
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the messengers returned with this news, Ahazir knew exactly who
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had spoken to them. The description was unmistakable. A hairy
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man with a leather belt around his waist. This was Elijah. Furious,
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the king sent a captain with fifty soldiers to arrest
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the prophet. The captain found Elijah sitting on top of
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a hill and called out, man of God, the King
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has said, come down. Elijah's response was swift and terrifying,
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as Verse ten records, If I am a man of God,
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then let fire come down from heaven and consume you
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and your fifty men. Fire fell from heaven and burned
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up the captain and all his men. I Haziah sent
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another captain with fifty more soldiers. This man made the
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same demand and met the same fate. Fire from heaven
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consumed them all. But when the third captain came, something
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different happened. He climbed the hill, fell on his knees
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before Elijah, and begged for mercy, Man of God, please
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let my life and the life of these fifty servants
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of yours be precious in your sight. This time, the
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Angel of the Lord told Elijah it was safe to
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go with him. Elijah went down and delivered God's message
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directly to the king. Because he had sought Balzebeb instead
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of the God of Israel, he would die. And that's
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exactly what happened. The day had finally come. As chapter
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two begins, we learned that the Lord would take up
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Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind. But Elijah wasn't traveling alone.
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Elisha was with him, and the older prophet seemed determined
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to make this journey by himself. From Gilgal, Elijah told
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Elisha to stay behind while he went to Bethel, but
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Elisha refused. As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives,
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I will not leave you. So they walked to Bethel together. There,
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the sons of the prophets came to Elisha and asked,
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do you know that the Lord will take away your
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master from over you today? Elisha knew, but he told
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them to keep quiet about it. At Bethel, Elijah again
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tried to leave Elisha behind, this time saying he needed
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to go to Jericho. Again, Elisha refused to be left.
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The same scene repeated at Jericho, more prophets, the same question,
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the same request for silence. Finally, Elijah said he had
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to go to the Jordan River. Once more, Elijha declared
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he would not leave his master's side. Fifty men from
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the Company of Profits followed at a distance. As the
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two prophets approached the Jordan. There, Elijah took his mantle,
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rolled it up and struck the water. The Jordan divided,
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and both men crossed over on dry ground, just as
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their ancestors had done with Joshua centuries before. On the
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other side, Elijah turned to his faithful companion, ask what
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may I do for you before I am taken away
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from you. Elisha's request was bold, Please let a double
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portion of your spirit be upon me. Elijah explained that
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this was not his to give, but added, if you
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see me when I'm taken from you, it shall be
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so for you. Oh, but if not, it shall not
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be so. As they walked and talked, suddenly everything changed.
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A chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire and
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separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by
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a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it all happen. His
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master was gone, taken up alive into heaven, but his
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mantle had fallen to the ground. Elisha picked it up,
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knowing his life would never be the same. Standing alone
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by the Jordan with Elijah's mantle in his hands, Elisha
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faced his first test. Would God's power work through him?
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He took the mantle and struck the water, calling out,
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where is the Lord, God of Elijah. The Jordan divided,
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just as it had for his master, and Elisha crossed
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back over. The fifty prophets, who had been watching from
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a distance, saw what happened. As Verse fifteen tells us,
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the spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. They bowed to
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the ground before him. These men wanted to search for Elijah,
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thinking perhaps the spirit of the Lord had taken him
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to some mountain or valley. Elisha told them not to bother,
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but they insisted until he finally gave permission. For three days,
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they searched and found nothing, Just as Elisha had said.
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Elisha's first miracle came when the men of Jericho approached
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him with a problem. Their city was pleasant, but the
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water was bad and the land was barren. Elisha asked
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for a new bowl filled with salt. He went to
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the spring and threw the salt into it, declaring, thus
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says the Lord, I have healed this water from it.
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There shall be no more death or barrenness. The water
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became good from that day forward. From Jericho, Elisha went
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up to Bethel. As he walked along the road, something
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disturbing happened. Small boys came out of the city and
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began mocking him, shouting, go up, you bald head, Go up,
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you bald head. This wasn't innocent children's play. They were
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mocking both Elisha and what had happened to Elijah, showing
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contempt for God's prophet. Ilisha turned around and looked at them,
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then pronounced a curse in the name of the Lord. Immediately,
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two female bears came out of the woods and mauled
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forty two of the youths. This harsh judgment showed that
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disrespecting God's chosen servants had serious consequences. From there, Elisha
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went to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria, beginning
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his long ministry as God's profit to Israel. War was
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coming and it would require an unusual alliance. Jehoram, who
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had become king of Israel after his brother Ahaziah's death,
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decided to attack Moab. King Mesha of Moab had been
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paying tribute to Israel one hundred or the animals they
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had brought. Johoram panicked, saying, alas for the Lord has
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called these three kings to deliver them into the hand
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of Moab. But Jehoshaphat had a better idea. Is there
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no profit of the Lord here? That we may inquire
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of the Lord by him? Someone remembered that Elishah was
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near by, the one who poured water on the hands
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of Elijah. So the three kings went down to see
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the prophet. Elisha wasn't particularly pleased to see. Johoram, what
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have I to do with you go to the prophets
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of your father and the prophets of your mother. But
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for Jehoshaphat's sake, and because the God of Israel was involved,
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Elisha agreed to help. He called for a musician, and
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as the music played, the hand of the Lord came
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upon him. His prophecy was specific and strange. Make this
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valley full of ditches, he told them, you shall not
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see wind, nor shall you see rain. Yet that valley
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shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle,
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and your animals may drink. But that wasn't all. God
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would also deliver the Moabites into their hands. The next morning,
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at the time of the morning's sacrifice, water came flowing
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from the direction of Edom and filled the land. When
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the Moabites woke up and saw the water, the rising
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sun made it look red like blood. They assumed the
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three kings had fought each other and destroyed themselves. Now
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therefore Moab to the spoil, they cried, rushing to plunder
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what they thought were empty camps. Instead, they ran straight
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into the waiting armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom, and
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were completely defeated. Desperation drove her to the prophet's door.
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The woman was a widow, and her husband had been
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one of the sons of the prophets. Now she stood
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before Elisha with tears in her eyes and terror in
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her voice, as Chapter four, verse one records her plea,
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your servant, my husband is dead, and you know that
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your servant feared the lord, and the creditor is coming
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to take my two sons to be his slaves. Alicia's
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response was gentle but practical. What shall I do for you?
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Tell me what do you have in the house. The
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answer was heart breaking in its simplicity. She had nothing
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except a jar of oil. But sometimes nothing plus God
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equals everything. Go borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors.
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Empty vessels. Do not gather just a few, Alicia instructed,
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And when you have come in, you shall shut the
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door behind you and your sons. Then pour it into
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all those vessels and set aside the full ones. The
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widow did exactly as the prophet said. She and her
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sons gathered vessels and shut themselves in their house. Then
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something miraculous happened. She poured oil from her one small jar,
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and it kept flowing and flowing. Every vessel was filled.
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Only when the last container was full did the oil
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oil stop flowing. When she told Elisha what had happened,
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his instructions were clear, Go sell the oil and pay
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your debt, and you and your sons live on the rest.
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God had not only saved her sons from slavery, but
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provided for their future. Meanwhile, Elisha regularly traveled to Shunem,
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where a well to do woman would insist he stopped
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for meals. She recognized that he was a holy man
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of God and convinced her husband to build a small
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room on their roof just for the prophet, complete with
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a bed, table, chair, and lamp. Elisha wanted to do
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something kind for this generous woman. Through his servant, Gehazi,
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he learned that she had no son and her husband
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was old. So he called her and made an incredible
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promise about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.
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She could hardly believe it. No, my Lord, Man of God,
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do not lie to your maid servant. But the woman
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conceived and bore or a son the following year, exactly
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as Elisha had said. The child grew and one day
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he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.
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Suddenly the boy cried out, my head, my head. His
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father had a servant carry him to his mother, where
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he sat on her lap until noon. Then he died.
