The book of Second Kings ends with the sad account of Jerusalem’s fall to Babylonian invaders. Like the epitaph inscribed on a tombstone… “So, Judah went into exile” (2 Kings 25:21). The inhabitants of Jerusalem were marched away in chains to spend the next seventy years as slaves to a foreign nation.
This brings to my mind a couple of question: When and where were First and Second Kings written? And, who were its original readers?
It is possible that the unknown author recorded First and Second Kings, and particularly the rather lengthy fourth chapter, while living under Babylonian oppression. He wrote to his fellow slaves to remind his readers that God is All-Powerful and He is always good. Think about it…
He reminded his readers, then and now, that God cares for His children, even a destitute widow (2 Kings 4:1-7). He knows when we hurt and can meet our needs even when we can’t. If we run out of oil, God can give us His oil in abundance.
He wrote to demonstrate that God knows our deepest desires and to prove that God cares! Our loving and merciful Father even cares about a barren woman’s desire to give birth to a child. When the Shunammites wanted a child, God gave them a child (2 Kings 4:11-17). When the miracle baby died, God restored his life (2 Kings 4:18-37).
God even provides food when we’re hungry. Poisonous, deadly stew? God can fix it (2 Kings 4:38-41). Bread for a hungry multitude? That’s not too much to ask of our Gracious God! (2 Kings 4:42-44).
For his original readers, abused slaves in a foreign land, the miracle-packed fourth chapter of Second Kings must have been a great reminder of God’s power and God’s gracious provision for our needs. Most encouraging was the reminder that God is always near… even hundreds of miles from home… especially when the days are dark!
God is near. God cares. God is able.
“… think on these things”(Philippians 4:8, KJV).
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