1 Reis 11

1 Reis 11

Vernon McGee quipped that "Solomon began to gather women, just as someone else might have a hobby of gathering antique automobiles. He collected women of all nationalities." He should have stuck with collecting horses instead of women! (Thru the Bible: Genesis through Revelation) Jamieson - A fairer promise of true greatness, a more beautiful picture of juvenile piety, never was seen than that which he exhibited at the commencement of his reign. No sadder, more humiliating, or awful spectacle can be imagined than the besotted apostasy of his old age; and to him may be applied the words of Paul (Ga 3:3), of John (Rev 3:17), and of Isaiah (Isa 14:21). Old Charles Simeon's comment on Solomon's plethora of pagan wives is golden - "What an astonishing infatuation was here! Perhaps in the first two or three instances he might hope to convert them, as Pharaoh’s daughter had been converted: but after having broken down the fence of the divine law (MARK THIS COMMENT-WOE!), he roved (WHAT A PICTURE! LIKE A "WILD ANIMAL" HE ROVED ABOUT LOOKING TO GRATIFY SELF! ) afterwards at pleasure throughout the world. -- THOUGHT - MARK IT DOWN - There is in each us the same fleshly heart and propensity of Adam (Ro 5:12+) that was in Solomon and this fleshly propensity is every moment in seeking to break through the protective fence of God's perfect Law and to rove about in pursuit of (passing) personal gratification! And remember that the king was required to write a personal copy of Deuteronomy and study it (Dt. 17:18-20+), so surely Solomon knew the solemn warnings in Dt 7:1-11+ and Dt 17:17+. It is one thing to know the Word but quite another thing to do it (Jas 1:22-25+). What a warning this is for us, who do not possess the wisdom of Solomon! The first step of disobedience leads slowly, but inexorably, to more and greater sins. Let’s not take that first step, but obey God fully. Don’t let apathy or familiarity rob you of your awareness that sin is (deadly) sin, and wrongdoing is (wanton) wrong and that the consequences of sin enjoyed in a moment may be lasting and widespread (in our family)! Matthew Henry has some excellent comments: "Nothing forms in itself a security against the deceitfulness and depravity of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Nor will old age cure the heart of any evil propensity (ED: I AM 78 AND CAN ATTEST TO THIS AXIOMATIC TRUTH!). If our sinful passions are not crucified and mortified by the grace of God (Ro 8:13+, Col 3:5+, Gal 5:24+), they never will die of themselves, but will last even when opportunities to gratify them are taken away! (BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!) Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall (1Co 10:12+). We see how weak we are left to ourselves, without the grace of God (Mt 26:41+). Let us therefore live in constant dependence on that grace (Zech 4:6+, cf 1Co 15:10+). Let us watch and be sober (1Pe 5:8-9+). Ours is a dangerous warfare, and in an enemy's country, while our worst foes are the traitors in our own hearts (WOE! THIS IS HOW THE TROJAN HORSE DEFEATED A SEEMINGLY UNBEATABLE FOE)." Joseph Hammond adds that "As he exceeded other kings in glory, wisdom, and power, so must he excel them not only in armies, chariots, and horses, but also in the number of his wives. It is clear, therefore, that the “lust of the eye” and “the pride of life” had their part in this huge establishment. (Pulpit Commentary) Loved (0157) aheb/ahab means to love and can convey the idea of liking things (like bribes - Isa 1:23, wisdom - Pr 4:6, wine - Pr 21:17, peace and truth - Zech 8:19, food - Ge 27:4, 9, 14). The most important uses in the OT are as an expression of God's love of people (Dt 4:37, Hosea 3:1), man's love for God (Ex 20:6, Ps 116:1) and man's love for his fellow man (Ge 29:32, Ru 4:15, 1 Kings 11:1 = a forbidden love by backslidden King Solomon!) Aheb means desire, delight, like, be fond of, covet; implies an