1 Kings - Outline
Key Places in 1 Kings
Solomon, David's son, brought Israel into its golden age. His wealth and wisdom were acclaimed worldwide. But he ignored God in his later years (1 Kings 1:1-11:25).

1 Shechem
After Solomon's death, Israel assembled at Shechem to inaugurate his son Rehoboam. However, Rehoboam foolishly angered the people by threatening even heavier burdens, causing a revolt (1 Kings 11:26-12:19).

2 Israel
Jeroboam, leader of the rebels, was made king of Israel, now called the northern kingdom. Jeroboam made Shechem his capital city (1 Kings 12:20,25).

3 Judah
Only the tribes of Judah and part of Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboam. These two tribes became the southern kingdom. Rehoboam returned to Judah from Shechem and prepared to force the rebels into submission, but a prophet's message halted these plans (1 Kings 12:21-24).

4 Jerusalem
Jerusalem was the capital city of Judah. Its temple, built by Solomon, was the focal point of Jewish worship. This worried Jeroboam. How could he keep his people loyal if they were constantly going to Rehoboam's capital to worship (1 Kings 12:26,27)?

5 Dan
Jeroboam's solution was to set up his own worship centers. Two golden calves were made and proclaimed to be Israel's gods. One was placed in Dan, and the people were told that they could go there instead of Jerusalem to worship (1 Kings 12:28,29).

6 Bethel
The other golden calf was placed in Bethel. The people of the northern kingdom had two convenient locations for worship in their country, but their sin displeased God. In Jerusalem, meanwhile, Rehoboam was allowing idolatry to creep in. The two nations were constantly at war (1 Kings 12:29-15:26).

7 Tirzah
Jeroboam had moved the capital city to Tirzah (1 Kings 14:17). Next, Baasha became king of Israel after assassinating Nadab (1 Kings 15:27-16:22).

8 Samaria
Israel continued to gain and lose kings through plots, assassinations, and warfare. When Omri became king, he bought a hill on which he built a new capital city, Samaria. Omri's son, Ahab, became the most wicked king of Israel. His wife Jezebel worshipped Baal. Ahab erected a temple to Baal in Samaria (1 Kings 16:23-34).

9 Mount Carmel
Great evil often brings great people to oppose it. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and Asherah at Mount Carmel, where he would prove that they were false prophets. There Elijah humiliated these prophets and then executed them (1 Kings 17:1-18:46).

10 Jezreel
Elijah returned to Jezreel. But Queen Jezebel, furious at the execution of her prophets, vowed to kill Elijah. He ran for his life, but God cared for and encouraged him. During his travels he anointed the future kings of Aram and Israel as well as Elisha, his own replacement (1 Kings 19:1-21).

11 Ramoth Gilead
The king of Aram declared war on Israel and was defeated in two battles. But the Arameans occupied Ramoth Gilead. Ahab and Jehoshaphat joined forces to recover the city. In this battle, Ahab was killed. Jehoshaphat later died (1 Kings 20:1-22:53). §
Kings, The Books of

1. The two books of Kings formed originally but one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. The present division into two books was first made by the LXX., which now, with the Vulgate, numbers them as the third and fourth books of Kings, the two books of Samuel being the first and second books of Kings.

2. They contain the annals of the Jewish commonwealth from the accession of Solomon till the subjugation of the kingdom by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians (apparently a period of about four hundred and fifty-three years). The books of Chronicles (q.v.) are more comprehensive in their contents than those of Kings. The latter synchronize with #1Ch 28:1-2Ch 36:21 While in the Chronicles greater prominence is given to the priestly or Levitical office, in the Kings greater prominence is given to the kingly.

3. The authorship of these books is uncertain. There are some portions of them and of Jeremiah that are almost identical, e.g., #2Ki 24:18-25:30 Jer 52:1-34 39:1-10 40:7-16 41:1-10 There are also many undesigned coincidences between Jeremiah and Kings #2Ki 21:1-26 and #Jer 7:15 15:4 19:3 etc., and events recorded in Kings of which Jeremiah had personal knowledge. These facts countenance in some degree the tradition that Jeremiah was the author of the books of Kings. But the more probable supposition is that Ezra, after the Captivity, compiled them from documents written perhaps by David, Solomon, Nathan, Gad, and Iddo, and that he arranged them in the order in which they now exist.

4. In the threefold division of the Scriptures by the Jews, these books are ranked among the "Prophets." They are frequently quoted or alluded to by our Lord and his apostles #Mt 6:29 12:42 #Lu 4:25,26 10:4 comp. #2Ki 4:29 Mr 1:6 comp. #2Ki 1:8 #Mt 3:4 etc..

5. The sources of the narrative are referred to

a. "the book of the acts of Solomon" #1Ki 11:41

b. the "book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah" #1Ki 14:29 15:7,23 etc.;

c. the "book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel" #1Ki 14:19 15:31 16:14,20,27 etc.

6. The date of its composition was some time between B.C. 561 the date of the last chapter #2Ki 25:1ff. when Jehoiachin was released from captivity by Evil-merodach, and B.C. 538 the date of the decree of deliverance by Cyrus.

