2 Kings | King Above All Kings | Route 66

Devotional

Day 1: Prophets: Covenant warnings calling for repentance.

The prophets served as God’s covenant watchdogs, repeatedly calling Israel and Judah to “turn from your evil ways” and to keep God’s commandments and statutes; their role was to name covenant violations and the consequences of drifting. When leaders and people abandoned the terms of the agreement, judgment followed and communities were plundered and exiled. This is a sober call to personal and corporate turning, to repent before the drift becomes collapse. [09:21]

2 Kings 17:13 (ESV)
Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

Reflection: In what area of your life have you grown comfortable with neglecting God’s commands? Name one specific command or spiritual practice you have let slide and one concrete action you will take this week to “turn” back toward obedience.

Day 2: New-testament prophecy builds up, encourages, and consoles.

The New Testament reframes prophecy as a gift meant primarily for the upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation of the church, not merely prediction or sensational pronouncements. This teaching invites discernment: welcome words that strengthen faith and community, but test them by whether they produce spiritual growth and encouragement. Practice receiving prophetic words by asking, “Does this build me up toward Christ?” and respond accordingly. [06:11]

1 Corinthians 14:3 (ESV)
On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

Reflection: When someone shares what they believe is God’s word for you, do you first look for how it builds you up? Think of a recent encouraging or troubling conversation — how did it edify, and what clarifying question or boundary will you use next time to discern its fruit?

Day 3: Repentant leadership can avert God's immediate judgment.

When Josiah discovered the lost book of the law, he was broken and grief-stricken; he mourned, sought the Lord, and led the nation in turning, which postponed the worst of the judgment during his reign. Genuine repentance includes mourning the breach, seeking God’s guidance, and taking concrete steps to restore covenant life. Leaders and individuals alike can model contrition that opens the door to mercy and reform. [15:37]

2 Kings 22:2 (ESV)
He did what was right in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Reflection: What “book of the law” have you misplaced — a truth, discipline, or Scripture you no longer read or obey? Identify one concrete act of repentance you will do this week (confession, restoration, a spiritual practice to restart) and who you will ask to hold you accountable.

Day 4: Prophets herald the promised coming Messiah.

Beyond calling out sin, the prophets proclaimed God’s promises and pointed forward to the coming Messiah who would restore, reconcile, and reign with justice and peace. Isaiah’s words about the child born and the government upon his shoulder remind believers in Advent that hope, peace, joy, and love arrive in Jesus, the King above all kings. Let these promises shape longing and confidence as the people of God wait and prepare. [20:19]

Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Reflection: In this season of waiting, which name of the promised Messiah do you most need — Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, or Prince of Peace? Choose one and describe one practical way you will let that truth reshape your fear, decision, or relationship this week.

Day 5: God draws up from the miry pit through Christ.

Scripture pictures God as the rescuer who inclines to hear the cry, draws people up out of the pit, sets feet on a rock, and gives a new song; Jesus fulfills that rescue as the Savior who reaches into every ditch. No wanderer is too far gone and no miry bog is beyond his forgiving and restoring power; he delights to lift and renew those who turn to him. This is the hope for anyone stuck, ashamed, or helpless to change on their own. [23:02]

Psalm 40:1–3 (ESV)
I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

Reflection: If you feel stuck in a pattern or “ditch” you cannot escape, name that struggle and one small step of trust you will take toward Jesus this week (a prayer, a confession, a call for help, or a specific act of obedience), believing he can and will draw you up.

Sermon Summary

We continued our journey through Second Kings with Advent in our bones, remembering that God’s people once lived under a long line of kings who drifted from the Lord—and that drift brought real consequences. Israel’s fall to Assyria and Judah’s spiral into exile did not happen overnight; they followed patterns of small compromises that became a lifestyle far from God. In the middle of this, God sent prophets—his covenant watchdogs—to speak his very words to kings and people: turn back, keep my commands, come home. They named what went wrong—idolatry and injustice—and they named what would set it right—repentance and a return to the Lord.

Repentance is not a technique; it’s a turning. The Hebrew shuv—root of teshuva—means return. When Josiah rediscovered the lost Book of the Law, he tore his clothes because he recognized how far the people had wandered. His tears were not self-pity; they were clarity. And God, in mercy, delayed judgment in his day. That is the power of a heart that turns.

But the prophets did more than prosecute—the best of them prophesied hope. Elisha promised water in drought, life to the barren, bread in famine. Isaiah promised a Child whose government would have no end, the King above all kings who would establish justice forever. The prophets could point out the ditch, but only the Messiah could pull us out of it. That’s why I told the story of the minivan in the winter ditch: awareness of danger doesn’t rescue anyone. A stronger arm must arrive.

