Blog Comments (3,000+)

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

How do I apply this?
The book of Nehemiah shows us the kind of significant impact one individual can have on a nation. Nehemiah served in secular offices, using his position to bring back to the Jews order, stability, and proper focus on God.

God uses all manner of people in all manner of places doing all manner of work. Do you feel you must be “in ministry” in order to serve God? Be encouraged; He is not limited by your vocation. In fact, God has placed you where you are for a purpose. Have this attitude about your work: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17).

Norman L. Geisler, A Popular Survey of the Old Testament (Peabody, Mass.: Prince Press, 2007), 165.
Copyright ©? 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

Summary of the Book of Nehemiah

Author: The book of Nehemiah does not specifically name its author, but Jewish and Christian traditions recognize either Ezra or Nehemiah as the author. It is likely that the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one. Full article: Who wrote the book of Nehemiah? Who was the author of Nehemiah?


Date of Writing: The Book of Nehemiah was likely written between 445 and 420 B.C.
Purpose of Writing: The Book of Nehemiah, one of the history books of the Bible, continues the story of Israel’s return from the Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Key Verses:

Nehemiah 1:3, "They said to me, 'Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.'"

Nehemiah 1:11, "O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."

Nehemiah 6:15-16, "So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God."

Brief Summary: Nehemiah was a Hebrew in Persia when the word reached him that the Temple in Jerusalem was being reconstructed. He grew anxious knowing there was no wall to protect the city. Nehemiah invited God to use him to save the city. God answered his prayer by softening the heart of the Persian king, Artaxerxes, who gave not only his blessing, but also supplies to be used in the project. Nehemiah is given permission by the king to return to Jerusalem, where he is made governor.

In spite of opposition and accusations the wall was built and the enemies silenced. The people, inspired by Nehemiah, give tithes of much money, supplies, and manpower to complete the wall in a remarkable 52 days, despite much opposition. This united effort is short-lived, however, because Jerusalem falls back into apostasy when Nehemiah leaves for a while. When he returned to Jerusalem, Nehemiah found the walls strong but the people weak. He set about the task of teaching the people morality and he didn’t mince words. "I argued with those people, put curses on them, hit some of them and pulled out their hair" (13:25). He reestablishes true worship through prayer and by encouraging the people to revival by reading and adhering to the Word of God.

Foreshadowings: Nehemiah was a man of prayer and he prayed passionately for his people (Nehemiah 1). His zealous intercession for God’s people foreshadows our great Intercessor, Jesus Christ, who prayed fervently for His people in His high-priestly prayer in John 17. Both Nehemiah and Jesus had a burning love for God’s people which they poured out in prayer to God, interceding for them before the throne.

Practical Application: Nehemiah led the Israelites into a respect and love for the text of Scripture. Nehemiah, because of his love for God and his desire to see God honored and glorified, led the Israelites towards the faith and obedience God had desired for them for so long. In the same way, Christians are to love and revere the truths of Scripture, commit them to memory, meditate on them day and night, and turn to them for the fulfillment of every spiritual need. Second Timothy 3:16–17 tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” If we expect to experience the spiritual revival of the Israelites (Nehemiah 8:1-8), we must begin with God’s Word.

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

The Book of Ezra 2.......The Exiles Return
2 Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.

The number of the men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172. The sons of Shephatiah, 372. The sons of Arah, 775. The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812. The sons of Elam, 1,254. The sons of Zattu, 945. The sons of Zaccai, 760. The sons of Bani, 642. The sons of Bebai, 623. The sons of Azgad, 1,222. The sons of Adonikam, 666. The sons of Bigvai, 2,056. The sons of Adin, 454. The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. The sons of Bezai, 323. The sons of Jorah, 112. The sons of Hashum, 223. The sons of Gibbar, 95. The sons of Bethlehem, 123. The men of Netophah, 56. The men of Anathoth, 128. The sons of Azmaveth, 42. The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621. The men of Michmas, 122. The men of Bethel and Ai, 223. The sons of Nebo, 52. The sons of Magbish, 156. The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. The sons of Harim, 320. The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725. The sons of Jericho, 345. The sons of Senaah, 3,630.

The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973. The sons of Immer, 1,052. The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. The sons of Harim, 1,017.

The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai, in all 139.

The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.

RE: Songs I don't get tired of hearing...

fantastic...what a duo they were...Les worked locally here uo until the end...thank you...

RE: Would you ever date a (...) ?

I seriously doubt she's ever dated a real man.

RE: So, I'm Old

Wth is that?

RE: This is why I can never live in the USA

RE: Gardening

Gardening is a nice hobby.

