This book describes the history of Israel during the reigns of a succession of kings. It demonstrates how the kings who were obedient and faithful to the Lord prospered, while those who were disobedient and unfaithful to the Lord suffered the consequences.

After King David died, Solomon became the wisest and richest king in the history of Israel. But then in the latter part of his reign, he succumbed to temptations that followed the great wealth and success that he had achieved, and his sins of disobedience and unfaithfulness led to the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the desolation of Jerusalem.

Chapters 1-2 describe the last days of King David. His son Adonijah tried to take over David's throne, but his son Solomon was anointed as king.

Chapter 3 Solomon asked God for wisdom and God granted his request. His wisdom was seen in his decision concerning a disputed child.

Chapter 4 describes the wealth that Solomon acquired as the kingdom of Israel extended from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea and to the Egyptian border.

Chapters 5-8 Solomon began to build the temple 480 years after the Exodus and it took seven years to build. But then he spent 13 years building a palace for himself.

Chapters 9-10 describe the splendor of Solomon's kingdom, his stables, his navy, and the great riches of the kingdom. The queen of Sheba came to see it and said, I did not believe it until saw with my own eyes that your wisdom and prosperity exceeds everything that I had heard.

Chapter 11 In his pursuit of wealth and pleasure, Solomon took many foreign wives, in disobedience to the Lord's instructions. These wives brought foreign idols, the result of which was that Solomon was turned away from the Lord and his heart was no longer faithful to the Lord as his father David had always been.

Chapter 12 When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king. Solomon had imposed heavy taxes, first to build the temple, later to increase his own wealth. Rehoboam increase the taxes and that caused the 10 ten northern tribes to secede. They chose Jeroboam as their leader and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin then became the southern kingdom of Judah.

To keep the people in the northern kingdom of Israel from returning to Jerusalem to worship, Jeroboam instituted worship of a golden calf. This disobedience led to the northern kingdom of Israel's humiliation.

Chapters 13-14 describe the rest of Jeroboam's reign, including a rebuke by a man of God that included a prophecy about a future reformation of Josiah that was fulfilled after more than 300 years. cf. 2 Kings 23.

Chapters 14-16 describe a succession of kings in Judah after Rehoboam including Abijam and Asa, and kings in the northern kingdom of Israel, Nadab to Omri.

Chapters 16-22 describe the wickedness of king Ahab and Jezebel, and the courage and fiery zeal of Elijah in serving God.

Chapter 17 describes Elijah being fed by ravens, and his lodging at the house of the widow of Zarephath during a three and a half year drought in the land.

Chapter 18 describes the wickedness of Jezebel in promoting worship of Baal with heathen prophets, while she tried to destroy the prophets of God. It then describes a contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and God's amazing miracle.

Chapter 19 describes Jezebel's anger toward Elijah after he destroyed her false prophets. Elijah experienced a time of desperation and how he was comforted by a still, small voice.

Chapters 20-22 describe the brutal treatment that Ahab brought upon Naboth and his death at the hands of the Syrians.