Temple Dedication, Disobedience, Discipline and Death

Introduction

Review of key events in the life of Solomon thus far:

Before Solomon was born, God promised David a house and a kingdom that would last forever. God said that when David’s son succeeded him, God would establish his kingdom but, if he committed iniquity, God would correct him with a rod of iron. 2 Sam 7.12.

He had a rocky start. As David neared the end of life, Adonijah, his older brother, declared himself king. That got resolved and David had Solomon anointed king. David’s last words to Solomon began a series of almost identical statements made to Solomon by David and YHWH that his success would depend upon him walking in God’s ways and keeping His Torah where His statutes, commandments and ordinances were spelled out.

After sacrificing at Gibeon, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted from God. Solomon asked for an understanding heart so he could discern between good and evil and judge God’s people. God gave him wisdom that was unlike any man before him nor anyone to come after him. God also gave him riches and honor so he would be unlike any other king. And, God promised to prolong his days if he was obedient to God’s Word as David had been.

Solomon used his wisdom and began to judge between the people. All were amazed. And, we’ve seen his exceptionally wide breadth of knowledge as he designed and built God’s house, the Temple. We ended last time with the ark being moved into the Most Holy Place in the temple. Today we will see the dedication of the temple and we’ll follow Solomon’s life thereafter until his death.

Solomon Blesses the People of Israel

1 Kings 8:12–21 NASB 2020

12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. 13 “I have truly built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever.” 14 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that My name would be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

This is a review for the people of how they came to be where they were. He gave praise to God for fulfilling what He promised David.

God didn’t choose a city; He chose a man, David, to be king. God was less concerned for a place for His name than He was for a godly ruler whose descendants would sit on the throne of Israel.

Now, with David’s throne established, his son, Solomon, could build the temple for the Name of the Lord.

Solomon Prays for YHWH to Hear Prayers Offered Toward the Temple by Repentant Hearts and to Forgive Their Sins

One important thing to pick up here is the verses in Solomon’s prayer that emphasize the importance of walking before Him with a devoted heart as David walked.

Solomon understood that Israel would not always do that so this prayer repeatedly asks for God to hear and forgive when they pray to Him toward His House.

1 Kings 8:22–23 NASB 2020

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands toward heaven. 23 And he said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping the covenant and showing faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,

1 Kings 8:25 NASB 2020

25 Now then, Lord, God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not be deprived of a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful about their way, to walk before Me as you have walked.’

1 Kings 8:27–30 NASB 2020

27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the prayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, 29 so that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. 30 And listen to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive!

Solomon identifies seven specific matters (five of the seven are the curses that will come on God’s people that are set forth in Dt 28 and Lev 26 which tells me Solomon had read the Torah as he was commanded to do);

If a man sins against his neighbor and takes an oath before the altar here in God’s house, he asks that God bring justice.

When the people are defeated by an enemy because they have sinned but turn and confess Your name and pray to you in this house, please hear and forgive.

When there is no rain because they have sinned, but they turn from their sin and pray, then hear and forgive.

When there is a famine or plague, and men knowing their sin pray toward this house, hear and forgive that they may fear You all the days they live in the land You gave them.

When a foreigner comes because he has heard of Your great name and prays toward this house, hear in heaven and answer him so all peoples will know Your name and fear You.

When Your people go out to battle and pray to You toward the city with Your name, hear them and maintain their cause.

When they sin against You and are taken captive by an enemy and repent and pray and return with all their heart, hear their prayer and forgive them and make them objects of compassion in the eyes of their captors.

This is exactly what will happen in 585/6 B.C. when Judah is taken captive by Babylon. Do you remember that while in captivity in Babylon Daniel prayed in Daniel 6.10 three times daily with his window opened toward Jerusalem which resulted in his miraculous deliverance from the lions?

Solomon Blesses YHWH and Prays All Peoples May Know That He Alone Is God

1 Kings 8:54–61 NASB 2020

54 When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and plea to the Lord, he stood up from the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel in accordance with everything that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 so that He may guide our hearts toward Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have implored the favor of the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, so that He will maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else. 61 Your hearts therefore shall be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

Solomon’s prayer began with him standing. During the prayer, he has obviously dropped to his knees, perhaps as an act of submission.

Part of the blessing God has given His people is rest, rest from their enemies, rest in the land, and rest that comes from living in the presence of YHWH.

He prays for God to be with them and not leave or forsake them; that God might guide their hearts to Him so they will walk in His ways; and that God would maintain their cause so all the earth would know YHWH is God and there is no one else!

He ends with a command that the hearts of the people must be wholly devoted to YHWH, their God.

Solomon and Israel Worship YHWH

1 Kings 8:62–66 NASB 2020

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63 And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the Lord, because there he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings. 65 So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days and seven more days, that is, fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.

Too many for the altar; had to also use the courtyard.

Burnt (all that I am); Tribute or grain (all that I have); and Peace or Fellowship (thanksgiving with sharing)

YHWH’S 2d Appearance to Solomon: Promise and Warning

1 Kings 9:1–9 NASB 2020

1 Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and all that Solomon desired to do, 2 that the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea which you have offered before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built, by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there always. 4 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and honesty, acting in accordance with everything that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My ordinances, 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not be deprived of a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6 “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have placed before you, but you go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut Israel off from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will expel from My sight. So Israel will become a saying and an object of derision among all peoples. 8 And this house will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by it will be appalled and hiss and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and this house?’ 9 And they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped and served them, for that reason the Lord has brought all this adversity on them.’ ”

In whatever form, this was YHWH appearing again to Solomon.

God responded to his prayer—He heard Solomon and He consecrated the Temple and put His name there forever assuring Solomon His eyes and His heart would always be there.

God reiterated that Solomon’s throne could be over Israel if he walked before Him with integrity and honesty as David did.

