Day 172: Israel and Judah

Things are settling into a bit of a pattern. Life is hard, enemies come raiding frequently, and true faith is hard to come by.
Jehoash visits Elisha
2 Kings 13:14-19
Miracle in tomb
2 Kings 13:20-21
Amaziah
2 Chronicles 25:1-4, 2 Kings 14:1-6
Syria’s defeat
2 Kings 13:23-25
Amaziah gathers army
2 Chronicles 25:5-10
Amaziah’s victory
2 Kings 14:7, 3 Chronicles 25:11-12
Cities plundered
2 Chronicles 25:13
Amaziah’s idolatry
2 Chronicles 25:14-16
Jerusalem plundered
2 Kings 14:8-14 2 Chronicles 25:17-24
Uzziah (Azariah) becomes co-regent
2 Kings 15:2, 2 Chronicles 26:1,2-5
Jehoash’s death
2 Kings 13:12-13, 14:15-16
Amaziah’s last years
2 Kings 14:17, 22 2 Chronicles 25:25, 26:2

So Elisha dies, and Jehoash mourns him as Elisha had mourned Elijah. But Elisha’s last prophecy is that Jehoash will be half-hearted in defeating his enemies.
The new king of Judah, Amaziah, seems a warlike fellow, and he challenges Jehoash, after a successful campaign against the Edomites. Foolish, because he is badly defeated by Jehoash and Jerusalem is plundered. Chronicles blames it on his decision to worship the gods of the people he defeated, and on bad advice from his counsellors.
It is interesting that even now, Judah and Israel still think of God as their god - still they have a territorial understanding of the heavenly places. We’ve got our god, you’ve got yours, and our god is bigger than your god. It will be fascinating to try and spot when this understanding begins to change, and Judah and Israel start to believe that their God is the God of everything and everywhere.