First and Second Kings

The two books of Kings, like those of Samuel, originally formed a single volume. Beginning with Solomon’s reign of righteousness, peace, and glory, they end with Israel in captivity and all in ruin. In the Kings, as with the books of Samuel, we have man in responsibility. Sadly, we find that Solomon himself—blessed by Jehovah more than any other in wisdom, glory, and riches—sows the seeds for the ruin. “King Solomon loved many strange women,  ... it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:1, 41But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; (1 Kings 11:1)
4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. (1 Kings 11:4)). It is not until Josiah, one of the very last kings of Judah, that the high places built by Solomon are destroyed (2 Kings 23:1313And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. (2 Kings 23:13)).
Jehovah pleaded with His people, patiently dealing with them in mercy. Though there are periods of revival and examples of individual faith, the calls are unheeded. “And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:15-1615And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: 16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:15‑16)).
Upon the death of Solomon, the kingdom was divided into two. Ten tribes were given into the hand of Jeroboam, a ruler over the house of Joseph (1 Kings 11:2828And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. (1 Kings 11:28)), while Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, was left with just two tribes, Judah and Benjamin. Henceforth there are two kingdoms (to be united again in a future day under Christ the King). The ten northern tribes are collectively called Israel, or sometimes Ephraim (particularly by the prophets), while Judah and Benjamin are known simply as Judah—Benjamin’s numbers being few. The priests and Levites joined with Judah (2 Chron. 11:13-1413And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. 14For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the Lord: (2 Chronicles 11:13‑14)). Omri, the father of Ahab—kings of Israel—established his capital in Samaria, forever connecting that name with the northern kingdom (1 Kings 16:2424And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria. (1 Kings 16:24)).
Fearing lest the people should return to Jerusalem to sacrifice, Jeroboam established a false religion (1 Kings 12:25-3325Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 26And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan. 30And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 31And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 32And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made. 33So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense. (1 Kings 12:25‑33)). Making two golden calves, he placed one in the southern town of Bethel and the other in Dan in the north, declaring, “Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:2828Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (1 Kings 12:28)). Complete with priests (of the lowest of the people), holy days, and sacrifices—all devised of his own heart—this counterfeit religion displaced the true. Israel never turned from this position, walking in the sins of Jeroboam, and never departing from them (2 Kings 17:2222For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; (2 Kings 17:22)).
From the twelfth chapter of First Kings to the first chapter of Second Kings we have the ministry of the prophet Elijah, and, from the second chapter to the thirteenth chapter we have that of Elisha. Miracles were performed (especially reserved for Israel) that had not been seen since the day of Moses. Israel’s apostasy culminates with their being taken captive by the Assyrians (the king of the North, the rod of God’s anger) in chapter 17 of Second Kings. The Assyrians replaced the displaced people with men from other lands; these became known as the Samaritans.
Up to this point, the book of Kings has been chiefly occupied with the history of Israel. Now, with the 10 tribes in captivity, the closing days of Judah’s history is taken up. Though there were kings of Judah that “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord”, as a nation they failed to heed the warning of Israel’s captivity and forsook the Lord, falling into the same sin of idolatry (Jer. 3:88And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. (Jeremiah 3:8)). The prophets Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, all lived and prophesied during this period. Solomon’s temple is gradually stripped of its glory. In the days of Ezekiel we find its inner walls covered with images portraying creeping things, abominable beasts, and the idols of Israel (Eze. 8:1010So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. (Ezekiel 8:10)).
The book of Second Kings concludes with the captivity of Judah under the Chaldeans. God’s sentence, of which they were forewarned by Hosea the prophet, is fulfilled, “Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God” (Hos. 1:99Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. (Hosea 1:9)). Though men may scoff, there is a day appointed “in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)).