The first Kings is the first half of a single book that was divided into two parts, 1 and 2 Kings because together they were too long to fit on one scroll. These books continue the history of Israel.
The books of 1 Kings has three parts. The first part (1-2) tells about the last years of King David's life and how his son Solomon became the king of Israel. The second part (3-11) includes events from Solomon's rule and tells how famous and rich he was. Much of this second part tells how Solomon built and dedicated the temple in Jerusalem. The last part of the book (12-22) reports what happened after Solomon's death - the northern tribes rebelled against Rehoboam his son, and the nation of Israel was divided into two separate kingdoms: Judah in the south and Israel in the north. this part of 1 Kings includes stories about the kings of these two kingdoms. The book concludes with the rule of King Jehoshaphat of Judah and King Ahaziah of Israel.
Each king in the book is judged according to his faithfulness to the Lord. If the king was faithful and obeyed God's law, he was praised as being good; but if he disobeyed and did wrong, he was condemned as being evil. All the kings of Israel were judged to be evil because they rejected the Lord and worshiped idols. However, most of the kings of Judah were judged to be good, because they followed the example of their ancestor King David and worshiped the Lord.
First Kings also includes the familiar stories about Elijah the prophet, who opposed the evil King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of the northern kingdom. Elijah warned the people of Israel to obey the Lord and not to worship other gods. Elijah wanted to prove that the Lord was the one true God, and so he arranged a contest between the Lord and the pagan god Baal. Elijah and the prophets of Baal would offer a sacrifice to their own God, but the fire on the altars would not lit. Elijah explained to the people:
"How much longer will you try to have things both ways? If the Lord is God, worship him! But if Baal If God, worship him!... The prophets of Baal will pray to their god, and I will pray to the Lord. The one who answers by starting the fire is God." (18.21, 24)
Here Are 15 Lessons from The Book of 1 Kings
A New King in Israel
1 # SShort Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 1.5-37
Adonijah was trying to take over the kingdom of Israel. As David's oldest living son, he was next in line to the throne. He enlisted the help of Joab, the general, and Abiathar, the priest. With both the military and spiritual leaders on his side, it is no wonder many people followed Adonijah.
God, however, had already told David many years ago that Solomon was to be the next king. When Adonijah made his play for the throne, Bathsheba and Nathan, the prophet, reminded David of God's choice.
Sometimes the Lord uses other people to remind us of his word to us. David acknowledged that God had kept him safe and that he had promised Solomon would be king. David honored this promise. Let's be reminded of how important it is to keep our commitments.
Solomon's Secret of Success
2 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 2.2-4
David gave his son Solomon a wise formula for success in life - be strong and brave, and obey God's Word. What is your source of strength? Is it different from that of society's formula?
It is important that we follow God's Word and allow him to help us become the people he wants us to be, instead of following the crowd and the ways of the world. Being strong and faithful to God requires dedication as well as devotion. Ask God to give you the will and the determination to obey his Word and become stronger and braver every day.
A Right Beginning
3 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 3.5-15
Solomon had big shoes to fill. His father, David, had been a loyal servant of God. Now, Solomon was faced with taking his father's place. When the Lord appeared to Solomon, offering him anything he wanted, Solomon showed great character. He asked for wisdom. God praised Solomon for this request and gave him much more than he asked for.
If you are called to do something new, here is a model for your first act: Ask God for the wisdom to carry out what he is calling you to do. There is a promise connected to asking for the gift of wisdom - the gift will be given (see James 1.5-8). God will provide us with what we need, as long as we put him first in our lives.
You Are His Temple
4 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 6.11-13
God promised Solomon that if he obeyed, the Lord would live among the people of Israel in the temple Solomon was building. God also promised he would never leave the Israelites. Does this mean that God lives only in an ancient temple? certainly not!
God has promised us that he will never leave us either. He has also told us to think of our bodies as temples where the Spirit of the Lord lives. In 1 Corinthians 6.12-20, we are reminded that we should honor God with our bodies.
Remembering that God's Spirit dwells within us helps us realize what an awesome privilege this is.