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The woman didn't waste time grieving. She carried her son's
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body to Elisha's room, laid him on the prophet's bed,
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shut the door, and immediately prepared to find the man
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of God. When her husband asked why she was going
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to see Elisha, she simply said, it is well. She
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found Elisha at Mount Carmel and fell at his feet.
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When Gahazi tried to push her away, Elisha stopped him.
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Let her alone, for her soul is in deep distress,
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and the Lord has hidden it from me and has
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not told me. Then she spoke the words that revealed
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her breaking heart. Did I ask, a son of my Lord?
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Did I not say? Do not deceive me? Elisha immediately
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sent Gehazi ahead with his staff, instructing him to lay
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it on the child's face, but the woman refused to
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leave without Elisha himself. When they reached the house, they
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found the child dead on the prophet's bed, and Gahazi
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reported that there had been no response to the staff.
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What happened next was unlike any other miracle. Elisha went
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into the room alone, shut the door, and prayed to
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the Lord. Then he lay down on the child, putting
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his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on the
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child's eyes and his hands on the child's hands. The
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child's body began to warm. Elisha got up, walked around
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the room, then stretched himself on the child again. This
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time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
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Call this schooner mite woman, Elisha told Gahazi. When she came,
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he said simply said pick up your son. She fell
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at his feet in overwhelming gratitude, then picked up her
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living son and left the room. Famine had settled over
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the land like a heavy blanket. When Alicia returned to Gilgal,
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food was scarce and the sons of the prophets were struggling.
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Put on a large pot and boiled stew for the
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sons of the prophets. He instructed his servant. One of
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the men went out into the field to gather herbs
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and found a wild vine. He gathered wild gourds from
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it and shredded them into the pot, not knowing what
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they were. When the men sat down to eat, they
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quickly realized something was wrong. Man of God, there is
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death in the pot. They cried out, unable to eat
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the stew. But Elisha had a simple solution. Then bring
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some flour, he said, He put it into the pot,
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and suddenly the deadly stew became safe to eat. There
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was no harm in it. Later, a man came from
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Baalsha Alisha, bringing Elisha the first fruits of his harvest,
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twenty loaves of barley bread and some heads of grain.
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Give it to the people that they may eat, Elisha
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told his servant. But the servant was confused. What shall
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I set this before one hundred men? It seemed impossible
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to feed so many with so little. Yet Elisha repeated
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his command, adding God's promise, they shall eat and have
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some left over. So the servants set the food before them,
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and just as the Lord had said, they all ate
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and had food left over. Meanwhile, in Syria there was
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a great and honorable man named Narman. He was commander
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of the army and highly respected by his master, the king,
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because through him the Lord had given victory to Syria.
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But Narman had one problem. He was a leper. The
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story takes an interesting turn in chapter five, verse two.
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The Syrians had gone out on raids and had brought
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back captive a young girl from the land of Israel.
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She waited on Naman's wife. This little servant girl had
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great faith, She told her mistress, if only my master
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were with the prophet who is in Samaria, for he
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would heal him of his leprosy. When Naman told his
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king what the girl had said, the King of Syria
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decided to send a letter to the King of Israel
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along with expensive gifts ten talents of silver, six thousand
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shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing. The letter
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was direct, I am sending Nayman, my servant, to you,
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that you may heal him of his leprosy. The King
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of Israel was terrified when he read the letter. He
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tore his clothes and said, am I God to kill
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and make alive? That this man sends a man to
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me to heal him of his leprosy. Consider now and
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see how he seeks a quarrel with me. But when
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Alisha heard about the king's distress, he sent a message,
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let him come now to me, and he shall know
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that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naymon came
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with his horses and chariot and stood at the door
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of Elisha's house. But Elisha didn't even come out to
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meet this important commander. Instead, he sent a messenger with
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simple instructions, go and wash in the Jordans seven times,
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and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you
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shall be clean. Naaman was furious, as Verse eleven records
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his thoughts. I said to myself, he will surely come
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out to me and stand and call on the name
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of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over
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the place, and heal the leprosy. He was also insulted
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by the choice of river. Are not the Abana and
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the Pharparh the rivers of Damascus better than all the
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waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and
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be clean? He turned and went away in a rage.
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But Nayman's servants were wiser than their master. They approached
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him him carefully and said, my father, if the prophet
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had told you to do something great, would you not
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have done it? How much more then, when he says
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to you wash and be clean? Their logic was perfect.
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If he would do something difficult, why not do something simple. Finally,
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Naman's pride gave way to hope. He went down and
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dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the
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word of the Man of God. When he came up
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the seventh time, his flesh was restored like the flesh
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of a little child, and he was clean. Nammon's gratitude
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was overwhelming. After his healing, he returned to Elisha with
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his entire company and stood before the prophet, declaring, indeed,
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now I know that there is no God in all
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the earth except in Israel. He begged Elisha to accept
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a gift, but the prophet firmly refused. As the Lord
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lives before whom I stand, I will receive nothing, Elisha said.
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No matter how much Namon urged him, Elisha would not
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change his mind. Before leaving, Namon made two requests. First,
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he asked for two mule loads of earth from Israel,
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because he planned to offer sacrifices only to the Lord
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from now on. Second, he asked for forgiveness in advance
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for one situation when his master leaned on his arm
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while worshiping in the Temple of Rimen, Naemon would have
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to bow down too. Elisha simply said, go in peace.
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But some one had been watching and listening to everything. Gehazi,
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Elisha's servant, saw Namon leaving with all his gifts intact,
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and thought his master had made a terrible mistake. As
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chapter five, verse twenty records his thoughts, Look, my master
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has spared Nayman, this Syrian, while not receiving from his
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hands what he brought. But as the lord lives, I
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will run after him and take something from him. A
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Gahazi ran after Naeman's chariot. When Nayman saw him coming,
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he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked,
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is all well? Gahazi lied smoothly, all is well. My
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master has sent me, saying, indeed, just now, two young
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men of the sons of the prophets have come to
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me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a
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talent of silver and two changes of garments. Nayman was
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delighted to help. He urged Gehazi to take two talents
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of silver instead of one, and he bound them in
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two bags along with the two changes of garments. He
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even had two of his servants carry the gifts. When
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they reached the hill, Gahazi took the eye from the
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servants and hid them in the house, then sent the
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men away. When Gahaze went in to stand before his master,
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Elisha asked a simple question, where did you go? Gehazi?
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The servant lied, again, your servant did not go anywhere,
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But Elisha knew the truth. Did not my heart go
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with you? When the man turned back from his chariot
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to meet you. Is it time to receive money and
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to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen
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male and female servants. Then came the devastating judgment. Therefore,
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the leprosy of Naman shall cling to you and your
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descendants forever. Gahaze left Elisha's presence as white as snow
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with leprosy. Time passed and the sons of the Prophets
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faced a different kind of problem. Their meeting place had
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become too small. They asked Elisha, please, let us go
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to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam
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from there, and let us make their a place where
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we may dwell. Elisha agreed to their plan, and even
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agreed to come with them when they asked. As they
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worked by the Jordan cutting down trees, disaster struck, as
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chapter six, verse five tells us, But as one was
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cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into
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the water, and he cried out and said, alas master,
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for it was borrowed. The man was distressed because he
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couldn't afford to replace the expensive iron tool. Elisha asked
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where it had fallen, and when the man showed him
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the place, the prophet cut a stick and threw it
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into the water. Miraculously, the iron axe head floated to
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the surface. Pick it up for yourself, Elisha said. The
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man reached out and took it, surely amazed at how
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God could make even iron float. War had broken out
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between Syria and Israel. But something strange was happening. Every
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time the King of Syria made secret plans to attack
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the King of Israel, somehow knew about them in advance.
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The Syrian king would tell his servants, my camp will
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be in such and such a place, but when his
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army arrived, the Israelites would be gone. Finally, the Syrian
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king called his servants together, suspecting a traitor among them.
