1 Reis 11
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Reis 11
Utley - Marriage to Egyptians was never condemned. Joseph married an Egyptian woman (i.e., Gen. 41:50). There is no record in the Bible of Israel ever worshiping an Egyptian god. The problem was Canaanite fertility worship. Jewish tradition asserts that Solomon's Egyptian wife became a convert to faith in YHWH. "Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite" These were the three nations on the eastern side of Jordan. Two of them were relatives through Lot (cf. Gen. 19:30-38). The LXX has an expanded list of nations—Arameans, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites, Amorites. All of these nations apparently had treaties with Israel (i.e., legend has Solomon marrying a daughter of Hiram). The mother of Rehoboam was an Ammonite (cf. 1 Kgs. 14:21). This shows that this chapter is more about theology than chronology. Utley - The admonitions of Deut. 17:14-17 are violated by Solomon. The king should not buy horses from Egypt (i.e., sign of good relations). The king should not multiply wives. political alliances idolatry The king should not multiply silver and gold for himself. Solomon's shocking idolatry (i.e., 1 Sam. 7:4) is compounded by YHWH's personal revelation to him, twice. Astoreth of the Sidonians, vv. 5,33 (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 562-563) Milcom of the Ammonites, vv. 5,33 Chemosh of the Moabites, vv. 5,33 (NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 660-661) Molech of the Ammonites (possibly the same as #2) YHWH sends three enemies against Solomon. What looks like secular history is really the unseen hand of God, active in His world Hadad the Edomite, vv. 14-22 Rezon of Syria, vv. 23-25 Jeroboam of Ephraim, vv. 26-40 Psalm 127:1 A Song of Ascents, of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. "I vividly remember a man saying to me, "Herb, I'll go to church and give. But I'm not going to get too involved. I'm going to concentrate on my career." Another man admitted, "I know I shouldn't have gotten a divorce, but I think I'm entitled to some happiness." Both of these men were really saying, "I don't care what God says. I'm going to do things my way." Life is wasted, useless, and of no avail Unless we're living daily for the Lord; Let's pledge ourselves anew to living godly, Anything less we simply can't afford. --Adams God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. (ED: Beware of prioritizing personal ambitions over spiritual commitments,) 1 Kings 11:2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love. You shall not associate with them: Ex 23:32-33 Ex 34:16 De 7:3-4 Jos 23:12,13 Ezr 9:12 10:2-17 Mal 2:11 they will surely turn your heart away after their gods: 1Ki 16:31-33 Nu 25:1-3 Jdg 3:6,7 2Ch 21:6 2Co 6:14-16 Solomon held fast: Ge 2:24 34:3 Jdg 16:4-21 2Ch 19:2 Ps 139:21 Ro 1:32 12:9 1Co 15:33 Rev 2:4 Related Passages: Exodus 23:32-33+ “You shall make (CUT) no covenant (SOLEMN BINDING AGREEMENT - E.G. Josh 9:15 ISRAEL DUPED BY GIBEONITES TO CUT A COVENANT!) with them or with their gods. 33 “They shall not live in your land (WHY NOT?), because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it (IDOLATRY) will surely be a snare to you.” Exodus 34:12-16+ Watch yourself that you make (CUT) no covenant (MOST SOLEMN, BINDING AGREEMENT KNOWN IN ANCIENT WORLD) with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 “But rather (STRONG CONTRAST), you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 –for (EXPLAINS WHY DEMOLISH FALSE WORSHIP SITES) you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, Whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God– 15 otherwise you might make (CUT) a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods (SEE ISRAEL THE WIFE OF JEHOVAH) and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot (zanah; ekporneuo = commit gross sexual immorality) with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. (NOTE WELL - IDOLATRY IN SCRIPTURE IS ALMOST ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH IMMORALITY!) Deuteronomy 7:3-4+ “Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4 “For (term of explanation.) they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. 1 Corinthians 6:16-17+ Or do you not know that the one who joins (kollao) himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” 17 But the one who joins (kollao) himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Deuteronomy 10:20+ “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling (dabaq) to Him, and you shall swear by His name. Deuteronomy 30:20+ by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast (dabaq) to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” Joshua 23:12-13+ “For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. STRANGE WOMEN LEAD TO IDOLATRY From the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate (bô; Lxx - eiserchomai = bad sense begin to experience, meet, encounter ) with (NKJV - not intermarry) them, nor shall they associate with you - This strong warning could not have been more clearly stated by God! Solomon knew this warning, but chose to transgress it (hundreds of times!) For - This is a crucial (life changing, destiny changing) term of explanation. They will surely turn (natah; Lxx - ekklino in present tense - continually turn away) your heart (lebab; Lxx - kardia) away after (Lxx - opiso) their gods (elohim; Lxx - eidolon = idols)" - Note the emphatic word "surely," which is tantamount to a divine guarantee for major spiritual trouble! As we say today there were no "ands, ifs or buts" about the consequences of associating intimately with pagan, idol worshipping women! Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the effect of these pagan women was to turn Solomon's heart away (1Ki 11:2,3,4,9). What is so sad about their so called gods is as Dt 32:21 says they were "hebel" the Hebrew word for vanity! (Cf Solomon's use of this very word in Ecclesiastes 1:2)! Notice that the heart of Solomon's problem was the problem with his heart. Head knowledge and wisdom was not lacking, but heart obedience was sorely deficient! THOUGHT - Men, how easy it is to deceive ourselves in thinking that because we know orthodoxy it will guarantee orthopraxy! Not so! Look at the tragic tale of well-known pastors (e.g., Steven Lawson one of the best preachers I had ever listened to!) whose orthodoxy could not keep their testosterone under control. The only One Who can do that is the Holy Spirit. Oh, Holy Spirit, for us men, we beg You to have Your way with us giving us the desire to shun sexual sin and the power to pursue Christ, pursue holiness (Php 2:13NLT+, Heb 12:14+, 1Pe 1:14-16+, 2Co 7:1+, Lev 11:43-45+), for the great Name Jehovah in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ. Amen. Remember that Solomon is the same one who wrote "Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor." (Ecclesiastes 10:1) Solomon held fast (dabaq; Lxx - kollao) to these in love (aheb/ahab; Lxx -agapao) - Held fast is in the perfect mood which emphasizes a condition which has come into "complete existence" and realization. It pictures Solomon "sticking like glue" to these pagan, idol worshipping women! Solomon clung to these women in love. By placing the object of the preposition before the verb, the Hebrew suggests an emphasis which may be missed in the English: “even them Solomon clung to.” Instead of clinging to God as commanded in the law (Dt 10:20; Dt 30:20), Solomon chose to cling to his many wives. In love (aheb/ahab; Lxx -agapao) speaks of a strong emotional attachment, the kind of commitment one wants to see in marriage. But Solomon was committed to the wrong women! And in order to bond to them he willingly broke his close connection with the Lord. THOUGHT - Let’s not be the slaves of our emotions. Enabled by God's Spirit and Word, we can and must choose what to love. And we must love nothing or no one more than the Lord. The Message paraphrase - King Solomon was obsessed with women. Pharaoh’s daughter was only the first of the many foreign women he loved—Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite. He took them from the surrounding pagan nations of which God had clearly warned Israel, “You must not marry them; they’ll seduce you into infatuations with their gods.” Solomon fell in love with them anyway, refusing to give them up. He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines—a thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. As Solomon grew older, his wives beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful—he didn’t stay true to his God as his father David had done. Solomon took up with Ashtoreth, the whore goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites. Turn (stretch)(05186)(natah) to stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend, turn aside. Vine - Nāṭâ connotes "extending something outward and toward" something or someone. So God told Moses: "… I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments" (Exod. 6:6). This is a figure of God's active, sovereign, and mighty involvement in the affairs of men. So this phrase means "to stretch out" something until it reaches a goal. The verb can also mean "to stretch out toward" but not to touch or reach anything. God told Moses to tell Aaron to take his staff in hand (cf. Exod. 9:23) and "stretch it out." This act was to be done as a sign. The pointed staff was a visible sign that God's power was directly related to God's messengers: "… Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds…," over all the water in Egypt (Exod. 7:19). God "stretched out" (offered) 3 things to David (1 Chron. 21:10); this is a related sense with the absence of anything physical being "stretched out." This verb may connote "stretch out" but not toward anything. When a shadow "stretches out," it lengthens. Hezekiah remarked: "It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees…" (2 Kings 20:10), to grow longer. Nāṭâ may be used in this sense without an object and referring to a day. The Levite was asked to "comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon [literally, the "stretching" (of the day, or of the shadows)]…" (Judg. 19:8). "To stretch out" one's limbs full length is to recline: "And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar…" (Amos 2:8). This is a figure of temple prostitution. This verb may also mean "to extend" in every direction. It represents what one does in pitching a tent by unrolling the canvas (or skins sewn together) and "stretching it out." The end product is that the canvas is properly "spread out." Abram "pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east…" (Gen. 12:8, the first appearance of the word). This act and its result is used as a figure of God's creating the heavens: "… Which alone spreadeth out the heavens…" (Job 9:8). This verb also implies "stretching down toward" so as to reach something. Earlier in the Bible Rebekah was asked to "let down thy pitcher,… that I may drink" (Gen. 24:14); she was asked to "stretch it down" into the water. This is the nuance when God is said to have "inclined [stretched down] unto me, and heard my cry" (Psa. 40:1). Issachar is described as a donkey which "bowed his shoulder to bear [burdens]" (Gen. 49:15). In somewhat the same sense the heavens are bowed; the heavens are made to come closer to the earth. This is a figure of the presence of thick clouds: "He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet" (Psa. 18:9). The somewhat new element here is that the heavens do not touch the speaker but only "stretch downward" toward him. This verb may mean "to turn aside" in the sense of "to visit": "… Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to [visited] a certain Adullamite…" (Gen. 38:1). Another special