Isaiah 17: Damascus (Syria)

Damascus, Syria is one of the oldest cities in the world. It's also one of the neighboring cities to Israel, which explains why Isaiah 17 focuses on its fate. An enemy of Southern Israel and an ally to Northern Israel, Syria allied itself with those in Israel who had turned their back on God. This set them up for failure.

Introduction

Overlooking an old city
Photocredit: Unsplash.com/David Zawila

Damascus is the capital of Syria. It's an old city that's been around for quite some time and is mentioned Biblically for the first time in Genesis 14:15 (during the time of Abraham). The city is North East of the Sea of Galilee.

Distance from Israel

You could drive from Capernaum—a city Jesus spent much time in—to Damascus in about 4 hours according to Google Maps. Since modern wars and politics have affected the area, the land between Capernaum and Syria is the disputed territory known as Golan heights, Google can't find direct route and maps a convoluted route south, then east through Jordan, and finally back north to Syria. It's probably a 2 hour drive if you could find a direct route; which means it's probably a day's journey by horse, maybe two on foot.[2][3]

Damascus in the U.S.

Like with Moab, I quickly discovered that Damascus is a popular namesake for cities in the United States. Maryland and Virginia both have a city named Damascus within the state.

Meaning of Damascus

Most areas mentioned in the Bible are named for a person (e.g., Moab) or an event (e.g., Babylon is near the site of the tower of Babel). So, where did we get the word Damascus? Reportedly the oldest city in the world to have existed continuously, there's actually no known origin for the name of the city.[4][5]

Pronouncement of Judgement

Isaiah 17 is where Isaiah records the vision he receives concerning the downfall of Damascus—Amos also sees the destruction of Damascus (Amos 1:3). The vision may be of Tiglath-pileser III absorbing the city into the Assyrian empire.[6] Isaiah 17:4 seems to give an identifier for when these things would occur: when the glory of Syria was like that of the Israelites. God's people were to be set apart, but Israel had a tendency to fall into the ways of the nations around them, just as we have a tendency to fall into the ways of society today. If Damascus was prospering greatly, it would make sense that the Israelites might begin to pattern themselves after the Syrians, causing the two nations to become indistinguishable. In doing so, however, Israel's glory would be taken away, as well.

Spiritual and Literal Interpretation

In Isaiah 17:5, God describes Israel as thin and lean; they have lost their fat. This could be a literal description of a famine or economic poverty, but it could also be a spiritual description. Remember the Israelites were not to eat the fat of an animal, because it was to be given to God as part of the offering (Leviticus 7:3,23). Animals in the offering represented the people, so the fat of the animal was a stand in for the fat of the people. This is something that was to be given to God, but the Israelites wouldn't have any if they lost their fat. As I said, to literally become thin, requires a lack of food, but to become spiritually thin it requires a lack of spiritual food. Jesus said we don't live by bread alone, but by the words that come from God (Matthew 4:4). The fact that for Israel to be experiencing a literal famine, they would have had to turn their back on God and thus be experiencing a spiritual famine as well, means that both interpretations are probably valid.

Famine

Isaiah 17:10-11 reiterates the idea of famine. God warns that the people will plant "pleasant plants" but the harvest will not flourish. This is a great reminder that no matter how perfect the plant, or how good the conditions, it is still up to God whether the plant will bear fruit. Spiritually, this is a reminder that we cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit without surrendering to the Holy Spirit, first. I also find this particular line interesting because, from a modern perspective, we do so much to our food in the name of making it grow bigger and faster. Between GMOs and the cultivating of seedless plants, you have to wonder how long the insanity will last.

Fulfillment?

A similar situation is discussed in 2 Kings 16. In this chapter, we see the alliance between the king of Syria and the king of northern Israel (sometimes referred to as Ephraim) striking fear into the heart of the southern kingdom's King Ahaz. Instead of consulting God, the king lobbies an alliance with Assyria and relies on Tiglath-pileser to protect them. The Assyrians succeed in defeating Syria and Ahaz instructs one of his men to copy the design of an altar found in Damascus. Ahaz stops using the holy altar God instructed them to create, and begins using this pagan altar. He also gets rid of things that link the king to the Temple to show his alliance to Assyria.

Does this not sound like a fulfillment of prophecy and a spiritually devoid Israel? Even though Israel has a sovereign king, he's basically a puppet because of his dependency on Assyria. To be honest, reading about Ahaz's actions to please the king of Assyria reminded me way too much of Donald Trump's actions concerning Russia in Helsinki a few weeks ago.[7]

Aroer

Isaiah mentions a city called Aroer in conjunction with Damascus. Although we can't be certain the Aroer spoken of by Isaiah is the same Aroer mentioned in other places, it's interesting to note that there was an Israelite city by the name of Aroer. That city was built by the tribe of Gad, but had been taken over by the Amorites (Numbers 32:34 and Joshua 12:2). There was also an Aroer that was associated with Moab (Jeremiah 48:18-20).

Metaphors

In Isaiah 17:5-6, God uses a two part metaphor to illustrate His point.

The first part of the metaphor speaks of a person harvesting corn. To understand what God is telling us about the day of Syria's judgment, we have to understand what harvest corning is like—something that would have been well understood by Isaiah's contemporary audience.

Well, to understand what harvesting corn is like, we first have to realize that when the Bible says "corn" they aren't talking about the same kind of corn we are. When the European settlers came to America, they have never seen corn before, because corn is native to the Americas.[8] The word often translated to "corn" is most likely means grain, generically. So the harvester is could be picking almost anything.

When you harvest crops, you go down the row methodically, plucking off ripe fruit, or in some cases, shaking the bush for ripe fruit to fall. In today's society, the harvester would leave the bush bare, but God commanded the Israelites to leave some behind for the poor to clean.

The second part of the metaphor picks up this concept by illuminating the ripe fruit left behind. Despite shaking the plant or laboring to harvest the crop, some would be left behind. It would be out of reach and impossible to obtain. This is how exactly how mankind is. If we think of shaking as God's judgment, we can easily see the connection of the fruit (people) falling. As the events that are foretold in the Bible take place, many of us will get caught in the middle. Some will be swayed by the rhetoric of the antichrist, but those who are left will hold tight to God's word, similar to the fruits that do not fall from the tree. Confirmation that it is the faithful that remain comes in the next few verses about seeking out God. God points us to a day when all of mankind recognizes God's sovereignty. In that day, there is no more idolatry, and the pride of going after our own creations will cease.

The Valley of Rephaim

In the metaphors mentioned above, God specifically mentions the valley of Rephaim. Rephaim was the name given to a group of people who were known to be giants and enemies of Israel.[10] The valley may have been where these giants lived.[11][12] Perhaps this reference is meant to remove the Israelites from the holiness of Jerusalem and place them deep into place of sin.

Woe: City Life

Anytime a passage starts with woe, you know it's about to be intense. Isaiah 17:12-14 begins just that way. Here, God rebukes large nations with many people, stating that when evening falls the trouble begins and by the morning the people are gone (i.e., dead). Like I said, intense.

God associates these populous nations with water (a symbol that will come up again throughout prophecy) due to the sound and the rushing. Having seen the stark contrast between country towns and big cities, I totally understand this analogy. In the city, people are always rushing to and fro; there's so much to do and to see that it's easy to neglect things like reading the Word, praying, and fellowshipping with our fellow believers. Unfortunately, even in the more rural areas of the U.S., society still places us in a rushing frenzy that means we have to work to slow ourselves down.

Another interesting point about comparing these nations to rushing waters, is that the current of the water will always carry objects in the water with it. If your society or nation is moving in one direction, it's very difficult for you to move in the opposite direction, just as a branch in a river can't move opposite of the current.