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Will you not show me which of us is for
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the King of Israel, he demanded. One of his servants
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had the answer, none, my lord, O King. But Elisha,
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the prophet who is in Israel, tells the King of
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Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom. The
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King's solution was direct, go and see where he is,
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that I may send and get him. When they reported
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that Elisha was in Dothan, the king sent horses and
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chariots and a great army there. They came by night
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and surrounded the city. Early in the morning, Elisha's servant
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got up and went outside. When he saw the army
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with horses and chariots surrounding the city, he ran back
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in panic, alas, my master, what shall we do? But
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Elisha was completely calm. Do not fear, for those who
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are with us are more than those who are with them.
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Then Elisha prayed a prayer that changed everything. Lord, I
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pray open his eyes that he may see. Suddenly the
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servant could see what had been invisible. As Verse seventeen records,
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the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and
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he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses
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and chariots of fire all around Elisha. When the Syrian
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army came down to capture him, Elisha prayed again, but
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this time for the opposite effect. Strike this people, I
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pray with blindness. God struck them with blindness, just as
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Elisha had asked. Then the prophet went out to them
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and said, this is not the way, nor is this
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the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to
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the man whom you seek. He led them to Samaria.
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Once they were inside the capital city of Israel, Elisha
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prayed once more, Lord opened the eyes of these men,
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that they may see. When their sight returned, they found
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themselves trapped in the heart of enemy territory. The King
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of Israel was excited and asked, Ilisia, my father, shall
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I kill them? Shall I kill them? But Elisha had
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a different plan. You shall not kill them. Would you
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kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword
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and your bow? Set food and water before them that
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they may eat and drink and go to their master.
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So the king prepared a great feast for the Syrian army.
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After they ate and drank, he sent them back to
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their master. The result was remarkable. The bands of Syrian
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raiders stopped coming into the land of Israel. After the
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peaceful feast that sent the Syrian raiders home, Ben Hadad,
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king of Syria, gathered his entire army and came up
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to besiege Samaria. This wasn't a quick attack. It was
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a long, grinding siege designed to starve the city into surrender,
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and it worked terribly well. The famine inside Samaria became
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so severe that people began paying impossible prices for disgusting food,
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as chapter six, verse twenty five records, a donkey's head
26:30
was sold for eighty shekels of silver and one fourth
26:34
of a cab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver.
26:38
Imagine being so hungry that you would pay a fortune
26:41
for things that normally no one would even touch. But
26:44
the horror was just beginning. One day, as the King
26:47
of Israel was walking on the wall of the city,
26:50
a woman cried out to him. Help my lord, o king.
26:54
When he asked what was wrong, her answer revealed the
26:57
depths of human desperation. This woman said to me, give
27:01
your son that we may eat him to day, and
27:04
we will eat my son tomorrow, she explained, So we
27:08
boiled my son and ate him. And I said to
27:10
her on the next day, give your son that we
27:12
may eat him. But she has hidden her son. The
27:16
king was horrified when he heard these words. He tore
27:19
his clothes, and as he walked on the wall, the
27:22
people could see that underneath he was wearing sackcloth on
27:25
his body. But instead of turning to God, he turned
27:29
his anger toward Elisha, God, do so to me. And
27:33
more also, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaffat,
27:37
remains on him to day, the king declared he sent
27:41
a messenger to execute the prophet. But Elisha was already
27:45
aware of what was coming. As the king himself arrived
27:49
with the messenger, Elisha was sitting in his house with
27:53
the elders. The prophet had told them, See how this
27:57
son of a murderer has sent some one to take
28:00
away my head. Look when the messenger comes, shut the
28:03
door and hold him fast at the door. Is not
28:06
the sound of his master's feet behind him? When the
28:08
king arrived, his words revealed his despair. Surely this calamity
28:14
is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the
28:16
Lord any longer? But Elisha had an answer that seemed impossible,
28:22
as chapter seven, verse one records his prophecy, Tomorrow about
28:27
this time, a sea of fine flower shall be sold
28:30
for a shekel, and two seas of barley for a
28:33
shekel at the gate of Samaria. One of the king's officers,
28:37
on whose hand the king leaned didn't believe what he
28:40
had heard. Look if the Lord would make windows in heaven,
28:44
could this thing be he scoffed. Elisha's response was both
28:49
a confirmation and a warning. In fact, you shall see
28:53
it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it. Meanwhile,
28:57
outside the city gate, four men with leprosy sat facing
29:01
their own impossible situation. They couldn't enter the city because
29:06
of the famine, and they couldn't stay where they were
29:09
because they would die anyway. So they made a desperate decision.
29:13
Why are we sitting here until we die? They asked
29:15
each other. If we say we will enter the city,
29:19
the famine is in the city and we shall die there.
29:21
And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come,
29:25
let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If
29:29
they keep us alive, we shall live, and if they
29:31
kill us, we shall only die. So at twilight they
29:36
rose to go to the Syrian camp. But when they
29:39
came to the outskirts of the camp, something was very wrong.
29:42
There was no one there. As verse five of chapter
29:45
seven tells us, they went to the outskirts of the
29:48
Syrian camp, and when they had come to the outskirts
29:51
of the camp, to their surprise, no one was there.
29:55
What the lepers didn't know was what had happened earlier
29:58
that evening, the lord had caused the army of the
30:01
Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and horses, the
30:05
noise of a great army. They said to one another, Look,
30:09
the King of Israel has hired against us, the kings
30:13
of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to
30:16
attack us. In their panic, they fled in the twilight,
30:19
leaving everything behind, their tents, their horses, their donkeys, and
30:24
all their possessions. The four lepers entered one tent and
30:28
ate and drank. They carried away silver and gold and
30:31
clothing and hid it. Then they went back and entered
30:35
another tent, took more treasure and hid that too. But
30:40
their consciences began to bother them. We are not doing right,
30:44
they said to each other. This day is a day
30:47
of good news, and we remained silent. If we wait
30:50
until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now. Therefore, come,
30:55
let us go and tell the king's household. So they
30:58
returned to the city and called to the gatekeepers. We
31:02
went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there,
31:06
not a human sound, only horses and donkeys tied, and
31:10
the tents intact. The gate keepers called out the news,
31:15
and it was told within the king's house. The king
31:18
was suspicious. Rising in the night, he said to his servants,
31:23
let me now tell you what the Syrians have done
31:26
to us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they
31:30
have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in
31:32
the field, saying when they come out of the city,
31:36
we shall catch them alive and get into the city.
31:41
But one of his servants had a wise suggestion, Please
31:45
let several men take five of the yule remaining horses
31:48
which are left in the city. Look, they may either
31:51
become like all the multitude of Israel that are left
31:54
in it, or indeed, I say, they may become like
31:57
all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed.
32:01
So let us send them and see. They took two
32:05
chariots with horses, and the king sent them in the
32:08
direction of the Syrian army, saying, go and see. The
32:13
men followed the Syrians all the way to the Jordan
32:16
and found the road full of garments and weapons, which
32:19
the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. When the
32:22
messengers returned and told the king, the people went out
32:26
and plundered the Syrian camps. Just as Elisha had prophesied,
32:30
a sea of fine flour was sold for a shekel
32:34
and two siars of ballei for a shekel, and the
32:37
officer who had doubted God's word, the king put him
32:41
in charge of the gate, where he was trampled to
32:43
death by the people rushing out to get food. He
32:47
saw the miracle with his eyes, but he never got
32:50
to eat any of it. Before all this happened, Elisha
32:53
had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored
32:56
to life. As Chapter eight, verse one records, Elisha spoke
33:01
to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying,
33:04
arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever
33:08
you can, for the Lord has called for a famine,
33:12
and furthermore it will come upon the land for seven years.
33:17
The woman did exactly what the man of God told her.
33:20
She arose with her household and went to live in
33:23
the land of the Philistines for seven years. When the
33:26
seven years were over, she returned from the land of
33:29
the Philistines and went to make an appeal to the
33:32
king for her house and land. But when she came back,
33:36
she discovered that some one had taken over her property
33:39
while she was gone. This wasn't unusual when people left
33:45
their land for years, others often claimed it, so she
33:48
decided to appeal directly to the king for justice. The
33:53
timing of her arrival was remarkable. The King was talking
33:57
with Gihazi, the servant of the Man of God, saying,
34:01
tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.