nuance appears in Num. 22:23, where it means "to go off the way": "And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way…, and the ass turned aside out of the way…." Applied to human relationships, this may connote seduction: "With her much fair speech she caused him to yield…" (Prov. 7:21). (Vine's Expository Dictionary - Pdf) Complete Biblical Library - The verb nātāh has three primary meanings: "to spread out," "to turn aside" or "to bend down." All three nuances are attested in Jewish Aramaic and Middle Hebrew. From these basic meanings, the word takes on various other ideas depending on the context. For example, to spread out a tent means to pitch it (Gen. 12:8); to turn aside justice means to pervert it; to turn aside the ear means to listen; and a bending wall is one which is leaning (Ps. 62:3). The first meaning of the word refers to spreading or stretching things. Both people and God spread things out. Rizpah literally spread out sackcloth upon a rock (2 Sam. 21:10), and God told Jeremiah that Nebuchadnezzar would spread out his royal canopy in Egypt, symbolizing he had conquered the land (Jer. 43:10). The Lord's spreading out the heavens is a common expression for creating them (Isa. 42:5; 44:24). In Isa. 40:22, nātāh appears in parallel with māthach (HED #5145), also meaning "to spread out." The prophet parallels the idea of God spreading out the heavens with spreading out a tent to dwell in (see also Ps. 104:2). Land is also spoken of as spreading out, meaning the land extends to a certain location. The slopes of the hills near Moab are said to extend to Ar (Num. 21:15), and river valleys spread out (Num. 24:6). The idea of spreading something out extends to the idea of stretching something out, like when a carpenter stretches a line over wood (Isa. 44:13). Though the KJV says Samson "bowed" with his strength, since Samson was pressing against the two pillars of the house, the idea of the verb is rather about stretching forth his arms with his strength (Judg. 16:30). Shadows also stretch out (2 Ki. 20:10). This nuance is attested in the Arabic cognate. Outstretched arms often represent power and the miraculous in the OT. The Lord's outstretched hand or arm was a symbol of his might (Deut. 4:34), and his outstretched arm redeemed Israel from the land of Egypt (Exo. 6:6); thus, though God's outstretched arm was a sign of deliverance for Israel, it was a sign of judgment for Egypt (Exo. 7:5). When God commanded people to stretch out their hands in preparation for a miracle, it was as though they were paralleling and visibly demonstrating God's act. Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod over the waters of Egypt so they turned to blood (Exo. 7:19); Joshua stretched out the javelin in his hand toward the city of Ai, which Israel was about to conquer (Josh. 8:18). This nuance is attested in the Akkadian cognate. The idea of stretching things out also took on other symbolic meanings. The prophet Isaiah said the daughters of Zion walked with outstretched necks (Isa. 3:16), which was a symbol of pride. He also called people to stretch out the curtains of their tents, symbolic of growth and prosperity (Isa. 54:2). Today we would say, "Put an addition on your house." In Ps. 17:11, the image is of the intent to slay the enemy and leave their bodies spread out on the ground. In Ps. 21:11, this verb appears in parallel with chāshav (HED #2913), meaning "to plan," so that "to spread out evil against someone" means "to plot." In another symbolic context, the Lord said He would stretch out a measuring line over Jerusalem (2 Ki. 21:13), which symbolized his judgment. The Lord stretched out three judgments upon David, which means He set three options before him (1 Chr. 21:10). A second primary meaning of nātāh is "to turn aside." This use of the verb points to an alteration in the present course of action. Israel promised Edom they would remain on the King's Highway and would not turn aside to the right or left, meaning neither humans nor animals would damage their fields (Num. 20:17). When Edom still denied Israel access through their land, Israel turned aside and took a different route (Num. 20:21). Balaam's donkey is another example of something turning aside; when it saw the angel with his drawn sword standing in the road, it turned aside from the path (Num. 22:23). Further, though David intended to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, after the death of Uzzah, he turned it aside to the house of Obed-Edom (2 Sam. 6:10). Lastly, Joab took Abner aside into a gate to kill him (2 Sam. 3:27). All these passages indicate that this use of the verb points to a change in an object's course of direction. Thus, the use of this verb in Gen. 38:1 would indicate that Judah was not initially headed toward Hirah's house, but that he was on a journey and came to Hirah's house and decided to turn aside from his present course. The same idea applies with Judah and Tamar in Gen. 38:16. To turn aside the feet is an expression for stumbling (Ps. 73:2). To turn aside justice means to pervert it or to deny access to justice (Exo. 23:6). This is changing the course of the law. People also can turn aside their heart, which implies a change in allegiance. The people of Shechem turned their heart to follow Abimelech (Judg. 9:3). Joshua called the people to put away their foreign gods and turn their heart to the Lord (Josh. 24:23). Joab turned aside after Adonijah, but he had not turned aside after Absalom (1 Ki. 2:28). To incline the ear means to begin listening. Hezekiah prayed that the Lord would incline his ear and hear the words of Sennacherib as he mocked God (2 Ki. 19:16). The prayer implies that God's lack of action in behalf of Judah made it seem that He had not been listening to all that was being said. Jeremiah accused the people of not inclining their ear, but instead they continued to walk in the stubbornness of their own heart (Jer. 11:8). In this case, the people refused to change their course of direction and would not begin listening to the Lord. This idea of changing direction is also applied to the day. The turning of the day is the time when the sun begins its decline in the sky. This phrase then designates the afternoon (Jdg. 19:8). A third primary meaning of this verb is "to bend." A person bends down a jar so as to pour water from it (Gen. 24:14). The tribe of Issachar bent down their shoulder to take up a burden (Gen. 49:15). The Lord bent down to feed his people (Hos. 11:4). The heavens' "bending down" and touching the earth refers to God manifesting himself in splendor (2 Sam. 22:10; Ps. 144:5). NATAH - 207 V - afternoon*(1), bend down(1), bent(1), bent down(1), bow(1), bowed(3), came to stumbling(1), cast down(1), decline(1), defraud(1), deprive(2), deviated(1), distort(1), distorts(1), entices(1), extend(1), extended(3), extends(2), followed*(2), held high(1), incline(27), inclined(7), intended(1), leaning(1), lengthen(1), lengthened(1), lengthens(1), let down(1), offer(1), outstretched(17), pervert(4), perverted(1), pitch(1), pitched(11), push aside(1), spread(3), stretch(28), stretched(32), stretched-out(1), stretches(5), stretching(2), thrust aside(1), took aside(3), turn(6), turn back(1), turn aside(9), turn away(3), turned(3), turned aside(6), turned away(4), turned...away(1), turning(1), turns(1), visited(1). Gen. 12:8; Gen. 24:14; Gen. 26:25; Gen. 33:19; Gen. 35:21; Gen. 38:1; Gen. 38:16; Gen. 39:21; Gen. 49:15; Exod. 6:6; Exod. 7:5; Exod. 7:19; Exod. 8:5; Exod. 8:6; Exod. 8:16; Exod. 8:17; Exod. 9:22; Exod. 9:23; Exod. 10:12; Exod. 10:13; Exod. 10:21; Exod. 10:22; Exod. 14:16; Exod. 14:21; Exod. 14:26; Exod. 14:27; Exod. 15:12; Exod. 23:2; Exod. 23:6; Exod. 33:7; Num. 20:17; Num. 20:21; Num. 21:15; Num. 21:22; Num. 22:23; Num. 22:26; Num. 22:33; Num. 24:6; Deut. 4:34; Deut. 5:15; Deut. 7:19; Deut. 9:29; Deut. 11:2; Deut. 16:19; Deut. 24:17; Deut. 26:8; Deut. 27:19; Jos. 8:18; Jos. 8:19; Jos. 8:26; Jos. 24:23; Jdg. 4:11; Jdg. 9:3; Jdg. 16:30; Jdg. 19:8; 1 Sam. 8:3; 1 Sam. 14:7; 2 Sam. 2:19; 2 Sam. 2:21; 2 Sam. 3:27; 2 Sam. 6:10; 2 Sam. 6:17; 2 Sam. 16:22; 2 Sam. 19:14; 2 Sam. 21:10; 2 Sam. 22:10; 1 Ki. 2:28; 1 Ki. 8:42; 1 Ki. 8:58; 1 Ki. 11:2; 1 Ki. 11:3; 1 Ki. 11:4; 1 Ki. 11:9; 2 Ki. 17:36; 2 Ki. 19:16; 2 Ki. 20:10; 2 Ki. 21:13; 1 Chr. 13:13; 1 Chr. 15:1; 1 Chr. 16:1; 1 Chr. 21:10; 1 Chr. 21:16; 2 Chr. 1:4; 2 Chr. 6:32; Ezr. 7:28; Ezr. 9:9; Job 9:8; Job 15:25; Job 15:29; Job 23:11; Job 24:4; Job 26:7; Job 31:7; Job 36:18; Job 38:5; Ps. 17:6; Ps. 17:11; Ps. 18:9; Ps. 21:11; Ps. 27:9; Ps. 31:2; Ps. 40:1; Ps. 44:18; Ps. 45:10; Ps. 49:4; Ps. 62:3; Ps. 71:2; Ps. 73:2; Ps. 78:1; Ps. 86:1; Ps. 88:2; Ps. 102:2; Ps. 102:11; Ps. 104:2; Ps. 109:23; Ps. 116:2; Ps. 119:36; Ps. 119:51; Ps. 119:112; Ps. 119:157; Ps. 125:5; Ps. 136:12; Ps. 141:4; Ps. 144:5; Prov. 1:24; Prov. 2:2; Prov. 4:5; Prov. 4:20; Prov. 4:27; Prov. 5:1; Prov. 5:13; Prov. 7:21; Prov. 17:23; Prov. 18:5; Prov. 21:1; Prov. 22:17; Isa. 3:16; Isa. 5:25; Isa. 9:12; Isa. 9:17; Isa. 9:21; Isa. 10:2; Isa. 10:4; Isa. 14:26; Isa. 14:27; Isa. 23:11; Isa. 29:21; Isa. 30:11; Isa. 31:3; Isa. 34:11; Isa. 37:17; Isa. 40:22; Isa. 42:5; Isa. 44:13; Isa. 44:20; Isa. 44:24; Isa. 45:12; Isa. 51:13; Isa. 54:2; Isa. 55:3; Isa. 66:12; Jer. 5:25; Jer. 6:4; Jer. 6:12; Jer. 7:24; Jer. 7:26; Jer. 10:12; Jer. 10:20; Jer. 11:8; Jer. 14:8; Jer. 15:6; Jer. 17:23; Jer. 21:5; Jer. 25:4; Jer. 27:5; Jer. 32:17; Jer. 32:21; Jer. 34:14; Jer. 35:15; Jer. 43:10; Jer. 44:5; Jer. 51:15; Jer. 51:25; Lam. 2:8; Lam. 3:35; Ezek. 1:22; Ezek. 6:14; Ezek. 14:9; Ezek. 14:13; Ezek. 16:27; Ezek. 20:33; Ezek. 20:34; Ezek. 25:7; Ezek. 25:13; Ezek. 25:16; Ezek. 30:25; Ezek. 35:3; Dan. 9:18; Hos. 11:4; Amos 2:7; Amos 2:8; Amos 5:12; Zeph. 1:4; Zeph. 2:13; Zech. 1:16; Zech. 12:1; Mal. 3:5 Held fast (1692) dabaq means to stick to, adhere to, cling to, join with, stay with, stay in close proximity to and which yields the noun form for "glue". Dabaq describes something that sticks or clings to something else (Ezek 29:4 and Ezekiel’s tongue to roof of his mouth Ezek. 3:26). It is interesting that one of the most concentrated uses of "dabaq" in the OT is found in this short story of Ruth (Ru 1:14, 2:8, 2:21, 23-see notes Ru 1:14; 2:8; 21; 23) -- Ruth 2:8 "stay here with my maids"; Ruth 2:21 "‘You should stay close to my servants"; Ruth 2:23 "So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz"; Dabaq often refers to physical things sticking to each other, especially parts of the body as described vividly by Job who said "My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, and I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth" (Job 19:20, cf one's tongue "stuck to their palate" Job 29:10). God speaking through Moses warned Israel to "choose life in order that you may live… by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast (dabaq) to Him" going on to explain that one should cling to Jehovah because "this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." (Dt 30:19, 20) King Hezekiah heeded this instruction and "clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses." and the result of his clinging was that "Jehovah was with him; wherever he went he prospered." (2Ki 18:6 18:7, cf : Ps 63:8) A vivid picture of the meaning of dabaq is found in David's declaration "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me." (Ps 101:3), picturing the power of sin to entrap the sinner. (Spurgeon on Ps 101:3) Dabaq also conveys the ideas of loyalty and devotion as in the first use of dabaq where "a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (Ge 2:24+) which also emphasizes the basic meaning of being intimately joined to another and of being identified with one another, even as Ruth was now committing to be "identified" no longer with the Moabites but primarily with Naomi, her people and her