Trans World Radio - India

The second book of Kings continues the record begun in thefirst book of Kings. In fact, there does not seem to be a properdivision between the two books. Ahaziah’s reign in Israelis begun in 1 Kings and concluded in 2 Kings.

The king and the prophet take the place of the priest asGod’s instruments of communication.

Chapter 1

Ahaziah king of Israel, son of Ahab andJezebel, fell down through a lattice and was seriously injured.Greatly influenced by his mother Jezebel, he sends messengersto Ekron to inquire of Baal if he would be healed.

Elijah, in his last public act as prophet, is sent by the Lordto meet the messengers with a stern rebuke, “Is it becausethere is not a God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire ofBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” Then Elijah pronounces thedeath sentence upon Ahaziah.

Elijah brings down fire from heaven to destroy the twodetachments of 50 sent by the king to get him. Then Elijahgoes with the 3rd detachment and personally delivers thedeath message to Ahaziah — which was fulfilled.

Chapter 2

This chapter records the translation ofElijah. He goes from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho to the Jordanriver, accompanied by Elisha. Elijah promises Elisha a doubleportion of his spirit if he witnesses his departure. Elijahstrikes the waters of Jordan with his mantle, and they two goover. Elijah departs from him in a chariot of fire (v. 11), andElisha witnesses it (v. 12). Elisha returns over Jordan by usingElijah’s mantle to smite the waters.

Elisha makes the bitter waters sweet at Jericho.On his return to Bethel he is met by a crowd of roughnecksand hoodlums who ridicule him. This incident has been deridedby the critic who seems to be totally unaware of the facts.

And he went up from thence unto Bethel; and ashe was going up by the way, there came forth littlechildren out of the city, and mocked him, and saidunto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou baldhead. (2 Kings 2:23 KJV)

“Little children” is nahar or naar in Hebrew. It was used ofIsaac when he was 28, of Joseph when he was 39 and ofRehoboam when he was 40. It also was used for the sons ofJesse (1 Samuel 16:11) and of the Hebrew children (Daniel1:4, 17) who were at least 17 at the time of captivity, and alsofor the Sodomites who attacked the home of Lot. These “littlechildren” were not from a nursery school. Elisha did not bringout the bears — God was responsible. God still judges sin andblasphemy.

They were ridiculing Elisha and scoffing at the translationof Elijah. Their irreverence was blasphemy, as it attacked oneof the great doctrines of Scripture:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the lastdays scoffers, walking after their own lusts, andsaying, Where is the promise of his coming? Forsince the fathers fell asleep, all things continue asthey were from the beginning of creation. (2 Peter3:3, 4)

See also 2 Timothy 3:1-9 and Jude 7-15. The one obvious factfrom this episode is that Elisha was bald.

Chapter 3

King Ahaziah, son of Ahab, had no son ashis successor so that his brother Jehoram (Joram) reigns afterhim.

Moab rebels against Israel. Jehoshaphat joins forces withJehoram to go against Moab. Jehoshaphat again calls for aprophet of Jehovah. Elisha refuses at first, but respondsbecause of the presence of Jehoshaphat (v. 14). Elishaannounces that God would give them both water, which theysorely needed, and victory over Moab, which was granted.

Chapter 4

This chapter contains 5 miracles performedby Elisha. While there is a similarity between the miracles ofElisha and Elijah, the miracles performed by Elisha weremore extensive and greater to a degree.

(1) Awidow of one of the prophets is in dire circumstances— her two sons are about to be sold into slavery. Elisha multipliesthe pot of oil.

(2) A “great woman” of Shunem entertains Elisha (v. 10).Elisha promises she would have a son.

(3) When the son was grown to manhood, he died, andElisha restores him to life (using the same method as Elijahhad).

(4) Sons of the prophets are eating a soup in which therewas poison, and Elisha makes it harmless.

(5) Elisha feeds 100 men with food for one man.

Chapter 5

Naaman, captain of the army of Syria anda great man but a leper, comes to Elisha for healing at the suggestionof his wife’s maid (a Hebrew girl taken captive).