 
King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited.

1. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan #Jos 12:9,24 whom Joshua subdued.

2. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings #Jud 1:7

3. In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king #1Pe 2:13,17

4. Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king #Mt 14:9 Mr 6:22

5. This title is applied to God #1Ti 1:17

6. And to Christ, the Son of God #1Ti 6:15,16 Mt 27:11

7. The people of God are also called "kings" #Da 7:22,27 Mt 19:28 #Re 1:6 etc.

8. Death is called the "king of terrors" #Job 18:14

Jehovah was the sole King of the Jewish nation #1Sa 8:7 Isa 33:22 But there came a time in the history of that people when a king was demanded, that they might be like other nations #1Sa 8:5 The prophet Samuel remonstrated with them, but the people cried out, "Nay, but we will have a king over us." The misconduct of Samuel’s sons was the immediate cause of this demand. The Hebrew kings did not rule in their own right, nor in name of the people who had chosen them, but partly as servants and partly as representatives of Jehovah, the true King of Israel #1Sa 10:1 The limits of the king’s power were prescribed #1Sa 10:25 The officers of his court were,

1. the recorder or remembrancer #2Sa 8:16 1Ki 4:3

2. the scribe #2Sa 8:17 20:25

3. the officer over the house, the chief steward #Isa 22:15

4. the "king’s friend," a confidential companion #1Ki 4:5

5. the keeper of the wardrobe #2Ki 22:14

6. captain of the bodyguard #2Sa 20:23

7. officers over the king’s treasures, etc. #1Ch 27:25-31

8. commander-in-chief of the army #1Ch 27:34

9. the royal counsellor #1Ch 27:32 2Sa 16:20-23

 
1 Kings - Outline:

I. The united kingdom (1:1-11:43)
   A. Solomon's becomes king (1:1-2:46)
       1. Adonijah sets himself up as king (1:1-27)
       2. David makes Solomon king (1:28-53)
       3. David's charge to Solomon (2:1-12)
       4. Solomon's throne established (2:13-46)
   B. Solomon's wisdom (3:1-4:34)
       1. Solomon asks for wisdom (3:1-15)
       2. A wise ruling (3:16-28)
       3. Solomon's officials and governors (4:1-19)
       4. Solomon's daily provisions (4:20-28)
       5. Solomon's wisdom (4:29-34)
   C. Solomon builds the temple (5:1-8:66)
       1. Preparations for building the temple (5:1-18)
       2. Solomon builds the temple (6:1-38)
       3. Solomon builds his palace (7:1-12)
       4. The temple's furnishings (7:13-51)
       5. The ark brought to the temple (8:1-21)
       6. Solomon's prayer of dedication (8:22-61)
       7. The dedication of the temple (8:62-66)
   D. Solomon's greatness and downfall (9:1-11:43)
       1. The Lord appears to Solomon (9:1-9)
       2. Solomon's other activities (9:10-28)
       3. The queen of Sheba visits Solomon (10:1-13)
       4. Solomon's splendor (10:14-29)
       5. Solomon's wives (11:1-13)
       6. Solomon's adversaries (11:14-25)
       7. Jeroboam rebels against Solomon (11:26-40)
       8. Solomon's death (11:41-43)

II. The divided kingdom (12:1-22:53)
   A. Revolt of the northern tribes (12:1-33)
       1. Israel rebels against Rehoboam (12:1-24)
       2. Golden calves at Bethel and Dan (12:25-33)
   B. Kings of Israel and Judah (13:1-16:34)
       1. The man of God from Judah (13:1-34)
       2. Ahijah's prophecy against Jeroboam (14:1-20)
       3. Rehoboam king of Judah (14:21-31)
       4. Abijah king of Judah (15:1-8)
       5. Asa king of Judah (15:9-24)
       6. Nadab king of Israel (15:25-32)
       7. Baasha king of Israel (15:33-16:7)
       8. Elah king of Israel (16:8-14)
       9. Zimri king of Israel (16:15-20)
       10. Omri king of Israel (16:21-28)
       11. Ahab becomes king of Israel (16:29-34)
   C. Elijah's ministry (17:1-21:29)
       1. Elijah fed by ravens (17:1-6)
       2. The widow at Zarephath (17:7-24)
       3. Elijah and Obadiah (18:1-15)
       4. Elijah on Mount Carmel (18:16-46)
       5. Elijah flees to Horeb (19:1-8)
       6. The Lord appears to Elijah (19:9-18)
       7. The call of Elisha (19:19-21)
       8. Ben-Hadad attacks Samaria (20:1-12)
       9. Ahab defeats Ben-Hadad (20:13-34)
       10. A prophet condemns Ahab (20:35-43)
       11. Naboth's vineyard (21:1-29)
   D. Kings of Israel and Judah (22:1-53)
       1. Micaiah prophesies against Ahab (22:1-28)
       2. Ahab killed at Ramoth Gilead (22:29-40)
       3. Jehoshaphat king of Judah (22:41-50)
       4. Ahaziah king of Israel (22:51-53)