First and Second Kings

Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim identifies the theology in the dramatic accounts of the book of Kings, which chronicles the reigns of more than forty kings over a period of nearly 400 years. He finds Kings to be far more concerned with the prophetic word of God than with accounts of the reigns of monarchs. Fretheim concentrates on the role of prophets as they bring God's word to bear on one crisis after another. The words they speak not only interpret events from God's point of view but also help shape the development of Israel's history. Interspersing theological reflections throughout, Fretheim traces God's words of judgment and promise for Israel - and for us - across the entirety of Kings.