Degree of difficulty: 7 out of 10 (Explanation:) This week's reading dives headlong into the whirlwind of Israelite and Judean kings. While the episodes of Saul, David, and Solomon were relatively long and easy to keep straight, the Biblical accounts of the kings who follow them are not. the accounts of these kings get much shorter - 1st Kings 16 tells of Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab... all in one chapter. The book of Kings switches back and forth between the stories of the kingdom of Judah, and the kingdom of Israel you will need to pay special attention to which kingdom is being described to have a shot at making sense of this reading - More on that below. Amos, on the other hand, should be really fun to read. So far in our reading, God's voice has played an instrumental role in the story, but the human characters had the main stage. In Amos, that dynamic is switched. As in all of the prophetic literature of the Bible, God's voice takes center stage. The key to reading the prophets is knowing the historical context in which they were speaking. we'll work on that below too.

About the Book(s)

1st Kings

Date of Authorship: it seems likely that 1st and 2nd Kings was written in the 6th century BC, sometime between 561 and 539 BC, while the Israelite people from Judah were exiled in Babylon (see last week's study notes for more details).
Author: Jewish tradition maintains that the prophet Jeremiah wrote the books of 1st and 2nd Kings, but there no historical or literary evidence to support that claim, we simply do not know who wrote 1st and 2nd Kings.
Purpose: This volume would explain to the Israelites in exile how it is that they got there, and show them the one quality that marks a successful Israelite leader - faithfulness to Yahweh.

Amos

Date of Authorship: Amos is written during the reign of Jeroboam II in Israel (793-753) and Uzziah and Judah (792-739). Amos is one of the earliest prophetic books in the Old Testament, written approximately the same time as Hosea. Some literary indicators can help us narrow that date down. Both Uzziah and Jeroboam rule as co-regents for a time and the fact that those rulers are not named would seem to eliminate those periods, that combined with Amos not mentioning Assyria by name push the probable range of dates to 767-753 BC
Author: Amos is himself the author. He is a Shepherd of Tekoa, which is a small town in Judah, very near the border with Israel. God's word came to this sheepherd and told him to go up to speak against Israel. God may have chosen a man of this humble profession to shame the wealthy and oppressive upper class in Israel who he prophecies against. Amos is viewed as an outsider by the Israelites who resent hearing this message from a man of Judah (7:10-13).
Purpose: Amos is a judgment of the kingdom of Israel for two aspects of unfaithfulness. First, Israel had become unjust and oppressive towards the poor. Second, they had been unfaithful to God by worshiping foreign Idols. For these transgressions, a dark "Day of the Lord" is coming in which they will be judged and punished, then one day, restored.

As you read Notes

1st Kings 8: God's Presence in the Temple

Our reading opens with the newly constructed temple being filled with the Lord's presence. However Solomon makes an important distinction about the temple that is important for us to understand. God did not literally dwell in the temple, but His eyes were on it, and by entering the holy place you were entering His presence.

"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!... May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive." (1st Kings 8:27-30)

Solomon's prayer of dedication contains some very prescient predictions of Israel's sin and asks God to forgive and restore them when they turn from it and pray towards the temple. For a fun example of Solomon's prayer coming to life, compare his prayer about locusts in 8:37-40 to Joel chapter 1.

The Kingdom Split

Solomon's kingdom saw the height of Israel's political, military, and domestic power, but Solomon was unfaithful to God. Faithfulness to God is the #1 concern of the author of Kings. This is because the author of kings is standing at the end of this historical account - with the Israelite people exiled in Babylon and he can identify what it is that got them there - unfaithfulness. Therefore, he begins tracing this thread of Idolatry and wickedness beginning with Solomon's transgressions in 1st Kings 11, and ending with the fall of Jerusalem in 2nd Kings 25. Solomon's wives lead him into Idolatry and we are told that "His heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel." The punishment for this unfaithfulness is a split or rebellion of most Israel away from the Davidic kingship. This division is as old as the reign of Ish-Bosheth (Saul's son) but it will not be reconciled this time.

The Kingdom is split The northern 10 Tribes rebel against Rehoboam (Solomon's Son), making Jeroboam son of Nebat their King. Although this split is explained in the text as a result of normal(secular) geo-political strife (especially Rehoboam's unwise rule), it is also explained as an action of God whose prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam that he would be given rule of the northern 10 tribes.

In the adjacent map, you can see the division of Israel according to tribes. This map is based on the land promised* to each tribe so you'll have to remember that the Philistines occupy much of the western portion of Judah, the Phoenicians occupy most of the territory of Asher, and Dan eventually settled in the northern tip of Naphtali near the foot of Mt. Hermon. the northern 10 tribes (everybody except Judah and Simeon) will become known as "Israel" while the southern 2 tribes (Judah and Simeon) will become known as "Judah." Going forward, when you read "Israel" in the bible it could refer to all of the descendants of Jacob, or it could refer only to the kingdom of Israel, i.e. the northern 10 tribes of the divided kingdom. This distinction is especially important to remember when reading the prophets who are usually speaking about one of these kingdoms specifically. For example, Amos, who we are reading this week, briefly discusses Judah in 2:4-5 but spends the rest of his prophetic message (2:6-on) speaking about the kingdom of Israel in the north.

