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Book of Kings Overview & Outline
Outline
I.
Death of David/ Succession of Solomon (1Kings
1-12)
A.
Adonijah exalts
himself as king (1K 1:5-53)
B.
Nathan and Bathsheba secure Solomon’s Kingship (1:11-31)
C.
Solomon
anointed king by Zadok the priest (1:32-53)
D.
David’s
death and last wishes of covenant keeping (2:1-12)
E.
Adonijah is killed (2:13-27)
F.
Solomon
secures his reign and the kingdom (2:28-46)
G.
Solomon: the
wise and obedient Son of David, King of Israel (3:1-28)
H.
Solomon’s
great and vast kingdom (4:1-34)
I.
Solomon
plans construction of the House of the LORD (5:1-18)
J.
Solomon
begins construction of the House of the LORD (6:1-10)
K.
Solomon
establishes covenant with the LORD and finishes the House of the LORD (6:11-38)
L.
Solomon
builds his palace and furnishes the House of the LORD (7:1-51)
M.
Solomon
brings up the Ark of the Covenant into the LORD’s
House (8:1-13)
N.
God’s
promises of his House to David are fulfilled (8:14-66)
O.
The LORD
appears to Solomon to remind him and call him to covenant obedience
(9:1-28)
P.
The Queen of
Sheba visits and blesses Solomon—Solomon’s riches (10:1-29)
Q.
King Solomon
marries foreign women and commits idolatry in the eyes of the LORD
(11:1-13)
R.
God raises
up adversaries to fight against Solomon (11:14-33)
S.
God’s
faithfulness to his covenant and Solomon’s death (11:34-43)
T.
Solomon’s
sons: Rehoboam reigns over Judah and
Benjamin, and Jeroboam reigns over Israel in Apostasy (12:1-33)
II.
Kings of Israel and Judah:
Increasing Apostasy in Leadership (1Kings 13-16)
A.
Man of God comes to Jeroboam, but he does not repent of
his apostasy against the LORD (13:1-34)
B.
Ahijah the prophet
prophesies against Jeroboam (14:1-20)
C.
Rehoboam and Judah do
evil in the eyes of the LORD (14:21-31)
D.
Abijam reigns in
Judah- Apostasy (15:1-8)
E.
Asa reigns in Judah-
Covenant keeper (15:9-24)
F.
Nadab reigns in
Israel- Apostasy (15:25-31)
G.
Baasha reigns in
Israel- Apostasy (15:32-16:7)
H.
Elah reigns in Israel-
Apostasy (16:8-14)
I.
Zimri reigns in
Israel- Apostasy (16:15-20)
J.
Omri reigns in Israel-
Apostasy (16:21-28)
K.
Ahab reigns
in Israel- Increasing Apostasy (16:29-22:53)
III.
Elijah and Elisha
(1Kings 17-2Kings 8)
A.
Elijah fed by ravens (17:1-7)
B.
Elijah and
the widow of Zarephath (17:8-24)
C.
Elijah and
Obadiah confront Ahab (18:1-16)
D.
Elijah and
Ahab’s Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (18:17-46)
E.
Jezebel
threatens Elijah’s life (19:1-3)
F.
The LORD
confronts Elijah (19:4-18)
G.
Elijah
anoints Elisha (19:19-21)
H.
Ben-Hadad attacks Samaria (20:1-12)
I.
Ahab defeats
Ben-Hadad (20:13-43)
J.
Naboth’s
vineyard (21:1-29)
K.
Micaiah prophesies
against King Ahab (22:1-40)
L.
Jehosaphat reigns in Judah-
Covenant keeper (22:41-50)
M.
Ahaziah son of Ahab
reigns in Israel- Apostasy (1K 22:51- 2K 1:18)
N.
Elisha receives
Elijah’s mantle when he is taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2K
2:1-25)
O.
Jehoram son of Ahab
reigns in Israel- Apostasy; King of Moab rebels (3:1-27)
P.
Elisha and the woman
of Shunem (4:1-44)
Q.
Naaman commander of
the Army of Syria healed of leprosy by Elisha
(5:1-27)
R.
Elisha and the axe
head that floats (6:1-7)
S.
The King of
Syria seeks Elisha’s life (6:8-7:20)
T.
Elisha predicts a 7
year famine upon the land (8:1-3)
U.
Hazael reigns after
Ben-Hadad (8:4-15)
V.
Jehoram son of Ahab
reigns in Israel- Apostasy (8:16-24)
W.
Ahaziah son of Jehoram reigns in Judah- Apostasy (8:25-29)
IV.
