Pastor Jim Thomas
1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History
Benefits of studying redemption history in the Bible
- Origin: Where did we come from? What are our “roots”?
- Identity formation: Who and what are we?
- Where are we?
- Lessons from the past bring wisdom for the present and guidance for the future. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” – Psalm 119:105
- Who is God? How can sinful human beings be reconciled with God?
Outline of 1 & 2 Kings
- 1 Kings 1-11: The Wisdom and the Folly of King Solomon
- 1 Kings 12-16: Kingdoms in Chaos
- 1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 13: Elijah and Elisha
- 2 Kings 14-17: Decline of Israel in the North
- 2 Kings 18-25: Decline of Judah in the South
1 Kings 1
In 1 Kings 1 we see…
- the frailty and decline of King David.
- the indentured beauty of Abishag.
- the opportunistic ambitions of Adonijah.
- the prophetic faithfulness of Nathan and Bathsheba.
- the inconspicuous providence of YHWH.
Discussion Questions
- What are the benefits of studying redemption history? How can the ancient books of 1 & 2 Kings still be applicable to us today?
- When Adonijah made his grab for the throne, prophets and priests were conspicuously absent in the group he gathered around himself. Who makes up your inner circle? Do you include people who keep you accountable to God and to each other (which can be uncomfortable at times), or have we only chosen to allow people in who always tell us what we want to hear?
- David acted immediately to appoint his son Solomon to the throne. Do we have this same sense of urgency when it comes to listening to and acting on God’s directives in our lives? Why or why not? If not, what are ways that we can become more attentive, urgent and clued-in on what God wants from us today?
- In 1 Kings 1, the prophet Nathan and Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, showed prophetic persistence and alertness to the plans and purposes of God. How can we follow their example in our unique place in space/time history, in the days of the already/not yet kingdom?
What role might Christ be calling you to play in the ongoing story of redemption history?
“The typical temptation of the young is lust; of the middle-aged, ambition; and of the elderly, bitterness. Actually, all three drives are similar and related: ambition is a refined lust, bitterness a disappointed one.”
– Frederick Dale Bruner
“All that we call human history — money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery — is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
– C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“Everybody has to live for something. Whatever that something is becomes ‘Lord of your life,’ whether you think of it that way or not. Jesus is the only Lord who, if you receive Him, will fulfill you completely, and, if you fail Him, will forgive you eternally.”
– Timothy Keller, The Reason for God