1. King Ahaziah is injured after a fall and wants to know whether he
will recover. He sends messengers to the pagan god Baal. They are intercepted by Elijah
who tells them that Ahaziah will not leave his bedhe is to die. Ahaziah wants Elijah to
come to his bedside. He sends three companies of troops to bring Elijah to him. The first
and second companies are burned by fire brought down on them at Elijah’s request. The
angel of the Lord tells him to go to Ahaziah. He does so but his words remain the same. He
scolds Ahaziah for contacting pagan gods and says "Because you have done this you
will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die". So Ahaziah dies
as Elijah had foretold. 2 Kings 1:1-17. B.C. 852-841
2. Ahaziah had no sons so his brother, Joram (852-841), succeeded him. 2 Kings 1:17-18.
3. Elijah is taken up to heaven at a place close to where Moses died. That his life was
remarkable is born out by the fact that he was one of those chosen to appear at the
Transfiguration of Jesus. Elisha takes up Elijah’s task. That God is with him is
proved by the healing of the water and the mauling by bears of the men who jeered at him.
2 Kings 2:1-25.
4. Joram became king of Israel in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He
reigned for twelve years and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. King Mesha of Moab had paid
tribute of wool to Ahaziah but when Joram was made King Mesha revolted against the
continuation of this tribute. Joram obtains the co-operation of King Jehoshaphat of Judah
and together with the King of Edom they marched to meet King Mesha’s army. After a
seven day march they ran out of water and the three kings go to consult Elisha who, by the
Lord’s power makes waters to flow. 2 Kings 3:1-20.
5. The Moabites are defeated and King Mesha sacrifices his firstborn son on the city wall.
2 Kings 3:21.27.
6. The next chapter details four of Elisha’s miracles.
1) A widow’s sons are to be taken from her to pay a debt. Elisha
makes endless oil to flow which she is able to sell to pay the debt. 2 Kings 4:1-7.
2) An old woman and her husband show kindness to Elisha by having a
room for him whenever he passes by. He tells her that she will conceive. She has a son but
he dies. Elisha brings him back to life. 2 Kings 4:8-37.
3) Poisonous stew is made safe by Elisha. 2 Kings 4:38-41.
4) A hundred men are fed from twenty loaves. 2 Kings 4:42-44.
7. God shows that his love is not limited to Israel. Naaman is the army commander of
Syria. He is a leper. He hears of Elisha’s power. He is disappointed with
Elisha’s instructions but is persuaded to bathe seven times in the Jordan at which
his leprosy is cured. Greed entered the heart of Elsiha’s servant Gehazi who took
payment for the cure. His reward is to be struck down with leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1-27.
8. More of Elisha’s miracles.
1) A man loses his axe head in a river. Elisha gets it to float so that
it can be recovered. 2 Kings 6:1-7.
2) The king of Aram sends his troops to capture Elisha who makes them
all blind. 2 Kings 6:8-23.
3) There is a famine in Samaria which reduces people to cannibalism.
Elisha prophecies that food will be at the gateway the next day. By a miracle this
happens. 2 Kings 6:24-33. & 7:1-20.
9. The woman whose son Elisha brought back from the dead is given back her land. 2 Kings
8:1-6.
10. Elisha correctly prophecies the death of Ben-Hadad. 2 Kings 8:7-15848-841
11. Jehoram (848-841) son of Jehoshaphat commences his reign as king of Judah. He reigned
in Jerusalem for eight years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 2 Kings 8:16-24.
12. Jehoram dies and his son Ahaziah (841) becomes king of Judah. He did evil in the eyes
of the Lord. 2 Kings 8:25-29.
13. Elisha sends his servant to anoint Jehu (841-814) as king of Israel. 2 Kings 9:1-13.
14. Jehu sets out to complete the prophecy of Elijah (See 1 Kings 19:16-17.) Jehu kills
Jehoram. Then Jehu wounds Ahaziah king of Judah who escapes to Meggido but dies there. 2
Kings 9:14-29.
15. Jehu goes to Jezreel. Jezebel is looking down from a window. Jehu tells two eunuchs to
throw her down and they do. Later they go to get her body only to find bones. Thus the
prophecy of Elijah is fulfilled. (See 1 Kings 21:23.) 2 Kings 9:30-37 .
16. Jehu’s reign continues a blood-bath in which all Ahab’s family, many of the
royal house of Judah, and the prophet and worshippers of Baal lose their lives. Baal pagan
objects are destroyed. 2 Kings 10:1-36.
17. Queen Athaliah (835-796), the mother of Ahaziah, proceeds to destroy all the royal
family. But Ahaziah’s son, Joash, is hidden away so he was not killed. He remained
hidden for six years while his mother ruled the land. The high priest Jehoiada, whose wife
had hidden Joash, called together commanders of the guards and made a covenant with them
then showed them the king’s son. The guards surrounded the king in the Temple while
Jehoiada anointed him. Queen Athaliah is put to death. 2 Kings 11:1-20.
