We are about to start 2nd Kings. You may be wondering why we study these books (1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, and 1st and 2nd Chronicles). They seem to be nothing more than ancient history of the nation of Israel and that they are, but they are much more than that. The reason that you and I study them in this day and age is for the lessons they have in relation to the depravity of man, his continual unfaithfulness to God, and his lack of the memory of God's goodness. These books also show us God's great love and patience with his children. One of the lessons the Bible teaches us over and over is that as human beings we are weak and unable to fulfill the law of God, and because of that we need a Savior provided by the love, patience, and the grace of God.

Beginning with chapter 1 we are introduced to the Prophets Elijah and Elisha.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 001)  Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 002)  And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 003)  But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 004)  Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 005)  And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 006)  And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 007)  And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 008)  And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 009)  Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 010)  And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 011)  Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 012)  And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 013)  And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 014)  Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 015)  And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 016)  And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 017)  So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 018)  Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 

In this chapter we are introduced to Elisha who apparently is Elijah's understudy and is to be his replacement when God takes Elijah away.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 001)  And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 002)  And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 003)  And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 004)  And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 005)  And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 006)  And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 007)  And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 008)  And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 009)  And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 010)  And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 011)  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 012)  And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 013)  He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 014)  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 015)  And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 016)  And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 017)  And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 018)  And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not? 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 019)  And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 020)  And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 021)  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 022)  So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. 

Beginning with verse 23 we find Elisha being tormented by a group of young people who today might be called gang bangers. While their punishment may seem to be severe, I doubt that there was much juvenile delinquency in that area after that.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 023)  And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 024)  And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 025)  And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria. 

Chapter 3 through the middle of chapter 8 deals primarily with the ministry of Elisha.The stories are very complete and easy to understand and need little explanation.

(chpt:  3 Vs: 001)  Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 002)  And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 003)  Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 004)  And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 005)  But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 006)  And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 007)  And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. 

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