A Study of II Kings

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II Kings 1

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 1: 1

After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel. 

 

II Kings 1: 2 - 4

Ahaziah fell and was sick. He sent people to Ekron to ask baal if he would recover. The Angel of the Lord sent Elijah to ask the messengers if there was no God in Israel, since they went to ask baal. He then told Elijah to tell them that Ahaziah would not recover. 

 

II Kings 1: 5 - 8

The messengers returned to Ahaziah and he asked why they got back so soon. They told him about meeting a man on the road and the message he told them to bring back to the king. Ahaziah asked them to describe the man, and when they did, he knew it was Elijah. 

 

II Kings 1: 9 - 10

Ahaziah sent a captain and 50 men to bring Elijah to him. Elijah called for fire from Heaven to consume them, and they were consumed. 

 

II Kings 1: 11 - 12

This was repeated with another captain and 50 men. These two captains had attempted to order Elijah to go to the king.

 

II Kings 1: 13 - 16

The third captain fell on his knees and begged Elijah for the lives of his men. The Angel of the Lord told Elijah he should go with these men. Elijah went with them and told Ahaziah that he would die from his illness. 

 

II Kings 1: 17 - 18

Ahaziah died as God said he would, and Jehoram became king in his place.

 

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II Kings 2

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 2: 1 - 8

Elijah and Elisha were walking. Elijah asked Elisha to remain while he continued on. Elisha would not. They both knew that God would be taking Elijah that day, as was verified when the sons of the prophets told Elisha and he said he already knew. Elijah asked him two more times to stay behind, but Elisha would not. They ended up at the Jordan with a group of 50 sons of the prophets with them. Elijah struck the Jordan with his cloak and it opened up so that he and Elisha could go across on dry land. 

 

II Kings 2: 9 - 12a

Elijah asked Elisha what he would want from him before God took him. Elisha said a double portion of his spirit on him. Elijah said if Elisha saw him being taken, this would happen. If he did not see Elijah being taken, it would not happen. As they continued on, chariots and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw this happen.

 

II Kings 2: 12b - 14

Elisha tore his own clothes in two. He took Elijah’s cloak and struck the Jordan, which dried up for him to walk across on dry land. 

 

II Kings 2: 15 - 18

The 50 sons of the prophets met Elisha and accepted him as their leader. They asked him several times if he wanted them to search for Elijah. He finally told them to do it, knowing they would not find him. After searching for 3 days, they returned. Elisha told them he had said they wouldn’t find Elijah. 

 

II Kings 2: 19 - 22

The men of the city told Elisha that their water was bad. Elisha healed the well through the power God had given to him. 

 

II Kings 2: 23 - 25

Elisha was heading to Bethel when some boys came out taunting him about being bald. When he turned and saw them, he cursed them. Forty-two of them were killed by two she-bears. Elisha continued his journey. 

 

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II Kings 3

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 3: 1 - 3

Jehoram, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria. This was in the 18th year of Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah. Jehoram reigned in Israel for 12 years. He did evil in God’s eyes because he worshipped idols, though he was not as bad as Ahab and Jezebel, because he got rid of the pillar of baal. He did continue in worshipping the calves set up by Jeroboam in Dan and Bethel. 

 

II Kings 3: 4 - 8

Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheep breeder. He was required to deliver 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams to Israel. When Ahab died, he rebelled. Jehoram asked for the help of Jehoshaphat in putting down the rebellion. Jehoshaphat agreed, and they marched through the wilderness of Edom. 

 

II Kings 3: 9 - 12

The king of Edom joined their forces. Their forces marched in a circle for a week and ran out of water. Jehoshaphat asked if there was a prophet of God around who could be asked what to do. He was told about Elisha. The three kings went to see Elisha. 

 

II Kings 3: 13 - 20

Elisha told Jehoram to seek his answers from his idols. Elisha said if he didn’t have regard for Jehoshaphat, that he wouldn’t even be talking to them. He asked for a musician to be brought. 

He prophesied while the music played. God said He wouldn’t send rain, but He would make the dry streambed filled with plenty of water for them and their animals. He would also give the Moabites into their hand. They were told by God to totally desolate the land. The next morning, the streambed was filled with water. 

 

II Kings 3: 21 - 27

The Moabites mustered their army and went to meet the combined forces of Israel, Judah, and Edom. The water in the streambed looked like blood to the Moabites. They thought that the three forces had fought each other and this was a bloodbath that resulted from it. They attacked what they thought would be injured remnants of each army, looking to plunder them. Instead, they met the full force of all three armies, and were soundly defeated. The three armies then did as God told them, making the land desolate. The king of Moab took 700 men and tried to break through the lines, but couldn’t. He offered his oldest son, the heir to the throne, as a sacrifice. The people became angry with Israel, who withdrew after having put down the rebellion. 

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II Kings 4

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 4: 1 - 7

The wife of one of the sons of the prophets told Elisha that her husband had died and her creditors were coming to sell her two children into slavery in order to collect the debt she owed them. Elisha asked what she had in her house, and she told him a jar of oil. Elisha told her to go to her neighbors and borrow a lot of empty vessels and jars. When she did this, she was told to pour the oil from her jar into the vessels. The oil did not stop flowing until all the vessels were full. She was told by Elisha to go sell all of the oil and pay her debts. 

