Give Us A King!

Give Us A King!

Have you ever struggled to connect with the Old Testament? Do the names and stories of ancient kings feel confusing or irrelevant? Give Us a King! will change that.

In this 17-lesson journey through the monarchy of Israel and Judah, author Dennis C. Stevenson Jr. leads you through the lives of kings—from Saul and David to Hezekiah and Zedekiah—highlighting God’s unchanging character through their triumphs, failures, and everything in between.

“I absolutely loved it. It brought me into a deeper walk, led me to confession and showed me that God’s ways are always better.”
–Donna Kwiatkoski

450 Years in 28 Minutes

Listen to a podcast style summary of the book! This presentation will cover all the major points of the book and provide a perspective on the content, approach and the application of the key lessons from all 17 modules.

** This summary was produced from Google’s NotebookLM – summarizing the text of the entire book.

Ancient kings. Eternal truths. Life-changing insights.

From the coronation of Saul to the fall of Jerusalem, the kings of Israel and Judah reigned over some of the most turbulent centuries in biblical history. But their stories are more than just historical accounts—they’re spiritual mirrors reflecting God’s character and our own hearts.

In Give Us a King!, Dennis C Stevenson Jr invites faithful believers to walk through the lives of 43 kings (and one queen), discovering what these rulers got right, what they got tragically wrong, and what their legacies can teach us about trusting God through every season of life.

This 17-lesson Bible study offers more than just knowledge—it guides you into personal reflection, historical understanding, and meaningful spiritual growth.

Inside this Bible study you’ll find:

• A guided journey through Scripture – With structured readings from scripture, you’ll uncover God’s bigger picture through the lives of His people.
• Thought-provoking questions and applications – Designed to help you examine your own faith, choices, and leadership under God’s rule.
• Genealogy chart and king-by-king overview – Follow the lineages of Judah and Israel with clarity and confidence.
• A faith-building tool for individuals or groups – Ideal for personal study, small groups, or family discipleship settings.

If you long to grow closer to God, understand more of His Word, and build your spiritual maturity, Give Us a King! offers a powerful path forward. This is more than history—it’s an invitation to trust the King who reigns over all.

Choose your Edition Today!

Each Edition Includes

Each book provides the same excellent instruction and support for individuals or groups to come face to face with the Kings of Israel and learn the lessons God has in store from their lives and reigns.

1. Setting the Stage. For each lesson, read a short introduction that helps you think about the context of what is happening. These sections focus on details about the kings, supporting characters or even world events contemporary to the passages.

2. Reading Plan. Throughout each lesson, you will receive scripture passages to read. Please do so carefully, with attention to the details that each passage provides.

3. Questions & Answers. Paired with the readings, you’ll find a list of questions that will allow you to dive into the actions and attitudes of these kings. Write out your answers in the provided space to create your own personal study reference. You will get to know the kings by answering these questions about their rule and lives.

4. Self-check Answers. After you’ve come up with your answers, read expert answers for each question. This isn’t about right and wrong, but about expanding your understanding the kings and how they ruled. When it made sense, I provided additional context and references about the information.

5. Lesson Summary. As you read the text and answer the questions, pay special attention to questions you might ask and any facts that seem special or notable. Track these observations on the Lesson Summary page. A great practice is to summarize everything you’ve learned in the lesson with a single short sentence or paragraph.

6. Genealogy Chart. Throughout the study, you will build a genealogy chart that documents each of the kings of Judah and Israel, how they relate to one another, and the impact they made.

7. Lesson Application. The purpose of studying God’s Word is always to apply it to your life. Considering what you have studied, consider the application questions and journal your answers in the provided space.

Early Feedback about Give Us A King

“The study greatly increased my knowledge of the Kings of Judah and Israel. Most importantly, it helped me see the sin of the people and their need for the perfect King, Jesus.”
–Eric

“I particularly liked that the lesson and application questions caused me to dig in and learn, but also contemplate and wrestle with my own spiritual health.”
–Steve

“I liked the genealogy chart, the short introduction before each lesson & lesson application.”
–Becky

How this study came to be

The story of this study began 45 years ago. My family had a devotion called “Family Bible Study.” My mom, dad, my three siblings and I would sit around the kitchen table and do a family activity oriented around the Bible.

The summer when I turned twelve years old, my dad decided that as a family we would do a study from the Old Testament. He picked a survey of the kings of ancient Israel. I’m sure he dreamed up the idea. I don’t think what happened next could have come from any book.

