1 Kings 11:34

1 Kings 11:34 says, Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:  After God told Jeroboam that He was going to give him ten tribes to rule over, He then said that He was not going to take the whole kingdom from Solomon's descendants because they were descendants of David also and David had remained true to Him.  Of course, we cannot be saved because of our parent's faithfulness to God.  Verse thirty-five adds, But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.  Even though God wasn't going to take the whole kingdom from Solomon's descendants, He was going to give the majority to Jeroboam.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will never have our place in His kingdom taken away from us, but if we allow sin back into our life, we may have the gifts that He was going to bless us with in this world taken away and given to someone who is obedient to Him.  Verse thirty-six continues, And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.  God also said that He was going to give Solomon's descendants one tribe that included Jerusalem, because David was to always have a descendant on the throne.  This promise was fulfilled with Jesus Christ and the promise is no longer about a physical location but is about the attitude of a person toward Jesus Christ.  We can either accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, or we will forever be outside the Kingdom of God.  Verse thirty-seven states, And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.  God promised Jeroboam that He would make him the king over most of Israel and he would reign according to his heart's desire.  I believe this meant in accordance with Jeroboam's covenant relationship with God, which should have led him to desire what God wanted for Jeroboam himself and the people of Israel.  I do know that once we become a Christian that we are not promised whatever we may selfishly desire but are only promised what we need to accomplish God's work.  I don't believe that God is ever going to just give us whatever we want just to fulfill our own desires, though some people may preach and teach that.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.  We have the "if" that comes with God's promises quite often.  In order for God to make Israel great under Jeroboam as it was under David, he had to be obedient to God.  If God is going to make us a great Christian or a great Christian nation, we must be obedient to His commandments.  We are not saved by keeping His commandments, but once we are saved, that does not mean that we can ignore them.  God's Laws will last forever.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.  God also said that He would afflict the descendants of David, but not forever.  Even though the earthly kingdom may never have been totally restored to a descendant of David, God's promise to him that one of his descendants would always rule over Israel, God's chosen people, was fulfilled through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, will rule forever over God's chosen people, which includes everyone who puts their faith in Him as their Savior and Lord.  Verse forty says, Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.  Much like Saul with David, when Solomon became aware that Jeroboam had been chosen to be the next king, he attempted to kill him.  Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live had not only started worshipping other gods, but he was attempting to defy God's plan for Israel.  We may have all the wisdom in the world, but if we do not come to Jesus Christ by faith, we are the dumbest of people.  Also, like David with Saul, Jeroboam had to flee until Solomon died.  Like David, Jeroboam didn't just immediately attempt to claim the throne.  We as followers of Christ are called on to spread the gospel to the world, but that doesn't mean that people of the world will always welcome us.  As a matter of fact, they may attempt to kill us to silence us forever.  Still, we must continue to live by faith in God no matter what.  Verse forty-one adds, And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?  Evidently, there was a book written about all the acts of Solomon that we do not have.  I believe this is because this book likely focused on Solomon and not God's work through Solomon.  I also believe that the things we do that are not for God's glory will also never be remembered.  Verse forty-two continues, And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.  Solomon had ruled for forty years, during which time Israel was basically at peace and prosperous, but for all his wisdom, Solomon had strayed away from God and started worshipping other gods.  Even if we were to be in a time of peace and prosperity today, we must never stray away from God and start worshipping other gods. which can be anything that becomes more important to us than God.  Verse forty-three concludes, And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.  Solomon died and was buried with David, and his son Rehoboam ruled in his place.  Once again, as with Saul and David, we would have a man appointed king, Rehoboam, and a God appointed king, Jeroboam.  Today, as Christians, we can have only one King, and that is Jesus Christ.

