Theological Themes in 1 Kings

Revised by RachelLaban’s younger daughter and Jacob’s second wife. Wrenn, 2/24

The Ark of the CovenantThe ark of the covenant was a box or chest that God commanded the Israelites to make from wood richly adorned with gold. The ark was built to contain the tablets of the covenant (the Ten Commandments). The ark served as a mobile shrine to…

The significance of the Ark of the CovenantA covenant is a promise or agreement. In the Bible the promises made between God and God’s people are known as covenants; they state or imply a relationship of commitment and obedience. varies in the different Old Testament traditions. It is most important for the Priestly tradition. The Deuteronomic tradition, of which Kings is a part, sees Solomon’s procession of the Ark from the tent prepared by DavidSecond king of Israel, David united the northern and southern kingdoms. to its place in the inner sanctuaryA sanctuary is the consecrated area around the altar of a church or temple. It also means a place of safety where one can flee for protection. In the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, God is referred to as a sanctuary, a refuge from… of the TempleThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged… as the cultic highpoint of the Temple dedication (1 Kings 8:1-13). First Kings 8:9, 21 indicate that the Ark  housed a copy of the law (compare Deuteronomy 10:5; 31:9, 24-26). First Kings 8:16-20, 27-30 insists the Temple is a house of prayer where God’s name ( presence, self-extension on earth) dwells, since, in this tradition, God dwells in heaven, not the Temple–as the references to God’s hearing “in heaven” in each of the petitions of Solomon’s dedicatory prayer make clear (1 Kings 8:32, 34, 36, 39, 43, 45, 49). After SolomonThird king of Israel who was known for wisdom and building the first Temple., however, the tradition of the Ark becomes rather vague. Most assume it remained in the Temple for 400 years until it was carried off by the Babylonians in 587 BCE, though it is missing from the list of plunder taken from the Temple in 2 Kings 25:13-17.

Centralized worship (Deuteronomy 12)

Deuteronomy 12 is important for the book of Kings because of its insistence upon the centralization of worship. When Jeroboam revolted and established the Northern KingdomThe Northern Kingdom consisted of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel and lasted for 200 years until it was destroyed by Assyria in 721 B.C.E. In the northern kingdom the kings were evil. Prophets like Elijah and Amos railed against them and their evildoing. of Israel, he needed to set up shrines in Bethel and DanA son of Jacob and tribe of Israel. as rival sanctuaries to the Jerusalem Temple. This became the primary sin that brought condemnation upon all the northern kings in the judgment of the Deuteronomistic editors.

The Davidic covenant

Echoes of God’s promise and special favors to David in 2 SamuelThe judge who anointed the first two kings of Israel. 7 often appear in the books of Kings; the most important include:

• When the kingdom divides, God’s punishment is delayed, and Solomon’s successor is still left with a kingdom, though smaller, for David’s sake (1 Kings 11:12-13).
• The Davidic dynasty is in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:36; 15:4-5; 2 Kings 8:19).
• David’s faithful obedience is often lifted up as a model (1 Kings 3:3; 11:4, 6, 38; 15:3, 11).
• God’s regard for David delivers Jerusalem from attack in the time of HezekiahJudean king noted for his reforms in time of Isaiah. (2 Kings 19:34; 20:5-6).

SalvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life.

Unless it is merely a prolonged “I told you so!,” the very existence of the book of Kings suggests that there was hope for the future of the people despite their desperate situation in exile. The portrayals of their past kings would serve as lessons from the past through which they could learn. The emphasis on repentance and forgiveness throughout, but especially in Solomon’s great dedicatory prayer (1 Kings 8), would have been an especially attractive avenue of hope. Decisive in this regard is the hopeful conclusion found in the release and elevation of King Jehoiachin in 2 Kings 25:27-30.

High places, pillars, and poles

These three cultic items were especially abhorrent to the Deuteronomistic editors of Kings due to the affinity of these items with the religion of the Canaanites. High places (bamoth) were sites of Canaanite worship. Pillars (masseboth) were standing stones, possibly phallic, that symbolized Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility. Sacred poles (asheroth) were trees that represented the goddess Asherah.

Jeroboam’s sin

“Walking in the way of Jeroboam / not departing from all the sins of Jeroboam” is the primary criterion for the negative evaluations of 16 of the northern kings (1 Kings 15:34; 16:2, 19, 26, 31; 22:52; 2 Kings 3:3; 10:29, 31; 13:2, 6, 11; 14:24; 15:9, 18, 24). What exactly this entailed, however, is difficult to determine. Likely contenders would include:

• Jeroboam’s institution of worship in a place other than Jerusalem–that is, in Bethel in the southernmost area of Israel, and in Dan in the north (1 Kings 12:26-29)–in violation of Deuteronomy 12.
• Jeroboam’s creationCreation, in biblical terms, is the universe as we know or perceive it. Genesis says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the book of Revelation (which speaks of end times) the author declares that God created all things and… of two golden calves, in violation of Deuteronomy 13, installed at the new worship sites in Bethel and Dan with the words, “Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28), virtually the same as those uttered by AaronMoses’ brother and spokesman, and Israel’s first high priest. upon his production of the golden calf in the wilderness (Exodus 32:4).

