OT Survey Lecture 7: 1 Kings-Esther BtP 10.22.2024

The Central Question: Who is in Charge? The rule of YHWH among His people.

Basic Facts (Setting the Stage)

Israel Begins this period “united”, but transitioning from Solomon to David.

It would seem that the “unity” of the united Kingdom was always tenuous. The period of Judges, Saul’s Jealousy, the transitional period with Ish-bosheth, and Absolom’s civil war illustrate how fragile the relationship between the tribes actually was

Belief and behavior (Theology and Application) matter.

1.2.4 Sin has individual and collective consequences.

Stability and strength are relative terms.

Interrogatories

Who

David

Adonijah

Zadok

Benaiah

Nathan

Bathsheba

Abishag

Zadok

Solomon

Shimei

Hiram

The Queen of Sheba

Jereboam

Ahijah the prophet

What

David names Solomon his heir despite “palace intrigues”.

Solomon consolidates, expands, and enrich’s Israel.

Succession isses!

Solomons wisdom, wealth, women.

1 Kings 3:11–12 ESV

11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

Solomon builds the Temple.

Ark is brought into the Temple.

Solomon the Queen of Sheba

Solomon’s fall

Adversaries

Foolishness of Rehoboam (and Solomon’s sin) divides the Kingdom

Jeroboam builds Shechem and erects golden calves for Israel to worship.

Alternating stories of the Divided Kingdom.

The beginning of the Elijah cycle.

When

9th—8th centuries B.C.

Where: Israel and surrounding territories

How

Narratives

Court lists

Epigrams

1 Kings 4:29–30 ESV

29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

Building Specifications

Worship and prayer

Bureaucratic summaries.

Summaries of royal activities.

Why: To remind God’s people that a good king is righteous in God’s eyes and that idolatry taints all it touches.

2 Kings

The Central Question: How did we get in this mess, can we get out, and what will happen?

Basic Facts (Setting the Stage)

Israel tends to be “stronger” political entity than Judah.

None of Israel’s kings are deemed “righteous”.

The external enemies may change but the internal issues are largely the same; Idolatry and spiritual compromise.

For both Israel and Judah “good King” is less about political effectiveness than it is about fidelity to the covenant.

Israel’s sin results in destruction.

Judah’s sin results in punishment.

God will be merciful for the sake of the throne of David.

Interrogatories

Who

Elijah

Elisha

The Sons of the Prophets

Gehazi

Naaman

Athaliah

Jehu

Joash

Jehoiada the Priest

Hezekiah

Isaiah

Sennacherib

What

Elijah continues to confront the Kings of Israel.

Elijah is translated to Heaven.

Elisha takes up Elijah’s ministry mantle.

Nearly constant conflict for both kingdoms.

Revival of Jehoash

Judah makes alliance with Assyria.

Israel destroyed 722 B.C.

2 Kings 17:7–8 ESV

7 And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced.

Revival of Hezekiah

Assyria threatens Judah

Ascent of Assyria and collapse of Israel.

Hezekiah’s prayer.

Isaiah’s prophecies.

Hezekiah’s pride entices Babylon.

Josiah repairs the temple and rediscovers the book of the Law, leads revival.

Josiah dies at at Meggido

Deportations and fall of Jerusalem (604 B.C.—586 B.C.)

When 8th—4th century

Where

Israel, Judah. With nations like Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and Persia playing essential roles.

How

Primarily narrative.

Speeches.

2.3.5.3 Oracles.

Elijah and Elisha miracle cluster.

Confrontation with political powers that corrupt the people.

Why: Continuing to show the consequences of faithlessness and idolatry. Narrows the redemptive “footprint” of Israel.

1 Chronicles

The Central Question: How does Judah respond to the exile.

Basic Facts (Setting the Stage)

The two books of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther are post-exilic, with a wholistic backward looking viewpoint.

Covers much of the same ground as 2 Samuel, 1, 2 Kings.

Different perspective, different intent. (What went wrong? vs. What now?)

Interrogatories

Who

David

David’s Mighty Men (Joab, Abishai, Benaiah…Uriah)

Saul

Uzzah

Obed-edom

Zadok

Solomon

What

Judah reviews their history after the exile.

Genealogies and stories included to provide continuity and unity.

David and his line of “faithful” Kings presented as an ideal.

Convent with David

Only one sin of David mentioned…the census that leads to the purchase of the site for the temple.

Temple preparations

Organization!!!

When

Written 4th century

Concerns 10th-9th century

Where: Judah

How

The two books of Chronicles feel more like anthologies or compilations than the parallels in Samuel and Kings.

They are more selective and focused.

Genealogical material.

Court records

Narrative.

Oracle.

“Heroic tales”

Poetry & Song

Covenant agreement.

Prayer

Why: See 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

The Central Question: How did we get in this mess, can we get out, and what will happen?

Basic Facts (Setting the Stage)

Continues the “story” and format of 1 Chronicles.

An anthology of interconnected information about the historical changes Judah undergoes from the divided monarchy, through the exile, to the return.

Episodic.

Perspective and intent. Building the future on an interpreted and applied understanding of the past.

