THROUGH ONE MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE
#347 THROUGH ONE MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE
Scripture I Kings 2:1-4, 11:11-13; Deuteronomy 17:14-20. NIV
Orig. 8/28/1963
Rewr. 11/1982; 8/26/1986
Passage: I Kings 2:1-4, When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
I Kings 11:11-13, 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
Deuteronomy 17:14-20, 14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. 18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.
Purpose: Continuing a series on Old Testament books, using I Kings and emphasizing Solomon’s hurtful influence.
Keywords: Biography Hebrew History Infidelity Deuteronomy I Kings
Old Testament Books of Law
Timeline/Series: Bible Book Typology
Introduction
Probably in no other personality within the pages of scripture can we read the pluses and minuses of morality in a person’s life as easily as we can in Solomon’s. He came on the scene, the son of Israel’s greatest king and a mother we assume to have been a Hittite. He was born in Jerusalem at a time when the Hebrew people were achieving prominence in the court of world nations more than ever in their history. Solomon came to the throne as the designee of his father, David. His monarchy paralleled the time when his nation rode the crest of national prestige.
His personal capability is not to be denied. Economically, he added considerable clout to Israel’s position, for the first time, they became sea farers, putting exotic wealth within the nation’s grasp (I Kings 9 and 10). He developed a monopoly on the horse and chariot market (I Kings 10:28-29). He put a new face on Jerusalem, without neglecting other important cities (I King 9:10-15). He extended David’s hierarchy of officials (I Kings 4). He courted other foreign dignitaries, such as Hiram of Tyre.
Solomon went a step beyond his father in the accumulation of wives. His practice, typical of the ancient Near East, involved political intrigue. There were “700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines” (I Kings 11). Perhaps many were of royal families.
It is interesting that there is no evidence, no record, of Solomon ever going to war. They were riding the crest. A closer look at the record, however, shows us seeds of rebellion. He was the last of David’s sons who had any right to the throne. His mother was a pagan. He came to the throne with some of David’s most ardent supporters against him. One of his first acts as King was to kill some of some of Israel’s most respected leaders. To run such an economy would require commerce on a gigantic scale. But it would also require a tax base that would all but enclave the poor of the people.
Even the temple had its antagonists. It was built by Phoenicians under a national monarch who spent nearly twice as long as building his own place. There were other palaces as well built to satisfy the peculiarities of all of these foreign princesses (I Kings 11).
The Reign of Solomon: Seeds of Division (I Kings 2:13-11:43).
We simply pass over the first chapter and a half having to do with David’s death and Solomon’s accession.
Solomon’s early years:
An early duty was in response to David’s death-bed charge against some who betrayed him. Of Joab (2:5) and Shemai (2:8), it was justice due. There was also a charge to bless Barzilla. We must take note of his prayer for wisdom. The request suggests wisdom (3:3f) but it was more administrative discernment than spiritual wisdom. Much of the material through 8 has to do with building and dedicating the temple.
The glory years of Solomon (9-11):
Economic grandeur, 10:14. “Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 556 talents of gold.” Approximately 12,000 pounds; at $300/ounce=$5,000/pound=$60,000,000. Principle medium of currency was silver.
Political splendor, 10:1-13 tells of the visit of Sheba. V4, “When the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table. . . , she said, ‘the half of it I was not told.’ V27, “The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones.”
A sidelight to Sheba’s visit, 10:13. “And King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty.” She received what she asked. She received of what she wished but did not ask. She received beyond her ability to ask of Solomon’s royal bounty.
Compare to Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” All that we ask. All we think but do not ask. Exceeding abundantly beyond asking or thinking.
Unhappily, however, we must see seeds of corruption breed infidelity and division.
Solomon, born late, consistently saw the good of his father. 3:5, “And Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of David, his father.”
But there were other influences. 3:3b, “Only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.”
He knew as well as any of God’s blessing. He wanted the best for his people. 3:9, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge.” He was given evidence of God’s grant, 3:12, “, , , I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart.” He watched the temple [take] shape. Precious metals were common. He enjoyed continuing peace.
Blessing can often be as stressful as trouble. Harrington came to NOBTS with above ability. He developed a ministry to people on Bourbon Street. People were saved. A national ministry was born. Then came wealth and influence. Everything fell apart ten years ago after an affair with a secretary.
Solomon’s failure is easily documented. [He was] a man who knew the truth of God’s Word, a man who had evidence of God’s will to bless. He compromised God’s glory for his own. 3:3, “He continued . . . in the high places.” 11:1, “King Solomon loved many strange women”—different from each other, contrary to what God wanted for Solomon. 11:4, “His wives turned away his heart after other gods.” 11:6, “Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord.”
It does not go without notice that some see in Solomon’s reign type [of] teaching of the reign of Christ.
· Solomon’s reign
Peace/rest, 4:24, “He had peace on all sides round about him.”
Wisdom/knowledge, 4:29, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much.”
Wealth/glory, See I Kings 10:14-29
Fame/honor, 10:1-5, “Sheba . . . came to pry him with hard questions; when she had seen it all . . . there was no more spirit in her.”
Joy/safety, 4;25, “Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree.”
· Christ’s reign
Peace/rest, Isaiah 2:4, “Nation shall not lift up sword against any nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Wisdom/knowledge, Habakkuk 2:14, “The earth shall be full of the knowledge . . . of the waters that cover the sea.”
Wisdom/glory, John 3:35, “The father loveth the son, and hath given all things into his hand.”
Fame/honor, Zechariah 9:10, “. . . His dominion shall be even from sea to sea, from the river even to the ends of the earth.”
Joy/safety, Micah 4:1-5, “Every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make him afraid.”
The remaining chapters of the book (12-22) deal with the first 80 years of the divided kingdom—the beginning and accession of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. Time disallows further pursuit.
The last six chapters (17-22) discuss the ministry of Elijah in Israel (Northern Kingdom).
Conclusion
The section of Solomon in Zondervan’s Bible Dictionary concludes as follows: “A great temporal ruler, possessing every natural advantage, almost inconceivably wealthy in material splendor, learning, and experience. Solomon was nevertheless a disappointment. Though he began so well, the tragedy of his gradual apostasy had more disastrous results than the infamous scandal of his own father, who sincerely repented and was a man after the Lord’s own heart.”