1 Kings 9-11

Introduction

We wrapped up last week with Solomon offering a sacrifice 22k oxen and 120k sheep as a peace offering and dedication of the temple to Yahweh

1st part of 3:3 says: 1 Kings 3:3 “3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father:

1 Kings 3:5 “5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.”

Solomon asked: 1 Kings 3:9 “9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”

God gave: 1 Kings 3:12 “12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.”

Solomon was given wisdom, power, and wealth greater than any on earth and his leadership and God’s providence made Israel the most powerful nation on earth

And in the benediction of the prayer Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple he charged the people of Israel: 1 Kings 8:61 “61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.”

But the 2nd part of 3:3 gave us a clue there were some issues: 1 Kings 3:3 “only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.”

1 Kings 9:1-9

1 Kings 9:1–3 KJV

1 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do, 2 That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. 3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

Yahweh God honored Solomon’s prayer for the people of Israel by putting His name on the Temple forever and dwelling there perpetually (literally "until/unto eternity" or "for the age) IF

1 Kings 9:4 KJV

4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:

Conditional covenant promise THEN

1 Kings 9:5 KJV

5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

BUT

1 Kings 9:6 KJV

6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:

THEN

1 Kings 9:7 KJV

7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:

1 Kings 9:8–9 KJV

8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? 9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.

The very temple that was a symbol of the love and eternal presence of God on earth will become a symbol of the judgement of God

We see the same intersection of God’s love and justice in the cross

1 Kings 9:10-28

We’re now 24 years into Solomon’s reign and the rest of the chapter gives us some of his leadership accomplishments:

1 Kings 4:21 “21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.”

modern-day Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Jordan and Iraq - essentially from the Euphrates to the Egyptian border and had peace on all sides

Solomon pays Hiram (the king of Tyre) by giving him cities:

20 cities given to Hiram (v.11) = roughly equivalent to giving away an entire small nation or large metropolitan region

He builds more cities:

Chariot cities (v.19) = equivalent to major military airbases with fighter jet squadrons stationed throughout territory

Store cities (v.19) = strategic supply depots comparable to modern military logistics networks

Fortified cities like Hazor, Megiddo, Gezer (v.15) = network of fortress-cities controlling strategic passes and trade routes

and ships:

Fleet at Ezion Geber (v.26) = controlling key Red Sea trade route, equivalent to controlling modern Suez Canal

Ships bringing gold from Ophir (v.28) = establishing international trade monopolies comparable to Dutch East India Company influence

420 talents of gold from Ophir (v.28) = approximately 35,000 pounds of gold = roughly $1.1 billion in today's gold prices

1 Kings 10:1-13 Queen of Sheba

When the Queen of Sheba heard reports of Solomon's fame and wisdom, she traveled with a large caravan bearing spices, gold, and precious stones to test him with difficult questions.

Solomon answered all her questions, and she was overwhelmed by his wisdom, the magnificence of his palace, the organization of his court, and his burnt offerings to the LORD.

She declared that the reports she had heard didn't even capture half of his actual wisdom and prosperity, blessed the LORD God of Israel for placing Solomon on the throne, and gave him 120 talents of gold along with abundant spices and precious stones.

120 talents of gold = 10k-11k pounds at approximately $300-400 million in today's value

Solomon reciprocated with generous gifts, giving her everything she desired before she returned to her own land.

1 Kings 10:14-29 Solomon’s Riches and Wisdom

Annual Gold Revenue:

666 talents of gold annually (v.14) = approximately 55,000 pounds = $1.76 billion per year in gold alone

doesn’t count revenue from merchants, traders, and tributary kings

Equivalent to GDP of a small modern nation

Silver as common as stones in Jerusalem (v.27)

Cedar wood abundant as sycamore (v.27) = importing African Blackwood ($100/board foot) like it was pine mill boards

International reputation drawing merchants globally = economic influence comparable to modern financial capitals like New York or London

Total Economic Impact:

Solomon's annual revenue and trade control would represent combined GDP influence of multiple modern oil-rich nations, with military power projection capability across the entire ancient Near East.

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11:1–3 KJV

1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

the clue becomes reality: “clave unto these in love” women were a weakness of Solomon in the lust of the flesh

Moses rules for marriage

Deuteronomy 7:3–4 “3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.”

and rules for kings

Deuteronomy 17:17 “17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.”

Solomon violates both of these

I read this and I initially want to say it’s an issue of lust and but it’s really a heart issue

Matthew 15:18–19 “18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”

1 Kings 11:4–8 KJV

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

but the pride of life was also Solomon’s weakness

He was still comparing himself to and acting like the kings of the nations these strange wives were from

He’s worshiping the gods of the peoples and lands he’s already conquered and controls; he made them slaves of Israel, but he’s become a slave to lust and idolatry

1 Kings 11:9–13 KJV

9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. 13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.

Of all the sins recorded in Scripture, God takes idolatry the most seriously, for no other sin has the capability of wrecking the entire covenant by itself

Only one thing keeps Solomon on the throne at all, and that is the promise the Lord made to David in 2 Sam 7:1–17.

For David’s sake the Lord allows Solomon to remain in power. Further, for David’s sake his descendants will continue to rule a fragment of the covenant nation.

Solomon’s idolatry will lead to idolatry among the people. Israel has begun the long road to exile, to Assyria and Babylon, they just don’t know it yet

1 Kings 11:14-40

God raises up enemies against Solomon, including Hadad the Edomite (who had fled to Egypt during David's conquest but returned to trouble Israel) and Rezon of Damascus (who established a rival kingdom in Syria and became a persistent enemy).

Most significantly, Jeroboam, Solomon's own servant who supervised forced labor, was told by the prophet Ahijah that God would tear the kingdom apart and give him ten tribes due to Solomon's idolatry and disobedience.

When Solomon learned of this prophecy, he sought to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt under Pharaoh Shishak's protection until Solomon's death.

We see God's judgment beginning against Solomon's unfaithfulness, setting the stage for the kingdom's division.

1 Kings 11:41-43

1 Kings 11:41–43 “41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.”

Conclusion

Solomon started out loving God but over time the love of God was replaced by the love of women

1 John 4:15–19 “15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.”

We can only love God by the grace and love He shows us. What does that look like?

John 14:21 “21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Not doing good and following the rules that saves us, that’s the work of Jesus

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

But the fact is when the Lord graciously saves us that’s the beginning and not the end.

Philippians 2:12 “12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Doesn’t say “work for” or “work on”: we can’t earn it and it’s never more sure than when our sin is put on Jesus account and His righteousness is put on ours

Does say “work out your salvation”: what it looks like to live as a saved child of God is a reflection of the choices we make every day

Every day in every aspect of life we have to choose to live for God not just when we were saved.

Luke 9:23–25 “23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”