Hezekiah's answered prayer, and complacency - 2 Kings 20
1. Text summary
Hezekiah gets sick near death. He prays to God and He promises healing and 15 more years of life. God offers a supernatural sign, he asks for it, and God moves the shadow backward on his bedroom steps.
Babylonian emissaries visit Jerusalem and Hezekiah shows them all his wealth. Isaiah prophesies that they will take it all in the future. Hezekiah isn't worried because it won't happen in his lifetime. His tunnel bringing water into the city from a spring outside is noted.
2. Jesus
Jesus did also prayed to be spared death, but it was denied. More good came from that than from Hezekiah's answered prayer.
3. Application
a. After years of faithfulness, do not grow complacent, as Hezekiah seems to have.
Manasseh's Reign of Terror - 2 Kings 21
1. Text summary
Hezekiah begets Manasseh, during his extra 15 years of life. He is king for 55 years, and does greater idolatry than the Canaanites before Israel in the land.
Manasseh's son Amon reigns 2 years. He continues his father's wickedeness. His advisors assassinate him, but they are in turn assassinated by the people.
2. Jesus
Jesus leads people to worship God, not idols. His ways are life, not death.
3. Application
a. Was this a culture war? Amon's advisors were loyal to Yahweh, but the people loved their idols? Or the other way around?
Josiah's Faithfulness amidst a Doomed City - 2 Kings 22
1. Text summary
Josiah reigns 31 years, starting from age 8 (!). He repairs the temple, and they find a scroll of Scripture. Josiah submits to it, and sends to a prophetess for guidance. She encourages him: he will die in peace, though the nation is under judgment for great disobedience.
2. Jesus
Jesus pronounces judgment on Israel for their disobedience, too, though He goes to His Father in glory.
3. Application
a. Receive God's Word as the weighty judgment it is. Not casually or flippantly.
Idolatry Amok - Judah conquered - 2 Kings 23
1. Text summary
Josiah stamps out idolatry extensively, in Jerusalem and Bethel. It doesn't atone for Israel's past sin though. Josiah goes to fight Egypt and is easily killed.
Jehoahaz reigns only 3 months before Egypt comes and makes his brother Jehoiakim king. Judah serves Egypt. Jehoiakim does evil against Yahweh.
2. Jesus
Jesus alone can atone for our sins, not our reforming after our sins.
3. Application
a. The extensive list of idols that Josiah removes shows how far gone Israel was.
b. Our reforms alone cannot establish a nation. God must be in it.
Babylon takes over - Judah deported - 2 Kings 24
1. Text summary
Babylon invades Judah and rules for 3 years. Raiders ravage the land. Jehoiachin reigns only 3 months before Babylon invades and conquers. All the strong and skillful are deported to Babylon. Jehoiachin's uncle is made king: Zedekiah. He "reigns" for 11 years, doing evil, then rebels against Babylon.
2. Jesus
Jesus rules the superpowers of the world, though it looks like they are driving things.
3. Application
a. There will be times when unbelieving powers, stronger than you, control parts of your life. The Bible speaks to this.
b. God's patience against our sin is not forever. He will bring catastrophic consequences if we persist.
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