The Kingdom
II Kings
The slide of both kingdoms toward exile
Elisha follows Elijah, Israel collapses, Judah staggers on for another century, and Jerusalem falls.
Where you are. This book runs from about 850 BC to 587/586. Two dates carry it: 722 BC, when Assyria takes Samaria and the northern kingdom ends for good, and 587 or 586 BC, when Babylon burns Jerusalem and Judah goes into exile. Judah outlives Israel by roughly a century and a third. As with I Kings, the years are a reconstruction from reign lengths rather than dates the text supplies. That is why the fall of Jerusalem is given here, and everywhere on this site, as 587 or 586: Scripture dates it to Zedekiah’s eleventh year, fifth month, and converting that to a BC year depends on whether a king’s accession year was counted as his first and whether the year began in spring or autumn. Both answers are defensible, and neither is worth pretending about.
Elisha’s ministry
As you read the ministry of Elisha you will find that he is so much more gentle than Elijah. Both are needed in God’s kingdom.
2:1–25 Elisha succeeds Elijah
3:1–27 War with Moab
4:1–8:15 The ministry of Elisha
8:16–29 Jehoram and Ahaziah, kings of Judah
9:1–10:36 Jehu
From Jehu to the collapse of Israel
11:1–12:21 Athaliah and Jehoash of Judah
Note how Satan was seeking to destroy the Lord Jesus, who was in the little babe whom Athaliah failed to destroy.
13:1–13 Jehoahaz and Jehoash of Israel
13:14–25 The close of Elisha’s ministry
14:1–22 Amaziah of Judah
14:23–29 Jeroboam the second, of Israel
15:1–7 Azariah, also known as Uzziah, of Judah
Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah through Hezekiah. As you read through these, put them on hold so that you will be able to understand Isaiah when we come to study his prophecy. It was during this same period that Micah prophesied in the villages of Judah, and Amos spoke his prophetic words during the reign of Uzziah and Jeroboam the second.
One of the most important prophets to speak to the northern tribes during this period was Hosea, who showed them that the covenant had been broken — but that God would restore the covenant breakers, which He did in Christ.
Read these books and feel the history they were speaking into.
15:8–31 The beginning of the end for Israel
15:32–16:20 Jotham and Ahaz of Judah
17:1–41 The end of Israel
Judah and the Assyrians
18:1–12 Hezekiah of Judah
18:13–19:37 Sennacherib besieges Jerusalem
20:1–21 The end of Hezekiah’s reign
21:1–26 Manasseh and Amon of Judah
Josiah’s revival
The prophet Jeremiah was God’s voice during the reign of Josiah, and so played a major part in the revival that Josiah enjoyed. Jeremiah went on to speak to the sinful people of Judah until the captivity, the final king being Zedekiah.
22:1–20 Discovering the Law
23:1–30 Josiah’s reforms and his death
The last days of Judah
23:31–25:7 Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah
25:8–30 The destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity
As the people of Judah went into captivity they were favoured with the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel. We will see how they ministered to the judged people when we come to those books.
It should be noted that even though the people had rebelled against God, He kept His covenant with Abraham, and the descendant-messiah was born to the people as He had sworn.
What to take from all of it
Looking at the dealings of God with Israel, we must be overwhelmed with the fact of His long-suffering and patience. This does not mean that we have a licence to sin in order to glorify His attributes. It points up the fact that His Spirit now lives in us; and as people in the new covenant, we want to live in His will, because His Law is written on our hearts.