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2 Kings 21-22

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

King Hezekiah faces immanent death; however, he prays, and the Lord hears his prayer and extends his life another fifteen years. His reign is marked by both success and failure, but he remains faithful to the Lord. In stark contrast, his son Manasseh is the most evil king Judah has seen. He pushes Judah past the point of no return, and God pronounces judgment on both Manasseh and Judah. Join Pastor Matt as he leads us through these two intense chapters in 2 Kings.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

“History is not a random series of meaningless events. It is rather a succession of periods and happenings which are under the sovereign rule of God, who is the God of history.”
John Stott

Outline of 1 & 2 Kings

1 Kings 1-11 The Wisdom and the Folly of King Solomon
1 Kings 12-16 Kingdoms in Chaos
1 Kings 17-2 Kings 13- Elijah and Elisha
2 Kings 14-16 Decline of Israel in the North
2 Kings 18-25 Decline of Judah in the South

Outline of 2 Kings 20: Walking by Faith

2 Kings 20:1 A grim prognosis
2 Kings 20: 2-3 Hezekiah’s prayer in response
2 Kings 20: 4-6 God hears and heals
2 Kings 20: 7 Divine healing by human hands
2 Kings 20:8 A sign is given

“Yahweh’s hard word may not be his last word but rather a call to prayer for new mercies. Sometimes what sounds like a final decree is a subtle invitation.”
Dale Ralph Davis

Outline of 2 Kings 20: Walking by Sight

2 Kings 20: 12-13 Hezekiah’s Folly
2 Kings 20: 14-18 The prophet responds
2 Kings 20:19 Gratitude for the word of the Lord
2 Kings 20:20 Finishing well

Outline of 2 Kings 21: Point of No Return

Manasseh Reigns in Judah

2 Kings 21: 1-7a Evil upon evil
2 Kings 21: 7b-8 “If only”
2 Kings 21: 9 Judah turns a deaf ear to Yahweh

Manasseh’s Idolatry Denounced

2 Kings 21: 10-13 Judging Manasseh
2 Kings 21: 14-15 Judging Judah
2 Kings 21; 16-18 Innocent blood and a record of sins

Amon Reigns in Judah

2 Kings 21: 19-22 Like father, like son
2 Kings 21: 23-24a Treachery on all sides
2 Kings 21: 24b-26 Another descendant of David sits on the throne

1. We can be confident in bringing our requests to God that he hears our prayers and sees our tears.

“Come, my soul, thy suit prepare;
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay…
Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much…”
John Newton

2. For every Manasseh we endure, we are promised the fulfillment of God’s greater king David, King Jesus.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever seen God move from a ‘frowning providence’ to a ‘smiling face’ in your life or the life of another?
Why are believers prone to trust God plus something else when it comes to life’s difficulties?
How might Hezekiah’s faithfulness in Yahweh pertain to Christians today? What about his frailties and failures?
Manasseh and Judah reached a point of no return and made God’s judgment irreversible. Does this apply to believers?