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When Solomon’s reign was still young, the author of Kings evoked the promise the LORD had made to Abram, noting that Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea.  Furthermore, …They ate and drank and were happy. Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

But that was over eighty years ago.  The LORD has kept His promises to Abraham, but Abraham’s children have not reciprocated.  Judah and Israel are now two kingdoms; Judah’s kings have wavered between fidelity and idolatry; Israel’s have followed in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 

That sin destroys Ahaziah in 2 Kings chapter 1, who takes over the northern kingdom after Ahab’s death in the battle for Ramoth-gilead.  As his father’s death was random except for the hand of the LORD, so is Ahaziah’s: he is killed not by an accidental fall, but by soliciting the prophets of Baal-zebub, rather than the LORD.  And as Ahab’s death was prophesied by Elijah, so is Ahaziah’s. 

This completes the work of Elijah.  His was a fitful ministry marked by intense faith that the LORD is God: often on the run for his life, courageously returning when the LORD compelled him to.   Yet he never bowed in deference to a king, but proclaimed the word of the LORD, before whom I stand.  Through Elijah we see a depth of faith, and a glimpse at the emotional and physical life of a prophet, that we haven’t been privy to since Moses. 

The final episode of Elijah’s story, at the start chapter 2, begins with the climax: Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind…  Marvel and delight that the Biblical author doesn’t explain the mechanics of this: as Elijah and his protégé Elisha walk along the Jordan – that great boundary line of the Promised Land – chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them….and [Elisha] saw him no more.

Elijah’s cloak falls to Elisha’s feet, and through the rest of chapter 2 we discover that a double portion of Elijah’s spirit has indeed fallen on him as well.   Listen throughout chapters 2 and 3 as the LORD shows not only His power, but also His hand on, and words in, Elijah’s successor. 

In chapter 3 the kings of Israel head out to fight against Moab, which has rebelled against the king of Israel.  Remember that Moab has been subject to Israel and Judah since the days of David, and was also the home of David’s ancestress, Ruth.  Elisha’s power has been revealed to prophets, to Jericho, and to a pack of boys.  Here, on the plains of Moab, the LORD’s spirit in Elisha, fidelity to His people, and contempt for the king of Israel will intersect.  

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Kings 1 through 3.  Now let’s read it!

As 1 Kings draws to a close, we’ve gone around 80 years since the kingdom was split in two, up to around 853 B.C.  The recent stories have taken place in and around the northern kingdom of Israel, where Ahab was king.  For the past twenty years Jehoshaphat, whom you’ll meet today, has been ruling in the southern kingdom of Judah. 

The strength and relative wealth of both Israel and Judah point to an era of peace in the region.  For decades North and South had warred with each other.  A series of coups rattled Israel, and Rehoboam and his son had short, turbulent reigns in Judah.  But Judah found faithful kings in Asa and Jehoshaphat, and Omri and Ahab, for their profound apostasy at least provided political stability for Israel. 

However, much of that peace will be rattled today.  Ahab and Jehoshaphat ally on a project to reclaim Ramoth-gilead, formerly a City of Refuge belonging to the tribe of Gad, but now in the hands of Syria.  But the foray is ill-fated, and will bring about Ahab’s prophesied end. 

However, Ahab’s demise does not come soon enough for Naboth, who owns a piece of land that Ahab covets.  Jezebel coaches her husband to behave even more like every other king, orchestrating Naboth’s elaborate execution on trumped-up charges.  Elijah reemerges from hiding to confront Ahab with the word of the LORD: “…Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD…I will bring disaster upon you.” 

Then in chapter 22 we come to the foray in Ramoth-gilead I referenced earlier.  In preparation for battle, Ahab and Jehoshaphat call prophets to seek the LORD’s intentions.  All the prophets predict, in the LORD’s name, a great victory. 

But Ahab calls for one more prophet, one whom he curiously trusts to give him a straight answer: Micaiah.  What follows is one of the more curious dialogues in a book full of curious prophetic exchanges.  Micaiah promises the LORD will give Ahab the victory; Ahab doesn’t believe him; so Micaiah proclaims that Israel will lose its shepherd; Ahab is incensed, the other prophets are furious, and Micaiah gets thrown in jail, to be dealt with when Ahab returns. 

One of the many details to catch here is that Micaiah first tells Ahab that he will triumph, with the LORD blessing, when he clearly will not.  Was Micaiah deliberately misleading Ahab?  Was the LORD?  Or was Ahab judged for his lack of trust in the LORD?  Read thoroughly, keeping in mind that we’re talking about Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like no one else.

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Kings 21 and 22.  Now let’s read it!

The LORD’s great victory yesterday came against Baal on Baal’s own presumed turf.  Baal was the Canaanite god of the storms and rain: where else would the LORD exert His power than in the arena of Baal’s supposed strength?  The LORD even joins Elijah in mocking King Ahab and his god: “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you…’” 

So it might be surprising to find Elijah run for his life at the beginning of chapter 19.  But let’s avoid the temptation to spiritualize this and imagine the very human emotions of the moment.  Elijah is tired; he prepared physically, emotional, and spiritually for the encounter on Mount Carmel.  He felt the tension of each minute on that mountain; he stood just aside as fire fell from on high; he avenged the LORD’s prophets at the Kishon brook.