Samuel and Kings feel contemporary. The Chronicles are clearly reflective.

Interrogatories

Who

Solomon

Hiram

Queen of Sheba

Rehoboam and etc.

Jehoshapaht

Athaliah

Joash

Jehoshabeath/Jehoida

Uzziah

Hezekiah

Isaiah

Sennacherib

Manasseh

Josiah

Huldah the Prophetess

Pharaoh Neco

Nebuchadnezzar

Jeremiah

Cyrus

What

Solomon succeeds David.

Solomon builds temple.

Solomon is wealthy and wise.

Rehoboam

Civil war

2 Chronicles 10:19 ESV

19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Priests migrate to Jerusalem.

Conflict with neighbors

Political alliance, intrigue, and engagement.

Joash leads revival restoration, renewal of covenant.

After a period of rebellion Hezekiah also restores temple worship and leads Passover.

2 Chronicles 30:26 ESV

26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.

Assyrian incursion.

Hezekiah’s fall and repentance.

Josiah, the book of the law, Passover and revival.

Josiah’s foolish foray into global affairs Megiddo, Carchemish, the end of Assyria and rise of Babylon.

Babylon begins to incorporate Judah into it’s empire.

Babylon destroys the city and temple in 586 B.C., deports aristocracy and rich to Babylon.

Cyrus ends the exile and permits building of a new Temple.

When:

Narrative 9th—5th century

Narrated 4th century

Where

Judah

Persia

How

Narrative

Prayers

Court records

Specifications

Enrollments

Songs/Worship

Prayer for the congregation of God’s people

2 Chronicles 7:14–15 ESV

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.

The northern Kingdom is only mentioned with reference to the southern Kingdom.

Why: To show covenant continuity and the faithfulness of God to His redemptive purposes for Israel, now reduced to Judah.

Ezra

The Central Question: How shall a restored Judah live?

Basic Facts (Setting the Stage)

Return from exile

Political, social, and religious issues.

Restoration of Alter and rudimentary religious observance.

Interrogatories

Who

Cyrus

Jeshua

Zerubbabel

Artaxerxes

Ezra

Ezra 7:10 ESV

10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

What

Return from exile

Occupying the land.

Rebuilding religious infrastructure and practice.

Purifying and setting aside God’s people.

Temple Rebuilt

Opposition and delay

Temple completed

Ezra returns to Jerusalem.

Issues regarding mixed marriages

When

4th century B.C.

Where

Persia

Judah

How

Royal Edict

Lists of people and items

Songs of praise

Prayer

Official correspondance

Genealogies

Repentance

Why: Judah must learn to be a faithful remnant.

Nehemiah

The Central Question: Will Judah succeed in being fully restored as God’s people, and have they “learned their lesson?”

Basic Facts (Setting the Stage)

Nehemiah is primarily a political figure.

For Judah in their land politics, economics, religion, and culture are all the same basic issue.

Judah must learn to be faithful to God and to function within a larger world empire.

Interrogatories

Who

Nehemiah

Artaxerxes

Sanballat

Tobiah

Geshem

What

Nehemiah requests and is allowed to rebuild Jerusalem.

Nehemiah returns, does reconnaissance, and begins planning to rebuild.

The walls are rebuilt.

Opposition arises against the work

Empire and petty competition.

Nehemiah enacts social reforms

Plots agains Nehemiah.

Wall completed.

The law is read and interpreted.

Continued restoration of worship.

Public confession and repentance.

Historical review

Covenant renewal.

Temple dedicated

Final reforms of Nehemiah

When

4th century B.C.

Where

Persia

Jerusalem

How

Prayer

Narrative

Speech

Petition

Lists of names

Lists of returnees

Covenant renewal ceremony

Lists of leaders

Census records

Dedicatory ceremony

Why: The Theocratic and nationalistic beginnings of Israel have given way to a sanctified and holy people who exist apart from the levers of power.

Esther

The Central Question: How am I responsible to God’s people?

Basic Facts (Setting the Stage)

The whole book takes place in Persia.

The Biblical Ahasuerus is commonly identified with Xerxes.

If the above is true we begin to see interaction between the “Biblical” world and “secular” history. As some would place the gathering of officials at the beginning of the book either prior to or immediately after the disastrous invasion of Greece.

The central character is a woman. The plot begins with a “violation” of a woman.

For the first time we really see “Jew, Jewish” as a descriptor evolved from “Judean”.

Interrogatories

Who

Ahasuerus

Vashti

Mordecai

Hadassah/Queen Esther

Bigthan and Teresh

Haman

What

Ahasuerus’ pride and anger lead him to rash decisions.

Esther ascends to the royal harem.

Mordecai becomes influential in the Persian court.

Haman plots to destroy the Jews.

Mordecai and Esther outsmart Haman.

Jews defend themselves.

The circumstances of Esther give rise to the feast of Purim.

When

5th century B.C.

Where: In Susa, Persia.

How

Historical Romance narrative.

Heavily plotted and narrated.

Dialogue.

Wisdom elements.

No “mention” of God, but clear assumption of divine providence.

Why

Active faith in a “hostile” context.

Origin of the feast of Purim.