1 Kings 11:1-12:19
1 Kings 11
The issue
here is not that Solomon fell, it is how he fell and what he fell into. He
disobeyed and we all disobey, but what happens here is in a class by itself.
Vs. 1-8
Notice that it mentions the foreign women. This number of wives is beyond
excess. Of course, it seems limiting to even try to think of a normal marriage
in this kind of harem; but if Solomon were to have gone through the wives,
spending a day and a night with each, it would have taken him three years to
have made the rotation. In reality, Solomon had no wife as we understand a wife
and as God planned Eve for Adam. What a lonely guy. You might have thought having
so many wives would have tamed his sexual appetite, but actually, I think that
“appetite” might have been all Solomon really had. He certainly did not have a
soul mate and he died an empty, lonely man.
V. 4 So,
how old was Solomon when this happened? We know that David was 30 years old
when he became king of Judah in Hebron. That means he was 37 when he moved to
Jerusalem as king of the entire nation. David reigned for 40 years: Seven in
Hebron and then 33 years in Jerusalem. Solomon had to have been younger than 33
when he became king. David needed some time to lose perspective, have the first
baby with Bathsheba that died, and then to marry Bathsheba and have Solomon.
Let’s say all of this took 3-5 years. Solomon would then have been made king
when he was 28-30.
It took
Solomon four years to begin building the temple, and we know that the Lord
spoke to Solomon after he had spent 20 years building. Those were the first 24
years of his reign. Solomon reigned for 40 years and this happened somewhere in
the final 16 years. So Solomon, like David, would have died when he was about
70. If Solomon began the slide toward idolatry in his last 16 years as king, he
had to be in his mid to late 50s. These are the years when you would think a
man would be mature and wise.
I would
suspect that after Solomon stopped building, he had no more goals in life. The
redemptive mission of Israel wasn't a burning passion for him, so what do you
do in midlife crisis? In the beginning of Ecclesiastes, which are the
reflections of a backslidden and bitter Solomon, there is a progression of
Solomon "trying out stuff." I'll bet that was his 50's. If so, his
60's were his ruin. Like his father before him, Solomon's faith was
"alive" when he was young, but he fell when he was older and stopped
building.
Vs. 5-8
When I was younger, I was often very puzzled about what could have made Solomon
leave God in such a repulsive way. I don't think it had anything to do with his
reason or logic. We are much more emotional/need-driven than mind-driven. When
it says that Solomon clung to these (his
wives) in love, my guy sense tells me, with this kind of harem, it was
probably a very hormonal, fantasy-driven "love." I think that the
more Solomon worked, the further away from God he drifted until he was
emotionally empty. Ashtoreth was a fertility goddess, and the worship thereof
was very X-rated. These wives had no inhibitions and gave Solomon more than he
asked for. They lavished him with unrestrained sex, just what a spiritually
drifting guy in midlife crisis didn't need. Solomon wouldn't be the only man in
service for God who walked away from God because of his emptiness and his
sexual needs. Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech were practically the same demon with
different names. These monsters received the babies born from the fertility
rites, as the parents sacrificed the unwanted children in fire, basically
throwing them into a furnace. Today we've "cleaned it up" and call it
abortion.
I know
this is weird, but with as many wives as Solomon had, don’t you think he might
have had two or more sons? Yet we only hear of one. David had many sons and we
have the record of their names. It may just be that no other sons are
mentioned. Most of the other kings do not have any sons mentioned other than
the one that succeeded them. I think Solomon must have had lots of kids. I doubt
he would have sacrificed all of them, but we do know that he must have
sacrificed some children.
V. 5 makes
it clear that Solomon was involved in the worship himself. It would have been
horrible enough to have allowed his wives to do this, but he was part of the
proceedings. Solomon became bent, and then was broken.
V. 6 This
is a place where we can define David's devotion to God and why he is called “a
man after God’s own heart,” because of this contrast with Solomon. David always
followed the Lord, except in the situation with Uriah and Bathsheba. David
always worshiped the Lord only. David's heart was always undivided. David never
flirted with any pursuit that became a god to him or forced him to dishonor
God, except in the situation with Uriah and Bathsheba. Solomon, on the other
hand, went after horses, gold and foreign women and all those things they
represented. From now on, David's devotion to the Lord will become the godly
measure of all of the other kings.
Vs. 9-13
Now, with all we have read, isn't it amazing that God didn't just strike down
Solomon? For the sake of the promise God made to David, God showed him mercy
and grace.
Vs. 14-40
Notice that two of these foes who afflicted Solomon during his last years were
hidden and helped by Egypt. So much for the usefulness of that "wise"
marriage alliance with Egypt. It still makes me wonder that Solomon made that
alliance without God’s direction, and yet God never judged him for it. I don’t
think God’s silence is a comfort.
Vs. 26-40
You would think that this would have caused Jeroboam to have considered himself
honored by God and that he would have responded to God with devotion and
obedience. God made him a pretty amazing promise, but sin is a pretty awesome
and powerful thing.
V. 31 The
math seems off here, but the tribe of Benjamin was within the land allotment of
Judah, and by this time, considered as almost one with Judah. It is interesting
that both were "royal" tribes, both having had kings of Israel.
V. 40 It
seems that Solomon knew of the promise to Jeroboam and tried to kill him to
somehow short circuit God's plan. That's just what Saul tried to do to David.
Vs. 41-43
We are not leaving Solomon for good. We'll revisit him in Chronicles, the Song
of Solomon and in Ecclesiastes. But before we move on, we need to reflect on
this terrible end to his life. Was he a man of God? Yes. Did he stray from God
and dishonor Him? Yes. Was Solomon saved? I think so and I think he'll be in
heaven. Even today, the harvest field is filled with ruined and broken
harvesters, disciples of Christ, who, at one time, served fearlessly and
rescued many in the harvest. All of us have something in us that can and will
ruin us. If we let down our guard long enough or if we live in isolation from
the Word and others who love us, that "something" can become
dysfunctional and draw us away from our Lord.
