HISTORY OF THE KINGS AND THE SOVEREIGN - beginning with the death of David and the inauguration of Solomon to the release of Jehoiachin in the 6th century BCE. Throughout this long history of interplay between human and the divine will the theme that pervades the histories is that humanity and destiny is God’s. History will move according to the will of the sovereign God:

STRUCTURE - the material of 1 and 2 Kings is structured into three parts: the Solomonic reign (1 Kings 1-11), the divided kingdom (1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17), and the Kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 18-25).

WHAT MEANETH THIS? - The challenge for the theologian and proclaimer: to make some sort of sense with these collections of stories such that they nourish our congregations and provide pegs for theological understanding between two populations-theirs and ours-divided by millennia and custom and culture.

In what subtle ways might your life resemble either Ahab or Jezebel: in relationship to things? Use of people? Throwing weight around? Manipulation-such as pouting? In what ways does your life resemble Naboth’s? Respect for the past? Value on family? The old cabin several generations of your family have enjoyed?

Compare and contrast this story vis-à-vis Jesus’ parable in Luke 12:15-21.

The story reminds me of the temptation to abuse power; can you think of anything you’ve heard in the news media about this topic of abuse of power or authority? That might be useful in making connections with this text.

King Ahab’s offer is not sniveling-it’s actually quite generous. He just wants to plant some vegetables. And he’s been to the real estate seminars: "location, location, location." It’s a very advantageous piece of land to Ahab; he can just walk down the steps of his patio and grab a hoe and do some therapeutic gardening.

Naboth, the owner, is on the other side of coin. He’s got some character-money can’t buy his land; somehow the land is connected to his family. We have a similar scenario played out around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Amish farmers are offered exorbitant money to sell their farmland to land developers. Some of them make the sale, but others are Naboth-they will not sell their land at any cost because their family and life is in that land.

In John Grisham’s book, A Painted House, a poor Arkansas sharecropper ekes out a living on their partially rented, partially owned land. It’s not much, but it’s all they have, all they’ve ever known, and all they live for. When a terrible season of rain and flooding hits their farm, it’s interesting how each character faces the tragedy. Some secretly leave. Some are sullen and violent. But a few see in the flooded cotton fields a death to this way of life and decide to seek a new life up north. But two of the characters will not leave at any cost. It is their land-poverty and famine notwithstanding-and they will not sell or leave it. Ever.

This passage paints a powerful picture of abuse of power and social injustice. The story reveals an unequal arrangement-King Ahab has all the power, influence, and resources of a national leader vis-à-vis an ordinary citizen. Could we be experiencing déjà vu in this story.