Jesus is that stronger arm. There is no ditch too deep, no drift too far, no sin beyond his forgiveness. He delights to lift, to cleanse, to steady, to put a new song in your mouth. So hear both gifts today: the prophetic warning that names the drift, and the saving grace of Christ that ends it. Turn. Return. And let the King above all kings set your feet on the rock.

Key Takeaways

1. Drift invites discipline and collapse Small compromises accumulate until our worship, ethics, and loves are reshaped by rival gods. God’s warnings are not petty rules; they are guardrails protecting a relationship and a people. Accountability—Scripture, community, and truth-telling voices—keeps us near the centerline. Ignore them long enough, and collapse is not punishment so much as consequence. [06:11]
2. Repentance is a returning home Biblical repentance is not self-hatred; it is a decisive turning back to the One we’ve left. Josiah shows that real contrition recognizes reality and runs toward God, not away. Such returning restores intimacy and often mitigates the fallout of our choices. Repentance is the door through which renewal comes. [12:15]
3. Prophets expose idols and injustices God’s spokesmen confront the lies we love and the systems we benefit from, not to shame us but to free us. Elijah’s courage unmasks false worship and summons a clear allegiance: if the Lord is God, follow him. Today’s idols are subtler—security, success, tribe—but they steal the same thing: our love. True worship reorders our desires and our public life. [09:21]
4. Jesus rescues what prophets reveal The law and the prophets diagnose our condition; only Christ delivers us from it. Like that minivan in the ditch, knowledge of danger doesn’t self-extract a soul—grace does. The Savior descends, lifts, forgives, and sets us steady, giving a new song for a new path. Turn to him, and let rescue replace resolve. [23:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:35] - Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 17
[01:40] - Prayer for Guidance
[02:55] - Advent and the True King
[04:30] - The Kings’ Drift and Judgment
[06:11] - Why God Sent Prophets
[09:21] - Covenant Watchdogs and Warnings
[11:10] - Elijah Confronts Ahab on Carmel
[12:15] - Repentance: Shuv and Teshuva
[15:37] - Josiah Rediscovers the Law
[17:20] - Judgment Delayed Through Repentance
[18:13] - Elisha’s Promises and Hope
[19:30] - Isaiah’s Vision of the Messiah
[20:19] - Prophets Prepare the World for Jesus
[23:02] - From the Ditch to Deliverance and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Read 2 Kings 17:13–23.

13 For the LORD had said to Israel and Judah, “You shall not do this; you shall not go after other gods, and you shall not serve them or bow down to them,
14 but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, and to his covenant, which he made with you, and you shall fear him; and you shall keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and hold fast to him.”
15 Yet they did not obey and were disobedient; they devoted themselves to worshiping and serving the gods of the peoples around them, whom the LORD had commanded them not to; they even burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
16 And they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.
17 And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons,
18 and they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
19 And the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.
20 Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs that Israel had introduced.
21 And the LORD rejected all the offspring of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them from his presence.
22 For he had rejected all the offspring of Israel, and he made them dwell in exile in all the kingdoms of the earth.
23 And the people of Israel were carried away out of their own land to Assyria, and they came to dwell in the cities of that land.

Observation questions

What specific sins and practices does 2 Kings 17:13–17 list as reasons for God’s anger? How do those actions explain the exile described in vv.19–23?
The prophets are described as sent to warn Israel and Judah to “turn from your evil ways” (see 2 Kings 17:13). What concrete warnings did the prophets give according to the sermon, and what purpose did those warnings serve? [06:11]
When the lost Book of the Law was found, Josiah “tore his clothes” and wept (2 Kings 22). What does that reaction reveal about the nature of biblical repentance described as shuv/teshuva? [15:37]
Name one story from the prophets (Elijah/Elisha) that the sermon used as an example of hope. What promise did that prophet give and how was it fulfilled? [18:13]

Interpretation questions

Prophets are called “covenant watchdogs” who prosecute covenant breaking. How does that image influence how one should hear a prophetic rebuke—what tone and goal should be expected? [09:21]
Repentance is described as a turning (shuv) rather than mere guilt or self-hatred. How does understanding repentance as a directional return change the way one thinks about steps toward restoration? [12:15]
The prophets both warned of judgment and pointed forward to the Messiah. How should the balance of warning and hope shape a community’s posture toward sin and toward people who have wandered far? [20:19]
The sermon used the minivan-in-the-ditch story to show that awareness of danger doesn’t rescue anyone. The prophets can point out the ditch, but a stronger arm must arrive. How does this metaphor clarify the distinct roles of law/prophecy and of Christ’s saving work? [23:02]

