1 Kings

40 posts

2 Chronicles 13

2 Chronicles 13

2 Chronicles 13 – After reading this chapter, I am reminded of a common situation we have all encountered. It’s that moment when someone is telling the truth, but not giving you the full story. When a …

2 Chronicles 10

2 Chronicles 10

2 Chronicles 10 – It seems like this whole situation began to unravel in such a short period of time. If we go back in history, however, we see that is not the case. This struggle to …

2 Chronicles 8

2 Chronicles 8

2 Chronicles 8 – Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. Psalms 20:7 NASB “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall …

2 Chronicles 2

2 Chronicles 2

2 Chronicles 2 – Solomon knew the dwelling place for God would not do Him justice. He makes this statement in verse 6… Yet no one can really build a temple for God, because even all the …

1 Chronicles 28

1 Chronicles 28

1 Chronicles 28 – Loyalty of heart. I once had a pastor give me advice on how to preach a sermon. His main point was, speak to the mind and speak to the heart. Truth and grace …

1 Chronicles 7

1 Chronicles 7

1 Chronicles 7 – God has used women to build, lead and change the world from the beginning of time. Here in 1 Chronicles 7, we get a glimpse of a woman who completed a remarkable feat. …

Exodus 35

Exodus 35

Exodus 35 – Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted in craftsmanship, but according to Scripture, that trait is not enough. Craftsmanship alone has a tendency to …

Exodus 32

Exodus 32

Exodus 32 – The first question I asked when reading this chapter was – what caused this? We read in the very first verse that it was because of a delay. How many times have we allowed …

Job 1

Job 1

Job 1 – The entire book of Job explores tough themes and deep theological questions. Namely, it seeks to answer the ancient question we still hear so often today – “If God is so good, why does …

2 Kings 5

2 Kings 5

2 Kings 5 – Remember when King Ahab was shot by a “random arrow” in 1 Kings 22? Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of …

2 Kings 1

2 Kings 1

2 Kings 1 – Same story, different chapter. After reading about all of Ahab’s disastrous choices, we now move into the reign of Ahaziah. The gist of the story is that Ahaziah has experienced a severe fall …

1 Kings 22

1 Kings 22

1 Kings 22 – What’s the deal with Ramoth-Gilead and why did they want it back? Ramoth was a Levitical city so it was considered important to the Jews. During King Solomon’s reign, it was a key …

1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21 – When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed. 1 Kings 21:27 The tearing …

1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20 – There are some incredible spiritual metaphors we can glean from these passages which build on the disobedience of Ahab in 1 Kings 19. Right off the bat, there is the threat of warfare. …

1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19 – The events in 1 Kings 19 could be known as “The Pastor’s Chapter.” After the triumphant, cataclysmic fire-from-the-sky victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah found himself defeated. The smoldering flames of God …

1 Kings 18

1 Kings 18

1 Kings 18 – Obadiah was a manager of Ahab’s royal palace and a devout worshiper of God. He demonstrated his faithfulness to the Lord by hiding 100 prophets from Jezebel. She had a history of killing …

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 17 – Since Baal was considered the god of the sky, or “the storm god,” it would be a drought that God would use to grab the people’s attention. God was setting the scene to …

1 Kings 16

1 Kings 16

1 Kings 16 – As we see many other places in Scripture, the sins of Jeroboam had a lasting effect on his family line. It was a brutal time for Israel. King Ahab would rise to capture …

1 Kings 15

1 Kings 15

1 Kings 15 – If you are like me, you’ve read the last few chapters and been a little confused by all the names. We have two different Abijah’s and also the prophet Ahijah in chapter 14. …

1 Kings 14

1 Kings 14

1 Kings 14 – King Jeroboam decided it was time to seek the Lord, but only after his son was inflicted with sickness. In the past, the idol worship worked out just fine for him, but when …

1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13 – As we read in 1 Kings 12, Jeroboam’s kingdom was in a terrible state and God had a message for him. There are three different scenarios we see play out in this scene. …

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12 – What happens when the vessel that is destined to carry God’s image into the world is split up and divided? What happens when civil war threatens the existence of those who represent His …

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11 – When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been. 1 Kings 11:4 HCSB How many …

1 Kings 10

1 Kings 10

1 Kings 10 – What was the point of the Queen of Sheba coming to visit Solomon? Jesus actually makes a reference to her in the New Testament. The queen of the south will rise up at …

1 Kings 9

1 Kings 9

1 Kings 9 – 1 Kings 9 provides some insight into the subtle turn taking place in Solomon. As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the king’s house and all that …

1 Kings 8

1 Kings 8

1 Kings 8 – We really cannot understand the massive celebration that took place here until we look deep into the context. It seems that Solomon delayed the dedication of the temple (11 months) to take place …

1 Kings 7

1 Kings 7

1 Kings 7 – Most commentators agree that it took longer than expected to complete Solomon’s house simply because there was not an urgency to get it done, however, it is suspicious that more time was spent …

1 Kings 6

1 Kings 6

1 Kings 6 – It’s amazing to me that the Lord spoke these same words over and over to Solomon. “If you obey all my laws and commands, I will do for you what I promised your …

1 Kings 5

1 Kings 5

1 Kings 5 – There were two key ingredients Solomon needed in order to build the temple. 1) Peace. 2) Wood. This was an amazing time for Israel as they had no threats from their enemies. “You …

1 Kings 4

1 Kings 4

1 Kings 4 – This was the golden age for Israel as we read in verses 20-21… The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore; they ate and …

1 Kings 3

1 Kings 3

1 Kings 3 – Incredibly, we see both the pinnacle of Solomon’s character as well as a foreshadowing of his downfall here in chapter 3. Solomon desired to serve the Lord. He could have asked God for …

1 Kings 2

1 Kings 2

1 Kings 2 – After the peaceful resolution in chapter 1, we are now back to the chaos of David’s family lineage. As David lies on his deathbed, he gives Solomon a list of action steps to …

1 Kings 1

1 Kings 1

1 Kings 1 – The book of Kings picks up with an older David (70) still serving as king but declining in health. The time to pass the torch was near, and this sets the backdrop for …

Psalm 127

Psalm 127

Psalm 127 – According to J. Vernon McGee, this psalm has been used on several important occasions. It was used at the inauguration of President Eisenhower. Two Bibles were used. One of them was George Washington’s Bible, …

Psalm 64

Psalm 64

Psalm 64 – “One of the most pressing theological questions today is “why do the evil ones prosper?” If one looks around, it certainly seems as if the bad ones are winning, be that on the streets …

Psalm 49

Psalm 49

Psalm 49 – Death. No one can escape it. It is a certainty that all of humanity agrees upon regardless of what they believe about God or the afterlife. You and I will die one day, and …

Psalms 29

Psalm 29

Psalm 29 – In Canaanite poetry, it was believed that Baal was the god of the storm who controlled the thunderous claps of the sky. It was also believed that Baal was victorious over the waters of …

Numbers 23

Numbers 23

Numbers 23 – This chapter reminds me of an encounter Elijah had with the prophets of Baal when they were seeking help from their “god.” They took the bull that was brought to them, prepared it, and …

Song of Solomon 1

Song of Solomon 1

Song of Solomon 1 Commentary by Brad Boyles Just like the phrase “holy of holies” and “king of kings,” Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) means “the loveliest of songs.” Some Jewish scholars originally interpreted this book allegorically stating that …

Ezekiel 45

Ezekiel 45

Ezekiel 45 – Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary points out the emphasis of holiness in this chapter. There are specific details of what was expected by God in regards to being holy. Stop the use of violence and …