The Analysed Bible, Volumes 1, 2, 3, by Rev. G. Campbell Morgan: The Book of 2 Kings - Analysed and Explained in Detail (Full Text and PDF).

A detailed analysis of the book of 2 Kings: Corruption.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, being published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

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The Book of 2 Kings - Analysed and Explained in Summary - Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of "The Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, taken from Volumes 1, 2, & 3 of the "Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

2 KINGS - CORRUPTION

Part A: ELISHA - 2 Kings 1:1-9:37

A1. Elijah - 2Kin. 1:1-1:18

  1. The sin and sickness of Ahaziah
  2. Elijah on behalf of God
  3. The judgement of fire

A2. Elijah and Elisha - 2Kin. 2:1-2:18

  1. The translation of Elijah
  2. The succession of Elisha

A3. Elisha - 2Kin. 2:19-9:37

  1. Healing of the waters of Jericho - 2:19-2:22
  2. Punishment of mocking Children - 2:23-2:25
  3. The sign at the war with Moab - 3:1-3:27
  4. Wonders - 4:1-7:20
  5. The restoration of the Shunammite's Land - 8:1-8:6
  6. Foretells Benhadad's death - 8:7-8:15
  7. Final Events - 8:16-9:37

Part B: CORRUPTION - 2 Kings 10:1-17:41

B1. Israel - 2Kin. 10:1-10:36

  1. The zeal of Jehu - 10:1-10:28
  2. The failure of Jehu - 10:29-10:36

B2. Judah - 2Kin. 11:1-12:21

  1. Athaliah and Jehoash - 11:1-11:21
  2. Jehoash - 12:1-12:21

B3. Israel - 2Kin. 13:1-13:25

  1. Jehoahaz, Jehoash
  2. Death of Elisha

B4. Judah - 2Kin. 14:1-14:22

  1. Amaziah
  2. Azariah

B5. Israel - 2Kin. 14:23-15:12

  1. Jeroboam II - 14:23-14:28
  2. Zechariah - 14:29-15:12

B6. Israel and Judah - 2Kin. 15:13-16:20

  1. Israel's throne - 15:13-15:31
  2. Judah's troubles - 15:32-16:20

B7. Passing of Israel - 2Kin. 17:1-17:41

  1. Victory of Assyria - 17:1-17:23
  2. Samaria colonized - 17:24-17:41

Part C: HEZEKIAH AND JOSIAH - 2 Kings 18:1-23:30

C1. Hezekiah - 2Kin. 18:1-20:21

  1. His Accession and Character - 18:1-18:12
  2. The coming of Sennacherib - 18:13-18:37
  3. Hezekiah Isaiah Victory - 19:1-19:37
  4. The last things - 20:1-20:21

C2. The Reaction - 2Kin. 21:1-21:26

  1. Manasseh - 21:1-21:18
  2. Amon - 21:19-21:26

C3. Josiah - 2Kin. 22:1-23:30

  1. The finding of the Law - 22:1-22:20
  2. Reform and death - 23:1-23:30

Part D: CAPTIVITY - 2 Kings 23:31-25:30

D1. Tributary: Egypt, Babylon - 2Kin. 23:31-24:7

D2. Beginning of Captivity - 2Kin. 24:8-24:20

D3. Carried away - 2Kin. 25:1-25:30

Introduction

The first book of Kings ended with the dark days immediately following the death of Ahab, and the passing into comparative obscurity of Elijah. This book centres first around Elisha. The course of corruption to captivity is then traced in sections alternating between Israel and Judah. Conspicuous breaks in the history are caused by the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah. For purposes of survey we may divide the book into four sections: Elisha (1-9); Corruption (10-17); Hezekiah and Josiah (18-23:30); Captivity (23:31-25).

A. Elisha - 2 Kings 1:1-9:37

The book opens with the story of the sin and sickness of Ahaziah, who sought counsel from Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. Elijah, who had been in seclusion, suddenly appeared, and protested against the action of the king. Twice Ahaziah attempted to capture him, and in each case the answer of God on behalf of His servant was the swift judgment of fire.

