Introduction
Have you ever watched two close friends slowly drift apart? Maybe you've even been one of them. It doesn’t happen all at once. At first, they hang out less. Then a few missed texts. Before long, you see them in the hallway at school and realize it’s not the same. Too much has changed.
It’s not usually because of one dramatic blow-up. It’s gradual. Like two lines that start at the same point but shift ever so slightly. Over time, they’re miles apart.
That’s the story of 1–2 Kings. But it’s not about friends drifting, it’s about a nation drifting from their God.
As you watch this video overview of Kings from the Bibleproject, think about what the central themes of this book are:
The Central Theme
What started out well slowly drifts to outright rebellion. There is a subtle shifting towards new priorities led to a tragic trajectory.
At the end of Judges what was the refrain? “In those days there was no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes”.
The people thought they needed a king. We think we need a leader. While the book of Kings does keep pointing to that, it also points out that human kings keep disappointing and making things worth. A human, fallen king is not the answer for them or for us…
The Drift: Subtle but Serious
The book begins on a high note. Solomon, the son of David, is on the throne. For ten whole chapters, things look good. Solomon is wise. He builds the temple. He expands the kingdom. Jerusalem flourishes. Silver is everywhere. Queen Sheba visits, and even she is impressed.
But then… slowly… things start to change.
In 1 Kings 11:1-10, we get a disturbing picture: “Solomon loved many foreign women.” That phrase is key. Back in 1 Kings 3:3, we were told that Solomon “loved the LORD.” What happened?
It wasn’t a sudden betrayal. It was small compromises like one extra wife, one extra treaty, one more horse, one overlooked law. Deuteronomy 17 had warned against all of this: don’t accumulate wives, don’t rely on chariots, write out and obey the law. But Solomon did the opposite.
He didn’t crash and burn. He drifted. And it cost him, and the nation, dearly.
C.S. Lewis puts it this way:
“The safest road to hell is the gradual one, the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts” (Lewis).
That’s how many of us drift, too. Not by waking up one day and deciding to turn our backs on God, but by letting other things slowly take priority. Youth group becomes optional. Bible reading becomes “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Prayer gets replaced by scrolling. Until one day, we look up and wonder: How did I get so far away?
Jesus put it plainly: You cannot serve two masters. And the Kings tried.
The Decline: Tragic Trajectories
After Solomon, things spiral. The kingdom splits. Northern Israel and Southern Judah each get their own line of kings and almost all of them are a disaster. Over nearly 300 years, the people of God spiral further and further away from Him.
There are some bright spots. Two kings, Hezekiah and Josiah, stand out as faithful. But their moments of renewal aren’t enough to reverse the deep patterns of disobedience that have been set in motion.
2 Kings 18 shows Hezekiah doing what is right, trusting God, and cleaning up idolatry. But by 2 Kings 21, his grandson Manasseh is undoing everything. Idols return. Child sacrifice reappears. The spiral deepens.
Alistair Begg once said, “Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” The people had sown generations of rebellion. And the result was a national rut.
Do you know what a rut is? It's a deep track formed by repeated wheels. Or more figuratively, a habit that’s hard to change. The kings of Israel weren’t just bad, they were stuck. Their hearts had hardened. The path was chosen. And exile became inevitable.
This should be a wake-up call. The habits you're forming now like how you handle pressure, how you speak about others, how you turn to God (or don’t), will shape your future. It’s not just about one big moment. It’s daily decisions. And it takes more than one great sermon or one incredible camp week to turn a life. It takes daily, deliberate alignment with God’s way.
That’s why we emphasize engaging with Scripture between Sundays. The additional reading we assign for these books isn’t just homework; t’s habit-forming. And habits shape destinies.
The Gospel in Kings: Grace in the Darkness
You might wonder: Where is God in all of this? Has He abandoned His people?
The answer is no. He is still there, still faithful.
The prophets throughout 1–2 Kings continually call the kings and the people to recognize their condition because repentance always begins with recognition. And though the people often refuse to listen, God never fully gives up.
Take Naaman in 2 Kings 5. A foreign military commander comes to Israel asking to be healed of leprosy. He’s expecting to earn it. But Elisha tells him to simply wash in the river. That’s it. No grand quest. Just grace.
Naaman struggles with how easy it is but that’s the gospel. You don’t earn salvation. You receive it.
Then there’s 2 Kings 19:34. God says He will defend Jerusalem “for the sake of my servant David.” Even in judgment, there’s mercy. God hasn’t walked away. The people just need to wait and see what He will do.
The Hope: A Better King Is Coming
And He will do something. Because all along, Kings is pointing us forward.
One of the most powerful figures in 1–2 Kings is Elijah, a prophet who calls down fire from heaven and confronts corrupt kings. But after he dies, the other prophets say he will return. He will prepare the way for the Lord.
Fast forward to Matthew 11, and Jesus says that John the Baptist is Elijah. He’s the forerunner to the true King.
And the miracles? Jesus performs many of the same ones as Elijah and Elisha such as raising the dead, healing lepers, feeding the hungry. He’s not just a prophet like them, He’s the fulfillment of everything they pointed to.
And perhaps most beautifully, in 2 Kings 19, Elijah stands on a mountain and longs to see God’s glory. But it's not in the wind, fire, or earthquake. It’s in a whisper.
In Matthew 17, that longing is fulfilled. Elijah appears again, this time on another mountain, with Moses and Jesus. And he finally sees the glory of God in Jesus Himself.
Conclusion
1–2 Kings is a tragedy. A people chosen and blessed drift slowly and surely away from their God. But it’s also a warning and a call to pay attention to the daily choices that shape our trajectory.
But even more than that, it’s a whisper of hope. It reminds us that God is not done. That He keeps His promises. That even when the throne is empty, the King is still coming.
And He has come.
Let’s pray.
Small Group Questions
High and low of the week?
What stuck out from the message or the BibleProject video?
What are some things that subtly pull your affection away from God?
What are some ruts, good or bad, that you find yourself in?
How does 1–2 Kings point to Jesus?
How can we pray for you?
Recommended Resource
Want to go deeper in 1-2 Kings? The Bibleproject has a detailed guide for the book where they breakdown the structure, message, and academic resources. These guides are an invaluable resource.
Thanks for the reminder Zack! I definitely needed that.