References

1. Nasser O. Rabbat. "Damascus". Encyclopædia Britannica. July 26, 2018
2. "Golan Heights". Encyclopædia Britannica. May 1, 2013
3. "Damascus, Syria to Capernaum, Israel". Google Maps; visited July 2018
4. Douglas Harper. "Damascus". Online Etymology Dictionary; visited July 2018
5. "Damascus". Dictionary.com; visited July 2018
6. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 1151. 2014
7. Jeremy Diamond. "Trump sides with Putin over US intelligence". CNN. July 16, 2018
8. Larry Hilaire. "Corn: An American Native". Spanning the Gap; visited August 2018
9. "Corn". Bible Hub; visited August 2018
10. "Rephaim". King James Bible Online; visited August 2018
11. "Valley of Rephaim". Bible Gateway; visited August 2018
12. W. Ewing. "Valley of Rephaim". Bible Hub; visited August 2018

Isaiah 9: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

Many of us read chapter by chapter, but this is one of those times you want to rewind a bit before you jump into the chapter. Isaiah 9 is a continuation of Isaiah 8, followed by Messianic prophecy and words of condemnation for Israel.

Introduction

I'm not sure why whomever split the books into chapters and verses chose this place to break Isaiah 8 into Isaiah 9, because Isaiah 9:1 is a direct continuation of Isaiah 8:22. Isaiah goes on to explain and describe the dimness (or darkness) that comes upon Israel. Darkness always represents spiritual deprivation and turning away from God. God is light, so as long as we look toward Him we can never be in darkness.

The chapter goes on to give us a bit of prophecy, specifically Messianic prophecy, and some harsh words for Israel, that still apply to us today.

Darkness and Light

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Kristine Weilert

Isaiah 9 starts off talking about the darkness set to come over Israel, but promises that it won't be as bad as the one in the northern kingdom. Remember that God is light, so darkness must mean the absence of God. It is not a literal darkness. Knowing this makes me wonder about end times passages on the darkening of the Sun, moon, and stars—is this just a symbolic way of saying that God's presence will be missing from the world? We'll look into those verses when we get there, but I wanted to point out the importance of connecting scripture to scripture.

No Joy?

The next couple verses are not as straight forward. God says that even though they have increased in multitude and built the nation, they haven't increased in joy. Or have they? This is one of those passages that greatly differs between translations. Isaiah 9:3 KJV says the opposite of Isaiah 9:3 ESV.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.Isaiah 9:3 KJV

You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.Isaiah 9:3 ESV

Translations

I think I've talked about how the Bible was translated before—one day I'll add a post specifically on this topic—but let's revisit the topic for a moment. Translations are generated using one of two methods: word for word or thought for thought. Although word for word tends to read more harshly and is can be difficult to understand due to the nuances of language, thought for thought requires more of the translator interjecting their interpretation. The KJV and ESV are both considered word for word translations, while the NIV is considered a thought for thought translation. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum are translations like The Message, in which everything is basically paraphrased.[2] So why does the ESV still differ from the KJV in meaning here?

This particular difference is about how the translators decided to handle a note in the margins of the "original" manuscript, known as the Masoretic Text (I say "original" because the Bible was continually copied by the scribes to be preserved, so the Masoretic Text is really a copy of the original).[3] The KJV follows what is written directly in the text, while most other translations follow the note in the margins.

Meaning

What you get from this verse depends on which translation you trust. Both can actually make sense, which is probably why scholars can't figure out which is more accurate.

KJV

In the KJV, the understanding hinges on who the people in Isaiah 9:2 are and who the nation in Isaiah 9:3 is. When I first read the passage I assumed the people and the nation were the people of Israel. In that case, the translation doesn't actually make sense; why isn't there joy? However, if we go to Matthew 4:12-17 we see the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus is the light given to the people and the people are the Jews. At this time, Israel was occupied and oppressed by Rome. Scholars who favor the KJV translation argue that the nation that is increased is Rome, who is oppressing Israel, which is why they (the people) do not have joy.[3]

Other Translations

If you believe the nation mentioned in Isaiah 3 is still referring to Israel, you'd be more inclined to go with the other translations that proclaim increased joy. This fits the prophecy and timing of Matthew 4 if you consider that Jesus began a message to expand God's nation beyond the Jews to the Gentiles. Thus, His nation did increase. Due to the heavy persecution that followed, I'm not sure how we reconcile the idea that joy increased, unless this is meant for the time after the kingdom comes (Matthew 4:17).

Who is the Oppressor?

Isaiah 9:4-5 talks about about the defeat of an oppressor, which I found interesting. It could reference a literal nation, like Babylon or Rome. However, given the fulfillment of the prophecy in Matthew 4, I'm inclined to think it references the devil. Jesus released us from the yoke of slavery (burden) and defeated Satan (the oppressor). Further, He paid the price with blood just as the verse says. Ultimately that battle ends in fire, also as stated in the passage.

I think it's also important to point out that the battle Isaiah is pointing us back to is in Judges 6 and 7. Gideon defeats the powerful Midian army by the grace of God, because Israel was sorely outnumbered. Similarly, we can not win the battle against sin on our own; it is only through Jesus' sacrifice that we are able to overcome.

A Messianic Prophecy

As I said earlier, Isaiah provides us with quite of few Messianic prophecies—one reason why I'm taking my time with these chapters. Isaiah 9:6-7 provide us with a few pieces of information of the promised Messiah.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6 KJV

The table below summarizes the prophecies given by Isaiah and show their fulfillment in Jesus. Disclaimer: some versions of the text place a comma between Wonderful and Counselor identifying them as distinct names, while other translations do not have a comma, implying one name. The original text would not have had commas at all, thus it is difficult to say which translation is correct. In the table, I separated them.

Prophecy	Fulfillment
Male child, born to the Israelites	Matthew 1; Luke 2
Government on His shoulders	Luke 1:31-33; Hebrews 7; Hebrews 8:1; Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Called Wonderful	Matthew 21:15
Called Counselor	James 1:5; Hebrews 4:15–16 (Jesus knows all and understands our struggles, making Him a wonderful counselor)
Called Mighty God	Luke 9:43
Called Everlasting Father	John 14
Called Prince of Peace	John 14:27; Ephesians 2:13-14; 1 Timothy 6:14-16; Revelation 19 (There will be only peace after Jesus conquers Satan once and for all)
Descendant of David	Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 1:31-33; Luke 3:23-28

Random information: Fred Hammond placed these verses in the chorus of his song "His Name is Jesus." (I love songs that are basically just scripture set to music)

Related (External) Posts

• "What does it mean that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)?"
• "What does it mean that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)?"
• "What is the meaning of “Everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6?"
• "Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" — Note: this person relates the passage to Christmas, which as I've covered on my blog, has more to do with secular worship that Jesus' birth. Nonetheless, I agree with their point that if you are going to celebrate Christmas as Jesus' birthday, you should consider this passage to remember Who He is and where He came from.
• "When and Where Does Christ Sit Upon the Throne of David?"

A Message for Israel

God prefaces the next passage as a message for all of Israel, both the northern (Samaria) and southern (Judah) kingdoms.

Why is God Angry?

Obviously, God is angry with Israel. Unlike some of us, God is a master at communicating His feelings. He doesn't act without cause or become enraged without explanation. Isaiah 9:13 and 16 tell us exactly why God is upset with Israel. The people have turned away from God and the leaders are corrupt, leading the people into sin. How can you have a righteous people with unrighteous leaders? I remind myself of this every time I see an unruly child in a store; the child doesn't know any better because their parents haven't taught them better.

This message is especially important to us today. When you see what happens within the church, you can't be surprised that people are turning their backs on God. From allegations of sexual abuse, to evangelicals supporting various politicians who endorse sexual assault, racism, and classism. We even have several denominations endorsing behaviors that are identified as sins. With all this confusion, how is the average person supposed to know who God is or what He stands for? If you've never been taught properly, it's easy to turn away from God without even knowing you're doing so.

