1 Kings Spirituality

Spirituality is strongly tied to personal contact with God, a.k.a. "theophany", in 1st Kings. The Lord manifests himself in a dream (3:5; 9:2), in a rush of smoke (8:10-12), as a voice (19:13), through ravens (17:6), through angels (19:5-7), through Elijah (17:10-24), through Solomon (10:1-9), in fire (18:38), and in silence (19:12). With the exception of the whole fire battle with Baal thing, he only comes to those who have proven their devotion to him. Often, he only comes when they're in the right place, like the temple (8:10-11), the wilderness (19:4-8), or a mountain (19:8-13). Location, location, location.

Questions About Spirituality

1. What are the ten most spiritually significant moments for the characters in 1st Kings?
2. Compare and contrast the spiritual events that occur on mountains vs. in the wilderness vs. in/around the temple. Notice anything interesting?
3. Can you find any other ways God manifests himself to people in 1st Kings?
4. What evidence could you use to make the argument that Jezebel is more spiritual than Bath-sheba?