Can Any Building Contain God?
5 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 8.10-13
When the temple was finished and the sacred chest was placed inside it, God's presence filled the building. Solomon knew, however, that no structure built by human beings was big enough to hold God. Nevertheless, Solomon praised God for his willingness to live among his people in such an obvious way.
God is much bigger than the tiny "boxes: in which we try to contain him. Some people try to squeeze God into their set of rules. Others try to make God conform with their own pre-concerned notions of what he is like. Still, others try to make God fit into their chosen lifestyles.
But God cannot - and will not - be contained by our restricted ideas. He is much bigger than that! Instead of trying to fit God into our ideas of what he should, let's consider how great God really is.
From a Dream to a Nightmare
6 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 9.1-9
This is the second time God appeared to Solomon in a dream. The first encounter took place when Solomon first became king. When God visited Solomon the second time, the king was the richest and wisest man in the world. The temple had been built and the land was at peace.
In this dream, there was both a promise and a warning. god assured Solomon that his prayer would be answered - God's presence would remain in his temple. But there is also a warning here. God told Solomon that if he or his sons worshiped foreign gods, the Lord would rip the kingdom out of their hands and take away the many blessings he had given them.
This promise and warning to Solomon apply to us, as well. God wants to be with us, but if we chase after false gods, such as money and material possessions, we will ultimately suffer great losses.
No Contest
7 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 10-1-13
When the Queen of Sheba tried to challenge Solomon, she quickly learned that her little games and riddles were no match for the king. As a result, she never again doubted Solomon's wisdom, and she was awed by his wealth and intelligence. The Queen of Sheba had to admit that Solomon and his kingdom were even better than she had heard.
Similarly, we have read and heard much about God's kingdom. But it is not until we experience it for ourselves that we truly begin to understand how great both he and his kingdom are.
Flirting with Disaster
8 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 11.4-10
Solomon had disobeyed almost every rule that God had said kings should follow. He had increased his number of horses and chariots; he gathered great riches to himself. Worst of all, he worshiped false gods.
Solomon's father, David, was not without his faults and sins, but David never strayed to worship false gods. Solomon, however, allowed his foreign wives to lead him into worshiping all sorts of gods. He even built shrines to some of these false gods. Solomon's flirting with "spiritual infidelity" soon affected the entire nation of Israel, and his disobedience made God angry.
when the Lord spoke to Solomon the third time, God told him that the kingdom would be torn away from him. Solomon willingly went against what he knew God had said not to do. We should be cautious not to allow what God had condemned into our lives.
A Turning Point
9 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 12.1-20
This chapter is one of the key turning points in the Old Testament. The nation of Israel had been united as one kingdom for less than 120 years, under the reign of kings Saul, David, and Solomon. Now, however, the nation of Israel was torn in two - the northern kingdom, made up of ten tribes and known as Israel; and the southern kingdom, made up of two tribes and known as Judah.
The writer of 1 Kings and 2 Kings bounces back and forth between the story of both Kingdoms. To avoid getting confused, it will be helpful to notice first of all whether the writer is discussing the northern kingdom or the southern kingdom. After 1 Kings 12.20, "Israel" usually refers to the northern kingdom, and "Judah" refers to the southern kingdom.
It's the Right Thing To Do
10 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 12.25-33
Jeroboam soon realized that if his followers kept looking to Jerusalem as their center of religious life, it would be too easy for them to be persuaded to follow Jerusalem's king instead of him. In a speech that sounded right, he told the people that they did not have to travel all the way to Jerusalem to worship God. That was too hard to do; they could worship at the towns of Bethel or Dan.
Jeroboam started new festivals, similar to the ones that God's people we expected to attend three times each year in Jerusalem. He even set up some gold calves to help the people worship. But Jeroboam's actions were wrong. They were the first of many steps that would the people of Israel to destruction.
Because something sounds right, looks right, and is even said the be right by someone in authority, that still does not make it right. If something goes against God's Word, it is wrong.
