2 Kings chapter 8
The woman from Shunem is restored. Evil Hazael murders the king of Syria and takes his place. Evil Jehoram becomes king in Judah. Evil Ahaziah becomes king in Judah.
THE WOMAN FROM SHUNEM IS RESTORED
VERSE 1. Now Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise, and go, you and your household, and stay for a while wherever you can; for the LORD has called for a famine. It will also come on the land for seven years.”
the LORD has called for a famine. The LORD God had revealed this to Elisha.
VERSE 2. The woman arose, and did according to the man of God’s word. She went with her household, and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
VERSE 3. At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. Then she went out to beg the king for her house and for her land.
the woman returned. After the famine, the woman came to her homeland.
VERSE 4. Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.”
Gehazi the servant of the man of God. For his own personal gain, Gehazi had lied to Captain Naaman:
2 Kings 5:22. He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’ ”
VERSE 5. As he was telling the king how he had restored to life him who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life begged the king for her house and for her land. Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”
VERSE 6. When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.”
Restore all that was hers. This woman from Shunem had suffered for many years. She even had to live in exile among the Philistines for seven years.
Now, by a decision of the king, everything is restored to her. She experiences full restoration.
In the fullness of time, the Supreme God of all graciousness will fully restore us. Read more »
EVIL HAZAEL MURDERS THE KING OF SYRIA AND TAKES HIS PLACE
VERSE 7. Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick. He was told, “The man of God has come here.”
VERSE 8. The king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’ ”
Will I recover from this sickness? The king has an unprecedented opportunity. He can inquire of the Man of God.
How does he use this opportunity? The king uses this opportunity in a self-centered way.
Instead of inquiring about his people or his nation, he inquires about himself.
VERSE 9. So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels’ burden, and came and stood before him and said, “Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’ ”
VERSE 10. Elisha said to him, “Go, tell him, ‘You will surely recover;’ however the LORD has shown me that he will surely die.”
You will surely recover. In the short term, the king will recover from his illness.
he will surely die. In the long term, the king, like everyone, will die.
VERSE 11. He settled his gaze steadfastly on him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.
the man of God wept. In our day, we are accustomed to politicians and news pundits raging out with anger.
They act that way, even over even their slightest disagreements. They lambast their political opponents as perpetrators of grave moral evils.
However, that is not the way of a godly person. Elisha the man of God weeps over such things. And so did the Lord Jesus Christ:
John 11:35. Jesus wept.
VERSE 12. Hazael said, “Why do you weep, my lord?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash their little ones in pieces, and rip up their pregnant women.”
I know the evil that you will do. Elisha foresees Hazael becoming an evil king.
VERSE 13. Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he could do this great thing?” Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Syria.”
VERSE 14. Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” He answered, “He told me that you would surely recover.”
VERSE 15. On the next day, he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it on the king’s face, so that he died. Then Hazael reigned in his place.
so that he died. Hazael murders his own king.
Hazael reigned in his place. Hazael faces no consequences for the evil thing he did.
EVIL JEHORAM BECOMES KING IN JUDAH
VERSE 16. In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being king of Judah then, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat. Jehoram is the son of Jehoshaphat.
VERSE 17. He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
VERSE 18. He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did Ahab’s house, for he married Ahab’s daughter. He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.
He did that which was evil. King Jehoshaphat had been a reasonably good person and king.
But his son Jehoram was an evil king.
VERSE 19. However, the LORD would not destroy Judah, for David his servant’s sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his children always.
VERSE 20. In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
VERSE 21. Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night and struck the Edomites who surrounded him with the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
VERSE 22. So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.
VERSE 23. The rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
VERSE 24. Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in David’s city; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
EVIL AHAZIAH BECOMES KING IN JUDAH
VERSE 25. In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.
VERSE 26. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
twenty-two years old. That might be a copyist’s error. Elsewhere it says he is 42 years old:
2 Chronicles 22:2. Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri.
VERSE 27. He walked in the way of Ahab’s house and did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, as did Ahab’s house, for he was the son-in-law of Ahab’s house.
did that which was evil. Like his father Joram. Ahaziah is an evil king.
VERSE 28. He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram.
VERSE 29. King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
2 KINGS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Corrupt Leaders, Miracles, Horses and Chariots of Fire
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