DAY 164: JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR – 1 KINGS 10-13

June 11, 2024

1 KINGS 10-13
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DAY 164: JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

King Solomon was the wisest man to ever live on the earth; yet, he wasn’t wise enough to obey the Lord God.

Ask God for His understanding of 1 Kings 10-13. Read 1 Kings 10-13. 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 10-13: King Solomon bathed in admiration of others as he developed a taste for the finer things in life. Although Solomon was wise, the wisest man who ever lived, he lost his way and disobeyed God. This disobedience would result in a divided kingdom beginning with his son’s, Rehoboam, reign and continuing through the fall of Jerusalem. Solomon dies after ruling Judah for 40 years. Rehoboam had a heartless attitude toward the people, which allowed Jeroboam to take control of the 10 northern tribes, known as Israel. Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son, was left with only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. After God handed the northern kingdom over to Jeroboam, he feared the people would return to Rehoboam, so he made false gods, golden calfs, for them to worship setting the stage for a kingdom ruled by kings who did not honor the true God. (1 Kings 10:1-13:34)

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!