Day 103 – 2 Kings 8–11, Psalm 103

In 2 Kings, we sink further into a time of deep political unrest and spiritual decay, a turning point from which Israel and Judah will not recover. What once was a chosen and unified people is now fractured, consumed by corruption, betrayal, and partial obedience. Many of us choose to give ourselves partially over to God. This type of conditional relationship with our Maker leaves many cracks for us to stumble on in our walk.

In 2 Kings 8, we hear more about the Shunammite woman—the same woman whose son Elisha brought back to life. After obeying Elisha’s warning and leaving her land during a famine, she returns to find her property taken. God helped her get everything back. Then we meet a man named Hazael, who worked for the king of a nearby country called Aram. When Elisha saw Hazael, he started crying, because God showed Elisha that one day, Hazael would become king and hurt many people in Israel. Elisha’s tears reveal the heart of a prophet torn between knowing what must happen and feeling the cost of it.

We also see a shift in leadership. In Judah (South), Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, is king. Unlike his father, Jehoram walks in the ways of Ahab, through his marriage alliance with Athaliah (Ahab’s daughter), dragging Judah into deeper darkness. In Israel (North), Jehoram, son of Ahab, still reigns, continuing in idolatry and failing to turn the nation back to God.

Let’s get something straight. Both Israel and Judah have kings named Jehoram around the same time, and it definitely causes some confusion when reading through 2 Kings. There’s Jehoram of Israel, son of Ahab and Jezebel, and Jehoram of Judah, son of King Jehoshaphat. Try not to mix them up—your Bible sanity depends on it.

In 2 Kings 9, Elisha sends one of the prophets to anoint Jehu, a military commander, as the next king of Israel. Jehu is chosen to strike down the house of Ahab, to end the legacy of evil. Jehu doesn't hesitate. He rides swiftly to confront King Jehoram (son of Ahab) of Israel. Jehu kills Jehoram and has his body thrown into the field.King Ahaziah (son of Jehoram of Judah), who had allied with Jehoram (son of Ahab of Israel), is also struck down as he tries to flee. Jehu confronts Queen Jezebel in her palace window, and her own servants throw her from the window. Things are just as Elijah had prophesied.

In 2 Kings 10, Jehu is king in the North. He sets out to eliminate the entire house of Ahab. Jehu did not surrender completely. He eliminated Ahab’s entire family line, but he clung to golden calves. Ultimately, this leaves Israel fractured. What do you cling to? In what way does your attachment leave you fractured?

In 2 Kings 11, in the South, after King Ahaziah pays the price for aligning himself with the North, his mother, Athaliah, steals the throne. Not only does she steal it, but she also kills her own grandchildren to secure her power as queen. God’s plan could not be stopped. One baby, Joash, was secretly rescued, becoming the next king.

In Psalm 103, David begins by talking to his own soul. He reminds himself not to forget all the ways God has been good to him—a reminder we all need occasionally.