Thoughts
Kings 6
The sons of prophets finds their meeting place too small. They begin building a bigger place by the Jordan.
One prophetβs borrowed axe head falls into the river, which is a big problem since iron was expensive. Elisha throws a stick in, and the axe head miraculously floats.
Elsewhere, the king of Aram plans to attack Israel. Elisha repeatedly warns the king of Israel.
The Aramean king learns Elisha is in Dothan and sends a strong force of horses and chariots to capture him. Elishaβs servant panics at the sight of the army, but Elisha prays, and God opens the servantβs eyes to see heavenly chariots of fire surrounding them.
Elisha prays again, and the Aramean soldiers are struck with blindness.He leads them into Samaria, where their eyes are opened and they find themselves surrounded by Israelβs army.
Instead of killing them, Elisha instructs the king to feed them and send them home. The Arameans stop raiding Israelβs land for a time.
Later, King Ben-Hadad of Aram besieges Samaria. During this time, the famine becomes so severe that a donkeyβs head sells for an outrageous price and people turn to eating doveβs dung (possibly carob beans).
The king of Israel, horrified by a womanβs plea (two women had eaten one child, and now the other refused to give hers), tears his clothes in despair. He blames Elisha and vows to kill him.Β
- Deuteronomy 28: 52-53: They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you. You shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and desperate straits in which your enemy shall distress you.
Elisha sits with elders, and God reveals the kingβs messenger is coming. Elisha tells them to shut the door against him.
The king himself soon arrives, declaring the disaster is from the Lord and asking why he should wait on the Lord any longer.
Kings 7
Elisha declares that within 24 hours, food will be abundant and cheap in Samaria.An officer questions the possibility, and Elisha warns that he will see it but not eat of it.
Four lepers, desperate and starving, decide to surrender to the Arameans. However, they find the Aramean camp deserted because the Lord had caused the army to hear sounds of chariots and horses, making them flee. The lepers eat, drink, and take silver, gold, and clothes.
Afterwards, they are convicted that itβs wrong to keep the good news to themselves, they report it to the palace.
The king fears it is a trap, thinking the Arameans are hiding to ambush them. Scouts are sent and they find the road littered with the Arameansβ abandoned supplies.
The people plunder the camp, and food becomes plentiful at the exact prices Elisha predicted!
The officer who doubted Elisha is trampled in the gate, fulfilling the prophecy that he would see but not eat of it.
Kings 8
Elisha warns the Shunammite woman (whose son he had raised from the dead) of a coming seven-year famine. She leaves and lives in Philistia during the famine.
After she returns, she asks the king for her house and land. At the same moment, Gehazi is telling the king about Elishaβs miracles, including the womanβs son being raised.The king orders her land to be restored, with all the produce from the seven years.
Elisha travels to Damascus, where King Ben-Hadad of Aram is sick.The king sends Hazael to Elisha with gifts to ask if he will recover. Elisha tells Hazael the king will recover, yet also reveals he will surely die.
- “And he fixed his gaze and stared at him,Β until he was embarrassed.Β “
Elisha weeps, foreseeing the cruelty Hazael will inflict on Israel. Hazael denies it, but the next day he suffocates the king with a wet cloth and takes the throne.
Jehoram (son of Jehoshaphat) begins to reign in Judah. He is 32 years old and reigns 8 years. He follows the ways of the kings of Israel (Ahabβs house), as he married Ahabβs daughter (Athaliah).
Edom and Libnah revolt during his reign.
Despite his evil, the Lord does not destroy Judah because of His covenant with David.
Jehoram dies of disease and is buried in Jerusalem, not in the royal tombs of the kings.
Ahaziah, son of Jehoram and Athaliah, becomes king of Judah at age 22. He reigns one year in Jerusalem. He follows the ways of Ahabβs house because his mother was Ahabβs daughter.
He joins Joram (Ahabβs son, king of Israel) in battle against Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. Joram is wounded, and Ahaziah goes to Jezreel to visit him.
About Ahaziah’s age…
The KJV/NKJV are based off of the Hebrew Masoretic Text.Β In 2 Chronicles 22:2 it says Ahaziah was 42 years old when he became king while in 2 Kings 8:26 it says he was 22.Β
The 42 is impossible as it would make him older than his father (Jehoram died at 40). However the Masoretic Text clearly says 42, while the Septuagint says 20. Most versions outside of King James say 22.
In Hebrew, 22 = ΧΧ΄Χ and 42 = ΧΧ΄Χ. Also 20+22=42. It could be a scribal error.Β
Some people also say he reigned at two different times, or he was only anointed at 22.Β I am not sure there is much support for this.
Questions
Why did the skeptical officer need to die? Was it wrong to question? Even Thomas doubted.
Why was Gehazi still speaking with the king after being struck with leprosy earlier (5:27)? Was this before his judgment, or did the king not care?
Application
In these chapters we see God bringing deliverance by using the weak or the unexpected. In Chapter 6 we see God use blindness to defeat Israelβs armies, Chapter 7 shows four outcast lepers who discover the riches, and in Chapter 8 a widow who is able to restore her possessions. God can turn weakness into victory. He can use those who are overlooked to accomplish his purposes!
Map from https://readingthebible2020.wordpress.com/2020/07/03/2-kings-5-8/
Jo Reads The Bible 
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