The work of God is moving forward.

2 KINGS 1:1-2:13 -  ‘He took up the mantle of Elijah’ (2:13). Elijah’s ministry had ended. Elisha’s ministry was about to begin. It was the beginning of a new era. This may have been a new ministry. It was not, however, a new message. Both men preached the Word of the Lord. Elisha continued Elijah’s …

God wants us to give ourselves to Him.

2 Kings 11:1-12:21 -  Let us ‘make a covenant’ - to ‘be the Lord’s people’, to ‘do what is right in the eyes of the Lord’ (11:17; 12:2). Part of this ‘covenant’ will involve our use of ‘money’. Real covenanting with the Lord will always mean much more than how much money we give to …

If You Don’t Have Salvation, You Have Nothing!

2 Kings 17:1-41 ‘The people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt’(7). What happens when people reject the God of salvation? - They become ‘empty’ and ‘worthless’ because they have chosen to ‘pursue emptiness’ by ‘following worthless idols’(15). If you don’t have …

We must always remember to give all the glory to the Lord.

The power of God was upon Elisha. God was at work in mighty power. When we red about Elisha, we say, in our hearts, ‘This is not about Elisha. This is about God - God working through Elisha.’ We must always remember to give all the glory to the Lord. The praise does not belong …

The Spirit of the Lord – this is where the power comes from.

"The sons of the prophets said 'The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.'" (2 Kings 2:15). Here, the sons of the prophets speak of "the spirit of Elijah." They, also, speak of "the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Kings 2:16). We listen to this preacher. We listen to that preacher. We read their sermons. We …

The Lord alone is worthy of our trust. He will not fail us.

2 Kings 18:1-19:13; Acts 27:13-44; Psalm 82:1-8 “Do not let the god you depend on deceive you” (2 Kings 19:10). The Lord alone is worthy of our trust. He alone will prove trustworthy. There is no god like the Lord - “God presides in the great assembly: He gives judgment among the gods” (Psalm 82:1). …

Faithful teaching of God’s Word calls for faithful hearing, reading and doing of God’s Word.

2 Kings 8-9 Chapter 8'Go and meet the man of God and inquire of the Lord through him' (8). God's servants, appointed by Him to serve the people in His Name, play a significant part in leading the people to a deeper knowledge of God. They bring the Word of God to the people. That …

Forever with the Lord

1 and 2 Kings So many kings, so many names - Most of them are best forgotten. Is there a king we must never forget? "King of kings and Lord of lords" - This is what Jesus is! When all the kings have come and gone, Jesus remains - King of kings and Lord of …

Power from the Lord, Glory to the Lord

The power of God was upon Elisha. God was at work in mighty power. When we read about Elisha, we say, in our hearts, ‘This is not about Elisha. This is about God - God working through Elisha.’ We must always remember to give all the glory to the Lord. The praise does not belong …

Be Faithful – In Hearing, Reading And Doing God’s Word.

‘Go to meet the man of God and inquire of the Lord through him’ (2 Kings 8:8). God’s servants, appointed by Him to serve the people in His Name, play a significant part in leading the people to a deeper knowledge of God. They bring the Word of God to the people. That is what …

Who will you serve – God or the gods?

The great decision is always the same. Who will you serve - God or the gods? God’s Word is clear - “Never  worship other gods. Instead, worship the Lord your God” (2 Kings 17:38-39). Our response is not always so clear - “The people of Israel had refused to listen and made up their own …

There is no god who can compare with the Lord.

2 Kings 16:1-17:41; Acts 26:24-27:12; Psalm 81:8-16 “They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless” (2 Kings 17:15). There is no god who can compare with the Lord (Psalm 81:9-10). He alone is worthy of praise. He alone gives value to our lives by bringing fulfilment to them: “Open wide your mouth and I will …

“Love The Lord Your God. Love Your Neighbour.”

2 Kings 6:1-23 Elisha was ‘the man of God’(6,9,15). This was the important thing about him. More than anything else, he was ‘the man of God’. We find the same phrase in 1 Timothy 6:11 - ‘But as for you, man of God,… aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness’. We are to be …

Help us, Lord, to hear and heed Your Word of warning.

2 Kings 24:18-25:30 “Finally, in the end, it came to the point that He cast them out of His presence” (2 Kings 24:20). Help us, Lord, to hear and heed Your Word of warning. We thank You, Lord, that You are “patient… not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter …

‘Let Us Run With Perseverance The Race That Is Set Before Us, Looking To Jesus.’