18. Joash (835-796) was one of Judah’s best kings. He was only seven when his reign
commenced and he ruled for forty years. 2 Kings 11:21
19. Under the guidance of the high priest, Jehoiada, Joash rules well. He orders repairs
to the temple. When Hazael king of Aram comes to attack Jerusalem, Joash takes all the
sacred objects and gold from the treasuries and gives them to Hazael who withdraws. Joash
is assassinated and is succeeded by his son Amaziah. 2 Kings12:1-21.
20. In the twenty-third year of the reign of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz (814-798) son
of Jehu became king of Israel. He reigned for seventeen years and did evil in the eyes of
the Lord. He died and his son Jehoash succeeded him. 2 Kings 13:1-9.
21. Jehoash (798-782), king of Israel ruled for sixteen years. He did evil in the eyes of
the Lord. He died and Jeroboam succeeded him. 2 Kings 13:10-13.
22. Elisha is ill and dies after predicting that Jehoash will defeat the Arameans three
times. 2 Kings 13:14-25
23. In the second year of the reign of Jehoash king of Israel, Amaziah (796-767) son of
Joash became king of Judah. He reigned for twenty nine years. He did what was right in the
eyes of the Lord. He was victorious over the Edomites but this went to his head and he
challenges Jehoash king of Israel. Judah was routed by Israel. Jehoash took all the gold
and silver from the Temple and from the royal palace. Jehoash died and was succeeded by
his son Jereboam II. Amaziah was assassinated and was succeeded by his son Azariah. 2
Kings 14:1-22.
24. Jereboam II (793-753) king of Israel reigned for forty one years, including a time as
co-regent. He was politically strong, dominating the land from north of Lebanon to the
Dead Sea. This reign is Israel’s ‘Indian Summer’. After his death the
nation falls apart. Jereboam II dies and is succeeded by his son Zechariah. 2 Kings
14:23-29
25. Azariah (792-740), king of Judah, was a good king who reigned for fifty two years
including a time as a co-regent. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He was
afflicted with Leprosy and lived in a separate house. His son, Jotham, had charge of the
palace and governed the people of the land. Azariah dies and his son Jotham succeeds him.
2 Kings 15:1-7.
26. Zechariah (753 6 months) rules for only six months does evil in the eyes of the Lord
and is assassinated by Shallum who succeeds him. Shallum (752 1 month) rules for one month
when he is assassinated by Menahem who succeeds him. 2 Kings 15:8-16.
27. Menahem (752-742) reigns as king of Israel for ten years. He does evil in the eyes of
the Lord. He becomes a vassal to the powerful Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria and
exacts silver from the wealthy to give to the king. Menaham dies and is succeeded by his
son Pekahiah. 2 Kings 15:17-22.
28. Pekahiah (742-740) ruled as king of Israel for two years. He did evil in the eyes of
the Lord. He was assassinated by one of his chief officers, Pekah, who succeeded him. 2
Kings 15:23-26.
29. Pekah (752-732) king of Israel reigned for twenty years. He did evil in the eyes of
the Lord. His anti-Assyrian policy leads to mass deportation of the people by
Tiglath-Pileser III King of Syria. Pekah is assassinated by Hoshea who succeeds him. 2
Kings 15:27-31.
30. Jotham (750-735) king of Judah reigned for sixteen years including a co-regency. He
did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Jotham dies and is succeeded by his son Ahaz.
2 Kings 15:32-38.
31. Ahaz (735-715) was one of Judah’s worst kings. During his sixteen year reign and
co-regency Judah was under attack from all quarters. Ahaz stripped the temple of silver
and gold to pay heavy tributes demanded by Assyria in return for help. Some of
Isaiah’s prophecies date from this time. Ahaz dies and is succeeded by his son
Hezekiah. 2 Kings 16:1-20.
32. Hoshea (732-722) was the last king of Israel. He reigned for nine years. He did evil
in the eyes of the Lord. He tried to obtain help from Egypt but when Salmanneser king of
Syria discovered this he seized Hoshea and put him in prison and invaded the entire land
deporting the Israelites to Assyria. All this came about because the Israelites had
sinned. They burnt incense to pagan gods they rejected God’s decrees and the covenant
he had made with them. 2 Kings 17:1-23.
33. The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim
and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. But some were attacked
by lions and they attributed this to their lack of knowledge of the local God. Therefore
the king of Assyria gave the order that a captive priest should return to teach the people
what the God of the land requires. So one of the priests who had been exiled returned to
teach them how to worship the Lord. 2 Kings 17:24-28.
34. Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods. Even child sacrifice was
practiced. 2 Kings 17:29-41.
