Old Testament Survey: Book of 1 Kings Glory and Division The wisest of the Kings of the United Kingdom—King Solomon.

Old Testament Survey:Book of 1 Kings

Glory and Division

The wisest of the Kings of the United

Kingdom—King Solomon

Background• The book’s author and the date of the

writing are unknown.

• Probably written by Jeremiah or Ezra

• Originally, 1 and 2 Kings formed one book

• History covered:– Solomon’s reign (1-11)– History of Divided Kingdom (12-22)

• After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam came to the throne in 975 BC.

• Oppressive measures caused the ten northern tribes to revolt and form Israel under Jeroboam’s leadership

• 1 Kings covers 119 years--from David’s death in 1015 BC, to the deaths of Jehoshaphat, Judah’s fourth king, and Ahab, Israel’s seventh king.

Background

• The books of 1 and 2 Kings form a continuous history.

• The parallel history of Solomon’s reign is given in 2 Chronicles 1-9.

• From the Kingdom’s division to Israel’s fall—1 Kings 12—2 Kings 18:12

• 2 Chronicles 10-28

Background

Keys to 1 Kings

• Key words—Glory and division

• Key phrase—”As David his father.”

• Key verses:– 2:2,3

“And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in

His ways, to keep His statutes, His

commandments, His judgments, and His

testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that

you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you

turn.”

• Key word— Glory and division

• Key Phrase—”As David his father.”

• Key Verses:–3:9

“Therefore give to Your servant an

understanding heart to judge Your people,

that I may discern between good and

evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

Keys to 1 Kings

• Key words—Glory and division

• Key phrase—”As David his father.”

• Key verses:– 3:9

• Key word— Glory and division

• Key Phrase—”As David his father.”

• Key Verses:–9:4,5

“Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of

heart and in uprightness, to do according to all

that I have commanded you, and if you keep My

statutes and My judgments.”

Keys to 1 Kings

• Key words—Glory and division

• Key phrase—”As David his father.”

• Key verses:– 9:4,5

• Key words—Glory and division

• Key phrase—”As David his father.”

• Key verses:– 11:11

“Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have

commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom

away from you and give it to your servant.’”

Keys to 1 Kings

• Key words—Glory and division

• Key phrase—”As David his father.”

• Key verses:– 11:11

• Key chapter— Chapter 12

• Critical turning point in Israel’s history

• United kingdom—becomes divided kingdom– 12:14

“And he spoke to them according to the advice of

the young men, saying, ‘My father made your yoke

heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father

chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with

scourges!’”

Keys to 1 Kings

• Key chapter—12

• Critical turning point in Israel’s history

• United Kingdom becomes Divided Kingdom– 12:14

• Key chapter— Chapter 12

• Ten tribes revolt under Jeroboam

• Northern kingdom of Israel

• Great sin– 12:28

“Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, ‘It is too

much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your

gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the

land of Egypt!’”

Keys to 1 Kings

• Key chapter—12

• Ten tribes revolt under Jeroboam

• Northern Kingdom of Israel

• Great sin– 12:28

• Key chapter—12

• Jeroboam sets up golden calves

• New feast day

• Priests not of Levi

• Built high places– 12:29

“Now this thing became a sin, for the people

went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He

made shrines on the high places, and made

priests from every class of people, who were not

of the sons of Levi.”

Keys to 1 Kings

• Key chapter—12

• Jeroboam sets up golden calves

• New feast day

• Priests not of Levi

• Built high places– 12:29

The Book’s Message

Two main divisions

• Solomon’s reign– Chapters 1-11

• Divided kingdom– Chapters 12-22

• Probably written after the captivity– 12:20

“So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the

fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month

which he had devised in his own heart. And he

ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and

offered sacrifices on the altar and burned

incense.”

• God affirms His promise to Solomon

• Will rend the kingdom from him, but not in his days

• Spiritual significance of promised seed (Galatians 3:16)– 11:13

“However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give

one tribe to your son for the sake of my

servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

The Book’s Message

• 1 Kings plays a grand role in the development of God’s plan

• Shows the importance of choosing God’s word

• Necessity of faith and obedience

• Blesses obedience; punishes disobedience– 3:14

“So if you walk in My ways, to keep

My statutes and My commandments, as

your father David walked, then I will

lengthen your days.”

The Book’s Message

Two –fold:• To move the Jews to

repent by reminding them of God’s promise to restore

• Trace God’s providence in preserving David’s seed– Genesis 22:18

“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall

be blessed, because you

have obeyed My voice.”

The Book’s Purpose

• The prophets’ importance during Divided Kingdom

• Must choose God’s wisdom

• Importance of prayer in serving God

• Temple built—God does not live in a man-made temple– 8:22-53

“That Your eyes may be open toward this

temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the

prayer which Your servant makes toward

this place.”

The Book’s Message

• God dwells in “thick darkness”

• Elisha follows God after Elijah’s death

• The standard: “as David his father”

• Power, wealth, and knowledge can corrupt and lead to destruction– 19:19-21

“So Elisha turned back from him, and took a

yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and

boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment,

and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and

became his servant.”

The Book’s Message

• Materials David had collected

• Cedars of Lebanon from king Hiram

• 7 years, 185,000 workers• Millions of dollars worth of

gold, ivory, etc.• Heaven is God’s real

dwelling place– 8:27

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and

the heaven of heavens cannot

contain You. How much less this

temple which I have built!”

The Temple

• All of Judah’s kings descended from David

• Israel had bad kings• Good kings

– Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah

• Evil kings– Jeroboam, Ahab, (j)Ahaz,

(j)Manasseh

• Eight kings in the book– 16:30

“Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in

the sight of the LORD, more than all

who were before him.”

Other Kings

• Divided kingdom - the period of the prophets

• Sent to reprove their sins

• Elijah and Elisha– 17:1

“And Elijah the Tishbite, of the

inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my

word.’”

The Prophets

• Elijah, the first great oral prophet

• Fearless reformer—the book’s hero

• Rebuke of Ahab and Jezebel

• Prophets of Baal

• Miracles– 18:21

“And Elijah came to all the people, and said,

‘How long will you falter between two opinions?

If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal,

follow him.’ But the people answered him

not a word.”

The Prophets

More Information about Solomon in the “Special Studies” section under “King Solomon’s Reign”