1 Kings Introduction

 

March 31, 2021

 

1 Kings Introduction

 

The title of these books is certainly descriptive of their contents.  The History of the Kings and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.  The first and Second Kings are part of a larger body of the Old Testament known as the 12 Historical Books of (Joshua-Esther). Originally, the books were one book but were divided by the translators of the Septuagint (the GK translation of the Old Testament.  Scholars cannot identify the authors of any of these books.

 

Message and Purpose

 

The theological perspective of 1 and 2 Kings is expressed in a number of themes (1) the sinfulness of the kings and the nation; (2) the conflict between the demands of practical politics and the demands of faith; (3) the glory that God gave to the obedient covenant kings; (4) God’s harshness in judgment on some occasions and leniency on others; and (5) the conflict between the worship of the Lord and the worship of other gods.

 

The role of the king

 

The Davidic covenant established the king as the moral representative of the people for covenant purposes.  Therefore, up through kings Azariah (also known as Uzziah) and Jotham, the moral state of the king was treated as equaling the moral state of the people.  Covent blessings were given or withheld on the basis of the king's behavior.  Thus, the behavior of the king was an important covenant and moral fact for any given reign.

 

Note:  All in green type was taken from the Holman Study Bible.