2 Kings 13 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

2 Kings 13 Short Summary:

2 Kings 13 briefly documents the reigns of Jehoahaz and Joash (Jehoash) in Israel. They were wicked kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord. The end of the chapter records the death of Elisha, the prophet of God who served the Lord in Israel for many years.

2 Kings 13 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• The reigns of Jehoahaz and Joash in Israel probably fit within the years of 860-820 B.C.

• Jehoahaz reigned 17 years in Israel.

• Joash the son of Jehoahaz reigned in Israel for 16 years.

CHARACTERS:

• Joash (Jehoash) – The King of Judah. He reigned for 40 years.

• Jehoahaz – The son of Jehu who followed his father on the throne of Israel.

• Joash (Jehoash) – The King of Israel. He was the son of Jehoahaz and reigned 16 years.

• Elisha – The prophet of God in Israel.

WHERE:

• The kings of Israel ruled from Samaria.

• The nation of Syria was directly north of Israel’s territory.

OUTLINE:

• JEHOAHAZ REIGNS OVER ISRAEL (13:1-9):

  • After Jehu, his son, Jehoahaz, became king of Israel.

  • “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam.”

  • The people of Israel worshipped idols and false gods.

  • God punished them by allowing the Syrians to oppress them.

  • Israel’s army was very weak. They had no more than 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and about 10,000 soldiers.

  • Jehoahaz died after reigning 17 years. His son Joash (not the same Joash who was king of Judah) took the throne after him.

• JOASH (JEHOASH) REIGNS OVER ISRAEL (13:10-13):

  • In the 37th year of Joash of Judah’s reign, Joash the son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel.

  • “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam.”

  • Joash the son of Jehoahaz died after 16 years on the throne.

• THE DEATH OF ELISHA THE PROPHET (13:14-25):

  • The story of these verses took place during the reign of Joash in Israel.

  • Elisha was sick and nearing death. He was visited by Joash who honored him as a father of the nation.

  • Elisha told Joash to take a bow and shoot an arrow towards the east, the direction of many of the Syrian victories across the Jordan River.

  • Elisha declared that it was the “Lord’s arrow of victory” against the Syrians.

  • He told the king to take the arrows and “strike the ground with them.”

  • The king struck the ground 3 times with the arrows.

  • Elisha was mad that he wasn’t more zealous and that he didn’t strike more times.

  • He told Joash he would strike Syria only 3 times.

  • Joash (Jehoash) fought against the Syrians and took back some of the cities they had taken from Israel. Joash defeated them 3 times, just as Elisha had foretold.

  • Elisha died of his sickness and was buried.

  • Sometime later, another man was buried in Elisha’s tomb, but as soon as his body touched the bones of Elisha, he came back to life and stood up.

APPLICATION:

• Your bones may not be able to bring a physically dead person back to life, but you can still breath spiritual life into the world long after you’re dead.

• You can leave a legacy of faith that will impact future generations.

• You can write a book, you can create a 5 minute Bible study series online, you can build up a church that will teach future generations, you can be a godly parent and raise godly children who will outlive you, you can teach your neighbor about Jesus so he can teach his kids and grandkids, you can leave your fortune to the church so it can be used to plant seeds all over the world…

• A well lived Christian life will bear fruit in this lifetime AND it will be a blessing to those who live in the future world.