This Is the Old Testament is part of a twelve-week thematic overview of the entire Bible. Each day we’ll read a thematic selection from a different book or two of the Bible, along with supplemental passages that show how the theme of that day’s main reading is found throughout Scripture. We’ll also read a brief summary of each book and a reflection on how the book fits into the larger story of Scripture. This week, we’ll finish the Historical Books and move into the genre of Wisdom Literature.
What Is 1 Kings? The book of 1 Kings recounts the final days of King David’s rule, King Solomon’s prosperous and relatively peaceful reign, and a civil war that divided the nation into two separate kingdoms, both ruled by kings mostly failed to follow God.
What Is 2 Kings? The book of 2 Kings continues where 1 Kings ends, with more stories of the kings in the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah who ignored God and the prophets until both kingdoms fell to other nations. It also chronicles the prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha.
How 1 & 2 Kings Fit Into the Story: The Jewish exiles in Babylon longed for an explanation for what they saw as the failure of the religious system in Israel that led to their captivity. The books of 1 & 2 Kings were written during this period. These two books interpret Hebrew history in light of Old Testament covenant theology, finding the failure was due not to God but to God’s people, who did not uphold their part of the covenant. But God’s gracious and merciful character is displayed throughout Israel’s unfaithful history, emphasizing that He is faithful to His covenant with us, even when we are not.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does a faithful recognition of God’s kingship change your view of authority here on earth?
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
Take time to reflect on your responses and share what you are learning with others in the community in the comments.
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36 thoughts on "1 & 2 Kings"
Nations and peoples fall into utter despair and destruction outside of the kingdom and rule of the one true King.
❤️
Amen!
Hope- Praying for you right now. Breakups are so hard! Lean into Him. Trust God and obey Him- He will not fail you. He is crazy about you! He has such good plans for your life!
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalms 34:18 NIV
I never knew these books were written during the time of captivity. It’s interesting to imagine the people recognizing how they got to that place by looking at history. I find such peace in reading these books. No matter the chaos they were living in God was working things out. He was not asleep. And his intimate plan still stood unchanged, intact. And it still does today.
I’m reminded to pray for people in leadership. May they come to know, fear, and love the one and only Holy God.. May they receive Godly counsel and may they not govern to please people, but to please God. May the Bible.become the standard for laws and for our way of living. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, so please let them bow now, God. Please let them repent, and let them be saved. Amen.
Isn’t the passage they chose for this 1Mi gs so good! God is all powerful. The people fell seeing His power. Oh please let people who are blinded by the lies of the enemy or this world or people that have intentionally closed their eyes and ears to the Truth be drawn in such an overwhelming manner that they can’t deny Him or His power and Sovereignty any more. May all turn, love Him, and be lead to salvation score it is too late. Amen. (So many don’t know or say the don’t need God. A woman at church was crying as she spoke of her family that’s not in church and don’t k ow Him. I’m thinking of a family member that doesn’t want to hear about Him. I’m thinking of Muslim and neighbors following false religions. I’m thinking of my Jewish friends. There are people that stand in defiance of God and think they don’t need Him when they would not even have breath without Him. Who are you reminded of? Please sisters, pray as we did above for them and all to repent and be saved!!! Amen
Sorry if this was choppy.
God loves us so much, even in our sinful state. And all we habe to do is turn to Him and He will make us whole. I love You Lord
Foster Mama praying for your meeting. Taylor, Hope, Sarah D and Maura- praying for you all tonight. I am being blessed by this OT study.
No matter how powerful our world leaders think they are, God is still that ultimate power.
Ladies, again todays podcast is so good. I got Liz’s book It’s Good to be a queen on my kindle. I won’t be able to put it down. What a blessing to be part of this group
I love that no matter how much power the leaders of this world seem to have, the ultimate power belongs to Christ. Also, any power they may have has been given to them from Christ. I love that he keeps calling us back to himself, not matter how many times we fail.
Sarah D, Taylor, Hope, and Maura- praying for all of you and your relationship issues. Foster Mama bless you for the amazing thing you are doing. I will pray for your meetings this week. These passages again contain the phrase “and again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight”. I should count how many times that phrase appears in the OT! And yet, God uses these people to bring about redemption and loves them. Amazing.
