II Kings A Dark Moment in the History of God’s People God’s Sovereign Judgment

Introduction The opening chapters of II Kings are full of accounts of prophetic ministry. God’s Kingdom is clearly demonstrated in the witness of the lives of Elijah and Elisha. Later the fall of the northern kingdom shows that there is no “kingdom power” without “kingdom obedience.”

Introduction Continued Author-According to early Jewish tradition the author was Jeremiah. This famous prophet preached in Jerusalem before and after its fall. Part of the book (chapter 24 & 25) in Jeremiah 39-42 and 52. Date: Written in the late sixth century B.C. Time Period-covers almost 300 years of history from the reign of Ahaziah through the fall of Israel and the fall of Jerusalem and the release of King Jehoiachin in 560. Background-Time of great change and upheaval with struggles from without and within.

Occasion and Purpose Same as I Kings. It was written to answer the question of why both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah had been taken captive. The answer is that this punishment by captivity to foreign pagan nations was the consequence of the persistent violation of God’s covenant with them. It was written to cause the exiles to reflect on their history and return to the Lord with an obedient heart.

Historical Records II Kings records the last ten kings in Israel which were all bad. II Kings records the last 16 rulers in Judah. It is a selective history with much written about a few men and little written about others. Major attention is directed to those who either serve as a model of uprightness or to those who illustrate why these nations eventually collapsed.

Personal Application The nation, leader, or person who responds to and obeys the Lord will enjoy the benefits of this relationship Those who refuse and rebel will experience God’s discipline. Those that repent and return to God will be graciously forgiven.

The Reign of Ahaziah in Israel Chapter One After Ahad died the Moabites refused to continue paying tribute & servitude. Ahaziah (son of Ahad and Jezebel) is injured and sends messengers to consult the local fertility god, Baal-Zebub concerning his future. Elijah intercepts them and sends them back saying, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire….” The kings sends out a captain and 50 men to get Elijah.

Elijah Elijah, “If I am a man of God then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men. It happened again with the same results. The King send out a 3rd captain with 50 men. This captain begs Elijah for his life. The angel tells Elijah to go with him to the king. He tells the king he will die for his sins which he does. Jehoram becomes king because Ahaziah had no son.

Elijah the Man Famous 9th century prophet who served in the northern kingdom during the reigns of Ahad and his son Ahaziah. He was prominent in Jewish prophetic expectations. Mal 4:5 foretells that Elijah will have a reappearing before “the great and terrible day of the Lord.” He was at the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses and Jesus talking about the Lord’s sacrificial death (in all 3 Synoptics). I Kings 17:1 states that he was from Gilead in the Trans-Jordan

Comparison of the Departure of Jesus, Elijah and Moses Divide into groups and compare these 3 events Moses: Numbers 27:18-23 & Deut. 34:1-12 Elijah: 2 Kings chapter 2 Jesus: Acts 1:1-11 Use Only Your Bibles (not your textbook)

Elijah Appearance-dressed in a garment of haircloth with a girdle of leather. Brave spokesman for what is right. James 5:17-18 tells us that he was a man the prayed fervently and that God answered him. He also seemed to have strong interest in education. He continued the schools of the prophets founded by Samuel and instructed Elisha in their administration. He regarded the “sons of the prophets” with respect and affection.

Chapter 2 Elijah Ascends to Heaven Elijah travels with Elisha from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and finally across the Jordan where he ascends to heaven. Elisha followed closely because a dying person would often pronounce blessings on others Elijah tested this commitment 3 times.

Elisha The “spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha” He was from west of the Jordan about halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. He served primarily in the northern kingdom from about 850-800 B.C. His work included: 1. Serving in the schools of the Prophets 2. Helping the needy 3. Performing miracles 4. Giving Godly advice to the King 5. Acting as a spokesman for God

The Reign of Jehoram in Israel Chapters 2-8:15 Elisha’s first 2 miracles 1. The people of Jericho ask him to purify their water and God “heals the water”. 2. The curse on 42 young scoffers -Likely that they were idolatrous young men making light of the event of Elijah going to heaven (in effect they were expressing contempt against the God of Elijah and Elisha). -Promply judged

Elisha’s Ministries of Mercy 4:1-6:7 Saving a widow from her creditors Restoring a Shunamite women’s son to life Saving a company of prophets from poisonous stew Multiplying food to feed the hungry Healing of an enemy general of leprosy Recovery of a borrowed ax

Elisha’s Ministry of National Importance 6:8-8:15 Moab’s rebellion caused Jehoshaphat (king of Judah), Jehoram (northern kingdom) and the king of Edom to unite. In their quest they entered a barren land with no water. The kings called on Elisha for a solution. He told them to dig ditches all across the valley and the Lord would fill them, which he did and the Moabites attacked, but were subdued. The king of Moab took his son and had him sacrificed upon the wall of his city. He was seeking to please his god, Chemosh and hoping that this would change the course of the battle, but they lost. Elisha also warned the king of Israel of the plans of Ben-Hadad several times. Ben-Hadad seeks to have Elisha killed, but cannot. Later Samaria is besieged by Ben-Hadad and the people of Samaria begin to starve (to the point of cannibalism). The king seeks to blame Elisha and have him killed, but Elisha tells him the crisis will be over tomorrow. During the night the army of Ben-Hadad hears the sound of a great army and flees leaving all their supplies, riches and animals.

