I am planning to start a virtual Bible Study soon. I was thinking we could chew on a few different passages a week to help us learn and grow together. I was thinking of randomly starting with the two books of 1 & 2 Kings. It is the story of the leaders of Israel. It was written after the nation of Israel (and Judah) had been exiled from the promised land. The book retraces the steps that led to Israel’s exile. It also reminds the people of God’s mercy and that though the nation deserved exile, restoration was possible through full repentance.

I thought we would start with chapter 1. Here is a link to the NIV text http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%201&version=NIV .

Some quick background: At this point David (Israel’s great uniting king) is older and he has not taken care of plans for succession. Though he is not able to do his duties as he once could, he is still “in charge”. The people absolutely loved David, but at the same time they need a leader that is active and capable.

Read it and share a few thoughts.





Here are a few thoughts that stirred in me:

When there is a lack of leadership, natural leaders will naturally step up and often step in.

One must think about succession, if a legacy and continued success is going to happen.

It is unusual to read about such respect being given to leadership. This is no longer a central part of our culture.

Sometimes a wise decision requires planning and cunning.

People who care and are courageous enough to stop something that isn’t right are important in life.