Days 150&151: 2 Kings 5-8, 2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9

This section of scripture continues the history of the divided kingdoms: Judah to the south and Israel to the north. It's interesting to me that while the book is called "Kings" - and it certainly attempts to give a record of each king of both kingdoms - it seems to me that the main character, through most of today's reading at least, is Elisha.

Elisha has no political power. Elisha is a prophet of God. He is referred to as "the man of God" or "the prophet". I think this reinforces the idea that the main thrust the Bible is not so much setting down a record of historical events but more a record of God's dealing with His creation...His people. Reading the Bible is not like reading a historian's perspective of history...it's more like we're reading God's perspective of history. Therefore, the events we read about are the ones that are important to God...not necessarily the ones that seem to be important to humans. Consequently, as we read scripture, we need to read it with a view to looking for those things that God finds important so that we can adjust our own perspective to His.

I think this is why we find each of the kings of both kingdoms evaluated along these lines:

He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. (2 Kings 8:18-19)

Here we see what was important to God about Jehoram's reign as king. We also see how God continues to be faithful to His promises even though his people are unfaithful.

Apparently there was some other book called "The Annals of the Kings of Judah" that recorded more detail from a historian's point of view.

As for the other events of Jehoram’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? (2 Kings 8:23)

This book is referred to in scripture at the death of almost every king. I think it's noteworthy that God didn't consider this book important enough to preserve.

I wonder how more modern history would read if it were written from God's perspective? If the Holy Spirit were inspiring humans to write scripture today would God spend as much time covering the same events we do? And what would He say about those events if He did cover them?

We should probably spend more energy trying to see life as it occurs from God's perspective.