Untitled Sermon
2 Kings
The narrative of 1–2 Kings was originally one work that was divided in antiquity, likely because its length required two scrolls. Second Kings begins shortly after King Ahab’s death (853 BC). Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, is now reigning over the northern kingdom of Israel. (In 930 BC, the kingdom was divided into Israel in the north and Judah in the south.)
Second Kings continues the contrast between apostasy of the Israelite kings and Elijah’s zeal for Yahweh (1 Kgs 17–2 Kgs 2). Here, the story of Elijah denouncing King Ahaziah uses repetition as a literary device. The tension mounts each time Ahaziah sends a military unit to Elijah, until the pattern of destruction by fire finally ends (2 Kings 1:15).
The books of 1–2 Kings—along with Joshua, Judges, and 1–2 Samuel—interpret Israel’s history in light of the book of Deuteronomy, showing how God’s people are blessed when they follow their covenant (contract) with Yahweh and how they are cursed when they break it. In 2 Kings, this is seen in a recurring formula that evaluates each king on the basis of whether he does good or evil in the eyes of Yahweh. Evil is characterized by idolatry, improper worship, and rejecting Yahweh for other gods (e.g., 13:2; 21:1–9). Doing good means taking action against idolatry, following Yahweh’s law, and supporting proper worship (e.g., 10:28–30; 18:3–6; 23:21–25).
