Read 2 Kings 13 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
13:1-9 {p} The reign of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, who reigned 17 years
13:10-13 {p} The reign of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, who reigned 16 years
13:14-19 {p} Elisha, on his deathbed, prophesied victory over Syria for King Jehoash
13:20-21 {p} Elisha died and was buried/ dead man raised to life when he touched the bones of Elisha
13:22-25 {p} Hazael king of Syria died/ King Jehoash recaptured Israel’s cities from Syria 3 times
2 Kin 2:1-13:25 Chiastic structure:
My question to the Father is, “Why is Athaliah’s usurpation the central axis?” If you consider that the elements surrounding the central axis do so in order to highlight it with neon flashing lights, so as to teach us something important, then what is that teaching? This was His answer when I asked. Athaliah is the daughter of Jezebel, and her history and her mother’s history reveals the destructive nature and actions of the Jezebel spirit.
The Jezebel spirit is exhibited by Jezebel in 1 Kings chapter 16 through 2 Kings chapter 9 and is characterized by:
Rebellion against YHVH, or the suppression of true worship (1 Kin 16:31-33);
Idolatry, or the promotion of false worship (1 Kin 18:19, 1 Kin 21:25);
Manipulation of power (1 Kin 21:8);
Creation of false narratives to control outcomes (1 Kin 21:8-14);
Persecution of true prophets (1 Kin 18:4, 19:1-2);
Orchestration of violence and murder (1 Kin 21:5-16);
Seductive self-assurance (2 Kin 9:30-31).
Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel and mirrored her mother’s traits (see 2 Kin 11), in promoting idolatry (Baal worship in Jerusalem), manipulation of power (seizing the throne), and orchestration of violence and murder (destroying all the royal heirs). She sought to replace the house of David on the throne of Judah, and make YHVH’s covenant void.
And Jehoshaphat, the righteous king of Judah, nevertheless nearly destroyed all his house, and Judah with it, by marrying his son Jehoram to Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter (2 Kin 8:18), compromising with the Jezebel spirit in an effort to reunite Israel and Judah into one kingdom. Compromising with evil, even for a noble goal, is always a mistake.
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