Elisha refuses to see him but sends a messenger to tell him togo wash in the Jordan 7 times (v. 10). Naaman, because ofpride, refuses to go at first (vs. 11, 12). He is persuaded toswallow his pride and obey the prophet. He is healed.Gehazi, servant of Elisha, extracts a reward from Naamanwithout Elisha’s permission. Elisha pronounces judgmentupon him, and he becomes a leper.

Chapter 6

The miracle of the floating axe headreveals the character of the prophet Elisha. Elisha is the popularprofessor of the school of the prophets. They need largerquarters (vs. 1, 2), and Elisha goes with them to cut downtimber in the Jordan valley where the accident occurs. Theborrowed axe head slips off and falls into the river (vs. 4, 5).Some consider the young student careless and feel that heshould not have borrowed the axe. Both charges seem unjustified,for Elisha did not rebuke him. The miracle of makingan axe head float may seem “much ado about nothing” since itis not spectacular like bringing fire down from heaven. Herewe see the contrast between Elijah and Elisha. Elijah wouldnot have done it this way or bothered with it at all. I think hewould have said, “Son, forget it.” But not Elisha. Like ourLord, he is interested in the individual and his little problems.

There is a great spiritual lesson here. Man is lost and the darkwaters of defeat and death have passed over him. Only whenthe stick, representing the cross, is placed in the waters ofdeath can man be recovered (saved) and restored to his Godgivenpurpose and pursuit in time and eternity (vs. 5-7).

Elisha warns the king of Israel concerning the plot of Benhadadand thereby saves his life, not once but many times.

Ben-hadad attempts to capture Elisha by sending a great hostto Dothan where the prophet is staying. The servant of Elishathinks this will be their finish, but Elisha prays that the Lordwould open his servant’s eyes. God does “and, behold, themountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round aboutElisha” (v. 17). Elisha leads the blinded Syrians to Samaria ascaptives.

Ben-hadad lays seige to Samaria, and the inhabitants of thecity are starving. The king of Samaria blames the prophet andtries to destroy him.

Chapter 7

Elisha promises an abundance for the verynext day. Four leprous men outside the city enter the camp ofthe Syrian army in desperation and find it deserted. Duringthe night the Lord had caused the superstitious Syrians to heara great noise which they interpreted as the great host of ahired army coming to attack them. They fled in panic, leavingall their supplies behind. The lepers report to the starving populaceof Samaria that there is an abundance of food in thedeserted camp.

Chapter 8

Elisha predicts a famine of seven years andurges the Shunammite mother to leave the area. She returns atthe end of the drought and appeals to the king to restore herland. After learning who she is, he does so.

Elisha goes to Damascus, predicts the death of sick Benhadadand the ascension of Hazael (who will in turn destroyIsrael) to the throne. Hazael pleads innocent of all such plansbut carries them out.

Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, begins to reign with hisfather. He walks in the ways of the kings of Israel, for he hadmarried the daughter of Ahab. Edom revolts against him, alsoLibnah. Jehoram dies after an 8-year reign. He is succeededby Ahaziah his son, who joins with Joram, king of Israel,against Hazael of Syria in war. Joram is wounded.

Chapter 9

Elisha sends one of the sons of the prophetsto Jehu in Ramoth-gilead to anoint him as king of Israeland to pronounce judgment on the house of Ahab. Jehu is proclaimedking by the army. He slays Joram king of Israel,Ahaziah king of Judah, and Jezebel. Jezebel attempts to winJehu over by her appeal as a woman (v. 30), but she is too old(v. 33). The prophecy of Elijah is literally fulfilled (vs. 36,37). It is the frightful finish of a frightful woman.

Chapter 10

The house of Ahab is exterminated by theslaying of his 70 sons. Jehu slays what remained. Jehu alsokills the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah.

