1. THE UNITED KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
1030 BC(?) – 931 BC

2. DAVID’S REIGN Anointed “king” soon after Saul began to rule
After Saul’s death, named king of Judah (south)
After the death of Saul’s son Ishbosheth, David was named king of Israel (north), uniting north and south
Chose Jerusalem as his capital
Began a series of military conquests
Centralized the government
Reign characterized by moral, domestic and foreign crises
Received divine promises (2Sm.7)

5. DAVID AS KING OF THE SOUTH
David anointed king of Judah (south) (2 Sam.2)
Saul’s son Ishbosheth placed on the throne of the north by Abner, Saul’s general
Civil war between north and south (2 Sam 3)
Abner decided to defect to David but was killed by David’s general, Joab
Without Abner, Ishbosheth had no support and was assassinated by two generals who were subsequently executed by David (2 Sam 4)
The leaders of the north came to David to make him king (2 Sam.5)
David now reigned as king of all Israel

6. DAVID AS KING OF ISRAEL
Took control of Jerusalem and brought the ark and tabernacle into the city
Wanted to build a temple but was prohibited
Received divine promises of an eternal kingdom (2 Sam 7)
Committed atrocious sins and crimes (2 Sam11)
Adultery with Bathsheba
Murder of Urriah
Suffered rebellions even within his own family
Absalom – David was forced to flee Jerusalem (2Sam 14-19)
Sheba – from the north (2Sam 20)
Adonijah – David named Solomon as successor (1 Kings 1)

7. HEBREW POETRY Characteristics
Figurative language – similes and metaphors
Parallelism – poetic form that seeks to balance thought
Appeals to the emotions

8. PARALLELISM Robert Lowth
Parallelism is “that phenomenon whereby two or more successive poetic lines strengthen, reinforce, and develop each other’s thought the follow-up lines further define, specify, expand, intensify, or contrast the first.”
Robert Lowth
The Promise and the Blessing, p. 235.

9. TYPES OF PSALMS
Hymns (8, 96)
Laments (3-7)
Didactic (1, 119)

10. SOLOMON’S REIGN
After David died, he consolidated his reign by killing or exiling his enemies
Prolific writer-Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Domestic policies –
Built the temple, a palace, and fortified cities
Used forced labor
Created a bureaucracy and imposed taxes
International policies –
A peaceful reign (except at the end)
Forged alliances by marriages
Developed a vigorous international trade
Marked by apostasy in his later years

12. SOLOMON’S WISDOM Attested by his decisions Recognized by others
A wise request (1 Kings 3:1-15)
A wise ruling (1 Kings 3:16-28)
Recognized by others
The biblical witness (1 Kings 4:29-34)
Literary legacy (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes)
The Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10)

13. SOLOMON’S LITERARY LEGACY

14. PROVERBS Attributed to Solomon (1 Kgs.4:32) and others
Called wisdom literature due to its content
A collection of short sayings and passages that teach one how to life a successful life.
Key themes:
The basis of wisdom:
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10)
The accessibility of wisdom (8)
The benefits of obtaining wisdom
“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding”. (3:13)
The difference between the fool and the wise
“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.” (12:15)
The need for instruction for life

15. Ecclesiastes
Perhaps written at the end of Solomon’s life
Describes the futility of many things in life, including the pursuit of wisdom
Concludes that apart from God, life really has no meaning:
“Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”(Ecl. 12:13)
Song of Songs
Perhaps a collection of wedding songs
Speaks of the mysteries of human love
Describes the endurance of true love:
“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.” (Song 8:7)