I read in my study Bible that the original audience for 1–2 Kings was probably the Israelites carried off into exile in Babylonia. With Jerusalem burned to the ground, they were struggling to make sense of it all—to maintain some kind of hope. Why did this happen? Is the Lord unfaithful? Or is Yahweh weaker than the gods of Babylon? 1–2 Kings provides a clear answer to these questions: the exile came as a result of Israel’s and Judah’s obstinate disobedience to the Mosaic covenant. I think I'm genuinely starting to believe that this cycle will never actually end. — S.F.
The notes are correct about the audience. Even Genesis seems to have been written from Jews in Babylon! (Consider the strong theme of displacement from the land—Adam and Eve, Cain, the patriarchs settling in Egypt, etc.
But if we’re seriously examining biblical history, we accept that these cycles will eventually end. Time itself is linear, not cyclical. History is linear. There will be a new beginning for all—a new heaven and a new earth!
