Israel’s political, military, and economic prowess was, however, only a veneer covering the rottenness of social, cultural, and spiritual institutions in Solomon’s latter years. The records univocally attest to the essential righteousness and morality of both king and kingdom at the beginning, but they are equally in agreement that the picture had radically changed forty years later.

Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel, 310-311.

The purpose of the compiler [of First and Second Kings] was definitely didactic: (1) He judged every king by his conformity or nonconformity to the law of God, especially to the Deuteronomic law of centralized worship. (2) He taught that sin inevitably brings punishment, and faith and righteousness ultimately triumph. (3) He showed an appreciation of the need for social reform, notably in his treatment of Rehoboam and Elijah.

Clyde T. Francisco, Introducing the Old Testament (rev. ed.), 126.