 

II Kings 4: 8 - 10

One day Elisha went to Shunem and was fed by a woman there. After that, whenever he would pass that way he would eat at that house. The woman told her husband that Elisha was a man of God, and that they should fix him a place to stay in their house when he stopped by. 

 

II Kings 4: 11 - 17

Elisha had his servant ask the woman what he could do for her. The woman said she had no son. Elisha told her that the next year at that time she would have a son. This was fulfilled. 

 

II Kings 4: 18 - 24

When her son had grown some, he fell, hit his head, and died. The woman sent for Elisha.

 

II Kings 4: 25 - 31

Elisha told his servant to lay his staff on the child, but this had no affect, so Elisha went into the house. 

 

II Kings 4: 32 - 37

Elisha raised her son from the dead.

 

II Kings 4: 38 - 41

Elisha travelled to Gilgal during a famine. He had his group gather things for a stew. They were eating it when they discovered that there was a poisonous plant in it. Elisha told them to put some flour in it. This cured the stew for the men and they could eat it. 

 

II Kings 4: 42 - 44

A man brought food for Elisha. Elisha told him to feed everyone, but the man said he didn’t have enough. Elisha told him to do it anyway, and there was food leftover.

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II Kings 5

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 5: 1 - 5a

Naaman was a high ranking and greatly honored officer in the Syrian military. However, he suffered from leprosy. They had captured an Israelite girl who got word to Naaman that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal his leprosy. 

 

II Kings 5: 5b - 7

Naaman took money and a letter from the Syrian king to the Israelite king, asking him to heal Naaman from his leprosy. The Israelite king knew he could not do this and thought it was Syria seeking a reason to attack them. 

 

II Kings 5: 8 - 14

Elisha heard about this and had Naaman brought to him. He didn’t even go see Naaman, but sent his servant to tell him to dip seven times in the Jordan and he would be healed. This angered Naaman, because he thought it should be done in some other manner. His servant brought him to his senses and Naaman dipped in the Jordan seven times and was healed. 

 

II Kings 5: 15 - 19a

Naaman tried to pay Elisha, but the prophet refused. Naaman then asked for two loads of dirt, because he said he would never sacrifice to any god ever again except for God. This was granted to him. 

 

II Kings 5: 19b - 27

Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, didn’t think a Syrian should be given such a gift without a cost, so he pursued Naaman. He lied to Naaman and got two talents of silver from him. He lied to Elisha when confronted about being gone. For his greed and lies, the leprosy that had been taken from Naaman was placed upon Gehazi. 

 

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II Kings 6

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 6: 1 - 7

The sons of the prophets wanted a bigger place to live in. Elisha told them to build one, so they went to the Jordan to cut some trees. One dropped a borrowed axe head into the water. Elisha floated it out for him. 

 

II Kings 6: 8 - 10

Elisha used to warn the king of Israel about Syrian military plans and camps. 

 

II Kings 6: 11 - 14

The king of Syria thought he had a spy on his staff. His staff told him about Elisha, the prophet of God, who aided Israel. The king of Syria sent a great army to take Elisha captive. They besieged Dothan, where Elisha was staying. 

 

II Kings 6: 15 - 19

Elisha’s servant woke up the next morning and saw the great army gathered there. He asked Elisha what they were going to do. Elisha told him not to be afraid, because the army protecting them was greater than the Syrian army. When Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. Elisha prayed that God strike the Syrians blind, and God did this. While they were blinded, Elisha led them to Samaria. 

 

II Kings 6: 20 - 23

When the Syrians were given their sight back, they saw they were surrounded in Samaria. The king of Israel asked if they should be slaughtered. Elisha told him they were to be treated well and released, so they were fed a great feast and sent back to Syria. The Syrians then stopped raiding Israel. 

 

II Kings 6: 24 - 31

Despite no longer raiding in Israel, Ben-Hadad decided to take over the nation. He brought a huge army and besieged Samaria. The people of Samaria had to take drastic measures just to find food. The king of Israel was distraught when he heard that some people were eating their own babies. He threatened to behead Elisha. 

 

II Kings 6: 32 - 33

Elisha knew this, and shut the messenger out. The king blamed God for all their problems.

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II Kings 7

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 7: 1 - 2

In answer to those suffering from the famine brought about by Ben-Hadad’s siege, Elisha said there would be food for them the next day. The guard didn’t believe it, and Elisha told him he would see it, but would not eat of it. 

 

II Kings 7: 3 - 8

Four lepers decided to go to the Syrian camp to seek food. When they got there, the Syrians had left. God had made them hear the sounds of a large army coming their way, and they thought Israel had hired either the Hittites or Egyptians to aid them, so they ran. They abandoned everything as they ran away in panic. The lepers helped themselves to gold and food. 