Jehu pretends to turn to Baal worship in order to gathertogether Baal’s followers. When they come together, Jehu hasall of them slain (v. 25). Jehu destroys Baal worship fromIsrael (vs. 27, 28), but he does not return to the worship ofJehovah. He merely comes back to the low level of calf worshipwhich had been established by Jeroboam (v. 29). However,

God does recognize and reward him (v. 30).

Israel begins to decline as a great kingdom (v. 32).

Jehu dies and his son Jehoahaz succeeds to the throne (vs.34, 35).

Chapter 11

When Athaliah sees that her son Ahaziahwas slain by Jehu, this bloody daughter of Jezebel tries todestroy all the line of David. She destroys all the princes ofthe royal line except Joash who was hidden by a sister ofAhaziah.

When Joash is seven, he is revealed to the rulers of thekingdom who in turn plot the overthrow of bloody Athaliah.She is slain and Joash (Jehoash) becomes king at seven yearsof age (v. 21).

Jehoiada, the priest, leads in a movement to return to theworship of Jehovah (v. 17). The Baal worship which hadinvaded Judah is exterminated (v. 18).

Chapter 12

Jehoash reigns 40 years, and he does thatwhich is right in the eyes of the Lord (v. 2). The corruption ofthe priesthood is corrected and the Temple repaired.

The Syrians take Gath, and Jehoash has to pay a ransom toHazael king of Syria to save Jerusalem. Jehoash is slain by aconspiracy of his servants. Amaziah his son succeeds him.

Chapter 13

Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, reigns over Israelfor 17 years, and he follows in the sinful steps of Jeroboam.In desperation he turns to the Lord when oppressed by theking of Syria. The Lord delivers them, but they return to thesins of Jeroboam. Jehoahaz dies a natural death.

Joash (Jehoash) son of Jehoahaz succeeds his father to thethrone. Nothing of consequence is done in his reign except herenews the war against Judah during the reign of Amaziah.Elisha becomes sick with a fatal illness. He is visited byKing Jehoahaz of Israel, to whom the prophet promises victoryover the Syrians. Elisha dies. The Syrians oppress Israel,but God is gracious (v. 23).

Chapter 14

Amaziah son of Joash succeeds to thethrone of Judah and he, too, does that which is right in thesight of the Lord — but does not quite measure up to David’sstandard (v. 3). He is defeated by Jehoash, king of Israel, whotakes Jerusalem, breaks through the wall for 400 cubits andremoves all the gold and silver that remain in the house of theLord. Amaziah is slain in a conspiracy at Lachish.

Azariah (Uzziah), son of Amaziah, succeeds to the throne.Jeroboam II, king of Israel, reigns 41 years and does evilaccording to the sins of Jeroboam I. He restores the border ofIsrael according to Jonah, son of Amittai, the prophet. This isthe historical reference to Jonah and confirms the fact thatJonah was a real person and a prophet in Israel (v. 25).Jeroboam II dies a natural death, and his son Zechariah succeedshim.

Chapter 15

Uzziah king of Judah is a good king, butbecause he intrudes into the priest’s function, he is smittenwith leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:15-21). Jotham his son succeedshim (see Isaiah 1:1).

Zechariah, last of the line of Jehu, is slain by Shallum afterhe had reigned only 6 months. Shallum reigns only 1 month.Menahem overthrows and slays Shallum. Then he reigns 10years and does evil as had Jeroboam.

At this time, Pul, king of Assyria, comes against Israel, andMenahem pays 1,000 talents of silver to preserve his kingdom.At his death, Pekahiah his son succeeds to the throne butreigns only 2 years, when Pekah, his captain, conspires andslays him.

During the reign of Pekah, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria,comes against Israel and takes captive the tribe of Naphtali.Pekah is slain by Hoshea. Jotham reigns in Judah and is recognizedas a good king.

Chapter 16

Ahaz, son of Jotham, succeeds him to thethrone. He is a wicked king who walks in the evil ways of thekings of Israel (vs. 2, 3).

Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, invadeJudah but cannot take Jerusalem (see Isaiah 7—10). Ahazappeals to Assyria for help, and the Assyrians take Damascus.The term “Jews” is used for the first time in the Bible (v. 6).

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