04.10. Kings

Kings The time of the kings covers the establishment of a cohesive Israelite nation by Saul, David and Solomon. After the death of Solomon (931 BC), the kingdom divides and the Northern tribes are exiled in 723 BC, while the Southern kingdom of Judah is exiled in 586 BC for their disobedience and sin. There is more evidence for this time period as the Israelites were now living in more permanent quarters. It is during this time that Elijah and Elisha perform a number of miracles. During the time of Hezekiah and Isaiah, God strikes down a large number of soldiers of the Assyrian army that was besieging Jerusalem.

There are a number of archaeological finds that corroborate the Biblical text:

• The Stele at Tel Dan has an inscription dating to the 9^th century BC that refers to the “house of David”²⁴. This verifies the Biblical account of David the king and the Davidic dynasty.

• The Mesha Stele, dating to the 9^th century BC, relates the Moabite victory over Israel under Jehoram. It also mentions king Omri and “house of David”²⁵. (2Ki 3:1-27)

• The Stele of Shalmaneser III from 852 BC contains a reference to “Ahab, the Israelite” and mentions his contributions of soldiers and chariots to the battle.²⁶

• The “seal of Jezebel” from the 9^th century BC fits the Biblical account²⁷. (1Ki 16:31)

• The black “Obelisk of Shalmaneser III” contains a reference to “Jehu of the house of Omri”. An illustrative panel also shows Jehu, king of Israel bowing down to him²⁸. (2Ki 9:1-37, 2Ki 10:1-36)

• The “Bulla of Isaiah” from the 8^th century BC seems to have belonged to Isaiah the prophet²⁹.

• There is an inscription describing the construction of the water tunnel under the direction of Hezekiah³⁰.

• The “Lachish Reliefs) show the siege of Lachish during the time of Hezekiah by Sennacherib of Assyria³¹.

• The “Sennacherib Prisms” contain information about his campaign against the fortified towns. It also records the tribute paid by Hezekiah to Sennacherib. A really interesting note is that Sennacherib boasts of all the towns he conquered, but just says the “he shut up Hezekiah like a bird in a cage”. As we compare that of the Biblical account, we find out that the Angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 of his soldiers³². (2Ki 19:35).

• The “Jerusalem Chronicle” of Nebuchadnezzar verifies some of the account that is in the Bible. It mentions the attack on Jerusalem in 597 BC and that he captured the king (Jehoiachin) and installed a king of his choosing (Zedekiah)³³.

While there are other finds that attest to the accounts to the Bible, these suffice for the present time.

There are a number of miracles and military victories attributed to God during this time. A few of them are as follows:

• Jeroboam’s hand withered and restored. 1Ki 13:4-6

• Elijah says that there will be no rain or dew except at his word. 1Ki 17:1

• Flour and oil do not run out. 1Ki 17:14-16

• Elijah raises boy form the dead. 1Ki 17:17-24

• Rain as a result of Elijah’s prayer. 1Ki 18:45

• Fire comes from the Lord and consumes 2 captains of 50 and their men. 2Ki 1:10-12

• Elijah divides the Jordan. 2Ki 2:8

• Elisha divides the Jordan. 2Ki 2:14

• Water provided for armies. 2Ki 3:15-20

• Elisha raises a boy from the dead. 2Ki 4:20-36

• Elisha reveals the enemies plans to the king of Israel. 2Ki 6:8-10

• Enemy army is struck with blindness. 2Ki 6:18

• David defeats the Philistines in the valley of Rephaim. 2Sa 5:22-25

• The LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa. 2Ch 14:8-15

There are numerous references to the Law of Moses in one way or another during this time period. This indicates that, even though there were times of the people and leaders turning away from God, that there was the acknowledgement that the books of Moses were considered authoritative by those that followed God. At the same time, we can see that the people in general were rebellious against God and suffered the consequences. The miracles and military victories provided confirmation of God and His Word. A few of the Psalms, (Psa 78:1-72, Psa 105:1-45, Psa 106:1-38) also talk about the miracles that God performed so that they would have confidence in God and not forget God. These Psalms go through the history of Israel and speak of the things that God did. They also recount the rebellion of Israel and the consequences of disobedience. These Psalms really sum up the purpose of the miracles and the reasons to believe God, His Word and to have confidence to trust God.