Transcript Old Testament Survey: Book of 1 Kings

Old Testament Survey:
Book of 1 Kings
The wisest of the
Kings of the United
Kingdom—King
Solomon
Glory and Division
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)
Background
• 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
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.”
Keys to 1 Kings
• Key
word—
Key words—Glory
Glory
and division
and
division
• Key
Phrase—”As
Key phrase—”As
David
his father.”
David his
father.”
•• Key
Verses:
Key verses:
– 3:9
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
word—
Key words—Glory
Glory
and division
and
division
• Key
Phrase—”As
Key phrase—”As
David
his father.”
David his
father.”
•• Key
Verses:
Key verses:
– 9:4,5
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:
– 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
chapter—
Key chapter—12
12
• Chapter
Critical turning
• Critical
point inturning
Israel’s
point
in Israel’s
history
history
• United Kingdom
• United
kingdom—
becomes
Divided
becomes
Kingdomdivided
kingdom
– 12:14
– 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—
Key chapter—12
• Chapter
Ten tribes12
revolt
• Ten
tribes
revolt
under
Jeroboam
under Jeroboam
• Northern Kingdom
• Northern
of Israel kingdom
of Israel
• Great sin
• Great
– 12:28sin
– 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
Key chapter—12
• Jeroboam
Jeroboam
sets
sets
up up
golden
calves
golden calves
• New
feast
day
New feast
day
• Priests
of Levi
Priests notnot
of Levi
• Built
Builthigh
high
places
places
– 12:29
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.”
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.”
The Book’s Message
• 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 Purpose
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 Message
• 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 Temple
• 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!”
Other Kings
• 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.”
The Prophets
• 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.”
More Information about
Solomon in the “Special
Studies” section under
“King Solomon’s Reign”