Unit 1: Kings and Kingdoms 1

• Week 1: The Establishment of Solomon as King
• Week 2: The Rise of Solomon as King
• Week 3: The Temple
• Week 4: The Decline of Solomon as King
• Week 5: Division of the Kingdom - Jereboam
• Week 6: Series of sinful kings
• Week 7: The Ministry of Elijah
• Week 8: Murder of Naboth

Week 1: The Establishment of Solomon as King

The Establishment of Solomon as King: 1 Kings 1-2

Objective: 

• The transition from David to Solomon
• God chose Solomon over Adonijah
• Death of David

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• • 1 Kings 1:1-40
  • 1 Kings 2:1-12

Key verse(s):

• "And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn” 1 Kings 2:3

Comments:

• The story in Chapter 1 can’t be split. There are 40 verses to be read. Plan to focus mainly on the parts where Nathan and David are planning and anointing Solomon as a king.
• The first book of Kings starts with the end of David and the beginning of Solomon's reign.
• We see David’s health has declined so they hired a servant girl to assist him.
• Adonijah is David's fourth son after Absalom, Amnon, and Chileab. He wanted to take the throne by force and decided to make himself king. He thought it was his turn (as he is older than Solomon). But God chose Solomon.
• Even though his old age, David asked to bring his most trusted counselors to start the process of making Solomon a king.
• We see the difference between David and Saul. David was not attached to his throne like Saul and wanted his son to take over. David understood that God is the King and his eyes were towards the Heavens.
• We see Zadok the priest anointed Solomon (1:39) with Holy Oil, just like Samuel did with Saul and David.
• In Chapter Two, David is giving Solomon wise instructions to be a king.
• The instructions are not just for kings. They are valuable instructions for us too.
• “I go the way of all the earth" 1 Kings 2:2 is a reminder from David to Solomon that he should not get attached to the throne. We also should look up to eternal life and we are not staying on earth forever.
• David warns Solomon about some people in the kingdom is not hate, but wise instructions to be aware of ungodly people around Solomon. We learn to differentiate between Godly and ungodly people around us.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Who was the third king of Israel?
2. Who was the son that wanted to reign after David?
3. How did they stop Adonijah from being a king?
4. Who anointed Solomon as a king?
5. What are the instructions David gave Solomon before his death?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Solomon was older than Adonijah. (T/F)
2. Who spoke to Bathsheba about the reign of Solomon?
3. ____ anointed David as a king. ____ anointed Solomon as a king.
4. Where was David buried?
5. The period that David reigned over Israel was ____ years.

Week 2: The Rise of Solomon as King

The Rise of Solomon as King: 1 Kings 3-5

Objective: 

• Solomon asking for wisdom
• Solomon's wise decisions

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• • 1 Kings 3:3-28
  • 1 Kings 4: NO READING
  • 1 Kings 5:1-12

Key verse(s):

• "Give to Your servant an ^[b]understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:9

Comments:

• First thing Solomon did as a king was asking for wisdom. People may think that gaining wisdom is through reading books or getting degrees. The wisdom Solomon attained was Heavenly wisdom, which you gain through prayer and supplication.
• We see Solomon offering thousand burnt offerings on that altar. We see his generosity in the offerings.
• Solomon knew that in order for his reign/ministry to be successful, heavenly wisdom is needed.
• He asked for wisdom to differentiate between good and evil. When St. Anthony was asked what is the best virtue, he answered: "The ability to differentiate between what is holy vs unholy and Godly vs ungodly."
• Living many years in the OT was an important concept in people's minds. They understood that many years = God's love and blessings. Solomon didn't ask for many years, as he knew that it is important to make these years fruitful instead of just living many years.
• Solomon asked for wisdom only. God liked his answer/heart and gave him what he didn't ask for like wealth, honor among kings, and many years.
• We see Solomon's wise judgment in knowing who's the child's mother. The real mother will not let her child die. 
• Chapter 4 talks about the power of Solomon, the hierarchy in his kingdom, and the food he ate every day.
• In Chapter 5, we see Solomon making a treaty with the king of Tyre. He will help him with supplies to build the Temple.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. What did Solomon ask God to give him?
2. What did God give Solomon besides wisdom?
3. How did Solomon judge between the two women?
4. What was the deal between Solomon and Hiram?
5. Why did Solomon ask Hiram to cut the wood for him?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. What did Solomon ask God to give him?
   a) wisdom b) money c) a son
2. When did Solomon show his wisdom?
   a) in judging between two thieves b) in judging between two women who had a baby c) in judging between two killers
   