ardent and vehement inclination of the mind and a tenderness of affection at the same time. It denotes a strong emotional attachment for and a desire to possess or be in the presence of the object of love. The first use of aheb in the OT is instructive as it is found in Ge 22:2 where Yahweh instructed his servant Abraham to "“Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Notice that at the outset, we see that an inherent quality of this love (in many contexts) is that it is costly. God wants us to love Him above EVERYTHING, even our own flesh and blood. Matthews writes that Ge 22:2 "is the final test of the man’s faith, the closing bookend to his discovery of God’s sufficiency to achieve the promises made at Haran." (New American Commentary) As an aside God frequently "tests" His people to reveal their trust and obedience (cp Ex 15:25, 16:4, Judges 2:22 - in this last one they failed repeatedly). In Ge 25:28 there is a hint that Isaac's love was at least somewhat conditioned on the fact that Esau provided game for him to eat (cp Ge 27:4, 9, 14 of Isaac's love for the savory dish). In addition, Isaac's love for Esau is contrasted with Rebekah's love for Jacob (not to say of course that Isaac did not love Jacob but that he seemed to have a greater degree for Esau because he was as they say "a man's man!" Compare Jacob's greater love for Rachel than Leah - Ge 29:30, Jacob's greater love for Joseph - Ge 37:3,4) Foreign (alien, adulteress) (05237) nokriy comes from a word that means "to recognize" or be conspicuous. The most common usage is in describing that which is foreign, especially "foreign" people (not Israelites - Ruth the Moabitess). One of the most tragic uses of nokriy is to describe King Solomon's incredible disobedience in that he "loved many foreign women" (1Ki 11:1) and he even backslid (some actually wonder if he was even genuinely saved -- I think he was) to the point of building idolatrous high places "for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods." (1Ki 11:8, context = 1Ki 11:7, cp allusion to this sin in Neh 13:26)! All seven uses of nokriy in Ezra 10 refer to the Israelites taking foreign wives (Ezra 10:2, 10-11, 14, 17-18, 44). We see a confrontation of the men of Israel in Neh 13:27 - "Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?" Notice how God felt about this sin (it was a great evil)! Nokriy is used to describe an adulteress in Proverbs 2:16, 5:10, 6:24, 23:27, 27:2, 27:13 and Pr 7:5 (where adulteress is equated with foreigner - nokriy). Most of the uses of nokriy meaning adulteress are translated in the Lxx with the adjective allotrios which means "belonging to another, not one's own." (Lk 16:12+) or "stranger, foreigner" (Jn 10:5) It is notable (and incredible) that all of these uses of nokriy are in sections of Proverbs penned by King Solomon and then he proceeds in his later years to seek out these very women! Amazing! Frightening! Deception is a powerful "aphrodisiac" (or perhaps better understood - the temptation precedes the deception!) which reminds me of Paul's warnings in 1Cor 10:6, 11, 12. We all need to run the race with endurance -- ALL THE WAY to the finish line! And all by reliance on God's grace and God's Spirit! Amen (or "O my")! NOKRIY - 45V - adulteress(2), adulterous woman(2), alien(2), aliens(1), extraordinary(1), foreign(16), foreigner(15), foreigners(5), stranger(1). Gen. 31:15; Exod. 2:22; Exod. 18:3; Exod. 21:8; Deut. 14:21; Deut. 15:3; Deut. 17:15; Deut. 23:20; Deut. 29:22; Jdg. 19:12; Ruth 2:10; 2 Sam. 15:19; 1 Ki. 8:41; 1 Ki. 8:43; 1 Ki. 11:1; 1 Ki. 11:8; 2 Chr. 6:32; 2 Chr. 6:33; Ezr. 10:2; Ezr. 10:10; Ezr. 10:11; Ezr. 10:14; Ezr. 10:17; Ezr. 10:18; Ezr. 10:44; Neh. 13:26; Neh. 13:27; Job 19:15; Ps. 69:8; Prov. 2:16; Prov. 5:10; Prov. 5:20; Prov. 6:24; Prov. 7:5; Prov. 20:16; Prov. 23:27; Prov. 27:2; Prov. 27:13; Eccl. 6:2; Isa. 2:6; Isa. 28:21; Jer. 2:21; Lam. 5:2; Obad. 1:11; Zeph. 1:8 Look at some of the uses of nokriy by