May 12, 2014 (Monday)
First and Second Kings describes the death of David, the reign of his son, Solomon, the reigns of kings in the divided kingdom, the work of the prophets Elijah, Elisha and others.
Solomon extended the Kingdom of Israel from what is now Iraq all the way down to Egypt, and far east of the Jordan. His fame spread throughout the world and he was known for his riches. He built the Temple, and dedicated it to the Lord. He was known for his wisdom as well as his wealth.
After his death, however, the kingdom split: Israel (10 tribes) in the north and Judah (one tribe) to the south. Soon all the Levites came to Judah. The capital of Judah was Jerusalem and the capital of Israel was Samaria. Idolatry was a problem in both kingdoms, and eventually each kingdom was subdued by great world powers (Israel, 722BC; Judah, 567BC) and their inhabitants exiled. Actively opposing sin and idolatry were the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Other prophets appear later and are described in Bible books to be presented in due time.
The 19 kings of Israel were all bad kings, all idolaters. The 20 kings of Judah included 8 good kings (9 if Manasseh, very wicked king who repented, is included), and all the others were bad.
First and Second Kings – A devotional thought
The glorious days of David and Solomon became a thing of the past as Israel plunged into sinful idolatry, openly despising God’s will. Both kingdoms were devastated by enemies and the inhabitants made captives in foreign lands. The tribes of Israel never returned from Assyria. After 70 years, the people of the tribe of Judah came back home and resumed their lives, rebuilding their temple and their cities, but life in the reclaimed nation was never the same again. It is good for us today to remember the scripture, “Blessed is the nation whose God is THE LORD” (Psalm 33:12).