Daily Devotions

How do I apply this?

Solomon was known as the wisest man of his day. He was arguably the wealthiest man of his time. He enjoyed God’s favor in many ways, yet his legacy is tarnished by the faithlessness he displayed in his later years. In direct contradiction to God’s command for a king not to “multiply wives” (Deuteronomy 17:17), Solomon married many foreign women. First Kings laments, “When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods” (11:4). Solomon began to rely on his fortune, his military might, and his political alliances instead of the God who gave all of those blessings to him. He focused on the gifts, forgetting the Giver.

How often do you do the same? Are there any direct commands from God you are ignoring? Today, take time to recall the blessings in your life, and then thank the Lord for them. Rely on Him, not your possessions or position, as your source of strength and significance.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7 NIV)

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-historical-books/first-kings

Day 1 (March 24)
1 Kings 15:1-34
Key Verses: 5-7

Day 2 (March 25)
1 Kings 16:1-34
Key Verse: 7

Day 3 (March 26)
1 Kings 17:1-24
Key Verses: 21-22

Day 4 (March 27)
I Kings 18:1-46
Key Verses: 1-2

Day 5 (March 28)
I Kings 19:1-21
Key Verse: 4

Day 6 (March 29)
I Kings 20:1-43
Key Verses: 13-14

Memory Verse
2 Kings 2:3
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

Who wrote the book?

As we noted in the previous chapter, 1 and 2 Kings originally comprised one book of history. The author is neither indicated in the text nor known by scholars. He was most likely a prophet, because many of the historical events were recorded in light of Israel’s and Judah’s faithfulness—or unfaithfulness—to their covenant with God. Ezra, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah have all been named as possible authors.

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-historical-books/second-kings

Day 1 (March 31)
I Kings 21:1-29
Key Verses: 5-7

Day 2 (April 1)
I Kings 22:1-53
Key Verse: 53

Day 3 (April 2)
2 Kings 1:1-18
Key Verses: 17-18

Day 4 (April 3)
2 Kings 2:1-25
Key Verses: 15-18

Day 5 (April 4)
2 Kings 3:1-27
Key Verses: 1-3

Day 6 (April 5)
2 Kings 4:1-44
Key Verses: 38-41

Memory Verse
2 Kings 5:1
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

Where are we?

Second Kings continues the history of the divided kingdom, picking up the story around 853 BC. In 722 BC, the powerful nation of Assyria invaded the northern kingdom, scattering and taking captive the people of Israel. Only Judah remained intact. But then Assyria suffered a stunning fall to the Babylonians, who took the Assyrian capital of Nineveh in 612 BC. By 605 BC Babylon dominated Judah, had taken some captives away, and in 586 BC Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took additional prisoners into captivity. Many people who were considered valuable to the invaders, such as the prophet Daniel and members of the royal family, were taken to Babylon early on. By the end of Kings, the people of God no longer inhabited their Promised Land. Many areas of the country had been rendered virtually uninhabitable due to the razing, burning, and other destructive tactics of the Babylonian army, while the people had been enslaved, scattered, and decimated by their enemies.

The book ends with an epilogue of sorts, giving a peek into the good fortune of Jehoiachin—Judah’s last true ruler before a series of puppet kings were installed by Babylon. If Jeremiah did write much of Kings, he could not have written this section, set in Babylon, for he had been taken away to Egypt years earlier.

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-historical-books/second-kings

Day 1 (April 7)
2 Kings 5:1-27
Key Verse: 27

Day 2 (April 8)
2 Kings 6:1-33
Key Verses: 1-7

Day 3 (April 9)
2 Kings 7:1-20
Key Verses: 15-18

Day 4 (April 10)
2 Kings 8:1-29
Key Verses: 28-29

Day 5 (April 11)
2 Kings 9:1-37
Key Verses: 27-28

Day 6 (April 12)
2 Kings 10:1-36
Key Verses: 25-27

Memory Verse
2 Kings 2:11
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Why is Second Kings so important?

Second Kings features many unique events and people. Two people were raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:32–37; 13:20–21). The prophet Elijah left this earth without dying (2:1–18); Enoch was the only other man in the Bible to do so (Genesis 5:21–24). The waters of the Jordan River rolled back twice (2 Kings 2:8, 14). These and other miraculous events testify to God’s continuing work among His people.

The time period covered by this book saw the emergence of the first writing prophets in Israel. Amos and Hosea went to the people of Israel, while Isaiah, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah prophesied in Judah, both groups calling the people to repentance and warning them of God’s coming judgments. The author devoted extensive space to Elisha’s ministry after Elijah was taken to heaven, giving special attention to the numerous miracles Elisha performed.

None of the kings of Israel are described as having done right in God’s eyes; each led the people deeper into idolatry. Several of Judah’s kings were righteous, notably Joash, Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Josiah. Hezekiah held off the Assyrians by trusting in the Lord for deliverance. Josiah later instituted an even greater spiritual reformation. Neither effort, however, was enough to stem God’s eventual judgment on the nation in fulfillment of the curses of the Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 28).

https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-historical-books/second-kings

Day 1 (April 14)
2 Kings 11:1-21
Key Verse: 20

Day 2 (April 15)
2 Kings 12:1-21
Key Verses: 19-21

Day 3 (April 16)
2 Kings 13:1-25
Key Verses: 14-17

Day 4 (April 17)
2 Kings 14:1-29
Key Verses: 17-22

Day 5 (April 18)
2 Kings 15:1-38
Key Verses: 27-28

Day 6 (April 19)
2 Kings 16:1-20
Key Verses: 7-9

Memory Verse
2 Kings 2:4
And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

Coming Soon.

Coming soon.