2 Kings 13:4

_AND JEHOAHAZ BESOUGHT THE LORD, AND THE LORD HEARKENED UNTO HIM: FOR HE SAW THE OPPRESSION OF_ _ ISRAEL, BECAUSE THE KING OF SYRIA OPPRESSED THEM._ He saw the oppression of Israel - i:e., commiserated the fallen condition of His chosen people. The divine honour and the interests of true religion required that deliverance should be granted them to check the triumph of the idolatrous enemy, and put an end to their blasphemous taunts that God had forsaken Israel (Deuteronomy 32:27; Psalms 12:4)....

1-9 It was the ancient honour of Israel that they were a praying people. Jehoahaz, their king, in his distress, besought the Lord; applied himself for help, but not to the calves; what help could they give him? He sought the Lord. See how swift God is to show mercy; how ready to hear prayer; how willing to find a reason to be gracious; else he would not look so far back as the ancient covenant Israel had so often broken, and forfeited. Let this invite and engage us for ever to him; and encourage even those who have forsaken him, to return and repent; for there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared. And if the Lord answer the mere cry of distress for temporal relief, much more will he regard the prayer of faith for spiritual blessings....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 13:1 REIGNS OF JEHOAHAZ, SON OF JEHU, AND JOASH, SON OF JEHOAHAZ, OVER ISRAEL. NOTICES OF ELISHA. WAR OF ISRAEL WITH SYRIA. 2 KINGS 13:1 THE REIGN OF JEHOAHAZ. The writer returns in this chapter to the history of the Israelite kingdom, taking it up from the death of Jehu, which was recorded in the clo

AND JEHOAHAZ BESOUGHT THE LORD, AND THE LORD HEARKENED UNTO HIM,.... He did not apply in his distress to the calves he worshipped, but to the Lord; who had a regard to his prayer, not for his sake, or any righteousness of his, or even his repentance and humiliation, which were only external; but for the sake of Israel, and because they were oppressed, who were his people, and he their God, though they had sadly departed from him: FOR HE SAW THE OPPRESSION OF ISRAEL; not only with his eye of omniscience, but with an eye of mercy and compassion: BECAUSE THE KING OF SYRIA OPPRESSED THEM; by his incursions upon them, and wars with them....

2 Kings 13:1. _In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son, of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom._ «Seventeen years» that is a long time in which to do mischief. Seventeen years of reigning over a people, influencing them all for mischief, turning them aside from God, and doing his utmost to erase the name of Jehovah from the hearts of the people. Remember, this Jehoahaz was the son of John, who had been called to the front because of the sins of the house of Ahab. Though Jehu was brought forward to be a reformer, yet he and his race were as bad as those who were cast out. What a sad thing this is, when those who are planted where the cu

5. JEHOAHAZ AND JEHOASH OF ISRAEL, ELISHA'S DEATH CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The reign of Jehoahaz and his death (2 Kings 13:1)_ 2. Jehoash King of Israel (2 Kings 13:10) 3. Elisha and Joash (2 Kings 13:14) 4. The death of Elisha (2 Kings 13:20) 5. Hazael and his death (2 Kings 13:22) Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, reigned after the death of his father (2 Kings 10:35) and here we learn that he also followed in t

2 KINGS 13:1 TO 2 KINGS 17:6. The remainder of the history of Israel to the fall of Samaria, with the contemporary annals of Judah, is of the nature of chronicle rather than history. There are few interesting narratives like those in the earlier parts of the book. The exceptions are: (_a_) the death of Elisha (2 Kings 13:14 ff.); (_b_) the war between Israel and Judah (2 Kings 14:8); (_c_) the repairs of the Temple at Jerusalem by Ahaz (2 Kings 16:10). The main sources are: (_a_) the records of the kings of Israel and Judah; ...

_Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him_ Just as in the case of punishment God does not always visit at once, even though an Ahab have sold himself to work wickedness, so in the case of mercy, the intervention of Jehovah is postponed to another generation. The Syrians are allowed to oppress Israel all the days of Jehoahaz, though we are told that his prayer had been heard. In the days of Jehoash, the next successor, some alleviation was afforded by the victories of that king over Benhadad (2 Kings 13:25), but it was not, as it seems, till the following generation that the full answer to the prayer came....

III. THE REIGN OF JEHOAHAZ IN THE NORTH 13:1-9 TRANSLATION (1) In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria; and he reigned seventeen years. (2) And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin; he did not turn from it. (3) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He gave them into the hand of Hazael king of Aram, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael all those days. (4) And Jehoahaz sought the face of the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Aram oppressed them. (5) And the LORD gave to Israel a deliverer, and they went out from under the hand of Aram, and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as fan former days. (6) But they did not...

REIGNS OF JEHOAHAZ AND JOASH OF ISRAEL. THE LAST PREDICTION OF ELISHA 3. All _their_ DAYS] RV 'continually,' i.e. throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 5 A SAVIOUR] either Jehoash (2 Kings 13:25) or Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25) is meant. IN THEIR TENTS] i.e. in their homes, the phrase being a survival from earlier times when the Israelites were a body of nomads roaming the desert....