2 Kings 18:1-37 Hezekiah ‘held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him…’(6). We give up so easily. We start well, then we lose our way. We don’t stick at it. Some people are all smiles - when things are going well. When the going gets tough, they lose their smiles - …

We need both – trust and obedience.

2 Kings 23:4-30 -  In 18:5, we read about Hezekiah; ‘There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him’. Here, we read about something rather different - ‘Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him’(25). This seems confusing: Which was the better king …

Make me a channel of Your peace.

Kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents - what are we to say about them? Some say, "This one's good - and that one's not so good." Others say, "No! It's the other way round." No -one seems to be agree about what makes a good king, a good queen, a good prime minister, a …

Responding to God’s Word (10): Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

May your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time (1 Kings 8:61). Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken... I also have heard you, declares the Lord (2 Kings 22:19). There are times, in our lives, …

Before we can speak and work for God, we must belong to Him.

The ministry of Elisha was filled with the power of God. Elisha was “the prophet”, “the man of God” (2 Kings 5:3,8). Before we can speak and work for God, we must belong to Him. We must be the people of God before we can be prophets for God. The power of God changes us. …

You can have it all – all that the world thinks is important, and yet have nothing – nothing that really matters!

2 Kings 17:1-41 -  ‘The people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt’ (7). What happens when people reject the God of salvation? - They become ‘empty’ and ‘worthless’ because they have chosen to ‘pursue emptiness’ by ‘following worthless idols’ (15). If …

No Need For Fear

“Don’t be afraid. We have more forces on our side than they have on theirs.” We need our eyes opened to see “the mountain ... Full of fiery horses and chariots” (2 Kings 6:16-17), The victory comes from “the Lord” (2 Kings 7:6). “This is a day of good news” (2 Kings 7:9). In the …

God is looking for people who will stand when everyone else is falling.

2 Kings 20:1-21:18 -  ‘Carried off to Babylon’ (20:17) - There’s a real sadness about these words. In Revelation 18:2, Babylon is described as ‘a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit’. In today’s world, it seems like things are going the same way. ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ (Revelation 14:8; …

In the Lord, we are strong.

2 Kings 23:1-24:7; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 84:1-7 “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did…” (2 Kings 23:25). Like Josiah, Paul was a man who was unashamed of his Lord; “ I am not ashamed of the Gospel…” (Romans 1:16). Where does this strength come …

What is it that keeps us going? We are kept by the power of God. He is able to keep us from falling.

2 Kings 18:1-37 -  Hezekiah ‘held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him…’ (6). We give up so easily. We start well, then we lose our way. We don’t stick at it. Some people are all smiles - when things are going well. When the going gets tough, they lose their …

Links to Rev James Philip’s notes on 1 and 2 Kings

1 Kings 2 Kings

God is planning for the future.

2 Kings 2:14-3:27 ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’(2:14). Elijah was no longer there - but God was still there! Don’t imagine that God goes away when there’s a change of ministry. While Elijah had been serving the Lord, Elisha was being prepared for his time. God is always one step ahead of …

Special Days – Michaelmas: 2 Kings 6:8-17; Psalm 103:19-22; Revelation 12:7-12a; Matthew 18:1-6, 10

Our love for God is grounded in His love for us. Elisha was ‘the man of God’ (2 Kings 6:6, 9, 15). This was the important thing about him. More than anything else, he was ‘the man of God’. We find the same phrase in 1 Timothy 6:11 - ‘But as for you, man of …

Restore us, O Lord God Almighty.

2 Kings 10:1-11:21; Acts 24:1-27; Psalm 80:8-19 How important it is to make a covenant to be the Lord’s people (2 Kings 11:17). In our faithfulness to God, we “believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets” (Acts 24:14). We do, however, move beyond this to the fulfilment of …

Wisdom To Know God’s Will And Strength To Do God’s Will

2 Kings 14:17-15:22 Throughout life, we are faced with choices. Some of our choices are very important. Some are relatively unimportant. Everything can seem so complicated. Even the less important decisions appear to be very difficult. It’s very confusing. You wonder what to do. You don’t know which way to turn. In all of life’s …

An oasis in the middle of a desert of so many godless kings

“Hezekiah trusted the Lord God of Israel. No king among all the kings of Judah was like Hezekiah. He was loyal to the Lord and never turned away from Him. He obeyed the commands the Lord had given through Moses, so the Lord was with him. He succeeded in everything he tried” (2 Kings 18:5-7). …

There is a choice to be made.

2 Kings 14:23-15:38; Acts 25:23-26:23; Proverbs 16:18-27 Here, we have the record of seven reigns – five in Israel, two in Judah. The five in Israel “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 15:9,18,24,28). The two in Judah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings …

I am not ashamed of the Gospel.