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

The *Jews return to Jerusalem
Robert Bryce

This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.
Words in boxes are from the Bible.
A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

About the Book of Ezra
There are many dates in this *introduction. These dates are the number of years before the time that Jesus Christ was born. Each date has the letters ‘*BC’ after it. The letters mean ‘before Christ’. This *introduction also refers to places in the Bible where you can read about these things.

The history of the *Jews before their *exile
These are the events that happened in Israel before the time of Ezra. This account will help us to understand the book of Ezra better. We can read about these events in Nehemiah 9:5-37.

The people in Israel do not obey God
God chose the nation called Israel to be his special people (Leviticus 20:26). He wanted the people to love him and to *worship him. And he wanted them to obey him. In the city called Jerusalem, which was their capital, they built a great *temple. The people *worshipped God and they gave *sacrifices to him in this *temple. Israel became a powerful nation.

But the people in Israel did not obey God (Nehemiah 9:16-18 and 9:26). They *worshipped the gods of the other nations. So God caused them to suffer trouble and difficulties.

The *Israelites continued to *sin against God (Nehemiah 9:28). God sent many *prophets to warn them about this. But often the *Israelites did not listen to these men and they continued to do bad things (Nehemiah 9:29-30). God loved his people, that is, the *Israelites. He did not want them to suffer. Often their troubles were the result of their own evil behaviour. But God still cared about the *Israelites. He wanted them to turn away from *sin and to obey him again.

The nation divided into two parts. The name of the northern part was Israel and people called the inhabitants *Israelites. The name of the southern part was Judah and people called the inhabitants *Jews. Jerusalem was in the southern part. The Book of Ezra is about the people from Judah. However, sometimes Ezra calls them ‘the *people of Israel’. God gave Jacob the name ‘Israel’ when he promised to make Jacob’s *descendants God’s special people (Genesis 32:28). Most of the families who returned from *exile were originally from Judah. But they were still God’s special people.

Assyria overcomes Israel
In 722 *BC God allowed a powerful nation, the *Assyrians, to overcome Israel. See 2 Kings 17:1-23. (Israel was the northern part of the country.) The *Assyrians forced many *Israelites to live in other countries (2 Kings 17:6; 18:10-11). And they brought other people to live in Israel (2 Kings 17:24). These other people *worshipped false gods. They also tried to *worship the real God, but they did not *worship him properly (2 Kings 17:25-41). People called them *Samaritans because their chief city was Samaria (2 Kings 17:24). Samaria was not far from Jerusalem. The journey between the two cities took about two days to walk. The *Samaritans became enemies of the *Jews who returned from *exile. One of their leaders was Sanballat, who was Nehemiah’s chief enemy. (Jesus often spoke about the *Samaritans. We can read about his conversation with a *Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. He explained to her how people everywhere would *worship God properly. See John 4:23-24.)

The beginning of the *exile of the people from Judah
Many of the kings from Judah did not obey God. (Judah was the southern part of the country.) But some of them loved God and they encouraged the people to obey him. However, the people in Judah usually refused to obey God (Nehemiah 9:28-30), as the *Israelites had done. So, after many years, God had to punish them too.

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

The Chronicler is making a new presentation of old material in a way that speaks greater volumes to the audience during the post-exilic period. These words from Solomon, therefore, are reaching across the boundaries of time to pull readers back to the covenant and create expectant hope in the Day of the Lord’s mercy.

Chronicles functions as both a commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures and as a theological statement in its own right. So what does that mean for us?

Not the End of Israel’s Story
The book of Chronicles is a journey through the entire Old Testament that makes crystal clear that the story isn’t over. We’ve looked at just a few examples and details. Every page is brimming with more evidence of the future prophetic angle of 1-2 Chronicles.

And this wasn’t just cool theology for the Chronicler. The book’s message has a pastoral purpose: to bring comfort and hope to generations of God’s people who were tempted towards despair or apathy. During a time when many wondered if God was ever going to fulfill his promises, the Chronicler retold the story of their collective past in order to rekindle hope for the future. As you read and ponder these retold stories, may you find your own faith and hope reignited as we still await the return of the world’s true king.

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

The Chronicler is doing something else. He is using all of the best moments in David’s story and creating a “literary portrait” of a “greater than David.” The Chronicler had also read and pondered the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, who pointed towards a “new David.” That is, a future king from David’s line who would be the kind of ruler that Israel’s monarchy never quite lived up to. Even historical David was not the ideal king, but he was a good start. Good enough that the Chronicler adapts the past portrait of David to become an image of the future, hoped-for David that Israel was still waiting for after the exile.

