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History of Solomon’s Time
- David left an enlarged and strong kingdom to his son, Solomon. But pride,
hostility, and the seeds of rebellion were simmering. David had conquered
Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Zobah. Jerusalem was the capital.
- First Kings opens in 970 BC with David in old age (1.1). He soon died
(2.10).
- When Solomon was chosen as king, the major problems he faced were trouble
makers from David’s time. He quickly removed those who might prove a threat to
him: Adonijah
(1 Kings 2.13-25), Abiathar the priest was banished (2.26-27), Joab was
executed by Benaiah (2.29-34), and Shimei was confined the city and when he
left, he was executed (2.36-46). He faced no other serious threat from
external enemies.
- His job was clear: to consolidate his rule, build the temple for the Lord,
and lead Israel under God’s word (1 Kings 2.2-9)
- Solomon’s kingdom and influence extended from the Euphrates River in the
North to Egypt in the South (4.21).
- Primarily because of Solomon’s later spiritual failure, his kingdom had
civil war and divided into Judah and Israel (11.9-13).
- With a few exceptions, the kings that followed Solomon were characterized
by revolution, bloodshed, and idolatry.
History—Author of 1-2 Kings
- Many evangelicals consider Jeremiah the most likely author of most of 1
and 2 Kings, though there are differences in style between Jeremiah’s known
writings and Kings.
- Jeremiah did have the qualifications to write these particular books:
priestly origin, prophetic ministry, access to kings and others in authority,
and he was closely involved in the activities of Judah until the Babylonians
destroyed her.
- Whoever the author, he was one who had access to the historical records
and history of Israel and Judah, and he wrote during the last days Judah.
- The Book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11.41).
- The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel (1 Kings 14.19-15.31,
17 times).
- The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (1 Kings 14.29-2 Kings
24.5, 15 times).
- Biographies of David, Elijah, Elisha.
Theme of 1 Kings: Civil War
God’s people, Israel led by their kings and prophets, followed either the
path of faith and obedience to the Lord or unbelief and rebellion against Him.
The period of the kings beginning with Solomon played out, through apostasy and
civil war, what God said through Moses: "I have set before you today life and
prosperity, and death and adversity….So choose life." With the exception of a
few kings and prophets, Israel chose death and adversity.
Key Verses: 1 Kings 9.4-5; 11.11
1 Kings 9:4, "As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David
walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I
have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances,
1 Kings 9:5, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel
forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a
man on the throne of Israel.’
1 Kings 11.11, So the Lord said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and
you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I
will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.
1 Kings Overview Outline
- Solomon and his great kingdom, 1-11
- The divided Kingdom—idolatry, chaos, bloodshed, 12-22
Trace the Theme of 1 Kings
- Just before David died, he had to stop Adonijah’s attempt to supplant
Solomon (1), and then he charged Solomon to keep God’s word (2.1-9). As soon
as Solomon took the throne he removed internal threats to his rule: Adonijah
(1 Kings 2.13-25), Abiathar the priest was banished (2.26-27), Joab was
executed by Benaiah (2.29-34), and Shimei was confined the the city and when
he left he was executed (2.36-46).
- Next, Solomon began what was to doom his kingdom—he began making alliances
with other nations through marriage (3.1 with 11.1-8). It was at this time
that the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and told Solomon to ask what he
wished. Solomon requested understanding and wisdom (3.9). God was pleased; not
only did He give Solomon wisdom, he also gave riches and honor (3.11-13). So,
Solomon had the chance to please God, rule righteously, and at his death,
leave a strong and godly nation.
- Solomon gained wealth, fame, and a strong kingdom (4). About this time he
hired Hiram, King of Tyre, to supply the materials to build the temple in
Jerusalem (5). The temple was built between 966 and 959 BC (6-7) and dedicated
(8). At the same time Solomon had other building projects going. The LORD now
appeared again to Solomon with a promise of blessing or adversity (9).
- Solomon increased his bureaucracy, his building project, his wealth, his
harem, his taxes, and his fame (9-10). Details of life controlled him. His
wives turned him to idolatry; the adversities came (11). Solomon appointed
Jeroboam, one of his valiant men, to be secretary of labor (11.23). He
rebelled against Solomon and then fled to Egypt. At Solomon’s death, his son
Rehoboam became king. Jeroboam returned; he asked Rehoboam to lighten the tax
load that Solomon has imposed. If that were done Jeroboam and his followers
would serve Rehoboam.
