2 Kings 1-10 (Obadiah)
Introduction: The Battle of Two Thrones
Well, grab your charts for this week, and we’ll dive right into it. My name is Jared Rumley, and it is great to be with you. The Generation series has been a lot of fun. I feel like we are getting a clear, big-picture view of the Bible from front to back. Today we find ourselves in 2 Kings, the direct sequel to 1 Kings.
I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this book, and I know many of you are reading through the Bible in a year along with us. When you hit this part of historical narrative, it can easily turn into an “Okay, here we go…” moment. You almost have to pump yourself up because there are dozens of names you can’t pronounce, obscure cities you’ve never heard of, and kings changing so fast you can barely remember who is on the throne from one chapter to the next. But it is deeply valuable to see how these men lived and how they ruled. Hindsight is always 20/20, and looking back allows us to clearly see the lasting legacy and effects of a ruler after their life is recorded on paper.
I’m thirty-five now. I’m not old, but I’m older. I’m not twenty-five anymore, and I’ve got a little bit of life under my belt. Hopefully, there is a lot more ahead, but the last couple of years have challenged me to lift my head up, look down the road, and ask: What am I really supposed to be doing? How is God truly calling me to be used in kingdom ministry? Reading through 2 Kings stirs up those questions because you look at these monarchs and think, I just don’t want to live like that guy. I don’t want to leave a legacy like that.
I was reminded of Psalm 72, a psalm of Solomon—whom we looked at last week in 1 Kings. In a moment of clarity and devotion, Solomon prayed a prayer that captures what a godly king ought to be: a leader who judges with righteousness, defends the poor, delivers the needy, fears God, and brings blessing to his people, asking for the whole earth to be filled with God’s glory.
Psalms 72:1-4 (NASB)
[A Psalm] of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son. May he judge Your people with righteousness And Your afflicted with justice. Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor.
That is a tremendous vision, and it represents the kind of legacy I hope for in my own life and pastoral ministry. Have you ever stepped back to consider what kind of legacy you want to leave behind? What do you want to be remembered for? Maybe you’ve done one of those leadership retreat exercises where you write your own eulogy or consider what you want carved on your tombstone. It puts life into sharp perspective.
Throughout 2 Kings, we will see legacies on display, and it should prompt us to reflect on our own lives. Around here, we often talk about “dumb tax”—the price people pay when they make foolish, avoidable mistakes. Wisdom means learning from people who paid the dumb tax so we don’t have to repeat it. 2 Kings is filled with dumb tax.
At its core, this entire book portrays a battle between two thrones: God’s heavenly throne and the earthly thrones of human kingdoms. After the theocracy, Israel cried out, “We want to be like all the other nations! Give us a king!” God granted their request, but it brought constant turmoil. Solomon’s divided heart led to a divided kingdom, splitting the nation into Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
To help with the chronology, we are doing something unique in our study of 2 Kings. Instead of covering the book all at once, we are breaking it into sections and snapping the Minor Prophets into their historical moments. These smaller prophetic books at the end of the Old Testament were written by men God raised up during these specific reigns to speak truth to Israel, Judah, and surrounding nations. As you look at your chart, you will see the timeline of kings labeled “good” or “evil”—and you’ll notice none of the northern kings were good, while only some in the south were. Today, we’re covering 2 Kings chapters 1 through 10, and dropping in the prophet Obadiah at chapter 8.
From Elijah to Elisha: The Mantle Passes
In 2 Kings 1, the ministry of Elijah is drawing to a close. Chapter 2 shows the transition to his successor, Elisha. Elisha served as an understudy, faithfully following Elijah. Three distinct times, Elijah tells him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me elsewhere,” and each time Elisha insists, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” This was a test of faithfulness, reminiscent of other significant three-fold patterns in Scripture, such as Peter’s three denials and restorations.
Outside of my work at the church, I help lead a Good News Club at Woods Elementary for my son. It’s essentially an after-school Bible club where kids sign up to learn the Gospel and understand who God is. My conviction was simply to be present with my son and invest in his peer group. When teaching kids about prophets, we often use a hand puppet motion to remind them: A prophet is someone who speaks for God. In ancient Israel, true prophets had to be 100% accurate; if their prophecies failed, they faced death. When Elijah, Elisha, or Obadiah spoke, people paid attention because they were the mouthpiece of God.
As Elijah’s departure nears, the two prophets reach the Jordan River. Elijah rolls up his mantle—his cloak representing prophetic authority—and strikes the water. The river parts, and they cross over on dry ground. This marks the third major water-parting in biblical history, following Moses at the Red Sea and Joshua at the Jordan.
