This week, we shall continue to study
the book of 2 Kings in the Old Testament.
12:17-21—Defeat and death of Joash (the account in 2 Chr. 24:15-27 complements the account in 2 Kings)
(1) According to the account in 2 Chronicles, what preceded the invasion by the army of Aram?
(2) What then caused the army of Aram to withdraw eventually?
(3) What reason did 2 Chronicles give for the murder of Joash by his officials? (24:25)
(4) If you were to write his epitaph, what would you write?
13:1-9—Jehoahaz, King of Israel
(5) In this short account of the reign of Jehoahaz, which particular sin was repeatedly mentioned?
(6) Why was this sin so abhorred by the Lord? (1 Ki. 12:28-30)
(7) What other sin was also mentioned? (v. 6b)
(8) What happened to Israel under Jehoahaz, as the Lord’s anger burned against Israel?
(9) Even though he was reduced to having only a very small army, what happened when Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor? (vv. 4-5)
(10) How did it reflect the character of the Lord?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“So he [king Joash] died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.” (2 Chr. 24:25)
While 2 Kings was brief in its account of Joash’s death, the author of Chronicles gives us not only more details but also insights into his death.
2 Kings only mentions about the paying of tributes by Joash to Hazael, king of Aram, which even included all the sacred objects dedicated to the temple of God and “all the gold found in the treasures of the temple of the Lord” (2 Ki. 12:18). One wonders why he would do that and would even ask if he had inquired of the Lord and sought His help.
2 Chronicles then gives us the reason: The attack by Hazael was God’s judgment on Israel, as the king abandoned God and His temple after the death of Jehoiada the priest who was faithful to the Lord in teaching him the Law of the Lord. Worse, Joash listened to the counsel of other officials in worshiping Asherah poles and other idols, and ordered to have Jehoiada’s son killed as he stood up to rebuke the people of their sins (2 Chr. 24:17, 18 and 21).
Joash’s final judgment came not so much in how he died, but how he was buried. The Bible appears to condone his assassination by saying, “His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his (sick) bed” (2 Chr. 24:25). But when it comes to his burial the Chronicler clearly contrasts his burial with that of Jehoiada.
Jehoiada was buried not only in the City of David, but also “with the kings…because of the good he had done in Israel for God and His temple”. On the contrary, when Joash was assassinated, he was buried in the City of David, “but not in the tombs of the kings” (2 Chr. 24:16, 25), a sign pointing to his rejection by God for good!
13:10-13—The Reign and Death of Jehoash, King of Israel
(1) The author of 2 Kings only mentioned Jehoash’s battle with Amaziah in passing at this point, however, the more detailed account in 2 Kings 14: 8-14 is worth reading:
a. Can you simply sum up what lesson you can learn from this account?
b. How might you apply it to your life?
13:14-19—Jehoash and Elisha: The reign of Jehoash also marked the death of Elisha.
(2) From this visit of Elisha (v. 14):
a. How did the king look upon Elisha?
b. Can you understand why then the king still “did evil in the eyes of the Lord"?
(3) Why did Elisha (or the Lord, rather) desire to give victory to this wicked king over Aram (at least at Aphek)? (v. 17)
(4) Do you think it was a “reward” for the king’s visit to Elisha? Why or why not?
(5) If you were Jehoash, after what Elisha said of the arrow shot, how might you understand the significance of the striking of the arrows?
(6) Was his striking of the arrows only three times a sign of his lack of faith? Why or why not?
(7) If he had struck it many times, resulting in the complete destruction of Aram, would it really matter, if he and Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord?
13:20-25—Death of Elisha and Fulfillment of Prophecy
(8) What impact might the death of Elisha have on Israel and the king?
(9) What did this miracle of the bones of Elisha serve to illustrate?
(10) As Israel was so weak in military power, how could they continue to survive under the might of Hazael, king of Aram? (v. 23)
(11) How was the prophecy of Elisha fulfilled? (v. 25)
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“ 'My father! My father!' he cried. 'The chariots and horsemen of Israel!'.” (2 Ki. 13:14)
The love that Elisha had for Israel and his people was fully demonstrated even at his death.
