First and Second Kings

I.6–8 Here is a diagram of the Temple. Notice the basic similarity to the Tabernacle (source: painsley.org.uk):

I.11 This is an important chapter. After glorifying Solomon in ch. 10, the author tells us that Solomon's wealth brought him many foreign wives, who turned him to idolatry (v. 7). Throughout the book the author mentions the high places again and again (see 23.13); this sin leads to the division of the kingdom and ultimately the fall of Judah.

I.12 This is also an important chapter. Besides recounting the division of the kingdom, it tells us that Jeroboam also led Israel into idolatry, by building golden calves at Bethel and Dan (cf. Ex 32). The author mentions these idols throughout the book and cites them as reasons for the fall of Israel.

I.13 The prophecy in vv. 1–3 is fulfilled in II.23.

I.12—I.24 After Solomon's death Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern ten tribes continued to be called Israel, or sometimes Samaria after its captial (I.16.24), or sometimes Ephraim after its largest tribe. The southern kingdom was called Judah, even though the tribe of Benjamin was also part of it.

The southern kingdom See the table of kings (below): notice that there is an unbroken chain from David to Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, in fulfillment of God's promise in 2 Sam 7.16: “Your throne will be established forever” (also I.9.5; 11.13). Matt 1 says that Jesus was descended directly descended from Jehoiachin, placing him in the royal line. (But see Jer 22.30.)

The northern kingdom The kings of Israel, however, were frequently overthrown. Only two dynasties had much stability: that of Omri and that of Jehu, and the latter is mainly important because it overthrew the former. The Omrids get the most attention in the books of Kings because they were the most evil: Omri is said to be worse than all the kings before him (I.16.25), and his son Ahab worse still (I.16.30, 33), because of his foreign wife Jezebel. Their sin spreads even to the south: Ahab's daughter Athaliah marries Jehoram king of Judah (not to be confused with the later king of Israel) and corrupts him (II.8.18). When her son dies, she tries to assassinate the whole royal family (II.11.1) and becomes queen dowager in Judah for six years. God sends Elijah to prophesy against the Omrids, and he sends Elisha to remove them from power.

I.21 The prophecies of vv. 19 and 23 are fulfilled in I.22.38 and II.9.36.

I.19 Recall that the mountain of vv. 11–18 is the same mountain God spoke to Moses on. In vv. 15–17 God tells Elijah to anoint Hazael king of Syria, who will oppress Israel cruelly (II.8.12; 13.22), Jehu as king over Israel, who will destroy the family of Omri and its idols in a terrible bloodbath (II.9–10), and Elisha as his own successor, who is actually the one who anoints the first two.

II.17 This is a crucial passage. The author breaks off from the narrative to explain why Israel fell, listing all their sins, including the golden calves at Dan and Bethel. He then describes the resettlement of Samaria by foreigners who intermixed with the Israelites, which explains why the Jews of Jesus' time held the Samaritans in such contempt.