Foundations: The Book of 2 Kings
24 Day Devotional
2 Kings records the history of Israel and Judah. It
reveals God’s amazing patience, faithfulness, and justice. In this book we read
of godly kings and sinful ones. We read of the importance of leaving a legacy.
We read of personal repentance and the eventual exiles of Israel and Judah.
2 Kings 17:7 (NIV)
“All of this took place because the Israelites
had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt”
Introduction
As its title suggests, 2 Kings is a continuation of
1 Kings. Thus, in order to fully grasp the events in 2 Kings, we must first
review the events of 1 Kings. The book of 1 Kings begins with the death of
David, King of Israel and man after God’s own heart. After a brief rebellion
from David’s son, Adonijah, the kingdom is passed to Solomon. Solomon begins
his reign humbly, asking God for wisdom. He continues on to build the Temple.
Despite his early success, Solomon falls into sin by marrying multiple wives
and following their false gods. After Solomon’s death, tragedy strikes. The
nation is divided. The Southern Kingdom (Judah) follows Solomon’s son,
Rehoboam. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) follows Jeroboam. The story continues
by tracing the successive kings in both kingdoms. Some kings are good, making
steps to lead their nations toward the true God. However, most kings are evil,
establishing idol worship and moral depravity in their lands.
Even in the midst of their rebellion, God remains
faithful to His people. He sends several prophets to urge the nations to
repent. The most well-known of these prophets is Elijah, who dominates the
latter portion of the 1 Kings narrative. God works miracles and displays His
glory through Elijah. 1 Kings closes as Elijah passes on his prophetic role to
Elisha, a key player in 2 Kings.
We see some consequences to sin in 1 Kings. God
destroys the lineages of Kings Jeroboam, Baasha and Ahab. However, in 1 Kings,
it is mostly the rulers who face consequences for their sins. They are judged
before the general population because they chose to set the nation on the path
of destruction. Their lives are also set as a warning to Israel: repent or you
also will face the wrath of God. In 1 Kings, God remains patient with the
people of Israel and Judah, delaying their judgment that all would have the
opportunity to repent.
In 2 Kings, we will see the ministry of Elisha, the
continued rebellion of leaders, the glimmers of hope in godly rulers and the
eventual judgments of Israel and Judah.
Prayer and
Journaling
1. Looking over Israel’s history, we see moments of
righteousness, but also a decline into greater and greater sin. Reflect on your
life and your actions. Is the general tone of your story one that pursues God
and His righteousness, or one that pursues sin and selfish desires? Repent as
necessary. Ask God to meet with you through your study of 2 Kings. Ask Him to
mould you into His image as you pursue Him.
2. Pray for Israel today. A country’s political
leadership has an immense capacity to influence the nation for good or evil.
Pray that God would meet the current leaders of Israel and teach them the truth
of their Messiah, Jesus. Pray that God would also prepare the next generation
of government to lead the nation in following His ways. Pray that Israel’s
leaders would be followers of Yahweh – Father, Son, and Spirit – so the nation
might be led toward Him.
