1 Kings

Part One: Introduction to 1 Kings

The Book

1 and 2 Kings were originally one book in the Hebrew Bible. The Greek Septuagint divided it in two and called the books "3 and 4 Kingdoms," following 1 and 2 Samuel. The King James Version heading reflects this: "The First Book of the Kings, commonly called the Third Book of the Kings." Together, Kings traces Israel's history from the death of David to the Babylonian exile, about 400 years.

Author and Date

The author is not named. Jewish tradition (the Talmud) credits Jeremiah, and the book's style and outlook are close to his. The final events recorded in 2 Kings, the release of King Jehoiachin from prison in Babylon in the 37th year of his captivity (2 Kings 25:27-30), place the completion around 560 BC, during the exile. The author drew on written records he names: "the book of the acts of Solomon" (11:41), "the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel" (14:19) and "the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah" (14:29), as well as prophetic records.

Period Covered

1 Kings covers about 120 years, from David's last days and Solomon's accession (around 970 BC) to the death of Ahab and the beginning of Ahaziah's reign in Israel (around 853 BC). It includes the glory of Solomon's reign, the building of the temple, the division of the kingdom (around 930 BC), and the ministry of Elijah.

Purpose and Theme

Kings is not simply political history. It is prophetic history, written to explain why Israel and Judah went into exile. Every king is judged by one standard: faithfulness to the LORD and His covenant, measured against David ("did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father") or against Jeroboam ("walked in the way of Jeroboam... wherewith he made Israel to sin"). Military and economic success are mentioned briefly; spiritual faithfulness is the focus. Omri, a powerful king remembered in Assyrian records, gets only eight verses (16:21-28).

And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness... Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever... But if ye shall at all turn from following me... Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them

1 Kings 9:4-7

Key themes include: the blessing that follows obedience and the judgment that follows idolatry; the faithfulness of God to His promise to David ("for David's sake," 11:12-13, 32-36; 15:4); the central role of the temple; and the power of God's word through His prophets, whose predictions are repeatedly shown fulfilled.

The Divided Kingdom

After Solomon, the kingdom split in two:

Kings in 1 Kings

Dates are approximate.

Outline of 1 Kings

Part Two: Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis

Section I: The United Kingdom Under Solomon (Chapters 1-11)

Chapter 1 — Solomon Made King

David was old and could not keep warm; a young woman, Abishag, was brought to care for him (1:1-4). His son Adonijah, the eldest surviving son and very handsome, exalted himself, saying, "I will be king" (1:5). "And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?" (1:6). David's failure as a father showed again, as with Amnon and Absalom. Joab and Abiathar the priest supported Adonijah; Zadok, Benaiah, Nathan and David's mighty men did not (1:7-10). Nathan and Bathsheba reminded David of his oath that Solomon would reign (1:11-27; compare 1 Chronicles 22:9-10). David acted at once: Solomon rode on the king's own mule to Gihon, Zadok anointed him, the trumpet sounded, and the people cried, "God save king Solomon" (1:32-40). Adonijah's guests scattered, and he fled to the horns of the altar; Solomon spared him on condition of good behaviour (1:49-53).

Chapter 2 — David's Charge and Solomon's Kingdom Secured

Before he died, David charged Solomon:

I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes... as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest

1 Kings 2:2-3

He reminded Solomon of God's conditional promise of an unbroken line (2:4) and gave instructions about Joab, who had murdered Abner and Amasa, about showing kindness to Barzillai's sons, and about Shimei (2:5-9). David died after reigning forty years (2:10-11).

Solomon secured the kingdom. Adonijah asked, through Bathsheba, to marry Abishag, which amounted to a claim on the throne (compare 2 Samuel 16:21-22), and Solomon had him executed (2:13-25). Abiathar was removed from the priesthood "that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh" (2:27; 1 Samuel 2:31-35). Joab fled to the altar and was executed there for his murders (2:28-34). Benaiah replaced him, and Zadok became priest (2:35). Shimei was confined to Jerusalem on his oath; when he left to chase runaway slaves, he was executed (2:36-46). "And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon" (2:46).

Chapter 3 — Solomon Asks for Wisdom

Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt (3:1), an early sign of compromise. "And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places" (3:3). At Gibeon, where the tabernacle then stood (2 Chronicles 1:3), he offered a thousand burnt offerings, and God appeared to him in a dream: "Ask what I shall give thee" (3:5). Solomon answered with humility:

And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in... Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad

1 Kings 3:7, 9

"And the speech pleased the Lord" (3:10). Because he did not ask for long life, riches or the death of his enemies, God gave him "a wise and an understanding heart" and also riches and honour beyond any king, and long life if he obeyed (3:11-14). "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" (James 1:5).

