Hezekiah lays Sennacherib's threat before the Lord. The prophet Isaiah responds with a taunt song against the Assyrian invader. (2 Kings 19) Then in a flashback the author describes Hezekiah's desperate illness and the sign given by the Lord, and the prophet's forecast for Judah's future. (2 Kings 20)

Inheriting the Kingdom of Judah from his idolatrous father Ahaz, Hezekiah institutes a controversial, radical reformation; but then he faces a profound crisis when Assyria comes to reassert its dominance over the kingdom. 2 Kings 18:1 - 19:19

The Al Qaida attack on 9/11 was a shattering event, an acute crisis in human affairs that marks a great divide between historical eras.

Under King Jotham the Kingdom of Judah takes a drastic turn away from the faith heritage of David. 2 Kings 15-17.

In its later years Israel was ruled by a succession of kings who were basically glorified gangsters. One, Jeroboam II, presided over a surprisingly long and prosperous reign. But afterward political and social chaos reigned until the kingdom was dismantled by Assyria and its people exiled. But the seeds of its destruction were planted at its inception some 200 years earlier. 2 Kings 15-17

Even on his deathbed the prophet Elisha commands the attention of the king. His passing marks the end of an era, while the events of this passage reveal greater theological depth than is apparent on a casual reading. 2 Kings 13-15

Jehu's bloody coup leads to the final overthrow of Jezebel and Baalism in Israel, but also leads to a counter coup in Judah that results in the slaughter of the royal house of David. One little boy is saved, and he will lead a new revolution to restore the throne of David. But both of these kings have fatal flaws. 2 Kings 10-12

Many years after Elijah prophesied the downfall of Queen Jezebel and the overthrow of the house of Ahab, the prophet anoints General Jehu to be avenger of the blood of Naboth.

From raising an axehead from the river to prophesying the beginning and end of a famine, the prophet Elisha becomes a minister of good news and mercy to Israel--although the king doesn't always see it that way. 2 Kings 6:1-8:6.

Wherever Elisha the prophet goes, the presence of God goes with him. In one of the best known stories of his ministry, an enemy general is healed of leprosy while the prophet's own servant commits a dreadful moral fault. 2 Kings 4:38 - 5:27.