God. As alluded to earlier, this idea of leaving former affections and loyalties and shifting them to Jehovah is found numerous times in Deuteronomy, as for example in (Dt 10:20) where Moses instructs Israel that they are to "fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name". In this verse we also see that reverential awe (fear) of God is in part manifest by one cleaving closely to Him. This truth gives us some insight into Ruth's cleaving to Naomi and ultimately to Naomi's God. (cf Dt 11:22 23, 13:4 Josh 23:8 contrast Josh 23:12 Dt 13:17) 1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. seven hundred: Jdg 8:30,31 9:5 2Sa 3:2-5 5:13-16 2Ch 11:21 Ec 7:28 PLETHORA OF PAGAN WOMEN A bevy of beauties! Woe! He had seven hundred wives (ishshah), princesses, and three hundred concubines (pilegesh, and his wives turned (natah) his heart (leb) away - From the glory of the Temple dedication in 1Ki 8 to the depths of depravity in 1Ki 11! Concubines were legal wives but with limited inheritance rights for their children. Of course, they could still exert considerable influence on Solomon. The mention that 700 of these women were princesses suggests that his object was to enhance his renown. It is unbelievable that the man who wrote Pr 5:20–23+ and Pr 6:20–24+ would multiply wives and concubines from heathen nations. Polygamy itself was bad enough (it had caused his father David no end of trouble), but to take wives from pagan lands was deliberate disobedience to divine directives! The old saying is like father, like son. Solomon followed in the steps of his father David 2Sa 5:13+ (see note) recording "David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David." This accumulation of concubines is how the reigns of both David and Solomon fulfilled Dt 17:14 in which the people said they would "set a king over (them) like all the nations who are around." THOUGHT - Fathers, what kind of example are you setting for your children? You can rest assured it will have a major impact on their lives! Turned away is in the imperfect tense which generally signifies an incomplete, continuous, or repeated action. In this case, it indicates that Solomon's wives gradually, progressively, and repeatedly led his heart astray over time, rather than in a single moment. In other words it depicts Solomon’s turning away not as instantaneous but as a slow and continuous process. His wives didn't turn his heart away in a single act, but repeatedly influenced him over time, leading to full apostasy in his old age. The gradual nature of Solomon’s turning away emphasizes the deceptive power of sins (even "small" sins) which often works in small compromises rather than immediate, radical rebellion. Solomon apparently tolerated idol worship at first, and eventually, became fully immersed in it (1Ki 11:4-8). Finally turned away in the imperfect suggests a lifestyle of disobedience. Solomon's heart was being turned over time and eventually remained in that state. It reflects a slow but inevitable spiritual decline rather than an instant rejection of Yahweh. (SEE DISCUSSION OF Deceitfulness of Sin) David
1 Reis 11
Utley - Fertility Worship of the Ancient Near East Reasons For Ancient humans began as hunter-gatherers, but as nomadic life became settled, the need for crops and herds developed. Ancient Near Eastern inhabitants were vulnerable to the forces of nature. As civilizations developed around the major bodies of fresh water they became dependent on the regular order of the seasons with its expected dew or rain. The forces of nature became gods (i.e., animism) who needed to be supplicated. Where and Why Fertility religions developed in Egypt (Nile) Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates) Canaan (Jordan) There is a basic commonality among the fertility cults of the Ancient Near East. The changing and unpredictable seasons and weather conditions caused the development of myths using human/divine analogies as the basis of life in the spiritual realm and on earth. Who and How Who (the gods and goddesses) Egypt Isis (female) Osiris (male) Mesopotamia Ishtar/Inanna (female) Tammuz/Dumuzi (male) Canaan Ba'al (male) Asherah, Astarte, Anath (female) Each of these pairs were mythologized in similar ways one dies the other restores the pattern of dying and rising gods mimic the annual cycles of nature Imitation magic saw human sexual unions as a way of insuring fertility of crops, herds, and people (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MAGIC). The Israelites YHWH's people were warned (i.e., Leviticus and Deuteronomy) to avoid the fertility cults (especially of Canaan; see SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY). These cults were very popular because of the superstition of human beings and the added incentive of sexual activity. Idolatry involves the blessings of life to be sought in cultic or ritual ways instead of a personal faith and trust in YHWH. Suggested Reading W. F. Albright, BORROW Archaeology and the Religion of Israel J. H. Breasted, Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt James G. Frazer Adonis, Attis, Osiris Folklore in the Old Testament The Worship of Nature C. H. Gordon, Before the Bible S. N. Kramer, BORROW Mythologies of the Ancient World 1 Kings 11:6 Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done. did not follow the LORD fully: Heb. fulfilled not after, Nu 14:24 Jos 14:8,14 Related Passages: Proverbs 15:3+ The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. Numbers 14:24+ (CALEB FOLLOWED THE LORD FULLY) (Nu 32:12+, Dt 1:36+, Josh 14:14+) “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully (male), I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. Joshua 14:8-9+ (JOSHUA FOLLOWED THE LORD FULLY) "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully (male). 9 “So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully (male).’ DIVIDED HEART LEADS TO DISOBEDIENCE AND DECLINE Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD - This is almost like a summary conclusion of the previous descriptions of Solomon's compromises with pagan women and their abominable idols. When one pursues evil "gods" he will invariable invoke evil practices. Note the phrase in the sight of the LORD which is always where our sin is carried out! No one sins in secret and sadly Solomon's sin was not only not in secret but was openly carried out in the public for all Israel to witness (and be tempted by). And did not follow the LORD fully (male), as David his father had done - The two other men in Scripture who are said to have followed the LORD fully are Caleb and Joshua (See above). There is a bit of a paradoxical play on words as in 1Ki 11:5 went after evil idols that are not gods and here Solomon did not go after the true God Jehovah, the God of his father David. The fruit of David's pursuit is the collection of beautiful, soul stirring psalms but Solomon only penned 2 psalms (Ps 72, Ps 127). Could that be because Solomon did not have a song in his divided heart? Just wondering. THE SIGHT OF THE LORD (ayin yehovah) - These words are used throughout the book of Kings often to describe rulers who promoted evil including idolatry. Sight of the LORD - 93x/92v - note concentration in 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles - Gen. 38:7; Gen. 38:10; Lev. 10:19; Num. 32:13; Deut. 4:25; Deut. 6:18; Deut. 9:18; Deut. 12:25; Deut. 12:28; Deut. 13:18; Deut. 17:2; Deut. 31:29; Jdg. 2:11; Jdg. 3:7; Jdg. 3:12; Jdg. 4:1; Jdg. 6:1; Jdg. 10:6; Jdg. 13:1; 1 Sam. 12:17; 1 Sam. 15:19; 1 Sam. 26:24; 2 Sam. 11:27; 2 Sam. 15:25; 1 Ki. 3:10; 1 Ki. 11:6; 1 Ki. 14:22; 1 Ki. 15:5; 1 Ki. 15:11; 1 Ki. 15:26; 1 Ki. 15:34; 1 Ki. 16:7; 1 Ki. 16:19; 1 Ki. 16:25; 1 Ki. 16:30; 1 Ki. 21:20; 1 Ki. 21:25; 1 Ki. 22:43; 1 Ki. 22:52; 2 Ki. 3:2; 2 Ki. 3:18; 2 Ki. 8:18; 2 Ki. 8:27; 2 Ki. 12:2; 2 Ki. 13:2; 2 Ki. 13:11; 2 Ki. 14:3; 2 Ki. 14:24; 2 Ki. 15:3; 2 Ki. 15:9; 2 Ki. 15:18; 2 Ki. 15:24; 2 Ki. 15:28; 2 Ki. 15:34; 2 Ki. 16:2; 2 Ki. 17:2; 2 Ki. 17:17; 2 Ki. 18:3; 2 Ki. 21:2; 2 Ki. 21:6; 2 Ki. 21:16; 2 Ki. 21:20; 2 Ki. 22:2; 2 Ki. 23:32; 2 Ki. 23:37; 2 Ki. 24:9; 2 Ki. 24:19; 1 Chr. 2:3; 2 Chr. 14:2; 2 Chr. 20:32; 2 Chr. 21:6; 2 Chr. 22:4; 2 Chr. 24:2; 2 Chr. 25:2; 2 Chr. 26:4; 2 Chr. 27:2; 2 Chr. 28:1; 2 Chr. 29:2; 2 Chr. 29:6; 2 Chr. 33:2; 2 Chr. 33:6; 2 Chr. 33:22; 2 Chr. 34:2; 2 Chr. 36:5; 2 Chr. 36:9; 2 Chr. 36:12; Ps. 116:15; Isa. 49:5; Jer. 52:2; Mal. 2:17; Lk. 1:15; 2 Co. 8:21 1 Kings 11:7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. built a high place: Lev 26:30 Nu 33:52 2Ki 21:2,3 23:13,14 Ps 78:58 Eze 20:28,29 Chemosh : Nu 21:29 Jdg 11:24 Jer 48:13 detestable idol: De 13:14 17:3,4 27:15 Isa 44:19 Eze 18:12 Da 11:31 12:11 Rev 17:4,5 the mountain which is east of Jerusalem: Ge 33:2 2Sa 15:30 2Ki 23:13 Zec 14:4 Mt 26:30 Ac 1:9,12 Related Passages: Leviticus 26:30+ (THIS IS IN THE SECTION OF THIS CHAPTER DESCRIBING THE CURSES ON ISRAEL FOR THEIR PERSISTENT DISOBEDIENCE) ‘I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. 2 Kings 23:13 The high places (bamah) which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction (MOUNT OF OLIVES) which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. Deuteronomy 17:1-6+ “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep which has a blemish or any defect, for that is a detestable thing to the LORD your God. 2 “If there is found in your midst, in any of your towns, which the LORD your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, by transgressing His covenant, 3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded, 4 and if it is told you and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the thing certain that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, 5 then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed to your gates, that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them to death. 6 “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness. SOLOMON DEFILES THE MOUNT OF OLIVES! Then - This time phrase usually marks progression in a narrative, and in this context a very sad progression! By this time in Solomon's spiritual declension, he is surely virtually totally deceived. Remember that when a person is truly deceived, by definition they do not even realize they are deceived! Such appears to be Solomon's state of mind at this time! Solomon built a high place (bamah; Lxx - hupselos) for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol (shiqquts) of the sons of Ammon This is one of the most incredible (and saddest) verses in the OT (in my opinion) for the same one who built the Holy Temple, now constructs and unholy high place for the detestable idol Chemosh and he does this on the Mount of Olives, the mountain which is east of Jerusalem. And in 2Ki 23:13 high places is plural indicating Solomon had built one not only for Chemosh but also fo Ashtoreth and Milcom. According to Dt 17:5+ it seems that Solomon should have been stoned to death! Oh, the great mercies of God! One might say that Solomon was "all in" on the idol train! Recall that in 1 Kings 3:3+ our writer records that "Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, EXCEPT he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places." It seems that high places were accepted by Yahweh at that time, but once the Temple was completed there was no need for high places. And here Solomon even builds one, ironically directly east across the Kidron Valley from the Temple which was facing toward the east! It is as if Solomon was saying by this action "in Your face" God! That may be a bit harsh but it is not far from the truth! Chemosh (כְּמוֹשׁ, Kemosh) (See lengthy article in ISBE) was the national deity of the Moabites and was regarded as "detestable" (toevah, תּוֹעֵבָה) in the Bible due to his association with idolatry, child sacrifice, and immoral worship practices. Jeremiah 48:7, 13, 46 Prophecies of Moab’s downfall mention Chemosh’s failure to protect his people, emphasizing his powerlessness. Numbers 21:29 Calls the Moabites “the people of Chemosh”, highlighting their devotion to this deity. Chemosh, like Molech, was likely worshiped through human sacrifices, particularly burning children alive as offerings. The Moabite Stone (Mesha Stele) (9th century BC) confirms that Moabites offered people to Chemosh. It records that King Mesha of Moab sacrificed his own son to Chemosh during a military crisis. Chemosh is often associated with Molech, the Ammonite god, because both were linked to child sacrifice. Some scholars believe Chemosh and Baal were worshiped together, as both were fertility and war deities. Solomon’s support for Chemosh’s worship marked a tragic departure from faithfulness, bringing divine judgment upon his kingdom. (Chemosh article in Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible) Human sacrifice among the Israelites is first explicitly attested under Ahaz in Judah (2 Ki 16:3), and under Hoshea (2Ki 17:17) in Israel. Note that these idolatrous "high places" of Solomon stayed in existence almost 300 years until Josiah read the book of the Law which had been lost and was found in the House of God. Upon hearing the words King Josiah (2Ki 22:8-11) tore his clothes and subsequently destroyed the high places... The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. 