“DISCOVERING THE UNREAD BESTSELLER” Week 10: Sunday, December 18, 2011 1 & 2 KINGS – “GLORY & SPLENDOUR < DIVISION > DECLINE & FALL”

BACKGROUND TITLE: By virtue of the ______governing the people. Like the Books of 1 and 2 Samuel, the Books of 1 and 2 Kings were also _____ book in the original Hebrew Bible. AUTHOR: The authorship of 1 and 2 Kings is unknown, but Jewish talmudic tradition suggests that the majority of the two Books were ______by a contemporary of the prophet ______, if not by ______himself. Literary styles between the historical books and the book bearing the prophet’s name are quite similar. 1 and 2 Kings also appear to have been compiled by someone who had access to several historical documents – some of which are mentioned: “the book of the annals of ______” (1 Kings 11:41); “the book of the annals of the kings of ______” (1 Kings 14:19); “the book of annals of the kings of ______” (1 Kings 14:29, 15:7). It has also been suggested that Isaiah 36-39 may have been used as a source for compiling 2 Kings 18-20. SNAPSHOT: The first half of 1 Kings traces the life of ______. Under his ______and ______, Israel rises to the ______of her size and glory. Solomon’s great accomplishments, including the unsurpassed elegance of the temple he constructs in Jerusalem, bring him worldwide fame and respect. (1 Kings 4:29-34). However, Solomon’s zeal for God ______in his later years, as pagan wives ______his attention and turn his ______away from worship and his focus on the LORD. As a result, the king with the “______” heart leaves behind a divided ______. For the next century, the Book of 1 Kings traces the history of two sets of ______and two sets of ______each having disobedient people who grow progressively indifferent to God’s prophets and teaching. 1 Kings covers a time span of ______years from the beginning of Solomon’s reign in 971 B.C., through to Ahaziah’s reign ending in 841 B.C. The key date is ______B.C., the year that the kingdom becomes divided into two parts - the northern kingdom of ______, and the southern kingdom of ______. Prior to the split, the united kingdom had been in place for about ______years (1043-931 B.C.)

2 Kings continues the drama that had unfolded in the first Book – the tragic history of two nations on a collision course with captivity. The author systematically traces the reigning monarchs of Israel and Judah, first by carrying one nation’s history forward, then retracing the same period for the other nation. From the time of division, the northern kingdom of Israel lasted for another _____ years (941-722 B.C.), while the southern kingdom of Judah hung on for yet an additional ____ years on top of that (722-586 B.C.) Nineteen (19) consecutive evil kings ruled in Israel, leading to its captivity by ______in 722 B.C.. While the picture was somewhat brighter for Judah, in the end, “_____ still outweighed ______”, and Judah is also carried off into exile – this nation by the ______, who also destroyed the temple in ______B.C..

THE PURPOSE OF 1 & 2 KINGS IN THE BIBLE

The Books of Kings show that judgment comes to both Israel and Judah because of their continued desire to _____ (i.e. idolatry, immorality, and disobedience). Judah’s increased longevity of 136 years, resulted from the relative ______of eight (8) of Judah’s ___ kings. As a result, the southern kingdom was able to experience periods of spiritual revival. Conversely, and unfortunately for Israel, it was a kingdom that never broke away from Jeroboam’s idolatrous “______” worship, thereby leading to it’s early demise. During all of these years, God sent ______to warn the people of the path they travelled. Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Hosea came to the northern kingdom, while in the south, the prophetic words of Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Habakkuk, were delivered for God to the people. Overall, God is viewed in the Books of Kings as the rightful ______of history, the One who reveals His plan and purpose to His people. Tragically, the people of the day were far more concerned about their ______well-being and welfare. The consequences of rejecting God’s rule would lead to ______, ______and ______by other nations of power (the Assyrians and Babylonians).

THE COMMON THREAD OF JESUS :

______typifies Christ in a number of ways. Firstly, his God-given ______points ahead to “Christ Jesus, who has become for us, wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Yet, while Solomon’s fame, glory, wealth and wisdom would foreshadow Christ in His kingdom, Jesus Himself would later attest, that, “_____ greater than ______is here” (Matthew 12:42).

LIFE LESSONS FROM 1 & 2 KINGS TO APPLY IN LIFE TODAY - “So what went wrong?”

(1 Kings 3:12-14) - 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."……….. (1 Kings 4:29-34) - 29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.…………. (1 Kings 6:11-13) -11 The word of the LORD came to Solomon: 12 "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."……………… (1 Kings 9:4-9) (after the dedication of the temple) - 4 "As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' 6 "But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8 And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' 9 People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.' "……………… (1 Kings 10:23-25) - 23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules…….. (1 Kings 11:1-13) - 1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter— Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. 7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. 9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

One HUGE Lesson =