The Bible Speaks Today Old Testament

John W Olley

• Publisher: IVP
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781789743814
• eBook ISBN: 9781783596263
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

At the beginning of 1 & 2 Kings, Solomon's reign brought peace, prosperity, dynamic international trade and a magnificent centre of worship. By contrast, at the end, the people faced complete reversal: they and their king were in exile; Jerusalem and the temple lay in ruins.How can this story of reversal, told by the very people who suffered that defeat, be of value today, and equip us for every good work?In this rich and insightful commentary, John W. Olley guides us through The Message of 1 & 2 Kings. With deft, accessible scholarship, he shows us how the writers of Kings retell the past as preached history, and how that helps us to understand the way they speak to us today. Within the account of paths leading to short-term success but ultimate failure, there are pointers of hope, of God's continuing purposes and promises, and of the peoples' response in the present.In rich and often surprising ways, the story told in Kings is one that continues to shape the faith and life of Christian believers today. Unpacking its meaning careful precision, Olley helps us understand that everyday life, along with the turmoil of national and global events, is the arena in which God's people are called to worship, trust and obey him.Part of the million-selling Bible Speaks Today series of commentaries, The Message of 1 & 2 Kings offers a cogent, readable exposition of the Biblical text as well as thoughtfully discussion of how it is relevant for Christians today. Used by Bible students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for students and preachers who are looking to improve their understanding of Scripture.This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated to include modern references and use the NIV Bible text.

Introducing 1 and 2 Kings

1. Setting the scene

Success stories are popular. Whether of individuals, organizations, churches, businesses, armies or nations, examples abound of movement from small beginnings to prominence, from poverty to prosperity, of victory despite difficulties, of renewal after devastation. The stories encourage and inspire, with books written on ‘how to succeed’ based on these experiences. What then is the value of the narrative of Kings, 1 which goes in the opposite direction?

At the end of 1 and 2 Samuel the Israelites were at a peak of blessing. In terms of the promises to the ancestors, Abraham,2 Isaac and Jacob,3 at the exodus and on entry into the land of Canaan,4 they could see how much God had fulfilled his word. Now they were as numerous ‘as the sand on the seashore’ (Gen. 22:17; 1 Kgs 4:20). After the turbulence of the period of judges and even some internal dissension during David’s reign there was peace and unity. David had defeated or made peace with the surrounding nations, resulting in Davidic hegemony from the River Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt.5 Further, David had centralized worship in Jerusalem, bringing there the ark, the sacred box that focused the covenant made between Yahweh6 and Israel at Sinai, and plans were in hand to build a temple. The centuries-old promises to Abraham and the covenant at Sinai had been joined with promises to David that his throne would be established for ever (2 Sam. 6 – 7). The concluding chapter (2 Sam. 24) was a reminder of the danger of human pride, but that seemed to have been resolved. It must have looked as if life could only get better. Indeed, at the beginning of Kings, Solomon’s reign brought peace and security and dynamic international trade (1 Kgs 4:25; 9:26–28; 10:4, 22, 28–29).

In contrast, at the end of Kings the people faced complete reversal:

• For more than 600 years they had lived in the land God had given them. Now they were exiles 500 miles (800 km) away.
• For 400 years a continuous Davidic dynasty was centred in Jerusalem as God had promised. Now the king was in exile, subject to the goodwill of the Babylonian emperor (2 Kgs 25:27–30).
• For 400 years Jerusalem had been the centre of religious and political life, attacked but never destroyed, protected by the presence of God in their midst (Pss 46; 48; 87). Now the city lay in ruins.
• For more than 350 years the temple, built by Solomon, had been not only the place to which they came to offer sacrifices, but the very ‘house of God’, the place from which Yahweh ruled over all nations, the centre of the earth; his ‘throne’ might be in heaven but Jerusalem was the ‘footstool’ (Pss 99:1–5; 132:7; Isa. 6:1). Now it had been razed.
• Further, the place of exile was the very region from which Abraham had been called to ‘go’ (Gen. 11:27 – 12:1; 15:7; Neh. 9:7), and the centre of the nation that ruled over them was the magnificent and powerful large walled city of Babylon, the early centre of human arrogance that God judged.7

It seems that all is lost. Everything gained since Abraham’s trusting obedience appears to have been stripped away. What possible future can there be? The goal of Abraham’s call was that ‘all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’,8 but now

Where does such an outcome leave the mission once given to Abraham? If Israel was to be the bearer of the message of God’s creative purposes to the world, how is that message to be borne in the absence of a visible Israel?9

How can a story of reversal, told by the very people who suffered that defeat, an account which is a predominantly damning recital of the reigns of successive kings, be of value today? How can this part of the God-breathed Scriptures equip us ‘for every good work’ (2 Tim. 3:16–17)?

