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Elijah Sermon Series (2025)

In January 2025 we started a new series looking at the Prophet Elijah. As a resource to ‘get up to speed’ on the
 preceding chapters of 1 Kings prior to meeting Elijah I have produced the following summary/resource.

Stuart Irvin (Jan 2025)

I suggest reading through this summary with a paper bible in order to look up the verses referred to. 

Chapter one shows us David in his old age. There is an interesting turn of events as Adonijah sets himself up, deceptively, as king. This ends up being the catalyst for David instilling Solomon as he said he would. Solomon’s reign would be marked by “peace and quiet” as we see foretold in 1 Ch 22:9-13. As Solomon, reactively, becomes king we see that he does not exact revenge on Adonijah.

As we see the mantle pass from David to Solomon, a ‘path to prosperity’ is offered: “walk faithfully” (1 Ki 2:3-5). Would Solomon do so? Would his descendants walk in this way?

Regrettably, despite the peace promised to Adonijah did not last because of his request to marry Abishag. Abishag had nursed King David in his old age. For Solomon Adonijah’s request, presumably, was seen as an attempt to indirectly assume the throne again as a harem would normally be inherited by a kings successor. Ultimately Solomon would go on to have his brother put to death.

There are more instances in this chapter of people being put to death in various ways. This finishes with the assertion that the Kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s hands. What are we to make of all this bloodshed? Is this the ‘Peace and Quiet’ that was foretold?

Chapter Three starts with a marriage alliance with Egypt—the very place Solomon’s ancestors had fled. And yet God still appears to him as he walks in the statutes of the Lord. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and says to Solomon “ask for whatever you want me to give you” – Solomon asks for wisdom to govern. The Lord grants this request.

We will see Solomon’s personal failings, but what are we to make of the Lord’s anointing upon his governance?

The chapter concludes with the example of the two mothers fighting over a baby. This backdrop goes on to be the scene for an inspiring display of Solomon’s wisdom.

Chapter 4 shows us a picture of Solomon’s administration and wisdom, and what is important to note is that this was a blessing for the United Kingdoms: 1 Ki 4:20-21.

In Chapter 5 we start to see preparations for the temple being built, which shows us a good picture of leadership and harmony with neighbouring powers.

Chapter 6 gives a more technical description of the size and layout of the temple but has this really key instruction that links their identity and divinity – 1 Ki 6:11-13. They were to follow the commands. They did not do this.

Chapter 7 gives a description of Solomon’s palace before going on to describe the care taken over the artefacts that were crafted for the temple.

In Chapter 8 – a rather long chapter – there is much that is distinctly significant.

The ark is brought into the temple. This is a shared event with community representation. There is theophanic encounter as the cloud fills the temple. Then Solomon, in grand leadership, offers a prayer. The prayer recounts the story of God’s saving ways and then goes on to express a gracious path, seen in the context of the temple, where individual and collective sin might be overcome and forgiven. Woven into this prayer is a path back to the Lord. Would God’s people take this path back?

Then, in blessing the assembly, he calls for them to commit to the Lord and obey his commands. 1 Ki 8:61.With that, and with sacrifices, the temple was dedicated. A high and glad moment for God’s People.

In Chapter 9 God appears to Solomon. What is laid out for him is how God’s people are to live and what will happen if they do not choose this way.

We then see a picture of his other activities.

Chapter 10 gives the account of the visit of the Queen of Sheba. It is an insight into how Solomon’s reign was viewed by other nations and the regard he had. One wonders how this would connect to the future of trade etc?

In Chapter 11 it would seem that disaster starts to strike. The King marries many wives, specifically foreign wives who distracted him. The Lord became angry with him. Adversaries start to rise against him. Things are looking bleak.

We hear how Jeroboam is going to take the ten northern tribes – he learns of this from the prophet Ahijah, who uses the vivid image of the coat torn into 12 – with the promise given to Jeroboam. Solomon tries to kill him, and he has to flee to Egypt.

Solomon then dies, and the throne is set to be passed to Rehoboam, and with that, the uprising of Jeroboam is about to unfold – Things start to, figuratively, fall apart at the seams as we follow on from here into the divided kingdom context in which Elijah will minister.