1 Kings 11:26

1 Kings 11:26 says, And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.  Not only did Solomon have enemies outside of the kingdom of Israel, but he had enemies within as well.  It is bad enough to have enemies outside the church, but we need to pray that we don't start fighting with one another as Christians.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.  Jeroboam went against Solomon because Solomon had built Millo and repaired the breaches in Jerusalem, the city of David, his father.  Since Jeroboam was of the tribe of Ephraim, he may have believed that Solomon was doing too much in other parts of the country and not in Ephraim, but Matthew Henry says that Jeroboam being in charge of the building there believed that Solomon was abusing the people of Israel for his own gain.  Whatever the reason, he began to oppose Solomon and we will see later that God endorsed this, but we as Christians cannot afford to start opposing other Christians and still be effective in doing God's work.  Of course, we could make the point that Solomon was not doing God's work by this time, and if those who profess to be God's people begin to teach and follow things against God's will, we need to oppose them.  Verse twenty-eight continues, And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.  Solomon saw that Jeroboam was a young man of valor, so he put him in charge of the house of Joseph, or Ephraim and Manasseh.  Even if someone is young and a hard worker today, it may not mean that they are the best person to put in charge in the church.  Sometimes, they may think that they are more important than the people who appoint them.  Of course, this doesn't mean that Jeroboam felt that way.  Verse twenty-nine states, And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:  When Jeroboam was out of Jerusalem, Ahijah from Shiloh found him, and they were alone in a field.  Matthew Henry says that the people of Shiloh had not deserted God and He had raised up a prophet from there.  God will never be without those who follow Him as long as this world stands.  Verse thirty adds, And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:  Ahijah took Rehoboam's new garment and tore it in twelve pieces.  I don't know how Rehoboam felt about this, but if God destroys something we own today to get our attention, I wonder if we would be upset about it or if we would look to God to see what He is telling us.  Verse thirty-one continues, And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:  Ahijah told Jeroboam to take ten take pieces, and that represented God taking ten tribes from Solomon and giving them to him.  So, we see that Jeroboam was not just acting out of his own self-will, but was appointed by God, as hopefully new people who take over God's work in the church today will be.  Verse thirty-two says, (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)  Ahijah said that God was going to leave Solomon with one tribe for David's sake.  God never went back on His promise to David, and He will never go back on His promises to us today as long as we fulfill our part of the covenant with Him and always put our faith in following Jesus Christ, Who is the fulfillment of God's promise to David.  Verse thirty-three adds, Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.  God said He was doing this because the people of Israel had not remained true to Him under Solomon's reign, but they had started following other gods.  We cannot be a follower of Christ and follow after other gods at the same time.  

1 Kings 11:14

1 Kings 11:14 says, And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.  Since Solomon was worshipping other gods, the God of Israel, the only real God that there is, stirred up enemies against him.  Matthew Henry says it was Hadad and Rezon and that they could have been no threat to Solomon as long as he remained faithful to God.  If we as followers of Christ allow false gods back into our life today, we can be certain that God is going to stop blessing us and may even allow us to suffer at the hands of our enemies.  Verse fifteen adds, For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;  We are then referred to a time in David's rule.  The things that have been done to people in the past may affect their relationship with other groups of people today, especially those who they feel they were wronged by are Christians.  Verse sixteen continues, (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:)  During David's reign, Joab had gone to Edom and remained there for six months until every male was killed.  This could certainly lead to bad feelings about Israel on the part of those who remained or grew up afterward.  I know that many times in the Old Testament that the people of Israel were called on to kill all the inhabitants already in the Promised Land, but this is not our calling as to how to treat our enemies today.  We are called on to reach out to them with love and the gospel.  Verse seventeen concludes, That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.  When Joab was killing all the men of Edom, Hadad was a young child and fled to Egypt along with some of his father's servants.  We can be certain that this would have likely inspired a hatred of the people of Israel in him.  If we as Christians mistreat those of a particular group people today, we can be fairly certain that their descendants are going to dislike if not outright hate Christians.  This is one reason that we should treat all people fairly with a Godlike love.  Veres eighteen states, And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.  Hadad began to gather an army and went to Pharoah in Egypt and asked for his help, and Pharoah first gave him a place to stay and food to eat.  We also know that the enemies of God today often support other enemies of God.  Verse nineteen adds, And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.  Pharoah liked Hadad so much that he gave him his wife's sister as his wife.  This made him a brother-in-law to Pharoah.  Though we don't hear of it too often anymore if ever, there was a time when a man and a woman who were considered a part of royal families would marry to increase the strength of both families.  Of course, we cannot grow God's kingdom by marrying non-believers, no matter how important they may be in the world.  This does not keep the people of the world from seeking alliances with other groups to fight against Christians though by whatever means necessary.  Veres twenty continues, And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.  Hadad's son grew up in the household of Pharoah like one of his own sons.  There was indeed a close bond between Hadad and Pharoah, just as there are often close bonds between the enemies of God today, whether they feel like family or not.  Of course, we as followers of Christ should have that same close bond with our fellow Christians, but they will never be our children spiritually, but will be our brothers and sisters.  Verse twenty-one says, And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.  After hearing that David and Joab were dead, Hadad asked Pharoah for permission to return to his own country.  Hadad may have believed that David and Joab were the powers behind the victories of Israel, but it was God, and He certainly wasn't dead.  We need to make sure that as Christians we always let people know that God is the source of our victories, and that like Him, our faith in Him will never die.  Verse twenty-two adds, Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.  Pharoah asked Hadad what he had lacked while living in Egypt and he said nothing but asked Pharoah to let him go to his own country anyway.  People of the world may be thriving where they are but not be satisfied.  I don't believe anyone can ever be satisfied by what this world has to offer if they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Of course, those who do have this personal relationship with Him should be content with whatever God blesses them with in this lifetime.  Verse twenty-three states, And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:  As stated earlier, Hadad and Rezon were both going to be used by God to punish Solomon.  We can debate whether God actually empowered them of just removed His protective hand from Solomon, and I believe the latter to be true.  Verse twenty-four adds, And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.  Matthew Henry says that even though the Syrians had been defeated by David, that Solomon grew careless about dealing with them and Rezon began to rule in Damascus once more.  We may defeat sin in our lives today by the power of God, but we cannot become careless in dealing with sin in the future.  Verse twenty-five continues, And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.  Rezon was an adversary of Solomon for all of Solomon's reign besides what Hadad was doing.  Some groups of people have been adversaries of Christians their whole lives, and unless we reach them with the gospel and they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, they always will be. 

