Week 11 Study Page - 2nd Kings
Week #11 Study Page
2nd Kings (1-25)
Sunday – 2nd kings 1-4
Monday - 2nd kings 5-8
Tuesday – 2nd kings 9-11
Wednesday – 2nd kings 12-14
Thursday – 2nd kings 15-18
Friday – 2nd kings 19-21
Saturday – 2nd kings 22-25
Degree of difficulty: 9 out of 10 (Explanation:) This week's reading is especially long. You'll have to forgive me. When planning out our first-quarter bible reading, i was exclusively paying attention to chapter-count. I have since discovered a method of dividing the readings according to word-count and have retrospectively realized that this will be one of our longest readings of the year. The account of 2nd kings is as fascinating as it is dizzying. there are incredible accounts of miracles, curses, blessings, battles, and murder, but they belong to a story line that is jumping back and forth between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in addition to the careers of certain prophets. The best way to keep the reading straight is to keep a picture/list of the kings of each kingdom handy (below). Additionally it will be helpful to be familiar with the enemies that Israel and Judah face in this narrative, as they will overtake both kingdoms before our reading ends.
About the Book(s)
2nd Kings
Date of Authorship: it seems likely that 1st and 2nd Kings was written in the 6th century BC, sometime between 561 and 539 BC, while the Israelite people from Judah were exiled in Babylon (see week #9's study notes for more details).
Author: Jewish tradition maintains that the prophet Jeremiah wrote the books of 1st and 2nd Kings, but there no historical or literary evidence to support that claim, we simply do not know who wrote 1st and 2nd Kings.
Purpose: This volume would explain to the Israelites in exile how it is that they got there, and show them the one quality that marks a successful Israelite leader - faithfulness to Yahweh.
A Reading primer for 2nd Kings
As you read, pay special attention to the succession of Kings shown here, so that you know which kingdom is being discussed and how far along in the story you are. next to that image is a picture showing the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon. Both of these kingdoms are situated to the east of Israel, with Babylon being centered further south than Assyria. Assyria rises to regional prominence first, and conquers the northern kingdom of Israel. Babylon then rises to prominence, conquering much of the Assyrian kingdom, even a kingdom that Assyria couldn't swallow up - Judah.
As you read Notes
Elisha's magical career
Before Elijah ascends into heaven on a flaming chariot, Elisha asks to be given a double portion of his spirit. This does not mean that Elisha is asking to be twice as powerful as Elijah. It was the right of the primary heir (usually the oldest son) to receive a double-share of the inheritance. Elisha is thus asking to be the primary heir of Elijah's prophetic gift. Elisha's request is granted.
2nd Kings's depiction of Elisha's career is especially magical. It includes the accounts of many miracles performed by Elisha which serve no purpose other than to show how amazing Elisha's prophetic gift was, like making an axehead float, or curing poisonous stew. One such story is particularly troubling. In 2nd Kings 2:23-25. some "youths" (likely young men) jeered Elisha for being a "baldy"
"if Elijah was a hairy man (see 2nd Kings 1:8 and possible reading variation in text footnote) Elisha's baldness would be a stark contrast and perhaps suggest to some that he could never have the same powers as his master. This taunt would therefore be a disavowal of his prophetic office and calling and would be strikingly refuted by the immediate fulfillment of his curse." (IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament)
The vexing part, is that these young men were killed by bears through Elisha's curse which was presumably effected by God - and that seems harsh. I don't have any magical insight (clearly i do not possess a double portion of Elijah's spirit) to ameliorate the harshness of this account. When i read it, i think of the fleeting nature of mortal life, especially as depicted in the Old Testament text. Stories like this one show us that God is not hesitant to deliver souls from this life to the next, and are an important reminder about which one of these is more important.
2nd Kings 9-10: Jehu's Rebellion
Last week we studied the historical and archaeological significance of the Omride Dynasty in the Israelite Kingdom. despite its wealth and success, Elijah had prophesied its demise because of the Idolatrous and moral evils of Ahab and Jezebel. The person selected to carry out this judgment is Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat (not* the king of Judah Jehoshaphat) His rebellion is bloody and comprehensive. He completely destroys the house of Ahab (Omride dynasty), and has Jezebel killed. Many readers and some commentators condemn Jehu for his bloodlust in the course of his rebellion. However, i think that this judgment is based on a mis-reading of Hosea 1:4 and I'd point you to a blog-post that i wrote last year concerning Jehu's gory rebellion https://www.madisonchurchofchrist.net/blog/jehu .
Jehu kills the prophets of Baal and destroys the temple to Baal in spectacular* fashion in 2nd Kings 10:18-27. However, despite his zeal for ridding Israel of this Idol, he did not* remove the golden calves erected by Jeroboam in Bethel and Dan, which angered God. This failure leads to the following Judgment of Jehu in 2nd Kings 10:31 "Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord the God of Israel with all his heart." the next several kings in the Kingdom of Israel are condemned for committing this same violation. Jehu's dynasty will be the last significant iteration of leadership in Israel. We learn from the prophets of this period(like Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah), that Israel not only continued in the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat (the golden calves), but also continued to practice idolatry and were morally rotten.
