HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 696
2 Kings
T H E C R O W D I S H U S H E D as a jewel-studded crown is reverently
placed on your head. Seated on your throne, clad in opulent robes, you
have just become king or queen of the nation, the supreme authority,
with life-or-death power over every person in your kingdom. You will
live in a palace, eat royal food, make important decisions, and live in
luxury for the rest of your life.
As the crown comes to rest on your head, the full
What you will be
meaning of this event suddenly hits. You are in
reading about
power! The eyes of the nation will now look to
1:1– 2:18
you for leadership, direction, and purpose.
Elijah is taken to heaven
without dying
Now what? What will you do with all of this
2:19 – 8:29
power and luxury and responsibility? What will
The ministry of Elisha
be your first act as the new leader? Who will you
9:1–12:21
look to for advice and counsel?
The end of Ahab’s dynasty
This is a story repeated many times—through13:1–17:41
out the terms of nineteen kings of the northern
The decline and fall of the
kingdom of Israel and the twenty kings of the
northern kingdom of Israel
southern kingdom of Judah. The book of 2 Kings
18:1– 20:21
is the story of what these kings did, or did not
The godly reign of King
do, with the power and wealth bestowed upon
Hezekiah
them by the people, and ultimately by God. It
21:1- 26
Manasseh sends Judah into
is a story about stewardship—what we do with
a tailspin
what we have. In a very real sense, it is a book
22:1– 23:30
not merely about thirty-nine ancient kings of a
Revival under King Josiah
divided nation but about you and me and what
23:31– 25:30
we do with what God has given us.
Jerusalem falls and Judah
God’s expectations are in direct relationship
is exiled
to his endowments. The more God gives us, the
greater is our responsibility to be good stewards. This is true whether we are
kings and queens with life-or-death power or merely part of the nine-to-five
workforce.
Do you have more money than your neighbor? How does God expect you to
use it? Are you endowed with exceptional talents? How does God expect you
to use them?
Or maybe you feel that God has not given you much. It seems that you got
the short end of the stick when it comes to money, talents, abilities, or even
opportunities. But God makes it clear that the way we handle modest resources
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