In the course of Elisha’s ministry, the king of Syria, to the northeast, decided to wage war against Israel. But by God’s grace, the Lord protected Israel through Elisha’s counsel. And in response to the Syrian army’s attempt to end his counsel, he demonstrated spiritual wisdom, the effectiveness of his prayers, and kindness toward his enemies. Through Elisha’s ministry, the Lord opened eyes, protected His people, displayed extraordinary kindness, and crushed the pride of the Syrians. Though all humanity has displayed constant rebellion against God, He nevertheless has shown great mercy and grace in crushing pride that stony hearts would soften and turn to Him in repentance and faith.

In the previous session, we read of Elijah’s call to anoint Elisha as a prophet in Elijah’s place. In this session, we find Elijah fulfilling this call. Elisha takes up the prophetic mantle in the spirit of Elijah. The story begins at the end of 1 Kings 19 but continues into 2 Kings and is an important story for connecting the whole story of Kings with the rest of Scripture. Eventually, the One greater than Elijah and Elisha—Jesus—would come. Our Lord has given us a Great Commission: to make disciples of all nations in the power of the Spirit. Jesus demands immediate obedience and wholehearted allegiance. Elisha was asked to follow a prophet, but we have been called to follow the Son of God.

After his initial meeting with King Ahab, in which he declared a drought over Israel, Elijah appeared before Ahab again in 1 Kings 18. In this meeting, Elijah arranged one of the most memorable showdowns in Scripture—a firefight on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal to prove once and for all who is the real God. This boldness contrasts sharply with what we find in 1 Kings 19: the mighty Elijah melted with despair. Here God showed Himself not only to be mighty but also merciful as He strengthened His servant in some very particular ways. This portion of 1–2 Kings encourages us in knowing our God is the living God and the loving God.

During the time when the nation of Israel was divided politically into two nations, Judah and Israel, these nations were also divided spiritually, worshiping idols instead of the one true God. So the Lord raised up prophets to speak His truth to His people and to call them to repentance. One such prophet was Elijah, whose name meant “My God is Yahweh.” He spoke on behalf of God, performed miracles in God’s power, confronted rebellious kings, and challenged the people to worship only the Lord. Though he was a human being like us, he performed many great wonders and provided the template for the one who would precede the coming Messiah, to whom he also pointed through his faithful and miraculous ministry.

The death of Solomon marked the end of Israel’s Golden Age, the United Kingdom under Saul, David, and Solomon (circa 1050-930 BC). Soon after Solomon’s death, the kingdom of Israel was torn in two. Judah and part of Benjamin formed the nation of Judah in the south while the remaining tribes in the north kept the name Israel. While on the surface it might seem as though Israel divided because Solomon’s son Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, the seeds of the split were sown long before that during Solomon’s reign. Compromise led to sin, and sin brought consequences that were felt for generations after. But even though God’s people were unfaithful to Him, we will see that God was never unfaithful to them. God had told David that there would always be a son of David on the throne. And because of Jesus, that is a promise kept.

Having seen the beginning of Solomon’s reign and his frame of mind later in life, we will now jump back to the high point of Solomon’s reign: the construction of the Lord’s temple. We will see that in building the temple, Solomon didn’t merely construct a building. In 1 Kings 6:12-13, God vowed to fulfill His promise to David and to live among the Israelites and not abandon them. So the temple represented the establishment of Jerusalem as the center of Israel’s worship, the immediate fulfillment of God’s promise to David, and the penultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to bring the children of Abraham into the promised land. After four centuries, the portable tabernacle was finally replaced with a permanent temple.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12), wrote three Old Testament books of wisdom: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. The latter is a celebration of love in marriage, and the former has the feel of a father passing on his collected wisdom to his son. But Ecclesiastes is different; it feels like a bitter old man expressing regret over a wasted life. In this session, we will see that while Ecclesiastes seems to have more in common with existentialist philosophy than with Judeo-Christian Scripture, the book absolutely belongs in the Bible. We will see that more than any other book, Ecclesiastes helps us understand the limits of human wisdom and shows us the futility of pursuing the things of the world. 

 In this session we meet Solomon, the third and final king of Israel’s golden age as a united kingdom. In 2 Samuel 7:11-13, God promised to establish an eternal kingdom through King David and his descendants. The life of Solomon shows God making good on that promise. We will see that Solomon began his reign with the humble acknowledgment that he didn’t know how to do what he had been called on to do. So he asked God for wisdom (see Jas. 1:5). God is all-knowing; He is the source of all wisdom. The pattern for obedience we learn from Solomon is simple yet profound: We ask for wisdom; God provides wisdom; and we exercise that wisdom. When we make decisions according to God’s wisdom, the world stands in awe. 

In this final session from the life of King David, we turn our attention to one of his most famous writings: Psalm 23. This psalm is beloved for many reasons, and countless believers throughout history have been both challenged and comforted by its words. But more than that, in Psalm 23, the former shepherd boy turned king points us to a greater Shepherd and King who was to come. In this session, we will see that the Shepherd about whom David wrote would provide for His people, guide His people, and love His people. We will see that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who accomplished all of this by laying down His life so that He might provide eternal life for us. 

On our own, none of us has the power to resist sin, let alone overcome it. In this session, we will see this truth tragically displayed through the life of King David. David had made great progress as Israel’s king. He had demonstrated wisdom and kindness in his reign. However, even this great king was not immune to temptation and to sin, so he too was in need of divine mercy and forgiveness. Like David, we are subject to sin and in need of a better king, the perfect King who is without sin and who grants us mercy and forgiveness when we cry out in confession and repentance.