1. Throughout 1 Kings and 2 Kings we see the descendants of David continue to mess up. Despite their mess ups we still see our Father in control of all of Israel and all of the other nations. This is important for today’s time. We spend so much time arguing over politics led by people who don’t act in ways that Glorify the One True God. During election time, I spent a lot of time worrying about what was to come. However, 1 Kings and 2 Kings shows us that no matter who is the one making decisions for our country; it is our God Jesus Christ who sits on the throne and holds our future. Praise Him for that!
2. This story of redemption continues from his covenant with David to bring about our Messiah from him bloodline. This was not in today’s reading, but while reading the Matthew passage I went back and read Matthew 1 and followed the genealogy of Christ again; Jehoshaphat, Joram, Ahaz, Hezekiah- they were all there, all in the lineage of Christ. But why? They weren’t just messing up; they were straight up ignoring God worshiping Baal and following pagan practices. The reason is because we serve a faithful God who fulfilled his part of the covenant despite his faithless people. What an awesome God who reigns above!
Foster Mama, praying with you. May the Lord bring His peace tho your heart and the transition for those you have poured your love into be full of grace and Jesus. Hope and Nads prayers for your hearts. Sarah D, may it all be His joy, as you listen and see what He will do even if it is just an afternoon of spending time as you give it to Him there is much in that. ❤️ Mari V yes indeed, He’s got this!! Amen to that!
Sarah Joy, I agree with you, I have always seen the story of Elijah on a big screen in my mind. Elijah’s faith and God’s holy and righteous fire coming down even to burn up the water so powerful! (side note to the comment on the drought and where did Elijah find water? I googled and Wikipedia says that “Mount Carmel is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast.” So maybe it was water brought up from the mediterranean. As I think in such a drought Elijah would have likely been killed taking fresh water that was so desperately needed for survival. Any way Sarah Joy, Yes, remember He is able, He loves you and He does move mountains, part seas, calm storms. Keep praying and keep believing and be still and know His love never fails and He is faithful. Will be praying for your requests and believing with you. Just have to thank you all for your prayers again. this weekend was tough, But God kept reminding me of His love for me in so many ways. I wrote down all your names and thanked Him for your prayers. Copied them to my notes to remind me. Humbled me to tears. Taylor lifting you and your friend and family up today. May you feel Him holding you all as you gather to honor such a wonderful woman and her life and her impact on all of you. Hugs and love.
ERB, I felt the same, so loved Isaiah 38. Hezekiah begging for his life and God’s gift of 15 more years. I have to admit many times I believe God’s answer for healing comes when He brings us home to heaven and have no more pain and eternity with Him. But also how Awesome when we see the healing He brings here and glory to Him when we proclaim His healing. That is what I hear in Hezekiah’s rejoicing. And ERB the sun’s shadow going back 10 steps, what an awesome sign, again that nothing is too difficult for our God. He hears our prayers and He is mighty to answer, not always in the way we want, but according to His will which is what we need. Praying with you ERB, His best, His rest, His healing. The song line running through my heart this weekend is When I am afraid I will trust in You, over and over. Peace in knowing we need not be afraid. Love to all of you. His joy to this day!
Praying for you all SRT sisters!!
Please pray for wisdom and peace for me…I have never been in a relationship or a date before (I’m 22), and without writing a ton of words, my sister in law’s brother asked me if I wanted to get coffee/food this week. We talked a good amount at my brother’s wedding and he was really nice and we had a lot in common! I think since I’ve learned so much about relationships/dating, I have two extremes…I want to be intentional and not just date for fun, but also jump way too far ahead/take things a little too seriously. I think I’m going to say yes, since it’s only one date (if that’s what I should call it). It doesn’t mean I’m committing to marrying this guy or something like that haha! My brain tends to jump ahead…trying to take those thoughts captive and take things one step at a time. Thank you in advance for the prayers everyone! Thankful that I feel I am in a healthy place to date in general, praying that I would not compromise and bring glory to Christ in whatever I do.
@HOPE, God bless you!! Will continue to pray for you.
The part after the “courageous, God-led” decision is often harder than the actual enacting of the decision itself. Let us all pray for one another about the “afterwards”…that we would only hear God’s voice and feel His strength, not that of any competing voices. Please, please pray for me.
