Sometimes reading 2 Kings in the backdrop of what is happening national in the US is very interesting.  There are many similarities in many situations.  But that’s not a post for right now.

Here are a few things I see in 2 Kings:

1) Children often followed in the footsteps of their fathers, but not always.  The children would often do “evil in the eyes of the Lord” like their father.  But there were notable exceptions.  King Josiah for one.  King Hezekiah for another.  But it’s important for fathers to model what righteousness and godliness looks like.  But just because a father has done evil does not mean that the home determined the life of the children.

2) Sexual perversion (seen here through the worship of the Baals and Asherah’s) has been a stumbling block for God’s people from the beginning of time.  It causes the most drift, deceit and ultimately destruction.  It’s the most sacred and holy part of who we are, and we must walk together in these issues.

3) God’s mercy was extravagant.  People say the Old Testament was a book of God judging people.  It isn’t.  It’s crazy how many times God forgave and offered them mercy.  Yet he finally had enough.  His justice had to take action or he wouldn’t be good.  But make no mistake, it’s not God who is judgmental.  It’s man who is sinful.  It’s not the judge who is in the wrong, it is the criminal.

4) God always kept a remnant of the righteous.  No matter how bad it got, there was always the man or woman of God who stayed faithful.  It’s actually encouraging.  These ones stayed righteous under horrific circumstances and under maximum pressure from others.  But they stayed the course.  They were the remnant and God did not forget them.  He saved them for special purposes when the time was ripe.

5)  God uses the nations of the world to fulfill his purposes.  Even when they didn’t realize it.  Even when they were evil themselves.  God is in control.  Not as one dictating how things unfold but working with what man chooses.

6) God still longs to find the men and women whose hearts are fully devoted to him.  He is looking to bless.  And while evil may appear to succeed in the short term, it is only righteousness lived out that has God’s blessing for the generations.

7)  There are two things that God seems to particularly hate–the shedding of innocent blood and sexual immorality.  It’s important as when you look at the issues in today’s politics, what are the issues?  The shedding of innocent blood (abortion), and sexual immorality (choose your gender, marry anyone, no sexual boundaries, etc…).  Studying 1 and 2 Kings has really opened my eyes even further to how important these issues are and how we must not compromise individually or nationally.  They are not small issues but sacred to the heart of God.  They are worth prioritizing.