- The adversity continues. Rehoboam rejected the elders advice to right some
policies. Instead, he listened to the young rebels in Judah. At this point
civil war broke out. The northern tribes followed Jeroboam, while Judah stayed
with Rehoboam (12).
- From this time on God’s nation was divided. The two kingdoms were ruled by
mostly evil kings interspersed with a few good kings (13-22). Elijah served as
God’s prophet during the reign of evil Ahab (874-853); Elijah’s ministry
highlighted the battle between false prophets and God’s true prophets during
the history of the divided kingdoms.
Chapter Titles:
I. Solomon and his great kingdom, 1-11
Chapter 1: David makes Solomon king
Chapter 2: David commissions; Solomon
established
Chapter 3: Solomon requests wisdom
Chapter 4: Solomon’s peace,
prosperity, wisdom
Chapter 5: Temple building materials
Chapter 6: Temple built, 966-959 BC
Chapter 7: Temple furnishings
Chapter 8: Ark, prayer, challenge,
sacrifice
Chapter 9: LORD charges Solomon.
Building projects
Chapter 10: Queen of Sheba
Chapter 11: Wives, idolatry, Ahijah,
death
II. Divided kingdom—idolatry, chaos, and bloodshed, 12-22
Chapter 12: Rehoboam vs Jeroboam
Chapter 13: The man of God
Chapter 14: Abijah, Jeroboam, and
Rehoboam die
Chapter 15: Abijam and Asa of Judah;
Nadab and Basha of Israel
Chapter 16: Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri,
Ahab of Israel
Chapter 17: Elijah at Cherith and
Zarephath
Chapter 18: Elijah and Baal’s
prophets; rain
Chapter 19: Elijah, the juniper,
Horeb’s cave; Elisha
Chapter 20: Ahab of Israel, Ben-hadad
of Aramaea
Chapter 21: Naboth and his vineyard
Chapter 22: Ahab dies in his chariot
Key People in 1 Kings
- Adonijah was David’s fourth son. He attempted to take the throne when
David was old. Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the commander
of the king’s bodyguard stopped the attempt. When David authorized Solomon to
follow him as king, Solomon allowed Adonijah to live as long as he was loyal.
Soon after David died Adonijah revived his ambitions, so Solomon executed him
(1 Kings 1-2).
- Nathan the prophet served both David and Solomon. He advised David that
not he, but Solomon would build the temple (2 Samuel 7). Nathan also
confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah (2 Samuel 12).
Nathan was instrumental in having Solomon made king in the face of Adonijah’s
takeover attempt (1 Kings 1).
- Abiathar, son of Ahimelech (chief priest at Nob who helped David) escaped
Saul’s revenge against the priests of Nob (1 Samuel 22). He was descended from
Eli. He served as high priest for David (1 Samuel 30.7) and with Zadok brought
the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15.11-15). Abiathar supported Adonijah’s
rebellion against Solomon, so was removed as priest (1 Kings 2.26-27). Solomon
spared his life because of faithfulness to David when Absalom rebelled (1
Kings 2.26).
- Zadok served as priest in David’s court along with Abiathar. He and Nathan
anointed Solomon King (1 Kings 1.45). Solomon appointed Zadok as court priest
at the time he removed Abiathar (1 Kings 2.27, 35). The family of Zadok served
as priests until the destruction of the temple in 586 BC, and then in the
second temple until 171 BC, when Antiochus transferred the priesthood to
Menelaus. Ezekiel has the sons of Zadok serving in the millennial temple
(Ezekiel 33.15).
- Benaiah was a member of David’s band of 30 elite soldiers (2 Samuel
23.18-23). He helped stop Adonijah’s coup. Solomon appointed him commander of
his army. Solomon ordered him to execute Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei—all
traitors—which he did (1 Kings 2.23-46).
- Shimei was the son of Gera the Benjamite from Bahurim (a town just east of
the Mount of Olives). When Absalom pursued David, Shimei followed David from a
parallel hillside and cursed him and threw rocks at him (2 Samuel 16). For
this, Solomon confined Shimei to Jerusalem. Three years later, Shimei took a
trip to Gath. Because Shimei broke the agreement, Solomon had Benaiah execute
him (1 Kings 2).
- Hiram, king of Tyre (c. 970-936 BC), supplied Solomon with cedar wood,
grain, wine, gold, and workers for the temple and his other building projects
(1 Kings 5.1-12). As a part of their border treaties, Solomon gave Hiram 20
cities in Galilee (which Hiram did not like) for which Hiram sent Solomon 120
talents of gold. Hiram and Solomon also engaged in joint commercial shipping
operations (1 Kings 10.22).