In this way, the Chronicler is acting as the first commentary on the Old Testament. He’s offering us a prophetic interpretation of Israel’s history that is meant to guide the reader’s attention forward to the hope of a coming king who will restore order and pursue the Lord as David once did, at least mostly. In other words, 1-2 Chronicles are a “prophetic work.” That is, they represent God’s point of view on Israel’s past, and announce that exile and disappointment is not the end of the story. This author is offering the same prophetic hope we find in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and in the rest of the prophets.

But the Chronicler is not only in the business of omitting material from the earlier stories of David and his descendants. He also adds to them. He had access to all kinds of traditions and archival materials that told stories about David and Israel’s kings that you do not find in 2 Samuel through 2 Kings. In David’s story alone, there are seven chapters of new material in Chronicles that work to further paint the portrait of David as an ideal king (1 Chronicles 15-16, 22-29
1 Chronicles 15-16, 1 Chronicles 22-29

For example, we discover that although David did not oversee the building of the temple, he did begin the planning and resourced building processes. He’s even portrayed as a “new Moses.” The Chronicler tells us that he received the blueprints for the Jerusalem temple as a “pattern” shown him by God (see 1 Chronicles 28:11-12
1 Chronicles 28:11-12


Just as Moses was shown the “pattern” for building the tabernacle in the wilderness (see Ex. 25:9, 25:40
Exodus 25:9, Exodus 25:40


This use of David as an image of the future hope extends to the portrait of Solomon presented in Chronicles (see 2 Chronicles 1-9
2 Chronicles 1-9

The Chronicler includes more stories about Solomon’s failures than he did for David. However, he also added new material to Solomon’s story to make him a figure of future hope for those living centuries after the return from exile. Take for example this completely new portion of Solomon’s temple blessing presented in Chronicles.

If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people, and my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. For now, I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever, and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.

2 Chronicles 7:13-16

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

Resist your desire to skip this part because you’ve already read the version in 2 Samuel. A surface reading of these books just won’t give readers an awareness of the Chronicler’s genius in editing and compiling his work. You have to go deeper and compare the stories in Chronicles with his sources, especially 2 Samuel. When you compare carefully, you’ll find all kinds of stories about David in 2 Samuel that the Chronicler has omitted, and all kinds of new stories that the Chronicler has included. And what is the result?

In 1-2 Samuel, we saw the rise of David as the underdog who bests the giant Goliath, outwits his adversaries, and unifies the people. David is presented as a king after God’s own heart who sings his praises, has crazy dance fits for the Lord without regard for his own dignity, and is an all around upstanding man and king. Well, except for his adulterous scandal that resulted in murder (see 2 Sam. 11-12
2 Samuel 11-12

). Oh yeah, and the stories of his homicidal, sex-crazed children who perform heinous acts of abuse and murder (see 2 Sam. 13-20
2 Samuel 13-20

). Upon reflection, the story of David shows us a mixed-bag kind of king. First and Second Samuel present us with a portrait of David that was constantly fleeing powerful adversaries like Saul (1 Sam. 21-26
1 Samuel 21-26 and his own son Absalom (2 Sam. 15-18
2 Samuel 15-18

), resolving to hide in the hills of the Judean wilderness. We also saw the weakness of David’s character when he ordered his successor to assassinate both his political opponents, and those who created more tension than was desirable during David’s tumultuous years of struggle (1 Kings 2:1-9
1 Kings 2:1-9
That’s our first clue. Almost all of these stories in 1-2 Samuel that portray David as weak and morally flawed are missing from Chronicles. It’s like the Chronicler purposely chose not to add the messy stuff. Which raises the question: Why?

Let’s eliminate one possible interpretation: that the Chronicler was whitewashing David’s story and denying that David was a flawed human being. He knows perfectly well that anyone can read the version of David’s story that portrays him as a mix of good and evil.

The Great Chronicle

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

Chronicles: Not Just a Repeat
How Did God View Israel’s History?
by BibleProject Logo BibleProject Team – Aug 5, 2017


Okay friends, it is about time we discussed those two books in the Bible you may have been avoiding. Or maybe you never really noticed they were in the Bible in the first place? We're talking about the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles.

I admit that starting any book with nine chapters of genealogies (1 Chron. 1-9) isn’t the best way to grab a modern reader’s attention. However, once you understand how 1-2 Chronicles are a work of literary genius that’s in conversation with the rest of the Old Testament, you’ll come to see these books as one of the many gems in the Bible.

A New Lens
The story begins with page one of the Bible: the first word of 1 Chronicles is “Adam.” From there, the Chronicler has woven the entire story of Abraham’s family leading up to David and beyond into a series of elaborately arranged genealogies.