It is not* a fair split. Israel is much larger, more populous, and has most of the agriculturally productive ground. Israel quickly rises to regional prominence and is the kingdom most referenced in extra-Biblical historical accounts. However, the smaller, weaker Judah is more faithful to God and receives blessings and rescue from Yahweh that Israel does not. This fact should not surprise any readers who have kept up to this point. God cares little about any measure of earthly power and frequently blesses the downtrodden when they call out to Him.

1st Kings 12: The Sin of Jeroboam Son of Nebat

Jeroboam has a problem. He has been made king over the kingdom of Israel, but the temple of the God who gave him this position and his people worship, was in the kingdom that they just split away from. His people will have to go there to worship because this God has said that His temple is the only valid place to offer sacrifices to Him. Jeroboam fears that if his people must frequently make this pilgrimage they will return to Judah (unified kingdom) and kill-off his dynasty. This fear causes Jeroboam to do something evil, something driven by self-interest.

Here are the remains of what is believed to be the religious site in Dan constructed by Jeroboam son of Nebat

Jeroboam sets up two religious sites with golden calves and altars; one in Bethel, the southern-most city in his kingdom, and one in Dan, the northern-most city in his kingdom.

"Like the Ark of the Covenant, the golden calves are not idols. Rather, both the ark and the calves function as thrones or pedestals upholding the glory of God. Calves were a reflection of syncretism, the religious and cultural borrowing from the Canaanites (because the calf was a symbol associated with the Canaanite gods El and Baal)... Since Jeroboams intent was to provide alternative worship centers to Jerusalem, it would have been necessary to furnish those shrines with a religious symbol just as powerful as the Ark... However, so that the calves would not be considered idols, the argument was made that they were instead merely the throne of Yahweh (Canaanite Gods were often depicted as standing on calf or bull)... Whatever its original intent or background, the calves ultimately became associated with false worship by the Israelite community, whether as a violation of commandment one or two. The latter seems more likely in that even a century later, when Jehu eliminates Baal worship from Israel, the takes no action against the calves (see 2 Kings 10:28-29)" (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament)

Despite the fact that these sites may have been intended for the worship of the one-true God. They were a violation of how God had told the Israelites to worship him. They were a sinful work-around of God's clear instructions, made for purposes of political expediency. This particular sin, of worshiping at these sites, will plague the kingdom of Israel - the author of Kings mentions the "sins/ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat" 26 times in his account of Israel. Worship at these sights angers God and leads to the demise of Israel.

Omride dynasty -

One dynasty, the line of David, controls Judah for its entire history. However, after less than one century, Israel is on its 4th dynasty, the third having lasted just seven days. This 4th dynasty begins with Omri and will be one of the most successful in the history of either kingdom.

Archaeological evidence from Israel and from neighboring nations reveal a vast and and wealthy kingdom under Omri and his son Ahab. Excavations at Samaria and Jezebel reveal large and elaborate building projects and the territory of their kingdom was similar to that of Solomon (minus Judah). Omri is famous in contemporary literature, appearing in both Moabite and Assyrian inscriptions.

However, the Bible (Kings and Chronicles) spends very little time talking about Omri. Instead of telling us about the great political and domestic success of Omri, the bible records that he "did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him." This is the primary lesson to be learned from the accounts of the kings. there is no achievement or quality more important as a king of God's people than faithfulness. Even the kings of great political renown, because they are unfaithful to God, are portrayed in the Bible as accelerating the destruction of their people.

Elijah - God's war with Baal

Ahab, son of Omri and king of Israel, takes a Phoenician wife, Jezebel. She leads Israel into Baal worship, and even attempts (unsuccessfully) to purge all of the prophets of Yahweh from Israel. God sends Elijah, a prophet, to confront Ahab in the beginning of a long episode about King Ahab which spans the final 6 chapters of 1st Kings. God seems to want to change Ahab's mind and heart, to show him that He is God and Baal is not. God is going to go to war with Baal, but how do you fight a god that does not exist?

As you may remember from an earlier profile, Baal is a god of storms and war who rides on the clouds. He is often depicted as holding a lighting bolt in his upraised hand. Elijah's opening act as prophet is to go declare to Ahab that the God of Israel* is going to make it not rain (Baal's specialty) for a period of years. After hiding at the Kerith Ravine and in Zarephath, Elijah appears again to Ahab and challenges the prophets of Baal (the god of lightning) to a contest of which deity can send fire from the sky. The site of this contest is Mt. Carmel which serves as a geographical boundary marker between Israel and Phoenicia, the territory of Jezebel and Baal. Yahweh is demonstrating the power of his kingship in the very area of nature over which Baal is though to have jurisdiction. Furthermore, in 20:13, when it seems that Ahab should be out of chances, a different prophet approaches Ahab and tells him "do you see this vast army (the Arameans led by Ben-Hadad), I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that i am the Lord." God's success in this battle represents the final defeat of Baal who has lost on both counts of storms(rain) and war.

