Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, - 1 Kings 2:3
1 Kings
1 Kings begins with the reign of King David ending and his son, Solomon’s, beginning. The two books of Kings present a history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of King David to the release of Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years (960 BC - 560 BC). The centerpiece of Solomon's reign was the building of the First Temple. Solomon's failure to stamp out worship of gods other than Yahweh, resulted in the kingdom of Israel being split in two. Rehoboam becomes the first to reign over the kingdom of Judah in the south. The kings who follow Rehoboam continue the royal line of David (i.e., they inherit the promise to David). In the northern kingdom however, dynasties follow each other in rapid succession, and the kings uniformly fail to follow Yahweh. Eventually God brings the Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom, leaving Judah as the sole custodian of the promise. As you read 1 and 2 Kings, take note of how intimately the Lord is involved in the lives of Israel’s leaders, punishing their sins and forgiving them when they repent.