1 Kings

Philip Graham Ryken

Dynasties, fractured kingdoms, prophecies of coming hardships - the book of 1 Kings is a grand, sweeping narrative of the beginning of the downfall of God's people. Its size and scope may seem intimidating, but Phil Ryken shows us in this biblical, doctrinal, practical, and Christological commentary how this imposing book can be divided into three key sections. First, the stories of Solomon focus on the themes of money, sex, and power, inviting us to learn from Solomon's example. Will we use these things wisely for kingdom purposes, or foolishly abuse them for selfish gain? Then the middle of the story, on the divided kingdom, shows the destructive consequences of sin among the people of God - especially the sin of idolatry. The final section demonstrates the power of prayer to the true and living God, as exemplified in the life and ministry of God's prophet Elijah. Phil Ryken brings out the key themes of these three sections and illustrates how they come together in their focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially his kingly and prophetic offices. This is an excellent resource for those who want a devotional aid and will help Bible expositors reliably teach a redemptive-historical view of this important Old Testament book.

This is a great series of commentaries. He is able to take the verses in chunks based on related narratives and pull in Samuel, Chronicles and other books of the Bible to expand the related information to increase my knowledge of the 1 Kings. Then he used current examples to relate the lessons and understanding of how this is important to my understanding today. I felt that the examples and information really gave me a bigger picture of the history of Israel and how that brought the narrative of redemption to a fulfillment. Dr. Ryken did a good job of making the material readable and understandable without being redundant or overusing information. These commentaries are extremely helpful and useful.

I would like to thank Net Galley and P & R Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

Excellent expository treatment of I Kings. Not intended as a verse-by-verse treatment but very helpful in grasping the meaning of the text, in providing examples of how to apply it, and seeing Christ in the various passages.