Kings of Israel and Judah:
Increasing Apostasy in Leadership (2Kings 9-17)
A.
Jehu anointed
king in Israel
and conspires against the House of Ahab (9:1-29)
B.
Jezebel is
killed (9:30-37)
C.
Jehu orders the sons
of Ahab to be beheaded and all of Ahab’s House is destroyed according
to the word of Elijah (10:1-17)
D.
Jehu destroys the
altar of Baal and the priests of Baal (10:18-27)
E.
Jehu destroys worship
of Ball but does evil in the eyes of the LORD; the LORD begins to cut off
parts of Israel (10:28-36)
F.
Athaliah destroys the
royal family but Josheba hides Joash the son of Ahaziah
(11:1-3)
G.
Jehoida the priest
anoints Joash king and Athaliah
is killed (11:4-16)
H.
Jehoida and the king
and people make a covenant with the LORD (11:17-21)
I.
Joash reigns in Judah (Jerusalem) with Jehoida the
priest- Partial covenant keeper (12:1-21)
J.
Jehoahaz reigns in Israel (Samaria)- Apostasy; the LORD gives Israel over to their enemies (13:1-9)
K.
Jehoash reigns in Israel (Samaria)- Apostasy (13:10-13)
L.
Elisha dies (13:14-25)
M.
Amaziah reigns in
Judah- Partial covenant keeper; Battles against Jehoash
in Israel- Amaziah is defeated (14:1-22)
N.
Jeroboam son
of Joash reigns in Samaria- Apostasy (14:23-29)
O.
Azariah son of Amaziah reigns in Judah- Partial covenant keeper; the
LORD makes him a leper (15:1-7)
P.
Zechariah
son of Jeroboam reigns briefly in Israel- Apostasy (15:8-12)
Q.
Shallum reigns briefly
in Israel (15:13-16)
R.
Menahem son of Gad
reigns briefly in Israel- Apostasy (15:17-22)
S.
Pekahiah son of Menahem reigns briefly in Israel- Apostasy (15:23-26)
T.
Pekah son of Remaliah reigns in Israel- Apostasy; Israel is taken captive by Assyria (c. 722 BC) (15:27-31)
U.
Jotham son of Uzziah reigns in Judah- Covenant keeper (15:32-38)
V.
Ahaz son of Jotham reigns in Judah- Apostasy; Jerusalem besieged and Ahaz
seeks assistance from King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria (16:1-20)
W.
Hosheah son of Elah reigns in Israel- Apostasy; Samaria is besieged and captured by Assyria (17:1-6)
X.
Israel is taken into Assyrian captivity because of
covenant disobedience (c. 722 BC) (17:7-41)
1.
Important
verse (v.33)- “So they feared the LORD but
also served their own gods after the manner of the nations from among whom
they had been carried away.”
V.
The Last
Kings of Judah/ The Righteous Reign of Josiah/ The Capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (2Kings 18-25)
A.
Hezekiah son of Ahaz
reigns in Judah- Covenant keeper. He
removes the altars of Baal from the land, keeps the covenant obediently,
and does not follow after the King of Assyria;
Judah
is besieged and taken to Assyria
(18:1-19:4)
B.
Hezekiah seeks Isaiah the
Prophet’s counsel; Isaiah prophesies of a remnant of Israel
(v.31) (19:5-34)
C.
The Angel of the LORD slays 185,000
Assyrians (19:35-37)
D.
Hezekiah’s sickness and
recovery; Isaiah’s prophecy of Babylonian captivity (20:1-21)
E.
Manasseh son of Hezekiah reigns in Judah
(Jerusalem)-
Increased apostasy (21:1-18)
F.
Amon son
of Manasseh reigns briefly in Judah
(Jerusalem)-
Apostasy (21:19-26)
G.
Josiah son of Amon
reigns in Judah-
Increased covenant keeping; the Book of the Covenant is recovered (22:1-20)
H.
Josiah calls together the people and
reads the Book of the Covenant; he kills the prophets of Baal and destroys
the altars of idolatry (23:1-20)
I.
Josiah calls for the people to keep
the Passover (23:21-30)
J.
Johoahaz
reigns in Juda (Jerusalem)-
Apostasy (23:31-37)
K.
Nebuchadnezzar
King of Babylon;
Judah
is destroyed for the sins of King Manasseh; (v.20) “For because of
the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem
and Judah
that he cast them out from his presence” (24:1-20)
L.