It must have been a very frustrating ministry for Elisha to witness king after king in Israel continue to do evil in the eyes of the Lord; and even when some of the kings showed signs of repentance, they never took away the worship of the golden calves in Dan and Bethel which was greatly abhorred by the Lord.
Now, he knew his life and ministry were both drawing to an end; he was obviously delighted to see Jehoash come and weep over him, a sign that he valued his ministry to Israel, and perhaps he even knew that God had yet to forsake Israel because of prophets like him.
Keil and Delitszch consider that the signs given through the shooting of the arrows and the striking were a reward for his faith (K&D, 268) and I tend to agree. However, I see more of Elisha’s passion for Israel than a lack of faith on the part of Jehoash in not striking the arrows a few more times.
One can argue that he should have struck the ground with the arrows a few more times if he had faith, but one can also argue that he had great faith by not striking the grounds too many times—If God was behind it, striking one time would have been more than enough!
As it turned out, the number of strikes did represent the number of victories over Aram and Elisha was thus angry at the king.
However, if the king and the people did not repent, what good would any victory over Aram be, whether partial or complete! But Elisha’s anger fully demonstrated how much he loved his people. A complete victory over Aram would definitely mean less suffering for the people of God — something that would have soothed the aching heart of this great saint whose tears for Israel would only dry upon his death (2 Ki. 8:11-12).
(1) Can you recall the latter part of the life of Joash and how eventually he died? (2 Ki. 12:19-21; 2 Chr. 24:15-27)
(2) What kind of a successor do you expect him to have?
(3) As much as Amaziah was not as good as David, what might have accounted for his difference from his father Joash, who even killed Zechariah the priest who rebuked his sin? (2 Chr. 24:20-22)
(4) Why did the Bible choose to emphasize that he did not kill the children of the assassins of his father? (Deut. 24:16)
(5) The victory over Edom was a significant one (v. 7), however, it also caused Amaziah to sin (see 2 Chr. 25:14-16).
a. What sin did Amaziah commit?
b. What did this victory lead to according to 2 Kings 14:8?
(6) Perhaps Jehoash heard of the prophecy of 2 Chronicles 25:16. In any case, what was the meaning of his parable? (2 Ki. 14:9-10)
(7) Why did Amaziah end up with such a complete defeat?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: 'Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin'.” (2 Ki. 14:6)
Like most kings of Judah, Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Ki. 14:3) and yet was far from being perfect. However, one of the things that he did right was highlighted by the Bible.
While whether he should avenge for his father’s death was debatable because his father was assassinated for his murder of the prophet Zechariah (2 Chr. 24:25), his decision “not to put the sons of the assassins to death” was commended by the Bible, because he acted “in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded…” (2 Ki. 14:6).
We should not underestimate how God-pleasing this decision was.
For one, it was the custom of the time in the East to slay the children of your enemies, especially those who had murdered your loved ones in the first place. And, in the case of Amaziah, it was only the wise thing to do, because it would eradicate any possible future retribution. If he did kill the children of the assassins of his father, I doubt anyone would consider it wrong or inappropriate.
However, Amaziah knew the Law of Moses, and in Deuteronomy 24:16 it clearly says that “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”
By obeying this command of the Law, Amaziah clearly demonstrated that he put the fear of the Lord above the security of his own reign.
14:15-22—Death of the Two Kings:
(1) How would you compare the two kings, i.e. Jehoash of Israel (2 Ki. 13:12-25) and Amaziah of Judah (2 Ki. 14:1-14; 2 Chr. 25:14-28)?
