2 Kings Warfare

War: all the time. There's tons of warfare in 2 Kings. War is, like, the main thing that kings do—it's all over the place. Sometimes these wars are fought for selfish or trivial or stupid reasons—like when Amaziah fights Jehoash of Israel out of pure brashness. But at other times, wars are fought for self-defense or to advocate for some higher moral cause. God himself is a warrior at times, fighting to assert his own invincible will over the smaller, individual wills of mortals.

Questions About Warfare

1. What do you personally think about the wars fought 2 Kings? Do you think you could've fought in one of them? Why or why not?
2. Are any of these wars necessary or in some sense justified, either by modern or by ancient standards?
3. Is the role of God in 2 Kings essentially as a warrior God? Or does he have more dimensions than that?
4. Are the people who start unjust wars always punished in 2 Kings?