History of Ancient Israel I Kings Sources: Handbook on the Historical Books Hayford’s Bible Handbook to the Bible
Introduction Author: Unknown (may have been Isaiah, Ezra, Jeremiah or a combination of prophets). Time period of both books-covers 4 centuries of Israel’s history from the stable united kingdom of Solomon to the total collapse and mass deportation to Babylon.
Intro cont. n n Time period of I Kings; covers about 120 years from the death of David to the reign of Jehoshaphat (4 th king in the southern kingdom) and the reign of Ahaziah (9 th king in the Northern kingdom). Overall Purpose of the books: To answer the question; “why both the northern and the southern kingdoms were taken captive”. The answer is that it was the inevitable consequence of the persistent violation of God’s covenant with them. Specific purpose-to cause the exiles to reflect on their history and return to the Lord.
I & II Kings is a Selective Historical Record n n It is Not just a compilation of the politically important or socially significant happenings in Israel and Judah. The author (s) selects and emphasizes the people and events that are morally and religiously significant and that answer the question “Why”. The people and events selected demonstrate the necessity of obedience to God’s covenant and the painful consequences of disobedience.
Overview of I Kings n n First half records the glory of Solomon’s reign, his wealth, wisdom and accomplishments. However his disobedience in marrying foreign wives led to idolatry and his divided heart led to a divided kingdom. In the 2 nd half the divided kingdom is described as the author switches back and forth between the 2 kingdoms.
Personal Applications God still controls human affairs n The nation, leader or person who responds to and obeys the Lord will enjoy the benefits of a relationship with Him. Those who refuse and rebel will experience God’s discipline. n Those that repent and return to God will be graciously forgiven. n
Another Significant Conclusion from Studying this Book The failure of the prophets, priests and kings of God’s people points to the necessity of the advent of Christ: n Christ’s words and miracles would surpass those of the greatest prophet. n As priest His work would exceed and complete the work of any priest. n Christ will reign on the throne of David for ever and be the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Solomon the Man n n n His name comes from the Hebrew word ”Shalom” which means peace. Nathan the prophet gave him another name “Jedidiah” which means “beloved of the Lord”. His name is usually associated with wisdom, wealth and wives. He was the 10 th son of King David and the 2 nd son of Bathsheba. He seemed to have a double personality capable of doing great good and terrible sin. Reigned for 40 years.
Section 1: The Establishment of Solomon as King and the Good That He Did. Chapt. 1 -8 Chapt. 1 Adonijah Presumes to Be King n He was David’s oldest surviving son n Exalted himself by saying he would be king n Obtained chariots and horsemen and 50 men to run before him n He was handsome and brother of Absalom. n Obtained support from Joab and Abiathar (priest) & others. n Held a victory celebration south of Jerusalem n A little later he even asks for Abishag (David’s beautiful appointed “body warmer”) for his wife.
Chapter 1 Nathan Goes Into Action Upon Hearing of the Victory Party: n Nathan goes to Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba with a plan to save her life. n She goes to David and reminds him of his former promise to appoint Solomon as king n Nathan comes in to confirm her words and to tell David what Adonijah has done. *I Chr. 22: 9, 10 & 28: 4 -7 state that the kingdom had been promised to Solomon.
David Proclaims Solomon King n n n They had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and took him to Gihon which was one of the 2 springs that supplied water to Jerusalem. It was also thought to be the site where David first gained entrance into Jerusalem. David enlists Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the captain of the guard to anoint Solomon. Adonijah realizes his great error and runs to the tabernacle and takes hold of the horns of the altar. Solomon gives him a conditional, temporary pardon.
Chapt. 2 David’s Instructions to Solomon n His last words are a summons for Solomon to be courageous, faithful and obedient to God’s ways. David also instructs Solomon of who he thinks Solomon must get rid of (Joab who also grabs the horns of the altar & Shimei) Solomon “cleans house” farther by killing Adonijah his brother and Abiathar the priest who had supported his brother.
Chapter 3: Solomon Requests Wisdom n n n Solomon seals his political alliance with Egypt by marrying the Pharaoh’s daughter. Solomon proceeds to start building his house, God’s house (the temple) and a wall around Jerusalem. (note order) He goes to Gibeon (6 miles NW of Jer. ) and offers 1000 burnt offerings to God. There God appeared to him and offered him a request and Solomon asked for wisdom to judge (rule) God’s people. This pleased God so He also promised him riches and honor and longevity. Solomon quickly demonstrates his wisdom in the case of the 2 harlots and the one living baby.