Solomon's wisdom was soon tested. Two harlots who lived together each had a baby; one baby died, and both claimed the living child (3:16-22). Solomon called for a sword: "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other" (3:25). The true mother cried out to give the child to the other woman; the false mother agreed to divide it. Solomon gave the child to the true mother (3:26-27). "And all Israel heard of the judgment... and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment" (3:28).

Chapter 4 — Solomon's Administration and Wisdom

Solomon organised his government with officials and twelve district governors who supplied the royal court one month each (4:1-19, 27-28). It was a golden age: "Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry" (4:20). His dominion stretched from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt (4:21), the borders promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18). "Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree" (4:25), a picture later used of the Messiah's kingdom (Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10). But he also had many horses and chariots (4:26), which Deuteronomy 17:16 forbade multiplying.

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

1 Kings 4:29

He spoke 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs (4:32), and taught about trees, animals, birds, reptiles and fish (4:33). Some of his proverbs are preserved in the book of Proverbs, and his songs in the Song of Solomon and Psalms 72 and 127. People came from all nations to hear his wisdom (4:34).

Chapter 5 — Preparations for the Temple

Hiram king of Tyre, David's friend, sent congratulations. Solomon told him he would now build the house David could not build because of his wars, and asked for cedar from Lebanon (5:1-6). Hiram agreed in exchange for wheat and oil (5:7-12). Solomon raised a levy of 30,000 Israelites working a month in Lebanon and two at home, plus 70,000 carriers and 80,000 stonecutters, with 3,300 overseers (5:13-16). They quarried "great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house" (5:17).

Chapter 6 — The Temple Built

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

1 Kings 6:1

This verse, dating the Exodus to about 1446 BC, is a key anchor for Bible chronology. The temple was 60 cubits long, 20 wide and 30 high (about 90 by 30 by 45 feet), twice the size of the tabernacle and following its pattern, with a porch, side chambers on three levels, and windows (6:2-10). "And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building" (6:7). Many see a picture of the church, built of "lively stones" shaped in this world and fitted into God's house without noise (1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:21-22).

In the middle of construction, God reminded Solomon that obedience mattered more than the building: "if thou wilt walk in my statutes... then will I perform my word with thee... And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel" (6:12-13). The interior was lined with cedar and overlaid with gold (6:14-22). The Most Holy Place (the oracle) was a perfect cube of 20 cubits, entirely overlaid with gold, containing two cherubim of olive wood, each 10 cubits high, whose wings touched the walls and each other (6:19-28). Carvings of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers decorated the walls and doors (6:29-35), recalling the garden of Eden. It took seven years to build (6:38).

Chapter 7 — Solomon's Palace and the Temple Furnishings

Solomon spent thirteen years building his own house (7:1), nearly twice as long as the temple. He also built the house of the forest of Lebanon, the porch of judgment with his throne, and a house for Pharaoh's daughter (7:2-12). Hiram, a skilled bronze worker from Tyre whose mother was a widow of Naphtali, "filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass" (7:13-14), made the temple's bronze furnishings:

• Two pillars at the porch, named Jachin ("he shall establish") and Boaz ("in it is strength") (7:15-22).
• The molten sea, a huge bronze basin for the priests' washing, standing on twelve bronze oxen facing the four directions (7:23-26).
• Ten bronze bases and lavers for washing sacrifices (7:27-39).
• Gold furnishings for inside: the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, ten candlesticks, and many vessels (7:48-50).

Solomon brought in the gold, silver and vessels David had dedicated (7:51).

Chapter 8 — The Dedication of the Temple

At the Feast of Tabernacles in the seventh month, the priests brought the ark from the city of David into the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim (8:1-6). "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb" (8:9). Then:

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

1 Kings 8:10-11

As at the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35), God's glory came to dwell among His people. Solomon blessed the people and praised God for keeping His word to David (8:14-21). Then, standing and later kneeling before the altar with hands spread toward heaven (8:22, 54), he prayed one of the longest prayers in Scripture. He confessed God's uniqueness and faithfulness (8:23-26) and His greatness:

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

1 Kings 8:27

He asked God to hear prayers made toward this house in seven situations: oaths and justice (8:31-32); defeat by enemies because of sin (8:33-34); drought (8:35-36); famine and plague (8:37-40); the prayer of a foreigner, "that all people of the earth may know thy name" (8:41-43); battle (8:44-45); and captivity in a foreign land, "for there is no man that sinneth not," if they repent and pray toward the land, the city and the house (8:46-53). Daniel later prayed toward Jerusalem from Babylon three times a day (Daniel 6:10), and God answered in the return from exile. Solomon blessed the people: "there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant" (8:56), and prayed "That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else" (8:60). Huge sacrifices and a fourteen-day feast followed (8:62-66).

