II Kings – La Vista Church of Christ

Who was the greatest king?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 17:13:53 +0000

Question:

Good day, brother Jeffrey!

About Hezekiah, we read in II Kings 18:5-6:

Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.

But then about Josiah, a couple of chapters later in II Kings 23:25:

Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did — with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

How can the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah both be the greatest, especially when it is said that neither before nor after him was there a king like him? Is this a contradiction?

Answer:

It depends on what you are measuring. Hezekiah was the greatest king who demonstrated trust in God. Josiah was the greatest king who demonstrated zeal for God. Solomon was unique among the kings for the love God showed to him (Nehemiah 13:26).

Is God Responsible for Ahab Doing Wrong?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:52:20 +0000

by Tommy Peeler

Is God responsible for Ahab doing the wrong thing?

Ahab is ready to go to war without inquiring of God (I Kings 22:4-5).
When 400 prophets tell him that he will take Ramoth-Gilead, Ahab is content, but Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of a prophet of the LORD (I Kings 22:6-7).
Ahab does not want to inquire of Micaiah, but Jehoshaphat insists (I Kings 22:8-9).
As Micaiah comes before the king, he is encouraged to speak like the other prophets (I Kings 22:13).
When Micaiah tells Ahab that he will die in battle, Ahab gets angry, imprisons him, and gives him small rations of bread and water (I Kings 22:17-18, 27-28). He does not heed the warning. This is particularly interesting since Ahab questioned Micaiah’s sincerity when he told him the same thing the other prophets had said (I Kings 22:12, 15-16).
The LORD cannot be blamed for deceiving Ahab when He reveals to Ahab that this was all a plan to deceive him and get him to die at Ramoth-Gilead (I Kings 22:19-23).
Ahab is concerned enough that Micaiah spoke the truth that he disguises him, but he goes to battle anyway (I Kings 22:30).

Could Ahab have repented and listened to God? I Kings 21:17-29 clearly shows that he could have.
God is a God of truth who does not lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2). But if there are any who are content to be deceived, He will let them be deceived (II Thessalonians 2:11-12).

How can the King of Moab sacrificing his son cause great wrath against Israel?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 22:43:08 +0000

Question:

Can you also explain II Kings 3:26-27 for me? I'm confused as to how the King of Moab sacrificing his son would cause great wrath against Israel and then cause (what it sounds like to be) the servants of Israel (or Moab?) to withdraw and return back to their country.

Answer:

II Kings 3:27 has puzzled many people, and you'll find many explanations. The difficulty is that the Hebrew text is a bit vague.

The events in II Kings 3 involve Jehoram, King of Israel, Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and Mesha, King of Moab. What is particularly interesting is that a stele has been found where Mesha recorded his views of these events (The Mesha Stele).

Mesha and his ancestors had been subjugated by Omri (Ahab's father and Jehoram's grandfather). For many years, Moab had to make large tribute payments to Israel (II Kings 3:4). However, when Ahab died, and Jehoram had just taken the throne, Mesha decided that this was a good time to rebel. Jehoram asked Jehoshaphat to help squash this rebellion (II Kings 3:7).

via BibleMapper.com

The kings decided to lead an army against Moab by going around the south side of the Dead Sea and attaching Moab from the south. Likely, they thought Moab would not be expecting an attack from Israel from that direction. As they went, the king of Edom joined them.

However, Jehoram became nervous. He realized that none of his companions were truly allies and that he could easily be killed so far from his country (II Kings 3:10). To calm Jehoram, a prophet was sought, and Elisha was available. God, through Elisha, said He would have nothing to do with Israel since they worship idols. Jehoram took that as confirmation that God was seeking to kill off all three kings (Israel, Judah, and Edom). However, Elisha said he is only here because God recognizes Jehoshaphat. Elisha then gives Jehoshaphat an unusual battle plan. They were to fill the valley with trenches. Those trenches would miraculously fill with water to water the armies, and then they were to destroy Moab.

Early the next morning, the Moabite army saw lots of red in the valley where the opposing army was camped. The water reflected the light of dawn, but Moab assumed that the kings had fought among themselves and the armies had killed each other. So, Moab charged in to collect the spoils from the battle. But instead of dead soldiers, they found men fresh and ready for battle. The army was defeated, and the three kings charged in to destroy Moab, which was no longer well-protected.