14 He broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with human bones. (2Ki 23:13-14) High places (01116) bamah Six activities seem to be related to high places -- burning of incense, sacrificing, eating of sacrificial meals, praying, prostitution, child sacrifice (cf. bama in the valley, Je7:31). The first use in Lev 26:30+ is God's declaration to Israel "I will destroy your high places." In Dt 32:13 speaking of Jacob (Israel) He declared "He made him ride on the high places of the earth," so clearly some uses of bamah are not negative. In a similar use God says Israel "you will tread upon their (Israel's enemies') high places." Another positive use is Psalm 18:33 where David declared Jehovah "makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me upon my high places." (cp Hab 3:19 - NET Note = David "compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.", cp Isa 58:14) We see he effect of Israel's high places on Jehovah in Ps 78:58 = "For they provoked Him with their high places and aroused His jealousy with their graven images." A sad phrase that is repeated again and again (speaking of Israel) is "the high places were not taken away" (1Ki 15:14, 2Chr 15:17 = King Asa but notice he did remove some of them - 2Chr 14:3, 5, 1Ki 22:43, 2Chr 20:33 = King Jehoshaphat, 2Ki 12:3 = King Jehoash, 2Ki 14:4 = King Amaziah, 2Ki 15:4 = King Azariah, 2Ki 15:35 = King Jotham son of Uzziah and look what his son did in 2Ki 16:1-4!, 2Chr 20:33). In many of these passages the context was of a king doing "spiritual house cleaning" so to speak and yet still failing to remove the high places. Isn't sin that way? We confess one or two sins but we have a little pet sin (better a "venomous viper") that we just don't have the heart to kill! God grant us spiritual eyes and hearts to learn from Israel's mistakes. Amen! Some kings like Hezekiah (1Ki 18:4, 2Chr 31:1, Isa 36:7) and Josiah (2Ki 23:4,8, 13, 15, 19-20, 2Chr 34:3 cp prophecy about Josiah 300 years earlier = 1Ki 13:2) did destroy the high places, but in Hezekiah's case his own son Manasseh rebuilt them (2Ki 21:1-2, 3, 2Chr 33:3) and in Josiah's case the people rebuilt them! We see the spiritual effect of high places on the people when King Jehoram (2Chr 21:5-10) "made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray." (2Chr 21:11) BAMAH - 91V - heights(3), high place(19), high places(76), places(1), waves(1). Lev. 26:30; Num. 22:41; Num. 33:52; Deut. 32:13; Deut. 33:29; 1 Sam. 9:12; 1 Sam. 9:13; 1 Sam. 9:14; 1 Sam. 9:19; 1 Sam. 9:25; 1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Sam. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:19; 2 Sam. 1:25; 2 Sam. 22:34; 1 Ki. 3:2; 1 Ki. 3:3; 1 Ki. 3:4; 1 Ki. 11:7; 1 Ki. 12:31; 1 Ki. 12:32; 1 Ki. 13:2; 1 Ki. 13:32; 1 Ki. 13:33; 1 Ki. 14:23; 1 Ki. 15:14; 1 Ki. 22:43; 2 Ki. 12:3; 2 Ki. 14:4; 2 Ki. 15:4; 2 Ki. 15:35; 2 Ki. 16:4; 2 Ki. 17:9; 2 Ki. 17:11; 2 Ki. 17:29; 2 Ki. 17:32; 2 Ki. 18:4; 2 Ki. 18:22; 2 Ki. 21:3; 2 Ki. 23:5; 2 Ki. 23:8; 2 Ki. 23:9; 2 Ki. 23:13; 2 Ki. 23:15; 2 Ki. 23:19; 2 Ki. 23:20; 1 Chr. 16:39; 1 Chr. 21:29; 2 Chr. 1:3; 2 Chr. 1:13; 2 Chr. 11:15; 2 Chr. 14:3; 2 Chr. 14:5; 2 Chr. 15:17; 2 Chr. 17:6; 2 Chr. 20:33; 2 Chr. 21:11; 2 Chr. 28:4; 2 Chr. 28:25; 2 Chr. 31:1; 2 Chr. 32:12; 2 Chr. 33:3; 2 Chr. 33:17; 2 Chr. 33:19; 2 Chr. 34:3; Job 9:8; Ps. 18:33; Ps. 78:58; Isa. 14:14; Isa. 15:2; Isa. 16:12; Isa. 36:7; Isa. 58:14; Jer. 7:31; Jer. 17:3; Jer. 19:5; Jer. 26:18; Jer. 32:35; Jer. 48:35; Ezek. 6:3; Ezek. 6:6; Ezek. 16:16; Ezek. 20:29; Ezek. 36:2; Hos. 10:8; Amos 4:13; Amos 7:9; Mic. 1:3; Mic. 1:5; Mic. 3:12; Hab. 3:19 1 Kings 11:8 Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. all his foreign wives: 1Ki 11:1 Eze 16:22-29 Ho 4:11,12 1Co 10:11,12,20-22 IDOL WORSHIP PRACTICED BY ALL PAGAN WIVES Thus also he did for all his foreign (nokriy) wives, who burned incense (qatar; Lxx - thumiao) and sacrificed (02076) zabach) to their gods (Elohim; Lxx - eidolon = idols) - Note the adjective all. One gets the sense that there were pagan altars scattered all across the landscape. When you fall into sin, the abyss is deep and you end up doing things you would have never dreamed of doing. Note that the text never specifically says Solomon personally worshiped the idols in the temples but 1Ki 11:10,11 certainly seems to imply that he was an idol worshiper. Burned incense (06999)(qatar from qetoreth = smoke, odor of burning sacrifice, incense) means to produce smoke, to cause to rise up in smoke, smoke, turn into fragrance by fire (esp as act of worship), burn (incense, sacrifice) (upon), (altar for) incense, kindle, offer (incense, a sacrifice). Often smoke is made by burning incense, but every major offering may also be associated with this word (Ex. 30:7; Lev. 1:9; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10; 7:5). One unusual use of this term describes Solomon’s carriage as perfumed with myrrh and incense (Song 3:6). The first three uses in Ex 29 all refer to offer up in smoke on the altar (Ex 29:13, 18, 25). Qatar is often found in same sentence as priest, the one who offers the sacrifice up in smoke and not surprisingly is a KEY WORD in the book of Leviticus, especially the first 7 chapters which deal in great detail with the various prescribed offerings. A sad use of qatar is in the description of King Solomon who "loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense (Lxx = thumiao = to burn so as to produce smoke) on the high places" (1Ki 3:3, cp 1Ki 22:43, cp "high place were not taken away" = 2Ki 12:3, 14:4, 15:4, 35, 16:4, 17:11) although he did "burn incense" (qatar) before the LORD (1Ki 9:25). When Solomon married many foreign wives, they turned his heart away so that he even burned incense and sacrificed to their gods (1Ki 11:8). In short, King Solomon practiced IDOLATRY, which serves as a strong caution to every believer that is not how we begin (read his early prayers - 1Ki 8:23, 63) but how we finish the race! (2Ti 4:7+) Because Israel forsook God and burned incense (qatar; Lxx = thumiao) to idols, they incurred His righteous wrath. (2Ki 22:17) Qatar is often translated "burning incense" (qatar; Lxx = thumiao) as in Isa 65:3 where the Septuagint adds that they burned incense on bricks to devils (daimonion = heathen gods, demons) who do not even exist! (cp Jer 1:16 "offered sacrifices" to other gods and in Jer 7:9, 32:29 even to Baal!) In fact the repeated refrain in Jeremiah is that God's people instead of burning sacrifices to Yahweh, offered sacrifices to other gods! (Jer 11:12, 13, 17, 18:15, 19:4, 13, Jer 44:3, 5, 8, 23). In spite of Israel's overt idolatrous rebellion, in His great mercy God promises that "the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn (qatar) grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.'" (Jer 33:18) In Hosea, God says that the more He (through the prophets) called His people Israel, "The more they went from them; They kept sacrificing to the Baals And burning incense (Lxx = thumiao) to idols." (Hos 11:2) In a prophecy to be most completely fulfilled in the Millennial Kingdom God says "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered (actually 2 Hebrew verbs - nagash = to draw near or approach + qatar) to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts." (Mal 1:11) 1 Kings 11:9 Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, angry: Ex 4:14 Nu 12:9 De 3:26 9:8,20 2Sa 6:7 11:27 1Ch 21:7 Ps 78:58-60 90:7,8 his heart: 1Ki 11:2,3 De 7:4 Pr 4:23 Isa 29:13,14 Ho 4:11 2Ti 4:10 which had appeared: 1Ki 3:5 9:2 THE JEALOUSY OF YAHWEH BOILS OVER IN ANGER Now - This time phrase marks a major turning point in Solomon's story. God’s blessings are given by grace, but they are enjoyed by obedience. -- Axiomatic Principle The LORD was angry (anaph; Lxx - orgizo - become furious) with Solomon because (term of explanation) his heart (lebab; Lxx - kardia) was turned away (natah) from the LORD, the God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice - The reason for God’s judgment of Solomon is clear: his heart had turned away from the Lord (1Ki 11:4). The last phrase the God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice makes Solomon's turning away from Yahweh all the more inexcusable, for he had experienced two personal appearances of God and he had been bless in the first appearance with wisdom, riches and fame. And yet now he turns away from his Benefactor, which shows the power of the fallen flesh which hates God and is set on fire by Solomon's passions for his wives. As an aside, what a contrast Solomon presents with Job when he has a personal encounter with the LORD (see Job 1:1, Job 42:5-6) When jealousy is attributed to God, the word is used in a good sense. The language is, of course, anthropomorphic; and it is based upon the feeling in a husband of exclusive right in his wife (SEE ISRAEL THE WIFE OF JEHOVAH). God is conceived as having wedded Israel to Himself, and as claiming, therefore, exclusive devotion. Disloyalty on the part of Israel and here of the king of Israel is represented as adultery, and as provokes God to jealousy. See Dt 32:16,21; 1 Ki 14:22; Ps 78:58; Ezek 8:3; 16:38,42; 23:25; 36:5; 38:19. Dale Ralph Davis: His anger flows out of His jealousy for supreme place in his people’s worship and affection (and jealousy is simply the character of any love that is worth its salt when that love has an exclusive claim). But our culture is shocked by the Lord’s anger, for he does not conform to canonical human expectations. And—as we’ve said before—Yahweh is unique among ancient Near Eastern gods, goddesses, and godlets. No pagan deity demanded exclusive devotion of his/her worshipers. And the anger of the biblical Yahweh bothers contemporary man because it clearly tells him that the God of the Bible is not a pluralist. He does not fit our times and mentality. Why should he be so irate because someone (like Solomon) wants to spread his liturgical devotion around, to expose himself to other religious traditions, or to broaden one’s horizons by investigating alternate forms of human spirituality? Folks in our time want no truck with a God who will brook no rival, nor do they want to face Yahweh-in-the-flesh who sits on Galilee’s shore, peers across the fire, and assumes he has the right to keep probing us about our love for him (John 21:15–17). Matthew Henry makes an interesting comment -- "The Lord told Solomon, it is likely by a prophet, what he must expect for his apostasy. Though we have reason to hope that he repented, and found mercy, yet the Holy Ghost did not expressly record it, but left it doubtful, as a warning to others not to sin. The guilt may be taken away, but not the reproach; that will remain. Thus it must remain uncertain to us till the day of judgment, whether or not Solomon was left to suffer the everlasting displeasure of an offended God." (WOE!) QUESTION - Was Solomon saved? ANSWER - Of course, Solomon lived in the Old Testament dispensation and thus did not experience being “born again” or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for that was not possible before the Christ’s ascension and the birth of the church (see John 16:7). The terms born again and saved (in the sense of eternal salvation) are New Testament terms. That kind of language is not used of Old Testament saints. So, when we speak of Solomon’s being “saved,” we are simply referring to his justification before God and his presence in heaven today. King Solomon was greatly used by God in many ways. He received wisdom and riches from God. He built a beautiful temple because God chose him for that, and God’s presence later dwelt there. Solomon’s dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 is a humble, awe-filled occasion marked by thousands of sacrifices and a prayer overflowing with faith and praise. God used Solomon to write three books of the Bible: Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. God said concerning Solomon, “I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father” (1 Chronicles 28:6). Surely, these facts allow us to surmise that Solomon was saved and is in heaven today. On the other hand, King Solomon also sinned greatly against the Lord (1 Kings 11:3–13). Sadly, he married pagan wives, built pagan altars for them, and even participated in pagan worship himself. The only reason God did not immediately take the kingdom from Solomon was that God wanted to keep His covenant with David (1 Kings 11:12). The record of Solomon’s sins, plus the dismal tone in Ecclesiastes, has led some to suggest that Solomon was not saved and is not in heaven today. Some point to the fact that Solomon is not mentioned in the great hall of faith of Hebrews 11 as another clue that he was not saved. However, many other Old Testament characters are not mentioned there, either, and Hebrews 11 was never intended to be a comprehensive list of the redeemed. Just as in the life of David, there were periods of disobedience in Solomon’s life that required confession and repentance. Do believers today ever sin? Of course they do. The actions of God’s people don’t always match up with what they profess. When believers stumble, they should confess their sins and receive God’s promised cleansing (1 John 1:9). We know that David did exactly that (Psalm 51). Did Solomon? Yes, we believe he did. The book of Ecclesiastes is a dark study on a life lived apart from God. Solomon looks back over his wasted years and finds no joy in them, only futility, vanity, and “a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). But he had learned his lesson—albeit the hard way—and he wraps up the book with this advice: “Now all has been heard; / here is the conclusion of the matter: / Fear God and keep his commandments, / for this is the duty of all mankind. / For God will bring every deed into judgment, / including every hidden thing, / whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14). This surely sounds like a man who has returned to the Lord and is trusting in Him. (ED: WHILE THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT FOR THAT HE WAS "SAVED," I CERTAINLY CAN'T ARGUE WITH IT AND I AGREE THAT THE TEXT OF ECCLESIASTES SUGGESTS SOLOMON WAS A MAN WHO HAD A GENUINE CHANGE OF HEART. ) Of course, the ultimate answer to whether or not Solomon was saved rests with God, not with us. Salvation is in the hands of God and God alone because, as Scripture says, God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). But we believe that Solomon did trust in God and, in spite of his disobedience, was a son of God. His writings clearly speak of a man who had a personal relationship with God and knew firsthand the folly of living without God. We assume that, upon his death, Solomon went to paradise. Despite his failures and shortcomings, Solomon was saved, by grace through faith, just as we are today. 1 Kings 11:10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. commanded: 1Ki 6:12-13 1Ki 9:4-7 2Ch 7:17-22 Related Passages: 1 Kings 6:12-13 “Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13 “I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.” 1 Kings 9:4-7 “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, 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.’ 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 set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 2 Chronicles 7:17-22 “As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’ 19 “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 “As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22 “And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’” WARNING UNHEEDED WALKING UNHINGED And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods - Solomon knew better, but paid no attention to God's commandment. God should have severely punished him at the outset of Solomon's heinous, godless pursuit of women, but there is no record if he did. And so with acquisition of each new pagan wife (and her idol) (AND NO OBVIOUS DIVINE REPERCUSSIONS), Solomon's foolish bravado grew more brazen. A king who actually engaged in idolatry is said to have “served” other gods (cf. 1 Ki 16:31; 22:53; 2 Ki 16:3 etc.). The phrase “went after other gods” is sometimes used of actual idolatry (Dt 11:28; 13:2; 28:14); but in the majority of passages, even this phrase is joined to some more precise phrase (e.g., “and served them” or “and worshiped them”) when participatory idolatry is intended. But he did not observe (shamar; Lxx = phulasso - guard + poieo - to do) what the LORD had commanded - This statement of course is an UNDER-statement in the present context. 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. have not kept My covenant Isa 29:13,14 I will surely: 1Ki 11:31 12:15,16,20 Nu 14:23,35 1Sa 2:30-32 13:13,14 15:26-28 2Sa 12:9-12 THE COST FOR BREAKING COVENANT Charles Swindoll sees the key verses in 1 Kings as 1Ki 9:3-9, God's answer to Solomon's prayer and his conditional promises and warnings and 1Ki 11:11-13. See chart. So - Term of conclusion - Divine discipline is now dished out based on Solomon's disobedience. How did Yahweh speak to Solomon? The text does not say. It could have been through a prophet or it could have been directly (as in a dream, etc). There is no evidence however that Yahweh appeared to Solomon for a third time. The LORD (Jehovah) said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and you have not kept (shamar; Lxx - phulasso - guarded) My covenant (beriyth) and My statutes, which I have commanded you - Solomon has been unfaithful to God's covenant and would now suffer the consequences. Solomon failed to obey the commandments to honor God (Ex 20:3-6+), which were part of the Mosaic Covenant. Obedience to that Covenant was necessary for receiving the blessings of the Davidic Covenant (1Ki 2:3, 4+). I will surely tear (qara; Lxx - diarresso) the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant ('ebed; Lxx - doulos) - Solomon's punishment was not so much personal but national because he was the representative of the nation. Note that God will not give the 10 tribes to Solomon's son. The Lord’s tearing of the kingdom from Solomon was announced in Ahijah’s symbolic action of tearing his garment in 1Ki 11:29-39. The tearing of the robe, picturing the loss of the kingdom, recalls the interaction between Samuel and Saul (1 Sa 15:27, 28+), when the Lord took the kingdom away from Saul because of his disobedience. The great gifts to Solomon followed by his great abuse warranted such a judgment. THOUGHT - Look out folks! Personal sin does not just have personal consequences (which it always does) but may (usually will) affect others. For persistently disobedience fathers this is especially true of the ripple effect in their family. So beware! Kill sin lest it be killing you and your loved ones. 1 Kings 11:12 "Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. in your days: 1Ki 21:29 2Ki 20:17,19 22:19,20 David: 1Sa 9:4,5 Ge 12:2 19:29 THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL Nevertheless - Term of contrast, in this case introducing divine mercy. THOUGHT - Note that the Spirit inspired commentary on Solomon found in 1 Chronicles concludes with the account of his glory, but overlooks his years of failure and decline! This is similar to Chronicles omission of David's horrible sins of adultery and murder in 2Sa 11:1ff+. Beloved, this is not God "white washing" the sins of either Solomon or David, but to me shows that God's "default mode" is to show mercy to sinners and not to continually remind sinners of their past shameful actions! I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David - We see God's mercy toward Solomon. Because David confessed and recognized his sin, his life with God was essentially one of continuing fellowship. Solomon, on the other hand, took a direction from which there is no definitive record of a return (but see note). Notice the "ripple effect" of David's godly life! It prevented more severe consequences on his son Solomon! This also demonstrates that Solomon’s disobedience did not annul the Davidic Covenant which remained firm and would be fulfilled in the greater Son of David, Jesus Christ (2Sa 7:12–16). but I will tear it out of the hand of your son - The sovereign God (History is "His-story") will orchestrate and carry out the division of Israel. Yahweh’s judgment does not involve cancellation of Yahweh’s promise. Dale Ralph Davis: Clearly the principle is: Yahweh’s judgment does not involve cancellation of Yahweh’s promise. When Yahweh announced his judgment to Solomon he placed two restrictions on it: not now (1Ki 11:12) and not all (1Ki 11:13). Ahijah underscored these same qualifications to Jeroboam (1Ki 11:32, 34, 36). The judgment will be delayed in time (in the days of Solomon’s son) and restricted in extent (Solomon’s son gets one tribe). And why these restrictions? Because Yahweh has made previous commitments, previous choices. Yahweh has an elect person (David, 1Ki 11:34) and an elect place (Jerusalem, 1Ki 11:32, 36); covenant king and covenant worship are non-negotiables. They cannot be completely obliterated. Jeroboam’s rule must take place within these confines (1Ki 11:35, 37–38). 1Ki 11:39 implicitly suggests the restoration of David’s line to full strength: “So I will afflict the seed of David because of this—but not all the days.” Yahweh’s promise then may be eclipsed but not eliminated. 1Ki 11:39 states the principle in a nutshell: affliction but not abandonment. The rays of hope flicker from behind the clouds of judgment. 1 Kings 11:13 "However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen." However,: 1Ki 11:39 2Sa 7:15,16 1Ch 17:13,14 Ps 89:33-37 one tribe: 1Ki 11:35,36 12:20 David: 1Ki 11:11,12,32 De 9:5 2Ki 13:23 19:34 Ps 89:49 132:1,17 Isa 9:7 Jer 33:17-26 Lu 1:32,33 Jerusalem: De 12:5,11 2Ki 21:4 23:27 Ps 132:13,14 Isa 14:32 62:1,7 Jer 33:15,16 Related Passages: 2 Chronicles 6:6 but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ Psalm 132:13-14 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. 