- The virgin Abishag warms the ill aged David by sleeping next to him. Absalom’s younger brother Adonijah, aided by Joab & Abiathar, claims the throne. Bathsheba appeals. David anoints Solomon king, supported by Nathan, Zadok & Shimei. Adonijah relents & his life is spared. #1Kg1
- David dies after telling Solomon that Joab (for killing Abner & Amasa) & Shimei (who cursed him) should not go to the grave in peace. Joab, at the tabernacle, & Shemei, when leaving his lands, are slain. Adonijah asks to wed Abishag, enraging Solomon, so he is also slain. #1Kg2
- Solomon weds the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter. He asks the Lord for wisdom, not riches or a long life, pleasing the Lord. Two harlots dispute over a newborn. Solomon threatens to cut it in half. The woman who prefers to give the child to the other is judged to be the mother. #1Kg3
- The chief officials for Solomon include Benaiah as commander, & priests Zadok & Abiathar. Solomon’s 12 district governors provision Israel, its army, and 12000 chariot horses. Solomon’s wisdom is expressed in proverbs and songs. The world’s people come to hear him. #1Kg4
- King Solomon proposes to build a house unto the name of the Lord thy God. He makes a treaty with Hiram, king of Tyre in Lebanon, and trades wheat and oil in exchange for cedar. He has stones hewed for the temple’s foundation. Labor is conscripted. #1Kg5
- The temple is built in 7 years, starting in the 4th year of Solomon’s reign & 480 years after Israel left Egypt. Dimensions are given. It enclosed chambers & the tabernacle, had floors of juniper, cedar walls overlaid with gold (no stone is seen within), & carved cherubim. #1Kg6
- Solomon takes 13 years to build his palace & a Hall of Justice with cedar floors & walls, & a palace for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife. Huram of Tyre did the bronze work for the palace & temple: pillars, basins, bulls & bowls. David’s silver & gold items were placed within. #1Kg7
- With the elders and priests present, the Levites bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord into the temple. Solomon blesses it as a place for the Lord to dwell. Solomon delivers a dedication prayer & asks the Lord to forgive Israel when they sin. The temple is consecrated. #1Kg8
- The Lord tells Solomon that the throne will be given to Israel forever if you do as commanded, but Israel will be cut off if you follow other gods. Hiram of Tyre complains to Solomon about the cities given to him, but gives him gold. Solomon builds cities & a navy. #1Kg9
- The queen of Sheba brings spices, gold, & precious stones, and finds Solomon wise. Solomon gives the queen all her desire. The navy brings gold & wood for pillars & harps. Cups & shields were made of gold, and King Solomon’s throne of ivory & gold. Silver had little value. #1Kg10
- King Solomon had 700 wives & 300 concubines, but they turned him to their gods Ashtoreth, Chemosh & Milcom. To punish Solomon, the Lord raises up Hadad of Edom & Rezon of Zobah. Jeroboam of Ephraim is told by his prophet Ahijah that he will conquer 10 tribes. Solomon dies. #1Kg11
- Solomon’s son Rehoboam is made king. Rejecting elders’ advice, he puts a heavy burden on his workers: I will scourge you with scorpions. Jeroboam returns from Egypt & all Israel except Judah follow him. He makes two golden calves at Bethel & Dan that his followers worship. #1Kg12
- A man of God from Judah tells Jeroboam that God will raise up Josiah over Israel. Jeroboam’s hand is withered but restored. The man of God is invited to dine but refuses, as commanded by the Lord. Another prophet deceives him into eating. A lion kills the man of God. #1Kg13
- Jeroboam sends his wife in disguise to see Ahijah about his ill son. The Lord tells Ahijah that she will come, the boy will die & the house of Jeroboam will be destroyed for worshipping other gods. Rehoboam also sins with Asherah poles & sodomites. Egypt sacks Jerusalem. #1Kg14
- Rehoboam dies. The evil Abijah, grandson of Absalom, & then his good son Asa become kings of Judah. Baasha of Issachar has Jeroboam’s son Nadab & their family slain to become Israel’s king. Asa & Baasha made war all their reigns. Asa dies. His son Jehoshaphat succeeds him. #1Kg15
- In the 38th year of Asa’s reign, Omri’s son Ahab becomes king of Israel. He succeeded Baasha, his son Elah, & Zimri. Zimri slew the house of Baasha: in the city dogs eat them; in the fields birds feed on them. Elah & Zimri worship idols & are killed. Omri overthrows Zimri. #1Kg16
- Elijah, a man of God from Gilead, warns Ahab that there will be no rain for a few years. The Lord tells Elijah to go to brook Cherith where ravens feed him, & then to a widow’s house. The Lord replenishes their food. Her child dies. Elijah prays to the Lord, & he revives. #1Kg17
- Ahab’s wife Jezebel slew prophets of the Lord but Obadiah, of Ahab’s house, hid 100. Obadiah lets Ahab know where Elijah is. Elijah challenges Baal’s prophets to make offerings of bulls without fire. The Lord’s fire ignites Elijah’s. Elijah slays the prophets & it rains. #1Kg18
- Jezebel threatens to slay Elijah, so he flees to the desert & is fed by an angel. Elijah cries Israel has forsaken thy covenant, slain thy prophets, & seeks to take my life too. The Lord tells Elijah to anoint Hazael king of Syria, Jehu king of Israel, & Elisha a prophet. #1Kg19
- Syria’s king Ben-Hadad besieges Samaria, Ahab’s capital. After mounting threats, Ahab calls the elders & a prophet who advise him to attack. They slaughter the Syrians in 2 battles, & the kings make a treaty. A prophet indicates Ahab will die for not killing Ben-Hadad. #1Kg20
- Naboth of Jezreel refuses to sell his vineyard to Ahab—the Lord forbids it. Jezebel arranges a feast where men of Belial falsely accuse Naboth of blasphemy & stone him. Elijah prophesies that the dogs shall eat Jezebel & lick the blood of Ahab. The house of Ahab shall die. #1Kg21
- Kings Ahab & Jehoshaphat agree to go to war against Syria to regain Ramoth-gilead. The prophets assent, but prophet Micaiah says that a lying spirit had them persuade Ahab to wage war, where he will die. Ahab dies of an arrow wound in battle. His blood is licked by dogs. #1Kg22