Chapter 9 — God's Answer and Warning

God appeared to Solomon a second time: "I have heard thy prayer... I have hallowed this house... and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually" (9:3). But He gave a solemn warning: if Solomon and his descendants turned to other gods, "Then will I cut off Israel out of the land... and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight... And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss" (9:6-8). This was fulfilled when Babylon destroyed the temple in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:9). The chapter then lists Solomon's building projects and forced labour of the remaining Canaanites (9:15-24), including the fortified cities Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer (9:15). Archaeologists have found similar six-chambered gates at all three sites, often attributed to Solomon's era, though their dating is debated. Hiram was not pleased with the twenty cities Solomon gave him, calling them Cabul ("as nothing") (9:11-13). Solomon's fleet at Ezion-geber brought 420 talents of gold from Ophir (9:26-28).

Chapter 10 — The Queen of Sheba and Solomon's Splendour

The queen of Sheba, probably from southern Arabia, heard of Solomon's fame "concerning the name of the LORD" and came "to prove him with hard questions" (10:1). She brought spices, gold and precious stones. "And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king" (10:3). When she saw his wisdom, his house, his servants and "his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her" (10:4-5).

It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me

1 Kings 10:6-7

"Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel" (10:9). She gave him 120 talents of gold. Jesus said, "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42). A Gentile travelled far to hear wisdom; Israel rejected the One who is Wisdom itself.

Solomon's wealth was staggering: 666 talents of gold came in each year (10:14), apart from trade revenue. (The number 666 appears elsewhere in Scripture only in Ezra 2:13 as a family count and in Revelation 13:18; some have noted the link with Solomon's later decline, though Scripture does not draw it.) He made 200 large and 300 small shields of gold (10:16-17), an ivory throne overlaid with gold with six steps and twelve lions (10:18-20). "None were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon" (10:21). His ships of Tharshish brought gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks every three years (10:22). "So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom" (10:23). Yet the chapter ends with warning signs: he multiplied horses and chariots, bringing horses out of Egypt (10:26-29), as Deuteronomy 17:16 forbade. Jesus later said, "even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" lilies (Matthew 6:29).

Chapter 11 — Solomon's Heart Turned Away

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites... Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

1 Kings 11:1-3

God had forbidden marriage to these peoples "for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods" (11:2; Deuteronomy 7:3-4), and the king was not to "multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away" (Deuteronomy 17:17). "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father" (11:4). He built high places for Ashtoreth of the Zidonians, Milcom and Molech of the Ammonites, and Chemosh of Moab "in the hill that is before Jerusalem" (11:5-8), the Mount of Olives, later called "the mount of corruption" (2 Kings 23:13). Solomon broke all three of Deuteronomy's laws for kings: horses, wives and gold (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). Nehemiah later warned, "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things?... even him did outlandish women cause to sin" (Nehemiah 13:26).

"And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice" (11:9). God would tear the kingdom from him, but not in his days and not all of it, "for David thy father's sake," leaving one tribe "for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen" (11:11-13). God raised up adversaries: Hadad the Edomite (11:14-22), Rezon of Damascus (11:23-25), and Jeroboam son of Nebat, an able Ephraimite whom Solomon had put in charge of forced labour (11:26-28). The prophet Ahijah of Shiloh met Jeroboam, tore his own new garment into twelve pieces, and gave him ten: "Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee" (11:29-31). If Jeroboam obeyed, God would "build thee a sure house, as I built for David" (11:38). "And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever" (11:39), a hint of future restoration through the Messiah. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, who fled to Shishak of Egypt (11:40). Solomon died after reigning forty years (11:42-43).

Solomon's life is a solemn warning. The wisest man who ever lived, who began by asking for an understanding heart and built God's house, ended by building altars to idols. Wisdom without continued obedience cannot save. Many believe Ecclesiastes reflects his later reflections on the emptiness of life without God (Ecclesiastes 1:1; 12:13-14), though Scripture does not record his repentance.

