Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Kings

The Story of the Kings
of Israel and Judah
Urban Leadership Academy

1 and 2 Kings
Key Ideals
 Kingship – good and evil
 The prophetic voice as the royal
conscience
 Worship – Yahwism vs. Baalism
 Covenant blessings (repentance
and restoration and curses
(Judgment and exile)
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
Purpose Statement
1 and 2 Kings
 The books of Kings continue the story of
kingship begun in Samuel
 Primary purpose is to record the “covenant
failure” of the Hebrew united and divided
monarchies. The biblical narrative implicitly
balances the notion of God’s sovereignty
and the reality of human freedom and
declares that God was justified in exiling
God’s people for the failure of the kings of
Israel and Judah to uphold the ideals of the
Davidic covenant.
Urban Leadership Academy

1 and 2 Kings
The Presence of God
 The books of Kings report God’s presence
manifest in the form of a cloud of glory
filling Solomon’s temple at its dedication (1
Kings 8:10-11).
 The reality of the divine presence associated
with the Jerusalem sanctuary is accented in
the foil of divine abandonment of the temple
and the fall of the Hebrew monarchies and
the exile of God’s people (cf. Ezek. 10:18-19)
Urban Leadership Academy

1 and 2 Kings
Major Themes
 Assessment of King Solomon
 Pre-classical and Classical
Prophecy
 Dynastic Succession and
Charismatic Leadership
 The Golden Calf Cult
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Kings

 Assessment of King Solomon
 He was “loved by Yahweh” (2 Sam 12:24-25)
 Bestowed with the gift of wisdom (1 Kings 3)
 Brought unprecedented peace, wealth and prosperity,
glory and splendor to Israel (1 Kings 10:14-29)
 Achieved international fame as a master builder (1 Kings
6:1-7:12)
 sage (1 Kings 10:23)
 An ardent student of the “arts and sciences” (1 Kings 4:29-34)
 Fell prey to the seductions of foreign women (1 Kings 11:1-3)
 Consumed by sensuality and materialism (Prov 5:1-14; 7:6-27)
 Idolatry (cf. 1 Kings 11:33 and 3:3)
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Kings
 instituted by
 Policies and Programs
Solomon:
1. Political alliance to foreign nations by
marriage (1 Kings 3:1-2)
2. Tendencies toward religious syncretism in an
effort to appease both the Canaanite and
Hebrew populations in Palestine (1 Kings 11:1-8)
3. The geographical realignment of Israel into
twelve administrative districts in an attempt
to erase old tribal boundaries and loyalties
(1 Kings 4:7-19)
4. The proliferation of state bureaucracy (1 Kings
4:22-28)
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
1 and 2 Kings
 Policies and Programs instituted by
Solomon:
5. Lavish building projects that required slave labor
among both the non-Hebrew and Hebrew residents
of Israel (1 Kings 9:15-22; cf. 5:13-18 and 12:9-11)
6. The influx of pagan political and religious
ideology in Jerusalem as a result of international
trade and commerce (cf. 1 Kings 9:26-28; 10:22-29)
7. The revolt of satellite states of Solomon’s military
power waned (with the ensuing loss of foreign
tribute as revenue compensated for by increased
taxation of the Israelites (1 Kings 11:9-25)
Urban Leadership Academy

1 and 2 Kings
 Pre-classical and Classical Prophecy
 Kings provide biography of the personality
and ministry of the non-writing prophets to
the Hebrew kingship
 Pre-classical prophecy (non-writing
prophets)
 The pre-classical prophets predate the
classical prophets
 Prophecy to the royal family
 Message was of judgment and national
destruction for covenant violation
Urban Leadership Academy

1 and 2 Kings
 Pre-classical and Classical Prophecy
 Classical prophecy (writing prophets)
 Preserved in oracle form
 Symbolic behavior rather than
miraculous events
 Message was to political and religious
leaders of the monarchies as well as
the populace
 Prophetic ministry expanded to the
surrounding nations
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
1 and 2 Kings
 Dynastic Succession and
Charismatic Leadership
 Associated with Judah kingship
 Monarch’s death the throne passed
to the eldest son
 Aging kings appointed his successor
or arranged a tenure of co-regency
for his successor
Urban Leadership Academy