3. What did Solomon ask from Hiram?
   a) gold b) food c) wood
4. What did Solomon give Hiram in return?
   a) money b) slaves c) wheat and oil

Week 3: The Temple

The Temple: 1 Kings 6-8

Objective: 

• Building the Temple
• Solomon's prayer

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• • 1 Kings 6:1,11-13
  • 1 Kings 7: NO READING
  • 1 Kings 8: ALL - Skip 33-45

Key verse(s):

• "Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you” 1 Kings 6:12

Comments:

• Building the Temple started about 500 years after Moses. It was around the year 1000 B.C.
• Building the Temple was not an easy mission and required much effort and resources. God appeared to Solomon to encourage him.
  
• God also reminded Solomon and the people to not forsake the inner Temple of their hearts. God will dwell in the Temple they built only if they watch the inner Temple.
• Chapter 7: The details regarding Solomon's house
• Chapter 8 is all about consecrating the Temple. A beautiful prayer is said by Solomon.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. How long did it take Solomon to build the House of the Lord?
2. What did God promise Solomon concerning the temple?
3. How did God fill the House of The Lord?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. How long did it take Solomon to build The House of God?
   a) 5 years b) 6 years c) 7 years
2. What did God appear like when he lived in the House of The Lord?
   a) dove b) light c) cloud
   

Week 4: The Decline of Solomon as King

The Decline of Solomon as King: 1 Kings 9-11

Objective: 

• God's second appearance to Solomon
• Queen of Sheba's visit
• Solomon's heart turns from the Lord

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• • 1 Kings 9:1-9
  • 1 Kings 10:1-13
  • 1 Kings 11: ALL

Key verse(s):

• "Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her” 1 Kings 10:3

Comments:

• We see God appearing to Solomon again to remind him and the people to walk in his ways. 
• God makes it clear that if they don't follow the commandments and worship other idols, God will cut off Israel from the land. This is what will happen after many years because of the exile.
• The Queen of Sheba traveled a long distance seeking Solomon's wisdom. This teaches us two things:
  • The heavenly wisdom Solomon gained was above and higher than all other things
  • Solomon at this time was famous around the world for his wisdom
• The Kingdom of Sheba is located in Yemen today.
• In Chapter 11, we see the downfall of Solomon.
• King Solomon loved many foreign women who took his heart away from God.
• God tried to bring him back through many adversaries.
• We see Jereboam is rebellious against him. After Solomon's death, Jeroboam will cause the division to split.
• He will reign over 10 tribes and will be called the Northern Kingdom.
• We see this prophecy mentioned by the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite in 1 Kings 11:31
• Rehoboam, Solomon's son, will reign over two tribes and will be called the Southern Kingdom.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Which queen came to see King Solomon?
2. Did he meet her expectation? How?
3. How did Solomon make evil in the eyes of God?
4. How did God punish Solomon?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Who was the queen that came to visit Solomon?
   a) the Queen of Sheba b) the Queen of Egypt c) the Queen of The Hibros
2. What did the queen think of King Solomon?
   a) that he was a mean king b) God loved his people that made him the king c) he should not be the king
3. Why was God angry with Solomon?
   a) he did not build The House of The Lord b) he worshipped other gods c) he didn’t pray
4. How did God warn Solomon about his mistake?
   a) He appeared to him twice and told him b) He sent him a prophet c) He made him sick