35. Hezekiah (715-686), king of Judah, reigned for twenty nine years, plus a co-regency,
and was one of Judah’s finest kings. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
He destroyed pagan idols. He also broke the bronze snake which Moses had made to the
Lord’s command when in the desert (See Numbers 21:8). The people had been burning
incense to it. 2 Kings 18:1-8.
36. Jerusalem is threatened by Sennacherib king of Assyria. He sends his supreme commander
with other officers to Jerusalem. They refuse private talks with Hezekiah preferring to
harangue the crowd. They tell the people not to listen to Hezekiah. 2 Kings 18:9-37.
37. Hezekiah sends his administrator and secretary to the Temple to consult Isaiah who
tells them not to be afraid. He prophecies that the Assyrian commander will receive news
which will make him leave Jerusalem. This duly happens when news comes that the king of
Assyria is fighting against Libnah. 2 Kings 19:1-8.
38. Hezekiah receives a letter telling him not to put trust in the Lord. He goes to the
Temple and prays. Then Isaiah prophesied that Sennacherib and his army would be destroyed.
This prophecy was fulfilled when eighty five thousand men in the Asyrian camp died.
(Possibly the result of plague). Sennacherib returns to Nineveh where later, he is
assassinated by his sons. 2 Kings 19:9-37.
39. Hezekiah becomes ill and Isaiah predicts that he will not recover. Hezekiah prays and
Isaiah returns to him to tell him that the Lord has heard his prayer, he will live for
another fifteen years. 2 Kings 20:1-11.
40. The king of Babylon heard that Hezekiah was ill and sent letters and a gift. Hezekiah
showed the messengers all that was in his storehouse and all the treasures. Later Isaiah
prophecied that everything in Jerusalem would be carried off to Babylon. Hezekiah died and
was succeeded by his son Manasseh. 2 Kings 20:12-21.
41. Manasseh (697-642) ruled for fifty five years including time as a co-regent. He did
evil in the eyes of the Lord. He rebuilt pagan shrines which his father had destroyed and
sacrificed his own son as well as practicing sorcery and divination. Mannasseh died and
was succeeded by his son Amon. 2 Kings 21:1-18.
42. Amon (642-640) was another evil king. He ruled for two years and was then assassinated
by his servants. He was succeeded by his son Josiah. 2 Kings 21:19-26.
43. Josiah (640-609) ruled for thirty one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the
Lord and was the best of Judah’s kings. In the eighteenth year of his reign a book of
the law is found. Huldah, the prophetess tells of disaster which is to come. 2 Kings
22:1-20.
44. Josiah renews the Covenant with God. Idol worship is stopped and the Passover is
celebrated but the hearts of the people do not change. Josiah is killed by Pharaoh
Neco’s army at Meggido. He is buried in Jerusalem and is succeeded by his son
Jehoahaz. 2 Kings 23:1-30. 609 45. Jehoahaz (609 3 months)was on the throne for an
evil three months. He was put in chains by Pharaoh Neco and deported to Egypt. Neco chose
Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim to succeed him but changed Eliakim’s name to
Jehoiakim. 2 Kings 23:31-35.
46. Jehoiakim (609-598) ruled for eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
During his reign he became vassal to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon but later changed his
mind and rebelled. Jehoiakim dies and is succeeded by his son Jehoiachin. 2 Kings 23:36-37
& 24:1-7.
47. Jehoiachin (597 3 months) was removed from the throne after three months by
Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon along with the treasures of Jerusalem and all the
leading men of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar chose Jehoiachin’s uncle, Mattaniah, to be king
and changed his name to Zedekiah. 2 Kings 24:8-17.
48. The new puppet king, Zedekiah (597-586), reigns for eleven years. He did evil in the
eyes of the Lord. In the ninth year of his reign he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon who marched against Jerusalem which suffered a terrible eighteen month siege.
Zedekiah tries to escape but is captured. His sons are killed in front of him and his eyes
are gouged out, and he is taken to Babylon. 2 Kings 24:18-20 & 25:1-7.
49. The city is plundered and utterly destroyed. Only the poor are left behind. A
governor, Gedaliah, is appointed by Nebuchadnezzer. Later Gedaliah is assassinated and all
the people flee to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians. 2 Kings 25:8-26.
50. The second book of kings, which has more than its share of bloodshed and evil,
finishes on a note of peace and kindness. After thirty five years in prison, Jehoiachin,
the penultimate king of Judah, is released by Evil-Merodach, son of Nebuchadnezzer, and
allowed to sit at the king’s table and is given a regular allowance. 2 Kings
25:27-3O.
1050-1012 Saul
1012-972 David
972-931 Solomon
| Judah | Israel |
931 - 913 Rehoboam |
931 - 910/9 Jereboam 1
|
Where the years do not appear to follow on correctly, there was
probably a period of co-regency.
* Also known as.