1 Kings 11:9

1 Kings 11:9 says, And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,  God, Who appeared to Solomon twice at this time, was displeased with him because he had turned away from God.  I don't believe that God had only spoken to Solomon twice in all this time, but that He appeared to Solomon twice in such a way that he could not deny the reality of God as opposed to these other gods who were not real.  Though He is not going to appear to us physically, Jesus Christ is going to appear to us spiritually in a way that we will know of His reality, and once we accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, He is going to be upset with us if we allow some other god to begin to influence us.  Verse ten adds, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord  commanded.  During these appearances, God warned Solomon that he should not worship other gods.  When we accept Jesus Christ, He warns us that we cannot also worship other gods.  Solomon, who had asked God for wisdom and had been given it, now wasn't wise enough to listen to God.  No matter how wise we are, since true wisdom comes from God, if we don't listen when God speaks to us, we are of all people most foolish.  Verse twelve continues, Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.  God told Solomon that since he had not remained true to his covenant relationship with Him, that He was going to take the kingdom from Solomon and give it to Solomon's servant.  God didn't say that He was removing Solomon from the family of Israel though.  I am not sure that we can accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and follow after other gods, but we can allow other things to become more important than God, thereby making them like a god to us.  If we do, we are not removed from God's family, but He may give what would have been our blessings to others.  Verse twelve states, Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.  God told Solomon that He wouldn't remove the kingdom from him during his lifetime for David's sake, but that He would remove it during the reign of Solomon's son.  We are saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and if we have accepted Him as our personal Savior and Lord, we will never be removed from the family of God for His sake.  If he could lose those that He had saved, He would be less than all-powerful.  Still, if we do not live and witness for God, our children may be lost from His kingdom.  Verse thirteen adds, Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.  God then said He wouldn't take the whole kingdom from Solomon's son but would leave him with one tribe for David's sake and Jerusalem, which He had chosen.  As Christians, we are preserved by the power of God, and even if we lose material blessings today because we have not followed His will, we will not lose our salvation.