Unfortunately, after all of these accounts, Ahab's wife Jezebel encourages him to do further evil in the story of Naboth's vineyard and doom is prophesied for Ahab's (Omri's) dynasty. Incredibly Ahab, the man of whom it is said "there was never anyone like Ahab... he behaved in the vilest manner" (1st Kings 21:25-26), repents, humbles himself before God, and God mercifully delays the end of his dynasty.

Amos - a Prophecy of Doom

Israel among the nations

The first two chapters of Amos are condemnations of 8 different nations, each beginning with the phrase "For three sins of _____ or even four I will not relent." This phrase means that God's patience is running out with these nations and that just a few more transgressions will result in their demise. The nations listed are all neighbors of Israel shown on the map to the right. Damascus stands for the nation of Aram, Gaza for the nation of Philistia, and Tyre for the Phoenician States. Even Judah - the kingdom of David's line - is condemned for rejecting God's Law. However all of this is a lead-up to the staggering accusations brought against Israel in the final pronouncement (Amos 2:6-16). Israel's section is three times longer than charges brought against the other nations showing that they are the most odious to God

Israel's sin

Amos is full of indictments against the kingdom of Israel, but they have 2 main categories. First, Israel is condemned for being unjust. Israel had become very wealthy under the rule of Jeroboam II (see chart of kings above indicating when Amos is written). In their wealth they are charged with neglecting and oppressing the poor, and having unjust courts. Just listen to Amos 4:1 "Hear this word you cows of Bashan on Mt Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, "Bring us some drinks!" Second, Israel is condemned for idolatry; both for the worship of foreign gods, and also the illegitimate worship of God at the altars in Dan and Bethel (set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat) and also altars in Gilgal and Beersheba. God had already condemned the worship occurring at these sites, when it was combined with Israel's greed and injustice they became especially insufferable to God.

Israel's coming punishment

In Amos 4:12 the Israelite people are told these ominous words: "prepare to meet your God." this meeting is referred to elsewhere as "the day of the Lord" 5:18-20.

"The Day of Yahweh(the Lord)... refers to the occasion on which the destinies of His subjects will be determined as the righteous are rewarded and the wicked suffer the consequences of their rebellion and sin." (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, note on Joel chapter 2)

Israel's meeting with God will be a day of darkness because of their evil laid out in the charges of Amos. Israel's specific punishment will be exile as prophesied by Amos in 7:17. in 734 BC - approximately 30 years after the prophecy of Amos, the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III will invade Israel and exile many. Additionally, in 722 BC another Assyrian king, Sargon II, will demolish the capitol of Samaria and execute a more thorough exile of the Israelite people. 10 tribes of Jacob, God's chosen people through Abraham, are obliterated.

Future Restoration

The prophecy of Amos ends with a promise of restoration. Even though the kingdom of Israel has turned their back on God, the promises God made to Abraham will be fulfilled. so when did this restoration occur? Unlike the kingdom of Judah, Israel does not experience a dramatic restoration to the promised land after exile, but this verse is quoted in another very important place in the Bible. When Paul returns from his first missionary Journey, the church in Jerusalem meets to discuss how gentile converts are to be regarded. James, the brother of Jesus said this:

James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
“‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,
that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’—
    things known from long ago. (Amos 9:11-12)
“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

Now James' quotation of this passage does not quite match up with what you read in Amos. That is because James is quoting from the Septuagint, the Greek-language version of the Old Testament, where your English translation is based off of the Hebrew-Masoretic Text. Consider that often times "Edom" in the Old Testament serves as short-hand for gentiles or non-Israelites and these two texts line up pretty well.

Study Questions:

In 1st Kings 8:37, Solomon recognizes that God knows every human heart. What do you think God saw in Solomon's heart? what does he see in yours?
In 1st Kings 11:9-13, God judges Solomon for his unfaithfulness, but God says that He will not completely wipe out Solomon's dynasty. Why doesn't God start over? What does this tell you about our God?
In 1st Kings 16:21-28, King Omri's reign is briefly and negatively described, despite the fact that he was (historically) one of the most important and successful kings of Israel. Why doesn't the Bible regard him the same way that history does? What are the things in your life that God could care less about? What are the things in your life that God care a lot about?
In 1st Kings 18:36, Elijah prays for God to send fire down on his sacrifice with Israel and the prophets of Baal looking on. What reason does Elijah give God to answer him? Have you ever prayed for God's name to be known through you?
In 1st Kings 20:29, God has mercy on Ahab, despite the fact that he is described earlier as the most evil of all the kings? do you believe that God will hear your prayer for mercy and forgiveness? have you ever been tempted to think that you're "too far gone"?
In Amos 1:7, the first charge brought against Israel is their treatment of the poor. What does this tell you about our God? do deserve the same judgement as the Israelites in this regard?
in Amos 6:21, God tells the Israelites that "I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me." Why would God hate being worshiped by the Israelites? What can we do to avoid a similar judgment from the Lord?

Week 10 Study Page - 1st Kings 8-22

Week #10 Study Page

1st Kings 8-22; Amos (1-9)

About the Book(s)

As you read Notes