10: 1 & 2 Kings: From Solomon’s Wisdom to the Fall of Jerusalem

Cameron Howard explores 1 and 2 Kings. Solomon's wisdom, the divided kingdom, and God's faithfulness through exile.

The Bible in a Year thumbnail_1400x1400px

From Solomon’s legendary wisdom to the fall of Jerusalem, 1 and 2 Kings tells the sweeping story of Israel’s monarchy—and what it means when God’s people lose everything they were promised. In this episode of the Bible in a Year podcast, hosts Kathryn Schifferdecker and Jennifer Wojciechowski sit down with Cameron Howard, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, to explore one of the Old Testament’s most dramatic books.

Cameron walks us through the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah, the towering prophetic figures of Elijah and Elisha, and the theological question that haunts the entire narrative: if God promised land and descendants, what does it mean that it’s all been lost? Along the way, you’ll encounter palace intrigue, miraculous provision, stories of injustice and accountability, and a God who never stops accompanying the people—even into exile.

Whether you’re reading 1 and 2 Kings for the first time or returning to it with fresh eyes, this conversation will help you see why these ancient stories still matter for faith and life today.

This episode is part of The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary podcast, where we journey through each book of the Bible over 52 weeks.

Resources Mentioned

Bible Bingo: Key Words to Watch For

Kings — The focus of the narrative; stories of those with power, not everyday Israelites
Prophets — Especially Elijah and Elisha, who counsel, confront, and perform miracles
Israel — The Northern Kingdom, with Samaria as its capital
Judah — The Southern Kingdom, with Jerusalem as its capital
Jezebel — The paradigmatic figure for anxieties about foreign women and idolatry

Key Themes

The divided kingdom: Israel (North) and Judah (South), split around 922 BCE
The Deuteronomistic history and its theology of covenant blessing and curse
God’s faithfulness and accompaniment even through exile
Human accountability before God, especially among those in power
The question of what happens to God’s promises when the kingdom falls

Connections to the Rest of Scripture

1 Samuel 8 — The people ask for a king; Samuel warns that kings will take and take
The prophets Amos, Micah, Hosea, and Isaiah — contemporaneous with parts of 1 and 2 Kings
Ezekiel — Wrestling with where God is when the temple is gone; concluding that God traveled into exile with the people
The Gospels — Jesus’ miracles follow the pattern of Elijah and Elisha (feeding, raising the dead, attention to the marginalized)

Cameron’s 7-Word Summary

“Most kings are terrible, but God redeems.”

Featuring

Cameron B.R. Howard

Cameron B. R. Howard, associate professor of Old Testament, joined the Luther Seminary faculty in July 2012. She received her Ph.D. from Emory University in 2010. She also holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory and a Master of Theology degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. Howard is the author of The Old Testament for A Complex World: How the Bible's Dynamic Testimony Points to New Life for the Church (Baker Academic, 2021). Committed to making academic biblical scholarship accessible and relevant to clergy and laypeople, Howard has written over two dozen essays for WorkingPreacher.org and is a contributor to BibleOdyssey.org. She is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

See Profile

Hosted By

Kathryn Schifferdecker

Kathryn M Schifferdecker is Professor and Elva B. Lovell Chair of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2001, Schifferdecker was associate pastor for five years at Trinity Lutheran Church, Arkdale, Wisconsin, before coming to Luther in 2006. Schifferdecker is a frequent contributor to Working Preacher, Word & World, and the author of "Out of the Whirlwind: Creation Theology in the Book of Job" (Harvard University Press, 2008). She is currently writing a commentary on the book of Esther.

See Profile

Jennifer Wojciechowski

Jennifer Hornyak Wojciechowski is assistant professor of church history, and she has been teaching at Luther since 2019. Prior to this, she taught in the religion department at Augsburg University.

Wojciechowski graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota (2005), received her Master of Arts at Bethel Seminary (2011) and her Ph.D. from Luther Seminary (2019).

She is author of the book “Women and the Christian Story: A Global History” (Fortress, 2022) and numerous articles in publications including Word & World and Minnesota History. Her research focuses on women’s history, American history, and the intersection of religion and social reform.

She is the associate editor of the journal Word & World.

See Profile

About The Bible in a Year Podcast

This podcast guides you on a journey through the books of the Bible, providing insights on how Scripture can shape your life today. Each episode focuses on one or two books of the Bible in fun, engaging, and authentic conversations between Luther Seminary faculty and guest Bible scholars who are experts on the book(s) in question. Join us as we make our way through the Bible in a year — new episodes drop every Wednesday in 2026!

Recent episodes

The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary: 1 & 2 Samuel

09: 1 & 2 Samuel

March 4, 2026

Theologian Cory Driver unpacks 1 & 2 Samuel—women, pride, humility, and the God who always knows.

Listen now

The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary: Ruth

08: Ruth

February 25, 2026

Diane Jacobson unpacks the Book of Ruth — love, loyalty, and redemption explored.

Listen now

The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary: Judges