34:05
It happened that Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha
34:08
had restored the dead to life, when the very woman
34:11
whose son had been restored came to make her appeal
34:14
to the king. My Lord, O King, this is the
34:17
woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life,
34:21
Gehazi exclaimed. When the King asked the woman about it,
34:25
she told him the whole story. Hearing this incredible account
34:29
right from the woman herself, that king was moved to
34:33
immediate action. He appointed a certain officer for her, saying,
34:37
restore all that was hers and all the proceeds of
34:40
the field from the day that she left the land
34:43
until now. Not only did she get her land back,
34:47
but she received seven years worth of profits that others
34:50
had made from her property while she was away. Meanwhile,
34:54
Elisha traveled to Damascus, where ben Hadad, king of Syria,
34:59
was sick. When the king was told the Man of
35:03
God has come here, he saw an opportunity. He said
35:06
to Hazael, take a present in your hand, and go
35:10
to meet the Man of God and inquire of the
35:12
Lord by him, saying, shall I recover from this disease.
35:16
So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as
35:19
a present every good thing of Damascus, forty camel loads
35:23
of goods. He came and stood before the prophet and said,
35:27
your son, Ben Hadad, king of Syria, has sent me
35:30
to you, saying shall I recover from this disease. Alicia's
35:35
answer was both hopeful and ominous. Go say to him,
35:39
you shall certainly recover. However, the Lord has shown me
35:42
that he will really die. Then something strange happened. The
35:46
Man of God stared at Haziel with a fixed gaze
35:50
that made him uncomfortable, and then Elisha began to weep.
35:54
Why is my lord weeping? Hazael asked. The Prophet's answer
35:58
revealed a terrible future, because I know the evil that
36:02
you will do to the children of Israel. Their strongholds
36:06
you will set on fire, and their young men, you
36:09
will kill with the sword, and you will dash their
36:12
children and rip open their women with child. Hazel was shocked,
36:17
but what is your servant a dog that he should
36:19
do this gross thing? But Elisha replied, the Lord has
36:24
shown me that you will become king over Syria. The
36:28
next day something happened that fulfilled the prophecy in the
36:32
most direct way possible, as verse fifteen of chapter eight records.
36:37
But it happened on the next day that he took
36:39
a thick cloth and dipped it in water and spread
36:42
it over his face, so that he died and Hazael
36:46
reigned in his place. Hazael had murdered his master and
36:50
seized the throne, just as Elisha had foreseen. In the
36:55
same period, Judah was facing its own troubles. In the
36:59
fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel,
37:03
Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat,
37:07
became king of Judah. He was thirty two years old
37:10
when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
37:14
But Jehoram made a terrible choice, as verse eighteen of
37:18
chapter eight tells us, he walked in the way of
37:21
the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab
37:24
had done. For the daughter of Ahab was his wife,
37:27
and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
37:31
His marriage to Athaliah, Ahab's daughter, brought the corruption of
37:35
Israel's royal house into Judah. Jehoram even built high places
37:40
in the mountains of Judah, causing the inhabitants of Jerusalem
37:44
to commit harletry and leading Judah astray. But God didn't
37:48
destroy Judah completely for David's sake, since he had promised
37:52
to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.
37:56
During Jehoram's reign, serious rebellions broke out. Edom revolted against
38:01
Judah's rule and made a king over themselves. This was
38:05
significant because Edom had been under Judah's control since the
38:10
days of King David. Jehoram went to Zayir with all
38:14
his chariots to fight them, but even though he broke
38:17
through the Edomite army that surrounded him, his people fled
38:21
to their tents. Another city also rebelled. At the same time,
38:25
Libnah revolted as well. Because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord,
38:30
God of his fathers. When Jehoram died, his son Ahaziah
38:34
took the throne. Ahaziah was twenty two years old when
38:38
he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem.
38:42
His mother's name was Athalia, the granddaughter of Omri, King
38:46
of Israel. Like his father, he also walked in the
38:49
way of the house of Ahab and did evil in
38:52
the sight of the Lord, for he was the son
38:54
in law of the house of Ahab. This evil alliance
38:58
led to military co operation between the two kingdoms. Ehaziah
39:02
went with Joram, the son of Ahab, to war against Hazael,
39:06
King of Syria at Ramoth Gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram.
39:11
King Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds
39:14
which the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramah when
39:17
he fought against Hazael, King of Syria, and a Haziah
39:22
went down to see Joram because he was sick. While
39:25
King Joram was recovering from his battle wounds in Jezreel,
39:28
Elisha was about to set in motion events that would
39:31
change everything. He called one of the sons of the
39:34
prophets and gave him urgent instructions. Get yourself ready, take
39:39
this flask of oil in your hand, and go to
39:42
Ramoth Gilead. The young prophet received very specific directions. Now,
39:49
when you arrive at that place, look there for Jihu,
39:52
the son of Jehoshafat, the son of Nimshi, and go
39:56
in and make him rise up from among his associates,
39:59
and take him to an inner room. Then take the
40:02
flask of oil and pour it on his head, and say,
40:05
thus says the Lord, I have anointed you king over Israel.
40:10
Then open the door and flee, and do not delay.
40:14
So the young man, the servant of the prophet, went
40:16
to Ramuth Gilead. When he arrived, the captains of the
40:21
army were sitting together, and he said, I have a
40:24
message for you. Commander Jaehu. Asked for which one of us,
40:29
The young prophet answered, for you. Commander Jehu arose and
40:34
went into the house. The young man poured the oil
40:37
on his head and said exactly what Elishah had told him.
40:41
Thus says the Lord, God of Israel, I have anointed
40:45
you king over the people of the Lord over Israel.
40:48
You shall strike down the house of Ahab, your master
40:52
that I may avenge the blood of my servants, the prophets,
40:55
and the blood of all the servants of the Lord
40:58
at the hand of Jezebel. The prophecy continued with specific
41:02
details about Ahab's family, For the whole house of Ahab
41:06
shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab all
41:09
the males in Israel, both bond and free. So I
41:13
will make the house of Ahab like the house of
41:16
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Basha,
41:20
the son of Ahija. The young prophet also delivered a
41:23
specific prophecy about Jezebel. The dogs shall eat Jezebel on
41:28
the plot of ground at Jezreel, and there shall be
41:30
none to bury her. Then he opened the door and fled,
41:35
just as he had been instructed. When Jihu came out
41:39
to his master's servants, they immediately noticed something different about him.
41:44
Is all, well, why did this madman come to you?
41:47
They asked. Jihu tried to brush it off, you know,
41:50
the man and his babbel, but they pressed him a
41:53
lie tell us. Now, finally Jihu told them thus, and
41:58
thus he spoke to me, saying, thus says the Lord,
42:02
I have anointed you king over Israel. The response was
42:06
immediate and decisive. They each took his garment and put
42:09
it under Jehu. On the top of the steps, blew
42:13
a trumpet and proclaimed, Jay who is king. Jehu made
42:18
his plans quickly. He conspired against Joram, and since all
42:22
Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael, king of Syria,
42:27
he had the perfect opportunity. If you are so minded,
42:31
He told his supporters, let no one leave or escape
42:34
from the city, to go and tell it in Jezrael.
