DAY 171: JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 KINGS 14-18

June 18, 2024

1 KINGS 14-18
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DAY 171: JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

The sin of King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, left Israel a divided nation. Rehoboam, his son, was king over Judah. Jeroboam was King over the northern kingdom, Israel. Both nations were in constant conflict with each other.

Ask God to give you His understanding of 1 Kings 14-18. Read 1 Kings 14-18. Let’s journey!

The books of First and Second Kings were originally written as one text that tells the story of the kings of Israel, continuing on where we left off in 2 Samuel, with King David and his son Solomon, soon to be king. Ultimately, it is a history of the decline of the kingdom of Israel, as they move away from the Lord. The author of the Book of Kings, provides a judgment on the rule of each king, based on their worship of the Lord God and the keeping of the covenant Israel made with God. Throughout the book of Kings, we also see that prophets are raised up in an attempt to steer Israel and its kings back on the path of following the Lord.

1 Kings 14-18: In today’s reading, we learn that all the kings of the northern kingdom had abandoned God and encouraged the same of their subjects. Fortunately, Obidiah and the 500 prophets he hid, survived the persecution of King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. God intervened through the prophet Elijah. The southern kingdom, Judah, was practicing pagan religions. God came to the aid of the people of Judah through a faithful king, King Asa, a man who loved God with all his heart. (1 Kings 14:1-18:46)

After reading today’s reading, consider the following: What kings were present in today’s reading? Were they good or bad? How do you know? What lesson can be learned, or what warning can be taken from a study of these kings? What warnings, if any, were given by prophets? How can understanding the fall of Israel help us today in the way that we view authority figures?

Godspeace!