2 Kings 23:1-24:7; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 84:1-7 “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did …” (2 Kings 23:25). Like Josiah, Paul was a man who was unashamed of his Lord; “ I am not ashamed of the Gospel …” (Romans 1:16). Where does this …

The ongoing work of God’s Spirit

"Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?... The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha" (2 Kings 2:14-15). The work of the Lord goes on. His servants don't last forever. They do their work for God, and then their work is done. They must hand it over to someone else. This is more …

Our High Calling

2 Kings 4:38-6:23; Acts 21:27-22:21; Psalm 79:1-13 Elisha was known as “the man of God” (2 Kings 4:40,42; 2 Kings 5:8,14-15,20; 2 Kings 6:9,15). What a marvellous description - “the man of God.” To Paul, the call of God came - “You will be His witness” (Acts 22:15). Called to be a “man of God”, …

Lessons From 2 Kings

'He took up the mantle of Elijah'(2:13). Elijah’s ministry had ended. Elisha’s ministry was about to begin. It was the beginning of a new era. This may have been a new ministry. It was not, however, a new message. Both men preached the Word of the Lord. Elisha continued Elijah’s work. He took up where …

More Than A Human History

The history, which is recorded for us in the Scriptures, is always more than a human history. It is the history of the unfolding of God’s purpose: “This is the message that the Lord speaks”, “This is what the Lord says”, “Hear the Word of the Lord” (2 Kings 19:21,32; 2 Kings 20:16). Understanding the …

Lord, help us to be faithful.

2 Kings 8:1-29 Lord, help us to be faithful in hearing Your Word, reading Your Word, obeying Your Word and sharing Your Word.

Grudge Giving, Duty Giving And Thanksgiving

2 Kings 11:1-12:21 Let us ‘make a covenant’- to ‘be the Lord’s people’, to ‘do what is right in the eyes of the Lord’(11:17; 12:2). Part of this ‘covenant’ will involve our use of ‘money’. Real covenanting with the Lord will always mean much more than how much money we give to Him. Real giving …

Royalty without loyalty

Royalty and loyalty: the two things are different. Jehu was regarded as royalty, but he wasn’t fully loyal to the Lord. Jehu did some good things, with which the Lord was pleased: “Jehu got rid of Baal worship throughout Israel ... The Lord said to Jehu, ‘You did what I consider right’” (2 Kings 10:28,30). …

Make A New Beginning With God – Right Now!

 2 Kings 4:1-44 The situation seemed hopeless - ‘The child was lying dead on his bed’(32). What did Elisha do? - He ‘prayed to the Lord’(33). What are we to do when everything seems hopeless? Pray: ‘Restore us again, O God of our salvation… Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice …

God works through those who give faithful testimony to the Gospel of His grace.

2 Kings 1:1-2:25; Acts 20:1-38; Psalm 78:40-55 "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" (2 Kings 2:14). With each succeeding generation, God is looking for those who will commit themselves to the task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24). "He brought His people out like a flock; He led …

‘The Blood Of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Cleanses Us From All Sin.’

2 Kings 5:1-27 How are we to receive God’s blessing? Are we to ‘do some great thing’? Are we to prove ourselves worthy of His blessing? No! The Word of God gives this simple instruction: ‘Wash and be clean’(13). Salvation is not something to be paid for or earned. It’s ‘the free gift of God …

Let God’s Word Search Your Heart.

2 Kings 10:1-36 Jehu was a proud man: ‘Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord’(16). He was full of his own importance, a bit special, a bit out of the ordinary, a cut above the rest. God did not share Jehu’s opinion of himself - ‘Jehu was not careful to walk in …

The Rediscovery Of God’s Word

Following on from reigns of two kings, Manasseh and Amon, who did what was “evil” in the eyes of the Lord (2 Kings 21:2,20), we have the reign of good king, Josiah: “Josiah did what the Lord considered right” (2 Kings 22:2). During Josiah’s reign, there is the rediscovery of God’s Word (2 Kings 22:8) …

Human Sin And Divine Judgment

In 2 Kings 24-25, we read of human sin and divine judgment. This is a timely reminder that we must never allow ourselves to become complacent about our sin and God’s holy judgment.

We think, Lord, about the future, and all we can say is this, “We don’t know what the future holds.”

2 Kings 2:14-3:27 We think, Lord, about the future, and all we can say is this, “We don’t know what the future holds.” We turn to You. We ask You, “What does the future hold for us?” You give us Your answer to our question. It may not be the answer that we were looking …

Looking beyond Jeroboam – to Jesus!