For ancient Israelite readers, these genealogies weren’t just a matter of family lines but a shorthand way of retelling the stories of all these characters in an annotated form. These names would have provoked whole memories of earlier scriptural stories. The genealogies were meant to activate all kinds of mental links and collective stories deeply ingrained in Hebrew culture. After reading through the genealogies, readers come to the very brief story of Saul’s reign and failure as a king (1 Chron. 10). Then we quickly move on to King David (1 Chron. 11-29), which retells the stories from 2 Samuel. You might even come to appreciate these genealogies. They are the introduction to a retelling of Israel’s entire story, focusing on the future hope of a messianic king like David, who will restore the temple and God’s kingdom over the nations.

The book of Chronicles, composed as one unified literary work, was produced by an anonymous author living in Jerusalem more than 200 years after the return from exile. Look at the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 3:1-24
1 Chronicles 3:1-24
; this takes you six generations after the return from the exile that took place in the 530s B.C.E. Bible scholars refer to this author as “the Chronicler,” which is a pretty awesome title!

1 and 2 Chronicles is in large part a retelling of the story you read in the books of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings. This is why the books often get overlooked, as readers assume it is just a repeat of what they already read. But this book is way, way more! The Chronicler was living at a time when the Jewish people had long resettled in Jerusalem after returning from the Babylonian exile. Things were okay (read Ezra-Nehemiah or Malachi for a flavor of daily life in this period), but there was a growing awareness that God’s ancient covenant promises to Abraham, Moses, and David, which were reaffirmed by the prophets, had not yet come to pass. They awaited a messianic king of Isaiah who would rebuild the temple and invite all the nations into God’s kingdom (see Isaiah chapters 2, 9, 11, and 60
Isaiah 2, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 60
for an overview). But where was this new David?

Reshaping a Story
One of the main goals of the Chronicler was to reshape the stories of Israel’s past to rekindle hope for the future. He had before him most of the books of the Old Testament (if you pay attention he’s adopted material from the Torah, Joshua-Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Psalms, Proverbs, and more!), and he retells the stories of David and Israel’s kings in a way that turns them into models and portraits of the future king they hope for. The book of Chronicles is kind of like the Reader’s Digest of the Old Testament. This author has reflected on the Scriptures and offers an interpretation of Israel’s past that highlights their future hope. These books were designed to sustain the hopes and prayers of God’s people as they wait for God to fulfill his ancient promises.

RE: Gardening

Hi Track
I am logging in only to give this blog a "Like"

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

How do I apply this?
Second Kings teaches an important life lesson: actions have consequences. “Repent! Sin will incur judgment,” God warned in effect through the prophets. Israel and Judah learned the hard way that God means what He says.

How will we learn? Consider your heart. Is it hard, resistant to God’s call? Or can you acknowledge your sin and turn back to Him?

Copyright ©? 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

Who wrote the book of second King?
As we noted in the previous chapter, 1 and 2 Kings originally comprised one book of history. The author is neither indicated in the text nor known by scholars. He was most likely a prophet, because many of the historical events were recorded in light of Israel’s and Judah’s faithfulness—or unfaithfulness—to their covenant with God. Ezra, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah have all been named as possible authors.

Where are we?
Second Kings continues the history of the divided kingdom, picking up the story around 853 BC. In 722 BC, the powerful nation of Assyria invaded the northern kingdom, scattering and taking captive the people of Israel. Only Judah remained intact. But then Assyria suffered a stunning fall to the Babylonians, who took the Assyrian capital of Nineveh in 612 BC. By 605 BC Babylon dominated Judah, had taken some captives away, and in 586 BC Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took additional prisoners into captivity. Many people who were considered valuable to the invaders, such as the prophet Daniel and members of the royal family, were taken to Babylon early on. By the end of Kings, the people of God no longer inhabited their Promised Land. Many areas of the country had been rendered virtually uninhabitable due to the razing, burning, and other destructive tactics of the Babylonian army, while the people had been enslaved, scattered, and decimated by their enemies.

The book ends with an epilogue of sorts, giving a peek into the good fortune of Jehoiachin—Judah’s last true ruler before a series of puppet kings were installed by Babylon. If Jeremiah did write much of Kings, he could not have written this section, set in Babylon, for he had been taken away to Egypt years earlier.

Why is Second Kings so important?
Second Kings features many unique events and people. Two people were raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:32–37; 13:20–21). The prophet Elijah left this earth without dying (2:1–18); Enoch was the only other man in the Bible to do so (Genesis 5:21–24). The waters of the Jordan River rolled back twice (2 Kings 2:8, 14). These and other miraculous events testify to God’s continuing work among His people.

