Hi James and Ellen,
1 Kings is an historical document that was compiled between 562 B.C. and 538 B.C. by an Israelite people group historian – who was possibly Jeremiah, to authenticate chronologically the Israelite people group’s kings who ruled from 970 B.C. to about 853 B.C. over God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals. 1 Kings picks up from where 2 Samuel ends – which is at the end of David’s life. The guy who took on the task of compiling the Kings Book – which the Septuagint translators in the third century made into two books, began his annotations with an elderly David preparing to die. David’s servants found a purportedly gorgeous gal – whose name was Abishag, hoping that when she slept with David in his bed that she would help keep David from feeling cold. As the Kings Book historian begins his resourced commentary, he conveys decisions that affected the future of the Israelite people groups guys and gals. One of David’s kids – whose name was Adonijah, arrogantly thought that when his dad died that he would become the next king to rule over the Israelite people group guys and gals. Shortly before he died, David asked that Bathsheba – who was one of his wives, be brought to his bedside so that he could tell Bathsheba to see to it that their kid Solomon replace him as king to rule over the Israelite people group guys and gals. When Adonijah heard that his dad had unambiguously directed – through Bathsheba, that his half-bro Solomon replace him as king, he went crawling to Solomon to ask him not to kill him. Solomon acquiesced to his half-bro’s begging. But when Adonijah went sometime later to Solomon’s ma to ask Bathsheba if she would go to her kid to advocate for him to get his half-bro’s okay to let him have Abishag as his wife, Solomon told a guy who he could trust – whose name was Benaiah, to kill Adonijah – which Benaiah did. Solomon also told Benaiah to kill Joab. Joab had spitefully killed Abner and Amasa – who were two of David’s good guy commanders, and who Adonijah had enlisted to be a supporting cohort for his egotistical aspiration to be the third king to rule over the Israelite people group guys and gals. Once the fomenting drama that was surrounding Solomon came to an end, he got a boost in his 40 year ride as the third king to rule over the Israelite people group guys and gals when God gave him the gift of wisdom – resulting in Solomon becoming one of the most – if not the most, astute guys to ever live on planet Earth.
The Kings Book historian recounts in the 25 chapters of 1 Kings that Solomon ruled over the Israelite people group guys and gals from 970 B.C. to 930 B.C. During the 40 years that Solomon was king over the Israelite people group guys and gals – who are God’s specially chosen guys and gals, Solomon fulfilled his dad’s dream that he be the one to construct a beautiful temple in the city of Jerusalem where God’s holy presence would always reside. Solomon would also build for himself in the city of Jerusalem a palace that was even more impressive than God’s house. Even though Solomon’s 40 year reign was marked with peace, prosperity and popularity, Solomon’s legacy finds him going down the slippery discontent slope – which is what happens when accruing wives, wealth and worth takes on becoming a guy’s life focus. When Solomon died, the Israelite people group guys and gals were faced with having to choose between two guys to be their next king. The majority of the Israelite people group’s tribal clans chose Jeroboam to rule over them as their next king. These Israelite people group tribal clans made up what would become known as Israel’s northern kingdom – or Israel. Three of the Israelite tribal clans – Judah, Benjamin and Simeon, chose one of Solomon’s kids – whose name was Rehoboam, to rule over them as their next king. These three Israelite people group tribal clans made up what would become known as Israel’s southern kingdom – or Judah. Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab and Ahaziah followed Jeroboam 1 as Israel’s northern kingdom’s kings. Abijah, Asa, and Jehoshaphat followed Rehoboam as Israel’s southern kingdom’s kings.
The 1 Kings historian introduced to the readers of his manuscript three prophets whose names were Micaiah, Elijah and Elisha. Micaiah’s name to fame was his prophecy regarding Ahab’s death. Elijah also prophesied during Ahab’s wicked reign. Elijah is remembered for his faith when he asked God to send fire from heaven to burn water and rocks and his lack of faith when he ran for his life when he heard that Ahab was planning to kill him. Elisha is introduced when Elijah was prompted by God to recruit him to be his successor. Elisha is your grandpaa’s Bible hero. Elisha was a rich farm kid who without any hesitancy gave up a comfortable future to be mentored by Elijah. Your grandpaa sees parallels to what life is like today in the United States to what life was like 2,900 years ago in the land that the Israelite people group guys and gals occupied. Life today in the United States – a country where guys and gals 240 years ago unashamedly testified was gifted to them by God for them to live in to worship Him, is now a country where guys and gals appear to be ashamed of ever having any kind of devoted tie with God. Guys and gals today in the United States no longer unreservedly claim God as being in control – as they did when 56 guys forged on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence, just as 2,900 years ago guys and gals were already defying the God Who had given them back the land of their patriarchs – the land of Canaan, on which they were prospering.
1 Kings