Like Elijah, the prophet Elisha ministered to Israel during the reigns of wicked kings who not only carried on the abominable practices of Jeroboam but outdone their predecessors in their vices. Despite inheriting double the power of Elijah, Elisha was unable to turn the fate of northern Israel around.
The last successive kings of Israel—beginning with Jehu who was tasked by God to execute judgment on Ahab and Jezebel— carried out his duty in excess by eliminating the whole house of Ahab and all his associates, and set the precedence for succession through murder in the likes of Shallum, Menahem, Pekah, and Hoshea. Sadly, among the nineteen kings that reigned in Samaria, not one was found whose heart was right before God. So just 220 years after the kingdom split, northern Israel was destroyed.
Though Judah survived the Assyrian invasion, it did not fare any better. Judgment was deferred only because of two good kings, Hezekiah and Josiah, who carried out religious reforms during their reigns, but with their passing the southern nation again fell into grave idolatry from which it never recovered. In the reign of Zedekiah, Judah's last king, Jerusalem was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, its wall breached after the two and a half years siege, the Temple plundered and razed to the ground, and the people carried away to Babylon.
The book ends with a short account of Nebuchadnezzar's son restoring Jehoiachin to favor after serving 37 years in prison, giving a hint of hope that God would fulfill His word to bring the people back to the land after the 70 years of captivity.
OUTLINE OF 2 KINGS
1. The Divided Kingdoms (1:1-17:41)
Two Prophets
a. Elijah's Successor (1:1-3:27)
Ahaziah | Jehoram (Joram)—Israel
Chariot of Fire | Prophet of Water
b. Elisha's Service (4:1-8:29)
Miracles and Ministries
Jehoram (Jehoshaphat's son) | Ahaziah—Judah
Many Kings
a. Israel and Judah in Comradeship (9:1-12:21)
Jehu* kills Joram | Ahab's House | Jezebel
Athaliah kills David's Sons | Crowned Queen
Jehoiada protects Joash | Overthrows Athaliah
Revival under Joash
b. Israel and Judah in Conflict (13:1-17:41)
Jehoahaz | Jehoash—Israel
Death of Elijah | Amaziah | Azariah—Judah
Jeroboam II | Zechariah | Shallum* | Menahem*
Pekahiah | Pekah*—Israel
Ahaz—Judah | Hoshea*—Israel
* Succession through murder
Fall of Samaria to Assyria
2. The Desolated Kingdom (18:1-25:30)
a. Before the Fall (18:1-23:30)
Revival under Hezekiah
Saved from Assyria | Recovered from Sickness
Manasseh | Amon
Revival under Josiah
b. After the Fall (23:31-25:30)
Jehoahaz | Jehoiakim | Jehoiachin
Zedekiah—Rebelled | Punished | Exiled
Gedaliah—Governor | Murdered
Jehoiachin—Released | Reinstated
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