- Queen of Sheba
- The Queen of Sheba was ruler of the Sabaeans, a kingdom in SW Arabia (1
Kings 10). She heard of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth and made a 1200 mile
trip to meet him. She posed riddles to him, all of which he answered. She
was even more impressed with Solomon than she expected: "behold, the half
was not told me" (10.10; 2 Chronicles 9.4). They exchanged gifts and made
commercial treaties.
- Jesus contrasted her to His present generation: the Queen of Sheba
recognized the evidence of God’s blessing to Solomon, while Jesus’
generation did not recognize God’s blessings to them in Him—God’s Messiah
(Luke 11.31).
- Ahijah was the prophet who told Jeroboam that God would divide Israel and
give him the 10 northern tribes (1 Kings 11.29-39).
- Jeroboam
- Jeroboam (1 Kings 11.26-12.33; r. 931-910 BC) was the son of Nebat and
an Ephramite from Zereda. He was apparently wealthy, and a strong and brave
man whom Solomon found working at Millo (a part of the Jebusite
city=Jerusalem). Solomon made him his chief of labor for the northern
tribes. Due to Solomon’s oppressive rule and Ahijah’s prophecy, Jeroboam
rebelled against Solomon. Jeroboam escaped to Egypt when Solomon heard of
this. When Solomon died, Jeroboam returned.
- Israel and Jeroboam then petitioned Rehoboam to stop the oppressive
measure that Solomon had put in place. When Rehoboam refused, Israel made
Jeroboam king over the northern tribes. Shechem (31 miles north of Jerusalem
in the hills of Ephraim) was his capital. To hold Israel together, Jeroboam
set up a golden calf at Bethel and at Dan. Thus, the civil war that was to
last until the destruction of Israel by Assyria in 722 BC.
- Rehoboam
- Rehoboam (1 Kings 12-14; 972-913; r. 931-913 BC) was Solomon’s son who
took the throne of Judah upon Solomon’s death. Soon after his installation
Jeroboam and leaders of Israel petitioned him to reduce the oppressive
measures that his father Solomon had imposed.
- Rehoboam’s elder advisors counseled him to grant the request, but his
friends—those with whom he grew up—told him to ignore the request and impose
harder measures. He followed his friends advice, and as a result, the
northern kingdom, Israel, rebelled against him—thus the civil war.
- Soon after Israel broke from Rehoboam, he marshaled a 180,000 man army
to force Israel back under his authority. Shemaiah the man of God prevented
this battle when he delivered God’s word not to fight against their
brothers. But, civil war continued throughout his reign, besides wars with
the Philistines and Egypt.
- Rehoboam allowed pagan religious practices—idolatry, cult prostitution,
pagan high places—to invade and prosper in Judah and Jerusalem. About 926
BC, Pharaoh Shishak invaded Judah and Jerusalem. Shishak carried off the
temple and palace treasures.
- He died in 913 BC. His son, Abijam became king in his place.
- Shemaiah was the man of God who, when Rehoboam had gathered an army of
180,000 men to fight Israel and break the rebellion, told the army of Rehoboam
not to go to war against their brothers, the Northern Kingdom. They obeyed him
(1 Kings 12.21-24).
- Elijah the prophet (see the Elijah study) served during Ahab’s reign. He
prophesied to Ahab about the coming drought, went to the brook Cherith, spent
time at Zarephath, challenged the prophets of Baal, went to Beersheba and then
into the wilderness where he slept under the Juniper tree, then went to a cave
on Mt Sinai (Horeb) where the Lord corrected his attitude, passed his ministry
to Elisha, confronted Ahab about the theft and murder of Naboth, and went to
heaven in a whirlwind (1 Kings 17-19; 21; 2 Kings 1-2).
- Ahab was the seventh king of Israel (reign 874-852 BC). He married
Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon. He promoted the worship of
Baal and "did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of
Israel who were before him" (1 Kings 16.33). He was king during the ministry
of Elijah. He was killed in battle at Ramoth-gilead—he had rejected the
prophet Micaiah’s warning—and was buried in Samaria. Dogs licked his blood
from his chariot as Elijah had predicted (1 Kings 16.28-ff).
- Micaiah
- Micaiah the prophet was called before Jehosphaphat King of Judah and
Ahab King of Israel to give advice as to whether they should go to war to
regain Ramoth-gilead. Ahab’s first bunch of prophets told him what he wanted
to hear—just do it. Jehoshaphat objected that the prophets just said what
Ahab wanted to hear.
