We know better than to take all we see and hear at face value. We are taught to look for the story behind the story. That's what the writer of 1 and 2 Kings gave to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. His message breathed hope into their down-and-out nation and it still breathes hope into its readers' hearts today. Get ready for a revelation of the real meaning of history and of the power that is at work behind the headlines on the evening news. Get ready for God to catch you up into the story behind the story. Phil Moore leads a thriving multivenue church in London, UK. He also serves as a translocal Bible Teacher within the Newfrontiers family of churches. After graduating from Cambridge University inHistory in 1995, Phil spent time on the mission field and then time in the business world. After four years of working twice through the Bible in the original languages, he has now delivered an accessible series of devotional commentaries that convey timeless truths in a fresh and contemporary manner. More details at www.philmoorebooks.com Straight to the Heart of 1 & 2 Kings 60 bite-sized insights By Phil Moore Lion Hudson Limited Copyright © 2019 Phil Moore All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-85721-940-4 Contents About the Straight to the Heart Series, Introduction: The Story Behind the Story, 1 KINGS 1–11: FATHER AND SON, Yesterday's Man (1 Kings 1:1–2:12), Truth Will Out (1 Kings 2:13–46), The Currency of Kings (1 Kings 3:1–28), Cracks (1 Kings 4:1–34), Second Home (1 Kings 5:1–8:66), Bodybuilder (1 Kings 6:1–7:51), The Hope of Israel (1 Kings 8:1–66), Fork in the Road (1 Kings 9:1–28), What They Could Have Won (1 Kings 10:1–29), Kerplunk (1 Kings 11:1–13), Son of David (1 Kings 11:14–43), 1 KINGS 12–16: NORTH AND SOUTH, The Pampered Prince (1 Kings 12:1–24), Antichrist (1 Kings 12:25–33), The Prophet (1 Kings 13:1–34), Final Warning (1 Kings 14:1–20), Dumb and Dumber (1 Kings 14:21–15:24), Game of Thrones (1 Kings 15:25–16:34), 1 KINGS 17 – 2 KINGS 8: REBELS AND REVIVAL, Israel's True King (1 Kings 17:1–6), Resurrection (1 Kings 17:7–24), Showdown (1 Kings 18:1–40), Middleman (1 Kings 18:41–46), Discouragement (1 Kings 19:1–21), What Winning Looks Like (1 Kings 19:9–18), Right Here, Right Now (1 Kings 20:1–28), One Swift Cut (1 Kings 20:29–43), Second Chance (1 Kings 21:1–29), Sin Spreads (1 Kings 22:1–40), Now-But-Not-Yet (1 Kings 22:41–53), Second Time Around (2 Kings 1:1–18), Double Portion (2 Kings 2:1–25), Hollow Victory (2 Kings 3:1–27), Multiply (2 Kings 4:1–44), Little Things (2 Kings 5:1–27), Next Generation (2 Kings 5:19–27), Do You See? (2 Kings 6:1–7:20), The Back-Up Plan (2 Kings 7:3–20), School's Out (2 Kings 8:1–29), 2 KINGS 9–17: NORTHERN LIGHTS, Lights Out (2 Kings 9:1–37), Botched Messiah (2 Kings 10:1–36), Trojan Horse (2 Kings 11:1–3), Counter-attack (2 Kings 11:4–21), False Hope (2 Kings 12:1–21), The Way Back (2 Kings 13:1–25), What Might Have Been (2 Kings 14:1–22), Have It Your Way (2 Kings 14:23–15:7), Dynasty (2 Kings 15:8–31), The Next Player (2 Kings 15:32– 6:20), Behind the Scenes (2 Kings 17:1–23), King of the Nations (2 Kings 17:24–41), 2 KINGS 18–25: SOUTHERN COMFORT, Graceland (2 Kings 18:1–8), Daily Battle (2 Kings 18:9–37), The Real King of Judah (2 Kings 19:1–37), Half-Time Substitution (2 Kings 20:1–21), Forgetfulness (2 Kings 21:1–26), Jewish Idol (2 Kings 22:1–20), Inside Out (2 Kings 23:1–30), Avalanche (2 Kings 23:31–24:20), The End of the Road (2 Kings 25:1–30), Conclusion: The Story Behind the Story, CHAPTER 1 1 Kings 1–11: Father and Son Yesterday's Man (1 Kings 1:1–2:12) "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it?" (1 Kings 1:11) The book of 1 Kings begins a bit like one of the original Star Wars movie. It catapults us straight into the thick of the action, and it assumes that we will quickly pick up the plot along the way. It doesn't introduce King David or tell us which prophet is writing the story. It assumes that we have read 1 and 2 Samuel, and that we therefore know all about the shepherd-boy who became king of Israel and who received a command from God to bypass his older sons and hand over his throne to his young son Solomon when he died. It expects us to know that David's eldest son Absalom attempted to defy this and was killed in his failed rebellion, making Adonijah David's oldest surviving son. If you have read 1 and 2 Samuel, then you will see a lot of continuity as the plot resumes: Bathsheba is still David's favourite wife; Joab is still commander of his army; Benaiah is still the captain of his bodyguard; Nathan is still his prophet; and Zadok and Abiathar are still serving as his two priests. But what really strikes us here is the dis continunity. Whereas 1 and 2 Samuel celebrate the strength of King David, the giant- killer who conquered Israel's hostile neighbours, the writer of