And remember, his purpose wasn’t to achieve a great victory: it was to turn back the hearts of Israel and her king.  Then moments after watching his countrymen worship “The LORD, [for] He is God,” he receives a death sentence from the palace.  What hope was there?  Ahab and Jezebel’s apostasy was not an educational issue.  Their hearts were beyond response. 

And therefore, if Elijah’s mission was to turn the hearts of Ahab and Jezebel to the LORD, he has failed miserably.  But that might not have been his mission at all, or at least not entirely.  The rest of chapter 19 plays with this question, and I’ll let you discover the LORD’s inquisitive response to Elijah’s anguish: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

In chapter 20 we return to a less taxing subject: war with Syria.  Syria (or Aram), was Northeast of Israel and headquartered at Damascus.  They had paid tribute to David and Solomon but were now independent and returning the favor to Israel. 

The threats are external and internal.  Syria has superior numbers.  Ahab is weak and cowardly.  In three successive campaigns the LORD again fights for Israel, so that Ahab “will know that I am the LORD…” 

Yet even in victory, Ahab will prove a failure.  Pay attention to the increasing boldness of the LORD’s prophets as they confront this Troubler of Israel. 

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Kings 19 and 20.  Now let’s read it!

Our story takes place today in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, beginning about 45 years after the kingdom fractured.  Jeroboam’s dynasty lasted barely two generations, and Baasha’s will last barely two years.  As you’ll read today, chaos has a stronger reign in Israel than any of her kings do, with conspiracy and treachery accompanying almost every generation. 

But this is not just another record of ancient political intrigue.  Though the children of Israel are governed by separate kingdoms, the LORD’s covenant is with Abraham’s descendants, not their political entities.  And when they provoke the LORD to anger with their idols, the LORD responds, often by sending prophets to speak His warnings. 

While we’ve seen prophets such as Nathan, Gad, and Ahijah confront kings on the LORD’s behalf, none rises to the stature of Elijah, who rises to prominence in chapter 17.  Elijah is sent to Israel’s king Ahab who, with his wife Jezebel, did more to provoke the LORD…than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 

Today’s intrigue is set against the backdrop of a drought, which the LORD has orchestrated to show His power to Ahab.  After pronouncing the LORD’s vow, Elijah runs, to be cared for by the LORD first east of the Jordan and then in the land of Sidon, where the LORD exerts His power to provide for Elijah and his foreign hosts. 

In the third year, the LORD sends Elijah back to Israel, where a showdown is arranged between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  The dialogue in this episode is rich, humorous, biting.  Elijah’s sarcasm is unlike anything we’ve seen.  He’s fearless before the king, audacious in the face of Baal, and utterly convinced that the LORD will win.  “Answer me, O LORD answer me,” he calls out on Mount Carmel, “that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God…”

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Kings 16 through 18.  Now let’s read it!

For the rest of the book of Kings the story not only moves rapidly, but also jumps frequently between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  I’ve found it helpful for myself to keep track of both the timeline and the geography, so I’ll be highlighting that as much as possible. 

Our first timestamp is Solomon’s death, which takes place (according to the best archaeology) in 930 B.C.  Even though this might be a few years off in either direction, what’s important is the sequence, so we’ll use that as a baseline. 

Most of today’s events occur in Israel, beginning early in Jeroboam’s reign.  In the opening moments the LORD sends a prophet to rail against the altars – and cult – that Jeroboam had devised from his own heart.  There’s a subtle shift in the dialogue that I want you to notice: when Jeroboam asks the prophet for help he calls the LORD your God – not our God.  Even Saul, in his worst moments, would not have denied the LORD’s jurisdiction over him.  But Jeroboam has clearly moved on. 

In chapter 14, we’ll learn that the LORD has moved on as well.  The presenting story concerns the illness of Jeroboam’s son, but the real plot concerns the LORD’s displeasure with Jeroboam.  A prophet is consulted, whose words of discomfort remind Jeroboam and all who would succeed him that, though the kingdom is divided, David’s faithfulness to the LORD is still the standard against which the kings of Israel will be measured.  And because Jeroboam has not followed in David’s ways, his family, and kingdom, will be cursed.  Listen intently to the prophet’s words for Jeroboam and hold onto them as you read the rest of Kings. 

By the beginning of chapter 15, Jeroboam and Rehoboam have exited the stage, and we’ll see that after 30 years Israel and Judah are still at war.  Asa in the South and Baasha in the North must make sacrifices and manage alliances to buttress these two weakened kingdoms.  The Temple and Palace are pillaged in order to make peace, and the high places remain.  

However, while Israel continues to follow in Jeroboam’s footsteps, Asa, Rehoboam’s grandson, was wholly true to the LORD all his days.  These fits of faithfulness, and the LORD’s fidelity to His promises to David and his throne, will create critical distance between these two kingdoms.  

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Kings 13 through 15.  Now let’s read it!