Section II: The Divided Kingdom (Chapters 12-22)

Chapter 12 — The Kingdom Divides

Rehoboam, Solomon's son, went to Shechem to be made king (12:1). Jeroboam returned from Egypt, and the people asked Rehoboam to lighten the heavy yoke Solomon had placed on them (12:3-4; compare 1 Samuel 8:11-18). The old men who had served Solomon advised, "If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them... then they will be thy servants for ever" (12:7). This is servant leadership (Mark 10:42-45). Rehoboam rejected it and followed the young men he grew up with: "My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins... my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions" (12:10-11). "Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah" (12:15). God's sovereignty worked through Rehoboam's pride.

Israel answered, "What portion have we in David?... to your tents, O Israel" (12:16), the same cry as Sheba's revolt (2 Samuel 20:1). They stoned Rehoboam's tax officer, and Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem (12:18). The ten northern tribes made Jeroboam king; only Judah (with Benjamin) followed the house of David (12:19-21). When Rehoboam gathered an army to fight, the prophet Shemaiah said, "Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren... for this thing is from me" (12:22-24), and they obeyed.

Jeroboam feared that if his people went to Jerusalem to worship, their hearts would turn back to Rehoboam (12:26-27). So he made two golden calves and said, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (12:28), almost the exact words of Aaron at Sinai (Exodus 32:4). He set one at Bethel in the south and one at Dan in the far north (12:29), built high places, appointed priests "of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi" (12:31), and invented a feast in the eighth month to rival Tabernacles, "in the month which he had devised of his own heart" (12:32-33). Many faithful priests, Levites and others moved south to Judah (2 Chronicles 11:13-16). From here on, the phrase "the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin" becomes the verdict on almost every northern king. Political religion, designed for convenience and control, led the nation to ruin.

Chapter 13 — The Man of God from Judah

As Jeroboam stood at his altar in Bethel, a man of God from Judah cried against it: "O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places" (13:2). This prophecy, naming a king about 300 years in advance, was fulfilled exactly by King Josiah (2 Kings 23:15-18). As a sign, the altar split and its ashes poured out (13:3, 5). Jeroboam stretched out his hand to seize the prophet, and it dried up; at the prophet's prayer it was healed (13:4, 6). The man of God refused the king's reward, because God had commanded him not to eat or drink there or return the same way (13:7-10).

An old prophet of Bethel followed him and lied: "I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back" (13:18). The man of God went back and ate. Then the word of the LORD came through the lying prophet, pronouncing judgment for his disobedience (13:20-22). On the way, a lion killed him, and the lion and the donkey stood beside the body untouched, a clearly supernatural judgment (13:24-28). The old prophet buried him and asked to be buried beside him, confirming his prophecy (13:29-32). The lesson: when God has spoken clearly, no claim of new revelation, even from a prophet or "an angel," can override it (Galatians 1:8). "After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way" (13:33).

Chapter 14 — Jeroboam's Judgment; Rehoboam's Sins

Jeroboam's son Abijah fell sick, and Jeroboam sent his wife in disguise to the old, blind prophet Ahijah (14:1-4). God told Ahijah who was coming. Ahijah pronounced judgment: because Jeroboam had "done evil above all that were before thee... and hast cast me behind thy back," God would "take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone" (14:9-10). The child would die as she entered the city, and be the only one of the family buried with honour, "because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel" (14:13). Ahijah also foretold that God would "root up Israel out of this good land... and shall scatter them beyond the river" (14:15), fulfilled when Assyria took Israel captive (2 Kings 17:6). The child died as foretold (14:17).

In Judah, Rehoboam reigned seventeen years, and Judah also did evil, building high places, images and groves, with sodomites (male cult prostitutes) in the land, "according to all the abominations of the nations" (14:21-24). In his fifth year, Shishak king of Egypt took the treasures of the temple and palace, including Solomon's gold shields; Rehoboam replaced them with bronze (14:25-28). Glory gave way to imitation. Shishak (Pharaoh Sheshonq I) recorded his campaign in Canaan on a wall of the temple at Karnak in Egypt, one of the clearest external confirmations of an event in Kings.

Chapter 15 — Abijam, Asa, Nadab and Baasha

Abijam reigned three years in Judah and "walked in all the sins of his father" (15:1-3). "Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem," because "David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD... save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (15:4-5). God's faithfulness to His covenant kept David's line burning through many unfaithful kings.

