1–2 Kings E-Book

Gavin Ortlund

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Knowing the Bible
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 114

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

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.

Leseprobe

1–2 KINGS

A 12-WEEK STUDY

Gavin Ortlund

Knowing the Bible: 1–2 Kings,A 12-Week Study

Copyright © 2017 by Crossway

Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Some content used in this study guide has been adapted from the ESV Study Bible (Crossway), copyright 2008 by Crossway, pages 585–695. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design: Simplicated Studio

First printing 2017

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-5370-7 EPub ISBN: 978-1-4335-5373-8 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-5371-4 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-5372-1

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Cover PageTitle PageCopyrightSeries Preface: J. I. Packer and Lane T. DennisWeek 1:     OverviewWeek 2:     The Wealth and Wisdom of Solomon (1 Kings 1:1–4:34)Week 3:     The Temple: God’s Presence among His People (1 Kings 5:1–10:29)Week 4:     Disobedience, Division, Decline (1 Kings 11:1–16:34)Week 5:     Elijah and Covenant Renewal (1 Kings 17:1–19:21)Week 6:     Ahab’s Death and Elijah’s Departure (1 Kings 20:1–2 Kings 2:25)Week 7:     Elisha and the Prophetic Word (2 Kings 3:1–8:6)Week 8:     Jehu and Jehoash: Judgment and Reform (2 Kings 8:7–12:21)Week 9:     The Decline and Fall of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 13:1–17:41)Week 10:   Deliverance under Hezekiah, and Further Decline (2 Kings 18:1–21:26)Week 11:   Reform under Josiah and the Fall of the Southern Kingdom (2 Kings 22:1–25:30)Week 12:   Summary and Conclusion

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. PackerLane 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 15:26–16:34)

   III. Elijah and Covenant Renewal (1 Kings 17:1–19:21)

A. Elijah protected during the drought (1 Kings 17:1–24)

B. The contest on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:1–46)

C. Elijah flees to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:1–21)

   IV. Ahab and Further Decline (1 Kings 20:1–2 Kings 1:18)

A. Ahab’s war with Syria (1 Kings 20:1–43)

B. Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21:1–29)

C. Ahab’s death, Jehoshaphat, and Ahaziah’s death (1 Kings 22:1–2 Kings 1:18)

   V. The Ministry of Elisha (2 Kings 2:1–8:15)

A. Elisha succeeds Elijah (2 Kings 2:1–25)

B. The conquest of Moab, miracles, and the healing of Naaman (2 Kings 3:1–5:27)

C. Elisha and Syria (2 Kings 6:1–7:20)

D. Other acts of Elisha (2 Kings 8:1–15)

   VI. Jehu and Jehoash: Judgment and Reform (2 Kings 8:16–12:21)

A. Jehoram and Ahaziah over Judah (2 Kings 8:16–29)

B. Judgments through Jehu (2 Kings 9:1–10:36)

C. Jehoash and the repairing of the temple (2 Kings 11:1–12:21)

   VII. The Decline and Fall of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 13:1–17:41)

A. Jehoahaz to Ahaz (2 Kings 13:1–16:20)

B. The fall of Israel (2 Kings 17:1–41)

   VIII. Hezekiah and the Deliverance of the Southern Kingdom (2 Kings 18:1–20:21)

A. Deliverance from Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:1–19:37)

B. Hezekiah’s recovery, and Babylonian envoys (2 Kings 20:1–21)

   IX. The Reforms under Josiah (2 Kings 21:1–23:30)

A. Manasseh’s idolatry, and Amon (2 Kings 21:1–26)

B. Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 22:1–23:30)

   X. The Fall of the Southern Kingdom (2 Kings 23:31–25:30)

A. Decline under the final kings of Judah (2 Kings 23:31–24:20)

B. The fall of Judah (2 Kings 25:1–30)

As You Get Started

Do you have a sense at the outset of this study of any specific themes in 1 or 2 Kings? Are there any stories from these books that have particularly stood out to you in the past? How would you summarize the contributions you believe that 1–2 Kings makes to the message of the entire Bible?

What is your current understanding of what 1–2 Kings contributes to Christian theology? That is, how do these books clarify our understanding of God, Jesus Christ, sin, salvation, the end times, or other doctrines?

What aspects of 1 or 2 Kings have confused you? Are there any specific questions you hope to have answered through this study?

As You Finish This Unit . . .

Take a few minutes to ask God to bless you with increased understanding and a transformed heart and life as you begin this study of 1–2 Kings.

Definitions

1Exile – Several relocations of large groups of Israelites/Jews have occurred throughout history, but “the exile” typically refers to the Babylonian exile, that is, Nebuchadnezzar’s relocation of residents of the southern kingdom of Judah to Babylon in 586 BC. (Residents of the northern kingdom of Israel had been resettled by Assyria in 722 BC.) After Babylon came under Persian rule, several waves of Jewish exiles returned and repopulated Judah.

2Temple – A place set aside as holy because of God’s presence there. Solomon built the first temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, to replace the portable tabernacle. This temple was later destroyed by the Babylonians, rebuilt, and destroyed again by the Romans.

3Covenant – A binding agreement between two parties, typically involving a formal statement of their relationship, a list of stipulations and obligations for both parties, a list of witnesses to the agreement, and a list of curses for unfaithfulness and blessings for faithfulness to the agreement. The OT is more properly understood as the old covenant, meaning the agreement established between God and his people prior to the coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the new covenant (NT).

4Oracle – From Latin “to speak.” In the Bible, this term refers to a divine pronouncement delivered through a human agent.

WEEK 2: THE WEALTHAND WISDOM OF SOLOMON

1 Kings 1:1–4:34

The Place of the Passage

First Kings picks up where 2 Samuel left off: at the conclusion of King David’s reign. First Kings 1–4 recounts Solomon’s rise to the throne and early accomplishments. In chapter 1, Solomon is anointed king, despite the threat of Adonijah, in fulfillment of God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:12–13. In chapter 2, after a final charge from David, Solomon’s reign is fully established. In chapter 3, Solomon asks the Lord for wisdom, which God grants him, along with riches and honor. Chapter 4 describes a season of blessing, prosperity, and peace among God’s people under Solomon’s reign.

The Big Picture

First Kings 1–4 demonstrates God’s faithfulness to his promises, his responsiveness to prayer, and his blessings upon obedience.

Reflection and Discussion