Chapter 4: Solomon’s Administration The listing of Solomon’s appointed leaders demonstrated several things: n The purpose of this reorganization is to charge each district with the responsibility of providing for the royal household and government officials for 1 month each year. n The new districts do not correspond with the areas formerly given to each of the tribes. n Most of the appointees are from Judah.
Chapter 5: Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple n n Solomon wisely obtains help and materials by making a pact with Hiram of Tyre who was formerly a friend ally of his father David. The temple was built about 400 years after the tabernacle and stood for about 400 years before its destruction in 586 B. C. The workers came from Israel (not including Judah). They spent 1 month working and 2 months off to maintain their own crops, flocks, etc. Location: Mt Moriah where threshing floor of Araunah was purchased. This is the general area where Abraham started to offer Isaac before he was stopped by God and given a ram in his place.
Chapter 6 Solomon Builds the Temple n n n In the 4 th year of his reign (480 years after the Exodus from Egypt) the building of the temple began. It took 7 years to complete. It was built to be exactly double the size of the original tabernacle. This made it about 90 feet long and 30 feet wide and 45 feet tall. Built of stone, lined with wood and then overlaid with gold (v. 22) It was divided into 3 sections: 1. The portico or front porch which included 2 great pillars of bronze 2. The main hall with adjoining chambers, balconies and storage rooms which included a huge tank holding water that was supported by 12 oxen facing in threes in all four directions. Instead of 1 laver (large sink like bowl for washing meat or hands) there were 10 on 10 bronze stands. 3. In the inner sanctuary the cherubims rested apart from the ark.
The First Three of Five “If” Statements to Solomon I Ki 2: 4 (spoken to David and passed on to Solomon) 'If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel. ' n 1 Ki 3: 14 "If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days. " n 1 Ki 6: 12 -13 "Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments* by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. "I will dwell among the sons of Israel*, and will not forsake My people Israel. " *In the midst of the building God reminds Solomon that it is obedience , not building the temple the guarantees God’s presence among his people. * God’s reason for the temple: He desires to dwell among His people n
Chapter 7 Solomon’s Other Buildings His own residence and palace (took 13 years to finish) n The House of the Forest of Lebanon n The Hall of Pillars n The Hall of Judgment n A separate residence for Pharaoh’s daughter *Some of these buildings could have been joined n
Chapter 8 The Ark Brought Into the Temple n n The ark is brought to the temple and accompanied by all the chief men and elders of all the tribes and of Jerusalem It was carried by the priests into the holy place during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. God’s presence was evidenced by a cloud of His glory that filled the building and by the fact that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud. Innumerable sacrifices were made to God
Solomon Blesses the People Solomon blesses his People n Solomon makes a prayer of dedication n Solomon blesses the people again n Solomon concludes the dedication of the temple with sacrifices and a festival of 14 days n
Solomon’s Prayer n Compare and Contrast the Main Sections of Solomon’s Prayer in 8: 2253 With the Lord’s Prayer in Mt 6: 9 -13.
Characteristics of His Prayer n n n He stood with his arms outstretched towards heaven. Repeated many phrases such as “hear in heaven and forgive” “hear in heaven and do” “hear in heaven and act”. He demonstrates the importance of prayer above sacrifices and asks forgiveness of sin for the people. He includes the conditions of the covenant between God and His people. Purpose of the prayer-that all the world may know that the Lord is God.
Chapter 9 God’s 2 nd Appearance to Solomon 4 th “If” statement from God (strongest yet) 1 Ki 9: 4 -9 "As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, In integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have Commanded You and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to our father David, saying, 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel. ' But if you or your sons indeed turn away From following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. "And this house will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land to this house? ' "And they will say, 'Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore the LORD has brought all this adversity on them. '" n Rest of the chapter lists some additional achievements by Solomon
Chapter 10 The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon n n She was a queen from a country in what is now southern Arabia. (Josephus linked the Queen of Sheba with Ethiopia) She was breathless with amazement at Solomon’s wealth, wisdom and organization. She gave him a great amount of gold and spices and he gave her “all that she desired”. The rest of the chapter is about the wealth Solomon accumulated; shields of gold, ships at sea, numerous horses and chariots, etc.
Section 2 Solomon Turns From the Lord Which Leads to a Divided Kingdom Chapter 11 - Solomon’s Sins 1. Seven hundred wives: Egyptian, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite. “and his wives turned away his heart” and “his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God” and he “did evil in the sight of the Lord” 2. He went after Ashtoreth, Milcom (Molech) and built high places for Chemosh (war god) and for other foreign gods.
