ELM GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH

March 7, 2010

1 & 2 Kings

Pathways of Discipleship Bible Survey

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1 & 2 Kings

Pathways of Discipleship Bible Survey

Title and Meaning

1 & 2 Kings were originally one book called “Kings” or “Kingdoms” in the Hebrew Bible; name taken from

the first word in 1:1

LXX divided the book into two parts, as did subsequent Latin (Vulgate) and English translations

Reason for division centered on the convenience of copying the lengthy book on scrolls, not because of

content reasons

LXX connected these books with Samuel, calling them “The Third and Fourth Books of Kingdoms”

Author & Date

Books are anonymous; Jewish tradition proposed that Jeremiah wrote them; unlikely due to the dates and

locations referenced at the end of 2 Kings

Possible that, because of the emphasis on the ministry of the prophets, that an unknown prophet was the

author; it’s clear that the author used a variety of sources, including “the Book of the acts of Solomon” (1

Kings 11:41), “the chronicles of the kings of Israel” (many references), and “the chronicles of the kings of

Judah” (many references)

Kings was written between 561-538 B.C.

Background and Setting

Difference between the setting of the books’ sources and that of the books’ author; source material written

as a participant and/or eyewitness account

Author was part of exile and captivity

Geographical setting is the whole land of Israel

Events take place from 970-561 B.C., covering 400 + years of history

Purpose

Kings written to explain the exile

Whose fault? Not God’s. Writer focuses on God’s sending them into exile because the people and

kings didn’t obey, despite numerous opportunities to respond

They were disobedient the entire time they were in the land

Kings provides a theological interpretation of the exile

Kings also stresses that God’s concern for the kings was whether or not they did what was right in His eyes,

not whether or not they were “successful” kings

Kings is much more than mere historical record

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Structure of Books

Basic Outline

United Kingdom (1 Kings 1-11)

Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17)

Judah alone (2 Kings 18-25)

The reign of each individual king is presented this basic format:

Introductory framework

Royal name and accession date

King’s age at accession (Judah only)

Length and place of reign

Name of queen mother (Judah only)

Theological appraisal

Evens during the reign of the kings

Concluding framework

Formula citing other sources for reign information

Notices of death and burial

Notice of a successor

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Major Themes

Reign of Solomon (United Kingdom)

Politically and financially, he is the ideal

Geography extends to Euphrates River

He is a mixed character: much positive and negative

Positive

Humility: seeks wisdom from God

Building of Temple

Ruler of empire

Justice

International fame

Nations come to him and admire the incredible way God had blessed him

Pay tribute

All a preview of the Messianic kingdom

Negative

Too much Gold

Too many horses

Too many wives

God’s blessing turned into a cause for personal selfishness

He began conscripting the people into massive building projects

He weighs them down

He looks like the Messiah in some ways, but he also exhibits the worst things possible in a king

Deut 17:14-20—king is to be an Israelite, write down the law, not to accumulate great gold,

horses, or wives b/c he’ll forget that God is his source of strength

1 Samuel 8:10-18—Samuel told people that king would conscript people, making them slaves in

effect

Nation splits as a result of his apostasy

The Divided Kingdom

The division of Israel into two kingdoms (political and theological factors)

Theological

God was punishing Solomon for his apostasy and disobedience

Family left with a mere shadow of what they once had

Political

Rehoboam decided to carry on the oppressive policies of his father

The Northern Kingdom (Israel)

Jeroboam 931-910 BC

Got them started wrong from the very beginning

He began the sins that everyone else continued in

1 Kings 12:28

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Set up sanctuaries and had the presence of God symbolized by a golden calf

Violated Deut 13

1 Kings 12:29-30

Set up sanctuaries in Bethel and Dan

God said one place for worship was to be Jerusalem

Violated Deut 12

Trying to keep people from going to Jerusalem and giving their loyalty to southern

kingdom

1 Kings 12:31

Appointed priests from all sorts of people

Violated Deut 18

1 Kings 12:32

Came up with his own festival days

Violated Deut 16

Nadab 910-909 BC

Baasha 909-886 BC

Elah 886-885 BC

Zimri 885 BC

Omri 885-874 BC

Ahab 874-853 BC

Most evil king in Israel’s history

Introduced worship of Baal, and made it, in a sense, the national religion of Israel

