Introduction and Title
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. However, Solomon’s zeal for God diminishes in his later years, as pagan wives turn his heart away from worship in the temple of God. As a result, the king with the divided heart leaves 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.
Like the two books of Samuel, the two books of Kings were originally one in the Hebrew Bible. The original title was Melechim, “Kings,” taken from the first word in 1:1, Vehamelech, “Now King.” The Septuagint artificially divided the Book of Kings in the middle of the story of Ahaziah into two books. It called the books of Samuel “First and Second Kingdoms” and the books of Kings “Third and Fourth Kingdoms.” The Septuagint may have divided Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles into two books each because the Greek required a greater amount of scroll space than did the Hebrew. The Latin title for these books is Liber Regum Tertius et Quartus, “Third and Fourth Book of Kings.”
Author
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Evidently, the majority of First and Second Kings was written before 586 B.C. by a compiler who had access to several historical documents.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).
Date and Setting
The Book of Kings was written to the remaining kingdom of Judah before and after its Babylonian exile. The majority was compiled by a contemporary of Jeremiah, if not by Jeremiah himself (c. 646–570 B.C.). It is a record of disobedience, idolatry, and ungodliness which serves as an explanation for the Assyrian captivity of Israel (722 B.C.) and the Babylonian captivity of Judah (586 B.C.). First Kings covers the 120 years from the beginning of Solomon’s reign in 971 B.C. through Ahaziah’s reign ending in 851 B.C. The key date is 931 B.C., the year the kingdom was divided into the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah.
Theme and Purpose
The theme of First Kings is that the welfare of Israel and Judah depended upon the covenant faithfulness of the people and their king. Historically, it was written to give an account of the reigns of the kings from Solomon to Jehoshaphat (Judah) and Ahaziah (Israel). The two books of Kings as a whole trace the monarchy from the point of its greatest prosperity under Solomon to its demise and destruction in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.
Theologically, First Kings provides a prophetically-oriented evaluation of the spiritual and moral causes that led to political and economic effects in the two kingdoms. The material is too selective to be considered a biography of the kings. For example, Omri was one of Israel’s most important rulers from a political point of view, but because of his moral corruption, his achievements are dismissed in eight verses. The lives of these kings are used to teach several basic principles: (1) Man cannot properly rule himself without conscious dependence on the help of God; (2) the kings had great responsibility as God’s administrators, because the circumstances of the nation depended in large part upon their faithfulness to Yahweh; (3) the kings were illustrations of the people as a whole—just as they disregarded God’s prophets, so did the people; and (4) observance of God’s law produces blessing, but apostasy is rewarded by judgment.
Keys to First Kings
Key Word: Division of the Kingdom
Key Verses (9:4–4; 11:11)—“Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’ ” (9:4–5).
“Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant’ ” (11:11).
Key Chapter (12)
The critical turning point in First Kings occurs in chapter 12 when the united kingdom becomes the divided kingdom. Solomon dies, and his son Rehoboam becomes king and unwisely leads the nation into a civil war which tragically rips the nation into two separate, and at times conflicting, nations. Instead of unity, First Kings records the history of the two kings, two capitals, and two religions.
Christ in First Kings
Solomon typifies Christ in a number of ways. His fabled wisdom points ahead to “Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God” (1 Cor. 1:30). Solomon’s fame, glory, wealth, and honor foreshadow Christ in His kingdom. Solomon’s rulership brings knowledge, peace, and worship. However, despite Solomon’s splendor, the Son of Man later says of His coming, “indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matt. 12:42).
The prophet Elijah is more typical of John the Baptist than of Christ, but his prophetic ministry and miraculous works illustrate aspects of the life of Christ.
Contribution to the Bible
In First Samuel the kingdom was established, and in Second Samuel it was consolidated. First Kings brings the kingdom from the height of its glory to a sudden abyss of division and decline. This book begins a set pattern in its portrayal of each king that is carried on in Second Kings. The account shifts between the kings of Israel and Judah in a way that synchronizes the two monarchies. The accession year of every king is dated in terms of its overlap with the ruler of the other kingdom. Introductory and concluding formulas are used, and a theological verdict on the reign of each king is passed. The life and reign of David is the standard by which the kings of Judah are judged.
First Kings also shows how the prophetic ministry came into its maturity at the end of the united kingdom and throughout the divided kingdom. This book describes the ministries of several of God’s prophets.
Survey of First Kings
The first half of First Kings concerns the life of one of the most amazing men who ever lived. More than any man before or since, he knew how to amass and creatively use great wealth. With the sole exception of Jesus Christ, Solomon is the wisest man in human history. He brings Israel to the peak of its size and glory, and yet, the kingdom is disrupted soon after his death, torn in two by civil strife. This book divides clearly into two sections: the united kingdom (1–11) and the divided kingdom (12–22).
United Kingdom (1–11): These chapters give an account of Solomon’s attainment of the throne, wisdom, architectural achievements, fame, wealth, and tragic unfaithfulness. In chapter 1 Solomon’s half-brother Adonijah attempts to take the throne as David’s death is nearing, but Nathan the prophet alerts David, who quickly directs the coronation of Solomon as coregent. Solomon still has to consolidate his power and deal with those who oppose his rule. Only when this is done is the kingdom “established in the hand of Solomon” (2:46). Solomon’s ungodly marriages (cf. 3:1) eventually turn his heart from the Lord, but he begins well with a genuine love for Yahweh and a desire for wisdom. This wisdom leads to the expansion of Israel to the zenith of her power. Solomon’s empire stretches from the border of Egypt to the border of Babylonia, and peace prevails.
From a theocratic perspective, Solomon’s greatest achievement is the building of the temple. The ark is placed in this exquisite building, which is filled with the glory of God. Solomon offers a magnificent prayer of dedication and binds the people with an oath to remain faithful to Yahweh.
Because the Lord is with him Solomon continues to grow in fame, power, and wealth. However, his wealth later becomes a source of trouble when he begins to purchase forbidden items. He acquires many foreign wives who lead him into idolatry. It is an irony of history that this wisest of men acts as a fool in his old age. God pronounces judgment and foretells that Solomon’s son will rule only a fraction of the kingdom (Judah).
Divided Kingdom (12–22): Upon Solomon’s death, God’s words come to pass. Solomon’s son Rehoboam chooses the foolish course of promising more severe taxation. Jeroboam, an officer in Solomon’s army, leads the ten northern tribes in revolt. They make him their king, leaving only Judah and Benjamin in the south under Rehoboam. This is the beginning of a chaotic period with two nations and two sets of kings. Continual enmity and strife exist between the northern and southern kingdoms. The north is plagued by apostasy (Jeroboam sets up a false system of worship) and the south by idolatry. Of all the northern and southern kings listed in this book, only Asa (15:9–24) and Jehoshaphat (22:41–50) do “what was right in the eyes of the LORD” (15:11; 22:43). All of the others are idolaters, usurpers, and murderers.
Ahab brings a measure of cooperation between the northern and southern kingdoms, but he reaches new depths of wickedness as a king. He is the man who introduces Jezebel’s Baal worship to Israel. The prophet Elijah ministers during this low period in Israel’s history, providing a ray of light and witness of the word and power of God. But Ahab’s encounter with Elijah never brings him to turn from his false gods to God. Ahab’s treachery in the matter of Naboth’s vineyard causes a prophetic rebuke from Elijah (21). Ahab repents (21:27–29) but later dies in battle because of his refusal to heed the words of Micaiah, another prophet of God.
Wilkinson, B., & Boa, K. (1983). Talk thru the Bible (pp. 84–88). Nashville: T. Nelson.