Hi my sisters,
PRAYER Request: We had 2 children in our home from birth for several years…they are both our heart!!
They were, praise Jesus, adopted by a couple who are truly an answer to prayers.
We have some possibly PIVOTAL, crucial meetings this week re: how our continued “role” in their lives will be fulfilled. PLEASE pray that EVERYONE will be aligned with what is the VERY BEST for the kids and that hearts will be softened and strengthened where needed. (I have a million more words to write but won’t). I have genuinely done my best…but, have cried SO many times over the Enemy getting in the midst of this, threatening to destroy a beautiful situation. Please pray!
1. I remind myself: God is in control. No matter what and I trust Him.
2. God’s got this. He does not change. I’m forgiven. You my dear sisters are forgiven. All we have to do is accept it.
Happy Monday to you all. I admit I woke up a little depressed it being Monday mainly because I’m tired because I went to bed late. But here I go… God‘s got this!
Good morning ladies. I wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who said they were praying for me last week when I shared that I needed to break up with my boyfriend this weekend. I really felt your prayers and it made me cry to read your comments and know that there were strangers out there who cared enough to pray for me. Please keep praying for me this week, because we broke up last night and I’m feeling such a devastating loss and it’s so much more painful than I expected. I do believe that I’m not alone and it’s not for nothing because Jesus is King over every moment and he is writing my story as part of his grand and glorious story just like we’ve been reading in the OT. But there is still a part of me that doesn’t want to lean into this fully because while I know that God will heal my heart over time, I don’t want to move on and forget such a huge and important part of my life. Prayers appreciated <3
1 and 2 Kings, documentation of kings and kingdoms. Examples of power used for good, power used for evil, and some, a mixture of both. And yet, in their mirage of power there is always our God, who determines their beginning and end. Names and documentation of the choices/actions each chose and the resulting consequences. Kings and kingdoms put in place, allowed by God alone, for His plan and purpose. May we learn from these oh God.
And prophets. Two amazing men of God whom we are allowed to see their work for the kingdom exemplified in their life. Men of faith. Men of power. Imperfect men, used by God.
Lord, thank you for the confirmation that no one comes into authority unless You have allowed it. Whatever “power” they have, is only allowed by You. Whether a leader, prophet, or layperson-as Your children, may the only path we take be that where You have directed our steps. May the “kings and kingdoms” allowed by You bring honor and glory to You name and, when they do not…I am sorry Lord and ask Your forgiveness and cleansing redemption upon our nation and all who dwell there. I pray that we as your children would remain rooted and strong in the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our only King forever. May our light shine for You alone, our God and King. Amen.
God is the covenant keeper.
1. God is God and I am not! God remains faithful, even when I am not. God ALWAYS keeps His promises, even when I do not! He was, is, and will always be: “KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS.”
2. God knows I will fail, time and again; it is in my DNA. However, He made a way for me, from the beginning, to be redeemed from my sins, through the Lamp given to David and his sons…through Jesus Christ my Savior.
There is great comfort in knowing and remembering – that no matter who is in authority, whether kings, queens, prime ministers or presidents – God is still (and always will be) on the throne! Proverbs 21:1 ~ Have a blessed day ladies!
Good morning to all from vacation :) Something that stood out to me from the 1 Kings passage was how God is faithful to hear and answer our prayers. I’ve been praying a lot more since my relationship ended and I’m realizing how much of an idol it is/was in my life. It is a daily act of surrendering my will to the Lord’s but I like what someone wrote in the comments to “Put myself aside and wait on the Lord WITH CONFIDENCE” He is faithful, He will provide, He keeps His promises! Have a blessed Monday sisters!
@Maura lifting you up in prayer from what you shared on Friday
Kings reminds us “put not your faith in princes” and to remember Whom we serve
1.How does a faithful recognition of God’s kingship change your view of authority here on earth?
God keeps his promises. He is faithful. He gives us the freedom of choice, even if we make the wrong one. God’s authority is above all others. He is omniscient and nothing we do surprises Him. His Will is accomplished regardless. So when it seems the whole world is off rest in knowing He is in control.
2. How does today’s reading shape your understanding of the story of redemption?
We can see His redemption story throughout the pages of history. As He demonstrated His faithfulness time and again; God has this!
