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Overview
During the time of the divided kingdom, both the nation of Israel in the north and Judah in the south witnessed great miracles and great failures as their kings vacillated between serving God and following pagan practices.
As God led the people through prophets such as Elisha, the clock on the nation's self-rule began to tick down. For to the east, the powerful kingdom of Assyria was threatening to conquer all the people in the land of Canaan. It was a time of decision: would God's people serve Him or divide their loyalties?
In this study, pastor John MacArthur will guide you through an in-depth look at this historical period, beginning with the godly reign of Jehoshaphat in Judah, continuing through the ministry of the prophet Elijah, and concluding with the fall of both kingdoms.
Studies include close-up examinations of Elisha, Naaman, Hezekiah, Josiah, and others, as well as careful considerations of doctrinal themes such as "Obeying God in Every Situation" and "Renewing God's Word in Our Hearts."
—ABOUT THE SERIES—
The MacArthur Bible Study series is designed to help you study the Word of God with guidance from widely respected pastor and author John MacArthur. Each guide provides intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture by examining its parts and incorporates:
- Extensive, but straight-forward commentary on the text.
- Detailed observations on overriding themes, timelines, history, and context.
- Word and phrase studies to help you unlock the broader meaning and apply it to your life.
- Probing, interactive questions with plenty of space to write down your response and thoughts.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780718034894 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperChristian Resources |
| Publication date: | 05/31/2016 |
| Series: | MacArthur Bible Studies |
| Sold by: | HarperCollins Publishing |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 160 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Widely known for his thorough, candid approach to teaching God's Word, John MacArthur is a popular author and conference speaker. He has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. John and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren. John's pulpit ministry has been extended around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You, and its satellite offices in seven countries. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly two thousand English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, and digital recordings by John MacArthur. John is chancellor of The Master's University and Seminary and has written hundreds of books and study guides, each one biblical and practical. Bestselling titles include The Gospel According to Jesus, Twelve Ordinary Men, Twelve Extraordinary Women, Slave, and The MacArthur Study Bible, a 1998 ECPA Gold Medallion recipient.
Read an Excerpt
2 Kings
The Fall of Israel and Judah
By John MacArthur
Thomas Nelson
Copyright © 2016 John MacArthurAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7180-3489-4
CHAPTER 1
The Kingship of Jehoshaphat
1 Kings 22:41–50
Drawing Near
What does it mean to "lead by example"? Why is it important for godly leaders not only to set a good example but also instruct people in how to act and behave?
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The Context
When King Asa died, his son Jehoshaphat took the throne in Judah. In fact, it is likely that Jehoshaphat reigned alongside his father as co-in Judah during the last years of Asa's life, when he was suffering from a severe disease in his feet (possibly gangrene). Although during Asa's final years he placed his faith in men rather than in God, his kingship had been mostly good, because Asa was generally a godly king.
His son, however, was even godlier. King Jehoshaphat was not perfect, of course, and he had a weakness for making bad alliances. One such alliance was with the wicked King Ahab who, together with his evil queen, Jezebel, had led Israel into idolatry and murdered God's prophets. Jehoshaphat had allied himself with Ahab by marrying his son to Ahab's daughter. He then joined with Ahab in a military alliance against Syria that almost cost him his life.
Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat's reign was characterized by godliness and obedience, and the Bible declares emphatically that he walked in the ways of David. Of course, one cannot teach God's Word without first living it out, but Jehoshaphat did this as well. As we will see in this study, when he was faced with a terrific crisis he did not rely on any of his human alliances but turned immediately to God for help — the Lord did not let him down. We will learn, as did Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah, that the battle belongs to God, not to us.
Keys to the Text
Read 1 Kings 22:41–50, noting the key words and phrases indicated below.
A Godly King: When Jehoshaphat takes the throne, he follows his father's godly example, leads Judah in the ways of the Lord, and teaches the people from God's Word.
22:41. Jehoshaphat the son of Asa: Jehoshaphat's name means "Jehovah has judged." The statement that he became king of Judah "in the fourth year of Ahab" refers to the beginning of Jehoshaphat's reign, after being cowith his father Asa (in 870 BC).