Mesha was trapped in a city and only had 700 soldiers left to him. He attempted to break out by charging Edom's army, assuming it was the weak link, but failed. In desperation, Mesha took his eldest son, his heir to the throne, and sacrificed him on the wall of the city. Moab had long worshipped Chemosh (II Kings 11:7). The worshippers of Chemosh believed that the greater your sacrifice to Chemosh, the more likely that Chemosh would answer your request. The Mesha Stele shows that Mesha was a devoted follower of Chemosh. There was a belief among idolaters that the higher the altar, the more likely the gods would notice the sacrifice.

The problem is that Israel has been caught up in idolatry for hundreds of years. That left them superstitious. They concluded that the Moabite god directed great wrath toward them, demoralizing the Israelites. The word for "great wrath" is typically used for the wrath of a god, but notice that the verse doesn't mention who the source of the wrath was. We know that God had directed the three kings to destroy Moab, so it would not have been from God unless the armies had violated His laws, which is not stated. It could not actually be from Chemosh because idols have no power -- they aren't real. However, it makes sense that the superstitious Israelites might assume Chemosh did have power, so they gave up and went home. This was Israel's battle, and with them leaving, the other two kings had no reason to stay.

Thus, the great victory given to the three kings because God respected Jehoshaphat ended abruptly. There was no profit from this battle, no celebration. Israel's army did not trust God. They had no steadfast loyalty to Him. This confirms the point made in II Kings 3:10 that Jehoram did not trust God. He started the battle assuming he would lose and left just before the end, thinking he was defeated. However, the only thing that defeated him was his imagination.

God Is in the Small Stuff

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:27:14 +0000

by Rhonda Smart

I am always delighted when I come across stories in the Bible that at first glance may seem insignificant but upon a deeper dive, I realize they serve as one more way for God to show just how much he loves us. Even though He has a universe to run, God is in the small, sometimes seemingly insignificant details of our lives.

For instance, we see in the Old Testament, that Elisha the prophet performed many big and small miracles. We catch up with him in II Kings after the once-united nation of Israel has been divided into two kingdoms for quite some time. Fast forward, Elijah has been taken to Heaven. Israel is in a state of flux, and as a result, Elisha (Elijah’s protégé) comes onto the scene.

Elisha makes an ax head float II Kings 6:5-7

Some of Elisha’s students decide they need to build a bigger place for them to meet so they suggest going down to the Jordan River where there are plenty of logs and begin to build a new place. The students begin chopping down trees, but one of the student’s (we never get his name) ax head falls into the river. He cries out to Elisha because it was a borrowed ax. Elisha performs a miracle. He asks the student to show him where it fell—he throws a stick in the area and the ax head rose to the top and began floating. The prophet grabbed it and went on his merry way!

It would seem the only people this would really affect would be the man that owned the ax and the man that had borrowed it. No one else was really affected, and it is interesting that we never learn the name of the student, nor do we ever hear about him again. Yet, God felt it important enough to include it in the Bible.

God cares and provides for those that put their trust in Him. Yes, even the smallest details. We see other scriptures where God knows the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7) or that no sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing (Mathew 10:29). The bottom line, God cares! If it is important to us, it is important to God.

Let those seemingly insignificant stories serve to encourage you when you feel overwhelmed or out of sorts, when everyone else has let you down, knowing God is right there during it all, even the details.

God wants to be included in the small areas of your life as well as the big things!

Chariots of Fire

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 00:42:10 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Chariots-of-Fire.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: II Kings 6:8-23

I. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, caused much grief for the northern kingdom of Israel

A. He made many raids into Israel, but he soon ran into problems

B. While his strategies were planned in top-secret, the king of Israel always seemed to know them in advance and had counters in place.

C. It was obvious to Ben-hadad that he had a spy among his people

1. He called his servants together to find out who was the spy

2. They not only denied being spies, but they also pointed out that the real culprit was a prophet on Israel’s side.

D. In our world of espionage, can you think of a better spy than the Lord God?

1. Even Ben-hadad’s bedroom was “bugged” by the Holy Spirit.

E. Ben-hadad decided to go to the root of the problem.

1. He would take out this informant

2. When he learned that Elisha was in Dothan, he sent his army out to surround the town. There would be no escape for Israel’s eyes and ears!