Kingship in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)

Deuteronomy 17 provides the blueprint for what kingship should look like:

• Verses 16-17 regularly appear in the descriptions of Solomon’s reign: 1 Kings 4:26; 9:19; 10:14-28; 11:3.
• The king is to be faithfully obedient to the prescriptions of the Mosaic legislation (vv. 18-19). Most of the kings of JudahJudah was the name of Jacob’s fourth son and one of the 12 tribes. and all of the kings of Israel failed in this regard. JosiahJudean king noted for his reforms of Israel’s worship in the time of Jeremiah., however, literally complied by ruling according to the precepts of the book of the law discovered in the Temple (2 Kings 22:8–23:25).
• The continuation of the monarchy as well as the dynastic succession is tied to the king’s faithful obedience (v. 20). 

Kingship in Israel and Judah

The evaluation of “kingship” varied between the North (Israel) and the South (Judah). Significant aspects of the northern tradition include the following:

• 200 years of rule, 922-722 BCE
• Twenty rulers (Zimri, 1 Kings 16:15-20, who only ruled seven days, was not considered a king as seen by the lack of accession formula and death notice)
• Assassination of seven kings: Nadab, Elah, Joram, Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, Pekah
• No positive evaluation from the Deuteronomistic editors of northern kings

Significant aspects of the southern tradition include the following:

• 335 years of rule, 922-587 BCE
• Twenty rulers (Athaliah, 2 Kings 11:1-21, who usurped the throne, was not considered a king as seen by the lack of accession formula and death notice)
• David’s descendants ruled in an unbroken line from RehoboamThe son of Solomon during whose reign the kingdom divided into north and south. to Zedekiah
• Positive evaluation for eight kings from the Deuteronomistic editors: qualified praise for Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, and Jotham; unqualified praise for Hezekiah and Josiah

A pattern of royal apostasy in the North

Close attention to the regnal formulas of the kings of Israel suggests a pattern of apostasy leading to the fallThe Fall refers specifically to the disobedience of Adam and Eve when they listened to Satan rather than adhering to God’s command not to eat the fruit from the tree. When people act contrary to God’s will, they are said to fall from from grace… of the North:

• The first eight kings (Jeroboam through Joram) all “walk in the way of Jeroboam” and cause Israel to “provoke the LORD to anger.”
• The second group of eight kings (JehuAnointed king by Elisha, Jehu overthrew the dynasty of Ahab and Jezebel. through Pekah) “did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam.”
• Hoshea, Israel’s last king, “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not like the kings of Israel who were before him” (2 Kings 17:2).

The pattern is unmistakable and may suggest that the first group of kings were the actual apostates. The second group, headed by Jehu the reformer, merely continued in the basic sin of Jeroboam–that is, worship outside of Jerusalem. Hoshea, as the last in the line of apostasy, is not individually responsible for the collapse of the North; it simply took place “on his watch,” so to speak.

ProphecyProphecy is the gift, inspired by God, of speaking and interpreting the divine will. Prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel spoke words of judgment and comfort to the people of Israel on behalf of God. and its definition in Kings

“Prophet,” “prophetic,” and “prophecy” are all words that are still used with regularity today. In a non-religious sense, these words often refer to foretelling or the predicting of the future. While the accurate prediction of future events was an important marker of prophecy in Kings (see below), it was not the primary sign or goal of the prophetic office. In other words, what made a prophet a prophet had more to do with the role God commissioned them to play than it did an ability to see the future.

What role did a prophet really play, then? Quite simply, a prophet was a person sent by God to particular people, in a particular time and place, with a specific word from God for their historical moment. In short, a prophet was a Divine Word-Bearer. At times, bearing the divine word involved speaking about the future: other times, it involved dancing, singing, using words to proclaim God’s message, and even using the prophet’s own body as an object of proclamation.