42. HE REIGNED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS: Jehoshaphat reigned from 873–848 BC. The author of Chronicles states he ruled Judah during turbulent times, when the nation faced enemies in every direction — their own kinsmen of Israel immediately to the north. This was, therefore, prudent leadership, and the nation of Judah enjoyed a season of peace. It is important to note, however, that the peace was due to the neighboring nations experiencing "the fear of the Lord" (verse 10), not the fear of Judah's military might (see 2 Chronicles 17:2).
43. he walked in all the ways of his father Asa: Jehoshaphat followed in his father Asa's footsteps and did what pleased the Lord. As we have seen, the Lord promises to be with His people if they seek Him and observe His commands. This does not mean a person earns God's favor by doing good deeds, for God's favor cannot be earned by any person or by any means. Nevertheless, those who have been redeemed must live in fellowship with the Lord if they want to experience the full presence and blessing of God in their lives.
DOING WHAT WAS RIGHT: In 1 Chronicles 17:6 we read that "his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord," which could be literally translated "his soul was exalted." This suggests that Jehoshaphat found pleasure in obeying God's Word and that the process enriched his entire being. Interestingly, this was the first time the author described any king since the division of Israel and Judah as one who delighted in God's way.
44. made peace with the king of Israel: According to 2 Chronicles 19:2, Jehu the prophet rebuked Jehoshaphat for making this alliance with Ahaziah, the son of the wicked King Ahab who succeeded his father to the throne of Israel. Jehu said to Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you." Ahaziah would end up reigning only two years over Israel (see 1 Kings 22:51).
45. the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat: In Chronicles 17:7, we read that one of these acts was to send leaders to teach in the cities of Judah. Asa had commanded the people of Judah to seek God, but Jehoshaphat went further and taught the people from God's Word. This was God's original intention for the leaders of Israel at every level: that they instruct others in the Word of God. Making God's commandments the law of the land forces a nation to live by godly principles, but teaching the people His Word permits them to love Him of their own free will.
45. AND HOW HE MADE WAR: The author of Chronicles goes into more detail about this war, which Jehoshaphat fought against Moab, Ammon, and other Canaanite tribes (see 2 Chronicles 20:1–30 and the Going Deeper section below).
47. no king in Edom: Jehoshaphat controlled the region of Edom, which gave him access to the seaport of Ezion Geber. He sought to emulate Solomon's fleet and wealth, but he was unsuccessful in doing so. According to 2 Chronicles 20:36–37, the Lord destroyed his fleet because of Jehoshaphat's agreement to build it with Ahaziah.
49. LET MY SERVANTS GO WITH YOUR SERVANTS: This apparently refers to a subsequent attempt by Ahaziah to continue the joint venture after the disaster.
Going Deeper
The author of Chronicles gives us some details about Jehoshaphat's reign not found in the book of Kings. Read 2 Chronicles 20:1–30, noting the key words and phrases indicated below.
Betrayal: After Jehoshaphat institutes his reforms, three armies suddenly attack the nation of Judah — the Israelites had historically treated well.
20:1. the people of Moab with the people of Ammon: These were Canaanite neighbors to the east of Judah and Israel, respectively. (See the map in the Introduction.)
3. Jehoshaphat feared: In this case, fear was the normal human reaction to the grave threat that had suddenly materialized. But Jehoshaphat did not permit his fear to control him; instead, he immediately turned to the Lord for help.
set himself to seek the Lord: King Jehoshaphat devoted himself to prayer and fasting, committing all his time and energy to calling on the Lord. As the king, he must have had many pressing concerns and obligations, and he certainly had urgent business to attend to with an invading army at his door-step. However, Jehoshaphat set aside all those distractions and concentrated his heart and mind on prayer.
Jehoshaphat's Prayer: The king comes before the Lord with an urgent plea and places the battle in God's hands.
6. do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations: Jehoshaphat recognized that kings and rulers — sinful ones — under the will and authority of God. God will judge sinful leaders for their actions, but in the end, a nation stands or falls solely according to God's will.
7. DROVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND: The Lord had expelled the Canaanites from the Promised Land because they had devoted themselves to false gods. Israel was following the same course at this time, but under Jehoshaphat's leadership the nation of Judah had turned away from idolatry — a time. In the end, both Israel and Judah would be driven out of Canaan for the same reason.
10. Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir: The Ammonites and Moabites were descendants of Lot (Abraham's nephew), and the descendants of Esau (Jacob's twin brother) lived in Mount Seir. The Lord had specifically instructed Israel not to fight against these nations when they were leaving Egypt for Canaan (see Deuteronomy 2), but to treat them with respect. Jehoshaphat was reminding the Lord in his prayer that Judah and Israel had gone out of their way to be at peace with these people, and now their kindness was being betrayed.
12. WE HAVE NO POWER: A recurring lesson for the people of Judah was to recognize they had no power in themselves to control the future or to subdue their enemies. The godly kings, such as Jehoshaphat, understood this and turned to the Lord for protection when threatened by destruction. But the ungodly kings, such as Rehoboam and Abijam, tried to solve their problems through their own strength — worse, by turning to man-idols. Jehoshaphat also understood that the first step in seeking God was to keep his eyes on Him. Today this is done by studying His Word, asking His will in prayer, and obeying His direction in daily action.
13. WITH THEIR LITTLE ONES, THEIR WIVES, AND THEIR CHILDREN: Walking with God is a family matter, and a believer's children should be included in the entire process. The Lord had commanded the Israelites to teach His Word to their children from their earliest years (see Deuteronomy 6:6–9), training them how to walk in obedience when they were young so they would have wisdom when they came to lead their own families.
The Lord's Response: In response to Jehoshaphat's prayer, the Lord sends a prophet to the people of Judah to instruct them on what to do.
15. Do not be afraid nor dismayed: Although fear is a natural response to danger, it can also become a debilitating danger in itself. God's Word frequently exhorts believers to resist fear and to be courageous. Jehoshaphat was afraid when he heard of the coming invasion, but he also demonstrated how one overcomes fear: by turning to the Lord in prayer.
the battle is not yours, but God's: Once again, the Lord reminded His people that He was their sole source of security against this world's threats. God wants His children to depend on Him for everything rather than on their own devices. This is not a passive process, however, for we must be actively walking in obedience and faith. The Lord frequently calls us to participate in His plans — the ultimate direction and outcome of those plans are entirely in His hands.
16. GO DOWN AGAINST THEM: Here is an example of the above principle: the Lord had declared the battle was entirely His, yet He also wanted His people to be involved. They were not to sit at home, passively waiting for God to destroy their enemies. They had a role to play, and the Lord insisted they do their part.
the Ascent of Ziz ... Wilderness of Jeruel: These lie between En-on the Dead Sea and Tekoa, which is ten miles south of Jerusalem and seventeen miles northwest of En-This is the pass that leads from the valley of the Dead Sea toward Jerusalem.
17. You wll not need to fight: When believers turn the battle over to God's control, they gain an omniscient Commander in Chief. The Lord never needs to speculate or strategize, for He knows all things in advance. No human leader could ever hope to stand before God's wisdom and power.
Position yourselves, stand still and see: Here is some practical instruction on how to turn a battle over to God's control. To position oneself is to take a deliberate and public stand, making a firm determination that one belongs to God. To stand still requires one to stop fighting and cease from one's own attempts to control or conquer. When believers determine to allow God to control a situation and stop fighting in their own power, they will invariably see God's faithfulness and sovereignty — they will ultimately see great victory.
GO OUT AGAINST THEM: It is significant the Lord commanded His people to not fight and then commanded them to go out against the foe as though to war. It is true that the Lord would fight the battle, but again we see that the people of Judah had a part in the conflict. Their share in the battle was to stand firm and sing God's praises. It may have seemed an insignificant role to them, but it was an integral part of the battle plan nonetheless.
Preparing for Battle: As the people of Judah follow God's instructions and sing praises to Him, the Lord creates confusion among the ranks of their enemies.
18. Worshiping the Lord: This was an open act of faith, as the people of Judah praised and worshiped the Lord before the battle even began. God had promised a victory and the people believed Him, knowing that He always keeps His promises.
19. WITH VOICES LOUD AND HIGH: The people's worship was open and public, and they didn't hold back in singing God's praises. This was a public testimony for the world around them as well as an encouragement to the people of Judah as they prepared to face a powerful foe.
21. THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS: The Lord is beautiful in holiness (see Exodus 15:11), but the text here would better be translated "in holy attire," which was referring to the manner in which the Levite singers were clothed in sacred clothing in honor of the Lord's holiness.
22. the Lord set ambushes: God might have sent angels to create confusion and mayhem among the enemy, or He might have simply used the natural distrust that these three nations had for one another. Ammon and Moab were descendants of Lot and thus a sort of national cousins, while Esau's descendants from Mount Seir were more like outsiders. However the Lord accomplished it, the rout was similar to His miraculous preservation of Israel during Gideon's day (see Judges 7).
24. THERE WERE THEIR DEAD BODIES: The people of Judah marched out to battle, but the war was over before they got there! They did not have to do anything but gather up the spoils.
28. to the house of the Lord: The ordeal ended where it began: at the house of God. The people of Judah did not forget to praise and thank the Lord for answering their prayers, which is an important step in our relationship with God as well.
Unleashing the Text
1) What made Jehoshaphat a good king? How did his reign compare with that of his father, King Asa? How did it compare with Rehoboam's reign?
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2) Why did Jehoshaphat send leaders into Judah to teach the people? How did this differ from Asa's approach? How is Jehoshaphat's approach superior?
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3) Why did the prophet Jahaziel command the people to "not be afraid nor dismayed" (2 Chronicles 20:15)? How might fear have hindered the people of Judah from trusting God?
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4) What did God mean when He commanded the people to position themselves, stand still, and see (see 2 Chronicles 20:17)? How are these things done?
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Exploring the Meaning
The battle belongs to God, but we also have a role to play. Jehoshaphat recognized that his people were powerless to defeat the terrible foe that came to destroy them, and he turned to the Lord for deliverance. This was exactly the right response, for the Lord wants His people to let Him fight their battles. God promised the king that He would rout the foe, "for the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15).
Nevertheless, this promise did not give the people of Judah the right to go home and take a nap until the war was over. The Lord was indeed going to do the fighting for them, but they still had a part to play in the conflict. It was not an aggressive part — the contrary, their role was to take a position, stand firm in it, and watch. Their task was to trust the Lord would keep His promises and then stand firm in that faith even though they were faced with an enemy that threatened to destroy them. By standing firm in their faith, they were free to watch for God's great deliverance — when it came, they saw their faith was not in vain.
This is what it means to stand strong in the faith. We have the steadfast assurance that God will always keep His promises, and we can fully depend on Him to protect us and fight on our behalf against the enemy who seeks to destroy us. When we are firm in our faith, we can see God at work in our lives for His glory, and we can also realize that all the glory belongs to God. He will deliver us, and we will surely see that our faith is not in vain.
Obedience produces blessing. The Bible makes it clear that sin has negative consequences. When people live in sin, they incur not only divine chastisement and displeasure but also the temporal negative consequences of sin. However, obedience has consequences as well: it produces blessing in a person's life. As an example of this principle, the author of 2 Chronicles tells us "the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel" (17:3–4).
Jehoshaphat obeyed the Lord, and as a result he experienced the blessing of divine pleasure. It was not that Jehoshaphat's obedience caused God's blessing; rather, it would be more accurate to say that obedience came with God's blessing. In other words, blessing was the result of Jehoshaphat's obedience. When people obey God, they experience not only divine approval but also the joy of walking with the Lord.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 2 Kings by John MacArthur. Copyright © 2016 John MacArthur. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction, v,1. The Kingship of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 22:41–50, 1,
2. Elisha Takes the Mantle 2 Kings 1:1–2:25, 13,
3. God's Miraculous Provision 2 Kings 4:1–44, 25,
4. Naaman and Gehazi 2 Kings 5:1–27, 37,
5. The Siege of Samaria 2 Kings 6:8–7:20, 51,
6. The End of Ahab's Line 2 Kings 9:1–10:36, 63,
7. Jehoash Rebuilds the Temple 2 Kings 12:1–16, 75,
8. The Fall of Israel 2 Kings 17:1–33, 87,
9. Hezekiah's Stand 2 Kings 18:1–19:37, 99,
10. Josiah Renews God's Word 2 Kings 221–23:25, 111,
11. The Fall of Judah 2 Kings 23:31–25:30, 123,
12. Reviewing Key Principles, 135,