David’s son Solomon leads Israel to greatness, only to fail and lead Israel to a civil war and ultimately towards destruction and exile.
After centuries of sojourning, struggles, and conquest, God’s promise to Abraham appears to finally be tangible – David and Solomon unite the Israelites into a single kingdom with descendants as “numerous as the stars.”
The rise and fall of a kingdom
Known as Kings 1 and 2 in English Bibles, The Book of Kings is originally a single book that recounts the rule of Israel’s kings from David’s son Solomon up until the time of Israel’s exile, the final result of Israel’s disobedience.
Will God’s promised Messiah come to pass in spite of Israel’s failures? Read more to find out! Note how the book’s perspective gives the reader a bird’s-eye view of the nation as a whole compared to the interpersonal focus of key individuals in the Book of Samuel. Some notable people in Kings, like Elijah and Jezebel, will also become symbolic representatives for certain themes in the New Testament. Watch closely.