1 Kings

Text Examined: 1 Kings 10:14-11:13 – “As we come to the end of our study of 1 Kings, we turn again to the book of Deuteronomy. Old Testament interpreters believe that Deuteronomy’s mishpat (justice regulations) can be used to evaluate Israel’s – and, in particular, Solomon’s – actions. In order to conduct this evaluation, we recognize that none of the Deuteronomic laws is more significant than the Law of the King (Deuteronomy 17:14–20).”

Text Examined: 1 Kings 10:1-13 – “1 Kings 8–10 contains three important monologues. First, Solomon prays a long temple dedication to God, appealing to Yahweh to hear Israel’s prayers of repentance (8:22–61).”

Text Examined: 1 Kings 6:11-13 – “Israel was formed as a nation in the crucible of the exodus from Egypt, described in Exodus 12–14 as nothing short of a revolutionary emancipation. Before Israel entered the promised land of Canaan, Moses provided the people with a constitution, the statutes and justice (mishpat) we call Deuteronomy. The constitution of Israel was anti-imperial, Egypt upside-down. In the mishpat of Yahweh, people were not enslaved but set free from slavery.”

Text Examined: 1 Kings 4:21-28 – “The thing that makes a punch line work is the element of surprise. We see things one way, then – surprise! – the story takes a funny twist.”