There is something pathetic and almost weird in the last stories of Elijah. It would seem as though he tried to escape into loneliness for that passing which he knew was at hand. Elisha, upon whom his mantle had already been cast, followed him loyally, determined to stand by him. Having witnessed his translation, he at once commenced his own ministry, and two incidents are recorded, one beneficent, the healing of the waters, and the other punitive, the destruction of the children. The last is misinterpreted if looked upon as an act of personal vengeance. It was rather an evidence of the sacredness of his office, and of the sin of refusing him as the messenger of God.

The ministry of Elisha stands in many respects in vivid contrast to that of Elijah. There is a gentleness about it which, in spite of ourselves, reminds us of the Messiah in His day. Instead of suddenly appearing at critical moments with thunder and a flame, he seems to have moved about amongst the people doing good wherever he came. Incidents follow each other in quick succession. He made provision for the need of the widow whose creditors were threatening her. He showed kindness to the Shunammite woman who had showed him hospitality. At Gilgal he healed the pottage, and fed a hundred men with twenty loaves. During all this time he was at the head of the prophetic school; and journeying from place to place, became known everywhere as the messenger of God. The simplicity of his life is suggested by the provision which the Shunammite woman, wealthy though she was, made for his evident requirements. His apartment was a little chamber on the wall, containing a bed and a table, a stool and a candlestick. His dignity is manifest in the attitude towards him, especially of this woman, who in her converse with him, stood ever in the doorway, recognizing the sacredness of his office.

The account of the healing of Naaman reveals Elisha's perpetual attitude of dignified loyalty to God. He rebuked the king, who was filled with fear at the coming of Naaman. He demanded on the part of Naaman absolute obedience, while he refused to take anything in the nature of personal reward for that which had been wrought by the hand of God.

The incident of the swimming of the iron axe-head is interesting, but quite secondary. In the hour of national peril Elisha rose above the gentler works which chiefly characterized his ministry. Revealing the plans of the Syrians, he saved his people from peril, and finally foretold the relief of Samaria. The influence of Elisha is incidentally seen in the converse of the king with Gehazi, and the restoration of the lands of the Shunammite woman for the sake of the prophet. Visiting Damascus, he foretold the death of Benhadad, and Hazaels share in the future suffering of Israel.

The story of Judah's corruption is then told, and that of the anointing of Jehu, and his carrying out of the purpose of Divine judgment in the case of the house of Ahab.

B. Corruption - 2 Kings 10:1-17:41

The story of the rapid and fearful corruption of the whole nation alternates between Israel and Judah. Both sections of the nation are seen sinking deeper and ever deeper into sin and decay. Jehu was used as the scourge of God in sweeping out Ahab's posterity, and in breaking and destroying the power of Baalism. His own story was, however, one of personal failure. The reign of Jehoash in Judah lasted for forty years. All that was beneficent in it would seem to have been due directly to the influence of Jehoiada the priest, for "he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him."

In Israel the story of the process of corruption continued under Jehoahaz. He was succeeded by Jeboash, in whose reign Elisba died.

Turning back to Judah we find Amaziab on the throne. Success attended bis arms, but issued in the lifting up of bis heart, and his foolish challenge of Jehoash, king of Israel. Defeated, be seems to have been kept a prisoner until the death of Jehoash, and was then succeeded by Azariah, the Uzziah of Isaiah's prophecy.

There follows a section in which Israel and Judah are both seen. Jeroboam the Second occupied the throne of Israel, and in his reign Jonah, the son of Amittai, exercised bis ministry. The throne of Judah was occupied by Uzziah, whose reign was in the main characterized by obedience to the Divine will. Yet the people continued to sin, and the king was smitten with leprosy. Turning to Israel, we have the chronicle of a period the most terrible in all its history. To the throne man succeeded man by the way of murder. Zechariah was slain by Shallum. After a month's occupancy of the throne, Shallum was slain by Menahem, who reigned for ten years in evil courses. He was at last succeeded by Pekabiah, his son, who, after reigning for two years in persistent evil, was slain by Pekah. He occupied the throne for twenty years, but at last was slain by Hoshea. Israel was practically under a military despotism, downtrodden and oppressed, and sinning with high hand against God.