14“This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. THE RESIDUAL KINGDOM LEFT TO SOLOMON'S SON However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen - Note God is depicted as the One carrying out the tearing away. He would use human instruments, but they would (unknowingly) carry out His will. God would tear away the kingdom, but not the whole kingdom as it was from Saul (1Sa 15.28; 1Sa 28.17-18). God shows mercy leaving one tribe (actually Judah and little Benjamin in the confines of Judah) and gives the two reasons for this mercy - (1) David and (2) the City of God, Jerusalem, the place His Name would dwell forever (1Ki 9:3). For the sake of David is a repeated theme in 1-2 Kings - 1Ki 11.34; 1Ki 15.4; 2Ki 8.19; 2Ki 19.34; 2Ki 20.6) It is interesting that God says "My servant David," but God never specifically designated Solomon as His servant. Utley makes an interesting observation that "This one tribe is really four tribes - Judah, Simeon (incorporated early), Benjamin (closeness to Judah) and Levi (priests). J R Miller - Solomon's Sin 1 Kings 11 The religion of Solomon has been much discussed. It has been generally supposed that he was not as good a man as David. Yet David was not ideal in his religious character. He had grave defects. The often quoted saying, that he was a man after God's own heart, probably had chief reference to his conduct as a king—rather than to his personal moral life. The name of Solomon was not stained by such crimes and cruelties as was David's. He began his life worthily, showing a sincere desire to please God. He delighted in the worship of God. In building the temple he showed devoutness. His prayer at the dedication of the temple ranks among the most remarkable "devotional utterances to be found in pre-Christian devotional literature." Just when Solomon's apostasy began, we do not know. "When he was old" is the only indication of the time in the Scripture. The nature and extent of his departure from the Lord are not definitely defined. It is said that his wives turned away his heart after other gods. He loved many foreign wives—and these drew him from his loyalty to Jehovah. A good wife is a great blessing to a man. Many a man owes everything to his wife. Many great men who have risen to honor and power and to noble character, have said that they owed it all to their wives. But Solomon made two mistakes: First, he had too many wives. Any plural number is too many. One wife is "a good thing," if she is a faithful and true woman; but more than one brings a curse, and not a blessing. Solomon had many wives, and it is no wonder that they turned both his head and his heart. The other mistake was that his wives were not godly women. He did not follow God's counsel in choosing his wives—but married heathen women. They did not convert to the faith of Solomon's house—but remained heathen in the holy city. They must have chapels and priests for their different gods, and in the very shadow of the temple, the smoke arose from many a heathen altar. At first Solomon only permitted these ceremonies, tolerating all religions; but later, as he grew older, he attended upon the rites, and his heart was turned away after heathen deities. These foreign wives were from the very tribes which the Israelites had been commanded to destroy utterly. "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, 'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.' Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and hisheart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been." 1 Kings 11:1-4 Thus his religious life was wrecked! The lesson has its solemn warning for all young people, not to form intimate relations with those who are wicked. To do so almost surely leads to apostasy from God and to ruin in the end. It is pathetic to note that it was in his old age that Solomon was thus led away. Many men stand through their middle life and past it, and then in their advanced years depart from God and fall into sin. His heart was turned away after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God. The trouble was in his heart. It was his heart that was turned away—not his head. It was not a change of theological views or opinions that led to his defection. His heart was not perfect in its loyalty. The life follows the heart wherever it leads. The heart determines the character; the heart is the character, as God sees it. It is the heart, therefore, that needskeeping with all diligence. Solomon's heart wholly devoted in its aim and motive to God and His service. None but Christ was ever perfect in character. David's heart is here referred to as perfect. Yet he was not free from sin. He was perfect in his loyalty to God. He never turned away after any other gods. He fell once into sad sin—but his deep penitence afterwards shows how true was the cleaving of his life to God. David had an undivided heart for God; Solomon had a corner in his heart for the Lord, and then other corners for the gods of all the other nations. The Master said: "You cannot serve God—and mammon." No one can serve the Lord—and any other god. We need to be on our guard against this Solomonian religion. There is plenty of it all about us. It is very broad Church, and liberal. It abhors the preaching of the severe truths of God's Word about sin and damnation, and about holiness. It sends well-nigh everybody to heaven, and regards hell as a mere fable. It calls strict Christians puritanic or strait-laced, and finds no use for such psalms as the Fifty-first. It is not hard to see in this verse, however, which of the two kinds of religion pleases God the better and which leads to the better end. If what his religion did for Solomon is a fair sample of the outcome of that sort of religion—it does not appear to be quite satisfactory. The turning of Solomon from the Lord was very serious. It was not negative merely. It did not end with a change of opinion. "He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods." 1 Kings 11:5-8. His apostasy was complete. He seems to have abandoned the temple which he had built for the Lord. At least he built chapels and shrines for all the gods of his wives and worshiped in them, degrading Jehovah to the level of the idols of the heathen nations! No wonder that Solomon lost the favor of the true God. All God's promises to him were conditioned upon his obedience and faithfulness. "The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord." We must not forget God's uncompromising hatred of sin, and His inflexible justice—while we extol His mercy and love. It is utterly impossible for us to turn away from Him, and yet have Him remain near to us in His gracious, favoring presence. We cannot leave His ways—and hope to have Him walk with us. Holiness of heart and life is the unvarying condition of divine blessing. God does not withdraw His love from His children when they sin—but He does withdraw His approving smile, without which life withers; and the blessedness of His favor can be restored only when we come back to Him from our wanderings with penitence and renewed consecration to obedience and holy living. The fact that the Lord had graciously appeared twice to Solomon is noted as an element of aggravation in his sin. Matthew
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Utley - EDOM AND ISRAEL A. Edom is the nation east of the Dead Sea, which came from Esau, Jacob's brother (cf. Genesis 25-28; 32-33). Edom means "red" while Esau means "hairy" (cf. Gen 25:25, 30). B. Israel was commanded to respect Edom because they were kinsmen (cf. Deut. 23:7) C. Israel and Edom had continuing problems. 1. Num. 20:14-21 2. Jdgs. 11:16-17 3. 1 Sam. 14:47-48 4. 2 Sam. 8:14 5. 1 Kgs. 11:14-22 6. 2 Kgs. 14:22; 16:5-6 7. 2 Chr. 20:10-30; 21:8ff 8. Amos 1:6, 9 D. Prophecies against Edom. 1. Isa. 34:5ff; 63:1ff 2. Jer. 49:7-22 3. Lam. 4:21-22 4. Ezek. 25:12-14; 35:1-15; 36:2-6 5. Amos 1:11-12 E. In Obadiah, Edom was condemned because of 1. her pride, Oba 1:3-4 a. in geographical security b. in political alliances and military power c. in commercial wealth d. in traditional wisdom 2. her violation of Judah, her kinsman, Oba 1:10-14 a. rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem (Lam. 2:15-17; 4:21) b. refused to help (Oba 1:11) c. active support of enemy (Oba 1:14) d. took Judah's property (Jer. 13:19) 3. her rejection and disdain of YHWH (Oba 1:16) F. Edom may be a symbol (type) for all nations who rebelled against God and His people, Oba 1:15-21 (cf. Psalm 2). G. Possible historical fulfilment of this prophecy 1. destruction of Edom by Neo-Babylon about 5 years after the fall of Jerusalem, 580 b.c. 2. displacement of Edom from Petra by Nabatean Arabs about 550-449 b.c. (cf. Mal. 1:2-5). Edom is not mentioned in Nehemiah's list of surrounding enemies, but is replaced by Arab tribes. Edom moved to the Negev. 3. defeat of Edom by Alexander's general, Antigonus in 312 b.c. (recorded in Diodorus Seculus) 4. defeat of Edom in the Negev by Judah Maccabaeus around 175 b.c. (cf. I Maccabees 5.3,15; II Maccabees 10.15; Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews 12.8.1; 13.9.1 5. Edom forced to accept Judaism by John Hyrcanus in 125 b.c. They are now called Idumeans. 6. The Roman General, Titus, completely destroyed the Idumean influence in a.d. 70. 1 Kings 11:15 For it came about, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck down every male in Edom when David: 2Sa 8:14 1Ch 18:12,13 Ps 60:1 *title Ps 108:10 after he had: Ge 25:23 27:40 Nu 24:18,19 De 20:13 Mal 1:2,3 struck down every male in Edom: Nu 31:17 Related Passages: 2 Samuel 8:13-14+ So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Arameans in the Valley of Salt. 14 He put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD helped David wherever he went. 1 Chronicles 18:12-13 Moreover Abishai (JOAB'S BROTHER) the son of Zeruiah defeated 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD helped David wherever he went. Hadad Raised Up - Edom on South & East ESV Global Study Bible DAVID CONQUERS THE EDOMITES For it came about, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck down every male in Edom - Note "every male" is hyperbole as one male named Hadad clearly escaped. David and Joab (and his brother Abishai) conquered Edom (2Sa 8:13-14), and Joab killed most of the Edomite males to weaken any future rebellion. One of the royal line of the Edomites named Hadad escaped as a child and fled to Egypt while Joab was still in Edom. Recall that Joab had shed innocent blood in the time of peace in 1Ki 2:5 so he is notorious for his ruthlessness in military matters, which surely will add to the enmity that arose in the heart of Hadad. 1 Kings 11:16 (for Joab and all Israel stayed there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom), JOAB KILLED MOST OF THE MALE EDOMITES (for Joab and all Israel stayed there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom) - As noted above every male in Edom is hyperbole. Six months indicates Joab led a long-term occupation of Edom to ensure total control. Cut off every male means that Joab conducted a systematic extermination of the male population, a common war strategy in the ancient world to prevent future uprisings. This genocide of Edomite males was intended to cripple the Edomite military and end their resistance. The conquest of Edom was crucial because it controlled key trade routes. 1 Kings 11:17 that Hadad fled to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, while Hadad was a young boy. Hadad: Ex 2:1-10 2Sa 4:4 2Ki 11:2 Mt 2:13,14 HADAD THE EDOMITE ESCAPED TO EGYPT That Hadad fled to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, while Hadad was a young boy - God providentially ordained that Hadad would escape Joab's male massacre. Clearly Israel's ignominious defeat of Edom is something that stayed with Hadad all his life and motivated him to leave comfort in Egypt to return and seek vindication against Israel led by David's son Solomon. It is interesting that a second adversary Jeroboam would also seek asylum in Egypt (1Ki 11:40). 