2Ki 13:23 | KingComments | STEP | In this section we find a final testimony of the grace of God. This grace could not be great because of the absence of repentance and conversion. Yet there was that grace. Grace finds its source in God Himself. The promises God has made to us are not because of our faithfulness, but because of, and based on the work of His Son. It is remarkable that the manifestation of God’s grace is expressed in three different words: He was ‘gracious’ to them, He had ‘compassion’ on them, and He ‘turned’ to them. God has never finally rejected His people. The effect of God’s grace was beneficial to Israel. God, in His grace, gave Jehoash the ability to take the cities of Israel from the power of the Syrians who possessed them. This will have been a real blessing for those cities themselves. This freed them from the yoke of oppression. It would also have been a blessing for the whole kingdom, which had been strengthened by the return of the cities under Israel’s flag. By God’s grace Jehoash defeated the Syrians three times, just as often as he had struck the ground with the arrows ( ). But then his victories came to an end.

‏ 2 Kings 13:23

God Is Gracious to His People

In this section we find a final testimony of the grace of God. This grace could not be great because of the absence of repentance and conversion. Yet there was that grace. Grace finds its source in God Himself. The promises God has made to us are not because of our faithfulness, but because of, and based on the work of His Son.

It is remarkable that the manifestation of God’s grace is expressed in three different words: He was ‘gracious’ to them, He had ‘compassion’ on them, and He ‘turned’ to them. God has never finally rejected His people.

The effect of God’s grace was beneficial to Israel. God, in His grace, gave Jehoash the ability to take the cities of Israel from the power of the Syrians who possessed them. This will have been a real blessing for those cities themselves. This freed them from the yoke of oppression. It would also have been a blessing for the whole kingdom, which had been strengthened by the return of the cities under Israel’s flag.

By God’s grace Jehoash defeated the Syrians three times, just as often as he had struck the ground with the arrows (2Kgs 13:18-19). But then his victories came to an end.