42:38
Then Jihu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel,
42:42
for Joram was laid up there. A Haziah, king of Judah,
42:46
had also come down to see Joram. Now a watchman
42:49
stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the
42:52
company of Jehu as he came and said, I see
42:55
a company of men. Joram said, get a horseman and
42:59
send him to meet them, and let him say is
43:01
it peace. So the horseman went to meet Jihu and said,
43:05
thus says the king, is it peace? Jee, Who's response
43:09
was direct, what have you to do with peace? Turn
43:12
around and follow me. The watchman reported, the messenger went
43:17
to them, but is not coming back. Then the king
43:20
sent out a second horseman, who came to them and said,
43:23
thus says the king, is it peace again? Jihu answered,
43:28
what have you to do with peace? Turn around and
43:30
follow me. The watchman reported again he went up to
43:35
them and is not coming back. And the driving is
43:39
like the driving of Jehu, the son of Nimshi, for
43:42
he drives furiously Ji who's driving style was so distinctive
43:48
that people could recognize him from a distance. So Joram said,
43:52
make ready. They made ready his chariot, and Joram, king
43:56
of Israel, and a Hazier, king of Judah, went out,
43:59
each in his chariot, and they went out to meet Jihu.
44:04
They met him at the property of Naboth, the Jezreelite,
44:08
the very place where Ahab had murdered an innocent man
44:11
for his vineyard. When Joram saw Jehu, he said, is
44:15
it peace, Jihu? But Jehu's answer revealed the real issue.
44:19
What peace? As long as the harl trees of your
44:22
mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many. Realizing the danger,
44:26
Joram turned around and fled, shouting to Ahaza treachery Ahazir,
44:31
but it was too late. Jehu drew his bow with
44:35
full strength and shot Joram between his arms. The arrow
44:39
came out at his heart, and he sank down in
44:41
his chariot. Then Jehu said to Bidkar his captain, pick
44:46
him up and throw him into the tract of the
44:48
field of Naboth, the Jezreelite, for remember when you and
44:52
I were riding together behind Ahab his father, that the
44:56
Lord laid this burden upon him. When Ahaziah, king of Judah,
45:00
saw what happened, he fled by the road to beth Hagen,
45:04
but Jihu pursued him, shouting shoot him also in his chariot.
45:09
They shot him at the ascent of Gur, which is
45:11
by Iblium. He fled to Megido and died there. When
45:16
Jihu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it. She knew
45:20
exactly what was happening and what was coming, but instead
45:24
of fleeing or begging for mercy, she prepared herself for
45:29
her final appearance. She put paint on her eyes and
45:32
adorned her head, then looked through a window. As Jihu
45:36
entered at the gate, she called out with mocking words,
45:39
is it p Zimri, murderer of your master? She was
45:44
comparing him to Zimri, who had killed King Elah and
45:48
reigned for only seven days before being destroyed himself. Jihu
45:53
looked up at the window and called out, who is
45:55
on my side? Who? When two or three eunuchs looked
45:59
out at him, he gave them a command that would
46:02
fulfill an ancient prophecy. Throw her down. So they threw
46:07
her down, and some of her blood spattered on the
46:10
wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot.
46:14
After this, Jihu went inside to eat and drink. Then
46:18
he said, go now see to this accursed woman and
46:22
bury her, for she was a king's daughter. But when
46:25
they went to bury her, they found no more of
46:28
her than the skull and the feet and the palms
46:30
of her hands. When they came back and told him,
46:34
Jehu said, this is the word of the Lord, which
46:38
he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, on
46:41
the plot of ground at Jezreel, dog shall eat the
46:45
flesh of Jezebel, and the corpse of Jezebel shall be
46:48
as refuse on the surface of the field. In the
46:51
plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say here
46:55
lies Jezebel. But Jehu wasn't finished. He wrote letters and
46:59
sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, to
47:03
the elders, and to those who reared Ahab's sons, saying, now,
47:08
as soon as this letter comes to you, since your
47:10
master's sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses,
47:15
a fortified city also, and weapons, choose the best qualified
47:19
of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne,
47:23
and fight for your master's house. The response revealed their terror. Look,
47:29
two kings could not stand up to him, How then
47:33
can we stand? So the one who was in charge
47:35
of the house and he who was in charge of
47:38
the city. The elders also and those who reared the
47:41
children sent to g Hu saying, we are your servants.
47:46
We will do all you bid us. We will not
47:49
make any one king do what is good in your eyes.
47:53
Then g U wrote a second letter, saying, if you
47:56
are for me and will obey my voice, take the
47:59
heads of the men your master's sons, and come to
48:02
me at Jezreel by tomorrow about this time. So they
48:05
took the king's sons and slaughtered seventy persons, put their
48:09
heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel.
48:13
After receiving the baskets with seventy heads, Jehu continued his
48:17
mission to completely destroy Ahab's influence in Israel. On his
48:21
way to Samaria, he met some one who would become
48:25
a key ally in his religious reforms, as Chapter ten,
48:29
verse fifteen records. Now, when he departed from there, he
48:34
met Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, who was coming to
48:37
meet him. And he greeted him and said to him,
48:41
is your heart right as my heart is toward your
48:44
heart nam And Johanadab answered it is. Jehu said, if
48:50
it is, give me your hand. So he gave him
48:54
his hand, and he took him up to him into
48:57
the chariot. Ji who was excited to sh his new
49:00
ally what he planned to do. Come with me and
49:03
see my zeal for the Lord, he said, So they
49:07
rode together in his chariot to Samaria. Once there, ji
49:11
Hu killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria until
49:15
he had destroyed them all according to the word of
49:17
the Lord which he spoke to Elijah. But Jihu had
49:22
one more group to deal with, the worshippers of Bal.
49:27
He gathered all the people together and spoke to them
49:30
with careful words. Ahab served, bail a little Jihu will
49:34
serve him much. Now. Therefore, call to me all the
49:37
prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests.
49:41
Let no one be missing, for I have a great
49:43
sacrivers errings. But Jehu had stationed eighty men outside, warning
49:48
them if any of the men whom I have brought
49:50
into your hands escapes, who ever lets him escape, it
49:54
shall be his life for the life of the other.
49:57
As soon as ji Hu finished offering the burnt offering,
50:00
he said to the guard and to the captains, go
50:03
in and kill them, let none come out. They struck
50:06
them down with the edge of the sword. The guards
50:09
and officers threw them out, then went into the inner
50:12
room of the temple of Bal. They brought the sacred
50:15
pillars out of the Temple of Bal and burned them.
50:19
They broke down the sacred pillar of Bal and tore
50:23
down the Temple of Bal and made it a refuse dump.
50:26
To this day, Jehu had done exactly what God wanted
50:31
regarding bal worship, as Chapter ten, Verse twenty eight states,
50:35
Thus Jihu destroyed bail from Israel. But there was one
50:39
problem with Jihu's reformation. He didn't get rid of everything
50:43
that was wrong with Israel's worship. However, Jihu did not
50:47
turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nibat,
50:51
who had made Israel sin, that is, from the golden
50:54
calves that were at Bethel and Dan. Verse twenty nine
50:57
tells us even though he had destroyed bel worship completely,
51:01
he kept the golden calf worship that had been in
51:04
Israel since the kingdom first split. But God still honored
51:07
what Jihu had done. Right, the Lord said to Jihu,
51:11
because you have done well in doing what is right
51:14
in my sight and have done to the House of
51:17
Ahab all that was in my heart, your sons shall
51:20
sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.
51:24
This was a generous promise, even though Jehu's obedience wasn't complete. However,
51:30
Israel would still face consequences for their ongoing sins. In
51:34
those days, the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel,
51:38
and Hazael conquered them in all the territory of Israel
51:41
from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, Gad, Reuben,
51:46
and Manasseh from Airoa which is by the river Arnuan,
51:50
including Gilad and Bashan. When Jihu finally died after reigning
51:55
twenty eight years in Samaria, his son jehoahaz became king
52:00
in his place. Meanwhile, in Judah, something terrible was happening.
52:05
When Athalia, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son
52:08
was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs.
