BIBLE STUDY --- BOOKS OF THE TANAKH {NEVI’IM}

BOOKS OF 1 AND 2 KINGS --- PART 3

CONTENT

The books of Kings fall into three parts:

1 -- the reign of Solomon {1 Kings 1–11};
2 -- the history of the divided kingdom {1 Kings 12–2 Kings 17};
3 -- the history of the surviving kingdom in Judah {2 Kings 18–25}.

THE REIGN OF SOLOMON {1 KINGS 1–11}

The record begins with an account of the court intrigue surrounding Solomon’s accession to the throne, set against the backdrop of the abortive coup by Adonijah {chapter 1}. The dying David charges Solomon to obey the Commandments of YHVH {2:1-4} and also to take vengeance on his enemies {verses 5-9}. After David’s death Solomon orders the deaths of Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei, and the banishment of Abiathar, the priest who had supported Adonijah in his bid for the throne {verses 13-46}. Enemies eliminated, the kingdom was firmly established by Solomon {verse 46}. The remainder of Solomon’s reign is divided into two parts: Solomon the good, who follows in the ways of his father, David {chapters 3–10}; and Solomon the bad, whose heart is led astray {chapter 11}. While sacrificing at Gibeon, Solomon asks YHVH to give him the gift of wisdom to rule -- wisdom promptly demonstrated in the quarrel of two prostitutes about a child {chapter 3}. An account is given of the administrative organization of the kingdom and the incomparable wisdom of Solomon {chapter 4}. The compiler of Kings gives extensive coverage to the preparations {chapter 5}, building {chapters 6–7}, and dedication {chapter 8} of the temple. YHVH appeared to Solomon a second time, reminding him to keep His Commandments as David had done {9:1-9}. Details are given of the king’s building and commercial activities {verses 10-27}. The account of the visit by the queen of Sheba is followed with elaboration of Solomon’s splendour {chapter 10}. But Solomon did not keep YHVH’s Commands; seduced to pagan worship by his foreign wives, he was not fully devoted to Adonai as David had been {11:4}, and YHVH determined to take away the northern tribes from the rule of his son {verses 11-13}. As punishment from the hand of YHVH, Solomon faced rebellion among conquered peoples {verses 14-25} and within Israel in the person of Jeroboam {verses 26-40}.

HISTORY OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM {1 Kings 12—2 Kings 17}

The united monarchy dissolved after the death of Solomon. The northern kingdom {Israel} would exist for about two centuries, would be ruled by 20 kings from nine different dynasties, and would show a history of internal weakness riddled with regicide and usurpation. In contrast, the southern kingdom would last for three and a half centuries and would be ruled by 19 kings of Davidic descent {apart from a short period under the dynastic interloper Athaliah}. There had been a long history of independent action and even warfare between the northern and southern tribes prior to David and Solomon, so it is no surprise that the division would take place along the lines that it did. The immediate cause however, was the unwise severity with which Rehoboam replied to the representatives of the northern tribes while negotiating for the kingship. Jeroboam, the popular hero of the earlier insurrection against Solomon, became king in the north. He immediately erected the rival sanctuaries at Dan and Bethel {1 Kings 12}; these rival altars became the measure by which the kings of Israel were condemned for following in the sins of Jeroboam. For two generations there would be warfare between Israel and Judah over the border areas in Benjamin claimed by both sides. Fifty years of sporadic fighting on their mutual frontier, interlaced with invasions from the Arameans in the north or the Egyptians in the south, would consume the reigns of Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, and Zimri in Israel and of Rehoboam, Abijam, and Asa in Judah {1 Kings 13–16:20}. The accession of Omri in Israel introduced a ruling house that would last for a total of four generations and end the dynastic instability of the northern kingdom. Though Kings gives Omri a scant eight verses {1 Kings 16:21-28}, he was among the greatest of the northern kings, forging alliances with the Phoenicians and Judah; for over a century, the Assyrians would call Israel “the house of Omri.” The reigns of Omri’s successors, Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram, are treated at disproportionate length, taking almost a third of the total book, 16 of 47 chapters {1 Kings 17 -- 2 Kings 10}. This is due to the fact that the compiler of Kings incorporated extensive coverage of the lives of Elijah and Elisha, weaving a contrast between good and evil by paralleling the dynasty of Omri with these prophets. Ahab and Jezebel were used as foils for the account of Elijah, so that Ahab became a paradigm of the evil king {e.g., 2 Kings 21:3}. Because of this preoccupation with the dynasty of Omri and the lives of Elijah and Elisha, the equivalent period in Judah is not given as extensive coverage. During this period, the northern kingdom appears to have exercised some hegemony over Judah, as attested by the marriage of an Omride {Athaliah, 2 Kings 8:18, 26} to Jehoram of Judah and the subservient role of Jehoshaphat to Ahab at the battle of Ramoth-gilead {1 Kings 22}. Judah’s fortunes declined in this period when Edom revolted against Jehoram {2 Kings 8:20-22}, costing Judah control over the port at Ezion-geber and consequent economic losses. In 842 BC Jehu, after being anointed king by a prophet {2 Kings 9:1-13}, led a coup ending the house of Omri and also killing Ahaziah of Judah {verses 14-29}. Jehu’s purge also brought the death of Jezebel, Ahab’s family, members of the family of Ahaziah, and the ministers of Baal {9:30–10:36}. The consequences were severe politically: the murder of the Phoenician princess Jezebel and the king of Judah cost Israel its allies to the north and south. Jehu’s dynasty had the longest succession of any in Israel, including Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, and Zechariah, a period spanning 90 years. Jehu’s murder of Ahaziah of Judah set the stage for the one threat to the continuity of the Davidic dynasty. Queen Athaliah, herself an Omride, seized the throne and attempted a purge of Davidic pretenders. She ruled for six years, until the faithful priest Jehoiada staged a countercoup to place the child Joash on the throne of David {chapter 11}. Israel endured a half century of weakness as a result of Jehu’s coup, during which the Arameans had a free hand, reducing the forces of Jehu’s son Jehoahaz to a small army and bodyguard {2 Kings 13:1-7}. The reemergence of Assyria early in the ninth century BC gave relief to Israel and Judah. Assyrian armies conquered the Arameans; with that threat removed, Israel and Judah enjoyed a dramatic resurgence. Jehoash of Israel, grandson of Jehu, reconquered cities lost to the Arameans {2 Kings 13:25}; Elisha died during his reign {verse 20}. In the south Amaziah reconquered the Edomites {14:7}. Amaziah and Jehoash renewed the warfare between the kingdoms, with the north again victorious {verses 8-14}. Under Jeroboam II, Israel enjoyed a period of prosperity when the borders of the kingdom reached the same extent as they had under Solomon {2 Kings 14:23-28}. Uzziah {Azariah}, his contemporary in Judah, also fortified Jerusalem and undertook a program of offensive operations extending Judah’s sway to the south {14:21-22; 15:1-7}. Yet this resurgence was but a brilliant sunset in the history of the two kingdoms. After the death of Jeroboam II, the history is one of successive disasters, culminating in the fall of Israel and the subjugation of Judah to the might of Assyria. The next 30 years in Israel would see four dynasties, three represented by only one king, and repeated regicides as the northern kingdom hastened to its demise. A period of civil war and anarchy would see five kings in just over ten years {2 Kings 15}. Heavy tribute was paid to Tiglath-pileser III in both the north and south {15:19-20; 16:7-10}. Israel and the Arameans forged a coalition to throw back the Assyrians and sought to press Ahaz of Judah into the fight; Ahaz appealed to Tiglath- pileser III for help. The coalition was destroyed, and Israel and Judah became vassals. Hoshea defected as soon as he felt safe, looking to Egypt for help, but it was suicide for the northern kingdom. Shalmaneser V retaliated, and the political history of the state of Israel came to an end {17:1-23}. The area was resettled with other displaced populations {verses 24-41}. Israel had faced the Arameans and survived, only to fall to Assyria. And now similarly, Judah would outlast Assyria, only to fall to Babylon.