Chapter 11 Cont. n n Because of Solomon’s sins God promises to tear most of the kingdom from Solomon’s son and give it to his servant (for the sake of David He doesn’t take it from Solomon) Only two tribes will remain with the kingdom and Jerusalem. Judah and Benjamin (later referred to as one tribe-Judah) God also sends eternal foes 1. Hadad the Edomite-had Egyptian connections 2. Rezon-raided Israel and reigned over Syria 3. Jeroboam-the prophet Ahijah (from Shiloh in the Northern Kingdom) announces that Jeroboam will become king over 10 of the 12 tribes. Jeroboam had to flee to Egypt for his protection until after Solomon dies
Chapter 12 The Revolt Against Rehoboam n n n After Solomon dies, his son Rehoboam goes to Shechem to be made king. Jeroboam comes back from Egypt and is called upon by the N. tribes to ask Rehoboam to lighten the load of taxes and labor. Rehoboam seeks advice, but decides to listen to the youth he has grown up with. A heavier load causes the Northern tribes to succeed and to kill Adorum the tax collector. Judah is ready to fight, but Shemaiah, a man of God, tells them that God commands them not fight.
Chapter 12 Jereboam n n Instead of trusting God to establish him as king he resorted to manipulation to hold the people. He made 2 calves of gold (1 placed at Dan in the north and the other at Bethel in the south) to worship so that the people would not go to Jerusalem. He ordained his own priests He instituted his own new festival and offered sacrifices to the calves and burned incense.
Chapter 13 The message of the Man of God n n n A man of God from Judah went to Bethel and gave a prophecy against Jeroboam and foretells of Josiah being born 300 years later who would kill the false priests who follow false gods. Jeroboam seeks to have him killed but his arm is paralyzed and the altar split in half. Jeroboam in fear asks for prayer and is healed and the man of God departs.
Death of the Man of God n n n Old prophet of Bethel went out and found the man of God and lied to him and got him to come to his house and eat and drink which he had been instructed not to do by God. After deceiving him he pronounced the man of God’s soon-coming-death. A lion killed the man of God, but did not consume him and the prophet buried him Jeroboam continued in his evil ways and even appointed himself as a priest. Perhaps this should be a warning to us to listen to God and carefully represent Him and His words.
Chapter 14 Downfall of Jeroboam & Rehoboam First half- Judgment on the House of Jeroboam n Abijah, the son of Jeroboam became ill. n Jeroboam sends his wife disguised to Ahijah the prophet in Shiloh who had prophesized his reign as king n Ahijah (blind from old age) knows who she is and prophesizes against Jeroboam saying that all his male children would be killed and unburied except for Abijah (the sick one), who would also die, but be buried. n It happened just as he said (Except one son)
Chapt. 14 (2 nd half) Rehoboam’s Downfall n n n He reigned 17 years in Jerusalem. During that time the people did evil, built high places, sacred pillars and wooden images. They also committed perverted acts (human sacrifices? ) and abominations. Because they lost God’s favor the Egyptians invaded and stole all the treasures of Jerusalem.
Chapter 15 Abijam Reigns in Judah n n n Abijam is Jeroboam’s son. He reigned for only 3 years in Jerusalem He fought with Rehoboam in the north during his entire reign. He continued all the sins of his father. Application; We must pattern our lives after those who have God’s approval, not leaders of the world around us.
Chapter 15 Asa Reigns n n n Asa did what was right in the sight of God He banished the perverted persons and removed the idols and cut down an obscene image of Asherah. But he did not remove the high places He fought with the northern kingdom during his entire reign His son Jehoshaphat became king when Asa died.
Baasha Reigns in Israel 15: 3 -16: 7 n n 3 rd king of Israel Just as sinful as the first two (“made Israel sin”) Also judged by God Asa reigned in Judah when Jeroboam was still on the throne in the North. Then the north was ruled by Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri and Ahab while Asa was still on the throne in Judah.
Ahab Reigns in Israel 16: 29 -34 Ahab, the 7 th king of Israel n Did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him. n He married Jezebel, a Baal worshipper n He set up an altar for Baal in Samaria n
Elijah Chapter 17 -19 n n n God raises up one of the greatest prophets to answer Israel’s worst king. Elijah spoke to Ahab that God was bringing a drought (Baal controlled the rain) and then he obeys the Lord and goes into hiding. There the Lord brings ravens to feed him beside a brook. Application: We must choose to believe that the Lord knows how to care for His servants.
