Theme - The First Book of Kings furnishes a record of David's death, Solomon's reign and death, the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, the history of the two kingdoms to the reign of Jehoram over Judah, and Ahaziah over the Northern Kingdom. The history is too brief to be a biography of the kings; it was not intended as such. Although political in many respects, it is really a theocratic history, a retrospective survey of Israel's history under theocratic government; and it is more religious than political. It is the story of unceasing conflicts, largely represented in the kings: between faith and unbelief, between the worship of Jehovah and the worship of Baal, between national righteousness and national wickedness. Throughout the period covered by the two books of Kings, prophets were the spokesmen of God, the real saviours of the nation in times of crisis. The marvellous ministry of Elijah in the Northern Kingdom, filled with supernatural events, is covered in First Kings. Other prophets of a less conspicuous stature were active during the time covered by this book.

Outline - A simplified analysis of the book is as follows: I. Last Days of David (1:1-2:11) II. Solomon's Reign to the Dedication of the Temple (2:12-8:66) III. Solomon's Continued Reign and Apostasies (9:1-11:43) IV. The Kingdom Divided; Judah under Rehoboam; Israel under Jeroboam (12:1-14:31) V. The Two Kingdoms to the Accession of Ahab in Northern Israel (15:1-16:27-8) VI. The Wicked Reign of Ahab; and Contemporaneous Kings, Asa and Jehoshaphat, in Judah (16:29-22:40) VII. From Jehoshaphat to the Accession of Jehoram to Judah, to the Reign of Ahaziah over Northern Israel (22:41-53)

According to Ussher, the events of First Kings cover 118 years.