Read 2 Kings 13, Micah 6, and John 7.
This devotional is about 2 Kings 13.
The years following David and Solomon were spiritually bleak for God’s people. Remember that after Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided into to kingdoms. There was the Northern Kingdom that continued to be called Israel and the Southern Kingdom that was called Judah. As the word “kingdom” implies, each of these had its own king, its own ruler. The Northern Kingdom, Israel, had rulers from different family lines while the Southern Kingdom, Judah, was continually ruled by descendants of David because the Lord was faithful to the Davidic Covenant promises He had made to David.
Remember, too, that the Northern Kingdom had 19 kings and none of them–not one–was a righteous king or a righteous man in God’s sight. All of them were wicked, which was primarily because they worshipped idols themselves and tolerated idol worship in their kingdoms.
Here in 2 Kings 13, we met one of Israel’s kings, Jehoahaz in verse 1. Predictably, this man, according to verse 2, “…did evil in the eyes of the LORD….” Verse 3 says, “So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel” and, therefore, they lived as a vassal state under the oppressive rule of the Arameans. King Jehoahaz did cry out for God’s help, according to verse 4, when the Arameans became too oppressive and God answered his prayer and delivered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, as we read in verse 5. However, verse 6 says, “But they did not turn away from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them.” So God was gracious to deliver Israel, but neither Israel nor their king became his worshippers.
Why did God put up with so much idolatry and unbelief from Israel? Why didn’t he just let them all die in judgment or in captivity to other nations? Verse 23 tells us why when it says, “But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence.” In other words, God made a promise to Abraham way back in Genesis 12 and he re-affirmed that promise to Abraham’s son Isaac, and Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. A promise is a promise and God is faithful to his promises, always.
Some of God’s covenants with people were conditional. Those covenants–like the Mosaic covenant, for instance–promised blessings for the people if they obeyed the Lord and stayed faithful to his covenants and curses on them if they disobeyed the Lord and were unfaithful to him. The oppression of the Arameans that we read about here in 2 Kings 13 was a fulfillment of the covenant curses God put in the covenant that Israel made with God through Moses. More covenant curses were coming for both Israel and Judah because they refused to obey God’s command to have “no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3).
Yet, God’s covenant with Abraham was not conditional; it was unconditional. God promised that he would bless Abraham’s descendants no matter what and that’s what verses 23 is telling us. The reason why God did not wipe out Israel, despite their wickedness in idolatry is that he had made unconditional promises to Abraham. This is why Israelites–we call them Jews today–but this is why they still exist with a distinct identity. God is always faithful to his promises and, therefore, he still has a future for Israel because of this promise to Abraham as our reading today in 2 Kings 13:23 reminded us.
If God kept his promise to Abraham long after Abraham was dead, you can believe him when he says in John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” You may sin and be unfaithful to the Lord at times in your life, but a promise is a promise and God always keeps his promises. So, if you are struggling with assurance of your salvation today, or just don’t feel God’s love in your life right now, be encouraged and be reminded. The same God who did not destroy Israel because of his promise has also promised eternal life to you. Trust him and serve him! He always keeps his promises.