1 Kings 1:1-53 - David’s reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the future will be ‘greater’ than the past (37,47). …
Continue reading In all the changes of life, we must learn to say, “Blessed be the Lord.”
1 Kings 6:14-7:12 We read about Solomon – he built “his own house”, and he built “the House of the Lord” (1 Kings 6:37-7:1). Which was the most important to him? Which is the most important to us – pleasing ourselves or serving You? Help us, Lord, not to be “lovers of self, lovers of …
Continue reading Lord, which is the most important to us – pleasing ourselves or serving You?
The Building and Dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 5-8)
1 Kings 20:1-21:29; Acts 18:9-19:13; Psalm 78:32-39 As a prophet of God, Elijah brought this message to the people: "This is what the Lord says" (1 Kings 21:19). This was Paul's ministry: "teaching them the Word of God" (Acts 18:11). Elijah's ministry was the denunciation of the evil king, Ahab. Paul's ministry was the proclamation …
In 1 Kings 10, we read about Solomon’s wealth. In 1 Kings 11, we read about his weakness - women. There is sadness about Solomon’s reign - “He was no longer committed to the Lord his God as his father David had been ... He did not wholeheartedly follow the Lord as his father David …
1 Kings 18:16-19:21; Acts 17:22-18:8; Psalm 78:17-31 In the relationship between God and the gods, we see (a) the conflict between good and evil (1 Kings 18); (b) God's way of salvation - He leads people out of the darkness of ignorance and into the light of knowledge (Acts 17:23); (c) God's word of warning …
"The prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that …
Continue reading The glory of God is more important than the reputation of his servants.
"When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying, Praise be to the Lord, who has given …
1 Kings 12:25-13:34 - These were dark days for God’s people. They were deeply divided. There was the northern kingdom (Israel). Jeroboam was their ‘big man’. There was the southern kingdom (Judah). Rehoboam was the ‘voice’ of the south. What a shambles it all was! Each side seemed intent on outdoing the other - ungodliness. …
Continue reading These were dark days for God’s people, but God was planning for a better future.
1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 19:14-41; Proverbs 15:31-16:7 Here's a spiritual principle for everyone who seeks to be faithful to God: "As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me" (1 Kings 22:14). In Ephesus, there was a riot. The crowds shouted, "Great is Artemis ("Diana" in the King James …
Continue reading I will tell him only what the Lord tells me.
1 Kings 8:22-9:9; Acts 14:8-28; Proverbs 15:11-20 The majesty of the Temple was not merely human. The glory belonged to the Lord. His glory would be among His people, as they honoured Him by doing His will. The servants of the Lord must always say, "we are only men ... We are bringing you Good News, …
"The Lord also called to the man of God. He said, “This is what the Lord says: You rebelled against the words from the Lord’s mouth and didn’t obey the command that the Lord your God gave you ... A lion found him as he traveled on the road and killed him" (1 Kings 13:21, …
Continue reading Hearing The Word of God And Doing The Will Of God
1 Kings 11:14-12:24 Life can be a very slippery slope. You can go downhill very quickly - if you’re not careful! Solomon let things slide - and he was never the same again. He fell - and he never got back up again. After he died, there was ‘rebellion’- and it lasted for a long …
1 Kings 14:1-15:8 - It makes depressing reading - a lot of bad news from the north (16), a lot of bad news from the south (22). Many people wondered, ‘Will there be peace in my lifetime?’ Sadly, the hostilities continued for a very long time (15:6). Were there no glimmers of hope? Was there …
Continue reading When it seems like there’s nothing but bad news, God speaks His Word of hope.
“Now I’m convinced that you are a man of God and that the Word of the Lord from your mouth is true” (1 Kings 17:24). “the Word of the Lord from your mouth”: What a privilege this is! – God gives us His Word to speak for Him. What a responsibility it is! – May God …
1 Kings 14:1-15:8 It makes depressing reading - a lot of bad news from the north (16), a lot of bad news from the south (22). Many people wondered, ‘Will there be peace in my lifetime?’. Sadly, the hostilities continued for a very long time (15:6). Were there no glimmers of hope? Was there no …
1 and 2 Kings So many kings, so many names - Most of them are best forgotten. Is there a king we must never forget? "King of kings and Lord of lords" - This is what Jesus is! When all the kings have come and gone, Jesus remains - King of kings and Lord of …
“When he saw Elijah, Ahab said, “Is that you, you troublemaker of Israel?”Elijah answered, “I haven’t troubled Israel. You and your father’s family have done it by disobeying the Lord’s commands and following the various Baal gods” (1 Kings 18:17-18).Was Elijah a troublemaker? Ahab thought so. Ahab didn’t like what Elijah had to say to him.He would …
Continue reading Turn away from the false gods and turn to the true God.
1 Kings 18:17-19:21 Life is full of ups and downs. For Elijah, there was a very high point. He prayed. ‘The fire of the Lord fell’. ‘All the people said, ‘The Lord, He is God’’(37-39). This was followed by a very low point: ‘O Lord, take away my life’(4). We are so changeable. Often, we …
Continue reading God’s Love Is Unchanged, Unchanging And Unchangeable.
