Kings... Both of them
The book of Kings is one of the saddest books in the Bible. Not because it lacks miracles, power or famous names, but because it tells the story of how a people can slowly lose everything God gave them.
All of us come from Nations with great potential but continually see that potential going down the drain. Especially in Africa, we know what it looks like for a nation to gain independence and slowly begin struggling with corruption, division, leadership crises, tribalism, injustice, and spiritual confusion. We know what it feels like to look at great potential and wonder, “How did we get here?”
That is exactly the feeling a Jew feels when reading Kings.
The story begins after Israel has reached its peak under David. Think of it as Israel’s “golden generation.” The kingdom is united, the enemies are subdued and the economy is thriving. Thanks to Davids leadership. Solomon steps in, builds the temple and their influence stretches far beyond their borders. Kings and queens from other kingdoms travel to Israel for benchmarking missions.
For the first time in centuries, things finally seem stable and that is what makes the fall so painful.
It had taken nearly a thousand years for them to get there. From Abraham around 2000 BC to David around 1000 BC, God had slowly been building a people for Himself. There had been setbacks along the way which included the slavery in Egypt for 400 years, the wilderness wandering, attacks from Midianites and Philistines and civil instability during the period of Judges. Despite all the chaos, they kept moving forward and upwards until they became a kingdom under David.
The books before Kings tell that upward journey from Genesis all the way to Samuel and the beginnings of Kings. From chapter 11 of Kings, we start seen a descent and what a descent it was. Almost immediately after Solomon, the kingdom breaks apart through civil war. Ten tribes in the north retain the name Israel, while the two tribes in the south become known as Judah. Things begin falling apart rapidly.
The northern kingdom becomes politically unstable, spiritually compromised, and morally confused. Assassinations become common, idolatry spreads everywhere and prophets are ignored, mocked, or hunted down. Eventually, the northern kingdom collapses entirely and is taken into captivity by Assyria.
The southern kingdom, Judah, survives a little longer. Unlike the north, Judah occasionally experiences moments of revival under kings like Hezekiah and Josiah. These kings try to restore worship and return the people back to God. But the downward trend never fully stops and eventually Judah too falls and is taken captive into Babylon.
It is tragic irony.
The people who began their national story as slaves in Egypt end up as captives once again in foreign lands, Assyria and Babylon.
The books of Kings force us to wrestle with uncomfortable questions:
- How do people lose what God gave them?
- How does a nation/congregation move from worship to idolatry?
- How does success become sin?
- How does blessing become pride?
Perhaps the most frightening lesson is this: people usually lose things faster than they gained them. It took Israel centuries to build, around 1000 years, but it only took a few generations to collapse. They had gained success, but lost their soul.
But Kings is not merely political history.
It is theological history. The writer is not just asking: “What happened?” He is asking: “What happened between these people and God?”
This is when and why prophets become very important in this document of Kings. As kings become corrupt, prophets rise to confront them. It's good to remember at this point that a prophet is basically a spokesperson and the ones mentioned here are speaking on behalf of God. Elijah appears followed by Elisha, then Jonah, Amos, Obadiah, Joel, Isaiah, Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk and others. God never stopped speaking, even when people stopped listening.
The tragedy of Kings is not that God abandoned Israel but that Israel repeatedly abandoned God for Idols. However, in the middle of this collapse, there remained hope both for Israel and humanity. Because after been taken to exile and foreign oppression in Babylon and Assyria, they return to the land of promise. This will be followed by millitary and governance occupation from Egyptians, Syrians, Greeks and Romans respectively. Then comes another Son of David and the son of God, Jesus.
That is too far ahead though. Let's go back to the times of the Kings.
The failed kings of Israel prepare humanity to long for a better and righteous King. A King who cannot be corrupted. A King who does not exploit His people. A King who does not lead through fear, ego, or insecurity. The book of Kings therefore teach us that human kingdoms rise and fall, but God’s purposes continue moving forward.
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