7.11.2015

2 Kings 7-9

Chapters 6 & 7
Later Syria beseiges Samaria again, until food is extremely scarce and Israel is starting to eat their children.  The king blames Elisha and sends to arrest him.  Elisha promises the crisis will be over in 24 hours.  The king's bodyguard scoffs.  Lepers at the gate decide to surrender to Syria, hoping for food.  They find everyone fled, so they eat, take and hide stuff, and go back for more.  But they realize they should be telling Israel, not keeping it to themselves.  Israel doesn't believe it at first - it must be a Syrian trick to lure them out.  But all the camp supplies are there for the taking, so food prices are immediately back to normal.  The scoffing bodyguard is trampled in the rush for food.

8
Elisha predicts famine to the Shunamite woman, so she moves to Philistia for 7 years.  When the famine is over, they come back, ask for their land back just as the king is asking Gehazi for stories of Elisha's miracles, so they get their land.

Elisha goes to Syria when her king is sick.  The king sends his servant Hazael to ask Elisha if he will recover.  Elisha confides to Hazael that he will be king next, and successfully attack Israel.  Hazael suffocates the king the next day, and takes the throne.

Jehoram (or Joram) is king of Judah after his father Jehoshaphat.  He is evil, with Ahab's daughter as his wife.  But God preserves Judah for David's sake.  Edom revolts against Judah, who goes to fight them and loses, Jehoram barely escaping with his life.

Ahaziah is the next king of Judah, son of Jehoram.  As son in law of Ahab, he is cozy with Israel

9
Elisha sends a student to anoint Jehu secretly as the new king of Israel, prophesying that he will do away with Ahab's house.  Jehu's friends press him what it was about, and he tells them; they support him as king.  He heads straight for Joram, who is recovering from battle wounds.  Joram and Jehu meet on Naboth's vineyard and Jehu kills him.  The king of Judah is visiting, and Jehu has him killed, too (he is also of Ahab's house!).  He then goes to Jezebel and has her killed, though she tries to seduce him with her beauty.


How this is about Jesus
Chpts 6-7 - Psalm 22 must have been quite relevant during the seige, but is ultimately fulfilled in Christ's experience on the cross.  When life and food are restored, the people have a hard time believing the good news coming from outside the city (tomb) by outsiders (lepers here, women at the resurrection).
Chapts 8-9 - Jesus pronounces doom on Jerusalem, "your house is left desolate," as Elisha does to Ahab.

Application
Believe God's Word or you will be trampled underfoot as others rush into the kingdom of God.
Do not ally yourself with the wicked or you will fall with them.

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