READ IT! - Introduction to 2nd Kings 1-6

Readings for this week

Monday: Psalm 150
Tuesday: 2 Kings 1
Wednesday: 2 Kings 2
Thursday: 2 Kings 3
Friday: 2 Kings 4
Saturday: 2 Kings 5
Sunday: 2 Kings 6

Introduction to 2nd Kings 1-6

Structure of 2nd Kings 

2 Kings 1:1–8:29 – Continuation of Israel and the prophets
2 Kings 9:1–12:21 – Revolution and reform
2 Kings 13:1–17:41 – Israel slides into disaster
2 Kings 18:1–23:30 – Judah’s disobedience and reform
2 Kings 23:31–25:30 – Destruction and exile 

Chapter 1 

We begin in the northern kingdom of Israel where we see the LORD’s Judgment on Ahaziah. Ahaziah replaced Ahab as king of Israel when Ahab died. He was evil, too. Ahaziah falls through his roof and injures himself. He sends messengers to consult “Baal-Zebub” to see if he will recover. 

Elijah intercepts them… “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going up to consult Baal-Zebub…?” “Ahaziah will die in his bed.” 

They return with the message from the “man with the leather belt.” Ahaziah realizes it was Elijah and sends 50 soldiers to arrest him. They find him sitting on a hill, and say, “Man of God! The king says, ‘Come down!’” Elijah responds, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Fire consumes them, along with the next 50 soldiers sent. The third detachment begs Elijah to spare them. God tells Elijah to go with them back to Ahaziah He repeats his message, and the king dies on his bed. Ahaziah’s brother Joram takes over the throne. 

Chapter 2 

Elijah and Elisha journey together from Gilgal to Bethel and Elisha refuses to leave Elijah’s side. Some other prophets foretell Elijah’s departure, but Elisha says not to speak of it. They arrive at the Jordan River and Elisha refuses to leave Elijah’s side. Elijah strikes the river with his cloak, and the river parts. Both men cross over on “dry ground” 

Elisha’s request: 

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” 

Elijah's response: 

“You have asked a difficult thing, yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” 

Chariots of fire then appear, and Elijah taken up to heaven in whirlwind. Elisha cries out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” Elisha receives Elijah’s cloak, and uses it to also part the river, and returns to the other prophets. 

The other prophets react and say, “Look! The spirit of Elijah has fallen upon Elisha!” They then begin an unsuccessful search for Elijah against Elisha’s will, and Elisha says “I told you so.” 

Elisha stayed at Jericho and the people told him the water was no good. Elisha threw some salt in the water and the water was “healed.” 

Elisha went from Jericho up into the land towards Bethel. On the way, he was jeered by the boys of the town. They chanted, “Get out of here, baldy!” Elisha cursed them in the name of the LORD. Two bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys. Elisha continued on his way. 

Chapter 3 

We then learn that Joram was king of Israel for 12 years. He was evil, but not as evil as Ahab. He fought against Moab because they stopped paying tribute. Judah and Edom joined with him in battle. But they wandered in the desert for a week, and ran out of water. So they decided to inquired of Elisha the Prophet. Elisha can’t stand Joram, but he foretells a victorious outcome. In the morning, the Moabite army sees the sun reflecting off pools of water in the valley, and assumes it’s the blood of their enemies. The Moabites go out to loot, but are quickly surrounded by the three armies. There is a fierce battle that takes place, and the Moabites attempt to kill Edom’s king, but they fail. But then the King of Moab sacrifices his son on the wall and the text says, “The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.” 

Chapter 4 

We then read more stories about Elisha the prophet. A fellow prophet dies, and his widow cannot pay his debts. The collector is coming to take her two sons as payment, and so the widow inquires of Elisha. His instruction is to gather jars from her neighbors, and pour her remaining oil into jars. The oil miraculously never runs out, and it is used to pay the debt. 

Later, Elisha arrives at Shunem. He is fed by a woman and her family, and is invited to come back anytime. They build him a room with a cot on their roof. Later, Elisha inquires of his disciple Gehazi because he desires to repay the woman’s kindness, and he learns she is barren. He prophesies, “In one year you will have a son.” She says, “Don’t get my hopes up like that.” But Elisha’s word comes true. 