52:12
This was an unthinkable crime. Athalia, the daughter of Ahab
52:16
and Jezebel, decided to seize power for herself by murdering
52:20
every member of the royal family. She was trying to
52:24
completely wipe out the line of David, which would have
52:27
destroyed God's promise to David forever. But God had a
52:31
plan to preserve his covenant. Jehoshiba, the daughter of King Joram,
52:36
sister of Ahaziah, took Jowash, the son of Ahaziah, and
52:41
stole him away from among the king's sons who were
52:44
being murdered. She put him and his nurse in the
52:47
bedroom and they hid him from Athalia so that he
52:50
was not killed. He was hidden with her in the
52:53
House of the Lord for six years while Athalia reigned
52:57
over the land. For six long years, the rightful King
53:01
of Judah lived in secret in the temple while the
53:05
murderous Athalia ruled the land. But in the seventh year, Jehoiada,
53:09
the priest, decided it was time to act. He sent
53:12
and brought the captains of hundreds of the bodyguards and
53:15
the escorts, and brought them into the House of the
53:18
Lord to him. He made a covenant with them and
53:21
took an oath from them in the House of the
53:23
Lord and showed them the kings son. Jehoiada's plan was
53:28
carefully organized, as Chapter eleven, verse five records his detailed instructions.
53:35
This is what you shall do. One third of you
53:38
who come on duty on the sabbath shall be keeping
53:41
watch over the King's house. One third shall be at
53:45
the gate of su and one third at the gate
53:48
behind the escorts. You shall keep the watch of the
53:50
house lest it be broken down. He continued with more
53:54
specific orders. The two contingents of you who go off
53:58
duty on the sabbath shall keep the watch of the
54:01
house of the Lord for the king. But you shall
54:03
surround the king on all sides, every man with his
54:07
weapons in his hand, and whoever comes within range, let
54:10
him be killed. You are to be with the king
54:14
as he goes out and as he comes in. The
54:17
captains of the Hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada
54:21
the Priest commanded. Each of them took his men who
54:25
were to be on duty on the sabbath with those
54:28
who were going off duty on the sabbath, and came
54:31
to Jehoiada the priest. The priest gave the captains of
54:35
Hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King
54:38
David that were in the Temple of the Lord. So
54:41
the escort stood every man with his weapons in his hand,
54:45
all around the king, from the right side of the
54:48
temple to the left side of the temple, along by
54:51
the altar and the house. Then Jehoiada brought out the
54:55
king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him
54:58
the testimony. They made him king and anointed him, and
55:01
they clapped their hands and said, long live the King.
55:07
When Athalia heard the noise of the escorts and the people,
55:10
she came to the people in the temple of the Lord.
55:13
When she looked, there was the king standing by a pillar.
55:16
According to custom, the leaders and the trumpeters were by
55:20
the king, and all the people of the land were
55:22
rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athalia tore her clothes and cried
55:27
out treason, treason, But her time was over. Jehoiada, the priest,
55:33
commanded the captains of the hundreds the officers of the army,
55:37
and said to them take her outside under guard, and
55:41
slay with the sword whoever follows her. For the priest
55:44
had said, do not let her be killed in the
55:46
house of the lord. So they seized her, and she
55:50
went by way of the horse's entrance into the king's house,
55:53
and there she was killed. With Athalia dead and young
55:57
josh safely on the throne, jehor Hoyada led the nation
56:01
in a covenant renewal ceremony, as Chapter eleven, verse seventeen records,
56:07
Then Jehoyada made a covenant between the Lord, the king,
56:11
and the people that they should be the Lord's people,
56:14
and also between the king and the people. The people
56:17
responded with enthusiasm to this, returned to proper worship. All
56:22
the people of the land went to the temple of
56:24
Bail and tore it down. They thoroughly broke in pieces
56:28
its altars and images, and killed Matan, the priest of
56:31
Bail before the altars. The priest appointed officers over the
56:35
house of the Lord. The restoration ceremony continued as they
56:39
took the captains of hundreds, the bodyguards, the escorts, and
56:42
all the people of the land. And they brought the
56:45
king down from the house of the Lord, and went
56:48
by way of the gate of the escorts to the
56:50
king's house. Then Joash sat on the throne of the kings.
56:56
So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the
57:00
city was quiet, for they had slain a thalure with
57:03
the sword in the king's house. Joash was seven years
57:07
old when he became king. In the seventh year of Jehu,
57:11
Joash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem.
57:16
His mother's name was Zibiyah of Beersheba. As Chapter twelve,
57:20
verse two tells us, Joash did what was right in
57:23
the sight of the Lord all the days in which
57:26
Jehoiada the priest instructed him. This young king started well
57:30
under the guidance of the godly priest. However, there was
57:34
one issue that remained unresolved, but the high places were
57:38
not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense
57:43
on the high places. Even good King Joash didn't complete
57:49
the religious reforms that were needed. As Joash grew older,
57:53
he decided to repair the temple, which had been neglected
57:56
and damaged during the evil reigns before him. Said to
58:00
the priests, all the money of the dedicated gifts that
58:04
are brought into the house of the Lord, each man's
58:07
census money, each man's assessment money, and all the money
58:11
that a man purposes in his heart to bring into
58:14
the house of the Lord, Let the priests take it
58:18
to themselves, each from his constituency, and let them repair
58:22
the damages of the temple wherever any dilapidation is found.
58:27
But there was a problem with this system. By the
58:29
twenty third year of King Joash, the priests had not
58:33
repaired the damages of the temple. So the king called
58:36
for Jehoyada, the priest and the other priests, and said
58:40
to them, why have you not repaired the damages of
58:43
the temple. Now, therefore, do not take more money from
58:46
your constituency, but deliver it for repairing the damages of
58:51
the temple. The priests agreed that they would neither receive
58:55
more money from the people nor repair the damages of
58:58
the temple. The yard of the priest took a chest,
59:01
bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside
59:04
the altar on the right side as one comes into
59:08
the house of the Lord. The priests who kept the
59:11
door put there all the money brought into the house
59:13
of the Lord. Despite Joash's good start and the temple repairs,
59:18
trouble was coming from the north. Hazael, king of Syria,
59:22
went up and fought against Gath and took it. Then
59:26
Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. This
59:30
was a serious threat to Judah's security and independence. Faced
59:34
with this crisis, Joash made a difficult decision. As Chapter twelve,
59:39
verse eighteen records, Jehoash, King of Judah, took all the
59:43
sacred things that his fathers Jehoshafat and Jehoram and a Hasiah,
59:47
kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred things,
59:51
and all the gold found in the treasuries of the
59:55
House of the Lord and in the king's house, and
59:58
sent them to Hazaiel King of Syria. Then he went
1:00:02
away from Jerusalem. This tribute payment worked. Haziel withdrew his
1:00:06
forces and didn't attack Jerusalem, but it came at a
1:00:10
great cost, both financially and spiritually. The king had in
1:00:15
the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam,
1:00:18
the son of Nibat, who had made Israel sin. He
1:00:22
did not depart from them. Because of this continued disobedience,
1:00:26
the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and
1:00:30
he delivered them into the hand of Haziel, King of Syria,
1:00:33
and into the hand of ben Hadad, the son of Haziel,
1:00:37
all their days. The Syrian oppression became so severe that
1:00:42
Haziel left jehoahas no army except fifty horsemen, ten chariots,
1:00:47
and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the King of Syria
1:00:51
had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
1:00:55
As the Syrian oppression continued, Elishah, the man of God,
1:01:00
became seriously ill, with the sickness of which he would die.
1:01:04
King Jehosh of Israel came down to him and wept
1:01:08
over his face and said, oh, my father, my father.
1:01:12
The chariots of Israel and their horsemen. The king recognized
1:01:17
that losing Alisha would be like losing Israel's main defense. Alisha,
1:01:22
even on his deathbed, had one more prophetic act to perform.
1:01:26
He said to the king, take a bow and some arrows.
1:01:30
So he took himself a bow and some arrows. Then
1:01:32
he said to the King of Israel, put your hand
1:01:35
on the bow. So he put his hand on it,
1:01:38
and Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. Opened
1:01:41
the east window. Elisha commanded, and the king opened it.
1:01:46
Then Elisha said shoot, and he shot. The prophet explained
1:01:51
the meaning the arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the
1:01:55
arrow of deliverance from Syria, for you must strike the
1:01:59
Syrian's effect till you have destroyed them. But the prophetic
1:02:03
demonstration wasn't over. Elisha said take the arrows, so the
1:02:08
king took them. Then he said to the King of Israel,
1:02:12
strike the ground. So he struck three times and stopped.