1 Kings 11:1

1 Kings 11:1 says, But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:  Solomon may have been wise and rich, he may have built a Temple for God, but he did not follow God's law concerning marriage.  He loved and married many foreign women starting with the daughter of Pharoah.  We may be a follower of Christ and yet allow some sinful action into our life, but we can never be content to allow it to stay, much less grow.  Verse two adds, Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.  Slomon loved these women in spite of God's warning to the people of Israel not to marry women of other nations, because these women would lead them away from God.  We have the same warning as Christians today.  Verse three continues, And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.  Solomon not only disobeyed God's design for marriage and his warning about marrying women of other nations, but he also completely obliterated it, having seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.  Once we allow a sin into our lives as Christians, we should not be surprised if it begins to multiply.  These women turned Solomon's heart away from God, just as any sinful desire will do to us today.  Verse four states, For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.  When Solomon was old and had allowed his wives and concubines to turn his heart away from God and to other gods, his heart was no longer perfect with God as his father David's had been.  I believe the difference was that even though David sinned as well, he never followed after other gods.  I don't believe that we can really be a Christian and follow after other gods as well.  If we begin to do so, then I would have to question the reality of our faith in Jesus Christ to start with, since as Christians we should know that He is the only way to salvation, and we are to worship no one nor anything else.  Verse five adds, For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  Two of the gods Solomon began to worship were Ashtoreth, the goddess of fertility, and Milcom, the chief god of the Ammonites who was called the abomination of the Ammonites.  We can be certain that any god we follow other than the one true and living God will be an abomination.  Verse six continues, And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.  Solomon may have been given great wisdom by God, but he did not continue to use it throughout his life by being led to follow other gods and doing evil in God's sight.  We have been given enough wisdom to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, and if we don't, then we are doing evil in God's sight.  Verse seven declares, Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.  Solomon may have built a beautiful Temple for God, but he was now building places of worship for other gods.  They were both called abominations.  We cannot worship God and any other god at the same time, and if we allow anything to become more important to us than God, then that is what we are doing.  Verse eight adds, And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.  Not only did Solomon worship these false gods, but his foreign wives did as well.  If a Christian marries a non-Christian, too often the Christian is led to follow the gods of the spouse, and this should never be.   

1 Kings 10:21

1 Kings 10:21 says, And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.  Solomon's own drinking vessels were made of gold, which really had nothing to do with bringing glory to God in my opinion.  I believe that today too many Christians want only the best of everything for themselves instead of simply wanting what will serve the purpose effectively.  Verse twenty-two adds, For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.  Solomon partnered with Hiram and his navy to continue to bring gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks to himself.  Matthew Henry says in their prosperity that the people of Israel had begun to pursue opulence and childlike entertainment.  We today need to be more devoted to doing God's work than to simply looking to find pleasure for ourselves as Christians.  Verse twenty-three continues, So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.  Solomon exceeded all other kings in both riches and wisdom.  I believe this still holds true, with the exception of Jesus Christ, Who is wiser even if He wasn't richer in His earthly life, because Solomon asked God for wisdom above all else and God blessed him with both wisdom and riches.  Of course, some rulers today do attempt to have more opulence in their lives than Solomon did.  Verse twenty-four states, And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.  People from everywhere came to hear Solomon, because God had given him wisdom.  We as Christians have this same wisdom available to us today, but even if we use it, we likely never have many people coming to us for us to share it with them.  Verse twenty-five adds, And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.  The people who sought Solomon's wisdom also brought him presents, and when we seek the wisdom of God today, we need to bring Him the present of ourselves and everything that we own.  I believe that all that God blesses us with should be used for His purpose.  Verse twenty-six continues, And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.  Solomon also built up his army with fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.  Too often today people look to military might to bring security to a country instead of looking to God for security.  Verse twenty-seven says, And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.  Silver was as abundant in Jerusalem as stones were and cedars were as prevalent as sycamore trees.  Israel was truly wealthy during Solomon's reign, but they shouldn't have been serving God just for material wealth, and neither should we.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. Verse twenty-nine continues, And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.  Solomon was trading with Egypt at this time as well.  Though the people of Israel had once been slaves in Egypt, they were now in a position of superiority.  We were once enslaved to sin, but by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are set free.  Of course, once we are we don't need to continue to be friendly with sin, though we should with the sinner.

