1 and 2 Kings Flashcards
What may be argued about I Kings as literature?
It may be argued that this is the earliest genuine historiography in world literature
From what point of view is Israel’s past presented?
Israel’s past is presented from a prophetic and theological point of view not a political one.
Is the book of I Kings a book about history? Why or why not?
It is not an exhaustive history of ancient Israel as many historic details are left out.
Kings is a history of Israel’s Kings to illustrate the two paths in life between which all of us must choose.
What kind of events are included in I Kings?
Only events that have universal redemptive qualities are included.
How does each event recorded in I Kings apply to us today?
Therefore we can read each event as having something to do with our spiritual walk with God
Describe the process followed by the editors of I Kings as they assembled the book.
The editors went through the list of Israel’s kings carefully and systematically, with the goal of critiquing each one’s faithfulness to God’s covenant.
What does the book of I and II Kings trace?
The books trace the consequences of sin and the benefits of obedience.
What does I and II Kings share in common with I and II Samuel?
Why is this important?
Retribution Theology
As with 1 and 2 Samuel, the overriding concern in the Books of Kings is the theology of retribution based on the Sinai covenant, especially as expressed in Deuteronomy.
Importance:
The curses of Deut. will be shown through all books.
What is “salvation history”?
It is the divine revelation of historical events recorded in Scripture to promote faith.
During which king did Israel become”…a major player in the arena of international power politics”?
Solomon
What ruined Israel’s brief period of strength and prestige during Solomon’s reign?
Solomon’s religious apostasy.
At what time in Israel’s history was the territory promised to Abraham actually under Israeli control?
What theological principle does this fact demonstrate?
Under Solomon’s reign
even with God’s promise through a covenant to his people, (this particular one was unconditional to Abraham) God’s people must walk in faith and obedience to him in order to receive all the blessings of those promises and covenants
What symbol is associated with Solomon’s reign?
the messianic age.
If Moses contributed the Law, and David contributed the Psalms, what did Solomon contribute to Israelite religion?
wisdom was Solomon’s contribution to Israelite religion.
Solomon’s life includes ‘tragedy’ that even though he saw the Lord on 2 separate occasions, he still fell away from God. How would you describe the phrase “Seeing is believing” in light of this tragedy?
Even though Solomon had been visited twice by God, still his faith wavered.
This shows that even seeing God doesn’t guarantee faithfulness.
How many dynasties did the northern Kingdom of Israel have during the period of the divided kingdoms?
9 dynasties
How many dynasties did the southern Kingdom of Judah have in this period? Can you name them?
The southern Kingdom of Judah had only one dynasty; The Dynasty of King David.
In a sentence, describe the function of the prophet.
Prophets were God’s instruments of warning to the king and the nation.
Describe the function of prophecy for King Ahab.
a form of magic in which the prophet manipulated God.
The professional prophets merely repeated the king’s desire in the form of prophecy in an attempt to ensure the desired outcome.
Describe the function of prophecy for King Jehoshaphat.
mouthpiece for God.
The word of the prophet made the will of God known to humans, regardless of the king’s desires (v.8).
What did Samuel help to establish in II Kings?
Samuel established the future role of the prophet as the messenger from God who held the king in check.
Matching
KING PROPHET
David Elijah
Hezekiah Isaiah
Ahab Nathan
David=Nathan
Hezekiah=Isaiah
Ahab=Elijah
Describe the function of prophecy in Israel among the nations of the Ancient Near East.
It was unique
How did the prophets of other nations conduct their work?
Other peoples had prophets, but they were clairvoyants whose purpose was to appease or manipulate the deities.
Describe the work of the prophets of Israel.
Israel’s prophets were messengers of God who confronted the king and the entire society with his holy word.
Why were the prophets unique when compared with prophets from nations?
Nowhere else in the world could a reigning monarch be held accountable to such a prophetic voice.
How much of II Kings is devoted to the ministry of Elisha?
- Why is it important?
- What does it tell us about the author’s purpose for II Kings?
Has to 2/5 of the book.
Important bec. he is not a King
author’s purpose. He wanted to write not a just a survey of the events as they happened, but an explanation for the destruction of both kingdoms
What do the Books of Kings tell us is the greatest single cause for the failure of Israel and Judah?
the policies of their kings and their lack of obedience to the prophetic word.
Which kings were praised by the author of II Kings?
Why?
In 2 Kings, the author praises only Hezekiah and Josiah, because of their high regard for the word of God. All the other kings were neglectful at best, and evil at worst.
What is the point of the Elijah-Elisha narratives?
The point of the Elijah-Elisha narratives, then, is that the kingdom succeeded when it followed the leadership of the prophets. Failure and destruction resulted when the kings rejected the word of God offered through the prophets.
What is the author’s purpose for outlining Israel’s tragedy in II Kings 17?
The nation did not fall simply because it had a smaller army. Israel broke the Lord’s statutes and commandments (vv. 15-16). They “followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless” (v.15). Ultimately it was God who was responsible for Israel’s fall (vv. 18,20, 23).
What group resulted from the mixtures of peoples under the policies of Assyria?
The mixtures of peoples produced the what would be called the Samaritans, who would become future enemies of Judah. The Samaritans and their religion continued into New Testament times (John 4:9, 19-20).
What scripture reference shows this group and their religious practices lasting over 700 years?
(John 4:9, 19-20).
What are the 2 most important themes of I & II Kings?
The Deuteronomistic History.
The Role of Prophecy.
What do the books of Kings teach us about personal covenant faithfulness and obedience to God?
It is the ONLY measure of successful living.
