Chronological Bible Study – Aug 2

What I Noticed Today (2 Kings 20-21)

2 Kings 20

In verses 1-11, Hezekiah became sick and was near death.

• Once again, Hezekiah prayed to God and wept.
• God heard his prayer, and through Isaiah healed Hezekiah and promised him 15 more years of life.
• The Lord also promised to deliver Hezekiah and the city of Jerusalem from the Assyrians.

In verses 12-19, during that time (shortly after Hezekiah’s illness) the Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon came to Judah.

• Hezekiah showed him everything in the treasure house and all the storehouses.
• When Isaiah confronted Hezekiah, Hezekiah referred to what he had shown the king of Babylon as my house and my treasures. 
• Isaiah told Hezekiah there would come a day when everything in his palace would be carried away by the king of Babylon.
• Hezekiah considered this as good news thinking there would be peace during his reign.

In verses 20-21, Hezekiah died and his son, Manasseh, reigned in his place.

Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• Hezekiah was the first good king of Judah to remove the high places and the altars. With his example, he began the process of bringing the people back to God. A mini revival. He was also a praying king. He reached out to God through prayer, earnestly seeking God's will and wisdom.
• Despite all these admirable traits, Hezekiah eventually came to think of the treasures of Judah as his, when he described them as 'mine.' Even the thought of the country being conquered at some time in the future didn't bother him as long as he had peace in 'his' days.
• Leaders would do well today to model Hezekiah's faithfulness to God, his willingness to humble himself in prayer, and his trust in God to fulfill His promises. That said, we must be careful lest the sin of pride enter in and make us think that success is our doing, or that these are our treasures. It is all the Lord's. We are just here for a short period of time to shepherd that which the Lord entrusts to us.

2 Kings 21

In verses 1-18, Manasseh became king of Judah after his father Hezekiah died. He was 12-years old when he became king, and he reigned 55 years in Jerusalem.

• Manasseh was a bad king who did more evil than all the kings of Israel or Judah.
• He reversed all the progress made by his father by rebuilding the high places; he erected altars for Baal; he even placed altars inside the house of the Lord.
• He burned his son as a sacrifice, made carvings of Asherah, and consulted mediums and spiritists.
• Manasseh led the people of Judah astray more than the kings of Israel and the people who the Lord had destroyed before the people of Israel.
• Because of Manasseh, the Lord decreed destruction on the people of Judah.
• Manasseh died and was buried in his own garden tomb. His son, Amon reigned in his place.

In verses 19-26, Amon was 22-years old when he became king of Judah. Amon reigned two years in Jerusalem.

• He was a bad king, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.
• He abandoned God.
• His own servants rose up against him and killed him.
• The king’s supporters killed those who had conspired against Amon and appointed Amon’s son, Josiah to rule in his place.
• Amon was buried in the garden of Uzza.

Tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 32-33

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.