Week 5: Division of the Kingdom - Jereboam

Division of the Kingdom - Jereboam: 1 Kings 12-14

Objective: 

• The division of the kingdom

• The Message of the Man of God to Jeroboam

• Death of the Man of God

• Judgment on the House of Jeroboam

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• • 1 Kings 12:1-24
  • 1 Kings 13:1-30
  • 1 Kings 14:1-19

Key verse(s):

• "But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him” 1 Kings 12:8

Comments:

• The elders, who were David and Solomons's councils before, advised Rehoboam to listen to the people. If he had listened to the people and shown his love to them, they were going to follow him. The kingdom was split in two because he didn't follow their council.
• It's always important for a leader to show love first before authority or leadership.
  
• Jereboam heard the man of God and was unhappy with what he said. He thought he could use his power to change his word, however, this man was delivering God's message. He can't change the message and also that was God's judgment concerning Jeroboam. Because of his action, God punished him right away. Through the prophet's prayer, Jeroboam was forgiven.
• This prophet fell into the mistake of not following God's word. The false prophet from Bethel tricked him. He didn't ask God first before going with him (what God told him was against what this man said.) That's why this prophet, even though he was faithful to God, died.
• Jeroboam was a bad king and spread sin widely among the people. God judged him by ending his kingdom as well as from his house.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Rehoboam listened to the advice of whom?
2. Was that a good decision?
3. What was the sign that the prophet gave to prove his vision?
4. How did the man of God die? Why?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Rehoboam listened to the advice of:
   a) the eldersb) the young men c) both of them d) neither
2. What happened to King Jeroboam when he ordered the catch of the prophet?
   a) he died b) his hand withered c) he became famous
3. Why did God punish Jeroboam?
   a) he didn’t follow God b) he didn’t offer sacrifice to God c) he worshipped other Gods d) a, b, and c
4. 14. How did God punish Jeroboam?
   a) He killed him b) He killed his wife c) He killed his son

Week 6: Series of sinful kings

Series of sinful kings: 1 Kings 15-17

Objective: 

• Asa Reigns in Judah

• Ahab Reigns in Israel

• Elijah Proclaims a Drought

• Elijah and the Widow

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• 1 Kings 15:9-24
• 1 Kings 16:29-34
• 1 Kings 17:1-24

Key verse(s):

• "For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ” 1 Kings 17:14

Comments:

• King Asa was a good thing despite his father being a sinful king (1 Kings 15:3).
• King Asa became better than his father and he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen.
  • Church fathers say she used to force idol worship in the kingdom
• He was good, except that he did not remove the idol places (1 Kings 15:14)
  • This teaches us that we need to be complete and perfect in applying the commandments. We have to present ourselves as perfect as we can to God and cannot leave any room for Satan in our lives.
• This also teaches us that spiritual life is a personal decision. Asa's parents were not good, be he chose to follow God and keep his commandments.
• Chapter 16 mentions multiple sinful kings. It's mentioned about all of them that their life summary is: " the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam."
• King Ahab was arguably the worst and most sinful king in the history of both kingdoms.
• Chapter 17 mentions Elijah for the first time. Elijah is a great strong prophet in the OT.
• Ahab was a very bad king. He drifted away from God's commandments and worshipped the idols.
• Ahab and his wife Jezebel were very ungodly people.
• As a punishment to Ahab, and as a way for him to repent, Elijah stopped the rain. When the rain stopped, a famine happened.
• Some may ask, why does this have to happen to the people also?
  • The people knew that this was because of Ahab's actions. They will starve and stop working, so they will force Ahab to repent and ask Elijah to bring the rain back. 
• Elijah went to stay with a widow. This widow was a gentile, but she showed great faith in Elijah.
• Her faith in Elijah's God is the main reason she and her son did not suffer from hunger as everyone else.
• Her faith again brought her son back from the dead. This was the first time that a dead person will come back.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. How did Asa follow the Lord? 2. What was the thing that Asa should have done and didn’t?
2. How do you see the work of God in Elijah?
3. Was the widow woman obedient to Elijah? What was the result?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. 1. Was Asa a good or bad king?
   2. Who did Ahab take for himself as wife? a) Jezebel b) Hanari c) Zimri d) Omri
   3. Who delivered food to Elijah? a) a pigeon b) raven c)squirrels
   4. What did Elijah ask the widow to do for him? a) wash his cloth b) let him stay at her house c) bake bread for him

