I Kings 2 How Can God s People Be

I Kings 2 How Can God’s People Be Secure? What Is Kingdom Security Founded Upon?

IN EGYPT IN CANNAAN IN ASSYRIA AND THE UNDER AND WILDERNESS JUDGES KINGS BABYLON CAMP COMMONWEALTH CROWN CAPTIVITY 660 YEARS 360 YEARS 460 YEARS 660 YEARS PENTATEUCH JOSHUA JUDGES RUTH 1&2 SAMUEL KINGS CHRONICLES EZRA NEHEMIAH ESTHER

Old Testament History Overview 722 BC Assyria In the Land No King Creation Call of Abraham 586 BC Babylon Israel 10 Tribes In The Land with King 539 BC Persia Cyrus Decrees The Return Judah 2 Tribes Ezra Nehemiah about the 3 Returns

1 & 2 Kings I. The Golden Age, 1 Kings 1 -11 II. The Torn Kingdom, 1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 17 III. The Last Days, 2 Kings 18 - 25 Before The Exile

Theme: Kingship and Covenant 1, 2 Kings contains no explicit statement of purpose or theme. Reflection on its content, however, reveals that the author has selected and arranged his material in a manner that provides a sequel to the history found in 1, 2 Samuel—a history of kingship regulated by covenant. In general, 1, 2 Kings describes the history of the kings of Israel and Judah in the light of God’s covenants. The guiding thesis of the book is that the welfare of Israel and her kings depended on their obedience

to their obligations as defined in the Mosaic covenant. The Author repeatedly refers the reader to other sources for more detailed information about the reigns of the various kings (see, e. g. , 11: 41; 14: 19, 29; 15: 7, 31; 16: 5; 14, 20, 27), and he gives a covenantal rather than a social or political or economic assessment of their reigns. ---NIV Study Bible

Kings that historians would have given tons of ink to, are purposely insulted with just a few verses. example: Omri in 1 Kings 16: 23 - 28 Other kings that historians would have passed over are turned into heroes because of their commitment to the covenant renewal. example: Josiah 2 Kings 22: 1 – 23: 29

Any Kings apostasy – disobedience to Revelation (written i. e. Torah or spoken i. e. the prophets) leads to Bad Times, i. e. God’s judgment and or exile.

It is noteworthy that all the kings of the northern kingdom are said to have done evil in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin (see, e. g. , 16: 26, 31; 22: 52; 2 Kings 3: 3; 10: 29). Another prominent feature of the narrative of 1, 2 Kings is the emphasis on the relationship between prophecy and fulfillment in the historical development of the monarchy. On at least 11 occasions a prophecy is recorded that is later said to have been fulfilled (see, e. g. , 2 Sam 7: 13 and

1 Kings 8: 20; 1 Kings 11: 29 -39 and 1 Kings 12: 15; 1 Kings 13 and 2 Kings 23: 16 -18). The results of this emphasis is that the history of the kingdom is not presented as a chain of chance occurrences or the mere interplay of human actions but as the unfolding of Israel’s historical destiny under the guidance of an omniscient and omnipotent God—Israel’s covenant Lord, who rules all history in accordance with his sovereign purposes (see 8: 56; 2 Kings 10: 10). ---NIV Study Bible

1 Kings Ch 1 Who is in charge of the kingdom of Israel? David has been king for 40 years – he is now old & cold (they search the kingdom for a beautiful virgin to nurse the old king and keep him warm). • Her name is important - Abishag

1 Kings Ch 2 How can Israel be secure? What is kingdom security founded upon?

1 Kings Ch 2 Clues from the writer: A. Ch 1 David swears an oath in response to Bathsheba Ch 2 Solomon swears an oath in response to Bathsheba (v. 2: 23) B. Nathan approaches the king through Bathsheba Ch 1: 11 ff. Adonijah approaches the king through Bathsheba 2: 1 -13.

C. Root kun, to be/make firm, be established, is used 4 times v. 12, 24, 45, 46. ~ This tells us what the chapter is about ~ This repeated word usage is for the successor of the kingdom of ch 1. ~ In ch 2 the focus is on the security of the kingdom

D. Last half of ch 2 narrative reports a series of deaths – technically – executions ~ Starting in 2: 24 we see the word (verb mut) to die (or noun mawet) note 2: 24, 25, 26, 30, 34, 37, 42, 46. ~ You start to catch on that these deaths may have a relationship to the kingdom being established.

Ch 2 Breaks Down as Follows: 1. 1 – 12 2. 13 - 46 Kun – Be established at the end of v. 12 & v. 46

Ch 2: 1 - 4 Great Men of God & Their Last Words

If Solomon and or any other Davidic kings give whole hearted obedience to Yahweh’s word, Yahweh will see that his promise to David remains in effect (see 2: 4).

The Point is clear: Obedience to the Law is the condition for the promise of God’s good life.

~ This is classic Bible logic ~ The average politician does not think that way today!

They spell security this way! ~ Good trade agreements ~ Key alliances ~ State of the art military

But Bible Logic Spells Security Like This! Obedience to the Torah of Moses

Guess What Christian Friend! The N. T. teaches us the same thing: 21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, ' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? ' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away

from me, you evildoers!' 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matt 7: 21 -25

The Point of Ch 2: 1 -4 Whether you are a king over Israel or a disciple of Jesus (following a real yet temporarily invisible Jesus), true stability comes through obedience.

Proverbs 3: 5 -6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not 1

stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

#2 Eliminating The Kingdoms Enemies 2: 13 -46 Vs. 13 -46 In this section Solomon carries out David’s final words of 2: 5 -9 ~ Here we read about execution after execution ~ A sentence of village arrest or banishment

~ Their order of elimination are: # 1 Adonijah 2: 13 -25 # 2 Abiathar 2: 26 -27 # 3 Joab 2: 28 -35 # 4 Shimei 2: 36 -46

Matt 6: 9 -13 9"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’

Matt 10: 34 - 39 34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. ’ 37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does

not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matt 11: 11 -15 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears, let him hear.

Matt 13: 40 b – 43 a 40 b so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 a Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

2 Thess 1: 9, 10 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.