King Saul and the Rise of David

The monarchy got off to a slow start, facing some opposition; its first ruler, Saul, was a failed king. Yet it was clear that a stronger federation of the tribes, with a centralized administration, was needed if Israel were to grow strong and defend itself against other nations. The monarchy was not a rejection of God’s rule, for God chose the king, through a prophet. David, the second and most famous king, is portrayed at greater length than any other king. He is both heroic and flawed. A successful leader who enlarged his kingdom and brought prosperity, he showed weakness when dealing with his family. He also had adulterous rela-tions with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to cover up the adultery. David’s reign establishes the dynastic principle, meaning that all future kings (at least of Judah) would be from the Davidic line. The dy-nastic principle was not easily implemented, for several of David’s sons were rivals for the throne, during his lifetime and immediately after his death. Ultimately, the kingship passed to Solomon. He built the Temple in Jerusalem, but his taxation and demands for corvée labor alienated the northern tribes, and his religious missteps alienated God.

The United Monarchy (with all of Israel under one king) lasted only through Solomon. Under his successor, Rehoboam, the kingdom was divided into the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and the Southern Kingdom, Judah, each with its own king and its own main sites of worship. The books of Samuel and Kings trace the events from the beginning of the monarchy to its end. For the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the end was the defeat by Assyria in 722–720 BCE. For the Southern Kingdom of Judah, it was the defeat by Babylonia in 586 BCE. The book of Kings evaluates the kings of both kingdoms in terms of whether they did what was right in God’s eyes. Ahab and Manasseh are examples of those who did not, and Hezekiah and Josiah are those who did.

In addition to information about the kings in the books of Samuel and Kings, there are stories about the prophets who were their advisers and critics. Most famous among them is Elijah. These prophets were wonder-workers who ministered to the common folk and also had access to kings. They are the predecessors of the classical prophets.