Sunday School Bible Survey:      II KINGS

Theme: The judgment of God


Key verses: "Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God" (II Kings 17:13, 14).


From the Scofield Study Bible:
This book continues the history of the kingdoms to the captivities. It includes the translation of Elijah and the ministry of Elisha. During this period Amos and Hosea prophesied in Israel, and Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah in Judah.


Second Kings is in seven parts:

  1. The last ministry and translation of Elijah (1:1—2:11).
  2. The ministry of Elisha from the translation of Elijah to the anointing of Jehu (2:12—9:10).
  3. The reign of Jehu over Israel (9:11—10:36).
  4. The reigns of Athaliah and Jehoash over Judah (11:1—12:21).
  5. The reigns of Jehoahaz and Joash over Israel, and the last ministry of Elisha (13:1-25).
  6. From the death of Elisha to the captivity of Israel (14:1—17:41).
  7. From the accession of Hezekiah to the captivity of Judah (18:1—25:30).

The events recorded in Second Kings cover a period of 308 years. (Ussher)


Introduction:

  1. Prominent throughout the book of II Kings is the wrath of God. Israel and Judah both disobeyed God and were taken into captivity — Israel by the Assyrians (17:6, 23), and Judah by the Chaldeans (II Kings 25).
  2. Israel and Judah had been warned many times by the prophets but they would not listen (cf. II Kings 17:13-18).
  3. J Vernon McGee wrote, "The moral teaching of these books (I & II Kings) is to show man his inability to rule himself and the world. In these four historical books (I & II Samuel and I & II Kings) we get a very graphic view of the rise and fall of the kingdom of Israel" (Thru the Bible).

I. ELIJAH AND ELISHA

  1. Second Kings begins with Elijah's rebuke of King Ahaziah, the king of Israel (1:1-16).
  2. Elijah's translation into heaven is recorded in II Kings 2.
  3. Elisha had a much longer ministry than Elijah (2:2—13:21). He dominates II Kings 2—9. His death and final miracle (which took place after his death) are recorded in II Kings 13.

II. KINGS OF ISRAEL

  1. King Ahab was succeeded by his son, Ahaziah. King Ahaziah’s death is recorded in II Kings 1:17, 18.
  2. His brother Jehoram (sometimes called "Joram") succeeded him (1:17). King Jehoram was killed by Jehu, the captain of his army (9:24).
  3. The LORD used Jehu as His instrument of wrath and judgment against the house of King Ahab and Baal worship, but King Jehu was not a saved man (cf. II Kings 10:28-31).
  4. Jehu's son Jehoahaz succeeded him (13:1-3).
  5. Jehoahaz was followed by his son Jehoash (13:10, 11).
  6. After the death of King Jehoash, his son Jeroboam II reigned in his stead (14:16).
  7. Jeroboam II was followed by his son Zachariah (14:29). He reigned for only six months and was killed by Shallum (15:10).
  8. Shallum reigned for only one month and was killed by Menahem (15:13-15).
  9. Menahem reigned for ten years and after his death, his son Pekahiah became king (15:22).
  10. Pekahiah reigned for two years and was killed by Pekah, one of his captains (15:23-25).
  11. Pekah reigned for twenty years and was killed by Hoshea (15:30).
  12. Hoshea reigned for nine years (17:1, 2). King Hoshea paid tribute money to Shalmaneser, the king of Syria (17:3). When Shalmaneser discovered that King Hoshea was not paying his tribute money, but was conspiring with the king of Egypt, he invaded Israel and put Hoshea in prison (17:4).
  13. This was the end for the nation of Israel (17:5-23).

III. KINGS OF JUDAH

  1. Ahaziah was the son of King Jehoram (Joram). Ahaziah was a bad king, like his father (8:24-27). King Ahaziah was killed by Jehu, because he was related to King Ahab by marriage (9:27, 28; cf. 8:27).
  2. After killing King Ahaziah, Jehu killed all of his brothers (10:13, 14). Second Kings 11:1 says, "And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal."
  3. "But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land" (11:2, 3).
  4. Joash's great-uncle, the high priest Jehoiada, brought him forth when he was seven years of age, and had him crowned and anointed king. Wicked Queen Athaliah was taken by surprise when she heard the people clapping their hands and shouting "God save the king," and when she appeared in the temple to challenge the coup, Jehoiada commanded her to be taken out of the temple and executed (11:4-16).
  5. King Joash was a good king and he reigned for 40 years (12:1). As long as Jehoiada the priest was around to advise him he did well, but when Jehoiada died King Joash lost his way (12:2; cf. II Chron. 24:15-27).
  6. After Joash was killed by his servants (12:20), Amaziah his son reigned in his stead (12:21; cf. II Chron. 24:25-27). Amaziah was a good king (14:1-3).
  7. Amaziah was also killed by conspirators, and his son Azariah, also known as Uzziah, was put on the throne by the people of Judah (14:19-21).
  8. King Uzziah was a good king, and he reigned for 52 years.
  9. King Uzziah was followed by his son Jotham, who was also a good king (15:32-34).
  10. After four good kings, Ahaz, the son of Jotham became king, and he was a bad king (16:1-4).
  11. After Ahaz, his son Hezekiah became king and he was a good king (18:1-3). There was a great revival under the leadership of King Hezekiah (18:4-7).
  12. Though Hezekiah was a great king, he was followed by his son Manasseh, who was a wicked king (21:1-18). King Manasseh's provocations were the main reason Judah went into captivity (cf. 23:26, 27; 24:3). However, II Chronicles 33:11-13 says King Manasseh "humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers," indicating he repented in his final days (II Chron. 33:14-20). Nevertheless, the damage was done and God's judgment was irrevocable.
  13. After the death of King Manasseh, his son Amon became the king of Judah (II Kings 21:18, 19). He was a bad king (21:20-22).
  14. After the death of King Amon, his son Josiah reigned in his stead (21:26). King Josiah was a very good king, and the last good king of Judah (22:1—23:28). King Josiah died on the battlefield of Megiddo, where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought (23:28-30).
  15. After the death of King Josiah, his son Jehoahaz became king, but reigned for only three months (23:31). He, as were all his successors, was a bad king. This was the beginning of the end for Judah (23:32, 33).
  16. "And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there" (23:34). Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years (23:36).
  17. After the death of Jehoiakim, his son Jehoiachin began to reign, and he reigned for only three months (24:8). It was during his reign that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his army invaded Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah (24:17).
  18. King Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem again, this time destroying the temple and the city (II Kings 25).



These are simple Sunday School survey notes. They are not for sale. The author used many outlines from popular Bible teachers such as C.I. Scofield and J. Vernon McGee, and he has tried to give credit when using their material.



—  Pastor James J. Barker  —