{"id":62986,"date":"2019-09-17T15:47:31","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T12:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=62986"},"modified":"2019-09-17T15:47:31","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T12:47:31","slug":"in-conclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/in-conclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"In Conclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"62986","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33692,"related_cahpter":"2010","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Thoughts on the Book of Kings so far, and the upcoming transition to the second half","content":"

We bring our study of I Kings to a close very much in the middle of the story.<\/span> As Kings is a single work, and the division between I Kings and II is arbitrary and not indigenous to the book.<\/span> The ending of I Kings offers no natural point of closure; the great prophet Elijah remains on the scene, and the dynasty of Ahab still reigns in Samaria.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, we will note a theme that develops throughout I Kings as an independent unit, which relates to the main characters we have encountered. Most dominant are undoubtedly kings Solomon, Jeroboam, and Ahab. Each of these personalities is far from simple, torn between loyalty to God and a conflicting attraction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Solomon’s initial years as king reflect his religious purity and earnest pursuit of wisdom. His grand construction of the Temple constitutes both a towering religious achievement and a national milestone. Yet these accomplishments are tainted by his foreign wives, attraction to wealth and luxury, and idolatry. Solomon seems caught between his commitment to God and his universal interests, between humility and excess, failing at the delicate balancing act between his pure allegiance to God and the zeitgeist of imperial grandeur and international engagement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jeroboam too is a complex character. Initially designated by prophetic mandate and motivated by social and religious justice, he swiftly becomes haunted by the prospect of losing his national following, leading him to instigate an illicit religious cult. Jeroboam is suspended between the prophet and his own pursuit of political power, between his allegiance to God’s law and his self-made sacrificial centers. His commitment becomes entangled by his need to ensure political control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahab similarly believes in the God of Israel, but he also believes that the key to national prosperity and security is his alliance with Phoenicia. Ahab pays a heavy spiritual price, as Israel is overwhelmed by Baal. Elijah depicts the nation as schizophrenic, “wavering between two opinions.” Ahab seeks to lead his nation with a dual allegiance, to both God and Baal, but the two are mutually exclusive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of these kings suffers from divided loyalties, finding his religious orientation at variance with his national agenda. Each embodies contradictory objectives, making singular adherence to God’s law impossible. These leaders raise questions for ourselves, as we too find it difficult at times to juggle our Judaism with the competing commitments of life. Whether we are caught between particularism and universalism, or whether life’s myriad attractions collide with our religious priorities, these personalities leave us much to think about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex Israel, 1 Kings: Torn in Two, Maggid Books, 2013, In Conclusion\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":61437,"id":61437,"title":"alex israel - kings 1","filename":"alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/adonijahs-scheme-to-ascend-the-throne\/alex-israel-kings-1\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"alex-israel-kings-1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":61414,"date":"2019-08-19 12:13:44","modified":"2019-08-19 12:13:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1020,"height":1304,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-235x300.jpg","medium-width":235,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-768x982.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":982,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-801x1024.jpg","large-width":801,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1020,"1536x1536-height":1304,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1020,"2048x2048-height":1304,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-939x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":939,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-329x420.jpg","home_baner-width":329,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"Excerpts from: 1 Kings - 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