The reign of Jehoram in Judah Reigns for 8 years Married Jezebel’s wicked daughter, Athaliah Judah’s 5th ruler His father was Jehoshaphat, but unlike his father he was a wicked king *At this time there was a king named Jehoram in Israel and in Judah.

Then Reign of Ahaziah in Judah The 6th King in Judah (not to be confused with the 8th king in Israel) He was also a wicked ruler and also received input from Athaliah (his mother) He reigned only 1 year and then was wounded by the Syrians while he was visiting Joram of Israel.

Jehu Anointed King of Israel 9:30-10:36 Elisha instructs one of the sons of the prophets to anoint Jehu (a captain in the army) as king, tell him that he is to strike down the house of Ahab and tell him Jezebel will die and then run. The son of the prophet obeys. Jehu immediately departs to kill Jehoram which he does with an arrow. Then he has Ahaziah (king of Judah) also killed and goes after Jezebel. The eunuch’s throw her out of an upper window to save themselves and the dogs eat her flesh before she could be buried. He also killed Ahab’s 70 sons and Ahaziah’s (king of Judah) 42 brothers. All this fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah. (see I kings 21:17-26) Destroyed Baal worship by trapping and executing the worshippers of Baal and burning their temple. But he did not turn away from the worship of the 2 golden calves and he did not walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel. He reigned 28 years and enemies took away some or all of the land east of the Jordan.

Queen Athaliah in Judah She was the mother of Athaliah, the former king of Judah When she knew her son was dead she had all the heirs to the throne (her grandchildren!) killed (except for 1 that was hidden-Joash). She ruled over Judah for 6 years She was the strongest proponent of Baal worship.

The Reign of Joash in Judah 11:17-12:21 Jehoiada, the high priest plans with the Levites and the army to restore the throne of David through Joash. They anoint Joash (at the age of 7) and kill Athaliah. Under the leadership of Jehoiada the people tear down the temple of Baal and kill the priests of Baal. The temple in Jerusalem is restored and repaired. After the death of Jehoiada, Joash drifted from the Lord and again allowed idolatry. Later he was killed by his own servants.

Jehoahaz Reigns in Israel 13:1-9 Son of Jehu (king of Israel) #11 of 19 evil kings He did evil and so God sent Syria against him. Jehoahaz pleaded with God for relief and the Lord gave Israel a deliverer (this deliverer was Assyria which threatened Syria so that they had to withdraw from Israel to protect themselves. His son Joash or Jehoash(not the same Joash as the one in Judah) took his place when he died.

Reign of Jehoash (Joash) in Israel 13:10-25 Reigned 16 years Did evil in the sight of the Lord During this time Elisha is sick and the king (Joash) comes to him to weep over him. Elisha helps him shoot an arrow out the window and tells him to strike the floor. He strikes it only 3 times which angers Elisha and he tells him he will only win in 3 battles against Syria rather than defeating them permanently. Later Elisha dies

Amaziah Reigns in Judah 14:1-22 He reigned 29 years (9th ruler in Judah). He was the son of Jehoash of Judah. He began well by obeying the written word and the messages of the prophets and he won a victory over the Edomites. He was very aggressive and restored some of its prestige. He executed those who had killed his father He returned to idolatry and then is defeated by Israel and taken captive to Samaria

Jerobaom II in Israel 14:23-29 Israel’s power and wealth increase greatly under his rule. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He reigned for 41 years.

The Reign of Azariah (Uzziah) in Judah 15:1-7 He was 16 when he became king and he reigned for 52 years. He was one of the more stable kings of Judah. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, except he did not remove the high places and he let the people continue to sacrifice and burn incense on the high places Later he was struck with leprosy which meant he had to live in isolation. At this time his son Jotham took his place.

The Reigns of Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah and Pekah in Israel 15:8-31 Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II persisted in the worship golden calves and he was killed after only 6 moths by Shallum Shallum reigned a month and was killed by Menahem Menahen reigned 10 years, but was dominated by Pul, one of Assyria’s greatest Monarch’s who imposed great taxes on Israel. Menahen was later killed by his chief army officer, Pekah. Pekah reigned 20 years and did evil and the king of Assyria took much of the land and many of the people as captives.

