As we continue our journey through Scripture, we now arrive at the book of 1 Kings, which along with 2 Kings originally comprised of one book. Although this seems like ancient history, the significance lessons about God and His people have something to teach us today, especially when we read it as part of “theological storytelling”. 

Being God’s chosen people, Israel had a special purpose, and to appreciate just how important it was, we must go back to the beginning. God created humanity simply out of His desire to share that relational love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with them. In other words, God is Trinity, and by creating humanity, invites us to experience that relationship of complete love and trust. Sadly, humanity walked away from that love and so were “exiled” out of the Lord’s presence. From Genesis 3-11, we see the results of that downward spiral, and from Gen 12 all the way through the end of the Bible, we read of God’s plan of rescue to right the wrongs and bring humanity out of exile and back to Him. He would use a people, Israel, redeem them from an “exile” in Egypt and bring them to the Promised Land. They would be His special nation, a chosen people to show the world what it meant to belong to God. 

The beginning of 1 Kings starts with such hope and enthusiasm. Israel was no longer fighting, David’s son King Solomon the wise was on the throne ruling, and best of all, the Temple was complete and God’s presence was dwelling within it. This was “the best of times” in Israel’s history. Sadly, they would not last long. Solomon turned away from God, his son was even worse, Israel eventually split into two different countries, and both, despite God sending warning after warning and prophet after prophet, went into exile away from the Promised Land. As the king goes, so goes the nation

Admittedly 1 and 2 Kings can be a hard book to read, and there seems to be no hope in sight, yet at the very end of 2 Kings there emerges a glimpse of good news. Exile and death never have the last word in God’s eyes, not for Israel and not for the world. 2 Kings concludes with the Judean King Jehoiachin being released from prison. Plus, even in exile in Babylon (modern-day Iraq) there would be a faithful Jewish remnant who would return to the Promised Land someday. Judgment has come, but God’s grace and mercy is still there, and it would soon come to a crescendo. 

Not only has God’s grace undone the exile of His people Israel in Babylon by returning them to the Promised Land later on in Scripture, but this story also points us to the larger story of our exile as humanity. We too have gone astray and so Israel’s story is a reflection of our story. Sin is the ultimate con. We think it promises something for nothing, but it delivers nothing for something (our very lives).

Within God’s people there would come the One who Himself would suffer an exile by leaving the unhindered presence of God the Father. God the Son would leave the comfort of heaven, take on flesh and dwell among us. He would be a king, but not one who ruled in luxury. Rather, his kingship would involve servanthood, He would always be faithful to God, and He would be the one to take us from our state of exile in sin and into the kingdom and presence of God, because He is the presence of God. He is able to redeem us from exile because He experienced exile and, now through the cross and resurrection, has destroyed any barrier of exile. God has cleared the way for us to return to Him as His chosen people, His holy nation, set apart and made holy by the blood of His Son Jesus. As you read 1 and 2 Kings, contemplate the patience of God through the prophets as they warn Israel with the beckoning love of a father to his wayward children, and although all hope may seem lost, with God there is always life because in Jesus Christ, He has made the way clear for us to be brought out of exile and death and into eternal life in Him, where we belong. 

Your Brother,

Craig

We turn from 1 Samuel to 2 Samuel and pick up the narrative as we continue our look through the Scriptures. 1 Samuel left us on a bit of a down note: Saul and Jonathan are gone, and the transition to a new king will not come easily. After the craziness in the book of Judges, the hope portrayed to us in Ruth, and the beginnings of this shepherd that would one day be king that is introduced to us in 1 Samuel, we cannot help but long and hope that soon this shepherd will be on the throne as Israel’s rightful king and that the land would at last have peace. The same hope and longing floods our souls as Christians. Our world and our hearts have hurt, there has been spoken of a King of Kings long ago, and He is the Shepherd of our souls. Jesus is that rightful King who is reigning now and will continue until all things are accomplished and the earth will at last have peace. 

2 Samuel continues the tale and opens up with David being anointed king over one of the twelve tribes, his home tribe Judah, but the questions hangs in the air if the rest of Israel will accept his kingship. This is made more complicated in the fact the rest of Israel has one of Saul’s sons who is competing for the throne. Eventually, Israel is united under King David and the situation for God’s people finally start looking up. Jerusalem is chosen as the legitimate location for worship and the ark is brought there. 

Sadly, as so often happens when someone gains power, David has his struggles and his moral failings too. 2 Samuel does not shy away from this and at his lowest, even the great King David is shown to be a sinner and a human being just like everyone else. Yet, even in this we see valuable lessons that we can glean from the text as well as signs pointing us to our great King Jesus

As great as David was, he cannot replace God as the ultimate King-Often we too are tempted to place our trust in what is right in front of us rather than in what is secure and true: we must never forget who our rightful King is.

The Ark parallels Jesus-The Ark of the Covenant was a chest containing the Ten Commandments, and it was believed the presence of God dwelt between the two angels that sat atop its lid. The ark was brought to Jerusalem for the people to worship and they rejoiced. Yet, the presence of God would also visit Jerusalem much later on in history, but sadly this time, He would be met with jubilation only temporarily. Once He did what the presence of God always does: purifies what it touches (in this case the Temple when He threw out the money-changers), He was rejected and crucified outside Jerusalem’s walls.  

David’s life parallels Jesus-David struggled in taking his rightful place as king, yet he trusted God and was eventually crowned. Jesus was the true King of Kings his whole life, yet struggled not because of His own shortcomings, but because He chose to identify with us in our struggles. Yet, He too trusted His Father, and as such was given the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Hallelujah

Your Brother,

Craig