Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 258
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KINGDOMS
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| 13:12-25
did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He refused to turn from the sins that
Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit.
The rest of the events in Jehoash’s reign and everything he did, including
the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. When Jehoash died,
he was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Then his son Jeroboam II
became the next king.
When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and
wept over him. “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers
of Israel!” he cried.
Elisha told him, “Get a bow and some arrows.” And the king did as he
was told. Elisha told him, “Put your hand on the bow,” and Elisha laid his
own hands on the king’s hands.
Then he commanded, “Open that eastern window,” and he opened it.
Then he said, “Shoot!” So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, “This is
the Lord’s arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely
conquer the Arameans at Aphek.”
Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the
ground.” So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. But
the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground
five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until
it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.”
Then Elisha died and was buried.
Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. Once
when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the corpse into the tomb of Elisha and fled. But
as soon as the body touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man revived and
jumped to his feet!
King Hazael of Aram had oppressed Israel during the entire reign of King
Jehoahaz. But the Lord was gracious and merciful to the people of Is
rael, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his
covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not
completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence.
King Hazael of Aram died, and his son B
en-hadad became the next king.
Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-hadad son of Hazael
the towns that had been taken from Jehoash’s father, Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad on three occasions, and he recovered the Israelite towns.