2 kings 13 and 14

Read 2 Kings 13 and 14 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

2 Kin 13:1-9 {p} The reign of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, who reigned 17 years
2 Kin 13:10-13 {p} The reign of Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, who reigned 16 years
2 Kin 13:14-19 {p} Elisha, on his deathbed, prophesied victory over Syria for King Jehoash
2 Kin 13:20-21 {p} Elisha died + was buried/ dead man raised to life when he touched the bones of Elisha
2 Kin 13:22-25 {p} Hazael king of Syria died/ King Jehoash recaptured Israel’s cities from Syria 3 times
2 Kin 14:1-7 {p} Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah/ executed his father’s murderers + great victory over Edom
2 Kin 14:8-16 {p} Amaziah’s war with Jehoash/ was defeated + Jerusalem plundered/the end of Jehoash’s reign
2 Kin 14:17-22 {p} Conspiracy against King Amaziah/ his death + burial/ Azariah his son reigned in his stead
2 Kin 14:23-29 {p} Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, reigned in Israel 41 years/ restored Israel’s territory from Syria

When Jehoash king of Israel went down to Elisha on his death bed, and wept over him, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” (2 Kin 13:14), I realized we were looking at a matching element in a greater chiastic structure for 2 Kings. I am not wise enough to complete it, but so far:

1a.1) 2 Kin 2:12, Elisha cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!”
1a.2) 2 Kin 2:19-8:6, Elijah taken up/ miraculous works of Elisha (Shunammite’s son raised to life as the possible central axis);

1b) 2 Kin 8:7-15 {p} Elisha prophesied victory over Israel for Hazael, who became king of Syria;

1c) 2 Kin 8:16-29 {p+p} Jehoram + Ahaziah (of Jehoshaphat), two kings reign in Judah;

central axis) 2 Kin 9:1-12:16, Destruction of the worship of Baal/ restoration of the worship of YHVH;

2c) 2 Kin 13:1-13 {p+p} Jehoahaz + Jehoash (of Jehu), two kings reign in Israel;

2b) 2 Kin 13:14-19 {p} Elisha, on his deathbed, prophesied victory over Syria for King Jehoash;

2a.1) 2 Kin 13:14b, King Joash of Israel wept over Elisha’s face: “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”
2a.2) 2 Kin 13:20-21 {p} Elisha buried/ dead man raised to life by Elisha’s bones.

The central portion encompasses these paragraphs:

2 Kin 9:1-28 {p} Jehu anointed king to fulfill YHVH’s word/ kills Jehoram king of Israel + Ahaziah king of Judah
2 Kin 9:29-37 {p} Jehu kills Jezebel + YHVH’s word fulfilled concerning her death
2 Kin 10:1-14 {s} Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel + Ahaziah’s 42 brothers
2 Kin 10:15-17 {p} Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Samaria according to YHVH’s word
2 Kin 10:18-29 {p} Jehu killed Baal’s worshipers + priests + prophets/ broke down his pillars + temple
2 Kin 10:30-36 {p} Jehu did according to YHVH’s word re: Ahab but walked in the sins of Jeroboam/ his reign
2 Kin 11:1-3 {p} Athaliah daughter of Ahab usurped the throne of Judah
2 Kin 11:4-12 {s} When Joash was seven years old, the guard proclaimed him king within the house of the LORD
2 Kin 11:13-16 {s} Athaliah heard it, and cried “Treason!” but the guard slew her
2 Kin 11:17-20 {s} The people + king made a covenant to be YHVH’s people/ tore down the house of Baal
2 Kin 11:21 {p} Jehoash was seven years old when he became king
2 Kin 12:1-5 {p} Joash reigned 40 years in Jerusalem/ commanded the priests to repair the temple
2 Kin 12:6-16 {p} In his 23rd year, he inquired as to the repairs/ the workmen made repairs to the temple

On the front end, there is the destruction of the worship of Baal and his temple(s), which were introduced by the house of Ahab to both Israel and Judah. On the back end, there is the restoration of the worship of YHVH and the repair of His temple.

The central axis of the central portion can fall out either of these ways, that I can see:

2 Kin 9:1-10:36, Jehu anointed king of Israel/ destroyed the worship of Baal in Israel;
central axis) 2 Kin 11:1-3 {p} Athaliah daughter of Ahab usurped the throne of Judah;
2 Kin 11:4-12:16, Joash anointed king of Judah/ restored the worship of YHVH in Judah.

or:

2 King 9:1-11:20, The worship + temples of Baal in Samaria + Jerusalem destroyed;
central axis) 2 Kin 11:21 {p} Joash was seven years old when he became king of Judah;
2 Kin 12:1-16, The temple of YHVH repaired + His worship restored in Jerusalem.

The bookends of the entire large structure are the beginning and ending of Elisha’s ministry in Israel. These are the events that span the life of Elisha. So why would the central axis, of the ministry of Elisha, be focused on the the life of Joash, who became king of Judah?

First of all, we have to see Elisha as connected to Elijah. He was covered with Elijah’s mantle, and walked in the double portion of the Spirit which was on Elijah. (Now see Mark 9:11-13).

Why would the central axis of the most powerful prophetic ministry in all of the Old Testament (outside of Moses), which is a type of the powerful ministry of the Spirit which will foretell the coming of Messiah in the last days, be either Athaliah’s usurpation of the kingship, or Joash’s restoration to the kingship?

Joash was a son of the house of David, the Messiah type. The house of Ahab, which tried to destroy both the worship of YHVH and the house of David, is the antichrist type, I believe. The house of Ahab seemed so successful in this aim, in fact, that it had infected the godly house of David and Jehoshaphat, turned the sons from the worship of YHVH. Both possible central axis’ prophesy that the antichrist type usurped the throne of Judah, usurped the kingship of the house of David; however, even though she seemed to succeed for a time, she did not succeed. In the 7th year she was cut off, and the worship of Baal was cut off; and the kingship was restored to the house of David, and the worship, and the temple of YHVH was repaired and restored. History that prophesies!