Ahaziah 853-852 BC

Jehoram (Joram) 852-841 BC

Jehu 841-814 BC

Kills Joram, Jezebel, priests of Baal

But he didn’t fully return to the Lord

Didn’t put away the sins of Jeroboam

Jehoahaz 814-798 BC

Jehoash (Joash) 798-782 BC

Jeroboam II 793-753 BC

Zechariah 753-752 BC

Shallum 752 BC

Menahem 752-742 BC

Pekahiah 742-740 BC

Pekah 752-732 BC

Hoshea 732-722 BC

210 yrs, 19 kings, 0 good kings

9 assassinated/killed in battle/suicide

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Problem of fixing accurate dates of each king

2 Kings 9:29

2 Kings 15:30,33

We have contradiction because Israel and Judah used two different system for dating

Israel used non-accession: the partial year from the time when the king actually began to reign to

the actual first day of the year was considered to be his first actual year

Judah used accession: actual reign counted only starting at first day of year, regardless of when he

started

Israel’s calendar began in the spring

Judah’s calendar began in the fall

There times when the reigns of kings overlapped with his father’s reign

The ministry of Elijah and Elisha to Israel

The Southern Kingdom (Judah)

Rehoboam 931-913 BC

Abijah 913-911 BC

Asa 911-870 BC

Jehoshaphat 872-848 BC

Jehoram 853-841 BC

Ahaziah 841 BC

Athaliah 841-835 BC

Joash (Jehoash) 835-796 BC

Amaziah 835-796 BC

Azariah (Uzziah) 792-740 BC

Jotham 752-730 BC

Ahaz 735-716 BC

Hezekiah 716-687 BC

Manasseh 697-643 BC

Amon 643-641 BC

Josiah 641-609 BC

Jehoahaz 609 BC

Jehoiakim 609-598 BC

Jehoiachin 598-597 BC

Zedekiah 597-586 BC

346 yrs, 19 kings, 8 good kings, 1 dynasty (family of David rules)

The three "incomparable" rulers in Kings

The Assyrian Crisis

God used nation of Assyria to defeat and punish the northern kingdom of Israel

The Babylonian Crisis

Decline of Assyria and rise of Babylon

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Assyrians over-extended themselves

Babylon in southern Mesopotamia

Babylonians partnered with Medes in rebellion against Assyrians

Key battle: 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egyptians and what was left of Assyrians at

Carchemish and became dominant empire in near east

Door open for God to use Babylonians to judge Judah

Process of exile to Babylon begins

The three Babylonian deportations and the fall of the Southern Kingdom

605 BC

Nebuchadnezzar takes first group of exiles back to Babylon (Daniel). Children of prominent and

wealthy families

597 BC

Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem after Jehoiakim rebelled

Placed Zedekiah on throne as puppet king (Ezekiel)

City not destroyed at this time

597-587/6 BC

Nebuchadnezzar attacks and destroys Jerusalem after Zedekiah rebels

Zedekiah’s sons are captured and killed in front of him, he is blinded and led away as a prisoner

Archaeology: Nebuchadnezzar’s chronicles line up with 2 Kings 24:10-17

Major Theological Themes

God judged Israel and Judah because of their disobedience to His law (2 Kings 17:7-23)

Disobedience in the people amplified by the evil kings who led them into idolatry

The word of the true prophets came to pass (they warned the kings that continued disobedience would

result in exile)

This proves that God keeps His word, even His warnings of judgment

The Lord remembered and kept His promise to David

The line of Davidic kings persists, despite their disobedience

Resources

John MacArthur: The MacArthur Bible Handbook Zondervan Handbook to the Bible Lasor, Hubbard, and Bush: Old Testament Survey Longman and Dillard: An Introduction to the Old Testament Lecture Notes from Liberty Theological Seminary, Dr. Gary Yates Holman Illustrated Study Bible