2 Kings 13:1

2 Kings 13:1 says, In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.  Jehoahaz, Jehu's son, began to reign in the twenty-third year of Joash's reign in Judah, and he reigned for seventeen years.  As stated before, God's people should have never been divided, but they were for many, many years.  Christians today should not be divided either, but we often allow ourselves to be.  Verse two adds, And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.  Jehoahaz sinned against God by following the sins of Jeroboam who had led the people of Israel to sin.  We certainly should never allow sin to guide us as followers of Christ, and even more so we should never lead others to sin.  Verse three continues, And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.  God was displeased with the people of Israel, and He allowed them to be conquered by the Syrians.  If we as Christians allow sin back into our life, God is not going to be pleased with us and He may remove His protective hand from us.  This doesn't mean that we lose our salvation, but we may lose the joy and blessings of our salvation.  Also, just because someone is in power that doesn't mean that God has placed them there.  Verse four states, And Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them. Though Jehoahaz hadn't been faithful to God, when he was in trouble, he called on the Lord, just as people who have not been faithful to God will often do today.  Sometimes, people forget about God and His will for them until they have problems in life, and then they call on Him to bail them out and often blame Him for their problems as well.  Verse five adds, (And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians: and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.  God gave the people of Israel as savior who delivered them from the hands of the Syrians.  God has given anyone who will accept Him a Savior, Jesus Christ, and if we do accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, we will be delivered from the power of sin.  Verse six continues, Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)  Still, the people of Israel continued to sin although God had sent them a deliverer.  People today continue to live under the power and penalty of sin, even though God has already sent a Deliverer.  Satan and his forces are already defeated, but God will allow us to live under their power if we will not accept salvation by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse seven concludes, Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.  Though delivered from the rule of Syria, the people of Israel were left with little to go to war with because the Syrians had already destroyed the rest.  If we stray away from God, although we are forever saved if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be diminished in our power over sin in our life.  As Christians, we must always put doing God's will by the leadership of the Holy Spirit first.