A prophet is a person chosen by God to speak on God's behalf to people. Prophets receive special messages directly from God and then share these messages with others. God’s prophets were important in the Old Testament kingdoms of Israel and Judah. They helped with daily needs, challenged kings and priests about their unfaithfulness, and performed many miracles. They shared God’s future plans, especially messages of judgment (1 Kings 11:29–32; 17:1; 13:1–2; 20:42; 21:20–23; 22:20–22).
Several examples from 1 Kings show the role of prophets:
The faithful prophet Nathan corrected King David about his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:1–12). Nathan played a key role in stopping Adonijah from stealing David's rule (1 Kings 1:5–49).
The prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam that God planned to divide Solomon's kingdom after his death (1 Kings 11:29–39). Later, God used an unnamed prophet to condemn Jeroboam's false religion and the altar at Bethel (13:1–10). He also showed the results of disobeying the Lord's command (13:11–32). Ahijah returned to announce the Lord's judgment against Jeroboam and his descendants (14:1–16).
The prophet Jehu announced judgment on King Baasha because he continued to sin like Jeroboam (1 Kings 16:1–4).
Much of 1 Kings focuses on the prophet Elijah (17:1–19:21; 21:17–28). He was God's main spokesman during King Ahab's rule (though other prophets were also active; see 20:38–43; 22:17–28).
In 1 Kings, the prophets received different reactions from the kings of Israel and Judah. The story shows the importance of listening to God's prophets and the risks of ignoring them. Through the prophets, God tried to stop the disasters that would come from the people's disobedience. Sadly, many kings did not listen to the prophets, leading to the prophesied destruction.
Passages for Further Study
1 Kings 11:29–39; 13:1–32; 14:1–16; 16:2–4; 17:1–18:46; 19:1–21; 20:35–43; 21:17–28; 22:10–28; 2 Kings 17:13–15