1 Kings 5:1-18 | Bible Study Solomon’s Forced Labor Is Solomon Great? 1 Kings 1-11 tells the story of King Solomon. On the surface, everything seems great! He is the wisest and richest king who ever lived. As we’ve seen in other passages, though, the story beneath the surface is shockingly different (see other guided […]

1 Kings 4:29-34 | Bible Study The Wisest King Who Ever Lived Solomon’s Wisdom Some passages in 1 Kings 1-11 mix positive and negative statements about Solomon. (Check out these passages.) 1 Kings 4:29-34 is not one of those passages. The whole passage describes Solomon as the wisest king who ever lived. Let’s see what […]

1 Kings 4:21-28 | Bible Study Studying Vines and Horses Can Tell You a Lot Solomon’s Prosperity We have firmly moved into a new era of Solomon’s reign. The battle for the kingship is over and God has gifted Solomon unparalleled wisdom and wealth (see previous studies on 1 Kings 1-3). 1 Kings 4:21-28 details […]

1 Kings 4:1-20 | Bible Study Solomon’s Political Structure The First Dynasty After God grants Solomon wisdom (1 Kings 3:1-15), the next several chapters put that wisdom on display. 1 Kings 4:1-20 describes the political structure Solomon puts in place. The passage is full of complicated names and confusing geographic references. It’s one of those […]

1 Kings 3:1-15 | Bible Study Solomon Asks for Wisdom Solomon’s Dream After the drama of the first two chapters, the story in 1-2 Kings takes a turn in 1 Kings 3. 1 Kings 3:1-15 is a famous story. Solomon asks God for wisdom when he is given a blank check. As a result, God […]

1 Kings 2:36-46 | Bible Study The Kingdom is Solomon’s Solomon’s Final Enemy This passage concludes the first section of 1-2 Kings. Every story has had one main objective: show how Solomon became king of Israel. After executing Adonijah (1 Kings 2:13-25) and Joab and exiling Abiathar (1 Kings 2:26-35), Solomon turns his attention to […]