Fall 2010

We begin our study of 1 and 2 Kings. We will look at Israel and what happened throughout their history, that will lead to their downfall. We will see how these events teach us about today's world and the direction we are headed. 
Cross

The first half of First Kings traces the life of Solomon. Under his leadership, Israel rises to the peak of her size and glory. Solomon’s great accomplishments, including the unsurpassed splendor of the temple which he constructs in Jerusalem, bring him worldwide fame and respect. But Solomon’s zeal for God diminishes in his later years, as pagan wives horn his heart away from the worship of God in the temple of God. Result: the king with the divided heart lives behind a divided kingdom For the next century, the Book of First Kings, traces the twin histories of two sets of kings and two nations, of disobedient people who are growing indifferent to God’s prophets and precepts.
Wilkinson, Bruce: Talk Thru the Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1983 (Logos Library Systems), S. 83
    Second Kings, continues without interruption the “Tale of Two Kingdoms” begun in First Kings. The twin kingdoms of and Judah pursue a collision course with captivity as the glory of the once United Kingdom becomes increasingly remote. Division leads to decline, and ultimately ends in double deportation. Israel is captured and dispersed by the Assyrians, while Judah is led off to exile in Babylonia. In spite of the best efforts of prophets like Elisha to shock the nations back to their religious senses, it is too late. The kingdom divided in First Kings becomes the kingdom dissolved in Second Kings. God’s patience is long; God’s pleading is persistent; but when ignored. God’s love can also be severe.
Wilkinson, Bruce: Talk Thru the Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1983 (Logos Library Systems), S. 91

Fall Quarter 2010

Church
    September 2010
  • 5 - Solomon, the Successor to David - 1 Kings 1:1-39; 1 King 2:1-46; 1 Kings 3:1-28; 1 Kings 4:29-34
  • 12 - Solomon's Building Program - 1 King 5:1-18; 1 King 6:1-38; 1 King 7:1-51; 1 Kings 8:1-66
  • 19 - A Fast Start; A Frightening Finish - 1 Kings 9:1-23; 1 Kings 10:6-27; 1 Kings 11:1-40
  • 26 - The Peril of Political Expediency - 1 Kings 12:25-33; 1 Kings 13:1-34; 1 Kings 14:1-16
    October 2010
  • 3 - Overcoming Overwhelming Odds - 1 Kings 18:1-39; 1 Kings 19:3-15
  • 10 - Selective Hearing - 1 Kings 19:19-21; 1 Kings 20:1-43
  • 17 - The Curse of Covetousness - 1 Kings 21:2-29
  • 24 - Faithfulness Matters - 1 Kings 22:1-53; 2 Kings 1:1-18
  • 31 - The Passing of the Baton - 2 Kings 2:1-25
    November 2010
  • 7 - A glimmer of Hope Dashed - 2 Kings 9:1-33; 2 Kings 10:9-31
  • 14 - The Final Countdown for Israel - 2 Kings 13:4-20; 2 Kings 14:23-27; 2 Kings 15:17-30; 2 Kings 17:1-23
  • 21 - A King Who Loved God - 2 Kings 18:1-36; 2 Kings 20:1-11
  • 28 - The Last Days of Judah - 2 Kings 25:1-26

 

Authorship

The author of First and Second Kings is unknown, but evidence supports the talmudic tradition that Kings was written by the prophet Jeremiah. The author was clearly a prophet/historian as seen in the prophetic expose of apostasy. Both First and Second Kings emphasize God’s righteous judgment on idolatry and immorality. The style of these books is also similar to that found in Jeremiah. The phrase “to this day” in First Kings 8:8 and 12:19 indicates a time of authorship prior to the Babylonian captivity (586 b.c.). However, the last two chapters of Second Kings were written after the captivity, probably by a Jewish captive in Babylon.
Evidently, the majority of First and Second Kings was written before 586 b.c. by a compiler who had access to several historical documents. Some of these are mentioned: “the book of the acts of Solomon” (11:41) “the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel” (14:19), and “the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah” (14:29; 15:7). These books may have been a part of the official court records (2 Kin. 18:18). In addition, Isaiah 36–39 was probably used as a source (cf. 2 Kin. 18–20).
Wilkinson, Bruce: Talk Thru the Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1983 (Logos Library Systems), S. 84