 I am going to pause in the study of 1 Kings today on Christmas and look again at that first Christmas day.  LUK2:08 says, And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  That first Christmas night there was a group of lowly shepherds going about their normal night.  There was nothing that said it was anything special.  Verse nine adds, And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  Suddenly, the night was no longer normal as an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and they were very afraid.  We may not have an angel appear to us on Christmas day, but as followers of Christ, Christmas should always be a day that reminds us of the good news that the angel was going to share with the shepherds, and we have no reason to be afraid.  Verse ten adds, And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  The good tidings of great joy that the angel shared with the shepherds was for all people.  We may not have been there that night, but this good news was for us as well.  Verse eleven declares, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  This is the true and only meaning of Christmas.  A Savior was born that day Who is Christ the Lord.  He is the One and only Savior, so let's not forget the reason we celebrate Christmas.  Verse twelve adds, And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  The angel said that the shepherds would find the Savior not as a king in power but as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Jesus was born as any other baby was born, but He was the only begotten Son of God.  Verse thirteen continues, And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  Verse fourteen adds, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  For the shepherds, this became anything but a normal night, and if we have met Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, this day should be a celebration of His birth, a Savior Who is Christ the Lord.  

1 Kings 10:14

1 Kings 10:14 says, Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, Solomon had a large amount of gold coming to him in a year.  The kingdom was prospering under his rule.  Of course, we don't serve God for earthly riches, so we can never judge the faith of a person based on riches.  We will likely be more like Paul than Solomon, working and striving for a living, instead of living with riches.  Verse fifteen adds, Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.  Solomon also had ships that were trading with all the countries around him instead of being at war with them.  At times, we as Christians may live at peace with those who do not accept God as the only God, and we may even trade with them, but spiritually, we will always be at war with them.  Verse sixteen continues, And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.  Solomon used the gold to make ornamental armament according to Matthew Henry, but he didn't just hoard it.  We need to use the gifts that God blesses us with today, and not just for ornamental reasons.  Verse seventeen concludes, And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.  He kept some of these shields in his house in Lebanon, which would imply that they were not in use every day but were readily available.  Some days, we may not use ever gift that God has given us, but they must be readily available even if we don't.  The spiritual gifts of God should never be hoarded unused.  Verse eighteen states, Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.  I believe that the throne was certainly more for show than for a functional purpose.  We as followers of Christ today can be guilty of doing things that are more for show than for functional purposes in church buildings and in our own homes.  I believe that we bring more glory to God by using the things that He blesses us with to reach out to the lost world than we do by building buildings that are ornate just for show.  Verse nineteen adds, The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.  Verse twenty continues, And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.  These two verses tell us more about the luxury of the throne of Solomon.  We need the world today to see our good works in helping others more than our ornate church building or lifestyle I believe.  