 

II Kings 7: 9 - 15

The lepers decided they were being wrong by keeping it all for themselves, so they returned to the city with the news. The king thought it was a trick to draw them outside the walls of the city. They sent 5 spies to check out the situation and make sure the Syrians hadn’t laid a trap. The spies saw the Syrians were completely gone, and returned to tell the king. 

 

II Kings 7: 16 - 20

The people plundered the Syrian camp and Elisha’s prophecy was fulfilled. The guard who didn’t believe Elisha was crushed in the rush of the people to get to the camp to get food. 

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II Kings 8

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 8: 1 - 6

Elisha warned the Shunammite woman whose son he had raised from the dead to get out of Israel because God was going to bring a seven year famine on the land. She took her family to live in the lands of the Philistines for seven years. When she returned, the king was asking Gehazi about the great things Elisha had done. Gehazi told him this was the very woman whose son had been raised from the dead. The king restored to her all of her lands. 

 

II Kings 8: 7 - 15

Elisha went to Damascus, where Ben-Hadad was ill. Ben-Hadad sent a gift with Hazael to Elisha and asked if he would recover. Hazael took the gifts to Elisha and asked him. Elisha told him that Ben-Hadad would recover from his illness but would be killed. Elisha then wept. When Hazael asked why, Elisha told him the great evil that he would do against the Israelites, telling Hazael that it was he who was to be the next ruler in Syria. Hazael told Ben-Hadad that Elisha said he would recover. The next day, Hazael assassinated Ben-Hadad. 

 

II Kings 8: 16 - 19

Jehoram began to reign in Judah when he was 32. His reign lasted for 8 years. He was an idolater like the kings of Israel. However, God would not destroy Judah because of the promise made to David. 

 

II Kings 8: 20 - 24

Edom rebelled against Judah during Jehoram’s reign and set up their own king. Joram tried to give aid to Jehoram, but his army was defeated. Edom was never a servant of Judah again. Libnah also rebelled. Joram died and Ahaziah his son reigned. 

 

II Kings 8: 25 - 27

Ahaziah was 22 when his reign began, and he only reigned for 1 year. His mother was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri, who had been a king of Israel. Ahaziah was as evil as Ahab. 

 

II Kings 8: 28 - 29

Ahaziah joined Joram in fighting the Syrians under Hazael. The Syrians wounded Joram, but he was taken to recover. Ahaziah went to visit him. 

 

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II Kings 9

 

II Kings 9: 1 - 3

Elisha told one of his aids to take a flask of oil to Ramoth-Gilead. He was to find Jehu, take him into an inner room, and anoint him as God’s chosen king in Israel. After doing this, he was to flee. 

 

II Kings 9: 4 - 10

The young man anointed Jehu and prophesied against Jezebel.  Ahab’s house and bloodline was going to be wiped from the planet. Dogs would eat Jezebel in Jezreel. She would not be buried. After prophesying this, the young man ran away. 

 

II Kings 9: 11 - 13

When Jehu came out of the room, he was pressed into telling the men there what the prophet had said. They immediately proclaimed Jehu as king. 

 

II Kings 9: 14 - 16

Remember that Joram had returned to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds in battle against Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah, king of Judah, had come to Jezreel to visit Joram. Jehu was conspiring to kill Joram. 

 

II Kings 9: 17 - 21

Two watchmen were sent out when they saw Jehu’s company of men coming toward Jezreel. They switched sides when they got to Jehu. 

 

II Kings 9: 22 - 26

Both Joram and Ahaziah went out to meet Jehu at Naboth’s vineyard. Jehu told them there would be no peace for them as long as Jezebel was living. Jehu assassinated Joram and had his body thrown in Naboth’s vineyard. This was to fulfill a prophecy. 

 

II Kings 9: 27 - 29

Ahaziah tried to flee, but Jehu had him assassinated too. He died in Megiddo. His reign had begun in the eleventh year of Joram, and ended on the same day as Joram’s. 

 

II Kings 9: 30 - 37

Jezebel painted her eyes and adorned her head as she heard of Jehu’s approach to Jezreel. She mocked him, claiming that his reign would be as short lived as that of Zimri. Three of her eunuchs threw Jezebel out the window. Her body was trampled by horses as Jehu and his men went to eat and drink. The dogs had eaten her when the men came back out, just as God had prophesied. 

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II Kings 10

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 10: 1 - 11

Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters to the rulers of the city and to the guardians of Ahab’s sons. He told them to select the best and fittest of Ahab’s sons and sit that one on the throne. They were afraid of Jehu, so they would not make anyone king. Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying if they were on his side, they would bring him the heads of Ahab’s sons the next day. They slaughtered the sons of Ahab, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. Jehu told the people they were innocent in the matter because it had been he who struck down the king. He then said all that God had said would be done to the house of Ahab. Jehu had every person who had served or was related to Ahab slaughtered. 

 

II Kings 10: 12 - 14

As he was going to Samaria, he met some relatives of Ahaziah in Beth-eked. He had them taken and slaughtered all 42 of them at Beth-eked. 

 

II Kings 10: 15 - 17

Jehu then took Jehonadab with him into Samaria. There they finished wiping out the house of Ahab, as Elijah had prophesied. 

