Day Twenty-Seven -- Judah and Israel struggle under the kings

2 Kings 4:38 to 2 Kings 15:26

I am definitely in need of a scorecard to keep track of the ever-shifting politics and leaders of Judah (the southern kingdom) and Israel (the northern kingdom).  If it weren't for Elisha and a sprinkling of a few somewhat decent kings of Judah, one would have to conclude that the LORD had mostly washed his hands of the people.  What a long way they have come and fallen from the wilderness, although you might say they are farther from the Promised Land now than they were back then.  Even without knowing the rest of the story, you just know that all of this is headed for a really big disaster.

One of my surprises in the reading was the extent of the stories about Elisha.  He receives a lot of attention after picking up the mantle of Elijah, although he seems to be involved more in the concerns of everyday life, e.g., making water safe to drink and retrieving axe heads, than the larger confrontations of his predecessor. I was glad, however, for the break from the ruthless violence of the kings (hey, I'll take whatever I can get at this point).