1Kings 7:38 – 16:20
Overview
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Solomon’s Palace
A magnificent thing has taken place for God’s people. Solomon has just finished building the temple for the Lord and he prays recounting the promise God made with David. Solomon gives a blessing to God and the temple. Later in today’s reading God appears to Solomon in a second dream and repeats His covenant to him promising to be with him as long as he is obedient and does not follow other Gods. Solomon makes all Foreigners living within Israel become forced laborers. The queen of Sheba honors Solomon and marvels at his wisdom. Later in our reading we learn that Solomon has 700 wives and 300 concubine and they led him astray. God’s anger burns against Solomon because he has given in to his wives’ idolatry Jeroboam (the master of the laborers) strengthens himself and rebells against king solomon. Solomon tries to kill Jeroboam. Later, Solomon Dies & Rehoboam (his son) succeeds him as king. Jeroboam, asks for their yoke to be lessened but Rehoboam listens to young counsel and makes it worse. Israel rebels against Rehoboam and sides with Jeroboam and the kingdom is split. Jeroboam is king of the Northern Kingdom. Later he dies and his son Nadab becomes king of the north. Rehoboam is a wicked king who has disobeyed God. He dies and his son Abijam succeeds. Abijam committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God. Later, he dies and his son Asa succeeds. As our reading for the day concludes, we learn that Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD!
Scripture – 1Kings 11:9-10
9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.
Observation
God made a covenant with Solomon that would guarantee success, happiness, and blessings throughout his kingdom and his own life if he would follow in the ways of his father David. God told Solomon not to follow other gods. Instead, Solomon married foreign women who all served worthless false gods and this led Solomon away from God. Because of this, Solomon missed out on many blessings from God and his children would have to endure hardship as they would lead a divided Israel after Solomon was gone.
Application
God knows the things that tempt us. For Solomon it was women. For others it may be wealth or an object like a boat or car. Anything that takes our attention and heart away from God causes us to sin and miss out on blessings He gives in our fellowship with Him. With so much temptation around us, it is important to draw close to God and His Word. God called the idols “worthless”. In reality, there is no value in false idols. While we might think that there is some benefit or “worth” in the things that make us go astray from God, in the long view, they are not eternal but worthless.
Prayer
God thank you for loving us. Help me to always put you first in everything I do. Give me the strength to turn away from the false glitz and glamour of temporary things of the world and remember that you are eternal.
