1Kings 21

Ahab was bad, but Jezebel was even worse. 

Ahab was a whiner and quite possibly the most evil king Israel ever had. But Jezebel loved to instigate, and in this chapter shows herself perfectly capable of going behind the king's back to start a lie that got someone killed.

1Kings 20

Ben-Hadad led 32 kings and their armies against Ahab. When they were beaten, he assumed that it was because they had fought in the hills, and Israel's God was a god of the hills. He thought if they fought in the lowlands he would win.

He was wrong. God is God everywhere.

1Kings 19

Elijah wasn't afraid of confronting King Ahab, or of mocking the prophets of Baal even when ludicrously outnumbered. Near as we can tell, he feared no man. But he sure did run from Queen Jezebel.

Elijah's problem wasn't the fear of man, but of woman.

1Kings 18

This chapter has one of my favorite stories.

The story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is a great one. What's often overlooked is the sacrifice he made. Not the bull, but the water. In the middle of a drought, he poured water on the altar until everything was so soaked that water ran down and filled a trench around the altar. Rather than being dramatic, Elijah was offering something precious,

1Kings 17

Elijah was given the power to make the drought last or stop and then sent out of Israel to a Gentile widow. Not only did he make her meager store of food last until the end of the drought, but he also brought her son back to life after he died of an illness.

Sounds like Israel blessing the nations to me.

1Kings 16

The kings of Israel seemed to get worse and worse.

At least Judah occasionally had a good king. Israel had nothing but bad ones and, as we'll see in the next few days, sometimes their wives were even worse.

1Kings 15

If length of reign was a sign of God's approval, then Asa was by far the best king of Judah so far.

Think about it. Even the celebrated David only ruled 40 years, albeit over a united kingdom. Asa got 41. It's not that simple , though. I can think of someone much worse who reigned much longer, but we'll get to him.

1Kings 14

There's no such thing as a victimless crime, especially if you're king. Because of Jeroboam's evil, Israel was taken from his family forever.

Just because God gave something doesn't mean he can't take it back.

1Kings 13

Do what God said. Peiriod.

Jeroboam didn't have to make golden calves. In fact, he was specifically told not to. The false prophet didn't have to lie. In fact, he was specifically told not to. The man of God didn't have to turn aside and eat there. In fact, he was specifically told not to. See a pattern?

1Kings 12

This is why I have a problem with most "youth" ministries. Rehoboam didn't need to listen to people his own age (or slightly older). He needed advisers who were older, who had been around a while.

And I have it on good authority that the Hebrew word doesn't mean "little finger", but a different body part entirely.

1Kings 11

It seems to be hard to remember that the higher you go, the farther you have to fall.

God had warned of the dangers of foreign entanglements, especially marriage to foreign women,  but Solomon didn't listen. Despite his divine wisdom, he thought he knew better than God. The result was that that he wives led him astray.

1Kings 10

Of course Solomon was world-famous,

If the richest person in this world was also the wisest, and was head of a worldwide trading empire, and gave the credit to God for everything, you would've heard of him, too.

1Kings 9

When Hiram came to help when Solomon was building, he brought his own materials. Solomon paid him with 20 cities. When they proved unacceptable, he gave Hiram a lot of money involved.

Gold is always accepted.

1Kings 8

A couple of days ago, we read it chapter about the temple, but even that construction work it wasn't complete. Half the chapter yesterday was dedicated to Hiram making me furnishings and utensils necessary for it to function, but even that didn't complete it.

It wasn't complete until the ark was in t.

1Kings 7

Solomon spent a lot of time and money on the temple, trying to make it worthy of the God to whom it was dedicated. What does it mean that he spent so much more on himself?

Half of this long chapter is given over to describing the palace of Solomon, and the rest to the furniture Hiram cast for the temple. While the temple was fully furnished, it's disturbing how concerned Solomon eas with his own comfort.

1Kings 5

Hiram, the king of Tyre, thought very highly of David, and Solomon reaped the rewards.

Hiram had the wood harvested. He had it flowed and carried to the sites that Solomon had pointed out,. Hiriram sent craftsmen, found work for tens of thousands of conscriptted Israelites, and even came himself to supervise. But Solomon had to feed them all.

1Kings 4

This is Israel's golden age, without a doubt.

Look how much land they controlled. Abraham had been promised all the land between the Euphrates and the sea, and this is as close as they got to claiming that promise.

1Kings 3

I find it more than a little ironic that Solomon asked for wisdom to know good from evil while he was at the "great high place" where he was accustomed to offer enormous sacrifices . Even more amazing is that God granted it provided he followed God's laws.

For example by not sacrificing to Baal.

1Kings 2

David's last place of advice to Solomon was just a hit list. Solomon had it carried out, making this a very bloody chapter.

It's more like The Godfather than the Bible.

1Kings 1

Yet another rebellion by a son. What a way to start a book.

David was too old to rule effectively, and Adonijah slipped in his own coronation without bothering to let his father know. David was too old and sick to do anything about it anyway. But Solomon wasn't.