1 Kings 3:1 Ruined His Spiritual Life

 ”Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem.“

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter: Marriage to fellow royalty was a common political strategy in the ancient world, and continues to the modern age. It was not only because royalty wanted to marry other royalty, but also because conflict between nations was then avoided for the sake of family ties.

i. This was not Solomon’s first marriage. 1 Kings 14:21 tells us that his son Rehoboam came to the throne when he was 41 years old, and 1 Kings 11:42 tells us that Solomon reigned 40 years. This means that Rehoboam was born to his mother, a wife of Solomon named Naamah the Ammonitess, before he came to the throne and before he married this daughter of Pharaoh.

ii. Solomon’s multiple marriages, and marriages to foreign women, would cause great disaster in his life.…….

iii. The foreign wives made Solomon more than a bad example – they ruined his spiritual life. But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David (1 Kings 11:1-4).

iv. 1 Kings 11:4 says this only happened when Solomon was old, but the pattern was set with this first marriage to the Egyptian princess. It perhaps made political sense, but not spiritual sense. “Such arranged marriages were a common confirmation of international treaties, but this one was the beginning of Solomon’s spiritual downfall” (Wiseman).

v. 2 Samuel 3:3 tells us that David married the daughter of a foreign king: Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. Marrying a foreign woman was not against the Law of Moses – if she became a convert to the God of Israel. What did not ruin David did ruin Solomon.

b. He brought her to the City of David: Though this was permitted under the Law of Moses, it was not wise or good for Solomon to do this. Later in his life, his foreign wives were the reason his heart turned away from the LORD (1 Kings 11:4).

(Guzik)

Ruined His Spiritual Life

Like Solomon, the Bible warns Christians over the concern of our spiritual life and marriage.

”Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?“

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Have you performed a review of your spiritual life?

Blessings 

Areas-of-Spiritual-Life

1 Kings 2:36-46 Arch-Rebels

 ”Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.” And Shimei said to the king, “The saying is good. As my Lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish the son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Look, your slaves are in Gath!” So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back. Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I gave you?” The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head. But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.“

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭46‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Do not go out from there anywhere: Shimei was associated with the household of the former King Saul, and showed himself as a threat to the House of David (2 Samuel 16:5-8). David instructed Solomon not to allow Shimei to die in peace (1 Kings 2:9). Solomon began dealing with Shimei by placing him under house arrest.

b. The saying is good: Shimei knew that Solomon was merciful and generous to him. He not only agreed with the arrangement, he was also grateful for it.

c. Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I gave you: Solomon extended mercy to Shimei, but Shimei abused it and took advantage of it. It seems to have been mainly a matter of neglect or forgetfulness, but it was criminal to neglect or forget a royal covenant.

d. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon: This chapter demonstrates that Solomon’s throne was secure at an early date, not like the reign of David or Saul.

i. This initial demonstration of justice was important for Solomon to perform. “He seems to think that, while such bad men remained unpunished the nation could not prosper; that it was an act of justice which God required him to perform, in order to the establishment and perpetuity of his throne” (Clarke).

ii. “It is interesting to compare his position now with that of his two predecessors, Saul and David, at the start of their reigns. Both had faced a measure of suspicion or opposition from their own countrymen; both had met this problem with resolute action, coupled with understanding and leniency. Solomon, however, eliminated his potential enemies swiftly and ruthlessly.” (Payne)

iii. “Oh that we would be as quick in slaying our arch-rebels, those predominant sins that threaten our precious souls!” (Trapp)

(Guzik)

Arch-Rebels

It bears repeating, “Oh that we would be as quick in slaying our arch-rebels, those predominant sins that threaten our precious souls!” (Trapp)

Your soul is precious in Gods sight which is why He sent His Son to die on the cross for you. Our arch-rebel Satan lies at our door and is constantly nipping at our heels! 

”If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”“ Genesis‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

May we all succeed in ruling over it!

Blessings 

1 Kings 2:28-35 “The horns of the altar by sacraments”

 ”Then news came to Joab, for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. So Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold of the horns of the altar. And King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord; there he is, by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” So Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him, “Thus says the king, ‘Come out!’ ” And he said, “No, but I will die here.” And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” Then the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed. So the Lord will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword—Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord.” So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.“ I Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭28‬-‭35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. And took hold of the horns of the altar: Joab supported Adonijah in his treasonous attempt to gain David’s throne. Now, he imitated Adonijah’s attempt to find refuge by taking hold of the horns of the altar (as Adonijah did in 1 Kings 1:50-53).

