Week 21, May 18–24: Acts 21–28; 1 Kings 1–11; Psalms 64–65

• Sun      May 18            Acts 21–23      Ps. 64
• Mon     May 19            Acts 24–25      Ps. 65
• Tue      May 20            Acts 26–28     
• Wed     May 21            1 Kings 1–3    
• Thu      May 22            1 Kings 4–6    
• Fri        May 23            1 Kings 7–8    
• Sat       May 24            1 Kings 9–11  

Acts closes with a remark that ties back to the book’s opening paragraph. Jesus had instructed his disciples (and us) to bear witness to Jesus “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The second half of the book has been all about Paul and his travels, not literally to the ends of the earth, but moving in that direction. He eventually makes his way to Rome, and Acts concludes with him in prison there. He is obeying Jesus’ instructions and “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (28:31).

The narrative of Acts ends there without telling us any more about the rest of Paul’s life and ministry. However, we do have the rest of the NT. In the epistles that come after Acts, we will see how the Lord used Paul and the other apostles to continue building the church, advancing his kingdom, and ensuring that the good news of Jesus is proclaimed throughout the world and through the centuries. Acts was written to tell the story of the apostles, but really it is a story of the work of God by the Spirit in the name of the risen Christ. God used Peter, Paul, and the other apostles to embark on the mission Jesus gave them, and now we have the great privilege to continue in the same work God has been doing since the church began. I pray that reading Acts has been encouraging and motivating, and that we as a church will continue to grow in our heart for God to be known and worshipped to the ends of the earth.

After Acts, our reading moves back to the OT. We will read 1–2 Kings and Isaiah before coming back to the NT and reading Paul’s epistles, starting with Romans in a few weeks. Like 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings are probably best read together as one continuous narrative that picks up right where 2 Samuel left off. David was near the end of his life at the end of 2 Samuel, and his life and reign had been fraught with much turmoil. Though God did give David victory over Israel’s enemies, and there were times of peace in the land, it would be difficult to say David’s reign was generally characterized by peace and rest. The promise of 2 Sam. 7:11 is yet to be fulfilled at the end of David’s life.

David dies early in 1 Kings, and through a series of violent power plays, Solomon is eventually anointed king. Solomon’s name is derived from the same root as the Hebrew word shalom, which means peace, and Israel does experience a time of peace and great prosperity once Solomon is established on the throne (1 Kgs. 4:24; 5:4). But there is also a notable sense of irony in these early chapters of 1 Kings. The violent actions surrounding Solomon’s rise to the throne are set in contrast with the peace his name connotes.

It is also important to notice the hints of failure included in the early parts of Solomon’s reign. In chapter 11, his fall from the Lord is obvious and tragic, but we can also see signs of the direction things are headed earlier than when we are told explicitly that his many wives and concubines turned his heart away from the Lord (1 Kgs. 11:1–8). The narrator portrays Solomon both positively and negatively.

We are told early on that he loved the Lord and walked in the statutes of David his father (1 Kgs. 3:3). He was to be commended for requesting understanding and wisdom when the Lord said he would grant him whatever he asked (3:5–9). God was pleased with this and promised not only to give him the wisdom he asked for but also to add riches and honor, and, if he would walk in the Lord’s ways and keep his commandments, he would give him long life as well (3:10–14).

Nevertheless, several negative details begin to emerge mixed in with the positive portrayal. The violent activities surrounding his rise to the throne were already mentioned (2:1–9, 22–25, 33–34, 44–46). In chapters 4–5 we read of forced labor, work crews Solomon drafted to work on his palace and the temple (4:6–7; 5:13–18). While this may not be an obviously negative development, it does remind us of the warnings Samuel gave to the Israelites when they first wanted a king so they could be like the nations around them (1 Sam. 8:11–18). Solomon builds two houses: A temple for the Lord and a palace for himself. His own house took almost twice as long to build (6:38; 7:1) and was over four times the size of the temple (6:2; 7:2). These details may seem insignificant, but the author included them for a reason. It appears we are meant to see hints of Solomon’s turn from the Lord before it becomes more obvious.

Solomon also selectively interprets the Lord’s promise to his father David. In 1 Kings 8, when Solomon recounts the covenant promise of 2 Samuel 7, he focuses on the physical temple he has just finished building, whereas the Lord’s words to David had emphasized the eternal “house,” or royal dynasty God would establish for a future descendant of David. These subtle details highlight something we know clearly from our vantage point.. This moment in Solomon’s time was not the true fulfilment of God’s covenant promises to David.

Then as we continue through the story, we begin to see more clearly the mixed portrayal of Solomon. We were already told he had many horses and chariots (4:26), and in chapter 10 we find out they were imported from Egypt (10:26, 28). We also read of the opulence of Solomon’s kingdom and the masses of gold he accumulated (10:14–22). These comments could be seen as a favorable account of the success of his kingship, but when we consider the instructions and warnings of the Pentateuch, the message is much less positive.

In Deuteronomy 17 the Lord, through Moses, gave instructions for the king he would give them in the Land. The king was to be chosen by God from among the Israelites, and was not to acquire great numbers of horses or get horses from Egypt, and he was not to accumulate large amounts of silver and gold, nor was he to acquire many wives. He was to keep the Lord’s Torah close to him and follow carefully all the words of the Torah, not turning from it to the right or to the left. (Deut. 17:14–20)

When we are told about Solomon’s wealth—the massive quantities of gold, horses, and chariots—it is as if the narrator is making a deliberate effort to show how egregiously Solomon is breaking the law from Deuteronomy 17. Then when we read of the 1000 wives and concubines he acquires (11:1–3), again in abundant violation of the Torah, we should not be surprised to read that his heart was turned away from the Lord (11:4).

These chapters paint Solomon in an increasingly negative light, and this can be disheartening for us as readers. Indeed, the picture will only get bleaker after Solomon and as we keep reading in 1–2 Kings. What this does for us as readers, though, is to stir up a sense of anticipation. God will most certainly make good on the promises that have been echoing through the OT from the earliest chapters of Genesis. There will still be a seed descended from Eve who will crush the head of the serpent and return the world to the state it was before sin’s curse ruined it. And a king from David’s line will one day come and establish the throne of God’s eternal kingdom. We can read of Solomon’s fall, and the failures of all the kings in Israel and Judah, and rejoice that Jesus has come and his kingdom is coming.