1 and 2 Kings
 Dynastic Succession and Charismatic
Leadership
 Northern kingdom combined dynastic succession
and charismatic leadership model of the Hebrew
Judges
 God raised up gifted and able male or female
leaders to address political and religious crises
 Leaders empowered by the Holy Spirit
 Power manifested by extraordinary physical
strength, courage, and spiritual zeal
 Charismatic leaders were not passed down from
generation to the next
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1 and 2 Kings
 Cult
 The Golden Calf
 Term “calf” connoting any male or
female animal of the bovine family
 Bull god symbol from Egyptians
 Apis – sacred bull incarnation of the
son of Osiris
 Fertility deity who gave life, health,
and strength to the king and
agricultural and reproductive
fertility to the kingdom
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1 and 2 Chronicles

The Story of Kingship
from a Priestly
Perspective
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1 and 2 Chronicles

Key Ideals
 The retelling of the past to inspire
hope in the present
 The reigns of David and Solomon
idealized
 The centrality of temple worship
 The validation of the priests and
Levites as community leaders
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Chronicles

Purpose Statement
 Retell the story of the God of history, more
specifically the biography of the God of
Israel’s history—especially Davidic kingship
 The sermon-like narrative is a theology of
hope for the post-exilic Hebrew community,
affirming that God is faithful and God will
restore Davidic kingship and fulfill God’s
promises to raise up a shepherd-king like
David to rule over Israel (cf. Jer. 33:15-16;
Ezek. 34:23-24)
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Chronicles

The Presence of God
 Chronicles teach that God’s presence is more
important than a king’s presence
 Obedience to God is more important than
political power and national status
 The centrality of the temple, the proper worship
of Yahweh, and the authoritative role of the
priests and Levites underscored the divine
presence associated with Solomon’s temple as a
house of prayer (cf. 2 Chron. 5:14; 6:40)
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Chronicles

Major Themes
 Worship in the Old Testament
 The Chronicler’s Vocabulary
 Typology
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Chronicles
 Testament
 Worship in the Old
 Corporate & Individual worship (1 Chron. 31:20-21)
 Ordered and priestly led worship according
to liturgical calendar (2 Chron. 35:1-19)
 Response to Yahweh’s steadfast lovingkindness (1 Chron. 16:28-34; c.f. Hezekiah’s celebration
of 2 Passovers in one year (2 Chron. 30:13-22)
 Private worship (1 Chron. 16:23-27)
 Public Worship (1 Chron. 16:36; 29:9; 2 Chron. 5:2-14; 6:3-11)
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Chronicles
 is motivated by fear of
 True worship of Yahweh
the Lord (2 Chron. 2:9; 2 Chron. 19:9)
 Active experience – not passive
 Acknowledgement of God’s worth and reverence and
adoration included following gestures:
 Drink offerings and libations
 Presentation of sacrifices and burnt offerings
 Bowing down
 Burning incense
 Giving thank offerings and votive gifts
 Prayer in various postures
 Fasting
 Ritual washing
 Observing the great religious festivals” (2 Chron. 29:1219, 31-36, 42:13-27; 34:12; 22-28)
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Chronicles
 Worship as Word: 






Word of oath taking
Praise and thanksgiving
Of prayer
Joyful song
Confession
Liturgical responses by congregation (cf. 1
Chron. 15:19; 16:4, 9, 23,36,40; 17:16-27; 2 Chron. 15:15)
 Worship as a Place
 In the temple (2 Chron. 5:2-7:10)
 Not limited by bounds of time or confines of “scared place”
(2 Chron. 6:12-23)
Urban Leadership Academy
1 and 2 Chronicles

 The Chronicler’s Vocabulary
 Repentance – Yahweh’s ability to turn
from wrath in face of repentance
 Balance of “internal” and “external”
 “rejoicing and serving God with pure
heart (1 Chron. 28:9; 29:9)
 Generous; giving and faithfulness
(1 Chron. 29:1-9, 14, 17; 2 Chron. 19:9)
 Thankful and joyful celebration and
worship (1 Chron. 16:4-7; 22-30; 29:13)
Urban Leadership Academy
 Typology
1 and 2 Chronicles

 Method of exegesis – establishes
historical correspondence between Old
Testament events, persons, or objects and
ideas by foreshadowing or prototype
 Priesthood of Melchizedek (Gen 14:1724) prototype of Jesus (Heb 7:1-22)
 Tabernacle symbols of foreshadowing
Christ’s eternal (Heb. 9:6-14)
 David as a 2nd Moses
 Solomon as 2nd Joshua
Urban Leadership Academy
Next Week

 The Historical Books – Part V
 Ezra – Nehemiah (pgs 329-344)
 Esther (pgs 347-355)
 Archaeology and the Old
Testament
 Review for Final Exam

 Reading Assignment:
 Pages 329 thru 370
(36 PAGES)