F. When Elisha’s servant arose early the next morning, he was dismayed to find themselves surrounded by the enemy.

1. Yet Elisha’s response was startling - II Kings 6:16

2. It was then that Elisha asked God to let his servant see how things actually stood - II Kings 6:17

II. The Old Testament is filled with wondrous stories for our instruction - Romans 15:4

A. We are in enemy territory, surrounded on all sides

1. I Peter 5:8 - Satan is looking to bring down God’s people.

2. Some have been taken captive - II Timothy 2:26

3. It is time to don the armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-13

B. As Elisha understood, our side is more powerful than the enemy

1. Elisha’s servant only saw the enemy. He forgot that God was their ally.

2. There are two planes - II Corinthians 4:16-18

3. We have to walk by faith, not by sight - II Corinthians 5:7

4. The battle is on the spiritual plane - II Corinthians 10:3-5

5. If God is for us, who can oppose us? - Romans 8:31

C. God will deliver us

1. Our confidence is in God - Psalm 3:6-8; 27:1-3

2. We must not fear - Isaiah 41:10-14

3. Our confidence reflects the outcome - Philippians 1:27-30

4. Must hold to our confidence to the end - Hebrews 3:6, 14

III. Therein lies a problem for many. How can I truly be confident?

A. Think back to when you first believed the gospel. When you came up out of the watery grave of baptism, were you confident of your salvation? Why?

B. The confidence did not come from man, but confidence in God’s promise

1. The gospel came from God and not man - Galatians 1:11

2. It was God who said that baptism washes away sins - Acts 22:16

3. Baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God - I Peter 3:21

4. So we became new - Romans 6:3

5. A newness created by God - Ephesians 4:17-24

C. When a person follows God’s commandments, does that earn God’s aid or causes God to owe us salvation? Not at all.

1. It is a display of our love for the God who has saved us - John 14:15; I John 5:1-3

2. Our keeping the commandments does not save us, but we have confidence that God saves those who keep His commandments - I John 2:3-6

D. So how do we know we are saved?

1. Because God promised to save those who obey Him - Titus 1:1-2; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1

2. We know what we must do to obey God because it is written in the Bible - I John 2:24-25

3. All it requires is staying in the bounds of the instruction of God.

IV. People have lost their confidence because

A. They have stopped trusting God

B. They have convinced themselves that truth is hard or impossible to discern.

C. What about you? - Hebrews 11:6

Elisha’s She Bears

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 20:56:23 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Elishas-She-Bears.mp3

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by Ralph Walker

Did the prophet really unleash two bears to kill a host of little boys? For making fun of his baldness? How sensitive can a prophet be?

Preaching the Bloody Bible

Because of the Sins of Jeroboam

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 26 Sep 2021 17:07:42 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Because-of-the-Sins-of-Jeroboam.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Matthew 5:13-16

I. Few credit the influence we have on the lives of those around us.

A. The things we do and say impact the lives of those we come in contact.

B. Sometimes our influence spreads to people we may not have seen.

II. The example of Jeroboam

A. Following the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel was divided by two rival kings.

1. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, took his father’s place upon the throne.

a. Yet when he was asked to reduce the tax burden that his father had initiated, Rehoboam vowed to increase the burden to the point that Solomon’s burden would seem light.

b. The people, naturally, rebelled. Only one tribe acknowledged Rehoboam as their king.

2. Because of Solomon’s sins, God had selected Jeroboam to lead the rebelling tribes - I Kings 11:26-40

a. Notice, though, the restriction God placed on Jeroboam in verse 38.

b. Jeroboam returned from Egypt after Solomon’s death, but he did not obey God - I Kings 12:25-32

(1) Notice the lack of trust in God

(2) Notice the substitute religion was similar to the old, but with changes.

c. Of course, this angered God - I Kings 14:7-10

d. But God also knew the influence Jeroboam’s sins would have on Israel - I Kings 14:16

B. Nadab became the next king - I Kings 15:25-26

1. Where did Nadab learn his evil ways?

2. From his father, of course.

C. Nadab was assassinated by Baasha - I Kings 15:28-30

1. Did Baasha learn from history?

2. No, he repeated the same sins - I Kings 15:34, 16:7

D. Elah, the son of Baasha, became the next king, and history repeats itself - I Kings 16:8-13

1. His own general took him out

E. So Zimri learned the lesson of following God? NO! - I Kings 16:15-19

1. Imagine that! He was able to reign seven whole days and he already proved to God that he walked in the ways of Jeroboam.