1 Kings 11:18 They arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him food and gave him land. Midian: Ge 25:2,4 Nu 22:4 25:6,14,18 Paran: Ge 14:6 21:21 Nu 10:12 De 1:1 33:2 Hab 3:3 They arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him food and gave him land NET NOTE - Heb "and they arose from Midian and went to Paran and they took men with them from Paran and went to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and he gave to him a house and food and he said to him, and a land he gave to him." Something seems to be accidentally omitted after "and he said to him." Probably not the Midian east of the Red Sea, to which Moses fled, (Ex 2:15, etc.) but the Midian east of the Dead Sea, and south of Moab. These Midianites, whose daughters seduced the Israelites to commit idolatry (Nu 22:4, 7; 25:15; 31:2, etc.) were descendants of Midian, son of Abraham, (Ge 25:2.) Their capital city was called Midian, and its remains were to be seen in the time of Eusebius and Jerome: it was situated on the Arnon, south of the city Ar, or Areopolis. Probably the city of Paran, or the district around it, situated in the south of Idumea, and according to Eusebius, three days' journey east from Elah or Elath, at the head of the eastern branch, or Elamitic gulf of the Red Sea 1 Kings 11:19 Now Hadad found great favor before Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. found: Ge 39:4,21 Ac 7:10,21 gave: Ge 41:45 Tahpenes: Jer 43:7-9 Now Hadad found great favor before Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen - God's hand of providence saw to it that Hadad would be raised to a position of prominence. 1 Kings 11:20 The sister of Tahpenes bore his son Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh. weaned: Ge 21:7 1Sa 1:24 The sister of Tahpenes bore his son Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh - William Barnes suggest sister of Tahpenes "may also be translated as "the sister of the Tahpenes (that is, the queen mother)," as argued both by Cogan and Kitchen. The term "Tahpenes" is therefore an Egyptian title, not a proper name." (See 1-2 Kings - Page 110) 1 Kings 11:21 But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Send me away, that I may go to my own country." Hadad: 1Ki 2:10,34 Ex 4:19 Mt 2:20 Send me away Ge 45:24 Jos 2:21 1Sa 9:26 2Sa 3:21 DAVID'S DEATH STIRRED HADAD TO RETURN TO EDOM But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Send me away, that I may go to my own country - The departure of David and Joab were seen by Hadad as his opportunity to return to Edom, which was clearly in God's providential plan. William
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Utley - "the forced labor of the house of Joseph" There is conflicting evidence in Kings about to whom this "forced labor" refers. only conquered peoples, cf. 2 Sam. 20:24; 1 Kgs. 9:20-21; 1 Chr. 22:2; 2 Chr. 2:17-18 (i.e., following Deut. 20:11) servants of the King of Tyre (cf. 2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kgs. 5:6) only non-military, non-governmental Israelites (i.e., 1 Kgs. 9:22) all Israelites, but in shifts of specific times and specific tribes (i.e., never Levi), cf. 1 Kgs. 5:13; 9:15 See good discussion in Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 141-142 It was the hatred of Solomon's forced labor policies that caused the kingdom to split in 922 b.c. into Judah and Israel (cf. 1 Kings 12). Forced labor (05447)(sebel from sabal = to bear a heavy load) means a load or burden. Sebel refers to labor, work, burdens borne by Israel in Egypt under taskmasters (Ps. 81:6); forced state labor (1 Ki. 11:28) and finally to the loads themselves that were carried (Neh. 4:17). During the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, one group of people was designated as those who were to carry burdens (Neh. 4:17). They apparently transported supplies to the work site and carried garbage away. SEBEL - 3V - burden(1), burdens(1), forced labor(1). 1 Ki. 11:28; Neh. 4:17; Ps. 81:6 1 Kings 11:29 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. Ahijah: 1Ki 12:15 14:2 2Ch 9:29 Shilonite: Jos 18:1 both of them were alone : Ge 4:8 2Sa 14:6 GOD SENDS JEROBOAM THE PROPHET AHIJAH It came about at that time - Here we see the providential hand of Yahweh orchestrating Jeroboam going out of Jerusalem and "just happens" to be encountered by God's prophet Ahijah. (See Providence) God is behind the scenes and controls the scenes He is behind. 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 - The scene is set for the climax which will lead directly to the resolution, or denouement, the division of the nation of Israel! AHIJAH - The distinguished prophet of Shiloh, who was interested in Jeroboam I. In Solomon's lifetime Ahijah clothed himself with a new robe, met Jeroboam outside Jerusalem, tore the robe into twelve pieces, and gave him ten, in token that he should become king of the ten tribes (1 Ki 11:29-39). Later, when Jeroboam had proved unfaithful to Yahweh, he sent his wife to Ahijah to ask in regard to their sick son. The prophet received her harshly, foretold the death of the son, and threatened the extermination of the house of Jeroboam (1 Ki 14). The narrative makes the impression that Ahijah was at this time a very old man (1 Ki 14:4). These incidents are differently narrated in the long addition at 1 Ki 12:24 found in some of the Greek copies. In that addition the account of the sick boy precedes that of the rent garment, and both are placed between the account of Jeroboam's return from Egypt and that of the secession of the ten tribes, an order in which it is impossible to think that the events occurred. Further, this addition attributes the incident of the rent garment to Shemaiah and not to Ahijah, and says that Ahijah was 60 years old. QUESTION - Who was Ahijah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - There are seven men in the Bible with the name Ahijah, but most of them are only briefly mentioned. The ones who appear in only one verse in the Bible can be found in 1 Kings 4:3; 1 Chronicles 2:25; 8:7; and 11:36. Two more Ahijahs are mentioned in more than one verse: Ahijah the priest (and grandson of Eli), who was in charge of the ark of the covenant while Saul was king (1 Samuel 14:3; 18); and Ahijah the father of Baasha, one of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 15:27, 33; 21:22; 2 Kings 9:9). This Ahijah was a prophet from Shiloh during the time of Solomon. Besides all these, there is still one more Ahijah in the Bible, and his role was a larger one. This Ahijah was a prophet from Shiloh during the time of Solomon. Through Ahijah, God had a message that would change the kingdom of Israel forever. This message was relayed to Jeroboam, one of King Solomon’s officials. Scripture says that “Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak” (1 Kings 11:29). While the two men spoke alone in the countryside, Ahijah took hold of his new cloak and tore it into twelve pieces, giving Jeroboam ten of the pieces. He then prophesied that the kingdom would be divided, with Jeroboam becoming king over ten of the tribes. Ahijah told Jeroboam that, if he followed the Lord and was faithful to the Law, then he would have God’s promise: “I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you” (1 Kings 11:38). After Ahijah’s prophecy, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam for his rebellion, but Jeroboam fled safely to Egypt. When Solomon passed away, Jeroboam returned to warn Solomon’s son Rehoboam to lighten the load of labor Solomon had imposed upon the people of Israel (1 Kings 12:4). Rehoboam refused and angrily promised to increase the load (1 Kings 12:13–14). In response, the people of Israel rose up against Rehoboam. Everything then happened as Ahijah had prophesied: the kingdom split; Jeroboam became king over most of the tribes (the northern kingdom of Israel), and David’s descendants were left with the tribe of Judah. King Jeroboam, not wanting the people to return to Jerusalem in the southern kingdom of Judah to worship the Lord, made two golden calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan, for the people to worship (1 Kings 12:26–30). In the coming days, he continued to promulgate idol worship and led the people astray. So the Lord determined to destroy Jeroboam’s household (1 Kings 13:33–34). Jeroboam’s son, Abijah, fell ill, and Jeroboam asked his wife to disguise herself and visit Ahijah with a gift (1 Kings 14:1–2). Ahijah, in his old age, was blind, but the Lord let him know that it was Jeroboam’s wife who had come to see him (verse 5). When the queen arrived at Ahijah’s house, Ahijah had the Lord’s message ready: “Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David. . . . You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me. Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The LORD has spoken!’” (1 Kings 14:7–11). Ahijah went on to say that Jeroboam’s son would die as soon as the queen arrived back home and that the kingdom of Israel would eventually be uprooted because of their sins. No more is said about Ahijah the prophet, except the mention of his name in 1 Kings 15:29 when his prophecy was fulfilled with the destruction of Jeroboam’s entire family at the hand of King Baasha. 1 Kings 11:30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. TORE IT: 1Sa 15:27,28 24:4,5 THE TORN CLOAK DEPICTS THE DIVIDED KINGDOM Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces - On him could be on the prophet or on Jeroboam. Commentaries vary in their opinion. One can probably not be dogmatic. The important point is this is a new cloak and it is torn into 12 divisions which symbolizes the 12 tribes of Israel. 1 Kings 11:31 He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes 1Ki 11:11,12 KINGDOM DIVIDED INTO TEN AND TWO He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes - Jeroboam is commanded to take 10 pieces which symbolize God's gift of 10 tribes to Jeroboam. Notice that men tear the cloak, but it is the sovereign God of Israel Who divides the kingdom. Once again we see man's responsibility (Jeroboam) and God's sovereignty juxtaposed. 1 Kings 11:32 (but he will 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), he shall: 1Ki 12:20 for Jerusalem's sake: 1Ki 11:13 ONE TRIBE SPARED FOR SAKE OF DAVID (but he will 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) - Some versions (NAS, ESV, KJV) put this passage in parentheses to signify a parenthetical comment by the writer. The explanation of Rehoboam receiving one tribe is once again for the sake of My servant David. But here it is also for the sake of preservation of the city of God which God had chosen to be His earthly habitation for His people and the future habitation of His Son. When the Messiah returns He will establish the city of God, Jerusalem, as His place of reigning (Zechariah 14:4, Isaiah 2:2-4, Micah 4:1-3). King Jesus will reign over all nations (Psalm 72:8, Daniel 7:14) and His rule will bring peace, justice, and righteousness (Isaiah 9:6-7). Bob Utley - "one tribe" This specificity is confusing (the LXX has "two"). Its literary purpose is to state YHWH's continuing choice of Judah (i.e., Messiah, cf. Gen. 49:10). In reality Judah was made up of four tribes. Simeon incorporated early because of their land allocation among the Philistines Levi because this tribe uniquely served as tabernacle and temple servants Benjamin because of its close geographical connection to Judah "the city which I have chosen" This goes back to the repeated phrases in Deuteronomy (cf. Deut. 12:5,11,14,18,21,26; 14:23-25; 15:20; 16:2,11,15; 17:8,10; 18:6; 26:2; 31:11; 1 Kgs. 8:29; 11:13,32,36; 14:21). Jerusalem was "David's city," who was a type of the Messiah to come. It was the central worship and sacrifice place of all the tribes and their land allocations. 