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DAY 10 – SAMUEL-KINGS

The books that are commonly known as 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings actually make up one long book. It tells the story of the Israelite monarchy from beginning to end. The story begins with Samuel, the last of the judges, who establishes the monarchy. This long book then describes what happens in the days of each of the kings who ruled for the next several centuries. The first three kings rule the whole nation, and when that nation splits in two, the rest rule the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. 

The events of a few reigns, especially those of Saul, David, and Solomon, are described in detail. What happens under some other kings is described much more briefly. Nevertheless, a consistent structuring pattern runs through the whole long book. A repeated formula tells us how old a king is when he comes to the throne, for how many years he rules, and in what place. It tells us this just before (or sometimes just after) describing his character and the notable events of his reign. The book then proceeds to the next king. This long book is therefore also known, appropriately, as the “Book of Reigns.” 

Beneath this pattern of historical succession, another rhythm is discernible. Saul, the first king, doesn’t follow God faithfully, and so God announces he’ll seek “a man after his own heart” to rule Israel. God finds this person in David. He puts him on the throne, promising that his descendants will always rule Israel if they worship and serve him faithfully. Unfortunately, the kings after David aren’t all committed to following God’s ways. Many of them abandon God and lead the people to do the same, although a few kings call the people back to faith. Using David’s wholehearted dedication to God as its standard, the “Book of Reigns” traces the tragic wavering of the people’s devotion over the years. Because of this wavering, the nation is first divided and then conquered by empires to the east.

So this book isn’t just a royal history. It’s also a religious history of the nation’s covenant relationship with God. It speaks to an exiled people, and it insists they have lost their independence, their national identity, and their land because they haven’t been faithful to God. But even as it explains the nation’s downfall as the result of its moral and religious failure, it ends with a glimmer of hope. It reports that Jehoiachin, the king from the line of David who was taken as a prisoner to Babylon, was eventually set free there and given a place of honor at the emperor’s table. Despite the people’s repeated unfaithfulness, God has remained faithful to his own promise to David, and so the nation can still be part of God’s plans if it will now be steadfast in its devotion.

PRAYER: Your faithfulness amazes me, Lord. Help me to be steadfast in my devotion to You.