Hypocrites

God doesn't just condemn the behavior, He calls them hypocrites. To be a hypocrite, they must have been judging others and holding others to standards they couldn't keep themselves. This sounds a lot like the Pharisees, and the Pharisees sound a lot like us today.

In the past month, there was a incident where a friend of mine said something that could be taken two different ways—one, the way she actually meant it and two, in a suggestive manner. A mutual friend continued the statement with something equally ambiguous but led the group of us to think on the second meaning. Because the conversation happened at a church event, there was a discussion about how it should have been handled. While some people were adamant that the mutual friend should be reprimanded, many of us realized that it would be hypocritical of us to condemn that person without taking blame as well. We all thought on the same page; we were no better or worse than the person who stirred the pot.

It takes a lot of maturity, both spiritually and in general, to see the wrong we've committed. It's easy to point fingers at other people; in fact, sometimes we point fingers to make ourselves feel better about our own sins. It's important to be aware of this flaw we all have. When I find myself praying for others because I think they're caught in sin, I take the time to pray for myself as well, because I'm probably in sin too. With each prayer, I ask God to show me my own faults and as I see my own faults, I become less critical of others.

Replenishing

Have you ever heard fire makes a field grow better? Well, I grew up on a farm and we often burned the field to yield better grass for the cattle.[7] When you read God's plans for Israel, it sounds very similar.

First God mentions that brick would be thrown down and hewn stone will replace it. Then, He states that sycamores will fall, but cedars will replace them. I think it's pretty evident God is saying whatever is built to replace destruction will be stronger, but I couldn't help feel that there was more to it. Probably because the Bible constantly talks about "the corner stone." From Job (Job 38:6) to Psalms (Psalm 118:22), even later in Isaiah (Isaiah 28:16), and all the way into the New Testament (Mark 12:10, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6-7), we see references to the corner stone. That corner stone is Jesus.

Brick vs. Stone

This leads me to question the spiritual significance of the hewn stones versus the brick it replaces. I looked up references to brick in the Bible and they all seem connected to sin and oppression. In Genesis 11:3, the people are using brick to build the Tower of Babel. Exodus 1:14 and Exodus 5, talk about the Israelites being forced to make brick while enslaved in Egypt.

On the other hand in Genesis 28:11-22 Jacob uses stones for a pillow (comfort) and an altar (worship). There are other places in Genesis where stone is used for a monument or pillar marking something God has done. Further, in Exodus 4:25, Zipporah uses a stone to circumcise her and Moses' son to be in accordance with the covenant and pacify God's anger. In Exodus 20:25, God requests an altar of stone. There are, of course, countless references to stoning. It seems that stones are used in conjunction with righteousness and dispelling sin.

Sycamore vs. Cedar

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Grant Lemons
Even in winter, the cedar stays green

Next, God says the sycamores would fall but they would be replaced with cedars. Cedars were clearly more valuable to God because in Leviticus 14, we find the Israelites using cedars to construct the Temple. Let's think about the differences between the two trees for a moment. Sycamore trees are deciduous and have a typical "tree shape" (a trunk at the bottom with the leaves and branches up top). Cedars on the other hand are evergreens and the branches/leaves cover the entirety of the base (unless a human trims the bottom branches).

Spiritually, we want to be like the cedar. Think about the armor of God spoken of in the New Testament. Do you want it just protecting your torso up, or your whole body? Think about the fruits of the Spirit. So you want to bear them only during the Spring and Summer, or do you want to bring forth these fruits all the time? God's message in replacing the sycamore with the cedar was that He would eliminate the wishy-washy nation of believers and replace it with a nation of strong, unchanging believers.

Syria and Palestine

The coming destruction seems to be led by Syria and the Philistines. Remember that Syria and the Philistines were pagan nations. The only time pagan nations were able to defeat God's people is when they went into battle without God. This is a powerful message because it holds today. When we walk with God, we are protected, but the moment we turn our back on Him, the enemy's armies will swarm us from every direction and we will lose.

Head and Tail

¹⁴Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.
¹⁵The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
Isaiah 9:14-15 KJV

I often hear people quote Deuteronomy 28:13 to speak on prosperity and success—of course, they often leave out the latter portion of the verse about following the commandments. When you get to Isaiah 9:14-15, it becomes a little more obvious why the latter part of Deuteronomy 28:13 is important.

Throughout the Bible, there are references to "the head" and "the tail" (see Revelation 9:19; Revelation 12:4; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 11:3). It's easy for us to make the connection that "head" refers to a position of power or elevated status, therefore "tail" must refer to a lower station. What we often miss is the spiritual significance of the phrase. Isaiah 9:15 makes it glaringly obvious that it isn't just about prosperity or success, but about who's side you're fighting on.

Tail

In Revelation 9, an army of horsemen is sent out to kill a third of mankind; Revelation 9:19 not only tells us that their power is in their tail, but the tail is likened to a serpent. Later, in Revelation 12:4, we see the dragon (Satan) use his tail to cast down one third of the stars (angels) to Earth.[1] Just as Isaiah 9:15 tells us that the tail is associated with a false prophet, Revelation links the tail with the devil and rebellious activity. It's important to make this connection, because while we know that rebellion against God will eventually be punished, that's not to say these people won't appear to be living prosperous lives. A quick glance at the history of the world will make it look like the devil is winning, too, but in truth, he's being backed into a corner to face his ultimate demise. The same is true of false prophets and those living in rebellion against God.

Head

If the tail represents the devil, you probably already guessed Christ to be the head. Ephesians 4:15 and 1 Corinthians 11:3 explicitly tell us that Christ is the head. The head represents allegiance to God, hence the clause in Deuteronomy 28:13 about obeying the commandments. Our decision to follow God probably won't look like being "the head" in the worldly sense—wealth, fame, power, etc. Instead, we should remember that many of our rewards come after judgement day.

Separating

Now that we know what the head and tail represent, let's talk about the significance of God cutting both off from Israel.

My initial thought was that eventually there has to be a divide. At some point in time, people will have to make an absolute choice between God and the world. As societal norms become increasingly more sinful, it becomes increasingly harder to live in our society. You can't just go along with the flow or participate in these behaviors! Naturally, the head and tail must be severed from each other for each to continue in it's own way.

However, in this verse the severing isn't between the two opposing sides—Israel seems to be cut off from both. If we continue the to the next verse and pull in verses like Revelation 12:3, we can understand more clearly. Isaiah 9:16 tells us that the leaders ("the head") of the people were corrupt and leading them astray. Revelation 12:3 shows us that the beast (antichrist) has multiple heads. This is relevant for two reasons. First, the devil is trying to replace the true head (Christ) with himself. Second, the reason there are so many heads and horns is because there are many powers acting as head. You see God is one; there is no disagreement between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Likewise, when we submit to His will, there is only one head. However, the devil is about confusion, and when we chose his ways instead of God's, we typically try to do our own thing. "Do what thou wilt" is in fact a satanic motto. We see the struggle between different powers in our world all the time. Whether the pastor is striving with deacons, or whether two countries are striving with each other, there cannot be multiple heads without conflict.

This is why God has to separate Israel from both the head and the tail. Their head wasn't Christ; it was toxic and not the head He established. Meanwhile the devil (the tail) was tempting them into sin. For Israel to find their way back to God and the true head, both influences needed to be removed.

Cannibalism?

What's worse than a cannibal? Someone who eats their own flesh! That seems to be what Isaiah 9:19 is suggesting the Israelites will become.

Although some cultures are said to have practiced cannibalism as though it were normal, the practice is mostly associated with witchcraft and desperation.[4] In fact, God foretells of Israel becoming so desperate in battle that they would resort to cannibalism in Jeremiah 19:9.