2nd Kings 15: Azariah King of Judah
Simply a note here that Azariah in the book of 2nd Kings is Uzziah of 2nd Chronicles 26. the accounts of 1st and 2nd Chronicles parallel those in Samuel-Kings, but are written from a more Judah-centric perspective and later - after the Persian King Cyrus had allowed some Israelites to return to Judah and rebuild Jerusalem. We'll discuss the differences between these two accounts more when we get to Chronicles this August, but Kings is more concerned with documenting the unfaithfulness of Judah and Israel leading to their exile, while Chronicles is more attentive to the faithfulness of certain kings in the kingdom of Judah. If you have the time, you could flip over and read 2nd Chronicles 26-32 for a fuller depiction of the faithfulness of both Uzziah and Hezekiah, which do not receive full treatment here in the account of Kings - thankfully, because this reading is already long enough.
2nd Kings 15-17: The Destruction of Israel
Because of Israel's unfaithfulness to God in a number of categories, they are punished by God. The account of Kings portrays the unlawful worship of the golden calves erected in Bethel and Dan as the primary transgression of Israel. God's gift of the promised land was always conditional (Deuteronomy 4:25-26) and Israel now experiences the consequences of their disobedience.
In 732 BC, the Assyrian King Tiglath Pileser invades much of Israel and exiles many Israelites to Assyria (2nd Kings 15:29). Then, 10 years later, Assyria returns under the leadership of Shalmaneser and Sargon, and completely lays waste to the Kindom of Israel, destroying the capitol of Samaria, exiling the Israelite people all over the Assyrian kingdom, and resettling Israel with foreigners
2nd Kings 18-19 Hezekiah's Deliverance
Judah was not immune to the scourge of the Assyrian kingdom. You must remember that Israel was not the only kingdom for whom destruction was prophesied as a result of their unfaithfulness (see Amos 2:4-5). 20 years after Sargon completed the destruction of Samaria, the Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah, sacking many of Judah's towns and taking many people captive. The great Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, and things would have looked especially bleak for king Hezekiah. Militarily, Jerusalem stood absolutely no chance against Sennacherib.
However, Hezekiah was special:
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; (2nd Kings 18:5-7a)
Because of Hezekiah's faithfulness and the faithfulness of the people of Judah under Hezekiah, God delivers them from the hands of the Assyrians. There is a fascinating artifact from the Assyrian kingdom housed in the British Museum in London called the "Sennacherib Prism" (pictured here). This six-sided stone is covered in text detailing the reign and military exploits of Sennacherib's reign. on the Sennacherib Prism, Sennacherib says that "I made [Hezekiah] Prisoner in Jerusalem, in his royal residence like a bird in a cage." This - of course- is a really generous way to say that Sennacherib's attempt to conquer Jerusalem was thwarted when the God of Israel struck 180,000 of his troops dead and his army retreated back to Assyria in defeat.
The Fall of Judah
After Judah was delivered from the Assyrians because of Hezekiah's faithfulness, they plunge into Idolatry and evil under the worst king of Judah, Manasseh, Hezekiah's son. Despite the inspiring revival led by king Josiah in chapters 22 and 23, Judah will also face the consequences for their unfaithfulness as Israel had more than a century earlier. We'll get to read more about why this happened when we dive deeper into the prophetic literature of the Old Testament this summer. in 605 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar invades Judah, defeats Jerusalem and takes many captives from the city (2nd Kings 24: 1-17). in 601 BC, Babylon fights Egypt to a stalemate. Judah aligns with Egypt which really sparks the anger of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. He sends an army to totally decimate Jerusalem. in 586 BC, the Babylonian army completely wrecks Jerusalem, destroying Solomon's temple and the city walls. Kings ends with the temple ruined and God's people completely exiled from the promised land.
Study Questions:
In 2nd Kings, many magical miracles of the prophet of Elisha are recorded, Why would it be important for God's people in exile (to whom this book is written) to read these stories. What does it tell them about God? What does it tell you about God?
In 2nd Kings 5:11-12, Naaman is disappointed to learn that his healing from God will be accomplished in a very simple and undignified act. What are you expecting God's deliverance to look like in your life? will you be disappointed, like Naaman, if it doesn't go the way you expect?
In 2nd Kings 10: 28-31, we learn that Jehu, despite all of victories and success, did not fix the nagging sin of Israel (the golden calves). He may not have realized that they were even a problem. He and his successors were condemned for not fixing this problem. how can you ensure that you do not let the sins in your life go unnoticed and unresolved?
In 2nd Kings 13:18-19, Jehoash is chastised by Elisha for only striking the ground three times. What does this teach us about how we should respond to God's commands?
In 2nd Kings 17:13, We learn that God had tried to intervene in Israel's sin by sending an prophets and seers, but they did not listen. What can we do to avoid making this mistake in our lives?
In 2nd Kings 18, three Assyrian representatives tell the people of Jerusalem to not trust Hezekiah, that he can't deliver them. They are wrong. what people or things in our lives take the role of these Assyrian representatives in our lives, telling us not to trust God's deliverance?
in 2nd Kings 22, Josiah discovers and reads "The Book of the Law" (probably the first 5 books of the Bible) how does he react when he heard the words in verse 11? what are some of the reactions that you have had to reading God's word?