Read the Passage: 1 Kings

Authorship and Date – The books of 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book, and their author is not specified. Rabbinic tradition holds that Jeremiah wrote these books, which seems plausible given the similarity in style and tone to the book of Jeremiah. Since 2 Kings 25:27–30 records Jehoiachin’s release from prison, this book was written after 561 BC. The book was also written before the Jews’ return from Babylon in 539 BC. A likely date of composition, then, is around 550 BC. Note that the author made extensive use of existing extra-biblical materials in regard to facts and figures (cf. 1 Kings 11:41; 14:19, 29), as well as depending on existing biblical materials such as Isaiah 36–39 (cf. 2 Kings 18–20) and Jeremiah 52 (cf. 2 Kings 24–25). There are four key dates that relate to the events recorded in the books of 1 & 2 Kings: 967 BC is the year that Solomon began to build the Temple; 931 BC is the year that the Jewish people split into the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah; 722 BC is the year that Assyria attacked and deported the people of Israel; and 586 BC is the year that Judah was destroyed by the Babylonians for the final time.

Theme and Purpose – The books of 1 & 2 Kings resume the history of Israel where the books of 1 & 2 Samuel leave off. These books cover history from the death of David until the last king of Judah. Yet, 1 & 2 Kings, which cover roughly 400 years of history, are best viewed as a type of theological narrative. The author’s main purpose in writing is to warn the Israelites about not repeating the sins that had led to their deportation and captivity in Babylon. Indeed, these books are a divinely-inspired warning to God’s people. Major themes in 1 & 2 Kings include covenant faithfulness, prophetic authority, and divine sovereignty. Note that while these books are about the kings of Israel and Judah, more is written about the prophets Elijah and Elisha than any king except for Solomon. Also, King David, who passes from the narrative very early in the book of 1 Kings, is a major figure in these books, as his shadow is cast over all of the kings who follow.

Structure and Outline – The books of 1 & 2 Kings are narrated in basic chronological order. A brief thematic outline of these books is as follows:

• The United Kingdom (1 Kings 1–11)
• The Divided Kingdom: Early Years (1 Kings 12–16)
• Elijah (1 Kings 17–2 Kings 1)
• Elisha (2 Kings 2–10)
• The Divided Kingdom: Later Years (2 Kings 11–17)
• Toward Captivity (2 Kings 18–30)

Adonijah’s Presumption (1:1–10)

As 1 Kings begins, David is seventy years old and toward the end of his life. Given his advanced age, David was suffering with circulatory problems and had difficulty keeping himself warm. In accord with medical practices of the day, a young woman was sought to keep him warm at night. While this young woman, Abishag the Shunammite, likely had joined David’s harem, she remained a virgin. Next, 1 Kings 1:5–10 reports that David’s fourth and oldest surviving son, Adonijah, had organized a political coup by forged an alliance with Joab, the commander of the army, and Abiathar, one of the two high priests. Adonijah’s usurping of the throne was a grave problem, for David was frail, Adonijah was the oldest son of the king, and Adonijah had won the hearts of the people (cf. 1 Ki. 2:15). 1 Kings 1:6 says that David had never confronted Adonijah about his ambition to be king.

Bathsheba’s Question (1:11–27)

Adonijah had invited all of the king’s sons to his self-inauguration, except for Solomon. This indicates that Adonijah likely knew that David had already declared that Solomon would succeed him as king (cf. 1 Ki. 1:17). When Nathan the prophet became aware of Adonijah’s coup, he crafted a plan by which both he and Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, would approach David and let him know about Adonijah’s actions, as well as the danger this posed. Nathan’s plan unfolded just as he’d intended, as he and Bathsheba informed David about Adonijah’s coup. Nathan also explained the extent of the revolt, as he told the king about who had defected to Adonijah and who had remained loyal to David. Note David’s earlier promise to Bathsheba—that Solomon would be king—is not recorded in Scripture, but it was apparently well-known, for Nathan was aware of it (cf. 1 Ki. 1:13).

Solomon’s Inauguration (1:28–52)

As soon as David realized the danger that Adonijah’s coup represented, he immediately took action to anoint Solomon as king. In regard to Solomon’s ascension to the throne, David told Bathsheba, “I certainly will do this [to]day” (1 Ki. 1:30). David’s plan was to assemble Zadok, the other high priest, Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, a prominent military leader, to begin Solomon’s coronation. Observe the importance of Nathan’s participation, as both Saul and David has been anointed by the prophet Samuel. Next, David had Solomon ride on the king’s mule, he publicly proclaimed Solomon to be king, and he had Solomon openly anointed with oil at Gihon. As could be expected, this caused great rejoicing among the people of Jerusalem. When Adonijah’s group heard the noise and the news of Solomon’s coronation, they left, leaving Adonijah to fend for himself.

Application Questions:

1. What do you know about the books of 1 & 2 Kings? What verses, passages, or general topics from this book come to mind?
2. If David was aware of Adonijah’s selfish ambition to be king, why had David never rebuked his son at any time (cf. 1 Ki. 1:6)?
3. Given that David must have known that his health was failing, why did he delay to publicly appoint a successor?
4. In regard to serving the Lord, how important is the character trait of diligence? How does the trait of diligence relate to integrity?
5. Why did David decide to appoint his son Solomon as king? Was Solomon’s service to the Lord impacted by his parents sins?