- He asked if there was a prophet who would tell the truth. Ahab said
there was one—Micaiah—but Ahab did not like his prophecies. At
Jehosphaphat’s urging, Ahab called Micaiah. Micaiah said, don’t go into
battle. Ahab rejected the prophet’s word. They went to war: Jehoshaphat was
not harmed, but Ahab was killed (c. 852 BC; 1 Kings 22).
- Solomon
- Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. Solomon was established as
king (2.12) in 970 BC. He brought Israel to her greatest fame and wealth;
yet at his death the kingdom tore itself into two because he allowed details
of life (his were mainly wealth and foreign wives) to control him, resulting
in spiritual failure. Judah and Israel and their kings that followed Solomon
were characterized by revolution, bloodshed, and paganism and idolatry.
- Solomon was not a warrior like his father, and he did not need to be. He
faced no serious threat from external enemies, though he was harassed by
Edom and Syria; nor did he have to enlarge his nation. His job was to
consolidate and hold the nation together. Solomon concentrated on forming
alliances, and he did this by marrying foreign nobility, hence his large
harem (11.1-3). Tyre was his most important alliance (5.1-12).
- Though not a warrior, he did establish military bases to protect his
territory (9.15-22), and developed a chariot corp in his army (10.26). He
developed his industry and international trade (10.1-15, 28). The highpoint
of his construction was the temple, though he built many other sites (7).
Solomon wrote enduring literature: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of
Solomon (4.29-34; 11.41).
- But Solomon’s reign also brought extensive bureaucracy (9.23), high
state expenditures, and repressive taxes (12.1-7). In his personal life, he
went through a period when he chose details of life (wealth, foreign wives,
and pagan religion) over the Lord and because of that the Lord tore his
kingdom apart after his death (11.1-13).
- Solomon brought Israel to her greatest fame and wealth; yet at his death
the kingdom tore itself into two because of evil kings, idolatry, and
bloodshed. Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes at the end of his life. In it he
recorded that details of life did not give him satisfaction. He finally
wrote his conclusion about life: "fear God and keep his commandments"
(Ecclesiastes 12.13).
Key Words Used
- House, 171 times. Family (2.24, 27), personal house (1.53; 2.36), Temple
(5.3; 6.2).
- Walk or walked, 27 times. The way one lived (2.3,4; 6.12; 8.58; 11.33;
22.52).
- Evil, 22 times (2.44; 3.9; 11.6; 13.33; 16.19; 21.25).
- Kingdom, 19 times (1.46; 2.12; 2.46; 4.21; 10.20; 11.11, 34, 35).
- King, 338 times (1.1; 2.23; 14.27; 16.29).
Key Doctrines
- Evil refers to the ungodly presuppositions and viewpoint, plans,
actions, and goals of life that stand apart from God’s will, direction, and
influence because of a rejection of Him and His Word. Evil includes human
viewpoint, human good, and sin. Evil seemed to touch every part of Israel’s
life (1 Kings 3.9; 11.6; Proverbs 15.3; Ecclesiastes 12.1).
- Apostasy
is a departure or defection from the faith and the truth.
Israel’s kings made apostasy a habit (1 Kings 11.6 with 3.3; Jeremiah 8.5).
- Details or things in life
can be a blessing or a curse. When they
control one, they become a curse. When they are used within the context of
God’s will they are a blessing. Solomon became so occupied with details in his
life that he brought on unhappiness and human and divine judgment (1 Kings
10.1-11.8).
Lessons For Us Today
- We need to get the biblical worldview and make it our own. Our worldview
determines how we think and what we think, our purpose, and how we spend our
time. Our worldview tells us what we value or what is important to us, and
what we believe and what we do not believe. The biblical worldview comes from
the Bible (2 Corinthians 10.3-6; Hebrews 5.11-14).
- We need to make good decisions, one after another, to prevent self induced
disasters and to prepare us for severe tests that come along. When disaster
strikes due to things that we can control, we are ready for God to use us and
bless us. And remember, self induced disasters usually do not happen from one
bad decisions, but from a series of bad attitudes and choices. Solomon and the
kings of Israel and Judah teach us this (1 Kings 22.25-35; Matthew 6.24; James
4.13-17; Philippians 4.5-9).
- Details of life include many things. Keep a proper perspective about them.
Do not allow them to control your life. Solomon did and it just about
destroyed him. They will not bring lasting happiness nor will they solve the
big questions in life. Ecclesiastes teaches this (Ecclesiastes 8.11; 1 John
2.15-17; Matthew 6.29, 31-34; Philippians 4.11-13).
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were
written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 1
Corinthians 10.12
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