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    1–2 Kings: A 12-Week Study
    1–2 Kings: A 12-Week Study
    1–2 Kings: A 12-Week Study
    Ebook134 pages2 hours

    1–2 Kings: A 12-Week Study

    By Gavin Ortlund

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    About this ebook

    The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) "Gospel Glimpses" highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) "Whole-Bible Connections" show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) "Theological Soundings" identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on every page of the Bible.
    The books of 1–2 Kings describe the period of monarchy in ancient Israel, highlighting a clear contrast between the covenant-keeping God and the covenantbreaking people of Israel.
    Walking readers through these two books, this 12-week study guide helps us see God's mercy and grace as he offers blessings instead of curses to his people in response to their disobedience—pointing forward to the faithfulness of the Redeemer yet to come.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCrossway Books
    Release dateMar 16, 2017
    ISBN9781433553738
    1–2 Kings: A 12-Week Study
    Author

    Gavin Ortlund

    Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) runs the popular YouTube channel Truth Unites and is the author of several books, including Humility; Finding the Right Hills to Die On; and Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals. Gavin and his wife, Esther, have five children. 

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      Book preview

      1–2 Kings - Gavin Ortlund

      SERIES PREFACE

      KNOWING THE BIBLE, as the series title indicates, was created to help readers know and understand the meaning, the message, and the God of the Bible. Each volume in the series consists of 12 units that progressively take the reader through a clear, concise study of that book of the Bible. In this way, any given volume can fruitfully be used in a 12-week format either in group study, such as in a church-based context, or in individual study. Of course, these 12 studies could be completed in fewer or more than 12 weeks, as convenient, depending on the context in which they are used.

      Each study unit gives an overview of the text at hand before digging into it with a series of questions for reflection or discussion. The unit then concludes by highlighting the gospel of grace in each passage (Gospel Glimpses), identifying whole-Bible themes that occur in the passage (Whole-Bible Connections), and pinpointing Christian doctrines that are affirmed in the passage (Theological Soundings).

      The final component to each unit is a section for reflecting on personal and practical implications from the passage at hand. The layout provides space for recording responses to the questions proposed, and we think readers need to do this to get the full benefit of the exercise. The series also includes definitions of key words. These definitions are indicated by a note number in the text and are found at the end of each chapter.

      Lastly, to help understand the Bible in this deeper way, we urge readers to use the ESV Bible and the ESV Study Bible, which are available in various print and digital formats, including online editions at esv.org. The Knowing the Bible series is also available online. Additional 12-week studies covering each book of the Bible will be added as they become available.

      May the Lord greatly bless your study as you seek to know him through knowing his Word.

      J. I. Packer

      Lane T. Dennis

      WEEK 1: OVERVIEW

      Getting Acquainted

      The books of 1 and 2 Kings tell a sad story. The narrative begins at the height of the Israelite monarchy, as Solomon inherits the kingdom of his father, David, and goes on to acquire his own vast wealth and fame. The story ends in utter devastation, as the remaining people of the dwindling southern kingdom of Judah are carried off to Babylon in exile.¹ There are a few bright spots along the way—the prophetic ministry of Elijah/Elisha, for instance, as well as Hezekiah’s prayer for miraculous deliverance and the reforms under Josiah—but the overall trajectory of the narrative seems to plunge inexorably downward.

      Yet this very pattern helps to express the meaning of the books of Kings. First and Second Kings do not merely describe a litany of decline and judgment; they highlight God’s working amid that decline to fulfill his program of redemption. In the structure of 1–2 Kings, we detect a faint shadow of the gospel story itself, which arrives at resurrection only through the slow, grinding agony of crucifixion. As we consider God’s work in 1–2 Kings, we will gain a better sense of his plan to advance his purposes through all the frustrations and failures of life.

      First and Second Kings display God’s enduring faithfulness, amid great opposition and against all appearance, through temple,² covenant,³ prophetic oracle,⁴ reform, and—when all other hope has faded—the coming Davidic King. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 585–590; available online at esv.org.)

      Placing 1–2 Kings in the Larger Story

      As the era of 1–2 Kings begins, God has delivered his people from Egypt, given them his law, and led them into the land he had promised to them. They have seen their need for a leader, and God has raised up David (over Saul) as their king. The books of 1–2 Kings narrate the history of God’s people during the period of the monarchy, picking up after 1–2 Samuel, which ended at the conclusion of David’s reign. With its emphasis on the sin and idolatry of God’s people and its concluding reference to the continuation of the Davidic line (2 Kings 25:27–30), the story of 1–2 Kings shows the need for Jesus Christ, the promised Davidic ruler who would usher in God’s kingdom and lead God’s people in righteousness.

      Key Verse

      This occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced. (2 Kings 17:7–8)

      Date and Historical Background

      First and Second Kings were written sometime after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. They must have been completed sometime after 561 BC, because the books’ final verses recount King Jehoiachin’s release from prison in that year. No one knows their exact date of composition, or the identity of their author(s). Many scholars believe that earlier material was used in the construction of these books, and it is also possible that the books underwent later editing following their initial composition.

      The books of 1–2 Kings were written, in part, in order to demonstrate that the exile of God’s people was a judgment of God on the people’s persistence in idolatry. Much of 1–2 Kings reflects the language and theology of the book of Deuteronomy, emphasizing that God’s judgment had come as the promised result of disobedience to his law.

      Outline

         I. The Reign of Solomon (1 Kings 1:1–11:43)

      A. Solomon acquires the throne (1 Kings 1:1–2:46)

      B. Solomon asks for wisdom (1 Kings 3:1–4:34)

      C. The temple is built and dedicated (1 Kings 5:1–8:66)

      D. Solomon’s wealth and other acts (1 Kings 9:1–10:29)

      E. Solomon turns from the Lord (1 Kings 11:1–43)

         II. Division and Decline (1 Kings 12:1–16:34)

      A. The kingdom is divided under Rehoboam and Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:1–14:31)

      B. Abijam and Asa over Judah (1 Kings 15:1–25)

      C. Israelite kings from Nadab to Ahab (1 Kings

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