God’s Work among the Nations and in Our Lives

Many people worldwide are asking questions with regard to the work of God among the nations of this world. God is indeed active in the affairs of humanity, and He is absolutely sovereign to accomplish His eternal decrees. Throughout the Bible, it is apparent that the people of God have always struggled with living holy and godly lives in the midst of a very perverse and wicked world.

Leviticus is a book that is solely concerned with the holiness of God’s people (cf. Lev 19:1-2). God’s standard is that His people are to be holy because He is holy (Lev 19:37; 20:7-8; 22:31-32). Nevertheless, God’s people have continually struggled with living holy and godly lives in an ungodly world. Oftentimes in the Old Testament, there was not an outright rejection of God’s standards, but a corrupted mixture by those who claimed to be His people. They did not reject God unequivocally; rather, the majority of the time, there was a corrupted mixture in their worship. The present exhortation in studying God’s actions among the nations (in the books of 1—2 Kings, for example) is to beware of deterioration in one’s own spirituality (cf. 1 Pet 1:13-19).

God’s eternal decree has always been to call a people—holy and separate—unto Himself from the world, and that this elect group would be saints (“unique ones”) as they live their earthly lives—holy and separate—unto Him. Therefore, a primary reason for “pressure” (“tribulation”) exerted upon Christians is to produce perseverance (endurance), as the believer is dependent upon the Lord God (Rom 5:3-11). As proven character becomes evident in the Christian’s life, confidence in God is intensified; and thus, hope “does not disappoint” (v. 5).

Wasted Opportunities

Second King 13 addresses two kings—Jehoahaz and Jehoash (Joash)—of the Northern Kingdom (the book of Kings vacillates between attention upon the Northern and Southern Kingdoms). Second Kings 13 is important not solely because of the two kings mentioned therein, but also because it records the death of Elisha the prophet and the end of a prophetic ministry that endured perhaps sixty years.

Verse 1 provides the given opportunity for Jehoahaz: “seventeen years.” Sadly, verse 2 records, “he did evil in the sight of the LORD.” The most grievous sin of Jeroboam was establishing calf worship (the rival religious system in the north), which became the defining moment in the history of the Northern Kingdom, and ultimately resulted in a divided kingdom subsequent to the reign of Solomon (cf. 1 Kgs 12:25-33). (Saul, David, and Solomon were the kings of the United Kingdom.)

According to 1 Kings 12:25-33, Jeroboam understood that the one unifying belief of Israel was the worship of God and the Abrahamic covenant. He feared that if his subjects continued to make pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem, there would be a revived sense of loyalty to Jerusalem and the Davidic monarchy, and he would no longer be necessary (1 Kgs 12:28-32). So he made golden calves for worship (1 Kgs 12:28—13:4).

Various peoples of the ancient Near East believed that their gods would sit or stand enthroned upon the back of an animal. Perhaps the Israelites thought God was invisibly enthroned upon the back of the golden calf that Jeroboam made. Once corrupted worship enters, it is virtually impossible to purge the corrupted mixture, because the people of God lose their discernment and deem the corrupted worship as acceptable. As punishment, God used Hazael, king of Syria (841-01 BC), who ruled from Aram. The disobedience of Israel to the Mosaic covenant brought divine judgment, as God allowed the Arameans to dominate the nation (2 Kgs 13:3).

God’s permission is a form of ordination (causation). Certainly, the Lord God could have prevented the dominance of the Arameans, but He chose not to prevent it. And so, it would be correct to say He ordained it to occur. God does allow evil to happen, but for His own good purposes, which are not always revealed in Scripture. However, affliction of God’s people and even awful wickedness occur with some reluctance on the part of God, as His nature is a perfect and holy hatred of rebellion.

In response to God’s anger, Jehoahaz asked for mercy (2 Kings 13:4). God in grace provided a “deliverer” despite the king’s unfaithfulness (v. 5). Sadly, repentance was not the response (v. 6). The people persisted in calf worship, which is why there is the record of devastation in verse 7. God disciplined the nation by reducing the military forces through causalities. The summary of Jehoahaz’s death and succession by his son is given in verses 8-9. The account continues with the record of another godless king (vv. 10-13).

