From the Pulpit...

2 Kings continues seamlessly where 1 Kings left off, with Ahaziah and the departure of Elijah. Elisha is the main prophet in the first half of 2 Kings. Chapter 17 records that the northern kingdom was taken captive by the Assyrians (about 722 B.C.), and the southern kingdom comes to a similar demise at the end of chapter 25 (586 B.C.). God did this to the nation because it continued to practice idolatry instead of following the 10 commandments.

The message of 2 Kings is united with that of 1 Kings: to show the Israelites of later generations what happened to their earlier glorious nation, that it happened because of rebellion and idolatry against God, and thus how a similar fate can be avoided in the future.