Chapter 12 really lays out the split and is important to grasp. What we see too is tottering power. Jeroboam is quickly worried that people will return to the temple to worship and his power will slip (would this have been such a bad thing for God’s people to again be united?). Rather than just setting out an alternate place to worship, he sets out an alternate form of worship – golden calves. Not a great start! Especially when we think back to the context of God’s people in the wilderness setting up golden calves to worship in Ex 32.

Chapter 13 gives us an interesting insight with a man of God from Judah going to the north to speak against their false worship. He was not meant to eat with the people, but he eventually relented and then would go on to be mauled by a lion and was not able to be buried with his ancestors.

1 Ki 13:33-34 really shows how bleak the picture is: King Jereboam does not change his ways, a collision course is set.

This is relevant when we think that Elijah’s ministry will be among the Northern tribes.

Chapter 14 then establishes us in a pattern of explaining the kingdoms as they go in parallel.

We interestingly see Jeroboam, with a sick son, seeking the counsel of the very prophet who had foretold his reign. All this makes for how glaring it was that the king had chosen the detestable ways.

Things are not looking great. The throne passes to Nadab – we are getting closer to King Ahab who ruled during Elijah’s prophetic season.

In this chapter we also have the account of the remainder of Rehoboam’s rule, which was pretty lamentable. The picture of divided kingdoms does not look good. There is detestable practices and division. How desperate.

The throne then passes to Abijah – who we pick up on in Chapter 15.

Abijah follows in the same vane, but there is this interesting insight that ‘for David’s sake’ the Lord keeps the lamp in Judah – 1 Ki 15:4-5.

Abijah is then succeeded by Asa – Asa brings in spiritual reform – even to the point of deposing his own grandmother! This then leads to war with Northern tribes under the rule of Baasha, but he makes a treaty to overthrow them.

We then jump back in the timeline a bit because we start with Nadab who is King over Israel (1 Ki 15:25) who precedes Baasha (who we were reading about above). Nadab (the immediate successor of Jeroboam) has a short reign. He does evil in the eyes of the Lord and he is deposed by Baasha, and the family is destroyed – this links back to the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite.

We end Chapter 15 and start into Chapter 16 with the rule of Baasha being recorded.

This could have been a good opportunity to get back on track – after seeing the downfall of your predecessor, one might think to reform the previous ways of folly. However, Baaha does evil and Jehu prophecies about his downfall. The conflict between north and south, recorded earlier in chapter 15 is not mentioned here.

Elah, still during Asa’s reign in Judah, becomes king in Israel. He has a short and bleak reign. A drunkard who is killed and has his family wiped out because of the detestable actions of his father. Zimri, who instigates this, becomes King.

Zimri is a bad leader but also a threatened leader because of the way he grabbed power. He ends up setting his own palace on fire around him.

Omri, who leads the Israelites against him, is the one who then goes on to become King. However, the start of his reign is dominated by a ‘near miss’ with the kingdoms becoming yet further divided, but eventually Omri becomes king of a united north. He ultimately though was a bad king. He did more evil than those before him. Things are not looking great!

It is certainly not a great track record by the time we get to King Ahab (Who rules during Elijah’s time).

In 1 Ki 16:29 we see Ahab become king.

The son of the ‘worst king’ goes on to fulfil an even grimmer title: more evil than those before him – 1 Ki 16:30.

A foreign marriage, the worship of Baal: all these things provoking the Lord’s anger. It was during Ahabs riegn that Hiel the Bethelite – foolishly – rebuilt Jericho’s walls at great cost (connecting to the curse issued by Joshua in Jos 6:26.

With the dismal scene of Ahab’s reign and the bleak picture for God’s people with the dedication of the temple, in unity, being a distant memory we are now set to meet Elijah and explore life experience.

Sub note:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Bible Study:

 

I have been exploring how I can use AI in a breadth of ways. I have used it to help refine and develop this study. After drafting notes from my reading of 1 Kings I got AI to help proof read and suggest areas for further clarification or study. I think it is important to declare as such. In the future I hope to explore how AI can help personal and shared bible study. 

 

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