Asa reigned 41 years and "did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father" (15:11). He removed the cult prostitutes and idols, and even removed his grandmother Maachah from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove, burning it at the brook Kidron (15:12-13). "But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days" (15:14). When Baasha of Israel threatened him, however, Asa paid Ben-hadad of Syria with temple treasures to attack Israel (15:16-21). 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 records a prophet's rebuke: "Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD... For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." In old age Asa was diseased in his feet (15:23).

In Israel, Nadab, Jeroboam's son, reigned two years and was assassinated by Baasha, who wiped out the whole house of Jeroboam, "according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah" (15:25-30). Baasha reigned 24 years and walked in the way of Jeroboam (15:33-34).

Chapter 16 — Baasha to Ahab

The prophet Jehu son of Hanani pronounced the same judgment on Baasha's house as on Jeroboam's (16:1-4). His son Elah reigned two years and was murdered while drunk by Zimri, a chariot commander, who destroyed Baasha's family "according to the word of the LORD" (16:8-13). Zimri reigned seven days; when the army made Omri king, Zimri burned the palace over himself (16:15-19). After a struggle with Tibni, Omri reigned twelve years. He bought the hill of Samaria and built a new capital there (16:23-24), which remained Israel's capital until its fall. "But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him" (16:25). Outside the Bible, Omri was famous: the Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele) mentions him, and Assyrian records called Israel "the house of Omri" long after his dynasty ended.

His son Ahab reigned 22 years and "did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him" (16:30). He married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and served Baal, building a temple and altar for Baal in Samaria and making a grove (Asherah pole) (16:31-33). "Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him" (16:33). Ahab moved Israel from corrupt worship of the LORD (the calves) to open worship of a foreign god. In his days, Hiel rebuilt Jericho, and lost his firstborn and youngest sons, "according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua" (16:34; Joshua 6:26). Into this darkness God sent Elijah.

Chapter 17 — Elijah, the Drought and the Widow of Zarephath

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

1 Kings 17:1

Elijah's name means "my God is the LORD (Jehovah)," the very issue at stake. Baal was worshipped as the god of rain and storms; the drought struck at the heart of Baal worship. It lasted three and a half years (Luke 4:25; James 5:17), and came in answer to Elijah's prayer (James 5:17; compare Deuteronomy 11:16-17).

God hid Elijah by the brook Cherith, where "the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening" (17:4-6). When the brook dried up, God sent him to Zarephath, a town of Zidon, Jezebel's homeland, to be fed by a widow (17:8-9). She was gathering sticks to cook her last handful of meal for herself and her son, "that we may eat it, and die" (17:12). Elijah asked her to make him a little cake first, with God's promise: "The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth" (17:13-14). She obeyed by faith, "and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days" (17:15-16).

Later her son died. Elijah carried him to his room, stretched himself on the child three times, and cried, "O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again" (17:21). The child revived, the first resurrection recorded in the Bible (17:22). The widow said, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth" (17:24). Jesus pointed out that of all the widows in Israel, Elijah was sent to a Gentile widow of Sidon (Luke 4:25-26), a sign of grace to the nations. Hebrews 11:35 recalls that "women received their dead raised to life again."

Chapter 18 — The Contest on Mount Carmel

In the third year, God sent Elijah to Ahab, promising rain (18:1). Obadiah, Ahab's palace steward, "feared the LORD greatly" and had hidden a hundred prophets of the LORD in caves when Jezebel was killing them (18:3-4, 13). Elijah met Ahab, who said, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim" (18:17-18).

Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the groves to meet him on Mount Carmel before all Israel (18:19-20). He said to the people:

How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

1 Kings 18:21

"The God that answereth by fire, let him be God" (18:24). The prophets of Baal prepared their bull and called on Baal from morning until noon, leaping on the altar (18:26). At noon Elijah mocked them: "Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked" (18:27). They cried louder and cut themselves with knives until the blood gushed out, and kept on until the evening sacrifice, "but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded" (18:28-29).

Elijah repaired "the altar of the LORD that was broken down," using twelve stones for the twelve tribes, though the nation was divided (18:30-31). He dug a trench and had twelve barrels of water poured over the sacrifice and wood until the trench was full (18:32-35). At the time of the evening sacrifice, he prayed a short, simple prayer:

LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

1 Kings 18:36-37

"Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench" (18:38). The people fell on their faces: "The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God" (18:39). The prophets of Baal were executed at the brook Kishon, as the law required for false prophets (18:40; Deuteronomy 13:5).