On the other side, chariots of fire appear, and Elijah is taken up into heaven by a whirlwind without dying. Elisha watches in awe as the mantle falls to the ground. Picking up the cloak, Elisha returns to the Jordan, strikes the water, and asks, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” The water parts again, confirming his ministry before a company of watching prophets.
Right after this, in 2 Kings 2:23, we encounter a strange and sobering event. A group of young men comes out of Bethel jeering at Elisha, shouting, “Go up, you baldhead!”
2 Kings 2:23-24 (NASB)
Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, ‘Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!’ When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.
Now, as a bald guy myself, I find humor in this passage—don’t make fun of bald preachers or there might be bears waiting in the parking lot! But in all seriousness, this was not just innocent teasing; it was open contempt and blatant disrespect for God’s newly appointed prophet. Elisha pronounces a curse in the name of the Lord, two bears emerge from the woods, and judgment falls. God was demonstrating that His prophet carried genuine, divine authority.
Miracles of Mercy and Power: Naaman and the Gospel
As we move into chapter 3, Moab rebels against Israel. Moab was located east of the Dead Sea in a harsh, canyon-filled desert landscape. The Moabites and Ammonites originated from Lot’s incestuous descendants, while Edom lay further south. In a rare moment of unity, the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom band together to face the Moabite rebellion, seeking Elisha’s counsel.
Chapters 4 through 7 showcase a series of miraculous signs validating Elisha’s ministry. He multiplies oil for an indebted widow, promises a son to a hospitable Shunammite woman, and later raises that same boy from the dead.
Then, in chapter 5, we encounter one of the most compelling narratives in the Old Testament: the healing of Naaman. Naaman was the supreme commander of the Syrian army—a powerful, celebrated military hero. But Scripture notes a heartbreaking reality: he was a leper. Leprosy was a devastating, incurable condition that gradually destroyed the body and rendered a person an outcast. Naaman had power, prestige, and wealth, but he carried a lethal problem he was utterly powerless to fix.
During a raid, Syria had captured a young Jewish girl who was serving in Naaman’s household. She spoke up and said, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” Naaman travels to Israel seeking healing. When he reaches Elisha’s house, the prophet doesn’t even come outside. He simply sends a messenger with instructions: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored.”
Naaman is furious. He expected grand gestures, religious rituals, and recognition of his status. But his servants reason with him: “If the prophet had told you to do something great, wouldn’t you have done it? How much more when he says, ‘Wash and be clean’?” Naaman relents, humbles himself, and dips seven times in the muddy Jordan River. When he comes up the seventh time, his skin is completely restored like that of a young child.
2 Kings 5:13-14 (NASB)
Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, ’My father, had the prophet told you [to do some] great thing, would you not have done [it]? How much more [then], when he says to you, ’Wash, and be clean ‘?’ So he went down and dipped [himself] seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.
Naaman returns to Elisha declaring that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. This story is a vivid picture of the Gospel. Every single one of us carries the incurable condition of sin. Deep down, we know we cannot fix it on our own. We cannot buy our way out, perform our way out, or rely on our status. Yet God offers a remedy that seems foolish to human pride: looking in faith to Jesus Christ, who lived, died on a cross, and rose again. When we surrender our self-sufficiency and trust in Him, God cleanses our hearts, removes the penalty of sin, and makes us entirely new creations.
Subsequent chapters continue demonstrating God’s power—an iron ax head floats on the water in chapter 6, and God causes the Syrian army to flee in chapter 7, delivering Samaria from famine. All of these miracles point beyond Elisha to the heavenly throne of the God who governs all earthly affairs.
The Judgment of Edom: The Prophet Obadiah
By chapter 8, we reach the historical window where the book of Obadiah fits into the narrative. Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament—just a single chapter of twenty-one verses that you can read in about seven minutes. The name Obadiah means “servant of Yahweh.”
His message is a direct prophetic declaration against Edom. The conflict between Israel and Edom dates back to Genesis: Esau and Jacob. Esau, famished after hunting, foolishly sold his birthright to Jacob for a single bowl of red stew. Esau’s descendants settled in the mountainous region south of the Dead Sea and became the Edomites.
Obadiah 1:3-4 (NASB)
’The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’ ‘Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down,’ declares the LORD.
Throughout Israel’s history, whenever Jerusalem was attacked, the Edomites rejoiced, aided Israel’s enemies, and captured fleeing refugees. Obadiah declares that divine judgment is coming upon Edom: “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head.” Historically, the Edomite nation was eventually wiped out entirely. But the book concludes with a promise of future restoration and victory for God’s people on Mount Zion, pointing toward the ultimate reign of God.