i. “He did not know where to fly except he fled to the horns of an altar, which he had very seldom approached before. As far as we can judge, he had shown little respect to religion during his lifetime. He was a rough man of war, and cared little enough about God, or the tabernacle, or the priests, or the altar; but when he was in danger, he fled to that which he had avoided, and sought to make a refuge of that which he had neglected.” (Spurgeon)

ii. “The laying hold upon the literal horns of an altar, which can be handled, availed not Joab. There are many – oh, how many still! – That are hoping to be saved, because they lay hold, as they think, upon the horns of the altar by sacraments.” (Spurgeon)

b. Go, strike him down: Although it was almost a universal custom in the ancient world to find sanctuary at a holy altar, Solomon knew that this ancient custom was not used in Israel to protect a guilty man. But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die(Exodus 21:14). Since Joab refused to leave, Solomon had him executed right at the altar.

i. “It would have been an insult to justice not to have taken the life of Joab. David was culpable in delaying it so long; but probably the circumstances of his government would not admit of his doing it sooner.” (Clarke)

c. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the LORD: This was only true as David’s descendants followed the LORD. Our destiny is not determined by our ancestors, but by our current relationship with God.

i. David reinforced this principle with Solomon earlier in this chapter by reminding him what the LORD promised: If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul… ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel (1 Kings 2:4). (Guzik)

“The horns of the altar by sacraments”

Do you believe my friend that you can be saved by the horns of the altar by sacraments as Joab? No! There is more to salvation than the sacraments! Unfortunately if you do, God will deal with you in the same way as Joab. For it is written:

”Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And, 

”And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.“

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

How can you be sure your name is written in the Book of Life?

Blessings 

Lambs Book of Life?

1 Kings 2:26-27 Deserving of Death

 ”And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.” So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.“ I Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. You are deserving of death: Abiathar deserved death because he supported Adonijah as the next king, in defiance of the will of God and the will of King David 

(1 Kings 1:7). This was treason against both God and the King of Israel.

b. I will not put you to death at this time: Solomon showed mercy and wisdom to Abiathar. Mercy was shown in sparing Abiathar’s life in light of his past standing as a chief priest and supporter of David. Wisdom was shown in exiling him and saying, “I will not put you to death at this time.” Solomon let Abiathar know that he could still be executed.

c. That he might fulfill the word of the LORD which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh: This refers to the prophecies found in 1 Samuel 2:27-36 and 1 Samuel 3:11-14. In removing Abiathar from the priesthood, Solomon, without direct intention, fulfilled the promise of judgment against the house of Eli, made some 100 years before Solomon took the throne. (Guzik)

Deserving of Death

Like Abiathar we are sinners and deserving of death for the Bible tells us that: ”As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;“ ‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

But there is hope!

”But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“ ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.“

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Are you familiar with the Romans Road to Salvation?

Blessings 

Romans Road to Salvation

1 Kings 2:22-25 A Wise and Decisive Leader

 ”And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Now why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also—for he is my older brother—for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.” Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life! Now therefore, as the Lord lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today!” So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died.“ ‭‭

I Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Ask for him the kingdom also: Solomon understood the situation perfectly. He knew that this was Adonijah’s attempt to declare or build a claim to the throne of Israel.

b. As the LORD lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father: Solomon was zealous to give justice to Adonijah because he knew that God gave him the throne of Israel.

c. Adonijah shall be put to death today: Solomon simply acted according to the “terms of parole” granted to Adonijah in 1 Kings 1:52: If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die. Adonijah made a wicked, treasonous request and is executed because of it.

i. We wonder why Adonijah – after hearing the warning Solomon made in 1 Kings 1:52- would make such an outrageous request. Perhaps he felt that Solomon was too young, too inexperienced, or too timid to do the right thing. He soon found out that Solomon was a wise and decisive leader. (Guzik)

A Wise and Decisive Leader

King Solomon asked God for wisdom to rule Israel and God gave it to him. 

God raises up kings and rulers for His purposes and the Bible is full of examples both good and bad.

”And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.“

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.“ ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

”Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.“

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I believe with everything going on in our country that the Lord is trying to get our attention, please pray for a revival.

Blessings 

Romans13:1-2

1 Kings 2:19-21 Small Petition?

 ”Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand. Then she said, “I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.”“ ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon: She knew that this was an outrageous request, yet she still agreed to bring it to Solomon. Bathsheba probably believed that it was best that Solomon knew what Adonijah wanted to do.

b. One small petition: Bathsheba knew this was not a small petition at all. She was at least a little sarcastic, to make the request of Adonijah seem even more offensive to the ears of Solomon. (Guzik)

Small Petition? 

Was Adonijah’s petition small? How can we petition God?

With a prayer of petition, asking for God’s help!

Jesus repeatedly asks us to go to the Father for help.

Matthew 7:9-11

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Our prayer of petition be it small or large, take it to the Father and ask Him!

We pray a prayer of petition for our son daily and just maybe in our lifetime we will see it answered.

Do you have a petition for God?

Blessings 

prayer-petition