In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus Christ -Yeshua] was in the beginning with God.

FIRST KINGS

The First Book of Kings (971-852 BC) is the sixth of the twelve books of history. It begins with King Solomon’s reign over the united kingdom and ends with the reign of Ahaziah in the divided kingdom of Israel. The two books of Samuel and the two books of Kings record the history of Israel’s kings and their kingdoms. The monarchy of kings span 465 years (1051-586 BC) from the beginning of King Saul’s reign to the fall of the kingdom of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The common theme in these four books is how God blesses His people and their kings when they are obedient and judges them when they are disobedient and do not repent. The distinct characteristics among the kings and kingdoms become evident after the united kingdom becomes divided into two nations: Israel to the north and Judah to the south. During this period of divided rule, God’s people develop a profound indifference to Him and fall into apostasy, immorality and idolatry. Most of their kings are exceedingly wicked. God raises His prophets to warn the people of judgment but they do not listen. Finally, God’s wrath results in the fall of the kingdom of Israel to Assyria followed by the fall of the kingdom of Judah to Babylonia and the destruction of Jerusalem. However, God did not forget His people. He raised prophets during their years in captivity to encourage them to live in obedience. He promised that He would save a remnant of Israel and restore her for His eternal glory.

God’s dealings with nations today are no different. Nations obedient to God experience prosperity while disobedient nations fall at the hands of God’s judgments. King Solomon was Israel’s greatest king; his kingdom lived in peace and was the most prosperous. However, the kingdom began to decline as King Solomon became disobedient to God. This led to a kingdom divided and its ultimate fall.

First Kings 1-11: The rise and fall of King Solomon: Solomon’s wisdom and disobedience

First Kings 12-22: The divided kingdom: ten northern tribes of Israel; two southern tribes of Judah