KEY PLACES IN 2 KINGS

0. Key Places in 2 Kings

a) The history of both Israel and Judah was much affected by the prophet Elijah's ministry. He served Israel for 50 years, fighting the idolatry of its kings and calling its people back to God.

1. Jericho

a) Elijah's ministry had come to an end. He touched his cloak to the Jordan River, and he and Elisha crossed on dry ground. Elijah was taken by God in a whirlwind, and Elisha returned alone with the cloak. The prophets in Jericho realized that Elisha was Elijah's replacement (2 Kings 1:1-2:25)

2. Desert of Edom

a) The king of Moab rebelled against Israel, so the nations of Israel, Judah, and Edom decided to attack from the Desert of Edom, but ran out of water. The kings consulted Elisha who said God would send both water and victory (2 Kings 3:1-27).

3. Shunem

a) Elisha cared for individuals and their needs. He helped a woman clear a debt by giving her a supply of oil to sell. For another family in Shunem, he raised a son from the dead (2 Kings 4:1-37).

4. Gilgal

a) Elisha cared for the young prophets in Gilgal--he removed poison from a stew, made a small amount of food feed everyone, and even caused an axhead to float so it could be retrieved. It was to Elisha that Naaman, a commander in the Aramean army, came to be healed of leprosy (2 Kings 4:38-6:7)

5. Dothan

a) Although he cured an Aramean commander's leprosy, Elisha was loyal to Israel. He knew the Aramean army's battle plans and kept Israel's king informed. The Aramean king tracked Elisha down in Dothan and surrounded the city, hoping to kill him. But Elisha prayed that the Arameans would be blinded, then he led the blinded army into Samaria, Israel's capital city (2 Kings 6:8-23).

6. Samaria

a) But the Arameans didn't learn their lesson. They later besieged Samaria. Ironically, Israel's king thought it was Elisha's fault, but Elisha said food would be available in abundance the next day. True to Elisha's word, the Lord caused panic in the Aramean camp, and the enemy ran, leaving their supplies to Samaria's starving people (2 Kings 6:24-7:20).

7 .Damascus

a) Despite Elisha's loyalty to Israel, he obeyed God and traveled to Damascus, the capital of Aram. King Ben-Hadad was sick, and he sent Hazael to ask Elisha if he would recover. Elisha knew the king would die, and told this to Hazael. But Hazael then murdered Ben-Hadad, making himself king. Later, Israel and Judah joined forces to fight this new Aramean threat (2 Kings 8:1-29).

8. Ramoth Gilead

a) As Israel and Judah warred with Aram, Elisha sent a young prophet to Ramoth Gilead to anoint Jehu as Israel's next king. Jehu set out to destroy the wicked dynasties of Israel and Judah, killing kings Joram and Ahaziah, and wicked Queen Jezebel. He then destroyed King Ahab's family, and all the Baal worshipers in Israel (2 Kings 9:1-11:1).

9. Jerusalem

a) Power-hungry Athaliah became queen of Judah when her son Ahaziah was killed. She had all her grandsons killed except Joash who was hidden by his aunt. Joash was crowned king at the age of seven and overthrew Athaliah. Meanwhile in Samaria, the Arameans continued to harass Israel. Israel's new king met with Elisha and was told that he would be victorious over Aram three times (2 Kings 11:2-13:19).

b) Following Elisha's death came a series of evil kings in Israel. Their idolatry and rejection of God caused their downfall. The Assyrian empire captured Samaria and took most of the Israelites into captivity (2 Kings 13:20-17:41). Judah had a short reprieve because of a few good kings who destroyed idols and worshiped God. But many strayed from God. So Jerusalem fell to the next world power, Babylon (2 Kings 18:1-25:30).