 

II Kings 10: 18 - 24

Jehu then lied and claimed he would be serving baal even more than Ahab. He told every priest of baal to meet with him. When all of the priests filled the place of baal worship, Jehu told them to make sure that no one who served God was in the place. He even stationed 80 men outside, telling them no one had better escape alive. 

 

II Kings 10: 25 - 27

They killed every baal worshiper in the place. They destroyed the pillar of baal and made the house of baal worship into a latrine. 

 

II Kings 10: 28 - 31

Jehu wiped out baal worship in Israel, but he continued to allow the calves put up by Jeroboam to remain. God told him since he had served faithfully in wiping out Ahab’s house, that his offspring would sit on the throne for 4 generations. Jehu did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam. 

 

II Kings 10: 32 - 36

It was in these times that God began to give up parts of Israel. Hazael and Syria took a lot of territory. Jehu ruled for 28 years. He died and was buried in Samaria. Jehoahaz, his son, reigned following Jehu’s death. 

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II Kings 11

 

II Kings 11: 1 - 3

When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, saw that he was dead, she made a power grab by having all the royal family killed. Ahaziah’s sister hid his son Joash away from the slaughter. Joash remained hidden in the Temple for 6 years as Athaliah reigned. 

 

II Kings 11: 4 - 8

In the seventh year, Jehoiada the high priest brought the captains of the guard into the Temple and swore them to an oath there to remain silent about what he was about to show them. He then revealed that the true heir to the throne, Joash, was hidden away in the Temple. Jehoiada had the guard set up to protect Joash at all times. 

 

II Kings 11: 9 - 12

The military then accepted Joash as king and he was anointed with their protection. This is basically a military coup against Athaliah. 

 

II Kings 11: 13 - 16

Athaliah heard the commotion and went to see what was going on. She saw Joash being crowned and cried out that it was treason. Jehoiada had her and her followers executed outside the Temple. 

 

II Kings 11: 17 - 20

The house of baal was torn down and the priest of baal was killed. Joash was marched to the throne and the people rejoiced over the death of Athaliah. 

 

II Kings 11: 21

Joash began his reign at the age of 7.  

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II Kings 12

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 12: 1 - 3

Joash reigned for 40 years. He did right in God’s eyes, because he was advised by Jehoiada the priest. He did not take down the high places, nor did he force the people to stop worshiping idols. 

 

II Kings 12: 4 - 8

Jehoiada wanted all the money donated to the priests to be used to repair the Temple. Joash agreed, but after 23 years he was seeing nothing being done. He called the priests to the table for this oversight. 

 

II Kings 12: 9 - 16

All the money that was taken in by the priests was put into a chest. Whenever it got full, the money was bagged up and counted. This would be used to pay the workers who were repairing the Temple. The repairs were on the structure of the Temple and none of the treasures inside were repaired or replaced. They didn’t keep an account of how the money was spent because they were being dealt with honestly. The money from the guilt and sin offerings was not used for this, since it belonged to the priests. 

 

II Kings 12: 17 - 18

Hazael conquered Gath. When he turned toward Jerusalem, Joash bribed him with all the treasures from the Temple. Hazael took the bribe and left Jerusalem alone. 

 

II Kings 12: 19 - 21

Joash was assassinated in a conspiracy of his servants. His son Amaziah reigned in his place. 

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II Kings 13

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 13: 1 - 9

Jehoahaz began to reign in Samaria. He was the son of Jehu. He continued the idolatry started by Jeroboam by allowing the golden calves in Dan and Bethel to remain. God was angry and continued to allow Hazael and Ben-Hadad to harass Israel. Jehoahaz sought the favor of God and God listened because of the oppression of the people. He sent someone to help Israel escape Syrian oppression, but they continued to live in idolatry. The army of Israel had been effectively destroyed by the Syrians. After a 17 year reign by Jehoahaz, he died and his son Jehoash took the throne. 

 

II Kings 13: 10 - 13

Jehoash began his reign during the 37th year of Joash in Judah. His reign lasted 16 years. He continued the idolatry started by Jeroboam. He also fought against Amaziah, king of Judah. After his death, Jeroboam II reigned in Israel. 

 

II Kings 13: 14 - 19

As Elisha was ill on his deathbed, Jehoash came to visit him. Elisha told Jehoash to shoot an arrow eastward. He did, and Elisha told him he would be victorious over the Syrians at Aphek. Elisha then told him to strike the ground with some arrows. He struck it three times and Elisha was angry. Since Jehoash stopped at 3, he would only defeat Syria 3 times, instead of many had he kept striking the ground. 

 

II Kings 13: 20 - 21

Elisha died and was buried. During the spring when the Moabites were invading, a man was struck dead by them and fell into Elisha’s grave. When he touched Elisha’s bones he was revived. 

 

II Kings 13: 22 - 23

Hazael oppressed Israel all the reign of Jehoahaz, but God wouldn’t overthrow Israel because of His covenant with  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

 

II Kings 13: 24 - 25

Ben-Hadad took over in Syria after the death of Hazael. As prophesied, Joash defeated him 3 times. 

