2 Kings - Introduction

INTRODUCTION

The book of 2 Kings continues from where 1 Kings left off; it deals with the remaining years of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. It records the history of Israel (the northern kingdom) from the death of Ahab up until 722 B.C., when Israel was conquered by Assyria and the Israelites were forced into exile. Likewise, 2 Kings also records the history of Judah (the southern kingdom) from the time of Jehoshaphat up until 586 B.C., when Judah was conquered by the Babylonians and its people were exiled.

The northern kingdom, Israel, steadily declined both politically and spiritually; all of its kings were ungodly men, and no religious revival occurred in the land. In contrast, Judah had a number of godly kings-among them Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah-and these kings did encourage their people to walk in God’s ways. As a result, Judah experienced a number of religious revivals and it continued as a nation almost a century and a half longer than its northern counterpart. But sadly, it too gradually declined; eventually Solomon’s great temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and the remaining covenant people of God were driven from the promised land.

In addition to recording the reigns of the various kings of Israel and Judah, the book of 2 Kings also describes the ministry of the PROPHET Elisha, the successor of Elijah. Whereas Elijah had been a lonely prophet of JUDGMENT, Elisha was more of a pastor, a man of the people, a minister of GRACE. God raised up both men, each with his own gifts, to fulfill these two important roles. In every age, these two ministries of judgment (truth) and grace are essential (see John 1:14).

Surely 2 Kings is one of the saddest books in the entire Bible. Here we read that God’s elect people, who could have enjoyed His unlimited blessings and who were chosen for the very purpose of passing those blessings on to other nations (Genesis 12:3)-this people, through persistent and willful disobedience, forfeited those blessings and ended up being driven from the very land that God had given them. In 2 Kings, the Old Testament nation of ISRAEL comes to an end.

One of the great themes of this book-and indeed of the entire Old Testament-is God’s faithfulness in preserving the line of DAVID, from which the Savior Christ would one day arise. The kings of Israel (the northern kingdom) were made up of many dynasties, but the kings of Judah were from but one dynasty-the line of David. In this way, God remained faithful to His COVENANT even while His people were breaking it. Above the human and national tragedy recounted in this book stands the eternal God working out His purposes and showing forth His grace and love to all people.

For further information about the authorship and historical background of 2 Kings, see 1 Kings: Introduction.