1 Kings

First Kings begins with the final years of King David and the transition of power to his son, Solomon, who is famous for his great wisdom and for building the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. However, after Solomon’s death, the kingdom is tragically divided due to the unwise decisions of his son, Rehoboam, and the ten northern tribes break away to form Israel, while the southern kingdom remains as Judah. The rest of the book follows the history of the divided kingdoms, detailing the reigns of various kings in both Israel and Judah, most of whom were unfaithful to God. A major highlight is the powerful ministry of the prophet Elijah, who dramatically challenges the corrupt king Ahab and the prophets of the pagan god Baal.