 

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II Kings 14

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 14: 1 - 6

Amaziah was 25 when his reign began and he reigned for 29 years. He did right in God’s eyes, but not as well as David. He did not remove the idol worship from Judah. He had those who had moved against his father executed as soon as he got a grip on his power. He did not have their children put to death, obeying the Mosaic Law on this matter. 

 

II Kings 14: 7

He destroyed 10,000 Edomites and took Sela. He renamed it Joktheel. 

 

II Kings 14: 8 - 10

Amaziah then sent out a call to Jehoash for war between Judah and Israel. Jehoash told him he should be satisfied with his small victory against Edom, rather than trying to bite off a big battle with Israel. 

 

II Kings 14: 11 - 14

Amaziah didn’t listen to the warning from Jehoash. They fought a battle at Beth-shemesh, which was in Judah. Judah was soundly defeated and their troops ran home. Jehoash captured Amaziah and broke down part of the wall of Jerusalem. He took treasure from the Temple and hostages, and returned north. 

 

II King 14: 15 - 16

Jehoash died and was buried. His son Jeroboam II reigned in his place. 

 

II Kings 14: 17 - 22

Amaziah lived for 15 more years after the death of Jehoash. He was assassinated in a conspiracy and buried in Jerusalem. Azariah, his 16 year old son was made king. He built Elath and restored it to Judah. 

 

II Kings 14: 23 - 27

Jeroboam II reigned in Samaria for 41 years. He continued to worship idols and do evil in God’s eyes. Jonah prophesied in these days. Jeroboam expanded Israel’s borders back to previous extents. God saw Israel’s affliction, and even though they were idolaters, He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and did not wipe them from the planet at this time. Instead, He used Jeroboam II to save them. 

 

II Kings 14: 28 - 29

Jeroboam died and his son Zechariah reigned in his place. 

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II Kings 15

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 15: 1 - 7

Azariah was 16 when his reign began in Jerusalem. He reigned for 52 years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah. He did right in God’s eyes, but he did not make the people cease their idolatrous practices. Azariah was a leper, and lived in a separate house. His son Jotham was over the government. When Azariah died, Jotham reigned in his place. 

 

II Kings 15: 8 - 12

Jeroboam II's son Zechariah reigned in Israel for 6 months. He was evil in God’s eyes, and kept up support of the idol worship in Dan and Bethel. Shallum conspired against him and assassinated him, taking the throne for himself. This fulfilled what God had told Jehu, that his house would rule to the fourth generation. 

 

II Kings 15: 13 - 16

Shallum reigned for 1 month. He was assassinated by Menahem, who took the throne for himself. He sacked Tiphsah because they didn’t open up to him. He committed a great atrocity against the pregnant women of that region. 

 

II Kings 15: 17 - 22

Menahem reigned for 10 years in Samaria, doing evil in God’s eyes. The Assryian Empire attacked at this time. Menahem paid Pul, the Assyrian Emperor 1000 talents of silver to get him to help him cement his control in Samaria. Menahem taxed the people of Israel heavily to get the money. Pul turned back and didn’t attack. Menahem died, and Pekahiah his son took the throne. 

 

II Kings 15: 23 - 26

Pekahiah reigned for 2 years, doing evil in God’s eyes. Pekah, his captain, assassinated him and took the throne for himself. 

 

II Kings 15: 27 - 28

Pekah reigned for 20 years, doing evil in God’s eyes. 

 

II Kings 15: 29 - 31

During Pekah’s reign, the Assryan Emperor Tiglath-pileser attacked and took several cities from the lands of Naphtali. He carried the people away as slaves to the Assryian Empire. Hoshea conspired against Pekah and assassinated him, taking the throne for himself. 

 

II Kings 15: 32 - 38

Jotham was 25 when his reign began in Judah, and he reigned for 16 years. He did what was right in God’s eyes, but he did not force the people of Judah to stop their idolatrous practices. Syria and Israel began to attack Judah in those days. When Jotham died, his son Ahaz took the throne. 

 

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II Kings 16

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 16: 1 - 4

Ahaz was 20 when he took the throne in Jerusalem. He reigned for 16 years, doing evil in God’s eyes. He even burned his sons as offerings to idols, a practice of the nations God had kicked out of the promised land. 

 

II Kings 16: 5 - 9

Israel and Syria attacked Judah. They besieged Ahaz, but couldn’t conquer him. Syria took back the city of Elath. Ahaz sent to the Assrian Empire for help. He gave the Assyrians silver and gold from the Temple, and they drove Syria and Israel out of Judah. It was at this time that the Assryan Empire took over Syria by conquering Damascus.  

 

II Kings 16: 10 - 16

Ahaz went to Damascus to meet the Assyrian emperor Tiglath-pileser. He liked the idolatrous altar, so he sent the pattern to Uriah the priest. He had an altar made like this one and replaced the one God had commanded with the idolatrous one. 

 

II Kings 16: 17 - 20

Many of the things of God were removed from the Temple and replaced with Assyrian idols. Ahaz died and Hezekiah his son reigned in his place. 

