THE TRANSFER OF LEADERSHIP. 1st Kings 1 The years of David's reign were a God-centered, glorious time in Israel's history. The Lord had established the kingdom of Israel as He intended it to be, as we can see from the beginning of the book of 1st Kings. The Books of Kings were one book divided into two sections in 1448. The two books of Samuel and Kings give a whole history of the kingdom of Israel from the time of Samuel to the nation's fall to the Babylonians. The divisions of the books may have been made arbitrarily, but they seem appropriate to the historical account. Likely, these books were written during the time of the exile of Israel by someone like Jeremiah to remind the Jews of who they were, what they had done, and the consequences of their actions.
1st Kings spans about one hundred twenty years of Israel’s history and begins by explaining the reason for establishing the kingdom and then the reasons for its decline. When Israel remained loyal to God, they flourished, but their morals and the kingdom declined when they took God for granted. God, their Sovereign, showed mercy and grace when there was repentance and obedience but punishment and chastisement when they sinned.
Four times in chapter two, the “establishment” of the kingdom is referred to as the glory of the kingdom; its unity and splendor are recorded through to chapter ten. Then came the kingdom's disruption and division, and the book's last part talks about the kingdom's decline, deterioration, and decay. Whoever wrote the history of the kings of Israel (likely Jeremiah) was not concerned with the political, economic, or social affairs of Israel and Judah but with their attitude and actions toward the covenant God had made with them.
There is always a notable contrast between those who live for God and those who choose not to. The promise of the Lord to Solomon for faithfulness and righteousness in chapter 9 and verses 4 and 5 form the key to both books of Kings. There are always lessons for us to learn from those who have lived in the past. Wisdom is sound, but genuine obedience to God is a higher good. Obedience to God should characterize our lives.
The Lord had made a covenant with Israel that regulated their conduct and maintained their identity as a kingdom. The nation's welfare depended on their obedience to God and reliance upon Him for guidance and strength. When they were faithful to God, they prospered. This is not an account of social or political matters but rather a review of covenant obligations and the results when there is a failure to meet the terms of a covenant formed. The form of the covenants we make are contracts. "It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay." Our contracts are covenants between two parties in marriage, business, and buying and selling property. Israel had made a covenant with God and, for a long time, had not fulfilled their obligations. The book of 1st Kings accounts for their repeated failure to meet the covenant terms.
A new generation of Jews had arisen in Babylon, and they needed to know who they were and why they had been exiled. The information on the books of the Kings was taken from “The Chronicles of Solomon,” “The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel,” and “The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.” The second view of the same events is written in the 1st and 2nd Chronicles, where other writings are referred to. The four books of 1st and 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles cover the same period. The books of Kings view the events from the human perspective. The books of Chronicles are from the viewpoint of the Sovereign Lord, blessing obedience and punishing disobedience.
During the reign of the kings, those kings who supported and affirmed the covenant God made with the nation were given quite a lot of written attention. Those who were the worst offenders in failing to keep the covenant are also given a lot of attention as a warning to us to understand that sin brings severe consequences to a nation and its leadership.
The ministry of the prophets during the time of the monarchy is emphasized as they were the emissaries from the court of the Eternal King to the court of an earthly king, giving them warnings and exhortations. All of the books of the prophets fit into this historical account. Through the prophets before and during the exile, the people were told of the reason for their humiliation and captivity. They had ignored the covenant and broken its terms. Hope was always given about the future and those coming after them. God's faithfulness can be counted on when His covenant terms are met. The condition of the Israelites and the kings depended on their submission to the terms of their covenant with God. Obedience to God brings success, and disobedience brings failure.
Israel’s history illustrates and teaches us about the two paths we must choose. God is pleased when we obey, do God's will, and pursue righteousness. “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to harken than the fat of rams.” When we fail to obey God because other things have taken hold of our minds, claimed our affection, and interfered with our devotion to the Lord, defeat in our Christian life and testimony follows.
By writing these historical accounts of Israel’s history, the young generation of Jews in Babylon would see the way open for a new work of God in them and His promise to the “seed of David.” “There is a way back to God from the dark paths of sin. There’s a door that is open that you may go in; At Calvary’s cross is where you begin; When you come as a sinner to Jesus.”