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Summary of the Book of 1 Kings

The books of first and second Kings were originally one book in the Hebrew Bible, but were later divided into two books: just like the books of Samuel and Chronicles.

First Kings covers about 126 years of Israel’s history. This includes the death of David to the death of Jehoshaphat, or about 960 to 834 BC. This is the period of history in Israel from its greatest glory to its division into two kingdoms which eventually led to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities by the end of the second book of Kings.

Author

The author of the book is unknown but tradition says that it was Jeremiah the prophet. Jeremiah wrote another book bearing his name.

Date Written

The end of the second book of Kings covers the Babylonian captivity and a few years beyond. Its contents end about 586 BC. The book is suspected to have been written sometime between 586 and 540 BC. The book of Jeremiah was written about the same time covering the previous 40 years from 626 to 586 BC. Read the rest of this entry

There are different places to look for Bible study topics. Some of the ways previously written about here are topical Bibles and concordances. Another great place to look for Bible study topics is in the study guide section of your local Christian bookstore.

In the study guide area you will often find books arranged in broad topics such as: women’s interests, men’s interests, teens, children and students. There may also be sections based on certain books of the Bible. By flipping through some of these study guides you can generate plenty of study topics for personal use or for small group studies.

If you are only looking for ideas, then there is no need to buy several books. Browsing through a book with a 3X5 card in hand can give you a list of topics. You should not stand in the bookstore and copy down whole lessons. If you are interested in that, then you should certainly buy the book. But if you are just needing to generate a list of ideas, this is a quick way to load up an idea file with Bible study topics.

Summary of the Book of 2 Samuel

Originally the books of 1 and 2 Samuel were one book. The men who translated the Septuagint from Hebrew to Greek separated the book into two parts. They are two separate books to this day.

The book of 2 Samuel is one of the books of history in the Bible. Like the other books of history, it does not seem to have a targeted audience. It covers a time period of approximately 40 years. This was from the death of Saul until the end of the life of King David.

Author

Tradition held that Samuel wrote the book. However, that is not likely. Samuel died in 1 Samuel 25:1. If Samuel wrote at least part of the books of Samuel, then whoever finished what is now 1 Samuel probably wrote 2 Samuel.

Possible authors are Gad or Nathan (1 Chronicles 29:29). The book could have been finished before the death of David. Even though David did not die until the next book, whoever wrote the first book would have probably included some information about David’s death if his death had happened when the book was written. Read the rest of this entry

Tonight at church the guest speaker was talking about various people in the Bible who had an encounter with Jesus. There was the Maniac of Gadara and the Woman at the Well. There were 10 lepers healed by the Lord. There are many stories in the Bible that can be named where people’s lives were changed because of the Lord.

The question the speaker asked tonight was, “Do you have a story?” Has your life been changed because of what Jesus Christ has done for you? The question is not whether you have chosen Christ because you want a better life. Nor is it that you want Jesus because you see other Christians prospering financially. But, have you been changed because of the salvation that comes through the Lord? Have your sins been forgiven?

If you have been changed, then share your story. The reason we get excited about some of the stories in the Bible is because we see real people who have had a life altering experience because of their salvation. If you have accepted the Lord, then you have a life-changing story to tell as well. Share it with others. Tell them how God has given you a story to tell just like the people we read about in the Bible.

Are you still looking for this life-changing experience? Learn about Jesus Christ and His salvation.

Summary of the Book of 1 Samuel

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book. The translators of the Septuagint separated the books and they have remained two separate books since that time.

The book of 1 Samuel is a historical book, as is 2 Samuel. It covers a time period of approximately 100 years. This was from the birth of Samuel to the death of King Saul. While it is general history it has a very strong focus on the selection of the first king in Israel as well as how the kingdom progressed under Saul.

Author

While tradition holds that Samuel wrote the book, it is unlikely. He may have written part of the book, but someone else would have had to finish a good portion of the book. Remember that the two books of Samuel were originally a single book. The events continue long after the death of Samuel (1 Samuel 25:1). However, it is known that Samuel wrote at least one book (1 Chronicles 29:29). This verse probably refers to one of the previous books attributed to him.

Other possible authors are Nathan the prophet or Gad (1 Chronicles 29:29). Since the death of David is not recorded in either book, it is suspected that the books would have been finished while David was still alive. Both Gad and Nathan could have written the book from a chronological perspective.

Date Written

The book was written after the death of Saul (1007 B.C.), but before the death of David (971 B.C.). Saul’s death is recorded by the end of the book, but David’s was not. Nor is David’s death recorded by the end of 2 Samuel. Read the rest of this entry