2 Kings - Overview

Tue Dec 30 12:23:03 PST 2008

"*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253.874.4265 -- Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

 * 2 KINGS - POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM - OVERVIEW - T2501R -
2008-12-28*

 *1. 1:10 (1-3) ELISHA: BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY. "And Elijah answered and
said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from
heaven, and consume you and your fifty. And there came down fire from
heaven, and consumed him and his fifty." *It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God; for You Father, are a consuming fire. *Hallowed
be your :name.*

 *2. 6:17 (4-10) ELISHA AND KINGS OF ISRAEL. "And Elisha prayed, and said,
Jehovah, I pray you, open his eyes, that he may see. And Jehovah opened the
eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of
horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." *This is quite a remarkable
answer to prayer. Father. We trust You to do what is necessary to show us
Your Kingdom power in this age. *Your :kingdom come.*

 *3. 11:1 (11-17) JUDAH'S ALTERNATING KINGS WITH ISRAEL. "Now when Athaliah
the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all
the seed royal." *The spirit of Jezebel entered into Judah also through
Ahab's sister, and introduced Baal worship. What a wicked queen was this
Athaliah, and how fitting her punishment! *Your :will be done, As in heaven,
so on earth.*

 *4. 13:21 (11-17) ISRAEL'S FINAL KINGS AND FALL. "And it came to pass, as
they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band; and they cast the
man into the sepulcher of Elisha: and as soon as the man touched the bones
of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet."*

God's witness to Israel: Elijah and then Elisha! And, even the bones of the
dead Elisha had within them the power of resurrection! *Our :daily :bread
Give us this day.*

 *5. 19:30-31 (18-21 HEZEKIAH'S REVIVAL AND EVIL AFTERMATH. "And the remnant
that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and
bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out
of mount Zion they shall escape: the zeal of Jehovah shall perform this." *Only
You Father, could so reverse the situation in Hezekiah's day, that this
could take place. And you did! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have
forgiven our :debtors.*

 *6. 23:7 (22:1-23:30a) JOSIAH'S REVIVAL "And he broke down the houses of
the sodomites, that were in the house of Jehovah, where the women wove
hangings for the Asherah." *No sin and its effects did Josiah leave
untouched! Father, raise up Josiahs today, and give us all the heart of
Josiah. *And bring us not into temptation.*

 *7. 25:1-2 (23:30b-25:30) JUDAH FALLS. "And it came to pass in the ninth
year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem,
and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2 So
the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah." *This marks
the end of Judah. Yet in the midst of ruin - still You are there, Father! *But
deliver us from the evil one.*

 *NOTE**: *God assigned 4 great men to this epoch of history: Elijah,
Elisha, Hezekiah and Josiah.

 Elijah's time primarily took place in 1 Kings - yet his unusual acts
spilled over into this book also.

 Elisha asked for the blessing of the first-born when Elijah asked him what
he wished. Elijah commented that his request was very difficult - but if he
saw Elijah taken from him, it would be granted. And Elisha did - and
immediately started performing deeds of power. And - the portion of the
first-born - double of all others - indeed came upon him! He performed
exactly double the miracles performed by Elijah.

 Out of the 21 kings of Judah, 9 were good like David, and two were *very
good*! They alone removed *the high places*. This is comparable for us today
pressing in to obtain *a renewed mind* (Romans 12:2). Hezekiah, though not
perfect, did follow more closely to the pattern of David. And Josiah,
perhaps even more so. When the priest of his day discovered the lost copy of
the law of Moses - Josiah tore his clothes in sorrow and mourned. He then
revived the observance of the Festivals of Jehovah, tore down idols both in
Judah as well as in Israel, and led the nation in renewing the Covenant of
the Lord.

 There is much to learn and profit from in the study of these 4 lives. - Jim
Watt

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