This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing 
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s 
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

King Jehu in Israel and King Joash in Judah
are on mirrored paths. Both are secretly crowned.

Both their rules are
announced by trumpets.

Both the monarchs they replace
shout “treason!” before they’re killed.

And both Jehu and Joash
tear down the houses of Baal.

Under these relatively faithful kings, both Israel
and Judah experience a small revival from the long
season of spiritual death they’ve known.

Joash even brings some
life back to God’s temple.

The temple hadn’t been cared for in centuries, 
but Joash raises the funds to repair it.

But the priests in charge are 
both incompetent and thieves.

Spiritually dead, they steal 
from the temple’s repair fund,  

forcing Joash to keep the 
collection under armed guard.

The Syrian king is uninterested in Judah’s 
revival and leads his army to Jerusalem.

Desperate, Joash steals from the temple
treasury just like his faithless priests  

and surrenders enough
gold to ward off Syria’s attack.

While it was common enough in the north, Joash becomes
the first southern king to be assassinated by his own people.

For all the revival Joash accomplishes, 
it does not stop his own death.

While Joash was alive, Jehu passed away
and two new kings sat on Israel’s northern throne.

But both are evil, and both are hounded by Syria until 
they are eventually ground to powder by Syria’s forces.

Their failure to lead means Israel is
on the verge of national death.

But as if resurrected from the dead, Joash 
reappears in a narrative in a flashback.

He’s with Elisha on his deathbed, and Elisha
prophesies a limited run of three victories over Syria.

Flashforward, Elisha dies 
and is placed in a grave.

But when a dead man is thrown into 
Elisha’s tomb, he comes back to life.

Both this actual resurrection and Joash’s sudden
narrative resurrection are not-so-subtle 
clues that God will remain faithful

to the promises he made
to Israel, even in death.

[music]

We often think of the book
of Kings as a book of history,  

but it’s more accurate to
say that Kings is evangelistic.

It’s a book about life from the dead.

It reminds Israel of God’s promises and 
demonstrates through their macabre history  

that God’s faithfulness
will last even beyond death.

And at this point in Israel’s 
history, everything is dying.

The kings bring no lasting salvation.

David’s kingly line is inseparable 
from the idolatrous line of Ahab.

The temple is either in disrepair 
or plundered of its sacred objects.

And now the prophets have all died.

It’s significant that the author doesn’t 
remind Israel of God’s promise to David,  

but instead God’s ancient
promise to Abraham.

It’s as if the current political and religious system
is so broken only the promises God made 
before Israel existed can bring hope.

Back then nothing caused God to covenant 
with Abraham except his grace and mercy.

And in the throes of death, not only 
Israel needs to know and believe—  

it’s what we all need to 
know and believe as well.

We are dying not just because we are mortal, but because
every political, religious, and moral hope we’ve
looked to for life has or will soon die.

Our own family trees are inseparable from 
the injustice and idolatry of men like Ahab.

Our religious institutions 
are crumbling into disrepair.

Like Israel, we are beyond hoping for 
a return to some Davidic Golden Era.

We must throw ourselves on God’s ancient, gracious
promises if we hope to resurrect from these graves.

That's why it's good news that God’s promises
of mercy and life are available to us in Jesus.

God made a covenant with his 
people before the world even began.

He adopted us not because we 
earned it, but just because he loves us.

In grace and generosity, he offers
us in Jesus what was lost in a temple  

left to disrepair: redemption, 
forgiveness, and wisdom are ours.

And like the prophet Elisha, Jesus’ spent 
body and shed blood brings life from the dead.

When we unite ourselves to his grave in our baptism,
we unite ourselves to his resurrection life too.

Like Israel we have died, but 
in Christ we rise from the dead.

So, I pray that the Holy Spirit would open your
eyes to see the God who brings life to his people.

And may you see Jesus as the
Prophet who brings life from the dead.