More recently, cannibalism was a problem on the Eastern Front of World War II. The battle of Leningrad and Japanese war crimes are two documented instances of cannibalism occurring.[5][6] Looking at these cases it becomes obvious that cannibalism can only occur when people are acting in rebellion to God

Much like the battle foretold in Jeremiah 19 (see also 2 Kings 6:28-29 and Deuteronomy 28:53), the battle of Leningrad forced citizens into starvation. Residents of the city had to decide if they would allow themselves to starve or if they would survive by any means necessary. Human nature doesn't lean toward suicide, so unless you're suffering from depression, you'll do all that you can to survive. That means eating whatever you can get your hands on to keep from starving. What makes this tragic isn't the desire to survive, but the fact that we place people in this predicament. Is it not a war crime to starve out a city of civilians? Can you imagine Jesus having a dispute with the Pharisees, cornering them, and cutting them off from their food supply for over 2 years? Of course not, because that type of behavior is not of God!

The Japanese, on the other hand, weren't always starving when they committed cannibalism. Instead, it was some sort of victory, team-building ritual among troops. I don't have to explain why that's evil and not of God, do I?

In Isaiah, I don't think God is speaking of literally eating one's on flesh, but evoking the nature and desperation of cannibalism, maybe turned up a notch. In this case I think the underlying issue is tied to greed (during war, the issue was power). Isaiah tells us that people are so busy taking from their left and right, they end up taking from themselves. Whether you are harming others or literally stealing from them, you eventually do harm to yourself, which is why Isaiah likens this to eating your own flesh. All these cases stem from coveting, which is condemned in the 10 commandments—coveting land, power, wealth, etc. Isaiah 9:20 is a warning to us not let ourselves fall victim to this behavior.

Ephraim and Manasseh

Isaiah 9:21 mentions Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, whom Jacob blessed. They are 2 of the 12 Tribes of Israel and became part of the northern kingdom. In Judges 11-12, Ephraim starts a civil war in the northern kingdom because they felt slighted being left out of a battle. Isaiah is telling us that they would rejoin the northern kingdoms, specifically Manasseh, against the southern kingdom of Judah.

We could dwell on the significance of those tribes, but I want to talk about the implications of passage instead. The beautiful thing about referring to nations and tribes by these names is that we can easily trace them back to their progenitor. In this case, we see two brothers (Ephraim and Manasseh) are coming together to fight or destroy their third brother (Judah). This has implications in our home life as well as our spiritual life.

Often, it is family that we strive with the most. Whether we are envious of siblings (this goes all the way back to Cain and Abel), or simply don't get along, there is usually tension between siblings and it can lead to dire consequences. Spiritually, everyone in the Body of Christ is our brother or sister. Have you ever noticed that many of the church's problems come from in house? Discord is sown between members and before you know it this family is allied with these families against another family. That's not what God wanted for His people. We have to be careful not to let the devil divide and conquer within the Body of Christ.

Anger and Compassion

Isaiah finishes the chapter with a word of hope. In all of this, God's hand is still stretched out. This means Israel always has the chance to repent and turn back to God. In the New Testament, Jesus tell us to forgive people 70 times 7 times—that's 490 times! That's a lot of forgiveness don't you think? Well, it may be hard for us to fathom, but God exemplifies all that He commands of us. Throughout His warning to Israel, there is a continual reminder that His hand is still outstretched. This means Israel is free to repent and turn back to Him at any time during their punishment. Just like your parents don't stop loving you because they have to punish you, God doesn't stop loving us either. He wants us to come back. So know, no matter what you've done in the past, God's hand is still stretched out, waiting for you to grab it and return to Him.

References

1. "Did one third of the angels fall with Lucifer?". GotQuestions.org; visited April 2018
2. "Bible Translation Guide". Mardel Christian Bookstores; visited May 2018
3. ""Not increased the joy" or "Increased the joy" in Isaiah 9:3?". KJV Today; visited May 2018
4. "Cannibalism". Encyclopædia Britannica. February 9, 2018
5. Terry McCarthy. "Japanese troops 'ate flesh of enemies and civilians'". Independent. August 11, 1992
6. Volker Wagener. "Leningrad: The city that refused to starve in WWII". Deutsche Welle. August 9, 2016
7. Jacobe Grace. "Why Do Farmers Burn Their Fields?". Harvest Public Media. April 21, 2015

Isaiah 7: A Prophecy for Ahaz

In Isaiah 7, we see Isaiah presenting Ahaz, king of Judah with a message from God. This takes place at a crucial time when the northern kingdom and Syria began forming an alliance.

Introduction

Imagine if North Korea and Russia suddenly became best buddies. Would you be worried for the safety of the United States? In Isaiah's day, they didn't have to worry about bombs (let alone nuclear weapons), submarines, or planes, so countries that far away probably weren't even on their radar. However, they still had to worry about armies and invasions from the nations nearby. The relationship between Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel) and Israel (the northern kingdom) was very rocky. When Israel formed an alliance with Syria, their northern neighbor, it was cause for concern. This issue is also discussed in 2 Kings 16.

Distance

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Cédric Dhaenens

Out of curiosity, I used Google Maps to determine exactly how far the kingdom of Judah was from Syria; I used Jeruslaem, which would have been the captial of Judah and Damascus, the capital of Syria, even then, to estimate the distance. In our modern society, we could drive from one city to the other in about 5.5 hours. This is about the same time it takes to drive from the coast of South Carolina to the tip of South Carolina that borders Tennessee. That's pretty close, right?

Of course, back then they didn't have cars so the army would have had to march or ride horses to get to their destination. Google Maps doesn't have a horse riding option and the bicycle option was unavailable so I looked to see how long it would take to walk. The estimate was 59 hours, about 2.5 days, and that's if you were to walk continuously. Since the army would have to stop to eat and rest, I imagine it would probably take them about a week to reach Jerusalem.

I imagine that once Ahaz heard the two nations had formed an alliance, he expected an attack within the week.

Trusting In God

Ahaz and the Israelites were full of distress and worry at the turn of events, but God sent Isaiah to correct Ahaz's doubt. God had promised to protect his people so why was Ahaz sweating the small stuff? God had already defeated so many nations—including the very powerful Egypt—for the Israelites so why did they think this would be any different?

Although we aren't kings waiting on nations to come attack our nation in a literal sense, we deal with Ahaz's struggle every day. Satan is constantly attacking the Kingdom of God by attacking us. Just as God tells Ahaz that he will succeed as long as he believes, the same holds for us today.

Isaiah's Son Shearjashub

In Isaiah 7:3, God commands Isaiah and "Shearjashub, thy son" to meet Ahaz and deliver this message. This is the only place in the Bible in which Shearjashub is mentioned. No hints are given as to how old Isaiah's son is or why he was to go with Isaiah to deliver the message.

65 Years

In Isaiah 7:8, God explains that "Ephraim", which refers to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, would fall within 65 years. This gives us reason to date the time of the prophecy. It is estimated that the siege in which Pekah and Rezin joined forces against Judah occurred in 742bc.[2] If this is the correct date, the message to Ahaz would have been around that time as well and 65 years later would be approximately 677bc. Most scholars agree that the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 bc.[3] That's well within 65 years, but often ask why such a wide time frame. It seems as though God would have said 20 years where he speaking of the defeat of Israel in 722. My study Bible suggests that another event occurred closer to the date of prophecy, which they give as 670.[4]

Remember the exact dates are merely approximations; back then, each nation had their own calendar and kings altered their calendars at will. Today's scholars try their best to assign dates to the events in the Bible, but a quick search will show that there is disagreement among these dates. Given this, many references site different dates for the time in which Isaiah gives this prophecy and thus find a different endpoint for when it should be fulfilled. As I searched for events near the end of the 65 year time frame, my goal was to figure out if there was another event further out that could have been the object of this prophecy, not to verify the exact dates.