1 Kings 11:33 because they have forsaken 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 observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. they have forsaken: 1Ki 11:9 3:14 6:12,13 9:5-7 1Ch 28:9 2Ch 15:2 Jer 2:13 Ho 4:17 Ashtoreth: 1Ki 11:5-8 EXPLANATION OF DIVISION OF ISRAEL NET adds for clarification " I am taking the kingdom from him" because they have forsaken 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 (idiom for lifestyle), doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did - Notice the pronoun "they" which indicates Solomon was not the only one worshipping idols, but the people of Israel had also been ensnared. The Septuagint has "he" (referring to Solomon) but the Masoretic text has "they" which would include the people. And this makes sense, because as the leader goes, so go the people. THOUGHT - Beloved, we can apply this principle to our families. As fathers go (and certainly to some extent the mothers), so go the children. If we love the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul and mind and strength, while there is no absolute guarantee, it is most likely our children will follow suit! Are you as convicted as I am? I did not have an on site father and so have had to learn the hard way how to be a good, God honoring father. I can testify that I have made many mistakes with my 4 children but I believe that they watched the general direction of my life as Godward and not toward the things of this world, and praise God they have largely followed suit with two of the four becoming excellent Bible teachers and disciple makers. All praise, glory and honor to the Lord on high, Who overrode (so to speak) many of my episodes of poor parenting! Everytime I recite Psalm 103, I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the phrase He "crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion." This is surely His "default mode," so if you have blown it like I have and yet desire to pursue God before your children, go for it and I believe (from my experience) God will honor your efforts and He will receive all the glory. Amen. Iain Provan agrees that "Solomon’s abandonment of God, it should be noted, is also the people’s abandonment of God. This is demonstrated in the plural phrase, they have forsaken me, which reflects the way that in the book of Kings, kings are characteristically models for and representative of the behavior of their subjects. (SEE 1 & 2 Kings (Understanding the Bible Commentary Series) - Page 44) Bob Utley - "because they have forsaken Me" This is an oft repeated VERB (BDB 736 I, KB 806), illustrating Israel's repeated disobedience and idolatry. Here are a few examples. forsook YHWH ‒ Deut. 28:20; 31:16; Jdgs. 10:10; 1 Kgs. 9:9,11; 33:18; 2 Kgs. 21:22; 22:17; 2 Chr. 7:22; 12:5; Jer. 1:16 forsook His commandments ‒ Deut. 29:24; 1 Kgs. 18:18; 19:10,14; 2 Chr. 7:19; 12:1 forsook His temple ‒ 2 Chr. 24:18; Neh. 10:40 YHWH's promise never to "forsake" them (but with a mandate for covenant obedience) ‒ 2 Kgs. 2:2,4,6; 4:30; if they forsake Him, He will forsake them (i.e., 2 Chr. 13:11) "as his father David" This comment shows that YHWH does not require sinlessness, which is impossible for fallen mankind (cf. 1 Kgs. 8:46), but He does expect a "whole heart" (i.e., 1 Kgs. 8:61). David was an open-eyed sinner (2 Samuel 11) but he repented and sought YHWH (cf. 1 Sam. 13:14; Ps. 32:51; Acts 13:22). 1 Kings 11:34 '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 observed My commandments and My statutes; Nevertheless: 1Ki 11:12,13,31 Job 11:6 Ps 103:10 Hab 3:2 for the sake of My servant David: Isa 55:3 GOD PROMISES PART OF KINGDOM TO REHOBOAM Nevertheless - This is a gracious, compassionate term of contrast from Yahweh. I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand - Rehoboam would not be left "kingdom-less." but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes - Once again we see the merciful gift of part of the kingdom to Rehoboam is not based on Solomon's obedience but is granted by God based on the obedience of His servant David. THOUGHT - The obedience of a father prevented the destruction of the son and his son. Fathers, the divine "ripple effect" is real and our families to some degree will reap what we sow. Amen or oh my! 1 Kings 11:35 but I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. I will take: Ex 20:5,6 will give: 1Ki 12:15-17,20 2Ch 10:15-17 but I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you, even ten tribes - 1 Kings 11:36 'But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. David: 1Ki 15:4 2Sa 7:16,29 21:17 2Ki 8:19 2Ch 21:7 Ps 132:17 Jer 33:17-21 Am 9:11,12 Lu 1:69,70,78,79 Ac 15:16,17 light: Heb. lamp, or candle the city: 1Ki 11:13 9:3 Ga 4:25,26 Heb 12:22 Rev 21:10 But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name R. D. Patterson: It ought to be noted in addition that not only is the line of David perpetuated as a light is kept burning, but this light is in Jerusalem, the city where God chose to put his name. There is in view, then, a future for God’s city, Jerusalem. (1 and 2 Kings) Donald Wiseman: The lamp was a symbol of: (i) Continuing life. To put out a lamp (nîr, a rare form for nēr) or a brazier meant the end of the family line. (ii) Continuous succession (cf. 2 Sam. 14:7). There is no need to equate this with ‘dominion’ (Akkad. nīr, ‘yoke’). (iii) And, elsewhere, divine guidance. For God’s word is always ‘a lamp to our feet’ (Ps. 119:105; 2 Sam. 22:29; Prov. 6:20, 22). But to forsake God’s law is to condemn oneself to walk in darkness. 1 Kings 11:37 'I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. 1Ki 11:26 De 14:26 2Sa 3:21 I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel Identical language is used for David in 2 Sam 3:21 "Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. " 1 Kings 11:38 'Then it will 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 observing 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. if: 1Ki 3:14 1Ki 6:12 1Ki 9:4,5 Ex 19:5 De 15:5 Zec 3:7 then I will: De 31:8 Jos 1:5, build the, 1Ki 14:7-14 2Sa 7:11,16,26-29 1Ch 17:10,24-27 Related Passages: 1 Kings 3:14+ “IF you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, THEN I will prolong your days.” 1 Kings 6:12+ “Concerning this house which you are building, IF you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, THEN will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 1 Kings 9:4-5+ “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, 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.’ THE CONDITIONAL PROMISE TO JEROBOAM Then it will be, that if you listen (hearing implies heeding) to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did - David is the example of obedience for Jeroboam just as he was for Solomon. Like YHWH's word to Solomon, Jehovah's word to Jeroboam was conditional (IF YOU LISTEN) on covenant obedience. THOUGHT - It is axiomatic in both the old and new testaments that obedience is the pathway to blessing. Notice we are not speaking of perfection of one's walk but of the direction of one's walk. And in the NT, we have the Spirit to enable us in this walk! (Php 2:13NLT+). Then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you - Note two promises - God would be with Jeroboam and God would built an enduring house (cf Solomon's words in Ps 127:1), similar to the promise to David (2Sa 7:16+). 1 Kings 11:39 'Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always.'" afflict: 1Ki 12:16 14:8,25,26 Ps 89:38-45,49-51 but not always: 1Ki 11:36 Ps 89:30-34 Isa 7:14 9:7 11:1-10 Jer 23:5,6 La 3:31,32 Lu 1:32,33 2:4,11 AN ALLUSION TO GOD'S FUTURE REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always - Why will there be an end to the affliction? Because of God's unconditional promise to David (2Sa 7:16+). Jeremiah prophecy adds “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 “In His days Judah will be saved (SEE COMMENT BELOW), And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ (Jer 23:5,6) COMMENT - This prophecy will be fulfilled at the return of the King of kings (Rev 19:11-16+) and the establishment of His Messianic Kingdom and will coincide with the salvation of the believing remnant of Israel (Zech 13:8-9+, cf Ro 11:25+) 1 Kings 11:40 Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. Solomon sought: 2Ch 16:10 Pr 21:30 Isa 14:24-27 46:10 La 3:37 Shishak: 1Ki 14:25-26 2Ch 12:2-9 Related Passages: 1 Kings 14:25-26+ Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and he took everything, even taking all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. SOLOMON FAILS TO EXTERMINATE JEROBOAM Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death - God's word that the kingdom would be divided assured that Solomon would not be able to assassinate Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon - While Jeroboam obviously exercised his personal choice, behind the Bob Utley - "Shishak king of Egypt" He was known in Egyptian sources as Sheshonk I. This Pharaoh (a Libyan title, like Pharaoh, they ruled Egypt in the 22nd dynasty) protected Jeroboam I from Solomon (cf. 1 Kgs. 11:40). This shows the growing power of Egypt. Earlier Egypt had given a royal daughter to seal a truce with Solomon and now an open act of defiance. Although the biblical account of this invasion is limited (cf. 1 Kgs. 14:25-28), there is an Egyptian inscription at the Temple of Amon at Karnack that describes this invasion. It claims he invaded as far north as Megiddo. (KINGS OF EGYPT) 1 Kings 11:41 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? rest: 2Ch 9:29-31 EPILOGUE - END OF REIGN OF SOLOMON 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? This book has not survived but which the author of the book of Kings had access. 1 Kings 11:42 Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. forty years: 1Ki 2:11 SUMMATION OF SOLOMON'S REIGN Thus the time (the days) that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years - Saul, David, and Solomon all reigned 40 years. Solomon's reign marked the apex of Israel's history and to some degree foreshadowed the future reign of the greater Son of David, Jesus Christ, Whose kingdom, unlike Solomon's, will never end! Hallelujah! THOUGHT - The literal reading of time as the days reminds me of the great prayer we should all pray "So teach us to number our days (NOT OUR YEARS!), That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. ." (Ps 90:12+) R. D. Patterson: Solomon left a big mark in history. His memory and fame live on. He represents the first stage in the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant; and, despite his faults, he foreshadows the coming Christ, the true Son of David. In addition his inspired words of wisdom as recorded in Scripture have challenged, taught, and inspired men throughout the ages. (SEE The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition: ... - Page 50) 1 Kings 11:43 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. slept: 1Ki 1:21 14:20 15:8,24 16:6 De 31:16 2Ki 16:20 20:21 21:18 buried: 1Ki 2:10 14:31 2Ki 21:18,26 2Ch 21:20 26:23 28:27 Jer 22:19 Rehoboam: 1Ch 3:10 2Ch 9:31 13:7 Mt 1:5 SOLOMON SLEPT REHOBOAM REIGNED And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place - David was about 70 with he fell asleep with his fathers, while Solomon was about 60 when he died. Recall that God had given Solomon a conditional promise in 1Ki 3:14+ “If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.” Clearly Solomon failed to keep the condition and failed to have his days as prolonged as his father David. With Solomon’s death, the golden age of the united monarchy of Israel came abruptly and irretrievably to an end. William