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II Kings 17

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 17: 1 - 5

In the 12th year of Ahaz in Judah, Hoshea began to reign in Samaria. He reigned for 9 years, doing evil in God’s eyes, but not as bad as the previous kings of Israel had done. The emperor of the Assryian empire, Shalmanessar, made Israel a vassal state. Shalmanessar caught Hoshea sending messengers to Pharaoh So of Egypt, and not paying his tribute to Assyria. The Assyrians imprisoned Hoshea and invaded Israel. The siege of Samaria lasted for 3 years. 

 

II Kings 17: 6 

After 3 years, the Assyrian Empire conquered Israel and deported the people to various sites throughout the Empire. 

 

II Kings 17: 7 - 13

This happened because of the idolatry practiced by those in the 10 Northern Tribes. Not only the government, but all of the people were practicing idolaters. They were warned by the prophets sent by God that they must repent and turn back to Him and renounce their idolatrous ways. 

 

II Kings 17: 14 - 18

They were stubborn and did not listen to the prophets. They practiced even the most evil of the rites of idolatry that the nations around them practiced. This angered God and He removed Israel from His sight. Only Judah remained. 

 

II Kings 17: 19 - 20

Judah was sinful as well. The people were idolaters, but every once in a while the kings of Judah were good kings. God rejected Israel and cast them out of His sight. 

 

II Kings 17: 21 - 23

Jeroboam started the idolatry in the North, and they never stopped worshipping the golden calves at Dan and Bethel. Therefore, God did to them as He said He would through the prophets that they ignored. He exiled them to the various regions of the Assyrian Empire. 

 

II Kings 17: 24 - 28

After displacing the people of Israel, the Assyrians brought people from other parts of the Empire to settle in the lands of Samaria. These people did not fear God, so He sent lions among them. The Assyrian Emperor rightly figured out that the people didn’t know God, and he sent for a priest of Israel to be sent to them. One of the priests who were carried off into captivity was brought back and taught them how to fear God. These are the Samaritans in the New Testament that are hated by the Jews. 

 

II Kings 17: 29 - 33

Despite this, they still worshipped the idols that they worshipped in their native lands. They did add God to their list, but appointed whoever they wanted as priests. 

 

II Kings 17: 34 - 41

They didn’t fear God or keep His commandments. The Samaritans worshipped their own gods, but did include some worship to God in their rites. 

 

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II Kings 18

 

II Kings 18: 1 - 8

Hezekiah was 25 when his reign began. He reigned in Jerusalem for 29 years. He did what was right in God’s eyes. He had all the idolatry removed from Judah. He even destroyed the bronze serpent Moses had made in the wilderness, because the people had been worshipping it. He was the greatest king of Judah, past or future. He kept God’s commandments, and God was with him. He prospered greatly. He rebelled against the Assyrian Empire and would not serve them. He defeated the Philistines. 

 

II Kings 18: 9 - 12

In Hezekiah’s fourth year of rule, Shalmanesser the Assyrian Emperor came against Samaria. After a 3 year siege, the Assyrian’s conquered the Northern Tribes of Israel. The Northern tribes were deported and others brought in from around the Empire. This was because they had forsaken God and worshipped idols. 

 

II Kings 18: 13 - 18

In the 14th year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacharib the Assyrian Emperor attacked Judah and took over some of their cities. Hezekiah sent an envoy to them asking them to withdraw and offering to pay tribute to them. Sennacherib required 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold. Hezekiah had the gold stripped from the Temple and sent it to the Assyrians. Sennacharib then sent an army to Jerusalem. They called for a meeting with Hezekiah, but he sent Eliakim and Shebnah to meet with them. 

 

II Kings 18: 19 - 25

The Assyrians sent a message to Hezekiah. They asked him who he trusted now that he had rebelled against Assyria. He told them Egypt was powerless against them. He then said if it was God that he trusted, why had he removed all of his altars and worship places. This shows that the Assyrians thought the idolatrous places were where God was to be worshipped. The Assyrian taunted them by saying he would give them 1000 horses if they could find riders, and they still would lose to them. The envoy then lied by saying that God had told him to come and take Jerusalem. 

 

II Kings 18: 26 - 27

Eliakim and Shebnah asked the Assyrian to speak in Aramaic, so that the people couldn’t understand the conversation. The Assyrian continued speaking where the people could understand because he was trying to break their morale. He said they were the ones who would be doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine. 

 

II Kings 18: 28 - 35

The Assyrian then called out for them to not be fooled by Hezekiah. He said that God would not deliver Jerusalem any more than the idols of other nations had not delivered them from the Assyrian conquest. He told the people to make peace with Assyria and they would be well taken care of. 

 

II Kings 18: 36 - 37

The people remained quiet and said nothing. Eliakim and Shebnah returned to Hezekiah with the message and tore their clothes. 

 

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II Kings 19

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 19: 1 - 7

As soon as Hezekiah heard the proclamation of the Assyrian envoy, he tore his clothes in the manner they did back then to show extreme distress. He then sent Eliakim and Shebnah to see Isaiah the prophet. They told Isaiah about the mocking and taunting that the envoy from the Assyrian Empire had done at the wall. Isaiah told them to tell Hezekiah not to worry. God would deal with the Assyrians.

