2 Ki. 13: Elisha Dies

2 Kings 13:23 "But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence."

With the litany of kings Israel had that did evil in the sight of the LORD, there is apparently one common thread. The Bible compares them all to Jeroboam. A dubious distinction, to have your own evil deeds be the benchmark of despotism and wrongdoing. Chapter 13's Jehoahaz and Jehoash, who followed Jehu, were no exception. However, God did listen to Jehoahaz's appeal to give relief temporarily to Israel from the oppression of Hazael. 

Jehoash was on the throne in Israel at the death of Elisha. As the final guidance, Elisha instructs Jehoash to shoot an arrow out the East Window. This was the LORD's Arrow. It signified defeat of Aram. Next, Jehoash was told to strike the ground with the arrows. He did so three times, and an angry Elisha told him that he should have done it like 5 or 6 times. Now they would only defeat Aram three times. That stinks.  Like Jehoash had any clue what Elisha was driving at. Possibly because he didn't know what God was driving at. He didn't consult the Urim or Thummim. That's what happens when a king's (nation's) relationship with God deteriorates. They are clueless and can't read the signs. But what I take away here is that the remembrance of the covenant with the forefathers comes from God. Usually it's a king or a priest that resets the covenant, but here God is the rememberer.

So Elisha dies, and he isn't taken as Elijah was, and even in death, he has the touch of life. Apparently some dudes were burying some guy, and when the Moabites came on their annual spring raid, they tossed the corpse into Elisha's grave. And when it touched his bones, the man sprang to his feet. Yiy. Can you imagine? If I was that guy, I'd say, "What, you guys just toss me into some random grave? No respect." Anyway, what happened to this guy? Did he go rest  with his fathers? Then comes back? What happens here!?

Eventually Hazael dies, and his son, Ben-Hadad, succeeds him. Yeah. Ben-Hadad. That was the guy Hazael murdered and overthrew. Then he names his son the same thing. High strangeness man. Can you imagine Barack Obama naming his son George when he becomes president?