Elijah and the Widow n n The brook dries up and God tells him to go to Phoenicia to a city on the Mediterranean coast. God provides through a widow who has only one handful of flour left. He promises her she will have enough if she gives her last food to him and she does! Application; Do not let a threat of “not having enough to survive” cause you to alter the course the Lord has set for you. When we give God our little, His power is unleashed to take over and provide.
Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son n n The widow’s son grows very ill and dies or becomes unconscious. She appeals (by using shame) for Elijah to act. He carries the lifeless boy to his upper room and cried out to God and the boy is revived and restored. The widow acknowledges Elijah as a true man of God
Elijah’s 2 nd Message to Ahab n n Jezebel was busy having many of the prophets of God killed Obadiah (not the prophet), who was in charge of Ahab’s house had hid 100 prophets in caves and was sending bread and water to them. Obadiah met Elijah while he was searching for grass for the king’s horses. Elijah tells him to tell the king he is back. Obadiah is afraid but goes to tell him. Elijah tells Ahab that his sins have brought the drought and commands him to gather the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (who ate at Jezebel’s table)
Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory n n n Ahab sent for all the children of Israel & gathered the prophets of Baal Elijah gave a challenge “How long will you falter between two opinions? ” He explained the contest and let them go first. They spent 6 hours crying to Baal and cutting themselves as was their custom, but Baal did not respond. Elijah built an altar with 12 stones, cut up the bull and laid it on the wood and soaked the whole thing with water 3 times. Then he prayed and God showed up with fire and consumed everything-even the stones. The people cried out “The Lord-He is God” and they seized the prophets and Elijah executed them at the brook Kishon.
The Drought Ends n n In faith Elijah tells Ahab to go and eat and drink for he hears the sound of rain coming. He bowed down to God and prayed 7 times, each time asking his servant to check for a cloud. The 7 th time the servant saw a small cloud. Elijah warns Ahad to prepare his chariot quickly because the rain is coming and then he runs ahead of Ahad and beats him to Jezreel (25 miles!).
Elijah Escapes from Jezebel (Chapter 19) Jezebel hears what happened to her prophets and sends out word she wants to have Elijah killed. n He leaves to hide in Beersheba, the southern most city in the southern kingdom of Judah and leaves his servant and goes into the wilderness despondent and wanting to die. n
God’s Revelation to Elijah was sent to Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) 200 miles away. This was where God had revealed himself to Moses and the children of Israel. Elijah went into a cave. n The mountain experienced a great wind, a great earthquake and a great fire, but then a still small voice spoke and Elijah went to the entrance of the cave. n
Elijah Tells God His Troubles n n n “The children of Israel have killed your prophets, I alone am left and they are seeking to kill me. ” God answers his despair with a command to eat and three new assignments: 1. Anoint Hazael king of Syria 2. Anoint Jehu king over Israel 3. Anoint Elisha as prophet in your place (giving him an assistant) God informs them that there are 7000 in Israel who have not bowed to Baal nor kissed him.
Elisha Follows Elijah threw his mantle on Elisha to symbolize he was electing him to receive the authority and power of his office. n Elisha “burns his bridges” by offering his plowing oxen as a sacrifice publicly. n Elisha becomes the servant of Elijah n Story of this mentoring relationship to be continued in II Kings n
Chapter 21 Ahab Defeats the Syrians n n n 32 kings of Syria gather against Israel Ben-Hadad (the leader) threaten to take the best of everything in Samaria By obeying the word of the Lord through a prophet, Ahab attacks Ben Hadad while he was drunk and wins the first battle In the Spring the Syrians return and are again defeated because they had spoken against God. Ahab makes a treaty with Ben Hadad and lets him go when he should have killed him.
Chapter 21 Naboth is Murdered for His Vineyard n n n Ahab decides he wants a vineyard that belongs to Naboth won’t sell because it was a family inheritance to be transferred Jezebel bribes 2 men to accuse Naboth of treason and blasphemy and then has him executed. Ahad hears of his death and takes possession. Elijah is sent to pronounce God’s judgment upon the king and his household Ahab tore his clothes and fasted and mourned and the Lord put off his anger and postpones the consequences.
Micaiah Warns Ahab n n n Ahab enlists the support of Jehoshaphat in his struggle with Syria. (Jehoshaphat’s son had married Ahab’s daughter) Four hundred false prophets (“yes” men) promise victory, but Micaiah tells Ahab Israel will lose and Ahab will be killed. Thus the reign of this evil man came to an end
Chapter 22 Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah He is the 2 nd good king in Judah n He served God, but did not get rid of the high places. n He got rid of the rest of the perverted people n We will read more about him in II Chron. 17 -19. n
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