 

II Kings 19: 8 - 13

The Assyrian envoy heard about an impending attack by Cush, so he moved his troops out, but sent a message to Hezekiah telling him not to think that God had saved Jerusalem. He said he would be back to finish them off. He said none of the gods of the people conquered by Assyria had helped them, and God would not be able to stop the Assyrians from conquering Jerusalem. 

 

II Kings 19: 14 - 19

Hezekiah got the message and took it to the Temple. He prayed for God to listen to the words of Sennacherib that mocked God. He then begged God to save Israel and show the rest of the nations that He Is God.

 

II Kings 19: 20 - 31

Isaiah came to Hezekiah and said his prayer had been heard. He then prophesied what God proclaimed about Sennacherib. His prophecy stated how Assyria hated Israel. They had mocked and reviled God. They had grown arrogant and prideful in their conquests. However, they were not doing anything that God had not already determined that they would do from before Creation. We read about His prophecy of this in Deuteronomy. Since Assyria had grown arrogant and prideful, and since they had mocked and reviled God, He was going to bring an end to the Assyrian Empire. He told Israel not to worry, because the Assyrians would not be laying siege to Jerusalem, so they could go ahead and eat and not store up for an assault. He then said He would send a remnant from Jerusalem. This refers to the return after the Babylonian Captivity, which was to come many years in the future. 

 

II Kings 19: 32 - 34

Senacharib would not be threatening Jerusalem ever again. God would be defending Jerusalem. 

 

II Kings 19: 35 - 37

That night, the Angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Senacharib left and returned to Nineveh. As recorded here and in history, he was in the temple of his god Nisroch when his sons Addremelech and Sharezer assassinated him. His other son Esarhaddon took the throne. 

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II Kings 20

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 20: 1 - 7

Hezekiah evidently had a seriously infected boil. He became ill to the point of death. Isaiah told him that God said for him to set his house in order because his death was near. Hezekiah prayed to God and wept about his coming death. He recalled how he had been a faithful servant of God throughout his life. Before Isaiah had got half way out of the court, God told him to go back and tell Hezekiah that He had heard his prayer and seen his tears. God said He would heal Hezekiah and that he was to go to the Temple in 3 days. God told him that He would add 15 years to Hezekiah’s life and not allow the Assyrian Empire to conquer Judah. Isaiah laid a fig cake on the boil and it healed. 

 

II Kings 20: 8 - 11

Hezekiah asked Isaiah what sign would be given to show that God was going to heal him. Isaiah asked Hezekiah if the better sign would be for the shadows to go forward or back. Hezekiah said let the shadows go back 10 steps. So God made the shadow go back 10 steps. 

 

II Kings 20: 12 - 15

Merodach-Baladan of Babylon sent envoys to Hezekiah because he had heard of his illness. Hezekiah welcomed the envoys and showed them the wealth that Judah had. Isaiah came and asked who they were. Hezekiah told him, and told how he had shown them all the wealth that Judah possessed. 

 

II Kings 20: 16 - 19

Isaiah told Hezekiah that God said that all that Judah possessed would one day be taken away to Babylon. Nothing would be left. It would happen soon, because some of Hezekiah’s own sons would be made eunuchs in the Babylonian court. Hezekiah was not concerned at all with this, since it would happen after he had died and wouldn’t affect him.

 

II Kings 20: 20 - 21

Hezekiah died and Manesseh, his son, took the throne. 

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II Kings 21

 

II Kings 21: 1 - 9

Manesseh was 12 when his reign began. He reigned for 55 years. His mother’s name was Hepzibah. He did evil in the eyes of God. He rebuilt all the idolatrous sites that Hezekiah had destroyed. He even started baal worship like Ahab had done. He built idolatrous altars in the Temple. He had his son sacrificed as an offering to an idol. He used astrology and dealt with mediums and necromancers. He angered God greatly. He put an image of Asherah in the Temple. Manesseh led them to do more evil than any of the nations God had destroyed. 

 

II Kings 21: 10 - 15

God sent messages through His prophets that Judah was going to be destroyed the same way Israel had been destroyed. They were going to be wiped out for all the evil that they were doing. 

 

II Kings 21: 16 

Manesseh shed a lot of innocent blood, which further angered God. 

 

II Kings 21: 17 - 18

Manesseh died and his son Amon reigned. 

 

II Kings 21: 19 - 26

Amon was 22 when he took the throne, and he reigned for 2 years. He walked the same evil path that Manesseh had walked. He was assassinated by his servants, but the people killed the assassins. They made Josiah king. 

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II Kings 22

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 22: 1 - 2

Josiah was 8 when his reign began. He reigned for 31 years. He did what was right in God’s eyes. He walked in the way of David and did not veer away. 

 

II Kings 22: 3 - 7

In the 18th year of his reign, Josiah had the Temple repaired. 

 

II Kings 22: 8 - 10

Hilkiah the High Priest found the Book of the Law of God. Evidently it had been lost for a long time. He gave it to Shapan, who read it to Josiah. 

