The book of 2nd Kings continues the drama of 1st Kings, only here the author, most likely Jeremiah, compiled at the time of Judah’s captivity, traces the history systematically of the monarchs of both Israel and Judah for 286 years.
In the first 17 chapters, the author looks at the 19 kings and 9 dynasties of the northern 10 tribes with not one king doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord their history ends in captivity to the Assyrians 136 years before Judah’s.
In chapters 18-25 the author takes us back to the same historical timeline and only looks at the 20 kings (all descendants of David) up to their captivity in Babylon. Along the way, we see the fourfold process of the fall of a nation as well as all human failure:
•Loses its vision for God: This can be all at once or gradually through compromise but sooner or later in both kingdoms there arose men who occupied the throne who had lost vision of the One who sat upon the throne in heaven. And this is most clearly seen in that they turn to idols, no man who has a vision of God turns to an idol as an idol is always a substitute for what they no longer can see.
•Loses its moral life: When a nation or a man loses their vision for God they no longer can see His holiness, and His character, and as such they gradually stop living for Him. Oh, they will maintain a sense of national pride but it will be devoid of morality. It will be a form while at the same time denying the power of God. Such patriotism is nothing more than idolatry!
•Losing its conscience life: Live long enough without the vision of God and morality and a nation or a person will lose their conscience of what is right and what is wrong. Soon they will reverse these and right will be wrong and wrong will be right. Wickedness will prevail and hatred of all that is right and the promotion and elevation of all that is wrong will be what is taught everywhere.
•Loses what set it apart: The final nail will be captivity as the nation or the person will become what at one time it separated from. There will be no difference from what was once good to what is now evil as evil will now be called the “new good” and the nation or person will be “lost”.