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| II Kings II Kings is a continuation of I Kings, beginning about 80 years after the Division of the Kingdom, and carrying parallel accounts of the two kingdoms on for about 130 years, to the Fall of the Northern Kingdom; and then proceeding with the further history of the Southern Kingdom for another 120 years, to its Fall. The book covers the last 12 kings of the Northern Kingdom, and the last 16 kings of the southern Kingdom, a period in all of about 250 years, approximately 850 - 600 B. C. The Northern Kingdom, called Israel, fell (721 B. C.) at the hands of the Assyrians, whose capital was Nineveh. The Southern Kingdom, called Judah, fell, 600 B. C. at the hands of the Babylonians, whose capital was Babylon. Elijah and Elisha were prophets sent of God, in an effort to save the Northern Kingdom. Their Ministry together lasted about 75 years in the middle period of the Northern Kingdom, about 875-800 B. C., through the reigns of 6 kings, Ahab, Ahaziah, Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash. The key verses in this book are in chapter 17: 13, 14 Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statues, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God. The author is unknown. Possibly Jeremiah or a group of prophets. The key people in this book are Elijah, Elisha, the woman from Shunem, Naaman, Jezebel, Jehu, Joash, Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Isaiah, Manasseh, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, and Nebuchadnezzar. The 17 Prophetic books at the end of the Old Testament give great insights into the time period of II Kings. Although Israel had the witness and power of Elisha, the nation turned from God and was exiled to Assyria. Assyria filled the northern kingdom with people from other lands. There has been no return from this captivity--it was permanent. Such is the end of all who shut God out of their lives. The northern kingdom was destroyed, and prophets were predicting the same fate for Judah. What more could cause the nation to repent? Hezekiah and Josiah were able to stem the tide of evil. They both repaired the Temple and gathered the people for the Passover, Josiah eradicated idolatry from the land, but as soon as these good kings were gone, the people returned again to living their own way instead of God's way. Each individual must believe and live for God in his or her family, church and nation. The purpose of Elisha's ministry was to restore respect for God and his message, and he stood firmly against the evil kings of Israel. By faith, with courage and prayer he revealed not only God's judgment on sin but also his mercy, love, and tenderness toward faithful people. Elisha's mighty miracles showed that God controls not only great armies but also events in everyday life. When we listen to and obey God, he shows us his power to transform any situation. God's care is for all who are willing to follow him. He can perform miracles in our lives. Every evil king to both Israel and Judah encouraged idolatry. These false gods represented war, cruelty, power, and sex. Although they had God's law, priests, and prophets to guide them, these kings sought priests and prophets whom they could manipulate to their own advantage. An idol is any idea, ability, possession or person that we regard more highly than God. We condemn Israel and Judah for foolishly worshiping idols, but we also worship other gods.........power, money, physical attractiveness. Those who believe in God must resist the lure of these attractive idols. EVIL KINGS/ GOOD KINGS Only 20 percent of Israel and Judah's kings followed God. The evil kings were shortsighted. They thought they could control their nations' destinies by importing other religions, forming alliances with pagan nations, and enriching themselves. The good kings had to spend most of their time undoing the evil done by their predecessors. Although evil kings led the people into sin, the priest, princes, head of families, and military leaders all had to cooperate with the evil plans and practices in order for them to be carried out. We cannot discharge our responsibility to obey God by blaming our leaders. We are responsible to know God's Word and obey it. GOD'S PATIENCE God told his people that if they obeyed him, they would live successfully; if they disobeyed, they would be judged and destroyed. God had been patient with the people for hundreds of years. He sent many prophets to guide them, and He gave ample warning of coming destruction. But even God's patience has limits. God is patient with us. He gives us many chances to hear his message, to turn from sin, and to believe Him. His patience does not mean he is indifferent to how we live, nor does it mean we can ignore his warnings. His patience should make us want to come to him now. JUDGEMENT After King Solomon's reign, Israel lasted 209 years before the Assyrians destroyed it; Judah lasted 345 years before the Babylonians took Jerusalem. After repeated warnings to his people, God used these evil nations as instruments for His justice. The consequences of rejecting God's commands and purpose for our lives are severe. He will not ignore unbelief or rebellion. We must believe in him and accept Christ's sacrificial death on our behalf, or we will be judged also. ELIJAH'S TRANSLATION Space does not permit to tell about the lives of all the key people in this book, but I believe Elijah would have to be the most unique. Elijah was a native of Gilead, the land of Jephthah. A child of the wild lonelinesss of mountain ravines, he wore a cloak of sheep skin or coarse camel hair, with his own thick long hair hanging down his back.. His mission was to drive Baalism out of Israel. His ministry may have lasted about 25 years through the reigns of the wicked Ahab and Ahaziah. He had some hard and rough and very disagreeable work to do. He thought he had failed, and though intimate with God in measure that has been given to few men, yet how utterly human he was, like us; and he asked God to take his life. But God did not think he had failed. His work done, God sent a group of Angelic chariots to bear him away in triumph to heaven. Elijah had recently been in Mt. Horeb, where Moses had given the law. Now, conscious that the time of his departure had come, he headed straight for the land of Moses' burial, Mt. Nebo, as if he wanted to be with Moses in death. We surmise that he was not long in finding Moses, and that they straightway became heavenly pals, and that they found their greatest joy in looking froward to the coming of their Greater Pal, with whom they made a brief earthly appearance. ( Matthew 17:3) Elijah had been a prophet of "fire". He had called down "fire" to destroy the officers of Ahaziah. Now he is borne away to heaven in "chariots of fire." Only one other, Enoch, was taken to God without having to pass through the experience of death. (Genesis 5:24). Possibly the translation of these two men may have been intended of God to be a sort of dim forecast of the Rapture of the Church, in that glad day when Angel chariots shall sweep in and swing low to gather us up to welcome the Returning Savior. REBELLION Centuries had come and gone But still unrest was dwelling on the throne. Not all were bad, and they did some good And then the evil wouldn't leave it as they should. All the generations that had endured Were still unsure of how it had matured. False gods and idols were still being built, Two nations of people, but few with guilt. The prophets would foretell the wrath of God They never changed the path they trod. God had mercy over and over again. Chances to redeem themselves was at hand. There were those who stood the test And tried to set examples for the rest. But you will find through the old testament That nothing much changed, until Messiah was sent. Written by Shirley Barr March 7, 2005 References: Halleys Bible Handbook, 1962 Life Application Study Bible 1996 |
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