Then Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bowed with his face between his knees, and prayed for rain (18:42). Six times his servant saw nothing; the seventh time, "there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand" (18:44). Soon the sky was black with clouds and there was a great rain. "And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah," and he ran ahead of Ahab's chariot to Jezreel, about 17 miles (18:45-46). James 5:17-18 presents Elijah as a model of prayer: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain... And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain."

Chapter 19 — Elijah at Horeb

When Jezebel heard what had happened, she vowed to kill Elijah within a day (19:1-2). The man who faced 850 false prophets ran for his life. He left his servant at Beersheba, went a day into the wilderness, sat under a juniper tree, and asked to die: "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" (19:4). Spiritual highs are often followed by deep lows. God's first care was physical: He let Elijah sleep, and an angel touched him twice with food and water, "because the journey is too great for thee" (19:5-8). In the strength of that food, he travelled forty days and nights to Horeb, the mount of God where Moses had received the law (19:8).

In a cave, God asked, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" Elijah poured out his complaint: he had been zealous, Israel had forsaken the covenant, "and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life" (19:9-10). God passed by: a great wind tore the mountains, but the LORD was not in the wind; then an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; then a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; "and after the fire a still small voice" (19:11-12). God often works not in the spectacular but in the quiet power of His word. God asked the same question again and received the same answer (19:13-14). Then He gave Elijah new work: anoint Hazael king of Syria, Jehu king of Israel, and Elisha as prophet in his place (19:15-17). And He corrected Elijah's despair:

Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

1 Kings 19:18

Paul quotes this: "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace" (Romans 11:2-5). Elijah found Elisha plowing with twelve yoke of oxen and threw his mantle over him (19:19). Elisha asked to say goodbye to his parents, then slaughtered his oxen, burned the plow equipment to cook them, fed the people, and followed Elijah (19:20-21). He burned his bridges behind him. Compare Jesus' words: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:61-62).

Chapter 20 — Ahab's Wars with Syria

Ben-hadad of Syria, with 32 allied kings, besieged Samaria and made arrogant demands (20:1-6). Ahab replied, "Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off" (20:11). A prophet told Ahab that God would give him the victory, "and thou shalt know that I am the LORD" (20:13), and Israel won (20:16-21). The Syrians concluded, "Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain" (20:23). God answered through a man of God: "Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand" (20:28). Israel won again at Aphek (20:29-30). But when Ben-hadad begged for mercy, Ahab called him "my brother," made a treaty, and let him go (20:32-34). A prophet, disguised as a wounded soldier, told a parable and declared, "Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people" (20:42). Ahab went home "heavy and displeased" (20:43).

Chapter 21 — Naboth's Vineyard

Ahab wanted the vineyard of Naboth, next to his palace in Jezreel, for a vegetable garden. Naboth refused: "The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee" (21:3). He honoured God's law that family land was not to be permanently sold (Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7). Ahab went home sulking and refused to eat (21:4). Jezebel mocked him, "Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?" (21:7), and wrote letters in Ahab's name to the elders of Jezreel, ordering a fast and two "sons of Belial" to falsely accuse Naboth of blaspheming God and the king (21:8-10). They obeyed. Naboth was stoned outside the city, and Ahab went to take the vineyard (21:13-16).

God sent Elijah to meet him there:

Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?... In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

1 Kings 21:19

Ahab said, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" Elijah answered, "I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD" (21:20). His house would be cut off like those of Jeroboam and Baasha, and "The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel" (21:21-24). "But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up" (21:25). Yet when Ahab heard, he tore his clothes, wore sackcloth, fasted and "went softly," and God told Elijah, "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days" (21:27-29). God's mercy responded even to the partial humbling of the worst king, though the judgment was only delayed. Revelation 2:20 uses "Jezebel" as the name of a false prophetess who led believers into immorality and idolatry.

Chapter 22 — Micaiah and the Death of Ahab

Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah, allied himself with Ahab by marriage (2 Chronicles 18:1) and agreed to join him against Syria at Ramoth-gilead, saying, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people" (22:4). But he wisely asked first to "enquire... at the word of the LORD" (22:5). Ahab gathered 400 prophets, who all said, "Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king" (22:6). Jehoshaphat sensed something wrong: "Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?" (22:7). Ahab answered, "There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah... but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil" (22:8). Zedekiah, one of the false prophets, made iron horns as a sign of victory (22:11).

