2 Kings 1:1-18 — The Folly of Idolatry — Is It Because There Is No God In Israel?
DENYING ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESISTING GOD PROVE DISASTROUS SINCE GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE
2 Kings 2:1-25 — Authority and Power Transferred from Elijah to Elisha
THE MIRACULOUS ASCENSION OF ELIJAH COMPLETES THE TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY AND POWER TO ELISHA
2 Kings 3:1-27 — Falling Short of God’s Gracious Plan for Total Victory
TOTAL VICTORY CANNOT COME BY TRUSTING THE ARM OF THE FLESH OR EVEN BY PARTIALY OBEYING GOD’S REVEALED WORD
2 Kings 4:1-44 — God’s Abundant Provision for Those Who Trust in Him
THE PERFORMANCE OF MIRACLES BY ELISHA DEMONSTRATES GOD’S ABUNDANT AND GRACIOUS PROVISION FOR HIS PEOPLE
2 Kings 5:1-19 — Ministry of Salvation to Naaman the Leper
GOD’S GRACE TO HEAL THE LEPROSY OF SIN EXTENDS TO GENTILES WHO TURN FROM THEIR PRIDE AND SUBMIT TO HIS SIMPLE PLAN OF SALVATION
2 Kings 5:20-27 — Condemnation of Greedy Ministry Exploitation
COVETOUSNESS SEVERELY COMPROMISES MINISTRY INTEGRITY
2 Kings 6:1-7 — Miracle of the Floating Axe Head
MINISTERS OF THE WORD SHOULD TURN TO THE MASTER IN CRISIS SITUATIONS BECAUSE HE WILL SHOW CONCERN AND EXERCISE CONTROL
2 Kings 6:8-23 — Lord, Open Our Eyes
WE ALL NEED GOD TO OPEN OUR EYES TO HIS TRUE CHARACTER
2 Kings 6:24 – 7:20 — Siege of Samaria an Opportunity for Salvation Lessons
NEVER DISPUTE THE LORD’S PROMISE OF SALVATION – NO MATTER HOW DESPERATE THE SITUATION – HE WILL ALWAYS COME THROUGH —
4 SALVATION LESSONS FROM THE SIEGE OF SAMARIA
2 Kings 8:1-6 — Watchcare Over the Shunammite Woman
GOD’S PEOPLE CAN EXPECT TO RETURN FROM EXILE AND TAKE UP POSSESSION OF THEIR RIGHTFUL STANDING IN THE PROMISED LAND
2 Kings 8:7-15 — What Makes a Man of God Weep?
GOD BOTH JUDGES AND WEEPS — THE SEVERE JUDGMENT OF GOD DISPLAYS ITSELF IN TENSION AGAINST HIS WEEPING FOR THE SINS NECESSITATING SUCH JUDGMENT
2 kings 8:16-29 — Judah Looks No Different than Israel
THE COMBINATION OF INTERMARRIAGE TO FOREIGN PAGANS AND WICKED PARENTAL MODELS WEAKENS THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH
2 Kings 9:1-13 — Anointing of Jehu King over Israel and Instrument of God’s Judgment
THE CERTAINTY AND SUDDENESS OF GOD’S JUDGMENT – DESPITE ITS SEEMING DELAY
2 Kings 9:14-37 — Jehu — Instrument of Divine Execution
DIVINE EXECUTIONS DISPLAY THE IRONY OF PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT AND THE HORROR OF GRUESOME DESECRATION
2 Kings 10:1-36 — Mixed Reviews as Jehu Purges House of Ahab and Baal Worshipers
ZEAL FOR THE LORD WITHOUT WHOLEHEARTED OBEDIENCE UNDERMINES JEHU’S RECORD OF REFORMS
2 Kings 11:1-21 — Preserving the Messianic Line from the Jezebel of Judah
LOYALTY TO THE MESSIANIC LINE (AVOIDING EXTINCTION) ENTHRONES YOUNG JOASH WHILE EXECUTING TREACHEROUS ATHALIAH
2 Kings 12:1-21 — King Joash — Tragic Example of a Propped Up Faith
FINISHING STRONG REQUIRES BEING RELENTLESS IN THE PURSUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
2 Kings 13:1-25 — Jehoahaz and Jehoash Fail to Reform Israel
THE GOODNESS AND GRACIOUSNESS OF GOD REFLECT HIS ONGOING COVENANT LOYALTY TO ISRAEL DESPITE THE WICKED REIGNS OF JEHOAHAZ AND JEHOASH
2 Kings 14:1-29 — Reign of Amaziah in Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel
GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD AND TO HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE DESPITE THEIR FAILURE TO REMAIN LOYAL IN TRUSTING HIM
2 Kings 15:1-38 — Kingdom Sandwich
UNSTABLE SUCCESSION OF KINGS IN ISRAEL SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO RIGHTEOUS KINGS IN JUDAH SHOW THE CONTRAST BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH – YET CONSISTENT DECLINE
2 Kings 16:1-20 — Ahaz’s Evil Reign in the South
WHEN LEADERS GOVERN BY COMPROMISE INSTEAD OF CONVICTION THE SHORT TERM GAINS WILL BE WIPED OUT BY DIVINE JUDGMENT
2 Kings 17:1-23 — End Game for Israel = Captivity and Exile
PRIVILEGED ISRAEL FINALLY FACES CAPTIVITY AND EXILE FOR HER COVENANT UNFAITHFULNESS AND PERSISTENT IDOLATRY
2 Kings 17:24-41 — Samaritans Practice a Syncretistic Religion Patterned after Apostate Jews
SYNCRETISTIC RELIGION NULLIFIES THE FEAR OF GOD AND VIOLATES THE EXCLUSIVITY OF THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP
2 Kings 18:1-37 — History Threatens to Repeat Itself — Judah Under Attack
IN TIMES OF CRISIS SATAN USES MANY CRAFTY ARGUMENTS TO TRY TO UNDERMINE OUR FAITH
2 Kings 20:1-21 — Hezekiah’s Last Days — Healed and Humbled
RIGHTEOUS HEZEKIAH HOLDS ON AT THE END OF HIS REIGN AS HIS LIFE IS MIRACULOUSLY EXTENDED AND HIS VANITY IS PROPHETICALLY CHASTIZED
2 Kings 21:1-26 — Manasseh and Amon — The End of the Line
THE APEX OF APOSTASY AND IDOLATRY UNDER MANASSEH AND AMON ELICITS SEVERE JUDGMENT UPON JUDAH AND JERUSALEM
2 Kings 22:1-20 — Refocusing on Top Level Priorities
REFORMS UNDER JOSIAH BEGIN WITH THE RECOVERY OF GOD’S WORD AS THE NATION REFOCUSES ON TOP LEVEL PRIORITIES
2 Kings 23:1-30 — Josiah’s Covenant Renewal and Widespread Reforms
REFORMATION WITHOUT INWARD TRANSFORMATION CAN’T DIVERT GOD’S JUDGMENT
2 Kings 23:31 – 24:20 — Judah’s Kings Controlled by Either Egypt or Babylon
GOD’S CONTROL OF THE NATIONS CONTROLS THE FATE OF HIS PEOPLE
2 Kings 25:1-21 — The Fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Captivity
GOD TURNS THE LIGHTS OUT ON HIS HOLY CITY AND EXILES HIS APOSTATE PEOPLE —
DESTRUCTION, DEPORTATION, DESECRATION, EXECUTION AND EXILE
2 Kings 25:22-30 — Hint of Hope — 2 Appendices — Tying Up Loose Ends
DESPITE JUDAH’S SAD ENDING, ALL IS NOT LOST FOREVER