F. Omri, Zimri’s fellow general, becomes the next king and was no better - I Kings 16:25-26

G. His son, Ahab, we have all heard about. He had his infamous wife, Jezebel - I Kings 16:29-33

1. He and his father did not simply repeat Jeroboam’s sins, they went beyond them.

H. His son, Ahaziah, learned from his father and kept the combined false religions - I Kings 22:51-53

I. He dies from complications of a battle wound and his brother, Jehoram, takes his place

1. He at least stopped worshiping Baal - II Kings 3:1-3

J. God eventually appoints Jehu to wipe out Ahab’s lineage, which he does thoroughly. He also destroyed all supporters of Ahab and killed all Baal worshipers. But he kept one thing. Would you like to guess? - II Kings 10:28-31

K. We could go on. Every king of Israel repeated the same pattern established by Jeroboam.

1. Eventually, God delivers Israel into the hands of the Assyrians - II Kings 17:20-23

III. We often talk about the influence for good that we need to exert, but consider the impact the evil a person does.

A. Jeroboam did it out of fear of losing his kingdom.

B. That decision to sin was not contained in his lifetime.

C. It continued on for hundreds of years.

D. Think about how many lives were lost because of his sins. Think how many lives were influenced to do evil because of his fear.

IV. Our lives are not contained to just the time we have on this earth.

A. We influence people every day with our words and our actions.

1. The influence may be to the good or the evil.

2. Matthew 5:13-16

B. We cannot avoid influencing others, so what have you done in your life?

1. The way you attend services will set a pattern for your children and others you know.

2. If recreation is more important than serving God, is it a wonder that others follow your footsteps?

3. If prayer is only casually engaged, is it a wonder others do not pray as they ought?

C. Revelation 14:13 - Our works follow us.

1. Even after death, the influence of a godly father or mother will carry on in their children.

2. The influence of a godly person can bring others to Christ and that change will impact generations of people.

3. Prepare the next generation for living godly tomorrow by living a righteous life today.

V. The Bible records the names of influential people

A. Noah, Abraham, Job, Moses, Joseph, Paul, Peter, and Timothy set faithful examples for us, even today.

B. Lot, Ahab, Jezebel, Judas, and Demas have made their impact as well.

C. How will you be spoken of in the years to come?

D. Even more important is how God will find you in the day of Judgment.

What was the name of the son of the Shunammite?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Question:

What was the boy's name in II Kings who died and then sneezed seven times?

Answer:

The Shunammite woman is mentioned in II Kings 4:8-37 and II Kings 8:1-6 and she is never referred to by name, nor is the name of her husband or son given. It really isn't important to the stories related.

What is the point of the story of Elisha, the 42 youths, and the bears?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:23:00 +0000

Question:

I do not quite understand the story in II Kings 2:23-25. What is the point there? Is it okay for a prophet to curse somebody in the name of the Lord? How about other believers of God? Can they curse somebody in the name of the Lord? According to the Bible, will those children in the story be saved or lost?

Answer:

"Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths" (II Kings 2:23-24).

The setting of this event takes place shortly after Elisha witnesses Elijah being taken up to heaven by God in a whirlwind (II Kings 2:11-12). As God had stated, Elisha became Elijah's replacement as a prophet of God (I Kings 19:16). Miracles began to happen at Elisha's hand. Striking the Jordan with his cloak, he divided the water and crossed over (II Kings 2:14). Going by Jericho, the people there asked if something could be done about the bad water supply. Throwing salt into spring, it became pure (II Kings 2:19-22). These events did not happen in isolation. People were aware of the miracles. Thus, when Elisha heads toward Bethel, the youths demonstrate that they knew about Elijah being taken to heaven because they taunt that Elisha should go up as well.

