Old Testament survey (11): 1 Kings

Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. (1 Kings 1:30)

And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. (1 Kings 9:3)

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. (1 Kings 17:1)

Overview

[1] 1 & 2 Kings, from Thru The Bible Radio with Dr. J. Vernon McGee ©, with free downloads Notes & Outlines (PDF); Complete 5-Year Study (MP3); Micaiah and a God-Aimed Arrow (PDF)

The theme of these two Books of Kings is found in this expression that occurs nine times in 1 Kings: “as David his father.” In other words, we are following the line of David, and each king was measured by the standard set by David. Very frankly, it was a human standard, and it was not the highest standard in the world. But we find that king after king failed to attain even to it. Thank God there were those who did measure up to it. However, we will find that this section of Scripture is a sorry and sordid section. It is history, and it reveals the decline and fall of the kingdom: first the kingdom was divided, and then each kingdom fell. (Read the complete article)

[2] Book of 1 Kings, from gotquestions.org (this website is also available in Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese-Myanmar, Cebuano, Chinese - Simplified, Chinese – Traditional, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Malaysian, Persian-Farsi, Portuguese, Quechua, Sesotho, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zulu, and 70 other languages)

The Book of 1 Kings has many lessons for believers. We see a warning about the company we keep, and especially in regard to close associations and marriage. The kings of Israel who, like Solomon, married foreign women exposed themselves and the people they ruled to evil. As believers in Christ, we must be very careful about whom we choose as friends, business associates, and spouses. “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

Elijah’s experience in the wilderness also teaches a valuable lesson. After his incredible victory over the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, his joy turned to sorrow when he was pursued by Jezebel and fled for his life. Such “mountaintop” experiences are often followed by a letdown and the depression and discouragement that can follow. We have to be on guard for this type of experience in the Christian life. But our God is faithful and will never leave or forsake us. The quiet, gentle sound that encouraged Elijah will encourage us. (Read the complete article)

[3] 1 Kings, from Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)

First Kings records the death of David, the reign of Solomon, the building of the temple, death of Solomon, division of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, and the history of the two kingdoms to the reign of Jehoram over Judah, and Ahaziah over Samaria. Includes the mighty ministry of Elijah.

The book is in seven parts:

1. From the rebellion of Adonijah to the death of David, 1:1-2:11.
2. From the accession of Solomon to the dedication of the temple, 2:12-8:66.
3. From the division of the kingdom to the death of Jeroboam and Rehoboam, 12:1-14:31.
4. The kingdoms to the accession of Ahab, 15:1-16:28.
5. Accession of Ahab to his death, 16:29-22:40.
6. From the reign of Jehoshaphat to the accession of Jehoram over Judah, and Ahaziah over Samaria, 22:41-53.

The events recorded in First Kings cover a period of 118 years (Ussher).

[4] 1 Kings (with chart Kingdoms in Crisis), from Uplook Ministries


Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] An Argument of First and Second Kings, by David Malick

[2] Profiting From the Prophets, by Bob Deffinbaugh

• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet - Saved from the Syrians: The War that Never Happened (2 Kings 6:1-23)
• "What's a Prophet Like You Doing in a Spot Like This?"
• Moses: The Premiere Prophet
• False Prophets, Part I
• False Prophets, Part II (Deuteronomy 18:1-22)
• Balaam, Part I (Numbers 22:1-35)
• Balaam, Part II (Numbers 22:36–24:25)
• Balaam, Part III (Numbers 25:1-18)
• The Prophetess Deborah (Judges 4 & 5)
• The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet— The Prophet and the Pagans (1 Kings 16:29–17:24)
• The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet— Showdown at the Mount Carmel Corral (1 Kings 18:1-46)
• The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet— Elijah Throws in the Towel (1 Kings 18:45-19:21)
• The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet— Israel’s Deliverance (1 Kings 20:1-43)
• The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet— Ahab “Buys the Farm” or “Payday Someday” (1 Kings 21:1–22:40)
• The Life and Times of Elijah the Prophet— Chariots of Fire (2 Kings 1:1–2:18)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— Elisha’s Accreditation (2 Kings 2:19–3:27)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— Two Women and Two Meals (2 Kings 4:1–44)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— The Healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-27)
• The Life and Times Elisha the Prophet— Feast or Famine (2 Kings 6:24–7:20)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— Looking Out for a Lovely Lady (2 Kings 8:1-6; 4:8-37)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— What It Takes to Make a Prophet Weep (1 Kings 19:15-18; 2 Kings 8:7-15)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— Three “Birds” with One Stone (1 Kings 19:15-18; 2 Kings 8:16–9:37)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— Jehu Cleans House (Ahab’s House) (2 Kings 10:1-36)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet—Jezebel II (2 Kings 11:1–12:21)
• The Life and Times of Elisha the Prophet— Grave Matters Or Runaway Corpse (2 Kings 13:1-25)

Sermons (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] “Payday Someday” by Dr. R. G. Lee, 1886-1978



[2] 36 David Authorizing a Successor, by Earl Hardy

[3] 07-23-06 Building Of The Temple, by Michael K. Ayres

[4] Enter Elijah, by Malcolm Macleod

[5] Can God Really Meet your Needs 1 Kings 17, by James Huffman

[6] Divine Disciplines for Financial Health - Pt. 1, by Daniel P. Thompkins, Jr.

[7] Fertility vs Famine, by Nathan Kuperus

[8] Why Giving Through the Church is Important, by Michael Laurence

[9] Elijah Man of God, by Paul Hawkins

[10] Sermons by Ronald George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

• Are you listening? Part I 1 Kings 19:9 -16
• A Mother’s Prayer I Kings 17:9-24

For other available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner

Notes: (1) This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials. (2) This lesson is part of the projected 300 plus lessons. From time to time, the lessons will be updated, revised, combined, formatted, and edited to comply with the VOA Simplified English word list. Later on, these lessons will be categorized, numbered sequentially, and made available as PDF downloads.