2 Kings 13:22-25

2 Kings 13:22-25

[22] But Hazael  king  of Syria  oppressed  Israel  all the days  of Jehoahaz.  [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.  [24] So Hazael  king  of Syria  died;  and Benhadad  his son  reigned  in his stead. [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. 

What does 2 Kings 13:22-25 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The basis of God"s continuing mercy to Israel was not her goodness but God"s in remaining faithful to the Abrahamic Covenant ( 2 Kings 13:23; cf. 1 Kings 8:44-50; Genesis 13:14-17). As Elisha had predicted, Jehoash defeated the Arameans three times ( 2 Kings 13:25; cf. 2 Kings 13:18-19), but he did not destroy them completely (cf. 2 Kings 13:19).
Why did the writer place the record of the resuscitation ( 2 Kings 13:20-21) within the story of the Aramean army"s defeat ( 2 Kings 13:14-25)? Probably he intended the resuscitation incident to illustrate the fact that God would also revive Israel by defeating Aram, as he had revived the dead man. One writer argued that the man who revived was only apparently dead, which is possible since in that culture people were buried almost immediately after they died. [1]
In this record of his life, Jehoash appears to have been a spiritually sensitive man whose confidence in God was weak, but he also perpetuated the Jeroboam cult.