We people. We people are so stubborn and selfish and arrogant. We whine and complain and ask “why?” — and we refuse to see that our actions have consequences. But God just keeps loving us, even when he’s disgusted and disappointed with us. He wants the best for us, wants us to just see how much easier things would be if we’d relinquish control, if we’d trust and obey. But we people are so stubborn and selfish and arrogant. Lord, help us learn! Give us clarity and humble hearts!
When the state of this world, and my country begin to weigh on me, I remember that He is Lord of all! King of Kings! It offers peace to my soul in these strange days. I am also filled with awe for His love and faithfulness in keeping His covenant when we so often fail to do our part. He is gracious and good and will see His promises through to the end!!
I have always loved the story of Elijah on the mountain as it seems like a movie script. He’s such an amazing person. I read further into 1 Kings, and Elijah shows his humanity as he taunts the king then runs into the desert to hide. An angel comes to encourage him (and feed him in the desert!). Later God meets Elijah in the still small voice. Their relationship is so special.
My desire is to pray in faith that God can break into the seemingly impossible situations in my siblings lives. My sister’s mental illness and marriage. My brother’s military career and his fiancé’s health issues. God can come down in fire to change everything. However, I also want to listen for his still small voice as that’s how He often chooses to work.
He is on the throne, and the end is already written. Hallelujah!
COLLEEN DEVEAU I loved what you wrote so much I put it in my quote book!! Thank you for putting words to my thoughts and for encouraging my soul!! I needed this SO much!!! ❤️
MAURA, I hope you had a rest-filled weekend. My thoughts and prayers are with you my friend.
Isaiah 38 was very impactful for me!! I loved that when Isaiah told Hezekiah that he was to prepare himself..that Hezekiah’s first response was to turn to God and PRAY!!! And God LISTENED and HEARD him!!! What was the MOST impactful thing was seeing BOTH Hezekiah and Isaiah, LISTEN and OBEY. They put them”selves” aside and WAITED on the Lord, in CONFIDENCE!!!! Wow!!! What examples!!! Something I need work on that’s for sure!! I also loved what Hezekiah stated in v15 “…I will walk HUMBLY all of my years…” and 16 “…You RESTORED me to health and let me live..” These deeply spoke to me, as it is my desire to walk and live humbly with the Lord and He HAS literally taken me from death’s door and restored my health to me. ALL for His Glory!!! I felt like God was having a conversation with me this morning as I read…confirming things that have been on my heart and showing me that He is right here with me. I really needed this today and am so grateful!!! I also LOVED how the last verse of this chapter was a PRAISE to God!! SO SOOO GOOD!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Here are the verses I highlighted:
Isaiah 38:2-6
Isaiah 38:15-16
Isaiah 38:19-20
…verses 7 and 8 (about the sunlight and the steps) also stood out to me, but it’s not where God wanted me focused today and I’m glad I listened to Him because I really needed the encouragement and confidence I gained from today’s reading.
May all you wonderful sisters have an amazingly blessed and God-centered (& filled) day!! ❤️
He is in control!! Resting on that today!
In spite of leaders who chose (and choose now) to do evil, God is faithful to his covenant for the sake of one (2 Kings 8:19). He continues to show us grace upon grace!
1. Well said Colleen DeVeau!
As a side thought, in the account of Elijah’s standoff with the prophets of Baal, I always wondered where the water came from…three years without rain and they were on a mountian…
2. Obviously God’s faithfulness to us does not depend on our faithfuness, but solely on His holy integrity (He cannot lie). The fact that Jesus even came testifies to God’s looooongsuffering and lovingkindness. May I always remember to live in a way that honors my Lord’s Name.
I used to get really frustrated reading this book. There would be a good king and then some bad ones and I felt like it was taking one step forward and two steps back. But what I didn’t see before is that all those steps were still leading to Jesus. Have a great day ladies!
The Lord is God over all kings, rulers, and authorities. He appoints them and removes them. He is not unaware of what occurs here on Earth, and no matter what happens, we all must answer to Him. He keeps His promises. He is faithful. We can trust Him in the midst of every circumstance, whether it is in our favor or to our liking or not. We can trust Him to remain steadfast.