Many scholars suggest the event that was being foretold was actually the final deportation of Israelites into the Assyrian kingdom, since Isaiah 8:4 confirms that Isaiah knew the northern empire would be powerless soon. Like with the Babylonian captivity, the transferral of people from their homeland into captivity was gradual and came in phases. They suggest that even though the kingdom fell in 722, it wasn't until much later that the process was complete.[5] A personal thought is that it could reference the end of their Israelite identity. In the Old Testament, 40 years represent a generation (roughly), so in 20 years, the nation fell, and 40 years later, it was a generation that knew nothing of Israel. Unlike the southern kingdom of Judah, the tribes from the north were never recovered; this was literally the end of those tribes.

Asking for a Sign

There are times when God tells us not to ask for signs (see Exodus 17 and Deuteronomy 6:16), but here, God commands Ahaz to ask for a sign proving the prophesy would come true. Ahaz, actually refuses, but God proclaims a sign anyway!

Refusing the Sign

Many interpret Ahaz's refusal to ask for a sign as him mocking God. I think this comes from God's response to Ahaz's refusal. God tells Ahaz that it's one thing to "weary" or frustrate men, but something entirely different to frustrate God. Because of this, I take it as a show of false modesty.

Have you ever been in a situation where you try to help someone or compliment them and they act like they can't accept your help (or compliment). Instead they make you beg them or pay them compliments on top of the original compliment? It seems like modesty at first, but you quickly become frustrated when you realize they're jerking your chain. I think this is how Ahaz approached the situation with God.

Nonetheless, there is a major difference between Ahaz's situation and the events of Exodus 17. The Israelites were questioning whether God is God; they were saying "if you're really God, then perform this miracle." Ahaz on the other hand was being told by God to ask for a sign. This was more like asking for a confirmation or a deposit. The request, had it it been carried out the way God instructed, would not have been to question if God was who He said He was. Instead it would have been a sign to look out for God's coming miracle. By refusing the sign Ahaz was actually expressing the same disbelief the Israelites had during the Exodus. He was rejecting the sign because he didn't believe any of this would happen.

The Actual Sign

Isaiah 7:14 describes the actual sign, the birth a son to a virgin. This is widely considered to be a Messianic prophecy, foretelling the virgin birth of Jesus. However, the translation of this verse is also fiercely debated. As I began writing about the controversy and fulfillment of this prophecy, I realized it should be a post all to itself. You can read "Isaiah 7: Born of a Virgin" for more on this prophecy.

The Prophecy

Verses 17-25 discuss the destruction upon Judah. There would be desolation and a complete destruction of the agriculture in Judah. Something that stands out to me in this passage is the revelation that God will "hiss for the fly" in Egypt and "for the bee" in Assyria. This is clearly figurative language, which made me curious as to the meaning behind God's words. Egypt was infested with flies—Isaiah points this out again in Isaiah 18:1. Assyria, on the other had was known for it's bees; further, bees re used to describe dangerous nations in Deuteronomy 1:44 and Psalm 118:12. In many cases, God uses animals to symbolize nations (one of the first examples to come to mind is Daniel 7), so its no surprise that He likens these nations to animals as well.

God also informs Ahaz that embarrassment will fall upon them. By mentioning a razor and the consumption of a beard, He is alluding to the act of shaving off one's hair, which was humiliating in Israelite culture. We see this in 2 Samuel 10:4-5 when David's men can't return to the city due to their shaved condition.

So, although Judah would escape demise at the hands of Syria and Israel, they would not be spared from Assyria and Egypt. This is a poetic situation because it is Assyria that Ahaz turns to when He doesn't trust God. We often turn to mankind because we don't trust God to handle things and it always backfires because mankind is fallible. Instead, we should always turn to God to solve our problems. While God may send humans to assist us after we have called upon Him, I believe they will offer to help us as opposed to us seeking their help instead of God's.

Related Posts

• "2 Kings 16&17: The Northern Kingdom Captured"
• "Isaiah 7: Born of a Virgin"

References

1. "Damascus, Syria to Jerusalem, Isreal". Google Maps; visited March 2018
2. "Rezin". Bible Hub; visited March 2018
3. "When and how was Israel conquered by the Assyrians?". GotQuestions.org; visited March 2018
4. Holman Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 1139. 2014
5. "Isaiah 7:8 Commentaries". Bible Hub; visited March 2018

2 Chronicles 28: Ahaz

Ahaz takes over the throne from Jotham at the age of 20 and reigns for 16 years.

Introduction

Ahaz takes over the throne from Jotham at the age of 20 and reigns for 16 years. Ahaz is also discusses in 2 Kings 16, the post on this can be found here.
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Ahaz's Reign

Ahaz doesn't follow God's law; instead he follows the ways of the kings of Israel. Not only does Ahaz sacrifice to false gods, he practices the horrible pagan tradition of sacrificing children. This is referred to as passing children through the fire or burning them through the fire. Because of this, God's anger is kindled and Ahaz is punished. When Ahaz dies, he isn't buried with the previous kings.
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Battles

Both Syria and Israel attack Ahaz's kingdom, and because Ahaz has turned his back on God, God allows Judah's enemies to prevail. The kingdom of Judah loses 120,000 men in one day during the battle. The northern Israelites take another 200,000 men, women and children captive.

Obed, a prophet from God stops the northern tribes from enslaving their brethren. The tribes in the north were also sinful, perhaps more sinful than those of Judah, but God still wanted them to abide by the laws set during the Exodus. Fortunately for the men and women of Judah, the people of the northern kingdom heeded the prophet's advice.

With the Edomites and Philistines also warring with Judah, Ahaz sends to Assyria for help—note he doesn't turn to God. Ahaz gives the king of Judah treasures from the Temple, but the king of Assyria doesn't come to their aid. If that wasn't enough, Ahaz then turns further from God and promotes idolatry to the gods of Syria. Naturally, this provokes God's anger.

References

2 Chronicles 22: Ahaziah & Athaliah

Ahaziah's brief reign plus the cruelty of his mother Athaliah are discussed.

Introduction

2 Chronicles 21 tells us that Jehoahaz takes over for Jehoram after his death, but 2 Chronicles 22 details the reign of Ahaziah, who has taken over for Jehoram. This is because Ahaziah and Jehoahaz are the same person; this is evidenced by the matching back stories given for them. Name changes are not only common in the Bible, they are common in our present day society.

2 Chronicles 21 tells us about the defeat and punishment of Ahaziah's father Jehoram, which included the capture of Ahaziah's brothers. As the sole remaining heir, Ahaziah was placed on the throne without contest, despite being the youngest son. Ahaziah has only a short reign before his mother, Athaliah, takes the throne.
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Ahaziah's Reign

2 Chronicles 22:2 says Ahaziah was 42 when he began to reign, but this doesn't make sense if his father was only 40 when he died. 2 Kings 8:26 says Ahaziah was only 22 when he became king, which seems much more probable. Answers in Genesis has an in-depth article on resolving Ahaziah's age. They suggest 2 possibilities. One is that 42 refers to his place in the dynasty of Omri, while 22 refers to his actual age. The other is that it is a copyist error because older versions of the manuscript read 22 in both places.^[1] Since Omri was neither a good king nor a focal point for Judah, I am inclined to side with those who believe it is a copyist error. However, it is important to note that the numbers do add up. Omri was king for 12 years (1 Kings 16:23). His son, Ahab, reigns for 22 years (1 Kings 16:29). Ahab's daughter married Jehoram of Judah, who reigned 8 years before Ahaziah becomes king of Judah. During Jehoram's reign, Omei's line is still ruling in Israel. Following Ahaziah's lineage, we see that 12+22+8 is exactly 42, so Ahaziah really does describe his place in the dynasty as well.
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The Ways of Ahaziah

As king, Ahaziah listens to his mother (Athaliah) and follows the ways of Ahab, who was Ahaziah's grandfather and an ungodly king who had ruled over the north kingdom previously. Ahaziah goes to war against Syria with his uncle, Jehoram of Israel (not to be confused with his father). The pair then fight Jehu which brings about both of their ends. Jehu kills Ahaziah because he was descended from Ahab and God was eradicating Ahab's line in the north. Ahaziah only ruled for 1 year before dying in battle. Since he was not leading Judah to God and participated in idolatry, it's probably a good thing that he did not get a full reign.
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Queen Athaliah

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Maarten van den Heuvel

2 Chronicles 21 says that Jehoram's wives were taken captive, but it doesn't specify that all of his wives are taken the same way it does regarding his sons. Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah, apparently managed to escape with her son and is thus a major part of Ahaziah's reign. Given that Ahaziah's brothers were all taken away and that at 23 Ahaziah was unlikely to have fathered any children old enough to be king, the heir to throne would have had a hard time taking a stand for power on his own.

