Good Company-Bad Company Series

1 KINGS

PART 1 OF A 2 PART SERIES ON 1st. AND 2nd. KINGS

KEY VERSE: 1 KINGS 1: 30

FOCAL POINT: GOOD COMPANY-BAD COMPANY

INTRODUCTION:

1ST AND 2ND KINGS WAS ORIGINALLY ONE BOOK. TO BE LATER DIVIDED FOR CONVENIENCE. 1ST KINGS RECORDS THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL THROUGH THE DIVIDED KINGDOM TO THE DEATH OF AHAB.

THERE IS LITTLE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF WHO WROTE THE BOOK, HOWEVER, SOME ATTRIBUTE JEREMIAH TO BE THE WRITER.

MANY PRACTICAL LESSONS EMERGE FROM THESE SCRIPTURES. IT IS APPARENT THAT ADHERING TO GOD’S COVENANTS IS IMPORTANT.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

1) THE BOOKS BEGINS WITH SOLOMON SUCCEEDING HIS FATHER, DAVID. THE BOOKS END WITH DIVIDED KINGDOM (ISRAEL TO THE NORTH AND JUDAH TO THE SOUTH).

2) THE BOOKS REFERENCE PROPHETS OF GOD SPEAKING TO A DECLINING MORALITY.

3) THE KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH END YET GOD PRESERVED A REMNANT UNTO HIMSELF.

4) TWO THEMES EMERGE. OBEDIENCE TO GOD BRINGS BLESSINGS. DISOBEDIENCE BRINGS DISASTER.

KEY CHARACTERS ARE:

JEROBOAM, A WICKED KING OF ISRAEL (NORTHERN KINGDOM)

AHAB-A WICKED KING OF ISRAEL (NORTHERN KINGDOM)

ELIJAH-A PROPHET OF GOD TO ISRAEL (NORTHERN KINGDOM)

READ KEY VERSE 1 KINGS 1: 30.

BOTH THE KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH WERE PLAGUED WITH LEADERSHIP WHO CONTINUED TO MAKE POOR CHOICES. POOR CHOICES BROUGHT DOWN BOTH KINGDOMS. FIRST ISRAEL THEN JUDAH.

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 33 “DO NOT BE DECEIVED, BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD MORALS.”

THE ISSUE ADDRESSED, GOOD COMPANY, BAD COMPANY, CENTERED ON THE PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD.

THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH WAS PLAGUED WITH IMMORALITY AND FALSE TEACHERS THAT TAUGHT THERE WAS NO RESURRECTION IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THEIR SINS.

PAUL HAD ALREADY WARNED THE CORINTHIANS TO AVOID FELLOW WITH BELIEVERS WHO PRACTICED IMMORAL LIFESTYLES (1 CORINTHIANS 5: 9-13). NOW HE WARNS THEM TO STAY AWAY FROM THOSE WHO TEACH FALSE DOCTRINES (2 CORINTHIANS 6: 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1).

BY WORD OR EXAMPLE, EVIL FRIENDS ARE A CORRUPTING INFLUENCE. THIS LEADS TO CORRUPTION OPPOSED TO GODLY LIVING.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO DENY THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST OR MINIMIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION. ASSOCIATION WITH THESE GROUPS IS DANGEROUS. NEVER LET YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE FALSE TEACHERS LEAD YOU AWAY FROM THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL. MOST CULT GROUPS DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF CHRIST OR HAVE A DISTORTED, NON-BIBLE VIEW OF HIS RESURRECTION.

APPLICATION: WE SEE BIBLICAL WARNINGS ABOUT CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH UNBELIEVERS, ESPECIALLY IN MARRIAGES. THIS DOES NOT PRECLUDE OUR WITNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO THEM!

REF: 1ST AND 2ND KINGS, BY GARY INRIG, 1 AND 2ND KINGS, NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY BY PAUL HOUSE, THE BIBLE FOR BLOCKHEADS BY DOUGLAS CONNELLY, NKJV STUDY BIBLE BY RADMACHER, ALLEN & HOUSE, TSB BY WARREN WIERSBE, LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE, THE MACARTHUR STUDY BIBLE , BLUELETTERBIBLE.ORG., GOTQUESTIONS.ORG