"And since the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash" (2 Kings 14:27). Jeroboam played his part in bringing God's blessing to the people of Israel. As I read these words, my thoughts went beyond Jeroboam - to Jesus! What …

A lamp that shines brightly!

"Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever" (2 Kings 8:19). A lamp that shines brightly! - Even in times of great darkness,the lamp of the Lord continues to shine: "Your word is a lamp for my feet, …

Sow a thought, reap an action.

Reading about those who do what the Lord considers evil is not happy reading. Reading about God’s judgment upon such people is serious reading. It brings the challenge of God’s Word - “Be not deceived. God is not mocked. What a man sows, he shall also reap” (Galatians 6:7). This challenge is stated clearly in …

The better way

2 Kings 21:1-22:20; Acts 28:17-31; Proverbs 16:28-17:4 The rediscovery of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22) revealed the standard from which Israel had fallen, the standard to which Israel was called. The apostolic preaching had the same twofold effect, speaking of both sin (Acts 28:26-27) and salvation (Acts 26:28). “Better a dry crust …

Pleasing God – Nothing Matters More Than This.

2 Kings 13:1-14:16 We love making comparisons. ‘This one’s better’. ‘That one’s better’. Some kings were better than others. What’s the difference between a bad king and a good king? It’s really very simple. The good king does what is ‘right in the eyes of the Lord’(14:3). The bad king does what is ‘evil in …

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late. Come To Christ Now!

2 Kings 24:18-25:30 ‘Finally, in the end, it came to the point that He cast them out of His presence’(24:20). There is a real word of warning here. God is patient - ‘He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’(2 Peter 3:9). We dare not presume upon …

What are we to do when we feel the conflict between good and evil is tearing us apart?

2 Kings 15:23-16:20 Within every one of us, there is conflict. It is the conflict between good and evil (2 Kings 15:34,24,28; 2 Kings 16:2). Paul experienced this conflict: ‘I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. I don’t do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that …

The names of the prophets change from one generation to the next. The Name of the Lord remains constant.

Near to the end of his life on earth, Elijah remained faithful to God. He stands up for God against “Baalzebub, the god of Ekron” (2 Kings 1:6,16). He spoke the Word that had been given to him by God (2 Kings 1:3-4). When Elijah was taken by God “to heaven in a windstorm” (2 …

“I Bring You Good News Of A Great Joy.”

2 Kings 6:24-7:20 We read, in 7:2, of ‘windows in heaven’. Malachi 3:10 also speaks of ‘the windows in heaven’. Calling us to ‘bring the whole tithe (tenth)’to Him, God invites us to look to Him to ‘open the windows of heaven and pour down an overflowing blessing’. In 7:9, we read of ‘a day …

When the Spirit of the Lord comes in power (Travelling Through God’s Word: 1 and 2 Kings)

1 and 2 Kings "The God who answers by fire, he is God" (1 Kings 18:24). "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha" (2 Kings 2:15). As we read about the fire of God, coming down from heaven, our thoughts may forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: …

Even the best of kings can never begin to compare with Jesus – He’s the King of kings.

2 Kings 12:1-14:22; Acts 25:1-22; Psalm 81:1-7 The kings were compared with earlier kings - the evil king, Jeroboam (2 Kings 13:11), the good king, David (2 Kings 14:3). We may learn from this one and that one but, above all, our faith centres upon Jesus (Acts 25:19). Even the best of kings can never begin to compare …

Awesome judgment and eternal salvation

2 Kings 8:16-9:37; Acts 23:12-35; Psalm 80:1-7 The Word of God speaks of judgment. The judgment upon Jezebel was an awesome judgment (2 Kings 9:36-37). God's Word also speaks of salvation. This is not simply the safety spoken of in Acts 23:24. It's the eternal salvation, which is suggested to us in the Psalmist's prayer: "Restore us, …

Calling The Younger Generation

'Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?' (2 Kings 2:14). Elijah was no longer there – but God was still there! Don't imagine that God goes away when there's a change of ministry. While Elijah had been serving the Lord, Elisha was being prepared for his time. God is always one step ahead of …

Taking Up The Mantle Of Prophetic Ministry

2 Kings 1:1-2:13 ‘He took up the mantle of Elijah’(2:13). Elijah’s ministry had ended. Elisha’s ministry was about to begin. It was the beginning of a new era. This may have been a new ministry. It was not, however, a new message. Both men preached the Word of the Lord. Elisha continued Elijah’s work. He …