In verse 14, the reader is reintroduced to Elisha. The prophet was last mentioned in chapter 9, where it was recorded that he sent one of the sons of the prophets to anoint Jehu as king over Israel (which was 50 years previous). Elisha’s ministry would not be successful from a temporal perspective (in that there were many godless kings), yet (and most importantly) God recognized his faithfulness. Believers must always be cautious to avoid determining success by results rather than evaluating life in faithfulness to God’s Word. Success and results are not antithetical, yet there is a danger in trusting more in results than in the sovereignty of God, especially in relation to the faithful service of His people.

Verse 14 also records the affection and respect of Joash (Jehoash) for Elisha. In verses 15-19, one learns that Elisha prophesied with regard to Israel’s deliverance because Joash humbled himself before God. The king’s act of striking the ground symbolized the deliverance. The king’s actions, however, demonstrated that he admired and respected God’s spokesperson, but did not trust God entirely (even though he understood the promise of victory according to the prophet’s instruction). The account of Elisha’s death is recorded in verses 20-21.

The record of verse 21 further emphasizes the omnipotence of God (since Elisha was dead and had no power in himself) in bringing blessing (in this case, life) to others through his faithful servants. Moreover, the action may also symbolize that as God revived a corpse, He would revive the nation against their enemies. Verses 22-25 indicate God’s graciousness with Israel, as Jehoash defeated the Arameans three times; however, they were not completely destroyed (cf. v. 19). Evidently, the graciousness of God was not on the basis of the nation, but rather the Lord’s faithfulness to the Abrahamic covenant (cf. Gen 12:1-3).

The Life of Faith Is a Marathon

Second Kings 14 focuses attention upon the Southern Kingdom. Verses 1-2 record (with significance) how many begin young in their career. According to verse 3, David established a standard for obedience (e.g., Ps 32; 51). David’s sins are glaring faults upon an otherwise faithful servant. When the prophet Nathan rebuked David, the king repented and lived his life pleasing before God, as he understood the blessedness of forgiveness and trust in the Lord. The standard of King David is not perfection but sin that is confessed; and when it is, there is repentance and wrong is made right.

Verse 4 indicates a pattern of toleration evident in the existence of the high places, which were centers or locations that were formerly sites of pagan worship. As opposed to destroying these sites, the Jews would seize them and use them for their worship. The practice was acceptable among citizens of the Northern Kingdom, yet God was not pleased (cf. Deut 12:2-5, 13-14). Verses 3-4 record the inconsistencies in obedience.

Amaziah is another example of someone who started well but did not finish well. Genuine success is measured only by perseverance; in this sense, the life of the believer is not a sprint but a marathon. King Amaziah was obedient to God’s Word, experienced divine blessing, and then became arrogant regarding his alleged might, rather than recognizing that his blessing was the result of God’s grace (2 Kgs 14:18-22). The chapter closes with a summary of the reign of Jeroboam II, which was an exceptionally long reign of forty-one years.

Even though Jeroboam experienced a lengthy reign that was politically impressive, the spirituality of the kingdom (as characterized by faithlessness and selfishness) was appalling, which can be seen in the books of Hosea and Amos. For these reasons, God brought affliction upon Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. Israel’s spiritual declension parallels exactly with the military and political strength of Assyria: specifically, the Omride dynasty (i.e., Omri, king of Israel) of the ninth century BC, and the growth of Assyria subsequent to the reign of Jeroboam II. Consequently, there is a historical parallel between the spiritual declension of God’s people and the period of Assyria’s rise to power (which was a historically grisly time of death and torture).

The grace of God should never become an opportunity to sin, because persistent disobedience displaces the longsuffering of God (cf. Rom 6:1-4; 1 Pet 4:17). The circumstances of the graciousness of God, and the continual pursuit of Israel in sin during the time of major relief under Jeroboam II (which was given by the sovereignty of God), is the reason for major denunciations of the nation by the prophets Amos and Isaiah. The goal and aim in life should be to persist in the goal of “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:10-14). Christians are not perfect, but let us pray that when we are aware of our sin, we would repent and finish well the work that God has entrusted to us.