Application questions

Small compromises accumulate until worship, ethics, and loves are reshaped by rival gods. Which small compromise(s) have crept into your life recently (in worship, priorities, or relationships)? Name one concrete, immediate step you will take to correct that drift. [06:11]
Accountability keeps us near the centerline. Who are the Scripture-, truth-telling, or community voices in your life that function as covenant watchdogs? If you don’t have one, what specific step will you take this week to invite that kind of accountability? [09:21]
Repentance is a turning back to God. What is one area where you need to practice shuv—an action to stop and an action to start that would show a real return? Be specific about timing and one person who will help you follow through. [12:15]
Identify one “idol” that competes for your love right now (examples: security, success, reputation, tribe). What is one practical habit you will begin this week to reorder that desire toward God? [09:21]
If you feel stuck in a ditch of sin or discouragement, what concrete step will you ask Jesus for this week (e.g., confession to a trusted friend, meeting with a pastor, a daily Scripture plan, specific prayers) and who will be your “truck” to help pull you out? [23:02]
Advent is a season of waiting for the King above all kings. What is one new spiritual practice you will adopt this Advent to prepare your heart to receive Christ (e.g., daily Advent reading, confession, service to neighbor, corporate worship)? When will you start it? [02:55]

Sermon Clips

the word teshuva teshuva is the hebrew word for repentancein second kings chapter 17 verse 13 when it says turn it's the word shuv so it's like a root word of the word repentance it's related to that word teshuva it says shuv turn this is an aspect of repentance to repent is to turn literally it is to return which is what the prophets are calling out for a returning to the lord turn from your wicked ways repent come back and live life-giving relationship that the lordhas for you and that the lord provides to all who turn it's only in the turning only in the repenting that new life and renewed relationship with god can occur amen [00:12:42] (55 seconds) #TeshuvaTurn

well here's the thing josiah has the law read them hey we found this book and josiah says read it and they read it and what does josiah do he rends his clothes he tears his clothes and he weeps and his advisors the high priest he says to himhe says go and inquire of the lord for me he sends them to a prophetess and for the people and for all of judah i mean he's the he's the he's the king of the southern kingdom judah concerning the words of this book that has been found for great is the wrath of the lord he realizes we're in trouble [00:15:19] (35 seconds) #JosiahRepents

josiah was bitterly grieved and he repented he longed to return to the lord and through his repentance when he sends his advisors to this prophetess holda she says to to thembecause of the wickedness of the people there will still be judgment remember israel had already fallen judah had fallen into the same things they didn't even have the book of the law and holda says there's going to be consequences here but she says it won't happen during josiah's reign because he repented through his repentance it doesn't happen during his reign [00:16:18] (43 seconds) #RepentanceBringsMercy

finally in the midst of the judgment and while the people of god are living in the consequences of their rebellion when judah was in darkness or in captivity god used the prophets to speak words of promise and hope the prophets reminded god's people that god had not abandoned them that god would notlet them go the lord would fulfill the promises that he made to abraham and to king david [00:17:47] (30 seconds) #GodKeepsPromises

see beyond elijah's words of hope and comfort and promise the prophets were used by god to alter in to usher in the ultimate promise the highest hope the promise and hope of the messiah all the prophets all of the prophets pointed out this fact that humanity needs a saviorthey were everybody was broken they were everybody was broken so one of the things that the prophets did is point out like this is bad this is off the rails you can't save yourself you need a saviorand some spoke specifically to the promise and the hope that god would provide that very thing [00:19:00] (46 seconds) #PointingToTheSavior

the prophets weren't just naysayers or party poopers they spoke hopeand they prepared the world for the coming literal coming of hope peace joy and love for that is who jesus is he is the peace of the world he is our living hope he is the joy of the lord lived out and he is the love of god in the flesh that comes for you and me and that's good news today [00:20:30] (34 seconds) #HopePeaceJoyLove

``and when we are stuck he is our hope and heis our savior there is no ditch too deep no wanderer too far gone no wilderness no sin beyond his forgiving it is his good pleasure it is the delight of jesus our savior to bring you out to forgive you and renew you to reconcile you back to the father to give you abundant and eternal life [00:23:34] (27 seconds) #JesusOurRescuer

the prophets foretold of his coming and today i tell you he's here and i don't know what dish you've drifted in for you and maybe you've drifted and the words of the prophets or the words of the law has convicted you and it's called you to turn there is good news forthe prophet's words concerning a coming savior has taken place jesus lived and died and was raised from the dead jesus is the king above all kings and today he's here to put a new song in your mouth come on today the king above all kings sees your propensity to drift [00:24:20] (47 seconds) #ProphetsFulfilled

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2 Kings | King Above All Kings | Route 66

Devotional

Day 1: Prophets: Covenant warnings calling for repentance.

Day 2: New-testament prophecy builds up, encourages, and consoles.

Day 3: Repentant leadership can avert God's immediate judgment.

Day 4: Prophets herald the promised coming Messiah.

Day 5: God draws up from the miry pit through Christ.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

2 Kings | King Above All Kings | Route 66

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