We’re going to be preaching through 1 Kings in our morning devotions at the iServe Africa office. It’s also a book that we looked at during the Raising the Bar conference. So bear with us as we share some thoughts on the book as we wrestle with it over the coming weeks and please contribute things the Lord has taught you from the same…
It’s always helpful to take a helicopter over a book and look down and just get an idea of the basic landscape, the big features and divisions. As we look down on 1 & 2 Kings (the division between the two halves is arbitrary) we see the land rising quickly to a high point, a beautiful summit, and then falling away, a long slope down and down, sometimes rough and barren, sometimes a small fertile patch but continually downward all the way to a cliff edge and a deep dark ravine. That’s the basic shape. What about the important features to look for? There are at least three important ones, each connected to a promise:
- The blessing – This is the promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). As we go through Kings are we seeing a great people with a great name, occupying the whole land, living under God’s blessing? In particular, are the relationships between God’s people and the nations healthy or unhealthy? Are the nations streaming to Jerusalem to worship or for plunder?
- The Temple – This is the promise to Moses (Deut. 12:5,11). Look at what happens to the Temple as we go through the book. Is it being (re-)built and stocked or destroyed and plundered?
- The king – This is the promise to David (2 Sam. 7:11-16). Will God be able to keep his promise about David’s line in the midst of all the wars and revolts and political chicanery? In particular the writer is concerned about God’s assessment of the kings – how they are in His eyes. Very often the state of the king is the state of the nation. He is the representative. His sin takes the nation down with him.
In 1 Kings 8-10 we have the high point of the blessing, the glory of the Temple and the supremely wise king. And yet at the very same point we have the seeds of destruction and fulfilment of all the warnings about kings given through Moses (Deut. 17:14-20) and Samuel (1 Sam. 8:11-18). In an article for the Tyndale Bulletin I wonder if the famous 666 of Revelation 13:18 is an allusion to this key moment in the history of Israel (1 Kings 10:14) – the moment that seemed so close to perfection but hid hell in its glory – Solomon, the super king, the Great Man, “an overreaching Adam at the height of his glory but also on the verge of disaster” (cf. Ezek. 28:1-19). Whether or not that’s right the important thing is that through the rise and fall of the blessing, the Temple and the king we’re immediately seeing Jesus in the book of Kings. He is the great King of whom Solomon and the others are at best shadows and at worst parodies. He is the Temple where forgiveness is to be found, neglected, stripped, destroyed and trampled. He is the salvation of his people and blessing for the world.
fidelnyikuri
iServe Africa Webmaster
Utumishi Blog 
I started this morning Andy and i must say that the book is not an easy one especially if a proper background of 1st and 2nd Samuel are not grasped. I struggled with the big idea and the main message but at least could see the following:
-Shadow of Christ in Solomon.
-God’s fulfillment of His promise in 2 Sam 7:11-16 partly and fully in Christ Jesus when he rides on a donkey (almost the same as Solomon riding on a mule) and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (a pointer to Solomon enthroning and people rejoicing at his Kingship in Jerusalem).
-His humility is also something to look at especially that he does not ambitiously enthrone himself like Adonijah. He does not impose himself on the people which is a pointer to Christs Kingship. One of the prophet, (i think its Zechariah) who says he will come in humility riding on a donkey.
-And lastly, the consummation of Jesus’ kingship in Rev 11:15 where the whole kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ fully fulfilling the promise to David in 2Sam 7:11-16.
Thanks for starting us off James. Well done. Sorry to miss the full version.
It is a really odd start to a book isn’t it? Great king David as an old man with a beautiful girl as his hot water bottle!
What I find really helpful from your comment is (a) the willingness to struggle with the text; (b) looking for the big idea of the passage; (c) looking for JESUS, especially in the king – his character and his actions – really helpful observations; (d) the 2 Sam. 7 context, mentioned a few times in 1 Kings 1; (e) the reference to Rev. 11 – especially when you’ve got all the trumpeting in 1 Kings 1 and Rev. 11:15.
Thanks brother.
I wish i would make it in time tomorrow Andy for the morning exposition. One doesn’t feel like they can miss a single exposition. Especially after toiling with chapter one, i really would like to hear someone else speak from chapter two.
we have come to the end of 1Kings which was quite exciting, though ended on a sad note… continued rebellion against God by Israel. I am looking forward for next week..2nd Kings and particularly chapter 2, when Elijah is taken up!