20140618 Wednesday, June 18 2014
2 Kings 13: The History Of The Coincidental Kingdoms

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria"

When the people of Israel demanded a human king for themselves (see Our King May Judge Us), rather than the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) Who was already their King, the political United Kingdom of Israel (i.e. all of the tribes of Israel together) existed for two relatively-brief eras. The first was during the reign of Israel's first human king - Saul of the tribe of Benjamin (see King Saul of Israel).

"10:20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 10:21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 10:22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither.

And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.

10:23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 10:24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king." (1 Samuel 10:20-24 KJV)

Saul was physically strong alone i.e. Saul's "leadership" was based on little more than "might makes right" (see also What Do Leaders Do?). Saul soon revealed himself to be a shallow brute with poor judgment whose great power was much more damaging to himself than to those that he claimed to "lead" (see Saul's Burnt Offering and Jonathan's Sweet Victory). Saul was then declared unfit (see Saul's Impeachment) and replaced by David of the tribe of Judah. The succession was settled by means of the civil war (see The War Between The Houses of David and Saul), after which Israel was then fully-united under King David. Jerusalem only became an Israelite city in the time of King David (see Why Didn't David And Saul Fight For Jerusalem? and How Long Was Jerusalem The Capital Of Israel?).

King David's son and successor, King Solomon, had great wisdom as a youth - to which the LORD added much more by means of the Holy Spirit (see Solomon's Gift Of Wisdom). Solomon however foolishly squandered his great wisdom in his later years (see What Caused Solomon's Idolatry?). He became a lecherous and corrupt old fool - to which the LORD declared the end of the short-lived United Kingdom of Israel.

The kingdom (the empire actually - the reason that Israel constantly faced "the empire strikes back" problems from Syria and Moab; see King David's Empire) was then divided into two politically-separate kingdoms, known as "Israel" (the northern and east of the Jordan River ten tribes) and "Judah" (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and eventually all of Levi). From that time on, Israel and Judah were coincidental kingdoms ("coincidental" literally means occurring or operating at the same time) with their own politics and religion (see The Politics Of The Two Kingdoms and Israel Never Knew Purim, Hanukkah Or Judaism). Israel had a number of capital cities in Samaria (see The Capitals Of Israel), while Judah made Jerusalem their capital (Judah's capital was Hebron during the civil war; see (see King David Of Judah)).

The Books of Kings are a history of those two kingdoms - Israel and Judah. The reigns of their kings were typically recorded in relation to the time of the reign of the king in the other kingdom e.g. "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."

"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. 13:2 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. 13:3 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.

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. 13:5 (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. 13:6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)

13:7 Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

13:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 13:9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead." (2 Kings 13:1-9 KJV)

Israel and Judah had their own prophets (see The Prophets: North and South). Elijah and Elisha were primarily to the kings of the northern Kingdom of Israel (see Elijah's Defeat Of The Prophets Of Baal and Did Elisha Have Chariots of Fire Too?).

"13:10 In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years. 13:11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.

13:12 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 13:13 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

13:15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. 13:16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.

13:17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.

13:18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." (2 Kings 13:10-19 KJV)

Elijah was taken away to retirement (see Where Did That Chariot Of Fire Take Elijah?), whereas Elisha died at home. Elisha's miracles (i.e. the power of the Holy Spirit that was given to Elisha for his service to the LORD) provided a further miracle even after he died: "As they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet" (see also How Did Elijah Raise The Dead?).

"13:20 And Elisha died, and they buried him.

And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 13:21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

13:22 But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 13:23 And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

13:24 So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead. 13:25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities, which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Joash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel." (2 Kings 13:20-25 KJV)

Fact Finder: When will Israel and Judah be re-united? Who will be their King at that future time?
See When Will The United Kingdom Be Restored?