1:02:19
This incomplete response frustrated the Man of God. As Chapter thirteen,
1:02:25
verse nineteen records, the Man of God was angry with
1:02:28
him and said, you should have struck five or six times,
1:02:32
then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it,
1:02:35
but now you will strike Syria only three times. The
1:02:41
king's lack of enthusiasm and persistence had limited what God
1:02:44
would do for Israel. Then Elisha died and they buried him.
1:02:50
It seemed like the end of an era. The great prophet,
1:02:54
who had performed so many miracles, who had been Israel's
1:02:57
spiritual guardian for decades, was gone. But even death wouldn't
1:03:02
end Elisha's power completely. Even in death, God's power continued
1:03:07
to work through Elisha in an amazing way. Raiding bands
1:03:11
from Moab used to invade the land in the spring
1:03:14
of the year, as chapter thirteen, verse twenty one tells
1:03:20
us an incredible story. So it was as they were
1:03:23
burying a man that suddenly they spied a band of raiders,
1:03:27
and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha.
1:03:30
And when the man was let down and touched the
1:03:32
bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
1:03:38
This miracle showed that God's power doesn't end with death.
1:03:42
Even Elisha's bones retained the ability to bring life from death.
1:03:47
It was a sign that God's promises to Israel weren't finished.
1:03:51
Even though their greatest profit was gone. The prophecy Elisha
1:03:55
had given about striking Syria three times also came true
1:04:00
exactly as he had said. Hazael, king of Syria, oppressed
1:04:04
Israel all the days of Jehoahas, But the Lord was
1:04:08
gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them
1:04:11
because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and
1:04:15
would not yet destroy them or cast them from his presence.
1:04:19
When Hazel, king of Syria, died, ben Hadad, his son
1:04:23
reigned in his place. Then Jehoash, the son of Jehohas,
1:04:26
recaptured from ben Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities
1:04:31
which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz
1:04:33
his father. By war three times. Joash defeated him and
1:04:37
recaptured the cities of Israel, exactly as Ilisha had prophesied.
1:04:43
In the southern kingdom of Judah, Amaziah, the son of Joash,
1:04:46
became king. He was twenty five years old when he
1:04:50
became king, and he reigned twenty nine years in Jerusalem.
1:04:54
He did what was right in the sight of the Lord,
1:04:56
yet not like his ancestor David, he did according to
1:05:00
to all that his father Joash had done. However, the
1:05:03
high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and
1:05:07
burned incense on the high places. When Amasiah's reign was established,
1:05:13
he executed his servants who had murdered his father, the king,
1:05:17
but he did not execute the children of the murderers,
1:05:21
according to what is written in the Book of the
1:05:23
Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded saying, fathers
1:05:27
shall not be put to death for their children, nor
1:05:31
shall children be put to death for their fathers. But
1:05:35
a person shall be put to death for his own sin.
1:05:38
Amasiah defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt
1:05:43
and took Sailah by war. But this military success made
1:05:47
him proud and led to a foolish decision. He sent
1:05:50
messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahs, the son of Jehu,
1:05:55
King of Israel, saying, come, let us face one another
1:05:58
in battle. Jehoash, king of Israel, sent to Amasiah, King
1:06:02
of Judah, saying, the thistle that was in Lebanon sent
1:06:06
to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, give your
1:06:09
daughter to my son as wife. And a wild beast
1:06:13
that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.
1:06:18
This parable was a warning about the dangers of pride
1:06:21
and overreaching. Jehoash continued his message, You have indeed defeated Edom,
1:06:27
and your heart has lifted you up. Glory in that
1:06:30
and stay at home, for why should you meddle with
1:06:33
trouble so that you fall you and Judah with you.
1:06:36
But Amasiah would not listen. This was his downfall. Pride
1:06:41
had blinded him to wisdom. So Jehosh, King of Israel,
1:06:44
went out, and he and Amasiah, king of Judah, faced
1:06:48
one another at Beth Schemesh, which belongs to Judah. Judah
1:06:52
was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent.
1:06:56
Then Jehoash, King of Israel, captured a Messiah king of Judah,
1:06:59
at Beth Schemesh, and went to Jerusalem and broke down
1:07:03
the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to
1:07:06
the corner gate four hundred cubits. The victory was complete
1:07:10
and humiliating for Judah. Jehosh took all the gold and silver,
1:07:16
all the articles that were found in the house of
1:07:18
the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house,
1:07:21
and hostages, and returned to Samaria. This defeat showed how
1:07:25
dangerous pride could be, even for a king who had
1:07:28
started well. When Jehoash died, something interesting happened in Israel.
1:07:34
His son Jeroboam became king, and despite doing evil in
1:07:38
the sight of the Lord, his reign was remarkably successful.
1:07:42
He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam,
1:07:45
the son of Nibat, who had made Israel sin, but
1:07:49
he restored the territory of Israel from the entrance of
1:07:52
Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the
1:07:56
word of the Lord, God of Israel, which he had
1:07:58
spoken through his sir, Jonah, the son of Amitai, the prophet,
1:08:03
who was from Gath Heifer. For the Lord saw that
1:08:06
the affliction of Israel was very bitter, and whether bond
1:08:10
or free, there was no helper for Israel. The Lord
1:08:13
did not say that he would blot out the name
1:08:15
of Israel from under heaven, but he saved them by
1:08:19
the hand of Jeroboam, the son of Joash in Judah. Azariah,
1:08:25
the son of Amaziah, became king when he was sixteen
1:08:28
years old, and he reigned fifty two years in Jerusalem.
1:08:32
He did what was right in the sight of the
1:08:34
Lord according to all that his father Amasiah had done. However,
1:08:40
the high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed
1:08:44
and burned incense on the high places. But even good
1:08:48
King Azariah made a serious mistake. The Lord struck the
1:08:51
king so that he was a leper until the day
1:08:54
of his death. So he dwelt in an isolated house,
1:08:58
and Jotham, the king's son, was over the royal house,
1:09:01
judging the people of the land. Azariah had tried to
1:09:05
burn incense in the temple, which was the priest's job,
1:09:09
and God had punished him with leprosy for this presumption.
1:09:12
Israel was falling apart from the inside. In the thirty
1:09:16
eighth year of Azariah, King of Judah, Zechariah, the son
1:09:20
of Jeroboam, reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months.
1:09:25
He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as
1:09:27
his fathers had done, and he did not depart from
1:09:30
the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who had
1:09:34
made Israel sin. But Zechariah's reign was cut short by violence,
1:09:39
as Chapter fifteen, verse ten records. Then Shalam, the son
1:09:43
of Jabesh, conspired against him and struck Odstein records. Then
1:09:48
from Terzar, Menahem attacked Tifsa, all who were there and
1:09:53
its territory because they did not surrender. Therefore he attacked it.
1:09:58
All the women there who we with child he ripped open.
1:10:02
This cruelty was just the beginning of Menahem's harsh rule.
1:10:07
He reigned ten years in Samaria and did evil in
1:10:11
the sight of the Lord. But his biggest challenge came
1:10:14
from outside Israel's borders. Pull King of Assyria, came against
1:10:18
the land, and Menahem gave Pull a thousand talents of
1:10:21
silver that his hand might be with him to strengthen
1:10:25
the kingdom under his control. This massive tribute payment, worth
1:10:30
millions in today's money, came at a terrible cost to
1:10:34
the people. Menahem raised this money by taxing the wealthy
1:10:39
men of Israel, making each man of wealth give fifty
1:10:43
shettles of silver to pay the king of Assyria. The
1:10:47
tribute worked temporarily. The King of Assyria turned back and
1:10:52
did not stay there in the land, but Israel had
1:10:55
become a vassal state dependent on Assyrian protection. When Menah died,
1:11:01
his son Pekahiah became king and reigned two years in Samaria.