God Sees Through Our Disguises
11 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 14.1-18
When death threatened Jeroboam's son, Abijah, the king wanted to turn to the Lord's prophet, Ahijah, for help. Why didn't Jeroboam pray to the idols he had been worshiping? Perhaps he realized that they were powerless and could not help his son. Jeroboam was afraid to approach the Lord's prophet himself, so he sent his wife in disguise.
Even though the prophet was blind, God told Ahijah who his visitor was and what to say. And the resulting word from God was not a word of healing, but of death - death to Jeroboam's son, to Jeroboam and his family, and to Jeroboam's kingdom.
When we try to disguise our true motives, we may be able to fool our family members or friends by our actions, but God knows our hearts. He knows and judges our motives behind our actions.
Like Father, Like Son
12 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 15.1-8
Rehoboam ruled over Judah for seventeen years, During his reign, he and the people worshiped false gods, and things quickly went downhill. Abijam, Rehoboam's son, followed a similar pattern. He did not truly obey the Lord, and he constantly fought with Israel, trusting his own strength rather than God's. Nevertheless, the Lord allowed him to rule because of his promise to David that someone from his family would always rule in Jerusalem.
We may not realize how much our behavior affects our younger family members. Like it or not, children do grow up to be much like their parents. Let's be aware of our behavior.
When the Brook Dries Up
13 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 17.1-16
After Elijah boldly confronted King Ahab with the coming drought, the Lord led him to a creek and supplied the prophet's needs. But a time came when the brook dried up, and God led his man to the widow in Zarephath. There, the Lord took care of not only his needs but also the needs of a widow and her son.
when the brook dries up in our lives, we should listen carefully to God's directions for what he wants us to do next. It is dangerous for us to stay where God supplied our needs yesterday when he instructs us to move on to some new provision for today. It is a bit frightening to leave the place of our past comfort and security, but the same God who took care of us yesterday will take care of us today.
Make Up Your Mind!
14 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 18.17-40
Elijah had absolute confidence that the Lord was the one true God. That's why the prophet challenged Ahab and his false prophets to a contest atop Mount Carmel. Elijah wanted the king to stop causing the confusion over who was to be worshiped - Baal or God.
the prophet told the people it was time to make up their minds. They could not claim to be God's people and continue to worship idols. Elijah made fun of the 400 prophets of Baal to show the people how foolish it was to put their faith in lifeless idols, rather than in the living God.
No false god can do for us what God can do. He forgives our sins, meets our physical needs, and satisfies the spiritual longings in our hearts. God is the only one worth worshiping.
God in the Unexpected
15 # Short Commentary & Lesson from 1 Kings 19.10-13
God wanted to challenge and encourage Elijah. the prophet was allowed to experience the Lord's presence in a special way. Surprisingly, God's presence was not in the strong wind, not the earthquake, not the fire. Elijah sensed God's presence in the gentle breeze.
god does not always speak loudly to us. Nor does he always perform stunning miracles to prove his presence. Many times, he speaks to us through the small, unexpected events of life such as the cry of a baby, the bloom of a flower, or the beauty of a sunset. No matter how God chooses to reveal himself to you, he is always near.
Promises For Us
In the classic Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is allowed to glimpse the way his quint hometown of Bedford Falls would have been if he had never lived. Instead of a decent community in which goodness held its own against greedy Mr. Potter, Bedford Falls had become a sleazy town where all wealth went into Mr. Potter's pockets.
In 1 Kings, the Bible tells the story of Israel as it changes from a decent nation to a greedy one. Under Solomon's rule, Israel reached world renown and general prosperity. But near the end of his life, Solomon changed and as a result, Israel fell apart. After a civil war split the country, many of the kings in the north were like Mr. Potter. In the south, some were like George Bailey, but many were like Mr. Potter. Both nations were in big trouble. It was almost as if Solomon had never lived.
Lasting success in life depends on remembering what's important to the very end. Those who forget about God and begin to think they made themselves successful will fade away.
For Consideration
- What Successes have you had or do you want to achieve?
- What things do you think could tempt you to turn your back on God and take sole credit for your success?
- What happens in the lives, families, and careers of people who forget about what made them successful in the first place?