In regards to the youths, the phrase being used, unearim qotanim in the Hebrew, doesn't necessarily refer to eight or nine-year-old boys as you might suppose. Qaton, the root word of qotanim, has a range of meanings in comparing two things from small (as opposed to large when referring to things), insignificant (as opposed to important), or young (as opposed to old). The dividing line isn't under consideration between the contrasts. It isn't like anything under 19 inches is small. Qaton is used when one item is the smallest of the set. Or if you were talking about a set of children, qaton applied to the youngest of the descendants. Na'ar, the root of unearim, can refer to anything from a male infant up to a young man of marriageable age. For example, Joseph was a na'ar at the age of seventeen (Genesis 37:2) and was still na'ar at the age of thirty (Genesis 41:12,46). Even young soldiers can be na'ar (Joshua 6:23). Combined, the phrase likely refers to young men who are not yet fully grown. How far from adulthood we don't know, but it can refer to a gang of adolescent boys.

The location is also important. Bethel was one of the cities Jeroboam had made into a center for his idolatrous worship. "For the saying which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass" (I Kings 13:32). The people in this region had no love for true prophets of God. It isn't surprising that their children picked up their disdain.

The taunt of "bald head" can refer to the fact that Elisha was older and thus bald, but it also carries a secondary meaning of being "empty-headed" or stupid. The record says that these young men mocked, disparaged, scorned, or ridiculed Elisha. They were disparaging him as a prophet. We must also keep in mind that it was 42 young men (at least) mocking one traveler.

Elisha turned back to face his detractors and he pronounced a curse in the name of the Lord. The phrase "in the name of" means with the approval or authority. (See "All in a Name" for more details.) Elisha is not speaking on his own behalf, he was speaking on behalf of the Lord and with the Lord's approval.

The word translated "curse" comes from the Hebrew word qalelem, the root word is qalal. It means "to be small" or "to be light," as in weight or significance. The Lord told Nineveh that they were vile in His sight in Nahum 1:14 ("vile" is the translation of qalal). It might have been the capital of the largest and oldest empire in the world, but God saw them as insignificant. Job saw himself as vile (qalal) after meeting with God (Job 40:4). David didn't think he was worthy enough to marry a king's daughter (I Samuel 18:23). That is why cursing (qalal) God was such a severe offense. "Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death'" (Leviticus 24:15-16).

And that is what the word "curse" really means. It means to treat something with contempt or to consider it insignificant. Michal thought David's dancing to be contemptible and David responded, "And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor" (II Samuel 6:22). So, Elisha turned back to the youths and told them they were contemptible and insignificant. They weren't just mocking an old traveler, they were mocking a representative of God, and these boys knew it.

We aren't told exactly what words he used. He was telling them that they weren't as big as they thought they were in God's sight. I doubt that Elisha knew what would happen next. But remember that he spoke on behalf of God, in the Lord's name, as one of God's prophets. Two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys. Female bears are particularly dangerous when they believe their cubs are in danger (Proverbs 17:12; Hosea 13:8). God used the two female bears to punish a gang of youths who were mocking Him through His representative. This wasn't Elisha's doing; he couldn't have arranged for this to happen, but God did arrange it and He had a good reason for doing it.

Response:

Thank you so much for your detailed answer to my question. You really know the Bible well, which is quite helpful in understanding the Bible. I plan to read all your answers to questions, which are posted on the web site for the La Vista Church of Christ. I really learned a lot from you and will learn more.

Thank you again for your help.

Who wrote II Kings?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:06:00 +0000

Question:

Who wrote II Kings?

Answer:

I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, and II Kings are actually one long book that became divided into four parts. Scrolls can only hold so much before they become unwieldy. The books are thought to be the work of a series of prophets. Such makes the most sense since it covers a large period of history.

This statement is probably referring to I Samuel, II Samuel

"Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer" (I Chronicles 29:29).

This statement is probably referring to I Kings:

"Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?" (II Chronicles 9:29)."The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days." (II Chronicles 12:15).

"Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the annals of the prophet Iddo" (II Chronicles 13:22).

It isn't a complete list because it only takes the accounts up to Abijah. There is a good argument that Jeremiah was involved in the writing of at least parts II Kings since it contains many details that he was directly familiar with (compare Jeremiah 52 and II Kings 24-25) and ends in his time. It is possible that Jeremiah served as editor for all four books.