Prophets often interacted with kings, who needed to understand the divine temperament as they attempted to rule. Since the king was God’s representative on earth, God often sent prophets to the kings, so that they would not lead the entire nation astray (see ElijahA miracle working Israelite prophet who opposed worship of Baal. and King AhabKing of Israel who opposed Elijah. in 1 Kings 17-19). Prophets were also, however, sent to individuals and were concerned at times with more mundane matters of life, like the prophet ElishaMiracle working prophet who succeeded Elijah. and the Shunammite widowA widow is a woman whose spouse has died, often plunging her into poverty and putting her in a vulnerable position in society. Jesus, in his concern for the poor, regards widows with compassion and concern. (see 2 Kings 4). The easiest indicator of a prophet is the phrase “The Word of the LORD came to [insert prophet name], saying…”Prophecy and its fulfillment

Unlike the canonical prophetic books, which usually do not indicate a correspondence between prophecy and its fulfillment, the book of Kings is especially concerned to demonstrate that every true prophetic word came to pass. Eleven such instances have been identified (prophecy // fulfillment): 2 Samuel 7:13 // 1 Kings 8:20; 1 Kings 11:29-39 // 1 Kings 12:15b; 1 Kings 13:21-22// 1 Kings 13:23-25; 1 Kings 14:6-10 // 1 Kings 15:29; 1 Kings 16:1-4 // 1 Kings 16:12; JoshuaThe successor of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan. 6:26 // 1 Kings 16:34; 1 Kings 21:21-24 // 1 Kings 21:27-29 (compare 2 Kings 9:7); 1 Kings 22:17 // 1 Kings 22:35-36; 2 Kings 1:6 // 2 Kings 1:17; 2 Kings 21:10-15 // 2 Kings 24:2; 2 Kings 22:15-20 // 2 Kings 23:30. Other possibilities have also been suggested.

Prophecy in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 18:15-22)

The Deuteronomic test of true prophecy lies in its conformity to the facts of real life and history. The exiles wondered if God was reliable in the face of the apparent failure of God’s promise to David. The Book of Kings seeks to reassure the people that God remains true to God’s word. The Exile was not a failure on God’s part, but rather a parade example that God would do what God had said: “The LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, bands of the Arameans, bands of the Moabites, and bands of the Ammonites; he sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets” (2 Kings 24:2, emphasis added). Numerous other places could be cited in support of the fulfillment of prophecy in these terms including: 1 Kings 13:1-2, 5, 21-22, 26, 32; 15:29; 2 Kings 1:17; 7:1; 9:26, 36; 10:17.

Role of the King as God’s Representative

One of the most important aspects of monarchy to remember when understanding the role of the king in the ancient Near East was the reality of the king’s religious role. In many modern societies, elected officials play no automatic official role in a religious institution. One can serve as an official government leader and still serve in one’s spiritual community, but they do not automatically acquire a religious role when they are elected. Civil and religious leadership are not intertwined in many countries today. In ancient times, however, the king was understood to be God’s representative on earth. It was his job to lead with justice and righteousness and to follow the ideals as outlined in the religious laws. This is not to say that rulers had unlimited power and the people had no rights: Deuteronomy 17:14-20 describes some of the limits to royal powers, and Deuteronomy 16:1-22 establishes a high court to oversee justice. Still, as God’s representative, the king was to steward the systems of society that could carry out justice, a role that kings in these books often fail to embrace.

Temple

In the ancient Near East, as well as in the Bible, and especially in the Psalms (for example, PsalmA psalm is a song of praise. In the Old Testament 150 psalms comprise the psalter, although some of the psalms are laments and thanksgivings. In the New Testament early Christians gathered to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 84:1-2), God is thought to dwell in the Temple. In the book of Kings, the Deuteronomistic editors strongly deny that God can be “located” in the Temple or indeed anyplace in heaven or on the earth (1 Kings 8:27). Rather, God has chosen for God’s name (presence, self-extension on earth ) to dwell in the Temple, which is really a house of prayer, a tangible focus point for supplication (1 Kings 8). This understanding of God’s presence in the Temple but physical reality elsewhere addressed exilic concerns about what happened to God when the Temple was destroyed.

Theodicy in Kings

A theodicy is an attempt to justify how God has dealt with God’s people, especially by resolving the problem of evil in ways that maintain God’s goodness, justice, and sovereignty. The exiles wondered how God could have allowed the destruction of Jerusalem and their deportation to Babylon. The Book of Kings attempts to resolve this difficulty by presenting the Exile as the result of the nation’s lack of faithful obedience, especially as that obedience is promulgated in the Book of Deuteronomy.

View of the Exile

Kings portrays the exile as God’s judgment upon Judah for their breach of the covenant. Despite this judgment, it claims that the land was not completely emptied, since some of the poorest people of the land were left to care for the vines and till the soil (2 Kings 25:11-12). Chronicles, in contrast, portrays the Exile as a time of giving the land a SabbathSabbath is a weekly day of rest, the seventh day, observed on Saturday in Judaism and on Sunday in Christianity. In the book of Genesis, God rested on the seventh day; in the Gospel accounts Jesus and his disciples are criticized by some for not… rest of seventy years (2 Chronicles 36:20-21), suggesting that the Chronicler is thinking of the time between the destruction of the first Temple and the dedication of the second (587/586-516 BCE). As a result, in Chronicles the land is completely empty so that the land may have its Sabbaths (2 Chronicles 36:21).