Determined the acquire this power and never relinquish it, Athaliah kills her own grandchildren to become queen. Jehoram's daughter (and thus Ahaziah's sister), Jehoshabeath, hides Ahaziah's youngest son. Jehoshabeath was married to a priest, which explains why the boy was raised in the Temple. The baby was hidden in the Temple for 6 years while Athaliah reigned.
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References

1. Stacia McKeever and Bodie Hodge. "Two Ages at Once". Answers in Genesis. December 15, 2008

1 Chronicles 18-21: David's Military

David was a powerful leader and led his military to great success. Perhaps pride in his army is what leads to him carrying out the illegal census.

Introduction

David defeats many great armies during his time, including the Philistines, the Moabites, Ammonites, and Syrians. A major shift in Israel's relationship with God can be seen by viewing the outcome of David's battles with these nations versus the outcomes just before the exile. During David's reign the Syrians became servants of Israel, but just before the exile, Israel is forced to serve Syria. Their military strength is directly correlated to their faith in God. Similarly, our success (note, what we consider success may not necessarily the same as what God does) is directly correlated to our relation with God.
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Preparation

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/JJ Jordan

When David wins battles, he also acquires spoils of war. The spoils, particularly the brass, that he acquires are stored and put aside for the Temple. David may not have been able to build the Temple but he was still in a position to make sure the necessary preparations were made.
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Ammonite/Syrian War

The information given on the war between Israel and Ammon, which later includes Syria, is given in both 1 Chronicles 19 and 2 Samuel 10.

When the Ammonites' king dies, his son Hanun takes over. David had been friends with the previous king, so he sent men to comfort the newly crowned king Hanun. However, the people of Ammon were suspicious of David and treated the men he sent disgracefully instead. They convinced Hanun that these men were actually spies. Naturally when these men returned, David was angry with the Ammonites. Knowing that this would cause war, the Ammonites hired 32,000 chariots from Syria.

David's captain, Joab, is forced to fight a two front battle. Joab takes men with him to fight the Syrians and sends men with his brother, Abishai, to fight the Ammonites. Israel defeats the Syrians so thoroughly that the Syrians become servants of Israel and refuse to help Ammon anymore. Ammon does not give up so easily, however; they take a year to regroup and reinitiate the war. David does not attend the battle, but Joab defeats them and destroys the city of Rabbah. The crown of the Ammonite king, which was very valuable, is taken by David.
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Philistine War

The Israelites also battle with the giants of the Philistines. The Philistines were known for their giants, like Goliath. The summary of the Israelites' victory over these giants is given in 2 Samuel 21 and 1 Chronicles 20. This time we learn that the brother of Goliath, killed by Elhanan, was named Lahmi. David's brother, Jonathan, kills a giant who has 6 fingers and 6 toes on each hand and foot. A third giant named Sippai was killed by Sibbechai.
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Controversial Census

1 Chronicles 21 brings us back to the issue discussed in the post on 2 Samuel 24; the bulk of the discussion on the "contradictions" found in this chapter, but I'll touch on it here briefly. There are 2 major conflicts in the retelling of David's illegal census: who prompted him to number the people of Israel and how many men were found.
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Who Authorized the Census?

Was it God or was it Satan that orchestrated the census? 2 Samuel 24:1 says God told him to do it, but 1 Chronicles 21:1 says Satan was behind the census. This is largely considered a contradiction by non-believers, but it actually makes sense

Satan can only do what God allows—remember he had to ask permission to torture Job. In 2 Samuel 24:1 we see that God was angry with Israel and set against them. Thus, in anger, God allowed Satan to tempt David into carrying out an improper census.

Moreover, God had already outlined how censuses were to be carried out during Moses' time and 2 examples are given to us in Numbers. There were clearly times when God called on his people to number all those eligible for war and there were clear protocols for carrying out such a census. David didn't follow these protocols though, and Satan would have been the one to convince him to do it his way instead of God's. Thus, even if God had required David to number the people, Satan would have been the one to convince David to do so contrarily to God's decree.
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How Many Israelites?

According to 1 Chronicles 21, David determines that there were 1,100,000 people in Israel and 470,000 men in Judah. Benjamin and Levi are not included in these numbers. 2 Samuel records a different set of numbers: 800,000 men from Israel and 500,000 men from Judah. A major difference in the text is the wording. 2 Samuel 24 specifies that the men from Israel were "valiant men" there were likely men in the army that were not considered valiant. These men would have been included in the general total given in 1 Chronicles 21, hence the 300,000 extra men. The men of Judah are described as swordsmen in 1 Chronicles, but this distinction is not made in 2 Samuel. Thus, it is possible that the extra 30,000 were military personnel who did not use swords. A full description of this is found in the post on 2 Samuel 24.
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David's Reaction

David quickly realizes that he has sinned and rushes to repent. When he repents, God gives him a choice of 3 punishments. David states that he does not want his shame to come on him by the hands of a man and opts for direct punishment from God instead. God sends pestilence upon Israel which kills 70,000 men.

David begs for mercy from God when he sees an angel with his sword drawn against Jerusalem. The angel appears at Ornan's threshing floor, the future home of the Temple. David asks God to transfer the punishment to himself since it is he who ordered the census. This is the sign of a true leader; he is willing to take the fall for his mistakes rather than have the nation be punished unjustly.

Ornan also sees the angel; perhaps this is why he was so willing to sell the land to David. David didn't want a free handout, though; he insisted that Ornan be compensated. Giving to the Lord something that has been given to you is not like re-gifting in our world today. Giving something to God that you didn't work for is meaningless.
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References

2 Kings 11-15: Four Good Kings in Judah

Beginning with Jehoash, Judah experiences a period of revival with 3 God-fearing kings. Although the effects are not permanent, these rulers give us a positive glimpse of David's dynasty, and prove that given the right leader, a nation can always return to God.

