Many people, when reading the books of Kings, treat them merely as a chronology of Israel’s history after the death of David. The books cover the reign of Solomon, division of the kingdom, and the spiritual decline of the kingdoms as a whole through the reigns of the ensuing kings. However, behind this historical account there are other figures who have equal importance to Israel’s political leaders. Figures such as Nathan, Elijah, Elisha are just a few of the more notable of the prophets who people these stories. God’s interactions with these divinely appointed spokesmen and the messages that they give to His people are the true story of 1 and 2 Kings. Again and again God calls his people to listen, believe, and respond to His word.

The words of these prophets ought to speak as strongly to us today as they did to the kings these prophets advised. August Konkel helps us take these messages to heart, bridging the centuries to help us grasp the historical meaning of the these books and discern their current relevance in this volume of the NIV Application Commentary.