Hebrew Bible: 2 Kings and its Prophets

Second Kings

10/19/2011

This book, the final of the Deuteronomistic history (Deuteronomy through 2 Kings), was originally part of First Kings.

Topics:

• Prophets
• Josiah's Reform
• Destruction of the Northern Kingdom
• Destruction of Judah

Tasks of the Prophets--

          e.g. the "company of prophets" who accompanied Elisha

1. Reveal God's will at His command
2. Perform miracles
3. Practice divining
4. Raise the dead
5. Engage in political affairs such as anointing kings
6. Critique the culture and/or the king (where the terms diatribe and jeremiad come from)

1 Kings 22 -- 400 prophets, Micaiah opposed king, Zedekiah used sympathetic magic, that is, performed a certain action in the hopes that the action would occur later)

1 Kings 18 -- Elijah verses Baal and his prophets

In a contest between whose god was more powerful, the objective was to produce fire.  All Baal's prophets chanted extensively to no avail.  In the end, God creates the fire.  The moral is that King Ahab was weak and in the wrong for trusting in Baal.

Elijah -- taken up in a chariot of fire rather than dying; he is believed to come back  (Malachai)

Elisha -- an ambassador for Israel, miracle-worker (sounds like Jesus)

Josianic Reforms--

          2 Kings 22-23

verse 2 -- King Josiah reads the found law in front of all the people (treatise-like)

3 -- evidence of (D) history because of the parallel wording to Deuteronomy

4 -- King Josiah brought out all the idols, etc. from the Temple

13-14 -- dead bodies were very impure culturally, so these places would no longer be used

20 -- the pagan priests were all killed

• a scroll, the law, was found while repairing the Temple--was it Deuteronomy?
• a treaty was established to follow the torah and centralize worship
• after a communal cleansing, a huge, corporate Passover was celebrated

Destruction in the North--

          722 BCE by Assyrian army (not Arameans)

These exiled Israelites intermingled with other nations, becoming the Samaritans (17:9).

The editors/redactors must have lived during the exile -- see 2 Kings 25.

Destruction in the South--

          586 BCE by Babylonians (Neo-Babylonians)

Jerusalem was full of fleeing Israelites from the northern country.

The Babylonians raided Judah and collected tribute first.

Deportation.