Jotham Reigns in Judah 15:32-38 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord He rebuilt the northern gate of the temple *It is difficult to sort out the dates of his reign. It appears Judah had 3 overlapping kings living at the same time (Jotham’s father, Uzziah the leper and Jotham’s son Ahaz)

The Reign of Ahaz in Judah 16:1-20 He was 20 years old when his father Jotham dies and Ahaz begins to reign. He turned from the Lord to pursue idols and false gods and made his own son “pass through the fire” Consequently Judah becomes a vassal state of Assyria

The Reign of Hoshea in Israel 17:1-5 The Last of Israel’s rulers He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He reigned for 9 years and was then taken captive by Assyria

The Captivity of Israel to Assyria 17:6-41 The northern kingdom ended in 722 B.C. and was taken captive by Assyria This chapter goes over all the reasons that Israel was allowed to be taken captive.

The Kingdom of Judah Alone 18:1-25:30 The reign of Hezekiah 18:1-20:21 His name means “God has strengthened”. He was a descendant of David. His mother was the daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord. He took down the high places and broke down the images that were worshipped.

Hezekiah’s Religious and Political Policies He provided leadership in initiating a reform program to honor God The Temple was reopened Everything associated with idol worship were removed. Sacrifices in the Temple were reinitiated. Invited the people of Israel to join them in the celebration of the Passover. Reorganized the priests and the Levites for regular religious services Fortified the city of Jerusalem by extending the walls and chiseled out a tunnel to ensure an adequate water supply.

Chapter 19 & 20 Perhaps in Wrong Order Probably Hezekiah was near death and then healed with 15 years added to his life before the war of Chapter 19. (see v. 6 of chapter 20) 20:7 It wasn’t the figs that extended his life. This was a physical sign of what God was going to do (just like the arrows being shot to signify that Joash the king of Israel would strike and win 3 battles against Syria-see 13:15-19)

The Babylonian Envoy The King of Babylon sends an envoy and present to Hezekiah because he had heard that he had been sick. Hezekiah unwisely shows them all his treasury and that of the temple Isaiah questions him and foretells of when all this treasure will be stolen by the Babylonians.

Threat of the Assyrians Sennacherib assumed the Assyrian throne after Sargon II. He promptly attacked and pillaged Judah and imposed a heavy tribute on Hezekiah. Hezekiah summits, but when Jerusalem is threatened and Sennacherib sends a letter of insult and arrogance Hezekiah goes to God.

Hezekiah Comes Before the Lord Hezekiah takes the letter and spreads it out before God and trusts that He will hear and act accordingly. Isaiah speaks for God, “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.” Later an angel went out and killed 185,000 Assyrians camped around Jerusalem in one night. Sennacherib went back to Nineveh where his sons killed him.

Chapter 21 Manasseh Reigns in Judah He is Hezekiah’s son He is 12 years old when he becomes king and reigned 55 years Rebuilt the high places, altars to Baal, images, etc. Sacrificed his son to Molech Put an idol of Asherah in the temple Practiced divination and witchcraft. He was violent and shed innocent blood. Able to hold his position because he paid tribute faithfully to Assyria and didn’t cause them any trouble. *II Chronicles tells us he was deported to Babylon, repented and was released and went back to Jerusalem.

His Son Amon Reigns 15th Ruler of Israel Repeated the wickedness of his father Assassinated by his own officials in his 2nd year.

The Reign of Josiah, Chapters 22 & 23 Assumes the throne at the age of 8. Like Jehoash he was influenced and aided by a priest (named Hilkiah). He is the last good king of Judah (“He did what was right in the sight of the Lord”) He attempts to bring religious reform to the nation by ridding it of pagan religious practices.

Josiah He repairs the temple During the repair the Book of the Law (probably Deut.) is found. Josiah is distraught when he reads the book and sends to Huldah the prophetess to inquire about what God will so. Her response is encouraging and God promises not to send judgment on the nation until after Josiah’s death. “Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might…nor did any like him arise after him.” (23:25)

The Short Reigns of a few Kings Jehoahaz-evil son of Josiah who rules only 3 months and then is taken into captivity by Pharoah Necho and dies there. Jehoiakim-another son of Josiah who is a puppet leader appointed by Pharaoh Necho. He also did evil, had Jeremiah imprisoned and had the first draft of his written prophecies torn up. Under his reign the Babylonians invade for the 1st time and take some of the best (like Daniel) off to Babylon. Jehoiachin-reigns 3 months and is carried off into captivity to Babylon.

Zedekiah-the Last King of Judah Mattaniah was his Hebrew name He was appointed by the king of Babylon. He was also another son of Josiah. He rebelled against Babylon after 3 years. Nebuchadnezzar came in the final siege against Jerusalem. This was a long siege that lasted until the 11th year of his reign. Zedekiah was deported, his sons killed and then his eyes were put out.

The Captivity of Judah The treasures of the temple are sacked The city and temple is burned. Most of the remaining population is taken captive to Babylon. Only the poor and sickly are left behind. The kingdom has ended in sin, misery and defeat.