1:11:06
Like his father, he did evil in the sight of
1:11:08
the Lord and did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam.
1:11:12
But his reign was even shorter than his father's brutal rule.
1:11:16
Then Peca, the son of Rimalia, an officer of his,
1:11:20
conspired against him and killed him in Samaria in the
1:11:23
citadel of the king's house, along with Argob and Arieh,
1:11:27
and with him were fifty men of Gilead. So he
1:11:30
killed him and reigned in his place. Verse twenty five
1:11:33
records Israel's throne had become a prize won by whoever
1:11:38
could kill the current king. While Israel was tearing itself
1:11:41
apart with civil wars and assassinations, Judah had better leadership.
1:11:47
In the second year of Pecca, king of Israel, Jotham,
1:11:50
the son of Uzaiah, became king of Judah. He was
1:11:53
twenty five years old when he became king, and he
1:11:56
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. As Cha five Ffteen, Verse
1:12:00
thirty four tells us he did what was right in
1:12:03
the sight of the Lord. He did according to all
1:12:06
that his father Usiah had done. However, even good King
1:12:11
Jotham couldn't solve all of Judah's spiritual problems. However, the
1:12:17
high places were not removed. The people still sacrificed and
1:12:21
burned incense on the high places. He built the upper
1:12:24
gate of the House of the Lord. Despite his personal faithfulness,
1:12:29
the people continued worshiping at unauthorized places. During Jotham's reign,
1:12:34
a serious threat developed in those days. The Lord began
1:12:38
to send Resin, king of Syria, and Pecca, the son
1:12:41
of Rimalia, against Judah. These two kings had formed an
1:12:45
alliance with a specific goal. They wanted to attack Jerusalem
1:12:49
and replace Judahs king with someone who would join their
1:12:52
rebellion against Assyria. When Jotham died, his son Ahaz became king,
1:12:59
and the situation and grew worse. Ahaz was twenty years
1:13:03
old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years
1:13:06
in Jerusalem. Unlike his father, Ahaz did not do what
1:13:11
was right in the sight of the Lord his God,
1:13:14
as his father David had done. Instead, he walked in
1:13:17
the way of the kings of Israel and even made
1:13:20
his son pass through the fire according to the abominations
1:13:24
of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from
1:13:27
before the children of Israel. This spiritual rebellion made Ahaz
1:13:32
weak when the military crisis came. Then Resin, King of Syria,
1:13:38
and Peka, the son of Remalia, King of Israel, came
1:13:41
up to Jerusalem to make war, and they besieged Ahaz,
1:13:45
but could not overcome him. Chapter sixteen, verse five records
1:13:49
though Jerusalem held out, the attack terrified the young king.
1:13:53
At the same time, other enemies were taking advantage of
1:13:56
Judah's weakness. At that time, resent king of Syria, captured
1:14:02
Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Ilath.
1:14:06
Then the Edomites went to Elath and dwell there. To
1:14:10
this day, Judah was losing territory on multiple fronts. Faced
1:14:15
with this crisis, Ahaz made a fateful decision. Instead of
1:14:19
trusting God like his ancestors had done, he decided to
1:14:23
ask Assyria for help. So AHAs sent messengers to Tiglath Palisa,
1:14:28
King of Assyria, saying, I am your servant and your son,
1:14:32
come up and save me from the hand of the
1:14:35
King of Syria and from the hand of the King
1:14:37
of Israel, who rise up against me. This appeal came
1:14:42
with a heavy price, and Ahaz took the silver and
1:14:46
gold that was found in the house of the Lord
1:14:48
and in the treasuries of the king's house and sent
1:14:51
it as a present to the King of Assyria. The
1:14:54
king was willing to pay tribute using the sacred treasures
1:14:57
of God's Temple. The strategy worked, but at a terrible cost,
1:15:03
so the King of Assyria heeded him. For the King
1:15:05
of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, carried
1:15:09
its people captive to Kier, and killed resin. The immediate
1:15:14
threat was removed, but Judah had become dependent on a
1:15:18
pagan empire. Ahazi's spiritual corruption got worse after his military success.
1:15:24
When he went to Damascus to meet with Tiglath Pileser,
1:15:27
he saw an altar there and was so impressed that
1:15:31
he sent a sketch of it to Euresa, the priest,
1:15:34
with detailed instructions to build a copy in Jerusalem. When
1:15:37
the king returned, he offered sacrifices on this pagan altar
1:15:42
and moved God's bronze altar aside. But hope was coming.
1:15:46
When Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah became king, and everything changed.
1:15:52
As Chapter eighteen, verse three tells us, he did what
1:15:57
was right in the sight of the Lord. According to
1:16:00
to all that his father David had done. This was
1:16:03
the highest praise any king could receive, to be compared
1:16:06
to David himself. As Zekiah didn't just do good things.
1:16:10
He aggressively attacked everything that was wrong with Judah's worship.
1:16:15
He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars,
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cut down the wooden image, and broke in pieces the
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bronze serpent that Moses had made for until those days.
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The children of Israel burned incense to it and called
1:16:29
it Nehushtan. This last act showed how thorough Hezekiah's reforms were.
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The bronze serpent had been made by Moses himself in
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the wilderness, but when people started worshiping it instead of
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just remembering God's salvation through it, Hezekiah destroyed it without hesitation.
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Nothing was too sacred to remove if it led people
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away from pure worship of God. The result was unprecedented
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spiritual renewal. Trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so
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that after him was none like him among all the
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kings of Judah nor who were before him. For he
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held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from
1:17:11
following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord had
1:17:15
commanded Moses. God blessed Hezikiah's faithfulness in practical ways, and
1:17:22
the Lord was with him. He prospered wherever he went,
1:17:26
and he rebelled against the King of Assyria and did
1:17:29
not serve him. He attacked the Philistines as far as
1:17:33
Gaza and its territory from watchtower to fortified city. But
1:17:38
during Hezikiah's reign, the Northern Kingdom of Israel finally collapsed completely.
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In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the
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seventh year of Hoshea, King of doors of the Temple
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of the Lord and from the pillars which Hezekiah, king
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of Judah, had overlaid, and gave it to the King
1:17:57
of Assyria. But paying the tribute didn't satisfy Snakarib. He
1:18:03
wanted complete surrender. Then the King of Assyria sent the Tartan,
1:18:08
the Rabsaris, and the Rabshaiki from Lakish with a great
1:18:12
army against Jerusalem to King Hezekiah, and they went up
1:18:17
and came to Jerusalem. The Assyrian field commander, the rab
1:18:20
Shake positioned himself where everyone in the city could hear him,
1:18:25
and began a psychological warfare campaign. He called out with
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a loud voice in Hebrew, making sure all the people
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on the walls could understand his words. Do not let
1:18:35
Hazikiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to
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deliver you from his hand. The rab Shaki shouted, neither
1:18:42
let Hezikiah make you trust in the Lord, saying the
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Lord will surely deliver us. This city shall not be
1:18:48
given into the hand of the king of Assyria. The
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Assyrian commander's words became increasingly blasphemous. Do not listen to Hezekiah,
1:18:58
for thus says the King of Asia, make peace with
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me by a present, and come out to me, and
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every one of you eat from his own vine, and
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everyone from his own fig tree, and every one of
1:19:10
you drink the waters of his own cistern, until I
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come and take you away to a land like your
1:19:16
own land, a land of grain and new wine, a
1:19:20
land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves
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and honey, that you may live and not die. Then
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the Rabshaker made his most outrageous claim, And do not
1:19:30
listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying the Lord
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will deliver us as go off his wealth. And Hezekiah
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was attentive to them, and showed them all the house
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of his treasures, the silver and gold, the spices and
1:19:45
precious ointment, and all his armory, all that was found
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among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or
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in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
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This display of pride brought a sobering prophecy from Isaiayah. Behold,
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the days are coming when all that is is of
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the Lord. So Hilkiah gave the book to Chaffon, and
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he read it. This was probably the Book of Deuteronomy.