When the boy gets older, he works in the fields with his father. But he gets a terrible headache one morning, and dies at noon in mother’s lap. She places her son on Elisha’s bed, and searches furiously for Elisha. She finds him on Mount Carmel, and grabs his feet and weeps. Elisha is unaware of the events, and Gehazi rebukes the woman, but Elisha defends her. Gehazi is then sent to place Elisha’s staff on the boy, but there are no results. Elisha then arrives, shuts door behind him and prays. He lays on top of the dead boy – “mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands” and the text says that the “boy’s body grew warm.” Elisha paces, and tries again, and suddenly boy sneezes seven times and opens his eyes. Elisha gives him back to his mother. 

Later, Elisha had his servant cook up a stew for the prophets. But somebody added poisonous gourds. As the prophets began to eat, they started crying out, “There’s death in the pot!” Elisha added some flour and the stew was fine. 

Later, a man showed up with twenty loaves of bread. Elisha told him to distribute it among the men. There were 100 men present, and after they all ate and had their fill, there was still bread left over. 

Chapter 5 

We then read about an enemy general’s encounter with Elisha. Namaan was commander of the Aramean army… but he had leprosy. His wife’s Israelite slave girl tells her mistress that Namaan should go be healed by the prophet Elisha. The King of Aram gives Namaan permission to go to Israel, and sends a letter of peace to King Joram. Namaan takes gifts of silver, gold and clothing with him. Joram receives the letter and rips his own clothes, saying, “Am I God? …Why is he sending me people to be cured of leprosy?” Elisha told Joram to stop freaking out and to send Namaan his way. 

Elisha tells Namaan to bathe in the Jordan seven times. Namaan leaves angry, saying, “I thought he was going to wave his hand over me and cure me… Aren’t the rivers of Damascus better than the Jordan?” His servants stop him, and ask him to at least try this simple task. Namaan consents, and is completely healed. He declares, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.”

Namaan tries to give Elisha gifts, but Elisha refuses them. Namaan requests a cartload of Israel’s dirt to bring back to Aram, and he pledges to never again offer sacrifices to any God but Israel’s God… and asks pardon for the times in the future when his own master will require him to assist him in his old age with the worship of his master’s god. Gehazi later goes after Namaan, and tells him Elisha changed his mind about the gifts, Namaan gives them to Gehazi. Gehazi hides them in the house. Later, Elisha confronts Gehazi about this and Gehazi lies to him. Gehazi and his descendants are then cursed with Namaan’s leprosy forever. 

Chapter 6 

All the prophets gather at the river, and cut down trees to build a meeting place. One prophet borrows an ax, and while he’s chopping wood the iron axhead flies off and sinks in the river. Elisha throws a stick in the water, and the axhead floats to the surface. 

The Arameans at war with Israel, and God tells Elisha the Aramean battle plans, and Elisha relays them to King Joram. The King of Aram believes there’s a traitor in his midst, but he is then informed that “Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” The Aramean army sets out to attack the city where Elisha is staying. Elisha’s servant wakes up in the morning to find the city surrounded. Elisha says, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha prays that his servant’s “eyes would be opened.” The servant looks up again and sees that the hills are full of a second army – one of fiery horses and chariots to protect Elisha. The Arameans attack, and Elisha prays, and the enemies struck with blindness. Elisha goes to meet them and tells them they’re at the wrong place, and he guides them to Samaria. In Samaria, Elisha prays again, and their sight is restored, and they realize they’ve been trapped. King Joram asks Elisha if he should kill them all, and Elisha says no. Elisha makes Joram feed his enemies and send them back home. After this, many Arameans stop raiding Israel. 

Later, Ben-Hadad of Aram lays siege to Samaria, and the city runs out of food. King Joram walks through the besieged city, and sees a woman calling for help. She says she and another woman agreed to eat their sons, but after they killed her own son and ate him the other woman changed her mind. Joram freaks out and puts on sackcloth, and swears to cut off Elisha’s head that very day. Elisha and the elders gather in a house and lock the door. Joram and his officers arrive, saying, “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” Elisha tells Joram that food will arrive tomorrow. The King’s chief officer scoffs, and Elisha predicts the scoffer won’t get to eat.