The messenger urged Micaiah to agree with the others, but he said, "As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak" (22:14). At first he repeated their words sarcastically; when pressed, he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd" (22:17). Then he described a vision of God's heavenly court: God asked who would entice Ahab to his death, and a spirit offered to be "a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets," and God permitted it (22:19-23). God gave Ahab over to the lies he preferred, as He judicially gives over those who reject the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11; Romans 1:24, 28). Zedekiah struck Micaiah on the cheek (22:24). Ahab had Micaiah imprisoned on bread and water "until I come in peace." Micaiah answered, "If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me" (22:27-28).

Ahab disguised himself in battle and let Jehoshaphat wear his royal robes. The Syrians, ordered to kill only the king of Israel, chased Jehoshaphat until he cried out and they saw he was not Ahab (22:30-33). "And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness" (22:34). A random arrow was guided by God. Ahab died that evening (22:35). His chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria, "and the dogs licked up his blood... according unto the word of the LORD which he spake" (22:38). The chapter summarises the good reign of Jehoshaphat in Judah, who walked in the ways of Asa (22:41-50), though he was rebuked for his alliance with Ahab: "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?" (2 Chronicles 19:2). The book ends with Ahab's son Ahaziah beginning an evil reign in Israel (22:51-53).

Part Three: Christ in 1 Kings

Solomon as a Type of Christ

The great difference: Solomon's heart turned away, and his kingdom divided. Christ's heart never wavered, and His kingdom will never end. Psalm 72, "A Psalm for Solomon," describes a King far greater than Solomon, whose reign is eternal and universal.

The Temple and Christ

The temple, like the tabernacle, pointed to God dwelling with His people. Jesus said, "in this place is one greater than the temple" (Matthew 12:6) and spoke of His body as the temple: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19-21). Solomon's prayer that sinners could pray toward the temple and be heard (8:30-50) is fulfilled in Christ, through whom we "come boldly unto the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16). Stephen quoted Solomon's own words: "the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 7:47-50; 1 Kings 8:27). Now believers individually and together are God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).

Elijah and Christ

Elijah points forward both to John the Baptist and to Christ:

Naboth: The Innocent Condemned

Naboth was a faithful man who refused to give up his God-given inheritance, condemned by false witnesses on a charge of blasphemy against God and the king, and executed outside the city (21:10-13). Jesus was likewise accused by false witnesses (Matthew 26:59-61), condemned for blasphemy (Matthew 26:65), and crucified outside the gate (Hebrews 13:12). Stephen died the same way (Acts 6:11-13; 7:58).

Micaiah: The Faithful Prophet

Micaiah, the lone true prophet against 400, hated because he told the truth, struck on the cheek and imprisoned, foresaw Israel "as sheep that have not a shepherd" (22:17). Jesus was struck for His testimony (John 18:22-23), hated for telling the truth (John 8:45), and was moved with compassion because the people were "as sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34).

The Lamp for David's Sake

Again and again God preserved the house of David "for David's sake" (11:12-13, 32-36; 15:4). Through evil kings and a divided kingdom, the lamp did not go out, because the promise of 2 Samuel 7 would be fulfilled in Christ, "the light of the world" (John 8:12).

Part Four: Fulfilled Prophecies

Part Five: Key Passages in Depth

1 Kings 3 — Asking for Wisdom

Solomon's request is a model of prayer: humble ("I am but a little child"), focused on serving others ("to judge thy people"), and spiritual rather than selfish. God gave more than he asked (Ephesians 3:20). Yet the same chapter shows the seeds of his fall: a marriage alliance with Egypt and sacrifice at high places (3:1-3). Gifts are not the same as faithfulness.

1 Kings 8 — Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

The prayer teaches that God is unique and faithful (8:23), transcendent yet near (8:27-30), that "there is no man that sinneth not" (8:46), that repentance brings forgiveness (8:47-50), and that God's purpose is for "all the people of the earth" to know Him (8:43, 60). It anticipates both the exile and the return.

1 Kings 11 — How the Wise Fall

Solomon did not fall suddenly. His heart was turned "when Solomon was old" (11:4), the result of years of small compromises: political marriages, multiplied horses and wealth, and tolerance of high places. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23), wrote Solomon himself.

1 Kings 18 — Decision at Carmel

Elijah's challenge, "How long halt ye between two opinions?" (18:21), confronts every age. The people "limped" between the LORD and Baal, trying to keep both. God answers with fire and proves He alone is God. Elijah's prayer was short, God-centred ("let it be known this day that thou art God"), and based on God's word ("I have done all these things at thy word," 18:36).