(2) What might be the reason that the people conspired and killed Amaziah and put his son Azariah (i.e. Uzziah) in his place? (see 2 Chr. 25:27)
14:23—The Reign and Death of Jeroboam II, King of Israel
(3) This particular passage about Jeroboam appears to have three emphases:
a. God gave Jeroboam power to restore Israel to the former glory of Solomon, at least in the northern region (1 Ki. 8:65). What was the reason given? (vv. 26-27)
b. This was prophesied by Jonah the prophet (the character in the Book of Jonah): What insight might it provide for us to understand the fleeing of Jonah to avoid preaching judgment to the people of Nineveh (which was a rising power in the Ancient Near East)?
c. In spite of God’s grace, Jeroboam still did evil in the eyes of the Lord. How can one reconcile these facts: God provided the prophet Jonah to serve the king, He foretold his victory and He empowered him to have great military strength; yet the king continued to walk in evil?
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.” (2 Ki. 14:17)
The lives of Amaziah and Jehoash appeared to be so intertwined that the Bible would speak of the longer reign of Amaziah with a reference to that of Jehoash (see 2 Ki. 14:17), although their backgrounds and their spiritual journeys were quite different.
Jehoash inherited a much weakened Israel from his father Jehoahaz whose army was reduced to a mere 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers only (2 Ki. 13:7), and he followed his father’s footsteps in doing “evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Ki. 13:2, 11). In other words, he was just another king in Israel leading his people to eventual destruction.
On the other hand, Amaziah followed the footsteps of his father Joash who came out of the shadow of the alliance with the wicked king Ahab, and returned Judah to the worship of the Lord, and like Joash, he was counted as doing “what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Ki. 14:3).
One would then assume that Jehoash would continue to defy the Lord and Amaziah would continue to follow the way of the Lord. However, one’s heritage or baggage does not have to determine one’s fate, and it was clearly demonstrated in the latter part of the lives of these two kings.
Jehoash’s appeared to be awakened by the impending death of the great prophet Elisha. His visit to and wailing over the dying Elisha as the “chariots and horsemen of Israel” showed that he knew the fate of his nation depended entirely on the Lord through the service of His prophet. The latter part of his reign was not only marked by his three victories of Aram as prophesied by Elisha (2 Ki. 13:25), but a total rout of Judah (2 Ki. 14:12-14).
On the other hand, the great success of Amaziah over Edom had not only made him proud, but caused him to turn away from the Lord and he even worshipped the gods of Edom. His pride had further emboldened him to attack Israel ending in the complete defeat mentioned above. Eventually he was assassinated by his own officials (2 Ki. 14:19), completing the footsteps of his father in both turning away from the Lord in their time of success and ending in being assassinated.
15:1-7—Azariah, King of Judah
(1) How did Joash, Amaziah and Azariah differ from the two predecessors in terms of where their mothers or wives were from? (2 Ki. 15:2; 14:2; 12:1; 8:26; 8:16-18)
(2) What might have accounted for their difference in their walk with the Lord, at least in the first part of their reign?
(3) The common theme among these three kings who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” is that such a comment was only valid in the first part of their reign, and they all committed some kind of sin that led to their downfall. What was the cause of Azariah’s downfall and what important lesson can we learn from him? (See detailed account of his sin in 2 Chr. 26:16-21.)
15:8-12—Zechariah, King of Israel
(4) Zechariah was the 4th generation king in the house of Jehu (with Jehoahaz, Jehoash and Jeroboam II being his predecessors):
a. What prophecy did his death fulfill? (2 Ki. 10:30)
b. What was the reason for the prophecy when it was given? (2 Ki. 10:28-31)
c. How long did this last king from Jehu’s house reign?
d. What might be God’s message?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: ‘Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation’.” (2 Ki. 15:12)
Because Jehu had zealously not only gotten rid of the entire house of Ahab, but also had eradicated Baal worship from the land of Israel, the Lord was so pleased with him that, in spite of Jehu’s brutality and sin of retaining the worship of the golden calves at Dan and Bethel, He promised that his descendants would sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation (2 Ki. 10:30).
