We finish up the book of second Kings this week.
We pick up with chapter 13 which runs us through the reigns of two kings (who do what is evil in the sight of the Lord) to get to the main feature, the death of Elisha.
Elisha dies and is buried, with a little coda. Sometime after Elisha's death another man is being buried, his body touches Elisha's body and he comes to life again.
The next several chapters are the the reigns of some unremarkable kings.
Eventually the Assyrians capture Israel and carry the people of Israel away in captivity. This leaves the kingdom of Judah with no allies (and also continuing to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord)
But hope is coming. King Hezekiah ascends to the throne and he reforms the kingdom of Judah and returns the people to following the ways of the Lord.
After the death of Hezekiah, kings reign who return to evil ways until King Josiah becomes king and again reforms the people.
The reforms don't last, kings fall into evil ways and Jerusalem falls, several times and more and more people are deported into exile. The book ends with the carrying of the majority of the people away to exile in Babylon. This is the Babylonian captivity. Nearly all of the practices of the time of Jesus are in some way connected to the captivity in Babylon and the return from exile and the rebuilding that followed.
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