Nebuchadnezzar
destroys Jerusalem
and burns down the temple and kills the priests; he destroys the king’s
palace and the walls of Jerusalem
(25:1-26)
M.
Evil-merodach
King of Babylon
makes Johiachim, former King of Judah,
prime minister of Babylon
(25:27-30)
Response Paper
I
Kings 1-12: The glory of David is passing but because of the LORD’s faithfulness and promises made to David,
Solomon takes the throne. Solomon
prays for wisdom to lead the people, but wisdom is consistent with keeping
the covenant of God; Solomon unfortunately succumbs to the great
temptations of his foreign wives as Moses had warned in Deuteronomy. Although the land has rest under Solomon
and he builds a House for the LORD, things are not what they should be in Jerusalem. This section
ends with the evil sons of Solomon taking the throne in Judah and Israel: Rehoboam who temporarily
obeys then commits apostasy and Jeroboam who is apostate from the
beginning. In all the Book of Kings,
there is the motif “X King did evil in the eyes of the LORD” or
“X King kept the covenant as his father David before him.” The majority of the kings are apostate
particularly in Israel; but Judah is not far behind it her apostasy.
I
Kings 13-16: This section serves as a break between the fair rule of
Solomon and the apostate kings of Israel who “do evil in the eyes of the LORD” and
serve the baals.
This apostasy escalates until the consummate apostasy of King Ahab
and Jezebel are introduced in chapter 16.
The next section is concerned with them and the ministry of Elijah
and Elisha in the midst of this paganism.
I
Kings 17- II Kings 8: This is the section of what some have called the
“Elijah and Elisha cycles.” God sends prophets to warn his people of
covenant disobedience. They along
with other men of God, or sons of the prophets, are covenant prosecutors
who convict and judge Israel of her apostasy, eventually leading Israel away guilty into Exile.
The work of Elijah and Elisha are much
like the work of the Spirit of God in the church today. Much of their ministry is reflected in
the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is an escalated outpouring of God’s spirit upon certain
men who are prophets to lead Israel into repentance and a turning back to God lest he
consume them in his wrath. This
section ends when the sons of Ahab continue to be apostate and serve the baals.
II
Kings 9-17: All of Ahab’s House and Kingdom is destroyed, Jezebel is
killed but that does not decrease or remove the apostasy from Israel; they continue to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. Jehu begins to
destroy Baal worship but then he falls prey himself. Joash the son
of Ahaziah is hidden from the execution of Athaliah like Moses in Exodus, but Joash
only partially keeps the covenant and therefore is not the Moses of
Deuteronomy 18. There is a partial
covenant keeping in Judah but Israel is increasing in wickedness and apostasy before the
LORD. No matter how long or short
are the reigns of the kings in Israel, they all are apostate.
There is a glimmer of hope in Judah, but it is quickly removed as the darkness of apostasy
covers the whole land of Judah. In 17:33, the Israelites are trying to have their “cake
and eat it to”; that is, they want to serve God and the baals, but they have forgotten that the LORD said they
are either for him or against him: they cannot choose both life and
death. This section ends with Israel being taken into Assyrian captivity as the LORD had
warned them would happen if they did not repent. God in his graciousness preserves and
saves a remnant according to the Prophet Isaiah. The only hope Israel and Judah have is in the faithfulness and promises of the LORD
their God.
II
Kings 18-25: In this section there is increased apostasy in Judah, particularly in the reign of Manasseh. There is a brief reign of covenant
obedience in Josiah who lives according to the covenant as his father
David. He tears down all the altars
of Baal, kills the priests of Baal, and reads to the people the Book of the
Covenant. He even makes sure the
Passover is celebrated faithfully as he understands from the Book of
Deuteronomy. However, Jehoahaz takes the throne and leads Judah back into apostasy- -is there any hope now? Judah is sold as slaves into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar
King of Babylon (like Joseph being sold into the hands of Pharaoh and
the Egyptians). Nebuchadnezzar
destroys Jerusalem and her walls, the temple and her chief priests and the
palace of the king. The last chapter
ends with a bit of hope; hope that might remind the Israelites that in
spite of their disobedience, God was still faithful to his promises. Jehoiachim
who had been taken prisoner, was now made Prime Minister of Babylon under
Evil-merodach King of Babylon, much like Joseph
had been made Prime Minister of Egypt.
Is this to give the Israelites hope of another Exodus? For sure, the Israelites in the Exile are
experiencing an “Exodus reversal” but will God give them
another Exodus? The God of all
wisdom and grace will yet reveal his faithfulness to his people in his
promises.
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