2 Kings: The True Meaning

2 Kings: Kings, Power, Prophets, Israel, Judah, Kingdoms, God

The Book of 2 Kings offers a fascinating glimpse into the ancient kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Believed to have been written around the 6th century BCE, during the Babylonian exile, this narrative chronicles the reigns of various kings from the death of King David to the fall of the Kingdom of Judah.

The story unfolds primarily in the ancient Near East, centered around the bustling cities of Jerusalem, Samaria, and Babylon. Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, was a thriving metropolis perched atop a prominent hill, enclosed by a defensive wall and home to numerous religious and political institutions. Samaria, the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, was a fortified city known for its impressive architecture and strategic location. Meanwhile, the powerful Babylonian Empire, based in the city of Babylon in modern-day Iraq, eventually conquered and exiled the Israelites.

The political landscape of this era was marked by the rise and fall of empires, as the Assyrian Empire previously conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Babylonian Empire later emerged as the dominant power, subjugating Judah and forcing the Israelites into exile.

The diverse cast of characters in 2 Kings includes kings, court officials, and common people, providing insights into the religious and social customs of the time. The narrative highlights the ongoing tension between the worship of the one true God and the temptation to adopt the polytheistic beliefs and practices of neighboring cultures.

The significance of 2 Kings within the Judeo-Christian tradition lies in its role as a historical account of the downfall of the Israelite kingdoms and the subsequent exile of the people. This pivotal event is seen as a turning point, representing the culmination of the Israelites’ disobedience to God and their eventual punishment. The book also foreshadows the eventual restoration of the Israelites and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises through the coming of the Messiah, a central theme in Christian theology.

The Author of 2 Kings

The author of 2 Kings is unknown, as with many other books in the Bible. However, it is traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a prophet who lived during the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. He was called by God to deliver messages of impending judgment and destruction upon the people of Judah due to their disobedience and idolatry.

Jeremiah’s motivation in writing 2 Kings would have been to document the history of the kings of Israel and Judah, particularly focusing on their faithfulness to God and the consequences of their actions. He wanted to show how the people’s disobedience led to the downfall of the kingdoms and the exile of the Israelites. Jeremiah himself faced persecution and rejection during his lifetime for delivering these difficult messages, often feeling isolated and alone in his mission. Despite the challenges he faced, Jeremiah remained faithful to God and continued to speak the truth as he saw it, which likely influenced his writing in 2 Kings.

Overview of 2 Kings

The book of 2 Kings continues the story of the Israelite monarchy, picking up where 1 Kings left off. It covers a pivotal period in Israelite history, from the reign of King Solomon to the eventual fall of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites to Babylon.

The narrative begins with Solomon, who ruled over a united Israel. He asked God for wisdom and oversaw the construction of the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. However, Solomon’s later years were marked by idolatry and oppression, leading to the division of the kingdom after his death.

The book then follows the separate histories of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, chronicling the reigns of their various kings. Throughout, there is a recurring theme of the consequences of disobedience to God and the importance of remaining faithful to His covenant.

The prophets Elijah and Elisha play central roles, performing miracles and calling the people back to God. The book also highlights the influence of foreign nations, particularly the Assyrians and Babylonians who would ultimately conquer and exile the Israelites.

At its core, 2 Kings serves as a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness and the need for His people to obey His commands. The stories of the kings and prophets provide valuable lessons on the blessings of obedience and the dire consequences of sin. The book helps illuminate the history and sovereignty of God in the lives of His chosen people, foreshadowing the ultimate fulfillment found in Jesus Christ in the broader context of Christianity.

Important Verses in 2 Kings:

2 Kings 2:11: ¹¹ And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

2 Kings 4:1-7: ¹ Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
² And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
³ Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
⁴ And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
⁵ So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
⁶ And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

2 Kings 4:32-37: ³² And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
³³ He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord.
³⁴ And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
³⁵ Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
³⁶ And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
³⁷ Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

2 Kings 5:1-14: ⁵ Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.
² And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.
³ And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.
⁴ And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.
⁵ And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel.
⁶ And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.
⁷ And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
⁸ And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.
⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
¹⁰ And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
¹¹ But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
¹³ And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
¹⁴ Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

2 Kings 6:15-17: ¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord 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.

2 Kings 17:5-6: ⁵ Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 17:22-23: ²² For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
²³ Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

2 Kings 19:35: ³⁵ And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.