The time period covered by this book saw the emergence of the first writing prophets in Israel. Amos and Hosea went to the people of Israel, while Isaiah, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah prophesied in Judah, both groups calling the people to repentance and warning them of God’s coming judgments. The author devoted extensive space to Elisha’s ministry after Elijah was taken to heaven, giving special attention to the numerous miracles Elisha performed.

None of the kings of Israel are described as having done right in God’s eyes; each led the people deeper into idolatry. Several of Judah’s kings were righteous, notably Joash, Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Josiah. Hezekiah held off the Assyrians by trusting in the Lord for deliverance. Josiah later instituted an even greater spiritual reformation. Neither effort, however, was enough to stem God’s eventual judgment on the nation in fulfillment of the curses of the Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 28).

What's the big idea?
World affairs played a heavy role in Israel’s and Judah’s destinies. Yet, the author of 2 Kings directly connected the Israelites’ apostasy—led by their wicked kings—to their national destruction, pointing it out as God’s judgment on His wayward children. Despite repeated warnings from God’s prophets to turn from their ways and return to God, the people continued to live in sin. To their regret, they did not believe that God would allow their nation to be ruined by foreign invaders.

Yet God did not forget His promise to David, either. God saved a remnant from among the people and kept the royal line intact so that one day His people could return to their land to await the promised Redeemer.

How do I apply this?

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

Many of the miracles of Elisha foreshadowed those of Jesus Himself. Elisha raised the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:34-35), healed Naaman of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-19), and multiplied loaves of bread to feed a hundred people with some left over (2 Kings 4:42-44).

Practical Application: God hates sin and He will not allow it to continue indefinitely.
If we belong to Him, we can expect His discipline when we disobey Him. A loving Father corrects His children for their benefit and to prove that they indeed belong to Him. God may at times use unbelievers to bring correction to His people, and He gives us warning before delivering judgment. As Christians, we have His Word to guide us and warn us when we go astray from His path. Like the prophets of old, His Word is trustworthy and always speaks truth. God’s faithfulness to His people will never fail, even when we do.

The stories of the widow and the leper are examples for us in regard to the Body of Christ. Just as Elisha had pity on these from the lowest levels of society, we are to welcome all who belong to Christ into our churches. God is no “respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), and neither should we be.

What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............

Date of Writing: The Book of 2 Kings, along with 1 Kings, was likely written between 560 and 540 B.C.

Purpose of Writing: The Book of 2 Kings is a sequel to the Book of 1 Kings. It continues the story of the kings over the divided kingdom (Israel and Judah.) The Book of 2 Kings concludes with the final overthrow and deportation of the people of Israel and Judah to Assyria and Babylon, respectively.

Key Verses:
2 Kings 17:7-8: "All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced."

2 Kings 22:1a-2: "Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left."

2 Kings 24:2: “The LORD sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him. He sent them to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by his servants the prophets.”

2 Kings 8:19: “Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”

Brief Summary: Second Kings depicts the downfall of the divided kingdom. Prophets continue to warn the people that the judgment of God is at hand, but they will not repent. The kingdom of Israel is repeatedly ruled by wicked kings, and, even though a few of Judah’s kings are good, the majority of them lead the people away from worship of the Lord. These few good rulers, along with God’s prophets, cannot stop the nation’s decline. The Northern Kingdom of Israel is eventually destroyed by the Assyrians, and about 136 years later the Southern Kingdom of Judah is destroyed by the Babylonians.

There are three prominent themes present in the Book of 2 Kings. First, the Lord will judge His people when they disobey and turn their backs on Him. The Israelites’ unfaithfulness was reflected in the evil idolatry of the kings and resulted in God exercising His righteous wrath against their rebellion. Second, the word of the true prophets of God always comes to pass. Because the Lord always keeps His word, so too are the words of His prophets always true. Third, the Lord is faithful. He remembered His promise to David (2 Samuel 7:10-13), and, despite the disobedience of the people and the evil kings who ruled them, the Lord did not bring David’s family to an end.

Foreshadowing: Jesus uses the stories of the widow of Zarephath from 1 Kings and Naaman in 2 Kings to illustrate the great truth of God’s compassion toward those the Jews deemed unworthy of God’s grace—the poor, the weak, the oppressed, tax collectors, Samaritans, Gentiles. By citing the examples of a poor widow and a leper, Jesus showed Himself to be the Great Physician who heals and ministers to those in the greatest need of divine sovereign grace. This same truth was the basis of the mystery of the body of Christ, His Church, which would be drawn from all levels of society, male and female, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 3:1-6).