13:1 Jehoahaz the son of Jehu becomes king over Israel in Samaria and reigns seventeen years. For his service to God's will, God promised Jehu that his family would retain the throne until the fourth generation.
13:2 Immediately we see why God limited the kingship of this family: Jehoahaz is a corrupt king.
13:3 Israel's corruption causes holes in their defense and their enemies, namely Hazael, begin to overcome them. Our relationship with God provides us with the wisdom and planning we need to remain strong and old our borders, nationally and personally. Without that relationship, Israel has cut itself off from the source which has sustained it.
13:4 Hazael has been so successful against Israel that Jehoahaz pleads with God. And though God is receptive to his desperation and responsive to his cries, it is a sad and brittle relationship. Jehoahaz only seeks God when he needs help. God is magnanimous as He continues to rescue Israel from their oppressors (magnanimous because they would not need continuous rescue if they remained faithful to Him).
13:5 God provides a deliverer, someone strong and spiritually clever enough to follow God's instructions.
13:6 The people of Israel are glad to be rescued but are unrepentant of the actions that caused their distress. Moreover, they continue to worship false idols instead of the living God who hears them, sees them, and rescues them time and again.
13:7 The army of Jehoahaz is almost completely destroyed. God has rescued but not restored; restoration requires participation, God cannot make us spiritually strong without our consent and effort.
13:8-9 Jehoahaz dies and is buried in Samaria. Joash, his son reigns in his place.
13:10-13 Jehoash reigns sixteen years; he is a corrupt king as well. Jehoash dies and is buried in Samaria. In the books of Kings, we see human after human rise and fall, rise and fall. Our temporary sojourn on Earth is an opportunity. So many of these kings are born to corrupt men, become corrupt men and then die corrupt men. God wants us to see our opportunity to change this broken pattern. Instead of sin and death, these people had the chance and material to bring joy and life to those around them. Selfish motives prevented them doing so, and awarded them no peace or achievement in life.
13:14 Elisha becomes ill and it is clear that he will die from the illness. Each of us are allotted an amount of time on earth and then it comes to an end (whether we used that time for righteous or evil). The righteous, like Elisha will continue to live spiritually. But Joash finds out about Elisha's illness and is distraught. Although Joash is a corrupt king, he does believe in God. The problem is that Joash does not have a brave and steadfast enough heart to follow God's philosophy.
It is not productive to merely to believe in God: we must trust Him, love Him and listen to and follow Him.
13:15-19 Through illustration with bow and arrow, Elisha explains that Joash will go after Syria but will not be completely successful in demolishing the corrupt-enemy nation. It requires our full, wholehearted effort to do the work and will of God. Without valiant and passionate faith, our effort is lackluster and incomplete.
13:20-21 Elisha the prophet dies and is buried. As some men are burying another man, raiders come into the land. They try to place a man in Elisha's tomb but Elisha revives and stands. Evidently God will not allow another enter the place Elisha's vessel was to rest (because our Spirits return to God).
13:22-23 Hazael proves to be a bold and persistent enemy but "the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence." Our enemies truly would run us ragged without God's generous and compassionate intervention.
13:24-25 Hazael dies and his son, Ben-Hadad reigns in his place. Jehoash defeats the king three times.