Introduction

Beginning with Jehoash, Judah experiences a period of revival with 3 God-fearing kings. Although the effects are not permanent, these rulers give us a positive glimpse of David's dynasty, and prove that given the right leader, a nation can always return to God.
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Jehoash

Judah is often represented by the lion
Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Chad Littlejohn

2 Kings 11 focuses mostly on the destructive Queen Athaliah, but we are also introduced to her successor, Jehoash. Hidden away by his aunt to escape Athaliah's massacre of Ahaziah's sons, Jehoash grows up in the Temple under protection. The priest does not wait until Jehoash is a full grown man (at least not by our standards today) to reveal Jehoash as king. Instead, Jehoash is crowned king at 7 years old with the support of several military leaders. Children were seen as adults as much younger ages back then, and the priest probably assumed that God's rightful heir needed to be on the throne as soon as possible.
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Reign

Johash's reign begins during the 7th year of Jehu king of the Northern kingdom. Because Jehoash was crowned at 7 years old, we also know that he was born the year Jehu took the throne. Following the ways of God, Jehoash reigns for 40 years—like David and Solomon. Johash does right by God but he doesn't rid Judah of pagan altars or illegal altars for God.
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Repairing the Temple

Jehoash orders that the priests take the money they've collected to repair the Temple, but after 23 years of ruling, the Temple still wasn't repaired. It seems only natural that Jehoash would have special regard for the Temple given that he was brought up there. He does not let this stop his vision, but continues the effort to repair the Temple. The priests are told they can't receive any more money until the repairs are completed. They come up with a public method of collecting the money to make sure the task is carried out properly. The priests kept the money from the trespass and sin offerings.
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Pressure From Syria

Hazael, king of Syria attacks Gath and subsequently determines to attack Jerusalem. Caving to pressure, Jehoash gives Hazael all of the treasures that had been dedicated to God. This is a low point in Jehosah's reign. Instead of clinging to faith and trusting God, he gives away holy objects. When we are cornered by the world, we are not to give up anything that belongs to God. We are to prepare for battle and trust that God will fight for us.
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Death

Jehoash is killed by his servants, and his son Amaziah takes over his reign.
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Amaziah

Amaziah, the son of Jehoash, was also a good king, though not as good as David. He takes the throne at 25 years old and reigns for 29 years. When he takes the throne, he takes revenge on the servants who killed his father and kills them. He does not kill their children however, because the law states that we are not to such a thing.

Amaziah starts a war with the northern kingdom of Israel, which turns out disastrous for Judah. The king at Samaria shared a name with Jehoash of Judah, so it can be difficult to keep them straight. Jehoash of Samaria does not want to be involved in the war, but does what he feels is necessary for his people. Jehoash raids the Temple and breaks the wall. The failure of God's people often leads to the destruction of His temple. Similarly, when we fail today, we defile ourselves and destroy the new temples of our bodies.

Amaziah does not die in the war and actually outlived Jehoash of the northern kingdom by 15 years. He was killed in Lachish by people who conspired against him. Azariah takes over as king after his father is killed.
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Azariah

Azariah tops the previous record of longest reigning king, reigning 52 years. His reign begins when he is just 16 years old and Jeroboam II had been ruling Israel for 27 years. Azariah follows in his father's footsteps and was a good king. Although he follows God, he does not remove the high places or altars from the kingdom. Azariah's downfall is not told in 2 Kings, but we know something changes his course of behavior because we are told that God curses the king with leprosy. His crimes are listed in 2 Chronicles 26. After being cursed with leprosy, his son Jotham takes over as king.
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Jotham

Jotham becomes king of Judah during the 2nd year of Pekah and is 25 years old when he begins his reign. His reign lasts for 16 years (this figure does not include co-regency).^[1] Jotham walks in the way of the Lord, but again, does not remove the altars. He adds an addition to the Temple. During Jotham's reign both Syria and Israel began attacking Israel. After his death, his son Ahaz takes the throne.

References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 658. 2014

2 Kings 8: New Leaders

2 Kings 8 discusses the succession of kings in both Judah and Syria.

Introduction

2 Kings 8 discusses the succession of kings in both Judah and Syria.
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Benhadad and Hazael

Benhadad, the king of Syria falls ill and sends Hazael (whom God told Elijah would be the next king of Syria) to speak with Elisha. Elisha tells Hazael that Benhadad will recover from his illness. An uncomfortable staring match follows and ends with Elisha weeping. When Hazael asks what is the matter, Elisha reveals the horror that Hazael will inflict on Israel as the next king.

Hazael passes on the message that the illness would not kill Benhadad, but after delivering the message, he kills him himself. It is unknown if he had been planning to usurp power all along or if Elisha's message gave him the idea. Nonetheless, we know that it was in God's plan for Hazael to gain the throne at some point.
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Jehoram

Jehoram of Judah begins his independent reign during the 5th year of Jehoram of Israel. This means he reigned 7 years with his father. Jehoram reigned another 8 years independently from the time he was 32. Jehoram of Judah was not God fearing and followed the ways of Ahab. He even takes Ahab's daughter as a wife. During Jehoram's reign, Edom rebels against Israel. It is unclear who won the battle, but Jehoram is not able to stamp out rebellion amongst the Edomites. When he dies, his son Ahaziah regins.
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Ahaziah (Judah)

Ahaziah of Judah takes over during Jehoram of Israel's 12th year. Ahaziah was only 22 years old when he took the throne. Like his father, he takes after the corrupt leaders of Israel. Its interesting that the corrupt leaders if Judah share names with kings from Israel.
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Ahaziah's Mother

Ahaziah's mother is listed as Athaliah, the daughter of Omri in 2 Kings 8:26. However, we are told that Ahaziah's father, Jehoram married Ahab's daughter. One might conclude that Jehoram had multiple wives—a reasonable assumption. A simpler solution would be that the author was reminding us that Athaliah was of the house of Omri (he started that lineage). The Bible always refers to grandfathers as simply someone's father.^[1]

References

1. Athaliah. BibleHub; visited 2017

1 Kings 22: Jehoshaphat Makes Peace

The last chapter of Kings brings the southern kingdom of Judah back into focus. For the first time since the division of the kingdom, we see the two kingdoms come together.

Introduction

1 Kings 22 introduces us to a new king in Judah, Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa. For the first time since the split of the kingdom, the two kings are seen trying to broker peace.
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An Update to the War With Syria

The war between Syria and Israel mentioned in 1 Kings 18 had come to an unofficial end when Ahab signed a treaty with Benhadad. There hadn't been any battles for 3 years. However, Israel had not reclaimed all of their land that the Syrians had conquered during the war.
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Peace Between the Two Kingdoms

A Peaceful Scene
Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Tom Low

During this time, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, met with Ahab, the king of Israel. This is the first mentioning of the two kings coming together in peace, and leads to an agreement between the two to recapture Israel's lost city. Jehoshaphat says that if God gave His blessing, he would help Ahab reclaim the lost territory and reminds him that despite their differences, they are of the same people.

Often as Christians we forget that we are supposed to be of the same body. We allow petty differences to divide us, but that only makes all of us weaker. Had Israel been a unified nation, they may have never lost the territory in the first place.
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Consulting the Prophets

The king of Israel calls for his prophets and they claim God has blessed the task, however, Jehoshaphat enquires of a real prophet of God. Ahab's prophets must have been involved in pagan practices. Despite Elijah executing a large number of them, Jezebel and Ahab's promotion of paganism likely led more to spring up.

Ahab mentions that there is a prophet of God named Micaiah, but he is despised by the king. Like we saw with Ahab and Elijah, the king was at odds with this prophet because he spoke the Word of God, and the king was at odds with the Word of God. Anytime you are against God you will begin to despise those who uphold His Word. This happens in our world today, as well.

Jehoshaphat stands up for Micaiah and has him brought in for counsel. As Christians, we are to stand up for our fellow believers rather than let the world deny them. We are to stand together in Christ. Jehoshaphat understood this and knew that if he was going into battle, he need a real prophet to get instruction from God.
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Michaiah

Initially, Micaiah gives the same answer as the rest of the prophets, but Ahab seems to think Micaiah is being disingenuous and prompts him for a real answer. This time he foretells of the scattering of Israel. Micaiah says that God deliberately wants Ahab to attack the city, that he has sent an angel to persuade Ahab to go into battle. A lying spirit (possibly the devil) had come forth and agreed to put lies on the tongues of the prophets. This spirit apparently only had the power to deceive the false prophets. Just as in the end times, God's people can not be fooled because they are in one accord with Him.

