Paula Wiseman

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Posts that reference the book of 2 Kings

2 Kings

Open My Eyes

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open my eyes title graphic

And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” (2 Kings 6:17a)

The city, the capital city, was surrounded by an enemy army. If it fell, the nation would be overrun. A long drawn-out siege lay ahead. The people, even the God-fearing ones, were consumed with fear,  with despair, with confusion.

Elisha didn’t pray for deliverance. Or victory. He prayed for vision, for perspective, for focus. “Open his eyes.”

And everything changed.

Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17b)

Yes the city was surrounded. However, the enemy was outflanked and outnumbered by the army of the Living God.

Lord, open MY eyes that I may see YOU instead of the enemy.

Study Tip: Isaiah

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Isaiah is the first of the Old Testament writing prophets. He prophesied through the reigns of 4 different kings of Judah spanning 53 years around 700 years before Christ's birth. Micah and Hosea were his contemporaries, but none of the prophets match the scope and power of Isaiah's words. He wrote some of the most beautiful and poetic words in all of Scripture in chapter 53 describing the suffering savior and we recall his words every Christmas from 7:14 and 9:6-7. Few passages are as awe-inspiring as his commission from God in chapter 6. I have regularly come back to Isaiah in the last few years and it's become one of my favorite books.
 
Any prophecy is tricky to study because it often has at least one immediate application (speaking directly to the prophet's contemporary listeners) and at least one long term fulfillment. Many times, an understanding of the culture and history is helpful (or necessary) to get the full impact of the contemporary message. The future message may be just for the hearers' future (like Babylonian captivity which followed about 150 years after Isaiah) or our future (like the return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom) or both.
 
Confused? Even if prophecy is not your thing, or you find the history stuff boring, Isaiah is still worth studying. Here are some things to look for as you read:
 
  • Isaiah spends chapters 1-39 detailing God's unflinching judgment. Note to whom each message is addressed. Is it Judah or another nation?  Also notice the power in God's pronouncements. Then in chapter 40, the message changes to comfort and grace. (Yup, grace in the Old Testament.) Chapters 40-66 are some of my favorites. Note Jehovah's declarations of unfailing love. Good stuff.
  • Isaiah speaks often of Messiah's kingdom (especially in the latter chapters). What will the kingdom be like? Who will be part of the kingdom?
  • Isaiah's dealings with King Hezekiah are recorded three times in Scripture (2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 32, Isaiah 36-38). What can you learn from the king and prophet as they faced some dire situations?
  • Finally –  Some have noted that Isaiah has 66 chapters divided into 39 and 27 chapters in their respective "halves" just like the Bible's 66 books are divided into 39 books for the Old Testament and 27 for the New, and so they look at Isaiah as a "mini-Bible". Therefore, chapters 1-5 should roughly correspond to the themes in the books of Moses, and 40-43 should follow the message of the Gospels. The chapter divisions were added more than a thousand years after the prophet finished writing, though. You'll have to read and decide for yourself. 

Here are some of my favorite verses from Isaiah-

 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by your name;
    You are Mine.
    When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
    When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
    Nor shall the flame scorch you.
    For I am the Lord your God,
    The Holy One of Israel, your Savior (43:1-3)
 
Do you have a favorite passage in Isaiah? Please share!
 

Study Tip: 1 & 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles

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1 & 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles detail the history of Israel from the end of David's reign until the Babylonian captivity. If history isn't your thing, these may be difficult books to study. The unfamiliar (but often similar) names and different spellings for those names add an extra challenge. But don't get discouraged. We are used to names changes- When I was a kid the capital of China was Peking. Now it's Beijing. The names in Kings reflect that same cultural shift in spelling between the generations of historians.
 
These books form the framework for the rest of the Old Testament since the prophetic writings fit in between the narratives in these books. For instance, Lamentations is Jeremiah's poem written after he witnessed the devastation of Jerusalem's fall. Knowing the history gives a better insight into the prophets.
 
Details aside, there are three great threads that run through these books-
 
God's promise to David. Notice how God reiterates His covenant and preserves David's line.
God keeps His word – including the promises of judgment. The messages delivered by appointed prophets underscores this.
Obedience matters. Each king's reign includes an assessment of where he stood before God. Notice how the people responded to the king's obedience (or disobedience) and the consequences.
 
 
If you want a quick survey hitting some of the highlights and notable people, check out the following chapters in Kings and their Chronicles cross references.
 
 
 
Do you like reading the history books in the Bible?
 
Next week's study tip – Romans

Footnote to Greatness

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passing the baton

Hezekiah son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel.  He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.  His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.  He did what was pleasing in the LORD’S sight, just as his ancestor David had done.  (2 Kings 18:1-3, NLT)

Abijah gets two passing mentions in Scripture. One here and one in the parallel account in 2 Chronicles. It’s easy to overlook her, but she must have had a tremendous testimony, one that deeply impacted her son, the good king, Hezekiah.

Ahaz, Hezekiah’s father, had sold out, and thrown his lot in with Assyria.  To assure his new allies of his sincerity, he adopted their religion. In chapter 16 of 2 Kings is the chilling description of Ahaz’s sacrifice of his own son to those pagan gods.

Even with that example, Hezekiah turned out to be the greatest king Judah had aside from David. Apparently, his mother quietly passed on an unwavering faith to her son. 

Who knows? There may be a young Hezekiah in your life, soaking up your example, learning from your life. Be diligent to pass on your faith, then watch and see what God does with the investment.

 

 

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Study tip: Seek God

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The ultimate purpose of Bible study is to deepen our relationship with the God who reveals Himself in its pages. He promises us ‘you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.’ (Jeremiah 29:13) It will increase our wonder and our worship of our God ‘who called you out of darkness into His glorious light’. (1 Peter 2:9)

So with each passage, each you study, ask yourself what it reveals about God or His ways. In the two quick examples I cited, we find out that God encourages us to seek Him and promises to honor every sincere search. He wants us to know Him. Ponder that for a moment or two. God… wants me to know Him… challenges me to… How could I refuse an invitation like that? How could I slack off on Bible study when God is effectively asking me to sit down with Him?

That phrase from 2 Peter gives us the gospel. God called us. He didn’t move us Himself. He called and we had to respond, but when we did, everything changed as much as it could possibly change. From darkness into light, and not just any light, His glorious light! God wants us to join Him in that light, so He calls us. How could you not love a God like that?

One more example- This one is a little more obscure. I was reading in 2 Kings this morning and hit this verse in chapter 17. “And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.” The context is that Assyria has taken the northern kingdom into captivity and repopulated the land with people from all over their empire. These folks brought their religion with them, and when they practiced it in the Promised Land, lions came and attacked them. What does that tell you about God? Mess up church and you’ll get eaten? Maybe. I think the Old Testament consistently reveals God’s character. In this odd verse, we see that He takes assaults on His holiness very seriously. The people failed to revere Him alone, and He brought swift judgment. Thankfully for us, His grace often delays that judgment, but He has that right.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to makes notes about all these observations in your notebook.