The flip side was that if he or his sons turned away from following Him, then Israel would be cut off from the land and this house would be expelled from His sight. It will become a heap of ruins.

What does this tell us? The God of Israel and of all the earth wanted the hearts of His people. Only as He had that was the building valuable; otherwise, regardless of the amount of gold it had, it was worthless to Him.

[Time Gap of Approximately 10 Years]

1 Kings 9:10 NASB 2020

10 Now it came about at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king’s house

We see Solomon was at the 20-year point; he was half-way through his reign. the writer had a reason for wanting us to know

Construction began 4 years into his reign; it took 4 1/2 years to build the temple; the temple was dedicated 11 months after it was built; therefore, 4 plus 4 1/2 plus 1 equals 9 1/2. We’re now at 20 years or approximately 10 1/2 years after the temple dedication.

These next verses give us more of the activities of Solomon, possibly the types of things he was doing in that 10-year period.

Hiram’s Cities; More Construction; and Gold from Ophir

There are three things I have lumped together that appear in 9.10-28.

First, Solomon gave Hiram, king of Tyre, 20 cities in the Galilee. When Hiram saw them, he told Solomon they were worthless. Nevertheless, the next verse (14) tells us that Hiram gave Solomon 120 talents of gold.

Second, in vv. 19-24, we’re told of much more construction that Solomon undertook. He built many cities and rebuilt others. He used the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites as forced labor (slaves) to do the work.

Third, he brought in gold on ships he constructed that went from the Red Sea to Ophir.

In Deuteronomy 17.16-17, in part of the statutes and ordinances God gave Israel, He delcared that any king shall not:

multiply horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt to get horses as God said never to return that way again.

multiply wives for himself. Why? Because the text said they would turn his heart away.

He was not to greatly increase gold or silver for himself.

You are witnessing Solomon violate each of these commands.

The Disobedience of Solomon

Queen of Sheba

1 Kings 10:1–13 NASB 2020

1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon in relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with riddles. 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels carrying balsam oil and a very large quantity of gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke to him about everything that was in her heart. 3 And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was concealed from the king which he did not explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 5 and the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the Lord, she was breathless. 6 Then she said to the king, “It was a true story that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 But I did not believe the stories until I came and my own eyes saw it all. And behold, the half of it was not reported to me. You have exceeded in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. 8 Blessed are your men, and blessed are these servants of yours who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to put you on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loves Israel forever, He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” 10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very large amount of balsam oil and precious stones. Never again did such a large quantity of balsam oil come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. 11 And the ships of Hiram as well, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones. 12 The king made from the almug trees supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, and lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again, nor have they been seen to this day. 13 And King Solomon granted the queen of Sheba everything she desired, whatever she requested, besides what he gave her in proportion to his royal bounty. Then she departed and went to her own land together with her servants.

Matthew 12:42 “42 The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”

Solomon’s Extravagant Wealth

1 Kings 10:18–22 NASB 2020

18 Moreover, the king made a large throne of ivory and overlaid it with fine gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its back, and armrests on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 21 Now all King Solomon’s drinking utensils were of gold, and all the utensils of the house of the timber of Lebanon were of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered as amounting to anything in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s ships; once every three years the ships of Tarshish would come carrying gold and silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.

Solomon’s Egyptian Horses and Chariots

1 Kings 10:26–29 NASB 2020

26 Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. 28 Also Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s merchants acquired them from Kue for a price. 29 A chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans.

Solomon’s Wives and Concubines

1 Kings 11:1–8 NASB 2020

1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations of which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you; they will certainly turn your heart away to follow their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives, who were princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of his father David had been. 5 For Solomon became a follower of Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and of Milcom the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as his father David had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab, on the mountain that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abhorrent idol of the sons of Ammon. 8 He also did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

1 Kings 11:9–12 NASB 2020

9 Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him regarding this thing, that he was not to follow other gods; but he did not comply with what the Lord had commanded. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will certainly tear the kingdom away from you, and will give it to your servant. 12 However, I will not do it in your days, only for the sake of your father David; but I will tear it away from the hand of your son.

God also raised up adversaries: Hadad, an Edomite; Rezon, a militia leader who ruled Damascus; and Jeroboam, an Ephramite, to be king over the northern 10 tribes.

1 Kings 11:26–40 NASB 2020

26 Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. 27 Now this was the reason why he rebelled against the king: Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of his father David. 28 Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. 29 And it came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am going to tear the kingdom away from the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes 32 (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have abandoned Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and keeping My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. 34 ‘Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who kept My commandments and My statutes; 35 but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you; that is, ten tribes. 36 ‘But to his son I will give one tribe, so that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. 37 However I will take you, and you shall reign over all that you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 Then it shall be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by keeping My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 39 So I will oppress the descendants of David for this, but not always.’ ” 40 Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam set out and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

Solomon’s Death

1 Kings 11:41–43 NASB 2020

41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? 42 So the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 Then Solomon lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

Closing

Started well with a heart that followed the Lord in the footsteps of David. While a good start in your discipleship process is important, without more, it will not sustain you for the journey of life.

As believers, we can fail just like Solomon did at any point in our life’s journey. Why did he fail? Because he neglected God’s instruction, something he was repeatedly told not to do.

God not only gave him the throne as He promised, but He also gave him wisdom that was unmatched by any person that came before or after. Solomon had the wisdom to deal with the temptations of life. He eventually chose to ignore wisdom.

He became enamored with the gifts God had given him and not with the Giver of those gifts.

Remember his prayer asking God to hear and forgive His people when they repented and acknowledged their sin. Solomon never took his own advice!

Pay close attention to the conclusion Solomon reached about life which we will read in the benediction at the end of Ecclesiastes. It’s fear God and keep His word!