One of the false prophets is angered and slaps Micaiah. This seems like something that would occur on a reality TV show today. Despite the false prophet being guilty of assault, Micaiah is the one sentenced to prison. Micaiah, seemingly unbothered, says that if the people return in peace he isn't a prophet of the Lord. This is the essence of Deuteronomy 18:22; the way to see a true prophet is to see if their prophecies come true. This past year, many so called "prophets" were predicting President Obama would be assassinated before the end of his term or declare martial law to stop the next president from taking office. Since neither of these things happened, we know they are false prophets. Similarly, if Israel was not scattered, the people would know that Micaiah was not a true prophet, as well.
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On to Battle

Despite these warnings, both kings went to battle. At the edge of battle, Ahab begins to fear, probably due to Michaiah's vision, and disguises himself. When the king of Syria commands his army to contend with the king of Israel, they attack Jehoshaphat instead of Ahab. When they realize their mistake, they retreat from attacking Jehoshaphat, find Ahab, and kill him. He dies in his chariot and is carried back to Samaria, where just as Elijah predicted, the dogs licked his blood. As Michaiah had warned, the battle was not for Ahab to win.
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Jehoshaphat & Ahaziah

Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he took the throne; he reigned for 25 years in Judah. Like his father (Asa), he walked with God and did what was right. However, like Asa, he still refused to remove the altars for pagans and the people of Israel still committed idolatry. Jehoshaphat is the king that brought peace between Judah and Israel. His desire for God is what prompts him to reach out to Michaiah for consuel.

Ahaziah takes the throne after his father's death, during Jehoshaphat's 17th year, but he only takes the throne for 2 years. He was an evil king, like the kings of Israel before him. He served Baal and provoked God's wrath.

After the war, Jehoshaphat sends ships to Ophir for gold, but the ships are not able to make the journey. Instead they break at Eziongeber. Ahaziah offers to help, but Jehoshaphat refuses. Perhaps Jehoshaphat took this as a sign that God did not want him going after gold. It is also possible that after seeing the idolatry of the kings of Israel, Jehoshaphat no longer wanted to be associated with them.
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References

1 Kings 20: The Syrian War

1 Kings 20 tells us about the beginning of a war between Syria and the northern kingdom. As we saw in the previous chapter, God was setting up a revival of the nation through Elijah, Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu, but in order to accomplish this, Benhadad, the current king of Syria, had to be dealt with.

Introduction

1 Kings 20 tells us about the beginning of a war between Syria and the northern kingdom. Despite Ahab's idolatry and difficulty leading the nation, God steps in to save Israel from defeat. As we saw in the previous chapter, God was setting up a revival of the nation through Elijah, Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu, but in order to accomplish this, Benhadad, the current king of Syria, had to be dealt with.
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Syria Attacks Israel

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Jon Wisbey

Before Elijah anoints Hazael, God's choice for king of Syria, the king of Syria is Benhadad. Benhadad attacks Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, with a vengeance. Victorious, he tells Israel to surrender and lays claim to their wealth, wives, and children. King Ahab initially agrees, but recants after consulting with the elders. It seems odd to agree before consulting with anyone, but it seems odder still to consult someone after the decision has been made. Nonetheless, this fits the character of Ahab who has already proven to be a terrible king. Willing to put up a fight, the elders tell Ahab not to consent to Benhadad's request. When Ahab sends messengers to refuse the king, Benhadad's reaction is violent. If he hadn't been trying to start a war, he was now; Benhadad sends an entire an army against Israel.
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Prophesied Victory

An unnamed prophet comes to Ahab to tell him that God has said Israel would be victorious. We know this prophet isn't Elijah, because Elijah was in hiding and Jezebel, Ahab's wife, wanted him dead. Given that prophets of the true God were in short supply in the northern kingdom, it makes me curious as to who the prophet actually was. At this point in time, we don't know if Ahab knows who Elisha is or that Elisha is working with Elijah, so it is possible the prophet is Elijah. It is also possible that this prophet was a an ordinary person suddenly moved by God to further His Will. We must also consider that this prophet is actually pagan (like Balaam), since it seems unlikely that Ahab would consult a real prophet.
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First Battle

Israel is able to assemble an army of 7000 men, led by 232 princes of the tribes. I find it interesting that the number of men in the army matches the number of men God tells Elijah He still has in Israel in 1 Kings 19. Assured the victory, according to the prophet, Israel attacks at noon, to find Benhadad and his 32 kings were drunk. The 32 kings of Benhadad were likely leaders of tributary nations (i.e., nations that had fallen to Syria).^[1]

Needless to say, this a surprise to the Syrian army. Benhadad commands his men to take the Israelites alive regardless of their intentions. This was probably a hard command to follow, considering the leadership was drunk; perhaps some of the soldiers were too. Weapons and units were likely not in place or set for battle. Instead of being taken captive, the Israelites kill most of the army and force them to retreat. Careful not to give them the opportunity to regroup, Israel pursues the army and Benhadad as they retreat. The battle is described as a great slaughter with even horses being killed as Israel destroyed the army's weaponry. After proving a miraculous victory at His hand, God has the prophet return to inform Ahab that the Syrians would be back at the beginning of the next year.
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Preparation

Benhadad believed that like him, Israel had multiple gods and that their gods were tethered to Earthly objects. In this case, he figured God was a god of the hills and attributed his loss to the location of the battle. Following this thought, Ben-hadad assumed he would have better success fighting them in the plains. What he didn't know was that the God of Israel is the God of the world, He is not confined to a particular location.

Following his own flawed logic, however, Benhadad gives the order to rebuild the army. As God told Ahab, at the beginning of the next year, Benhadad was ready to fight against Israel once again. Since the army was just as large as the previous army, Israel was still out numbered.
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Second Battle

Ahab wasn't a good king, but God had pledged His loyalty to the people of Israel long before the nation even existed. Each time He pledged His allegiance, He reminded them that they would drift away but that He would still be there when they returned. When Benhadad relegated God to a particular location, He provoked God to once again come to Israel's rescue whether they repented or not.

God tells the Israelites that He will prove the Syrians wrong in their assessment that He was not God of the valleys. To do this, Israel had to be successful in battle. The two armies set up camp in the valley and the battle begins 7 days later. The Israelites were able to kill 100,000 of Syria's soldiers that very day. Assuming Israel was still fighting with an army of 7,000, this means that on average, each Israelite killed 14 or 15 people.

Many of the soldiers who weren't killed fled to the nearby city of Aphek. While there a wall falls on them, killing the 27,000 men that were left. Can you imagine? You barely escaped from the battle only to be flattened by a wall! We know that God had a hand in this because what are the odds of something like this happening? Benhadad was probably just realizing how wrong he was about God. Deserting his men, Benhadad flees.
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Covenant

Benhadad's servants suggest he should broker a treaty because Israel has merciful kings. The servants were right because Ahab makes a covenant with Benhadad, after Benhadad pleads for his life under the guise of being his brother. In the covenant, Benhadad promises to restore cities to Israel that his father had taken previously. Benhadad also gives Israel trading privileges in Syria.
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God Rebukes Ahab

While it may have been merciful, and perhaps even prudent for Ahab to agree to the covenant, God did not authorize this covenant. Ahab had been ordered to kill Benhadad and he had failed.

A prophet is sent to Ahab to send a message. Interestingly, he asks a stranger to "smite" him (meaning injure) and the stranger refuses. When the stranger refuses to assist the prophet's mission, God smites the stranger! A second stranger obliges the prophet who gains an audience with the king by way of his injury. Disguised with ashes, he presents a scenario which represents Ahab's disobedience. Eventually, he condemns Ahab for letting Benhadad go when God had commanded his destruction.
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References

1. Jamieson Fausset Brown. "1 Kings 20 Commentary", via BibleHub.com; visited January 2017