There is
the lesson, "there but for the grace of God go I," or let anyone who thinks that he stands, take
heed lest he fall (1 Cor. 10:12). But there is another lesson too. God
still loved, reached out to, and restored David; and, if Ecclesiastes is the
last thing Solomon wrote, maybe that bitter man was restored too. Later we'll
meet a king who trumped both David and Solomon, who was totally evil, who
reigned the longest of all the kings, who did utterly irreparable damage and
whom God redeemed and restored. Where there is true repentance, there must be
forgiveness and restoration. We cannot be the army that shoots its own wounded.
We all have the same disease, and though there is a volitional element to our
sin, there is a power in sin that is beyond us, even if we are indwelt by the
Spirit. Our only hope is in our weakness, being led by the Spirit, cleansed
daily by the Word and following Christ in the harvest.
Our
challenge as disciples, working in the harvest, is to shake the stuff off of us
that seems to gather in the course of a day, week, month or year. We need to be
cleansed in the Word and constantly focused on our love for Christ, keeping our
hearts, souls, spirits and desires undividedly fixed on Him.
1 Kings
12:1-19
The first
part of the book of Proverbs is written from Solomon to his son. As I mentioned
earlier, I would think that Solomon had hundreds of sons, but Rehoboam is the
only one mentioned. So knowing how Solomon ranked as a husband, how do you
think he ranked as a father? It is interesting to think that we have a book
written by a dad to make his son wise, but in the end, neither truly was. How
tragically sad. The truth of Proverbs stands as inspired by the Spirit, but so
do God's words, Whatever one sows, that
will he also reap (Gal. 6:7).
Vs. 1-5 It
is interesting that Jeroboam was the spokesman and was willing to let the will of
God play out.
Vs. 6-11
Verse 8 has to be one of the saddest verses in the Bible, especially after all
we've read in Proverbs.
Vs. 12-19
What did Rehoboam expect? Israel would never again be united until after the
exile.
Acts 9:1-25
Vs. 1-9
One question is why God waited until now to stop Saul. By this time, Saul had
been involved in the deaths and beatings of many Christians. In his later
testimony in Acts, Saul (Paul) will claim personal responsibility for these deaths and
will say he punished Christians, trying to force them to blaspheme or renounce
Jesus.
V. 4 Can
you imagine Jesus being this gentle with Saul? In Acts 26:14 we learn that
Jesus spoke to him in Hebrew and observed that it was hard for Paul to kick
against the goads. This means that Saul was under conviction, yet he kept on
going. Deep in his heart he knew something was wrong. I tend to think it was
because of the testimony of the people he was persecuting and beating. These
people stood up to Saul with a devotion to Jesus, which more than matched his
zeal for the law. That reality of faith and conviction, in the face of death,
as they were beaten and humiliated, and as they died, must have begun to shake
him. Now Saul was ready to listen.
V. 9
Everything you do during intense emotion is remembered. Anger is like pressing
the "record" button. If you are in an argument, you can replay the
audio and video for years, maybe for the rest of your life: every shout, every
scream, every slap, every expression. Imagine Paul, blind for three days. I'll
bet he played back every beating, every crying woman, every man pleading for
his wife, and every refusal to renounce the name that Saul had hated. Imagine
realizing he had been killing and beating the wrong people. At the end of
Paul's life, he still called himself the chief of sinners. Paul was forgiven,
but I think he still had all the memories and lived as a man humbled by God's
grace to him. I think this is why God waited until this point.
Vs. 10-19
This was a tough assignment for Ananias.
V. 16 The
Lord not only selected Paul, but the Lord announced very clearly that Paul was
actually called to suffer for Him.
V. 18 I
wonder if Paul put those in a scrapbook?
Vs. 20-25
Paul's natural passion was immediately redirected. Now that he really knew the
truth, he pursued it as deeply as he, thinking he had the truth, had fought
against it.
Paul's early Christian life is a bit of a
riddle. He says some things in Galatians that are hard to fit into Luke's
writing. Notice that in v. 25, Paul has disciples. That would take some time.
It is usually thought that there is a time gap between vs. 22 and 23. Galatians
1:17 says, nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned
again to Damascus. So apparently, Paul worked in Damascus and left for three years to pray and study
alone. Then he returned to Damascus, and then
they tried to kill him. From Damascus, Paul went to Jerusalem and met and
stayed with Peter for 15 days, meeting only James, Jesus' brother, but not the
other apostles. Too bad, I think he would have liked John.
What's
interesting to see in Paul is that Jesus will always lead him into trouble and
suffering. That was the Lord's design. It looks like it happened because Paul
was so deeply passionate. The fire in Paul attracted disciples and it inflamed
enemies. It wasn't that Paul didn't have social skills; it was that he was so
fully convinced of the message and the urgency of the mission, that people
didn't respond with indifference to him or his message about Jesus.
Psalm 131
This is a
song written by David for those coming to Jerusalem to worship to prepare their
hearts in humility and quietness to learn from God. I know that isn't always my
attitude in walking into a worship service. But even if we mastered that on
Sundays, for a disciple, worship is 24/7, in spirit and in truth.
Vs. 1-2
Humility is very hard for us to manage, especially in public.
V. 3 Hope
actually means complete dependence. Complete dependence in faith is also hard
for us to manage.
Proverbs 17:4-5
We all
know deep inside, that there is a God and that He keeps track of stuff like
this. God is not mocked. Respecting Him in humility and dependence helps us
care for those who might be dependent on Him and us.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My
comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on
Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups
will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with
and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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