Solomon himself in the book of Proverbs. THOUGHT - HERE IS THE POINT - YOU CAN KNOW TRUTH, EVEN WRITE DOWN SPIRIT INSPIRED TRUTH, BUT YOU MUST ALLOW THE SPIRIT TO SUPERNATURALLY ENABLE YOU TO PRACTICE THE TRUTH! I AM VERY CONVICTED AS I WRITE THESE WORDS! Proverbs 2:16 To deliver you from the STRANGE woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; Proverbs 5:20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a FOREIGNER? Proverbs 6:24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the smooth tongue of the ADULTERESS. Proverbs 7:5 That they may keep you from an adulteress, From the FOREIGNER who flatters with her words. Proverbs 23:27 For a harlot is a deep pit And an ADULTEROUS WOMAN is a narrow well. Wisdom does not equal obedience, thus the wisest person can make foolish choices when they do not follow God's commands. MOABITE: De 23:3 Seed of Lot's son by his elder daughter (Gen 19:37). He became the father of a nation which settled east of the Dead Sea. Moab attempted to hire Baalam to curse Israel (Nu 22:3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 14, 21, 36; Nu 23:6, 7, 17; Num 24:17) and practiced rites of religious prostitution connected with sacrifices to the dead (Nu 25:1ff;Ps 106:28). AMMONITE: Ammonites were condemned for joining the Moabites in hiring Balaam, and were forbidden to enter the congregation of Israel to the 10th generation Dt 23:3 EDOMITE: Edom, because of her relentless hatred toward Israel, is singled out from the nations as the object of God's fury in Isa 34. HITTITE WOMEN: The Hittites themselves described their array of pagan gods as “the thousand gods.” The names of many gods occur in treaties of the Hittite people as guardian deities over the parties bound by treaty commitments. Each god was worshiped in its own native language. A storm god was the chief male god, and a solar goddess was his mistress. See 1 Ki 10:29.for a clue as to how Solomon may have taken Hittite wifes...what was he doing that he should not have been doing? The majority of Hittites lived in Anatolia (Asia Minor). From ca. 1720–1200 b.c. a unified kingdom ruled over the Hittites. These kings spread the influence of the Hittites throughout the ancient Near East; the Hittite empire reached the peak of its power ca. 1380–1350 b.c. When the Hittite empire collapsed, ca. 1200 b.c., many Hittite city-states developed, each with its own king. These rulers were called “the kings of the Hittites” and were scattered in Solomon’s day throughout Anatolia and northern Aram (Syria). Charles Simeon- There was not any thing more strongly prohibited in the Law than the forming of connexions with heathen women [Note: Deuteronomy 7:3-4.]: yet it was not from among the women of his own nation that he took his wives and concubines, but from among the “Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.” What an astonishing infatuation was here! Perhaps in the first two or three instances he might hope to convert them, as Pharaoh’s daughter had been converted: but after having broken down the fence of the divine law, he roved afterwards at pleasure throughout the world. Soon the consequences which might have been expected, ensued: his heart was drawn away from God; and he not only suffered them to commit idolatry in the land, but he even favoured their idolatry, and actually built temples for their gods, and that too even in Jerusalem itself, where Jehovah’s temple was: nor did he do this only for one or two whom he peculiarly favoured, but “for all his strange wives;” yea, incredible as it may appear, he actually united with them in the worship of their idols, and alienated to them the affections due only to the God of Israel [Note: 1Ki 11:4-8. His wives turned away his heart after other gods …he went after Ashtoreth, &c.]. Who that had seen Solomon at the dedication of the temple, would ever have conceived that he should fall at last to such a degraded state as this?] (Full sermon - Solomon's Fall)