1 Kings 10 :1

1 Kings10:1 says, And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.  When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him asking him hard questions.   Matthew Henry says she mainly came to better understand the ways of God.  If people hear that we are Christians today, and come to us asking hard questions about God, will we prove to be wise in our understanding of salvation?  We need to always be ready to answer anyone who questions us about salvation.  Verse two adds, And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.  She didn't come empty-handed but came with many valuable gifts and communed with Solomon about all that was on her heart.  We can only come to God empty-handed when we come to seek salvation, but we also must share the concerns of our heart with Him.  We cannot just seek facts, but must seek faith.  Verse three continues, And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.  Solomon answered all her questions under the leadership of the God, which is where his wisdom came from. If we are to answer all the questions people may ask us about becoming a Christian and living a Christian life today, we need to rely on the leadership of the Holy Spirit when we answer them.  Verse four states, And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,  Verse five adds, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.  When she saw all of Solomon's wisdom and all that God had blessed him with, there was no more spirit in her.  Of course, of all the things mentioned, the wisdom of Solomon was the first, and if people are going to respond to God's call to salvation today, it is not going to be because of our material wealth but because of our knowledge of and faith in Him.  Verse six continues, And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.  She told Solomon that she had heard of his acts and wisdom in her own land.  As followers of Christ, we need to pray that people will hear of our wisdom and of our good acts for God.  True wisdom can only come from God, and this is the wisdom that we need to share with people of the world.  The question is, are they hearing about our wisdom of God?  Verse seven says, Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.  She told Solomon that she did not believe what she had heard until she came and saw it for herself, and it was even greater than she had heard.  People are not going to believe the gospel until they accept it for themselves, and then it will be even greater than what they had heard.  Verse eight adds, Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.  Shen said that Solomon's men and his servants were happy serving him.  If someone were to observe us as Christians in where we work today, especially if we are in a position of authority, they should see that those that we have authority over are happy in their work situation.  People of the world are going to be observing us as followers of Christ, not just in how we live on Sunday but in how we live our everyday life as well.  Verse nine continues, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.  The queen of Sheba then gave praise to God as the One Who had made Solomon so wise and powerful.  We need people to praise God for whatever we accomplish as Christians today and not to praise us.  Just as she said God had loved Israel forever, so does He love us as Christians forever today.  Verse ten concludes, And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.  She then gave Solomon gold and more spices than had ever been given to anyone.  She acknowledged that God was to be praised, and then gave gifts to Solomon, I would assume thinking that he would use them for God's glory and not his own.  The blessings that God gives us today as followers of Christ should be used for God's glory and not our own.  Verse eleven says, And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.  Hiram's navy also brought gifts, which included almug trees, which were highly praised for their beauty and fragrance.  Verse twelve adds, And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.  Solomon used the almug trees in the Temple and his own house and to make instruments for the Temple.  We need to use the things God blesses us with today to do His work and not just use it for our own benefit.  Verse thirteen continues, And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.  Solomon also gave the Queen of Sheba whatever she asked for.  We may not be able to give people a lot of material possessions today, but we can give them the greatest gift of all, and that is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

1 Kings 9:25

1 Kings 9:25 says, And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the Lord. So he finished the house.  Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God on the altar he built three times a year.  Matthew Henry points out that this was in addition to the normal times of worship.  We need to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God daily, but we also need gather together and offer our tithes and offerings to God regularly and this should be more than three times a year, yet many professed Christians only come to church on Christmas, Easter, and maybe for a funeral.  Then, Solomon had completed the building of the Temple.  Though the physical temple was done away with when Jesus Christ came and died for our sins, if we are Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we should always be working to improve our obedience to Him, so in that respect, this temple will never be complete until He calls us home to Heaven.  Verse twenty-six adds, And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.  Solomon then began to make ships for a navy.  He had completed the work on God's house and on his palaces, so now he turned to building for the defense of Israel.  We should be more concerned about building our relationship with God than we are about the things of this earth.  No army or navy is ever going to bring us everlasting salvation.  Only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can do that, so we need to establish that relationship first.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.  Once again, Hiram sent help to Solomon, sending men from his navy to help those of Solomon's navy learn about the sea and sailing.   When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we may need the help of fellow Christians to show us how to live a successful Christian life.  I know we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, but it is still helpful to have other Christians showing us the way.  God does work through other people to grow His kingdom.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.  The ships were also used in trade, and the first trading venture brought Solomon a profit of four hundred and twenty talents of gold.  Of course, we as Christians should not work just for material rewards, but using our God given talents under the leadership of the Holy Spirit may lead to material success.  Still, I believe that if it does, we need to use what God blesses us with for His glory and not just for personal enrichment. 