Jehu: Big Victories and Hidden Calves
Returning to 2 Kings chapters 8 through 10, several kings rise and fall. In chapter 9, a military commander named Jehu is anointed king over Israel. Jehu bursts onto the scene like a blazing comet, though he ends up fading like a dying star. God commissions Jehu to bring judgment upon the wicked dynasty of Ahab and Jezebel.
Jehu executes this mission ruthlessly. When he arrives at Jezreel, Jezebel paints her eyes and looks down from a window. Jehu commands her attendants to throw her down, and she is killed in the street, fulfilling Elijah’s earlier prophecy. He goes on to wipe out Ahab’s entire household.
In chapter 10, Jehu turns his attention to the rampant Baal worship imported by Ahab and Jezebel. Baal worship was a grotesque, pagan fertility cult. Jehu uses cunning to assemble all the prophets and priests of Baal into their central temple under the pretense of holding a massive worship festival. Once the temple is packed, Jehu sends in eighty soldiers to execute the idolaters, demolish the sacred pillars, and tear down the temple, turning the site into a public latrine.
2 Kings 10:27-28 (NASB)
They also broke down the [sacred] pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel.
When you read this, you think, Finally! A leader who is taking a bold, uncompromising stand against evil. But then we hit verse 29, and it breaks your heart:
2 Kings 10:29-31 (NASB)
However, [as for] the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin, from these Jehu did not depart, [even] the golden calves that [were] at Bethel and that [were] at Dan. The LORD said to Jehu, ‘Because you have done well in executing what is right in My eyes, [and] have done to the house of Ahab according to all that [was] in My heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.’ But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel sin.
Jehu demolished the state-sponsored worship of Baal, but he left the golden calves that Jeroboam had erected at Bethel and Dan. God still commended Jehu for destroying the house of Ahab and granted that his descendants would sit on Israel’s throne to the fourth generation. This shows God’s faithfulness even through flawed vessels. But Jehu’s partial obedience left a poisonous spiritual residue in the nation, leading to further territorial loss and spiritual decay.
Slaying Baal While Keeping the Calves
This brings the message uncomfortably close to home. It is easy for us to take loud, public stands against cultural evils—to shout on social media, boycott companies, and point out obvious moral failures in the world around us. We love slaying Baal in the public square. But then we quietly walk into our homes and bow down before our private golden calves.
You might say, “Jared, I don’t have an idol carved out of gold in my living room.” Neither do I. But an idol is anything we elevate above God. It’s when we check out and spend hours glued to our smartphones while ignoring our children who are begging for our attention. Recently, my own kids looked at me and said, “Daddy, no phone.” That was a convicting wake-up call for me to examine my habits and implement a digital Sabbath.
What are your golden calves? Maybe it’s the rationalization: “It’s just a bottle of wine to unwind at night”—yet it controls you. Maybe it’s: “It’s just a magazine, or clicking on suggestive images online—nobody’s actually naked.” Maybe it’s an emotional affair: “We’re just texting someone from work. My spouse travels constantly, but this coworker really listens to me.”
The original golden calves were created out of fear and convenience when people felt God was distant. We do the exact same thing whenever we try to manufacture our own comfort, security, or satisfaction outside of God. Taking a stand for truth is vital, but if we conquer public sins while harboring private compromises, we are walking in the tragic footsteps of Jehu. As Tim Keller wisely noted, when you make ordinary things ultimate things, they become idols.
Reclaiming the Throne of the Heart
When two lines start with just a slight one-degree divergence, the drift is barely noticeable at first. But the farther they travel, the greater the gap becomes. That is precisely what happens when we leave compromise unchecked in our hearts.
Throughout 1 and 2 Kings, Scripture evaluates every king by the posture of his heart. David sought the Lord with a whole heart. Solomon allowed his heart to become divided. Jehu was zealous externally, but his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord God of Israel.
Today, we are called to examine the throne of our lives. Who sits upon it? When Jesus accomplished our salvation on the cross, He rose from the grave and ascended to heaven, sitting down at the right hand of the Father. His throne is supreme. Our calling is to surrender every part of our lives—our time, talents, money, relationships, and thoughts—to His lordship.
Take time right now to inspect your heart. Ask God to reveal any golden calves you have tolerated. Turn away from them. Repent of the hidden compromises, and surrender your whole heart to the One who alone deserves to sit on the throne.
Let’s pray.
Father, we come before You recognizing our deep need for Your grace. Like Jehu, we find it so easy to tackle obvious external battles while holding onto the quiet, comfortable idols of our hearts. God, search us and expose anything we are clinging to instead of You. Help us clear out the residue of compromise. Thank You for Jesus, who cleansed us from the incurable sickness of our sin and sits exalted on the heavenly throne. Grant us the faith and courage to worship You with an undivided heart. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.