As you might have guessed, the Book of 1 Kings has something to do with the “Kings” of Israel. And indeed, you are correct. The first half of 1 Kings deals with the life of King Solomon, the child born to David and Bathsheba. Under his reign, the nation expanded its borders to its greatest extent ever achieved under Joshua. And after the Temple was built in Jerusalem, Israel ascended to the peak of its glory and influence. Although the building of the Temple brought Solomon great fame and respect, the later years of his life brought him untold shame and misery as his many pagan wives turned his heart away from worshiping the one true God of Israel, the One who was enthroned in the Temple he had built. Sadly, his divided heart led to a divided kingdom, and the history of this division takes up the second half of 1 Kings.
The Book of 1 Kings covers the period from 971 B.C. (when Solomon became king) to 851 B.C. (when King Ahaziah’s reign ended). In 931 B.C. (forty years after Solomon’s reign began) the Kingdom was divided. The turning point in the Book comes in Chapter 12 when Solomon’s son Rehoboam made some very unwise and unpopular decisions that alienated the ten northern tribes. The result was a relatively peaceful division of the Kingdom that was once united, but the result was that two separate nations were created: the southern Kingdom of Judah with two tribes lead by Rehoboam, and the northern Kingdom of Israel with ten tribes led by Jeroboam.
Because the style and grammar of both 1 and 2 Kings is similar to the Book of Jeremiah, many scholars feel that the Prophet Jeremiah is the author. Furthermore, both books focus on God’s judgment for idolatry and immorality, a common theme of the prophets, including Jeremiah. Also, the Books were more than likely written before the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 B.C., and it was during this time that Jeremiah pleaded with the nation to repent and turn their hearts back to God. We’ll be looking more closely at the Book of Jeremiah later.
Our two key verses for the Book of 1 Kings comes from God’s words spoken to Solomon,
“If you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statues and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David….” (1 Kings 9:4-5)
But, as you know, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command, and the penalty for his disobedience was pronounced upon him by God,
“Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statues, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant” (1 Kings 11:11).
These two verses, our key verses for this book, illustrate the fact that disobedience to God has its consequences. We will reap what we sow! The Apostle Paul knew this quite well when he wrote,
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap” (Gal. 6:7, from the Amplified Bible).
Paul writes that we are deceiving ourselves if we think that there will be no consequences for our sins. And God will not be “mocked” by allowing us to “get away with it” without consequences. Whatever evil we have done, whether in word or in deed, no one “gets away” from the consequences of sin. There will be a price to pay. Our consequences may be public or private; they may be physical, emotional, or spiritual, or all three; but we must rest assured that we will reap what we sow. Interestingly, we find the same truth in the Book of Job,
“Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness will reap the same” (Job 4:8).
But what if a person comes to Christ as a result of the overwhelming guilt of his or her sin? That is wonderful, and there will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. Just ask the Prodigal Son! But while God removed his sin and forgave the guilt of it, I’m certain he had to live with the “shame” of what he had done to his Father. Every Christian lives with that, but at the same time, we are called to put it aside and focus on what God has for us in the future. If anyone knew about this, it was the Apostle Paul. After persecuting and playing a role in the death of hundreds of Christians before his conversion, Paul became a follower of Christ and said,
“Brethren,…there is one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind, I reach forward to what lies ahead…” (Phil. 3:13).
And you and I can do the same. Here is what I say to new Christians just coming to faith in Christ from a life of sin and rebellion against God: “Yes, you will reap what you sow, but Christ will surely help to soften the blow!” In fact, the consequences of our sin are minor when compared to the far surpassing value of knowing Christ.
If you have experienced what Solomon experienced in 1 Kings, then bring your sins to God, and ask Jesus to forgive you. Oh yes, there will be some consequences that you will have to live with, but the joy and peace that comes from knowing Christ far exceeds the consequences of your sin. Just ask Him to forgive you and He will do so. Remove the burden, and let Him carry it for you.
God bless you, and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from our house to yours.
