The Kingdom
I Kings
From Solomon to the divided kingdom
The last days of David, the reign of Solomon, and then the tearing of the kingdom in two.
Where you are. Solomon takes the throne about 970 BC and dies about 930, and the kingdom splits that year. Everything in this book happens between those dates and roughly 850 — the reigns of Ahab and Jehoshaphat. One caution worth having: the Bible gives reign lengths, not BC dates. The years here follow the standard reconstruction, and different books will give you slightly different numbers because fathers and sons often ruled together.
The last days of David
1:1–53 Struggle for the throne
2:1–12 David’s death
2:13–46 Solomon’s purge
The reign of Solomon
3:1–4:34 The giving of the wisdom of Solomon
At this time, reconsider the book of Proverbs. It is the result of the wisdom that God gave to Solomon. You will find that it does not deal with what we might be tempted to call the spiritual things of life, but with our relations with our neighbours, our business dealings and our family life. It is in these areas that God’s wisdom is shown. In the New Testament God’s wisdom is made known to us in the Lord Jesus Christ and, when we are born again, He enters our lives to be God’s wisdom lived in and through us. His wise life is called the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.
5:1–8:66 The building and dedication of the Temple
9:1–28 God’s second covenant with Solomon
10:1–29 The Queen of Sheba
11:1–43 Solomon’s downfall
At the end of his life, having lived much of it without God, Solomon returned to the Lord and wrote Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher. He looked upon a life that was for the most part wasted, and preached how any part of life that is lived outside of God is vanity and emptiness. Try to read through that book at this time.
The division of the kingdom
12:1–24 Rehoboam
12:25–13:32 Jeroboam, king of Israel, and his new religion
We can relate to the rebellion of Jeroboam. There is only so much that people can take in terms of oppression. However, all the revelation of God — His Presence, the God-ordained mediators, the priests, the God-given sacrifices — was in Jerusalem. It meant that for the people to come under the rule of Jeroboam was to turn their backs on the revelation of salvation, which was with the family of David in Jerusalem.
Also, the promise of Messiah had been given specifically to the descendants of David, who now ruled Jerusalem. Jeroboam had no part in any prophecies that had been made. Those who waited for Messiah would of necessity be in Judah and Jerusalem, knowing that He would come through that tribe and city. The revolt of Jeroboam, and the continuing history of the northern tribes termed Israel, are lived apart from the covenant of God.
13:33–14:20 The end of Jeroboam’s reign
14:21–31 The end of Rehoboam’s reign
War between Israel and Judah
15:1–24 Abijam and Asa of Judah
15:25–16:28 Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri and Omri of Israel
The departure from the worship of the covenant God leads the northern tribes into further sin and idolatry. One step away from God leads further and further into darkness.
Elijah and Ahab
This section runs from 16:29 all the way through to 1:18 — it does not stop at the end of this book.
16:29–34 Ahab, king of Israel
17:1–19:21 The beginning of Elijah’s ministry
Elijah’s pronouncement was a statement of the covenant curses mentioned in Deuteronomy 28. Carefully read the blessings and the curses, and see how Elijah was applying what God said He would do to covenant breakers.
It would be true to say that on Mount Carmel Elijah had his eyes totally on God; he then looked at Jezebel and fled, causing what could have been the greatest revival Israel had ever known to come to comparatively nothing.
20:1–43 Wars with Syria
21:1–29 Naboth’s vineyard
22:1–40 Ahab’s last war with Syria
22:41–53 The conclusion of Elijah’s ministry It carries over into 2 Kings 1.