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