 

II Kings 22: 11 - 13

Josiah tore his clothes when he heard the Law of God read. He sent Hilkiah to inquire of God about the people, because he knew that the wrath of God was heavy against them since their forefathers had not obeyed Him. He now had heard how God was going to destroy them because of their idolatry, just as He had written in Deuteronomy. 

 

II Kings 22: 14 - 20

Hilkiah and some others went to Huldah the prophetess, who lived in Jerusalem. She told them to tell Josiah that all that was written in the Book about how Israel would be destroyed if they fell away was going to come to pass. God told Josiah that since he was trying to restore the Law, that it would not take place during his lifetime. 

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II Kings 23

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 23: 1 - 3

Josiah gathered the elders, priests, prophets, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem together and read them the Book of the Law that had been found in the Temple. Josiah made a covenant to obey the Law and the people followed. 

 

II Kings 23: 4 - 14

Josiah had all of the idolatrous things that had been in the Temple removed. He had them burned. He deposed all of the idolatrous priests. He broke down all the houses of worship dedicated to the idols. He totally wiped out all the places of idol worship in Judah. 

 

II Kings 23: 15 - 20

He went into Israel and broke down the calf built by Jeroboam in Bethel. He fulfilled a prophecy from long ago by burning the bones of the idolaters on the altar at Bethel. The bones of the prophet who had made the prophecy were spared. All of the idolatrous priests were executed.

 

II Kings 23: 21 - 23

Josiah restored the observance of the Passover, which had been neglected since the days of the judges. 

 

II Kings 23: 24 - 25

He had the mediums and necromancers put away. All personal household idols were taken and destroyed. There had been no king of Israel like Josiah who had so whole-heartedly turned to God, and no king after him did it. 

 

II Kings 23: 26 - 27

Despite all of this, God was still going to destroy Judah for all their idolatry of the past. 

 

II Kings 23: 28 - 30

Josiah was killed in battle by Pharaoh Neco as the Egyptians were fighting the Assyrians. He was buried in Jerusalem and his son Jehoahaz was made king. 

 

II Kings 23: 31 - 35

Jehoahaz was 23 when his reign began, and it lasted only 3 months. He was evil in God’s eyes. He was imprisoned and deposed by Pharaoh Neco and replaced by another son of Josiah named Eliakim. Neco imposed a tribute of 100 talents of silver and 100 talents of gold on Judah. He changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz died in captivity in Egypt. Jehoiakim gave the tribute to Neco, and taxed the people to get more. 

 

II Kings 23: 36 - 37

Jehoiakim was 25 when his reign began, and he reigned for 11 years. He was evil in God’s eyes. 

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II Kings 24

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 24: 1 - 7

Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiakim his vassal for 3 years, until Jehoiakim rebelled. God sent bands of troops against Judah to destroy it, as He had said He would do. Jehoiakim died, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. The Egyptians stayed within their borders because the Babylonians had taken all of their empire outside of Egypt. 

 

II Kings 24: 8 - 9

Jehoiachin was 18 when he began to reign, and his reign lasted 3 months. He was evil in the eyes of God. 

 

II Kings 24: 10 - 17

The Babylonian Empire laid siege to Jerusalem and Jehoiachin surrendered with his family and palace officials. He was taken prisoner and all the treasure of the Temple was removed and taken to Babylon. He removed all the citizens except for the poorest and took them into captivity. He made Zedekiah the king of Judah. 

 

II Kings 24: 18 - 20

Zedekiah was 21 when Nebuchadnezzar made him his puppet king in Judah. He reigned for 11 years. He was as evil as the kings who had reigned before him. God finally cast Judah out of His presence. Zedekiah decided to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar. 

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II Kings 25

By: Jim Crews

 

II Kings 25: 1 - 7

Nebuchadnezzar laid a 2 year siege on Jerusalem. Towards the end, there was no food for the people in Jerusalem. Zedekiah and some of the people in Jerusalem breached the wall and attempted to escape. They were captured in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah’s sons were killed in front of him, then his eyes were put out. He was bound in chains and sent to Babylon. 

 

II Kings 25: 8 - 12

Nebuzaradan, captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard, burned down the Temple, the house of the king, and all the great houses in Jerusalem. The Babylonian army broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Many were carried away into exile, but the poorest of the people were left to be vinedressers and plowmen. 

 

II Kings 25: 13 - 17

All of the treasures of the Temple were taken away by the Babylonians. 

 

II Kings 25: 18 - 21

The chief priest and some more priests along with military officials from Jerusalem and councilors of the king were taken to Babylon and executed. 

 

II Kings 25: 22 - 26

Gedaliah was appointed governor by Nebuchadnezzar. He told the people that as long as they served the Babylonians, everything would be good. Gedaliah and his advisors were assassinated by a group of rebels, who then took the people with them and ran away to Egypt. All of this was prophesied by Jeremiah, who told them they should not go to Egypt. We read in Jeremiah that they took him with them. 

 

II Kings 25: 27 - 30

Jehoiachin was released from prison after 37 years and became a guest of the Babylonian court.