Week 7: The Ministry of Elijah

The Ministry of Elijah: 1 Kings 18-19

Objective: 

• Elijah’s Message to Ahab
• Elijah’s Mount Carmel Victory
• Elijah Escapes from Jezebel
• Elisha Follows Elijah

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• 1 Kings 18:19-46
• 1 Kings 19: ALL

Key verse(s):

• "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21

Comments:

• Elijah faced the priests and defeated them in front of the people.
• This was not a personal matter, but Elijah wanted to prove that the Lord God is the true God (18:37)
• He asked them to keep adding water so that they can't deny the strength of the miracle.
• Elijah prayed seven times for the rain. He never lost hope or faith in God. This teaches us to never stop praying until we hear/see God's response.
• After this glorious day, Elijah lost hope and was scared of Jezebel. He is a human and felt weak for a moment.
• Elijah and Moses only in the OT fasted for forty days and forty nights.
• God never left him alone to his thoughts, He came and supported him.
• He told God he is the only prophet who believes in Him, but God told him that reserved seven thousand in Israel.
• We see God telling Elijah to bring Elisha to be his disciple so he can carry the service after Elijah.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. How did Elijah challenge the prophets of Baal?
2. How did Elijah show the people that God is the real God?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. Whose sacrifice was accepted?
   a)Elijah’s sacrifice b) the prophets of Baal c) Ahab d) a and b
2. Who woke Elijah and gave him to eat and drink?
   a) Jezebel b) Obadiah c) an Angel
3. Who became the prophet after Elijah?
   a) Hazael b) Jehu c) Samuel d) Elisha

Week 8: Murder of Naboth

Murder of Naboth: 1 Kings 21-22

Objective: 

• Naboth Is Murdered for His Vineyard

• Ahab facing Elijah

• Micaiah Warns Ahab

• Death of Ahab

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• 1 Kings 21:ALL
• 1 Kings 22:1-40

Key verse(s):

• "As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that I will speak” 1 Kings 22:14

Comments:

• Ahab wanted to take Naboth's vineyard by force.
• Naboth refused as the vineyard means a lot to him and his family.
• Jezebel plotted against Naboth and took his vineyard for her husband.
• God told Ahab: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood." This was fulfilled in chapter 22
• Ahab repented and God accepted his repentance by not bringing calamity. This shows us that God really wants everyone to go back to him even if it is Ahab the evil king.
• Micaiah was a faithful prophet who did and said only what God instructed him to do, not what the king wanted.
• Jehoshaphat was a good righteous king. He made a mistake by going out to fight with Ahab. There should not be mixing between good and evil, light and darkness, or God and Satan. Jehoshaphat almost got killed in this battle as a warning to not do this again and also as a result of his bad decision.
• Ahab tricked Jehoshaphat. He disguised himself so the enemy doesn’t recognize him as the king. Jehoshaphat was naive.
• Ahab was struck and died, and the dogs licked up his blood like what happened to Naboth.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. How did Ahab and Jezebel offend the Lord again?
2. Show God’s mercy even to the wicked.
3. What was the king’s expectation from Micaiah?
4. What was the end of King Ahab?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. What did Ahab want from Naboth?
   A) his money b) his house c) his vineyard
2. What was the name of Ahab’s wife?
   a) Esther b) Helen c) Jezebel
3. Ahab hated Micaiah because
   a) he was jealous of him b) Micaiah does not prophesy good concerning him c) Micaiah was lying
4. What did Ahab the king of Israel do to Micaiah?
   a) killed him b) put him in prison c) rewarded him