Week 21, May 19–25: 1 Kings 16–22, 2 Kings 1–10

• Sun      5/19     1 Kings 13–15
• Mon     5/20     1 Kings 16–17
• Tue      5/21     1 Kings 18–20
• Wed     5/22     1 Kings 21–22
• Thu      5/23     2 Kings 1–4
• Fri        5/24     2 Kings 5–7
• Sat       5/25     2 Kings 8–10

We finish 1 Kings this week and continue reading into 2 Kings. As with 1–2 Samuel, the narrative moves along without a major disruption from 1 to 2 Kings. Together, these books tell the stories of the succession of kings in what is now a divided kingdom, Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The books of 1–2 Chronicles will retell the same basic history, but it will do so with more of a focus on the kings of Judah, the line of David. Here in 1–2 Kings, we read of the southern kingdom and its kings, but there is also quite a bit of attention given to the northern kingdom, Israel, and its succession of kings.

As we read through these accounts it may be helpful to keep in mind points of similarity and difference between Israel and its kings and Judah and its kings. In Judah, the kings all descend from David’s line and continue the dynasty established back in 2 Samuel 7. While there is one dynasty through all of Judah’s history, all the way up to the exile of Judah into Babylon, there are 10 different dynasties in Israel. Both nations see 20 kings take the throne over the course of their existence as a divided kingdom, but in Judah, they all descend from David’s line.

Of the 20 kings in Judah, 8 are said to be somewhat faithful, more or less following the Lord and walking in the ways of David to one degree or another. Really, however, only two of the kings of Judah, Hezekiah and Josiah, are said to have been fully faithful. This contrasts with the kings of Israel, all of whom are unfaithful and seem to grow progressively more idolatrous and sinful from one to the next. Judah’s kings also rebel against God and lead wicked lives, and even David himself was by no means without his flaws. But, generally speaking, Judah’s kings are more obedient to the Lord than the kings of Israel.

While we don’t necessarily want to get ahead of ourselves, we do know from Deuteronomy where the sequence of events in Israel and Judah’s history is all heading. Both Israel and Judah will eventually end up in exile out of the land because of their sin and idolatry. Israel will be defeated by Assyria and brought into exile there, which we’ll read about next week (2 Kings 17). Then at the end of 2 Kings, Judah will be defeated and brought into exile in Babylon (2 Kings 25). This perspective helps inform our reading of each successive king, both in Israel and in Judah, and the eventual consequences of their action and the sin of the people under their leadership.

In the books of Samuel and Kings, the kings obviously play a prominent role, and prophets are also important figures in these narratives. They sometimes serve as contrasting characters to the kings. In fact, the prophets are often directly at odds with the kings. Whether its Samuel to Saul, Nathan to David, or Elijah to Ahab, the prophets are the ones tasked with the difficult job of rebuking the wayward kings with words from God. They are responsible for calling Israel and Judah and their kings back to covenant faithfulness and to walk in the ways of the Lord. And they are often not successful in these efforts.

As spokesmen (and women) for the Lord, they highlight the fact that God is unchanging and faithful to his word and his promises. When things are going badly for Israel and Judah, it might look like God’s promises are failing. But really things are playing out exactly as he said they would. The trouble they are facing is because of their sin and in line exactly with what God had said would happen back in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Later in our reading, when we get to the books of the writing prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.), we’ll see many of these same themes repeated and developed further. The messages of these later prophetic books will reflect back on what we’ve read in these historical books and give additional prophetic perspective on the decline and eventual exile of Israel and Judah.

All of this demonstrates the need for something different—a new reality. For God’s people to experience the blessings of relationship with him, and for them to be redeemed to him as his people after generations of rebellion and sin, there must be a new covenant, and a new king to rule over God’s people. The authors of these books of Israel’s and Judah’s history wrote in such a way, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that gradually builds anticipation for a coming Davidic king who will reign forever on the throne of God’s kingdom. In this way, reading 1–2 Kings as Christian Scripture helps us see more clearly the good news of the gospel of Christ.