1 Kings 9:15

1 Kings 9:15 says, And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.  We are told that Solomon had raised a levy, or tax, for the purpose of paying for all the building he did.  Taxes are still raised to pay for government work today, but not for church work, so if God's work is to be done, we as Christians must give to support it.  Verse sixteen adds, For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.  Pharoah, king of Egypt, had taken Gezer and burned it and had given it to his daughter, Solomon's wife.  Of course, it really wasn't his to give, but we do see that the Egyptians were still a threat to the people around them, but he caused Solomon to build a city there.  Sometimes, our one-time enemies may be become our friends, but if they do not become followers of Christ as well, we should not put a lot of faith in their goodness toward us.  Verse seventeen continues, And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether, Verse eighteen states, And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,  Verse nineteen adds, And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. As already stated, Solomon built a city at Gezer, but he also built many others to support his army.  We today may not like taxes, but if we are going to have police forces, fire departments, and armies, as well as all the things needed to live our everyday life functioning with ease, they are necessary.  Of course, they can also be abused.  Verse twenty says, And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,  Verse twenty-one adds, Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.  We are told that not all of those who had lived in the Promised Land before God gave it to Israel had been destroyed, but their children lived as bondservants to the people of Israel.  Matthew Henry says this fulfilled God's law that these people would be the bondservants of Israel found in Leviticus 25:44 and Noah's curse on the Canaanites found in Genesis 9:25.  Some people today attempt to use the Bible to justify being morally superior to other groups of people, but we are all but sinners saved by grace.  Verse twenty-two continues, But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.  None of the people of Israel were made bondservants, but they were men of war and Solomon's servants, princes, captains, and rulers of his horsemen and chariots.  They weren't freed just for a life of leisure, but still had a very important role in Israel.  We are God's servants as followers of Christ today, and we all have our individual calling, but we are all called to be a part of the army of God.  Verse twenty-three states, These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.  Solomon had five-hundred and fifty chief officers over the work of Israel.  We have many preachers who are in charge of insuring that the gospel is preached, and God's word is taught today, but they are not solely responsible.  We as Christians all have an equal responsibility to ensure that God's work is done today, and we each have our own responsibility to ensure that it is done.  Verse twenty-four adds, But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.  Solomon's wife, the Pharoah's daughter, did not live in Jerusalem but in Millo.  We aren't told why he built her a separate house, but we do know that Solomon had multiple wives and concubines, so maybe this was just a logical decision.

I Kings 9:10

1 Kings 9:10 says, And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the king's house,  It took twenty years to complete the building of the Temple and Solomon's palaces, so evidently Israel was basically at peace during this time.  Even if we as Christians were to be at peace in the world today, I don't think we should spend so much time on building material things that are not going to last anyway.  I believe that our time would be better spent witnessing and helping others.  Verse eleven adds, (Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.  Since Hiram the king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with the cedars and gold, Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.  Matthew Henry says these were small cities not in the land of Israel but bordering it and taken over by Solomon most likely.  Matthew Henry also says that Solomon did this above the supplying of Hiram with food which had been their agreement.  We should always try to be fair in our treatment of others, even giving more than is required at times, but we cannot give away what God has set aside for Himself, as He had the land of Israel.  In other words, we cannot help others simply by giving them God's tithes, which should go to the local church to be used collectively.  Verse twelve continues, And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.  When Hiram came to see the cities, which were an added gift from Solomon, he was not pleased with them.  If we are given something more than what we have been promised in our dealings with others, we should be pleased that we have been given more than required, and the same should be true of those that we may have given more to. Still, sometimes even if we are giving more than promised, some people are not going to be satisfied.  Matthew Henry says the question is whether Solomon gave Hiram something that he knew was of little value, or whether Hiram was just super critical.  If we do make a gift of something to others, we need to make sure that it is of value and not something that we just want to get rid of and if we are given a gift, we should not be super critical about it.  Verse thirteen states, And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.  Hiram asked Solomon what these cities were that Solomon had given him and called them Cabul, which Matthew Henry says is a Phoenician word meaning displeasing.  At least Hiram went to Solomon to tell him of his displeasure, and we aren't told that he became angry at Solomon.  If we are given something that we don't like, we should tell the person who gave it to us how we feel and not allow it to become a reason to be angry with them.  These cities were still a gift from Solomon and not the payment of a debt. Verse fourteen adds, And Hiram sent to the king six score talents of gold.  Hiram sent Solomon one hundred and twenty talents of gold.  I assume this was in addition to what he had already sent, which would imply that he wasn't angry with Solomon.  Even if we are not satisfied with what someone gives us, we shouldn't allow that to make us angry with them.  

