2 Kings

The story picks up immediately after the previous book. It begins by focusing on the prophet Elisha, who takes over for Elijah. Elisha performs twice as many miracles as his predecessor, including healing lepers and raising the dead. These miracles were meant to show the power of God to a nation that had largely forgotten Him. Despite these signs, the political and spiritual condition of the divided kingdoms continues to decline.

The central events of this book are tragic. It describes the destruction of both kingdoms. First, the Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Assyrian Empire because they refused to turn away from their idols. The people are taken away as prisoners, and the ten northern tribes essentially disappear from history.

The Southern Kingdom of Judah survives for another century, but they eventually make the same mistakes. The book reaches its climax with the rise of the Babylonian Empire. King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Jerusalem, burns the Temple of Solomon to the ground, and drags the people into exile in Babylon. The narrative ends with the nation in captivity, far from home. This seems like the end of the line, but the next books, 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles, will pause to retell this entire history from a different perspective to give hope to the survivors.