1 Kings 19 — God's Care for a Discouraged Servant

God met Elijah's despair with rest, food, gentle questions, a revelation of Himself in a still small voice, new work and a reminder that he was not alone. Spiritual depression is not answered by rebuke but by God's tender care and renewed purpose.

1 Kings 22 — Truth vs. Popular Religion

Four hundred prophets told the king what he wanted to hear; one told him the truth and was hated for it. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3). Micaiah's rule, "what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak" (22:14), is the rule for every preacher.

Part Six: The Major Teachings of 1 Kings

1. Faithfulness Determines Destiny

Every king is measured by his faithfulness to the LORD. Prosperity and power count for nothing if the heart turns from God (9:4-9; 11:9-11).

2. The Danger of Compromise

Solomon's foreign wives, horses and gold (11; Deuteronomy 17:16-17), and Jehoshaphat's alliance with Ahab (22), show how compromise gradually turns the heart.

3. The Sin of Man-Made Religion

Jeroboam's calves were worship of the LORD in a way "devised of his own heart" (12:33), and they led to Ahab's open Baal worship. False worship is never neutral.

4. The Power of the Prophetic Word

Every prophecy in 1 Kings is fulfilled, often in detail and sometimes centuries later (13:2). "Not one word" of God fails (8:56).

5. God's Faithfulness to David

For David's sake God kept a lamp burning in Jerusalem (11:36; 15:4), preserving the line of the Messiah through unfaithful kings.

6. The Exclusive Claims of the LORD

Carmel proves there is one true God (18:39). God is "God of the hills" and "of the valleys" (20:28); Baal is nothing.

7. Prayer

Solomon's prayer (8), Elijah's prayers for drought, resurrection, fire and rain (17-18; James 5:16-18), and Ahab's humbling (21:27-29) all show God responding to prayer.

8. Wisdom

True wisdom begins with God and is given by Him (3:9-12; Proverbs 1:7; James 1:5), but it must be joined to lifelong obedience.

9. God's Justice and Mercy

God judges the houses of Jeroboam, Baasha and Ahab exactly as He said, yet shows mercy to a dying child (14:13), a Gentile widow (17), and even Ahab when he humbled himself (21:29).

10. The Faithful Remnant

In the worst of times God had Obadiah, a hundred hidden prophets, Micaiah and seven thousand who did not bow to Baal (18:4; 19:18; 22:8). God always preserves a remnant (Romans 11:5).

Part Seven: Connections — How 1 Kings Links to the Rest of the Bible

1 Kings in the New Testament

1 Kings in the Old Testament

Themes That Run from 1 Kings Through Scripture

Part Eight: Practical Lessons

• Fathers must correct their children (1:6).
• Be strong and obey God's Word (2:2-3).
• Ask God for wisdom before riches (3:9; James 1:5).
• Give God your best and first (6; 7:1 shows Solomon built his own house longer).
• Pray for your nation and for the nations (8:41-43, 60).
• Small compromises turn the heart over time (11:1-4).
• Lead by serving (12:7).
• Seek wise counsel, not just agreeable counsel (12:8).
• Never worship God in your own invented way (12:33).
• Obey what God has clearly said, whatever others claim (13:18-24).
• God keeps His promises across generations (15:4).
• God provides in unexpected ways (17:4-16).
• Choose: "How long halt ye between two opinions?" (18:21).
• Persevere in prayer (18:43-44; James 5:16-18).
• Rest and eat when you are worn out; God cares for the whole person (19:5-8).
• You are never as alone as you feel (19:18).
• Follow the Lord without looking back (19:21).
• Covetousness leads to terrible sin (21).
• Tell the truth even when it is unpopular (22:14).
• Don't partner with the ungodly (22:4; 2 Chronicles 19:2).

Part Nine: Key Verses to Memorize

Conclusion

1 Kings opens in glory and closes in darkness. Under Solomon, Israel reached the height of its wealth, wisdom and influence: the temple was built, God's glory filled it, and the nations came to hear the wisdom God gave. But Solomon's heart turned away, the kingdom split in two, and the northern kingdom sank from Jeroboam's calves to Ahab's Baal worship. Into that darkness God sent Elijah, whose fire on Carmel proved that the LORD alone is God. Through every failure, God kept His word: judgment came exactly as the prophets said, and the lamp of David was not put out. The book points beyond Solomon to the One "greater than Solomon," the true Temple and the true King, whose wisdom never fails and whose kingdom will never be divided.

Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

1 Kings 8:61