The state of affairs was very little better in Judah. Jotham followed Uzziah, and was in turn succeeded by Ahaz, during whose reign the sin of Judah had its most terrible expression. Isaiah was uttering his message, and Micah also, but so far as the nation or its kings were concerned the testimony of truth was lost, and the name of God was being blasphemed among the heathen.

In Israel Hoshea was the last of the kings. The stroke of Divine judgment, long hanging over the guilty people, fell. Shalmaneser first made them tributary, and after three years carried them away captive.

C. Hezekiah and Josiah - 2 Kings 18:1-23:30

The third division of the book includes the story of the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah, with a period of reaction and sin between the two. Hezekiah did right in the sight of the Lord, and instituted reforms more widespread and drastic than had been attempted by any of his predecessors. It was during his reign, in the sixth year, that Israel was carried away into captivity. This in itself would have an influence upon Judah for a time at least, as there is no doubt that the prophets would carefully point out the real reason of this judgment.

When he had occupied the throne for fourteen years a most formidable foe appeared in the person of Sennacherib. Tn the hour of peril he turned to his old and trusted friend, Isaiah, who charged him to pray for that remnant of God's people which still remained. He also foretold the judgment which would fall upon Assyria, which prophecy was fulfilled in the destruction of the army, while Sennacherib escaped to Nineveh, only to be slain at the house of his own god. The last things in the life of Hezekiah were manifestations of his weakness. Yet his reign was in many respects a most remarkable one. Everything seemed to be against him, and yet the story reveals how much one man seriously loyal to truth may accomplish in the midst of most adverse and diflScult circumstances.

Then comes the account of reaction, which was manifested in two reigns both utterly evil, that of Manasseh lasting for fifty-five years, and that of Amon lasting for two. Manasseh's sin was not merely one of personal wrong-doing, but also of the deliberate undoing of what his father had been at such pains to accomplish. After a brief reign of two years Amon was slain by his servants.

With the accession of Josiah there came the last attempt at reformation before the final sweeping away into captivity. His first act was that of the restoration of the Temple. In connection with it came the discovery of the book of the law. The condition of affairs in Judah may be gathered from the fact of such a finding. So sadly was the Temple neglected and deserted that it would seem as though neither king nor priest knew of the where-abouts of this book. The reformation proceeded along deeper lines as the result of its discovery. So far as Josiah was concerned the whole procedure was the outcome of sincerity and loyalty. The people, however, were following the lead of the king. There was no turning on their part to God; and consequently there was no turning on the part of God from His purpose of judgment. Josiah was gathered to rest before the falling of the final stroke.

D. Captivity - 2 Kings 23:31-25:30

The judgments fell at last in rapid succession. Jehoahaz succeeded to the throne, and, notwithstanding all that had been done during the reign of Josiah, returned immediately to evil courses in his brief reign of three months. He was deposed by the king of Egypt, and Jehoiakim was set upon the throne as tributary to Pharaoh. For eleven years, as the vassal of Egypt, he continued in evil courses. He became tributary to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. Finally Jehoiachin, who succeeded Jehoiakim, was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, and in his place Zedekiah was made ruler as the representative and vassal of Nebuchadnezzar. His occupancy of the position lasted for eleven years, during which he also continued in evil courses. In process of time he rebelled against the king of Babylon, and was captured. The picture of this man is tragic and awful. With eyes put out, and bound in fetters, he was carried to the court of his conqueror, the type and symbol of the condition of the people who had rebelled against God, and had been broken in pieces.

Thus on the human side the record ends in tragic and disastrous failure. To those whose eyes are fixed upon the eternal throne it is certain that the Divine purpose must be accomplished. The people had passed into a period of long years of servitude and suffering, during which they were still watched over by their one and only King, and by these very conditions prepared for co-operation according to the covenant of grace in the ultimate movements of the overruling God.