HISTORY OF THE SURVIVING KINGDOM OF JUDAH {2 KINGS 18–25}

Ahaz’s appeal for Assyrian aid cost him his liberty, and Judah became a vassal of the Assyrian Empire. Illegitimate worship flourished under his rule {2 Kings 16:1-19}. Ahaz was succeeded by the first of the outstanding reform kings of Judah: Hezekiah. Much of the account of his reign is given to his rebellion against Sennacherib of Assyria: the rebellion, the Assyrian envoys and threats, Isaiah’s assurances of deliverance, and the destruction of the Assyrian armies {18:9–19:37}. Hezekiah’s illness was averted after a sign and oracle from Isaiah {20:1-11}. As part of what appears to be negotiations toward an anti-Assyrian alliance, Hezekiah also entertained envoys from Babylon, a decision that the prophet announced would be costly {verses 12-21}. Hezekiah was followed by Manasseh, who ruled longer than any other king of Judah {a total of 55 years}. His reign was marked by great apostasy -- apostasy so severe that the compiler of Kings regarded his reign as sufficient reason for the exile that was unavoidable {2 Kings 21:1-18; cf. 23:26; 24:3-4; Jeremiah 15:1-4}. Manasseh was followed by his son Amon, a carbon copy of his father, who ruled only two years before he was deposed by the people {2 Kings 21:19-26}. The second great reform king of Judah, Josiah, followed. In his reign the Book of the Law was found while the temple was being refurbished; he led the people in a renewal of the Covenant and suppressed illegitimate worship {2 Kings 22:1–23:14}. The Assyrian Empire was in rapid decline, so Josiah extended his borders to the north, destroying the altar at Bethel and the high places throughout Samaria {23:15-20}. A great Passover celebration was convened in Jerusalem, and further measures were taken to rectify worship {verses 21-25}. Josiah tried to block Pharaoh Neco’s foray to assist Assyria, and he lost his life at Megiddo {verses 26-30}. Josiah was the only king of Judah to have three of his sons succeed him. At his death the people put Jehoahaz on the throne, but Neco removed him three months later and took him to Egypt in chains {2 Kings 23:31-33}, replacing him with another son of Josiah, Eliakim, whose name was changed to Jehoiakim {verses 34-37}. During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah, and Jehoiakim became his vassal. Late in his life Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiakim died, leaving his son Jehoiachin to face retaliation from Babylon {24:1-10}. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem; when the city fell, Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the army, and the leaders of the land were carried away captive. Nebuchadnezzar put Mattaniah {uncle of Jehoiachin and third son of Josiah} on the throne, changing his name to Zedekiah {verses 11-17}. Nine years later Zedekiah too, would rebel against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city for two years and, when it fell, utterly destroyed it. Zedekiah’s sons were killed before his eyes, and then his own eyes were put out, and he was taken to Babylon {24:18–25:21}. Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah to rule as governor from nearby Mizpah; he was assassinated, and the conspirators fled to Egypt {25:22-26}. The book concludes by showing that YHVH had not forgotten His promise to David, mentioning that in captivity Jehoiachin enjoyed favour from the hand of evil-Merodach, successor of Nebuchadnezzar {2 Kings 25:27-30}.