The First Three Kings Of Israel

There are many different themes common on the subject of Kingship in Israel that are highlighted throughout scholarly analysis of the subject. Sages of the time, thought to have written Proverbs, believed that the king was a person way beyond the normal run of things. This piece from “Proverbs 30:29-31” is a prime example:

After many centuries of being under the rule of judges, the Israelites finally ask Samuel to appoint a king, making Israel like most other nations being ruled as monarchies. This request leads to the appointing of the first king of Israel, Saul, followed by centuries of kings (1 Samuel 8-9). A large majority of these kings have been deemed to be “bad” kings, leaving only a small handful to be considered “good.” In general, these kings are given such labels for their actions and policies throughout their time of power. This paper will discuss the reigns of David, Hezekiah and Josiah and what makes them considered good kings, as well as Ahab and Manasseh and the actions that deemed them to be bad kings.

He shows he is weak and not ready to lead. (1 Samuel 9:21). Saul even hides when he is supposed to show himself to the Israelites as the chosen King (1 Samuel 11: 22). Although Saul knows that he cannot lead, he has no choice, he has to follow the Lord’s order. At last, God realizes that Saul was indeed not a leader-type person and chooses another person. God must have known that people are not forced to be leaders, but they themselves should be aware of the ability to be leaders.

The rise and fall of this desired king is one that is unique with a lot to look at and learn from. Saul was a man who won many battles on the field as he defeated the Philistines and others who came against the Jewish

From a biblical perspective we see in 1 Samuel 12:1-4 Israel’s high regard for Samuel. He was a man who exuded integrity. Samuel said to all of Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.” “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

Bonnie and sherry both good post. Solomon shows us that even if you’re the wisest person in the world if you are not abiding in the Lord then the vines of the world are going to choke you out. God allowed Solomon to make this choice to disobey as he does with us. “So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.’” (1 Kings 11:11 NASB). God displayed mercy to Solomon for David’s sake “Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.” (1 Kings 11:12 NASB). How faithful and patients God is with us is just amazing.

These three kings were Saul, David, and Solomon (Judaism). Saul was the first king of the Israel Kingdom. He was not only important because he was the first king, but also because he was chosen by God to rule the Kingdom. The story of how Saul was chosen is in the old testament. According to the old testament, there was a prophet named

You noted that Dewey believed education’s overall goal must be to encourage learners to accept the challenge of change (Gutek, 2011). That the modern world is in a constant state of flux is undeniable. Dewey’s proposal to make the overall goal of education to be encourage learners to accept the challenge of change is an absolute necessity. However, to make learning by doing and adapting to change the foundation of educational practice has the potential to make education shallow and short sighted. The Kings of Israel failed in their duties when they tried to accept the challenge of change by conforming Israel to the changes that were going on in society and politics (1 Kings and 2 Kings, NIV). One of these adaptations was Baal worship

1st Kings a book of narrative history and of prophecy.The author of 1st Kings is unknown, however it was written around the years 560-538 B.C. The main characters in the story are David, Solomon, Elijah, Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Jezebel, and Ahab. The author’s purpose of writing 1st Kings was to contrast the obedient subjects and disobedient subjects of God throughout the ruling kings of Judah and Israel. 1st Kings describes the rule of Solomon as the last king of Israel following with the sudden split of the kingdom after Solomon’s death.There are several prayers and hymns to the Lord throughout the book itself . The author of the books of Kings tells the events of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms after the division.Chapters 12-22 specifically

In 1 Samuel 28: 1-25 Yahweh guides Saul to his death because he has outright deceived and disobeyed God. This passage sets an example to obey Yahweh; otherwise he will inflict punishment

In this covenant, God granted to David and his descendants the throne forever. They were also called sons of God (160, 2 Sam 7:12-16). The king became the mediator the Abrahamic blessings to the people of Israel and then to the nations, as seen in the subjugation of the nations to Israel in the reigns of David and Solomon (168, Psa 72:8-11). David and Solomon’s reigns were the epitome of God’s intended kingdom led by a king of faith who carried out God’s will (217). The king experienced the Abrahamic blessings as he obeyed Mosaic laws, and the people followed the king (169). Thus, if the king was a man of faith, the people would also seek God and be blessed. However, if the king was unfaithful, the people would follow into idolatry and experience the curses of the Mosaic covenant (e.g. 2 Kgs 3:2). The king was expected to know the Mosaic covenant through writing it at his inauguration (Deut 17:18). He could also be removed from the throne through unfaithfulness. God’s promise to keep a Davidic heir would then be fulfilled later

he conquest of the Israelites spread like a lightning bolt. All the countries that lived within the boundaries of the Promised Land were in utter fear for their lives. Kings who had strong fortified cities within massive stone walls trembled as the stories flooded in telling them how easily Israel fought and defeated everyone in their path.

Following the reign of the notorious King David, King Solomon strives through years of righteousness through the help of his God granted wisdom and endless riches. However, throughout the latter portion of the Biblical book of I Kings and into II kings, Israel has once again displaced their roots and fallen back into a lifestyle that is unacceptable in the eyes of God and detrimental to the physical state of the country of Israel. It is this unrighteousness and self ambition that further leads Israel into a state of uncertainty, resulting in a breach of the kingdom by the means of civil war. The country becomes two, referred to as the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the South Kingdom (Judah). With that being said, it is important to thoroughly analyze the structure of I and II Kings.

The political background of Israel in the pre-exilic era was disastrous. In Israel, there was not a king who followed God’s law, but in Judea there were some kings like Hezekiah and Josiah who followed God (2 Kings 18:3, 2 Kings 22:2). Thus, when kings do not obey God, they tend to have a temporal perspective on their ruling. This temporal perspective lends to a lack of prudence. For a nation to run effectively, the king needs to make sure the national defense is secure and the nation’s attitude is healthy. However, the kings of Israel did not take care of their nation. King Hosea is an example of a king who did not take care of his country (2 Kings 17:1-6). King Hosea reigned for nine years in Israel, which was the twelfth year of Ahaz in Judea (2 Kings 17:1-2). During king Hosea’s reign, he become allies with the Assyrian empire, but he did not follow through with his tributes (2 Kings 17:3-4). Thus, the actions of king Hosea caused the kingdom of Israel to fall to the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:5-6).

Saul, which means, ‘asked for’ or ‘prayed for’, was the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else. God told Samuel he had looked down on his people in mercy and he heard their cry for their own king. Therefore, Samuel had to anoint Saul as leader of Israel. This new king