2 Kings 1-4

Summary

Part One: The Death of Ahaziah (1:1-18)

the eighth king of the northern kingdom of Israel during the time of the divided kingdom (Judah in the south)

Which kingdom had king’s from King David? David’s descendents ruled in Judah.

Outline:

(vv. 1-8) Ahaziah falls and is gravely injured. He sent messengers to ask Baal-zebub (a false god) if he would recover, but God sent Elijah to tell those messenger that Ahaziah that he would not recover. The messengers brought that news back to Ahaziah.

He would die because he turned to a false god.

Note: The author of 2 Kings probably misspells ‘Baal-zebub’ on purpose as an insult to the false god. The correct spelling is ‘Baal-zebul’.

‘Baal-zebul’ means ‘Lord/head of the house’ (cf. Matt. 10:25) and refers to Satan.

‘Baal-zebub’ means ‘Lord/head of the flies’. To be in charge of flies is to be in charge of very little.

(vv. 9-16) Ahaziah sent three groups of 50 men to get Elijah. The first two groups were consumed by fire from heaven. The third group was sparred because of the humility of its captain. Elijah went down and told Ahaziah in person that he would die because he turned to a false god.

(vv. 17-18) Ahaziah died just as God said He would through the prophet Elijah. Jehoram became King of Israel in his place.

Part Two: Elisha and Israel (2:1-10:36)

Elijah’s disciple and successor take his place after Elijah is taken to Heaven

Does anybody remember how Elijah was taken to Heaven? He was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire.

Outline:

(2:1-25) Elisha Takes Up Elijah’s Mantle

<1-6> Elijah traveled to Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan River and Elisha refused to not follow him. Along the way the sons (i.e., disciples) of the prophets warned Elisha that the Lord was taking Elijah away that day.

<7-14> Elijah parted the waters of the Jordan River and Elijah and Elisha crossed over on dry ground. Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit before Elijah was taken up to Heaven in a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire. Elisha took up Elijah’s mantle and parted the waters of the Jordan River just like Elijah did. Then he crossed back over.

Elijah and Elisha are like a new Moses and Joshua. Just as Joshua replaced Moses and crossed the Jordan Rive so Elisha replaced Elijah and crossed the Jordan River.

What do you think a mantle is? A mantle is a cloak or rob. When someone takes over for someone else, we say they have ‘taken up the mantle.’ We say that because Elisha took up Elijah’s mantle.

<2:15-18> The sons of the prophets bow to Elisha as Elijah’s successor but although they saw Elijah taken up to Heaven from a distance, they didn’t understand what they saw so they wanted to look for Elijah. Elisha tried to dissuade them but they looked anyway but did not find Elijah.

<19-25> Elisha proved that he was Elijah’s successor by blessing and cursing in the Lord’s name (Deut. 27).

[vv. 19-22] Elisha blessed Jericho by removing Joshua’s curse on Jericho (cf. Jos 6:26; 1 Ki 16:34). He made the waters drinkable and useful with a new jar and a little salt. And he did it in the Lord’s name.

[vv. 23-25] In Bethel Elisha cursed some idol-worshipping young men (‘young lads’ = late teens, early twenties) who called him ‘baldhead’, which was an insult because Elijah followed Yahweh. Two female bears tore up 42 of the young men. He went from Bethel to Mount Carmel and then returned to Samaria.

(3:1-27) Elisha and the Conquest of Moab

<vv. 1-3> Jehoram’s reign as king over Israel was not as evil as his father and mother’s (Ahab and Jezebel’s). He did not personally worship Baal. He did, however, make Israel to continue in sin as they had been since Jeroboam, the northern kingdom’s first king.

<vv. 4-19> When King Ahab died and Jehoram, his son, replaced him as King of Israel, the king of Moab, Mesha, rebelled against Israel. The kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom went up to fight against Moab but ran out of water for their army and animals. Fearing that God was against them, they sought to hear from God through the prophet Elisha. Elisha said that God would provide water and He would give the Moabites into their hands.

<v. 20> God gave them valleys full of water just as He said He would.

<vv. 21-27> God used the water to confuse the Moabites and Israel began to slaughter them as they moved into Moab.

Do you guys remember what the King of Moab did when he needed his men to fight harder? He sacrificed his oldest son to Moab’s false god. The King of Moab’s men fought harder and the three kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom departed and went home.

(4:1-44) Elisha’s Miracles

<vv. 1-7> The Widow’s Oil: A widow owed money and the one she owed it to threatened to take her sons away is she didn’t pay it. She cried to Elisha for help and he miraculously provided oil by the power of God so that she and her sons could sell it, pay off the debt she owed, and live on the rest.

God provides for His people.

<vv. 8-17> The Shunammite Woman: A woman from Shunem and her husband were especially kind to Elisha, making him a guest room in their house so that he could rest there whenever he passed through. Elisha wanted to do something for her and she had no son, so he prophesied that she would have a son by that time the next year. It happened just as Elisha said.

God keeps His promises.

<vv. 18-37> The Shunammite Woman’s Son: The Shunammite woman’s son had grown up when he suddenly died. She called on Elisha to heal him. First, Elisha sent his disciple, Gehazi, to try to heal the young man with Elisha’s staff but that didn’t work. Then Elijah came and healed the young man by repeatedly stretching himself out on him and breathing into him.

Just as God breathed life into Adam, so God breathed life into this young man through His prophet, Elisha.

God has the power to raise the dead.

<vv. 38-41> The Poisonous Stew: Elisha returned to Gilgal and was instructing the sons (i.e., the disciples) of the prophets. He told them to put on a large pot of stew and someone put poisonous wild gourds in it because they did not know what they were. When they ate it, the men cried out, “There is death in this pot!” By the power of God, Elisha miraculously made the stew non-poisonous by adding meal to it.

What face do you think they made when they tasted the poisonous soup?

Our God turns death to life.

<vv. 42-44> Loaves of Barley and Grain: A man brought Elisha bread for the people to eat but one of Elisha’s attendants said that it wouldn’t be enough for a hundred men. But Elisha told him to set the bread before the people. They ate and had some left over. This was all ‘according to the word of the Lord.’

This reminds us of Jesus feeding thousands with a few loaves and fish.

Our God turns a little into a lot.