1 Kings 9:1

1 Kings 9:1 says, And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,  Solomon had finally completed all the building that he desired to do, which we would hope was done under the leadership of God.  We do know that when Jesus Christ died on the cross that the work of redemption was done under God's guidance for all time.  Verse two adds, That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.  When Solomon had completed his work, then God appeared to him a second time.  God should appear to us daily through the presence of the Holy Spirit, and we will really never be done with His work here in this world.  Verse three continues, And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.  God said that He had heard Solomon's prayer and supplication, and the He had hallowed the house that Solomon built, and His eyes and His heart would be there forever.  Of course, we know that Jesus Christ said He was the Temple of God. and we know that when we accept Him as our Savior and Lord that He is with us forever.  Verse four states, And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:  God then put Solomon's part of the covenant relationship before him.  Building the Temple did not get Solomon an everlasting relationship with God.  Only following God's will for him would and this would point him toward the coming Messiah.  We can only have an everlasting relationship with God by accepting Jesus Christ.  Works will never save us.  Verse five adds, Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.  Since we know that Solomon did not live forever, it was through David's and Solomon's descendant Jesus that this promise was fulfilled.  Verse six continues, But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:  Then, God issued a warning about turning away from Him and following other gods.  Verse seven declares, Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:  If the people of Israel turned away from God, He would turn away from them.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are forever saved, but if we turn away from God, He may remove His protective hand from us in this lifetime.  Verse eight adds, And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house?  God said if the people turned away from Him, that people would pass the Temple and hiss an ask why the Lord had left it.  God does not live in buildings but in the hearts if people, so if people in the church turn away from Him, the building will be empty. Verse nine continues, And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.  The answer was because people forsook God, and not because God had forsaken them.  If we ever find ourselves feeling deserted by God, the problem will never be with God, but with us.

1 Kings 8:54

1 Kings 8:54 says, And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.  Solomon had prayed on his knees with his hands spread to heaven, and when he was finished, he got up.  There are several ways that different people think we should pray today, but as long as we are humble before God, that is the main issue.  Verse fifty-five adds, And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,  After Solomon stood from praying, he the blessed all the people of Israel, or I believe asked God's blessing on them, since we really can't bless people.  Verse fifty-six continues, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.  Solomon began by asking that God be blessed by the people for His goodness and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to them.  We should bless or praise God today as well, because He will always fulfill His promises to us as long as we are faithful to Him.  Verse fifty-seven states, The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:   Solomon continued to ask that God be with them and not leave or forsake them.  As followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit is always with us and will never leave or forsake us.  Verse fifty-eight adds, That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.  Solomon then asked that the people incline their hearts toward God, so that they would keep His commandments, statutes, and judgments that He had given to their fathers.  God's law has not changed, and we as Christians must live under its authority.  Verse fifty-nine continues, And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:  Solomon asked that his words be close to God day and night, and that He hear the people any time they might inquire of Him.  One thing that we can be certain of is that God will be with us and hear us at all times when we call out to Him, because the Holy Spirit indwells us once we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse sixty says, That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.  Solomon asked that God do this so that all the people on the earth, and not just those of Isarael, would know that He was God.  Our actions as followers of Christ today should lead others to acknowledge God, even if they don't know Him in a personal relationship.  Verse sixty-one adds, Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.  Like Solomon asked of the people of Israel then we must make our hearts perfect with the Lord or walk by faith in Him.  Verse sixty-two continues, And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord.  Solomon and all the people of Israel then offered a sacrifice before the Lord.  The only sacrifice that we can offer to God today that really matters is the sacrifice of ourselves to Him by faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse sixty-three states, And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.  Solomon then offered a peace offering as they dedicated the house of the Lord.  As Christians, we should be dedicated to God and thereby live at peace with Him, even if we are at war with the world.  Verse sixty-four adds, The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar that was before the Lord was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.  The same day, Solomon hallowed, or dedicated the middle of the inner court to God, because that was where sacrifices were made.  We need to dedicate the inner most part of ourselves to God, because we have sacrificed ourselves to Him.  Verse sixty-five continues, And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.  Solomon then had a great feast to God with all the people of Israel that lasted fourteen days.  Verse sixteen concludes, On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.  This says on the eighth day they went home, blessing Solomon with gladness in their hearts for the goodness that God had shown to David his servant through all that Solomon had now accomplished.  They saw this as a fulfillment of the promise God had made to David.  Whatever we accomplish as Christians today is a result of a promise made to Jesus Christ by is Heavenly Father.  Since the feast was divided into two seven-day periods, I assume this was at the end of the second one. We need to always thank God for the goodness that He has shown us by sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die in our place.  We should do this individually and as a nation.