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Like Samuel, the two books of Kings were originally one book. They contain the account of Israel from Solomon until the destruction of Judah. After Solomon, there are 19 kings of Israel and 20 kings of Judah. Judah survived some 140 years longer as a nation than did Israel. Contained within the books are the high and low points of Israel's life, from the height of Solomon's reign to the end of the people as a nation.

Date:  970 B.C. to 586 B.C.

Divisions:  The book of Kings can be divided as follows:

The Book of 1 Kings

I.  Solomon  1-11

1. Establishment  1-3
2. Administration  4
3. The Temple  5-9
4. Queen of Sheba  10
5. Sad End  11

II.  The Kingdom Splits  12-16

1. Jeroboam & Rehoboam  12-14
2. Transition to Ahab  15-16

III.  Elijah and Ahab  17-22

1. The Drought  17
2. Confrontation with Baal  18
3. The Still Voice  19
4. The Syrians  20
5. Naboth's Vineyard  21
6. Ahab's End  22

The Book of 2 Kings

I.  Elisha  1-8

1. Transition from Elijah  1-2
2. Moab's Ruin  3
3. Various Miracles  4
4. Naamon's Leprosy  5
5. The Syrian Siege  6-7
6. Elisha's Legacy  8

II.  End of Ahab's Line  9-11

1. End of the Kingdom  9
2. End of Offspring  10
3. End of Athaliah  11

III.  From Joash to Israel's End  12-17

1. Joash  12
2. Various Kings   13-16
3. Israel Destroyed  17

IV.  Hezekiah to Judah's End  18-25

1. Hezekiah  13-20
2. Manasseh  21
3. Josiah  22-23
4. Judah Destroyed  24-25

Key Phrase:
". . . in the eyes of the LORD . . . "  This phrase is found 43 times in Kings but only 88 times in the entire Old Testament; 5 times in Samuel; 18 times in Chronicles; 9 times in Deuteronomy and 8 times in Judges. (1 Kings 3:10; 11:6; 14:22; 15:5, 11, 26, 34; 16:7, 19, 25, 30; 21:20, 25; 22:43, 53; 2 Kings 3:2, 18; 8:18, 27; 12:3; 13:2, 11; 14:3, 24; 15:3, 9, 18, 24, 28, 34; 16:2; 17:2, 17; 18:3; 21:2, 6, 16, 20; 22:2; 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19)

Key Passage:
2 Kings 17:33; see also 2 Kings 6:17; 1 Kings 8:27

Key Lesson:
Everything is judged by His sight.