I believe that had the descendants of Jehu walked in the ways of the Lord and did what was right in His eyes, the Lord would have been glad to perpetuate the reign of his house beyond the four successive generations. As it turned out, his next four generations of descendants, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam and Zechariah, all “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Ki. 13:2, 11; 14:24; 15:9), to the point that King Zechariah of the final (i.e. fourth) generation, only lasted a total of 6 months. It is as if the Lord could not wait to bring His promise to an end due to their wickedness.
Again, this speaks to the great patience of our God, but at the same time, it reminds us that God’s patience also has its limits.
The two kings that came after Zechariah were Shallum and Menahem:
(1) How did they both come to the throne?
(2) What kind of a kingdom had Israel plunged into?
(3) How long did each reign?
(4) What were the sins common to the two kings?
(5) What other evil did Menahem do? (v. 16)
(6) Having to pay enormous tributes to the Assyrians, what was the country like under the reign of Menahem?
(7) Do you get a sense that the Northern Kingdom was soon coming to an end? Why or why not?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.” (2 Ki. 15:16)
After the death of the last king of the house of Jehu, Zechariah, one can get a sense that the nation of Israel could hardly be called a people of God: We read of the constant turnover of kings through assassination, the brutality as demonstrated by Menahem in ripping open all the pregnant women (15:16), and the continued deeds of evil by each of the kings — in fact, the one month reign of Shallum was so short that his deeds were not even commented upon by the biblical author. In essence, Israel had stopped being a nation under God, not even in name, and its fate of total destruction was sealed. One gets a sense that it was only a matter of time before God would depart from them for good.
As we look at the nations of the world which used to be bastions of Christian faith — Italy, France, Germany and Great Britain, one by one, they have followed the footsteps of Israel, and unfortunately Canada and the United States are not far behind. If we do not repent, our fate will not be any different from that of Israel!
15:23-31—The Beginning of the End of Israel
(1) How long did this next king, Pekahiah, reign? (v. 23)
(2) What kind of a king was he?
(3) How did he die?
(4) Who succeeded him?
(5) While Pekah appeared to have lasted much longer than his previous four predecessors, consider the following:
a. What kind of a king was he?
b. What was the disaster that came upon Israel during his time? (v. 29)
c. Was he any worse than any of the kings of Israel?
(6) How did Pekah die?
15:32-38—The Reign and Death of Jotham, King of Judah
(7) What kind of a king was Jotham and who was his mother?
(8) Read the additional account of his prosperity in 2 Chronicles 27:3-6: What did the Bible attribute his success to?
(9) What particular challenge did Judah face after the death of Jotham? (v. 37) Why does the Bible say that it was “the Lord” who did this to Judah?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.” (2 Chr. 27:6)
As I was reading the lives of successive kings in Judah, it appears that there was a pattern being developed:
- For at least 23 years, Joash honored the Lord and even put an effort into repairing His temple, only to abandon it and then turn to worshipping Asherah poles and other idols in his latter years (2 Chr. 24:17-18).
- Joash was succeeded by his son, Amaziah who also did what was right in the eyes of the Lord in his early years. He was so blessed by God that his country became strong and organized, and he was able to defeat the Edomites and to kill ten thousand and throw another ten thousand down a cliff (2 Chr. 25:11-12). Unfortunately such a success only fed his pride and he brought back with him the gods of the Edomites and he “bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them” (2 Chr. 25:14).
In both cases, when they experienced a time of peace and success, they forgot about the Lord who had made them successful and fell in the snare of pride. As the Book of Proverbs puts it, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). Such was also the case with the son of Amaziah, Uzziah, whose pride “led to his downfall” (2 Chr. 26:16ff) as he usurped the role of the priest to offer sacrifices himself before the Lord and was inflicted with leprosy for the rest of his life.
As a result, when I was reading about the success and power that Uzziah’s son, Jotham had, I was anticipating the same failure and was decently surprised to read that, “Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God” (2 Chr. 27:6), and he did not fall into the snare of pride that usually comes with great success.
I guess while most cannot handle great success and power, some, by the grace of God, can.