1 Kings: From Glory to Ruin (Welwyn Commentary Series | WCS)
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Overview
1 Kings traces the history of God's people from the heights of glory and prosperity enjoyed during the reign of Solomon, through the subsequent division into separate northern and southern kingdoms, and on to the dark days of Elijah's lone stand on Mount Carmel against the worshippers of the false God Baal and its aftermath. The example of Solomon and those who followed him stands as a stark warning to Christians today of the serious consequences of disobedience to God's revealed Word. The same God who would not countenance devotion to false gods will brook no rivals in the affections of his people today.
But 1 Kings is not only a book about human failure. It is also a book about God's sovereign purpose, which cannot be thwarted and defeated by human disobedience. In the story of the kings of Israel and Judah, as in all the Old Testament narrative, we see God pointing people to the coming King of whom Solomon, in all his splendor, was only a faint and imperfect picture.
Top Highlights
“We function as Christians ought when we are most mindful of these blessings and praising God for them.” (Page 40)
“Elijah now considered it all to be over. He was going back to Mt Horeb, the place of the beginning, to report to the Lord that it had all ended. At Mt Horeb the Lord had had a whole nation. Now the Lord was down to one solitary prophet. The whole enterprise had gone down the drain! The covenant was forsaken. The altars of the Lord had been torn down. The prophets of the Lord had been eliminated. With all his zeal, Elijah had not been able to stem the tide (19:10).” (Page 208)
“The truth is, however, that while God was not in them, he did produce them as he ‘passed by’. They were, therefore, his instruments. By producing these things the Lord was showing Elijah that he, the Lord, was indeed adequate for the struggle. He who can command the wind, earthquake and fire does not lack for instruments. In fact he was about to introduce into the struggle against Baal some mighty instruments: Hazael, Jehu and Elisha (19:15–17).” (Page 209)
“On one hand, they wanted to be true to the God of their fathers, but, on the other hand, they wanted to be in step with their neighbours who also worshipped Baal.” (Page 187)
“so that being a Christian often seems to make little difference in the way we live.’3” (Pages 75–76)
- Title: From Glory to Ruin: 1 Kings Simply Explained
- Author: Roger Ellsworth
- Publisher: Evangelical Press
- Series: Welwyn Commentary Series
- Publication Date: 2000
- Pages: 256
Roger Ellsworth is a retired pastor, active in ministry and writing. After coming to the knowledge of Christ at an early age, Roger Ellsworth began preaching at age 11 and pastoring at age 16. He has served as pastor of churches in Illinois, Kansas and Missouri. He currently lives in Jackson, Tennessee. Roger has written numerous books on the Christian faith, and has exercised a preaching ministry for over fifty years. Some of this books are Come Down, Lord!, Standing for God: The Story of Elijah, and Is There an Answer? published by the Trust. He is also a regular contributor to Evangelical Times and GraceTrax magazines. He served for two years as President of the Illinois Baptist State Association and for 10 years as trustee of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, for two of which he was the chairman of the board. He and his wife, Sylvia, have two sons, Tim and Marty, and they have three grandchildren. Roger and Sylvia love the message of the Bible, and they enjoy sharing the wonderful counsel of the Word of God in language that ordinary people can understand and appreciate.