Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 13
Elisha was very ill and close to death. However, he was still the prophet (holy man) whom God had appointed to declare his (God’s) messages to Israel. So, when Elisha saw King Jehoash in a desperate state, God gave Elisha one final message to his king and his nation.
Often, the messages from God that God gave to the prophets were not only in the form of words. There were also actions that the prophet, or someone else at his direction, must carry out. Those actions expressed in a physical way what God was saying.
Here, the message was that God would make Jehoash strong, to fight against Israel’s enemies. However. Jehoash would only be successful for as long as he obeyed and trusted God.
So, Elisha told Jehoash to bring a bow and arrows, and to open the window towards the east. That was the direction of the cities that Aram’s army had taken from Israel. It was for those cities that Jehoash must lead his army to fight against Aram.
Then, on God’s behalf, Elisha placed his own hands upon the hands of Jehoash. This action meant that God would give Jehoash the strength to fight these battles.
Next, Elisha told Jehoash to start to shoot his arrows through the open window. Jehoash trusted Elisha’s message from God, and so he obeyed God’s instruction. The arrow landed on the ground, some distance away. Elisha explained that this first arrow meant the complete success of Israel’s army in the first of Jehoash’s battles against Aram. God would use that battle to rescue Israel from the power of Aram. Then Elisha told the king to continue to shoot his arrows to the ground.
Next part: Jehoash shoots three arrows, then stops (2 Kings 13:18)
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