"… Jerusalem, the city where I chose to place My Name” (1 Kings 11:36). Jerusalem is called the Holy City. It’s not so much Jerusalem that’s holy. It’s the Name of the Lord that’s holy – and He has placed His holy Name in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, Jesus died for us and rose again for …
"The Lord also called to the man of God. He said, “This is what the Lord says: You rebelled against the words from the Lord’s mouth and didn’t obey the command that the Lord your God gave you ... A lion found him as he travelled on the road and killed him" (1 Kings 13:21, …
Continue reading Do we give the Lord lip-service? or Do we serve Him with our lives?
Where are we going? We think about the future. We wonder where it will lead us. Are we asking about the Lord - about being led by the Lord, about being guided by the Word of the Lord? Without the Lord, future will be a wilderness - not knowing where we're going. With God's Word …
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way. You have kept Your promise to Your servant David my father; with Your mouth You have promised and with Your hand …
1 Kings 21:1-22:14 We read of human sin and divine judgment (21:1-4,15-16,20-24). There is also something else here: the mercy of God - ‘Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days…’(29). The judgment of God will come - but not yet. It is held back by the …
Continue reading “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”
1 Kings 5:1-6:13 Do you ‘rejoice greatly’ when you hear the Word of the Lord (5:7)? God wants to ‘establish His Word’ among us (6:12). He wants to establish His presence among us. He is ‘the Word made flesh’. He ‘dwells among us, full of grace and truth’. He is ‘Emmanuel’- ‘God with us’ (John …
1 Kings 12:25-14:20; Acts 16:1-15; Psalm 78:1-8 "The Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel" (1 Kings 14:14). There was much "sin" among God's people (1 Kings 13:33-34). God did not abandon His purpose of salvation. His saving purpose finds its fulfilment in Christ. He is the Gospel ("Good News") which God has …
1 Kings 11:14-12:24; Acts 15:22-41; Psalm 77:10-20 "They obeyed the Word of the Lord" (1 Kings 12:24). They were "commended ... to the grace of the Lord" (Acts 15:40). Obedience to the Word of the Lord and being commended to the grace of God - these two things belong together. We can only promise obedience …
As we read about various kings, there is something that we must never forget - the Lord is King. He is King of all kings. Over all kings, there is One who reigns supreme. The Lord reigns. His reign is greater than any earthly king. He is the King of heaven. There is no other …
The throne is handed on to Solomon by David. This is seen as part of the ongoing purpose of God: “Praise the Lord God of Israel who has let me see the heir to my throne” (1 Kings 1:48). The kingship was given to Solomon by “the Lord” (1 Kings 2:15) - “The Lord set …
Continue reading From Solomon to David: The ongoing purpose of God
1 Kings 5:1-6:13 - Do you ‘rejoice greatly’ when you hear the Word of the Lord (5:7)? God wants to ‘establish His Word’ among us (6:12). He wants to establish His presence among us. He is ‘the Word made flesh’. He ‘dwells among us, full of grace and truth’. He is ‘Emmanuel’ - ‘God with …
Continue reading A dwelling place of God in the Spirit: That’s what you are!
Kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents - what are we to say about them? Some say, "This one's good - and that one's not so good." Others say, "No! It's the other way round." No -one seems to be agree about what makes a good king, a good queen, a good prime minister, a …
1 Kings 3:1-28 - Solomon was a complicated man. We wonder what was most important to him - his alliances with the world or his allegiance to the Lord, ‘building his own house’ or ‘building the House of the Lord’ (1-3)? In verses 9-13, we learn that Solomon prized wisdom more than riches. In verse …
Continue reading Will it be love for the Lord or love for the world?
May your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time (1 Kings 8:61). Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken... I also have heard you, declares the Lord (2 Kings 22:19). There are times, in our lives, …
1 Kings 3:16-5:18; Acts 12:19b-13:12; Psalm 74:18-23 "God gave Solomon wisdom" (1 Kings 4:29). When wisdom is recognized as God-given, the people of God say, "Praise be to the Lord today" (1 Kings 5:7). True ministry, which promotes "wisdom unto salvation", is based on the prompting of the Spirit and leads to the proclamation of …
1 Kings 6:14-7:12 Solomon took seven years to build ‘the House of the Lord’ and ‘thirteen years’ to build ‘his own house’(6:37-7:1)! What are we to make of this? Are we more concerned with pleasing ourselves or serving God? Is our life more self-centred than God-centred? These are important questions. They are questions which we …
Praying through God's Word: 1 Kings 8:14-53 What, Lord, is most important to us – the person who leads us in worship, the place where we worship, or the God whom we worship? We know what our answer should be – but, often, our lives tell a very different story. Help us, when we worship, …
1 Kings 8:14-53 The person who leads us in worship, the place where we worship or the God whom we worship - Which is the most important? We know what our answer should be. No person or place is more important than the Lord. Often, we take our eyes off the Lord. Solomon directs our …
Continue reading No person or place is more important than the Lord.
“Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My Word with you, which I spoke to your father David” (1 Kings 6:12). Building a temple for God means nothing if it isn’t accompanied by building …
In 1 Kings 18, we read about Elijah and the prophets of Baal. "Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he …
Continue reading The Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes.
Following the death of the evil king, Ahab, things changed. The new king, Jehoshaphat, was a different kind of man: “Jehoshaphat did what the Lord considered right” (1 Kings 22:43). Sadly, things took a turn for the worse after Jehoshaphat died: “Ahaziah ... Did what the Lord considered evil .... Ahaziah served Baal, worshipped him, …
Continue reading No human king can even begin to compare with the Lord.
1 Kings 1:1-53 No-one goes on forever. We read about David’s reign coming to an end, about David being replaced by Solomon (1 Kings 1:30). Help us, Lord, to pray that the future will be “greater” than the past (1 Kings 1:37,47). In all of life’s changes, help us to remember this: You are the …
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below—You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way. You have kept Your promise to Your servant David my father; with Your mouth You have promised and with Your hand You …
1 Kings 18:37–39, 19:4 When you’re down, look to the Lord. He loves You. He will lift you up. Life is full of ups and downs. For Elijah, there was a very high point. He prayed. ‘The fire of the Lord fell’. ‘All the people said, ‘The Lord, He is God’’(1 Kings 18:37-39). This was …
1 Kings 16:29-18:16 Things were getting desperate: ‘Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him’ (1 Kings 16:33). What did God do about this? How did He respond to this situation? God sent His prophet, a man who would stand …
The throne is handed on to Solomon by David. This is seen as part of the ongoing purpose of God: “Praise the Lord God of Israel who has let me see the heir to my throne” (1 Kings 1:48). The kingship was given to Solomon by “the Lord” (1 Kings 2:15) - “The Lord set …
1 Kings 2 Kings
Is this all that there is? or Is there more? The question of God keeps on coming back to us. It will not go away. If there is no God, what are we left with? Without God, we go through life, wondering "What's this all about?" We do our best to make it sense of …
1 Kings 14:1-15:8 - It makes depressing reading - a lot of bad news from the north (16), a lot of bad news from the south (22). Many people wondered, ‘Will there be peace in my lifetime?’. Sadly, the hostilities continued for a very long time (15:6). Were there no glimmers of hope? Was there …
“My servant David” (1 Kings 11:34,38)David became a king. He remained a servant. He points us forward to Jesus – “the Servant King” (Graham Kendrick). ”… Jerusalem, the city where I chose to place My Name” (1 Kings 11:36).Jerusalem is called the Holy City. It’s not so much Jerusalem that’s holy. It’s the Name of the …
Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him’ (1 Kings 18:21). No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money …
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and …
1 and 2 Kings "The God who answers by fire, he is God" (1 Kings 18:24). "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha" (2 Kings 2:15). As we read about the fire of God, coming down from heaven, our thoughts may forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: …
1 Kings 11:14-12:24 “Do not go up to fight against your brothers” (1 Kings 12:24). Lord, Your Word seems so simple – but we don’t always listen to what You’re saying to us! Less ‘This is what I think’ and more ‘What is the Lord saying to me?” – that’s what we need. Help us, …
1 Kings 4:1-34 ‘God gave Solomon wisdom’(29). Solomon shared this wisdom with others (32-34). Christ is ‘our Wisdom’(1 Corinthians 1:30). Don’t keep Him to yourself. You may not know much about ‘trees… beasts… birds… reptiles… fish’(33). If you know Jesus, you know all that you really need to know! You can live a happy life …
1 Kings 6:1-7:22; Acts 13:13-41; Psalm 75:1-10 In the reign of Solomon, God fulfilled His promise to David (1 Kings 6:11-13). There is, however, a greater fulfilment: "From David's descendants God has brought to Israel the Saviour Jesus, as He promised" (Acts 13:23). When we consider what God has done, we say, with the Psalmist, …
1 Kings 7:23-8:21; Acts 13:42-14:7; Psalm 76:1-12 The Temple is built. The glory goes to God: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel" (1 Kings 8:15). God's purpose was not, however, to be limited to Israel: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the …
1 Kings 9:10-11:13; Acts 15:1-21; Psalm 77:1-9 "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (Acts 15:11). Once we have been saved, we are to live a godly life (Acts 15:20). This is the way in which God's blessing is to remain and increase in our lives (1 …
1 Kings 10:1-11:13 ‘King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth’(23). It sounds impressive - until you look more closely at Solomon’s life! What else does God’s Word tell us about him? - ‘His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God… Solomon did evil …
Continue reading Is Your Heart Fully Devoted To The Lord Your God?
1 Kings 3:1-28 Solomon was a complicated man. We wonder what was most important to him - his alliances with the world or his allegiance to the Lord, ‘building his own house’ or ‘building the House of the Lord’(1-3)? In verses 9-13, we learn that Solomon prized wisdom more than riches. In verse 14, Solomon …
1 Kings 2:13-3:15; Acts 11:19-12:19a; Proverbs 15:1-10 Solomon asked for wisdom – “a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this” (1 Kings 3:10). In Acts 11:24, Barnabas is described as “a good man, full of the …
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