2 Kings Chapter 13 – Israel & Hazael

Israel, meaning “Prince with God”, is rooted in the idea of “prevail to rule” (Heb: sarah), with God (Heb: el) on her side. When Israel prevails over her enemies, it’s God who prevails or causes her to prevail.

Hazael on the other hand could either mean “God sees” or “seeing God”. God had certainly seen how the king of Syria acted against His people Israel; and King Hazael certainly saw for himself how God intervened to protect His people.

God’s continual deliverance of Israel despite His anger and their persistent unfaithfulness (3-6) testifies to His covenantal faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He would not completely destroy idolatrous Israel or cast them from His presence (23), a fact that remains even after the Assyrian conquest in 722 BCE (Is 1:9; Rom 9:29).

Though the army of Jehoahaz were left with only fifty horsemen and ten chariots, God prophet’s Elisha remained “the chariots of Israel and their horsemen”, as recognised by Joash, the son who succeeded Jehoahaz as king.

Even near the point of his death, Elisha instructed Joash on how to secure the LORD’s deliverance through the sign of the arrow (15-19). But alas! Man’s faith fails him when God’s faithfulness seeks to deliver.

The dying prophet was angered by the king not striking the ground enough – he could have gone all out to strike till Syria is completely destroyed. Nevertheless, according to the number of times he struck, Joash defeated Syria three times and recaptured the cities previously taken by Hazael from his father Jehoahaz.

This is a faithful saying indeed:

“For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

(2 Tim 2:11-13)

May we be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge (Eph 3:18)

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