A SUGGESTED OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF 1 KINGS
Theme: Irresponsible leadership destroys nations
Key verses: 1Ā Kings 9:4ā9
I. The Kingdom Protected (1Ā Kings 1:1ā2:46)
A. The last days of David (1Ā Kings 1:1ā2:12)
B. The first acts of Solomon (1Ā Kings 2:13ā46)
II. The Kingdom Enriched (1Ā Kings 3:1ā10:29)
A. Godās gift of wisdom (1Ā Kings 3:1ā28)
B. Organizing the government (1Ā Kings 4:1ā34)
C. Building the temple (1Ā Kings 5:1ā6:38; 7:13ā51)
D. Dedicating the temple (1Ā Kings 8:1ā9:9)
E. Building the royal houses (1Ā Kings 7:1ā12)
F. Miscellaneous royal projects (1Ā Kings 9:10ā24)
G. Solomonās glory (1Ā Kings 10:1ā29)
III. The Kingdom Divided (1Ā Kings 11:1ā14:31)
A. Solomonās folly (1Ā Kings 11:1ā43)
B. Rehoboamās folly (1Ā Kings 12:1ā24; 14:21ā31)
C. Jeroboamās folly (1Ā Kings 12:25ā14:20)
IV. The Kingdoms Destroyed (1Ā Kings 15:1ā22:53)
A. Judah (1Ā Kings 15:1ā24)
B. Israel (1Ā Kings 15:25ā22:53)
The two books of Kings record about four hundred years of the history of Israel and Judah, while the two books of Chronicles see the history of the united kingdom and then the kingdom of Judah from the priestly point of view. Besides recording history, these books teach theology, especially the faithfulness of God in keeping His covenant, the sovereignty of God in directing the destinies of all nations, and the holiness of God in opposing idolatry. Especially important is the way all four books magnify the Davidic dynasty and thus prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. The books of Kings identify eight kings of Judah, descendants of David, who pleased the Lord: Asa (1Ā Kings 15:9ā15); Jehoshaphat (22:41ā43); Joash, or Jehoash (2Ā Kings 12:1ā3); Amaziah (14:1ā4); Azariah, or Uzziah (15:1ā4); Jotham (15:32ā38); Hezekiah (18:1ā3); and Josiah (22:1ā2). The rulers of the northern kingdom were not a godly lot and were not part of Davidās dynasty.
Chapter One
Sunset and Sunrise
(1 Kings 1ā2)
(See also 1 Chronicles 29:22ā30)
A crisis isnāt what makes a person; a crisis shows what a personās made of.ā In one form or another, you find this statement in the writings of insightful thinkers from antiquity to the present. Another version is, āWhat life does to you depends on what life finds in you.ā The same sun that hardens the clay melts the ice.
The kingdom of Israel was facing a crisis because King David was on his deathbed. In facing this crisis, different people responded in different ways.
ADONIJAH THE OPPORTUNIST (1:1ā10)
A real leader looks at a crisis and asks, āWhat can I do that will best help the people?ā An opportunist looks at a crisis and asks, āHow can I use this situation to promote myself and get what I want?ā Opportunists usually show up uninvited, focus attention on themselves, and end up making the crisis worse. Adonijah was that kind of person.
The occasion (vv. 1ā4). Adonijah was Davidās oldest living son and was probably thirty-five years old at this time. Davidās firstborn, Amnon, was killed by Absalom; his second son, Kileab (or Daniel), must have died young because thereās no record of his life; and the third son, Absalom, was slain by Joab (1 Chron. 3:1ā2). As Davidās eldest son, Adonijah felt that he deserved the throne. After all, his father was a sick man who would soon die, and it was important that there be a king on the throne of Israel. Like his older brother Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1ā6), Adonijah seized his opportunity when David wasnāt at his best and was bedfast. However, Adonijah underestimated the stamina and wisdom of the old warrior and ultimately paid for his pride with his life.
Abishag became a companion and nurse for David and was probably officially considered a concubine, so there was nothing immoral about their relationship. She will become a very important person in the drama after Davidās death (1 Kings 2:13ā23). Adonijah made the mistake of thinking that his father was unable to function normally and therefore interfere with his plans, but he was wrong. Instead of being a sympathetic son, Adonijah decided to claim the throne for himself. If he won the support of his siblings, the government leaders, the priests, and the army, he could pull off a coup and become the next king
The traitors (vv. 5ā7). Following the example of his infamous brother Absalom (2 Sam. 15:7ā12), Adonijah began to promote himself and generate popular support. Like Absalom, he was a handsome man who had been pampered by his father (1 Kings 1:6; 2 Sam. 13ā14), and the unthinking people joined his crusade. Wisely, Adonijah got the support of both the army and the priesthood by enlisting Joab the general and Abiathar the high priest. Both of these men had served David for...