As ‘children of Abraham’ by faith (Gal. 3:7; Jas 2:21), ‘grafted in’ to the olive tree of Israel (Rom. 11:17–24), this story belongs to all Christians. It is not something that happened to ‘others’ but is the story of ‘our ancestors’ and hence ‘our’ story as well! It has been said of houses that ‘whatever happens in the world – whatever is discovered or created or bitterly fought over – eventually ends up, in one way or another, in your house. Wars, famines, the Industrial Revolution, the Enlightenment – they are all there.’10 In richer and often surprising ways the narrative of God’s dealings with his people in the period of Kings is part of the history that has shaped and is to continue to shape the faith and life of the church and of individual believers.11

The destruction of Jerusalem with forced exile of thousands has parallels with many situations in world history. Deeper than physical destruction and geographical dislocation is social and psychological disorientation, with crises of identity. We continue to see the impact among many refugees and dispossessed indigenous peoples.

This catastrophe brought into question everything that had hitherto given the people their identity: land, temple, city and king were all tied together by the promises of Yahweh, their God, endorsed by centuries of experience! Was there any way forward, any hope?

The Old Testament shows wide-ranging responses to destruction and exile: apostasy,12 despair and anguished questioning,13 or blaming God for being unfair, punishing them for the sins of previous generations.14 Others, especially between the first major exile of 597 bc and the final destruction of 587 bc, believed that everything would soon return to normal (Jer. 28:1–4; 29:1–23). Some wondered whether Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, was more powerful than Yahweh.15

Into the confusion God’s word came in two complementary ways. One is seen in the books of the prophets: Jeremiah and Ezekiel address audiences in the decades around the destruction, while Isaiah 40 – 66 speaks to people near the end of the exile. Another way was through the retelling of the past. Such is Kings, which ends with an event in 561 bc, the middle of the exile. While certainly incorporating earlier material and covering a period of four hundred years in generally chronological order, Kings is more than a compilation of past records. It is different from books ‘of the annals of the kings of Israel/Judah’ to which the writer often refers.16 The writer of the current form of Kings has of necessity been selective in his use of earlier material.17 He himself is experiencing the disaster to which past actions of kings, prophets and people have led and writes not ‘for the sake of the record’ or nostalgia, but as ‘preached history’.18 As we move through the book we will seek to be sensitive to how the various passages address the exilic situation. That in turn helps as we ask how the book addresses readers today. In the telling of the narrative of Kings the God who spoke of the past to the present of exiles continues by his Spirit to speak to our present.

Kings can be read simply as an account of the sinfulness of kings and people that led initially to the fall of Samaria and end of the northern kingdom of Israel, and ultimately to the destruction of Jerusalem and exile. It is a story of wilful and persistent idolatry and associated injustice that resulted inevitably in the fulfilment of the curses that had been part of the covenant warnings given by God.19 Such a message of deserved judgment can lead to despair and hopelessness, a feeling that there is no future.

There is more however than God saying, ‘I told you so.’ While any way forward requires owning the consequences of deep-seated persistent rebellion, of personal and corporate sin, the book points beyond human failure and God’s judgment. Throughout are pointers of hope, of God’s continuing purposes and of the people’s response in the present. Kings tells the story of the past so that, in the light of Yahweh’s purposes and promises, people will change their lifestyles in the present.

Times of turmoil can be occasions for reassessment of values and changes in life direction. Periods of economic turmoil, such as the Great Depression of the 1930s in Western countries and the global financial crisis from 2008, have led many to question their dependence on financial security and the selfish quest for material prosperity as a symbol of personal or group worth and status. Intermingled have been wars and disasters, together with changing cultural patterns and clashes around the globe. Individual or family experiences of health crises, or the sudden death of someone near, cause many to realize the importance of neglected relationships and raise questions about the meaning of life. Widespread disasters such as earthquake, flood and fire can result in a greater awareness of the importance of community, with its cooperation rather than competition, its sharing of resources rather than self-centred acquisition. Experiences of upheaval, with the loss of what seemed so secure, often bring questioning of beliefs about God. ‘Why?’ ‘How, if at all, is God involved?’ ‘How can you say God loves us when this happens?’ ‘What is the way forward?’ Into such turmoil Kings can come with unexpected relevance. It was people who were ‘harassed and helpless’ on whom Christ looked with ‘compassion’ (Matt. 9:36) and to whom he sent out his disciples.