Our kitchen table sat tucked into a little alcove between the refrigerator and the dining room. It had long vinyl banquette style seats and no one ever wanted to scoot all the way to the end. Dad tacked up a poster-sized piece of paper on the wall at the end of the table, next to the least desirable spots. Then we all piled in around the table to see what would happen next.

We started off reading the Bible. When we began the study, I’m pretty sure the Bible story we read was about the selection of Saul as the first King of Israel. When we were all done, he shared some thoughts about Saul the man and why it was such a big deal that he became the king. 

The kids all nodded along, not entirely sure where he was going with this devotional. But then he made us leave the table so he could climb to the back of the alcove to reach the poster. In itself, that was a big deal because mom and dad always sat on the other end so they could get up easily and go to the stove or sink. Seeing him climb back into the far corner was truly amazing for us.

Then he took a black marker and wrote across the top of the poster in all caps:

SAUL

Next to Saul’s name, he wrote the duration of Saul’s reign, 40 Years, and the years that he reigned, 1050BC-1010BC. Then as a family, we had to decide if Saul was a good king or a bad king. Based on what we had read, we agreed Saul was not good, so he wrote a big bold “B” next to Saul’s name.

What happened next was a stroke of genius for biblical education. All summer long, we worked our way through all the kings of Judah and Israel. And at the end of each lesson, Dad would climb in to the back of the kitchen alcove and write the king’s name, length of reign and the years of the king’s reign. Then, as a family, we had to decide if he was a good or bad king.

Before our eyes, the poster slowly filled with the names and dates of kings. We read the stories and debated the merits of each king in order to put the famous G or B next to their names. We saw the kingdom split, then reunite, then divide again. The column of kings on the left all ruled the kingdom of Judah, while the kings on the right all ruled the kingdom of Israel. And Saul was at the top of the list.

The dinner table didn’t look the same when the study ended and the poster paper came down. I felt sad to look at the table and just see the wall at the end.

For that summer, the kings were our friends, and sometimes enemies. Saul hunted David in the Judean wilderness and we thought we were reading a Western cowboy novel. We loved the two boy-kings who came to the throne while still our age. Ahab and Jezebel earned our ire for their blatant wickedness. We were shocked and sad when the kingdoms were conquered.

Those were wonderful days. I can’t tell you how much I wish I had a single polaroid photo of that poster as dad filled it out. But, alas, no such record exists. Only in my memory does the story come back to life.

That summer I learned so much. I felt like I had a front-row seat to the events of the Bible. I learned about Israel. I became familiar with the divided kingdom. I fixed firm dates in a timeline of God’s faithfulness to His people. I saw obedience rewarded and wickedness punished.

It’s been 45 years since that poster graced the back wall of our kitchen nook. And the lessons and truth that I learned that summer have served me well every year since. It laid a foundation of knowledge that has informed my faith and propelled my study of the Bible. Because of what I learned in that simple study, I was set on a path of biblical literacy and study capability that I treasure.

When I had children, I wanted them to gain a similar appreciation for the Bible and for the kings of Judah and Israel. I didn’t have the poster, but from memory, I reconstructed the study piece by piece. And in our family room, we walked through the stories one by one. We learned about all the kings and debated whether they deserved a G or a B.

I loved every moment. I got to swap roles with my father to lead the family through the journey of discovery and meaning. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

We didn’t have a kitchen nook. I didn’t fill out a poster with the names, but we had a printed genealogy chart that we used. The times had changed. The format adapted. But the stories were the same that day as when I sat in the kitchen alcove.

About a year ago, I was cleaning my office and came across a copy of the Family Bible Study. It reminded me of the time with my girls. It reminded me of the poster on the wall in the kitchen. I knew I needed to share it again.

So I wrote a rough draft of this manuscript and published it for my small group at church. They served as my guinea pigs as we debated the qualities of the kings and expressed frustration over the similarities between “Syria” and “Assyria”. They went through the entire study, patiently pointing out my typos and formatting problems. They gave me feedback about what worked and, more importantly, what didn’t.

I’m grateful to that small group for their patience with me. For their willingness to try something new. For the grace they showed me when the mistakes were obvious.

The result, of course, is this book. And my prayer is that in it, a lightbulb will go off in your life. You’ll see God through fresh eyes. You’ll understand a huge part of the Old Testament with a new heart. And that you’ll take the application to heart and discover new maturity in Christ.

Twelve-year-old me would be so proud. I hope it changes your spiritual life as much as it has changed mine.

Dennis Stevenson