Kings tells of material prosperity, political manoeuvring, power plays between nations, changing national fortunes and alliances, compromised worship, coups d’état, droughts and wars, mixed religious affiliations, international trade, injustice, violence and oppression, children dying – all situations familiar in the world today. With these topics often dominating news, Kings is a major book within the Bible to remind us that God is present in all aspects of life, fulfilling his mission. Further, everyday life is the arena in which we are called as God’s people to live our worship, trust and obedience and it is on dimensions of this life that the reading of Kings can throw light.

The story of reversal has potential also to assist Christians experiencing either growth or decrease in church life. Church history is replete with examples of rise and decline, whether at the level of countries or towns. Who could have predicted a century ago the rise of the church in Asia and Africa and the declining influence in Europe? Some readers may be in settings of decline: for them the pointers of hope and way forward in Kings can encourage. Others may be enjoying growth: here can be found clues for evaluating growth that is God-honouring, bringing blessing to others.

2. Reading Kings today

a. As history

The narrative is straightforward for the first eleven chapters, with Israel and Judah united under Solomon. Chapter 12 of 1 Kings begins the parallel and intertwining story of two kingdoms: in the north Israel, the larger, with its capital successively at Sheche...

Table of contents

• GENERAL PREFACE
• Author’s preface
• Commentaries and other works
• Introducing 1 and 2 Kings
• Chronology
• A. Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 1 – 11)
• 1 Kings 1:1 – 2:46
• 1. Solomon becomes king
• 1 Kings 3:1–3
• 2. Setting the scene
• 1 Kings 3:4 – 4:34
• 3. Receiving and demonstrating wisdom
• 1 Kings 5:1 – 8:66
• 4. The temple – building and dedicating
• 1 Kings 9:1 – 11:43
• 5. After building the temple
• B. Division – the first 160 years (1 Kings 12:1 – 16:28)
• 1 Kings 12:1 – 14:20
• 6. Leadership: power, pragmatism and God’s evaluation
• 1 Kings 14:21 – 16:28
• 7. Two nations and eight kings: similarities and differences
• C. Elijah and kings (1 Kings 16:29 – 2 Kings 2:25)
• 1 Kings 16:29 – 19:21
• 8. Elijah confronts crisis1
• 1 Kings 20:1 – 22:50
• 9. Ahab and some prophets – leading to death
• 1 Kings 22:51 – 2 Kings 1:18
• 10. Ahaziah king of Israel and Elijah
• 2 Kings 2:1–25
• 11. Elijah’s ascension and the transition to Elisha
• D. Elisha and individuals, kings and revolution (2 Kings 3 – 13)
• 2 Kings 3:1–27
• 12. Kings of Israel, Judah and Moab – and Elisha
• 2 Kings 4:1 – 6:7
• 13. Elisha: agent of Yahweh’s compassion
• 2 Kings 6:8 – 8:15
• 14. Elisha and Arameans
• 2 Kings 8:16 – 13:25
• 15. Revolution and reform in Israel and Judah
• E. To the end of Israel (2 Kings 14 – 17)
• 2 Kings 14:1 – 17:6
• 16. Kings of Judah and Israel
• 2 Kings 17:7–41
• 17. Understanding change to Israel and in Israel
• F. From trust to exile – to the end of Judah (2 Kings 18 – 25)
• 2 Kings 18:1 – 20:21
• 18. Hezekiah and trust
• 2 Kings 21:1–26
• 19. Apostasy of Manasseh and Amon
• 2 Kings 22:1 – 23:30
• 20. Josiah and wholehearted turning to God
• 2 Kings 23:31 – 25:26
• 21. The end comes quickly
• 2 Kings 25:27–30
• 22. A glimmer of hope in Babylon
• Notes
• The Bible Speaks Today: Old Testament series
• The Bible Speaks Today: New Testament series
• The Bible Speaks Today: Bible Themes series
• NIV Bible Speaks Today