Solomon Turns From The Lord

Topic: Reproach
Passage: 1 Kings 11:1–22

August 29, 2021

Commentary

 

Solomon’s life ends in disaster. It seems that as he grew older, he got farther away from God. Riding the crest of power and prestige he apparently thought he was above reproach. The Law had clearly forbidden foreign marriages (Deut. 7:1-5). In addition to this, a king was also prohibited by God from marrying many wives “or his heart will be led astray” (Deut. 17:17).  Solomon completely disregarded this. His palace apparently included 700 wives and 300 concubines. His pagan wives led him into idolatry just as God had warned.

Solomon was never involved in complete rejection of God but he worshiped other gods as well (vv. 4-8). Three heathen gods were given prominence in the religious system promoted by the king. Ashtoreth was the goddess of sex. Molech worship was the national religion of the Ammonites, which involved the offering of human sacrifice. Chermosh was the national god of Moab and was equally cruel and licentious.

The reason for God’s judgment on Solomon is clear as his heart had turned away from the Lord (v. 11). This happened despite the fact God had revealed Himself to Solomon, making promises to him.  To satisfy his wives, the king threw away every important blessing of God. Verses 14-22 reveal how Hodad, the prince of Edom, left the security of Egypt to become Solomon’s foe. The final judgment was delayed until Solomon was dead and his son had taken over. This was a gracious act by God because of his love for David.

 

Application

When people ignore clear instructions from God, such as Solomon had concerning marriage, negative consequences result. He knew the right way to live, but he did not always have the will to do it.

 

1 Kings 11:1– 22 (NET)

1 King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh’s daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. 2 They came from nations about which the Lord had warned the Israelites, “You must not establish friendly relations with them! If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.” But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them.

3 He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines; his wives had a powerful influence over him. 4 When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. 5 Solomon worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. 6 Solomon did evil in the Lord’s sight; he did not remain loyal to the Lord, as his father David had. 7 Furthermore, on the hill east of Jerusalem Solomon built a high place for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. 8 He built high places for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and make sacrifices to their gods.

9 The Lord was angry with Solomon because he had shifted his allegiance away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him on two occasions 10 and had warned him about this very thing, so that he would not follow other gods. But he did not obey the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you insist on doing these things and have not kept the covenantal rules I gave you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 However, for your father David’s sake I will not do this while you are alive. I will tear it away from your son’s hand instead. 13 But I will not tear away the entire kingdom; I will leave your son one tribe for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of my chosen city Jerusalem.”

14 The Lord brought against Solomon an enemy, Hadad the Edomite, a descendant of the Edomite king. 15 During David’s campaign against Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom. 16 For Joab and the entire Israelite army stayed there six months until they had exterminated every male in Edom. 17 Hadad, who was only a small boy at the time, escaped with some of his father’s Edomite servants and headed for Egypt. 18 They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, gave him a house and some land and supplied him with food. 19 Pharaoh liked Hadad so well he gave him his sister-in-law (Queen Tahpenes’ sister) as a wife. 20 Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son, named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh’s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s sons. 21 While in Egypt Hadad heard that David had passed away and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead. So Hadad asked Pharaoh, “Give me permission to leave so I can return to my homeland.” 22 Pharaoh said to him, “What do you lack here that makes you want to go to your homeland?” Hadad replied, “Nothing, but please give me permission to leave.”

Solomon Turns From The Lord

Topic: Reproach
Passage: 1 Kings 11:1–22

October 9, 2020

Commentary

 

Solomon’s life ends in disaster. It seems that as he grew older, he got farther away from God. Riding the crest of power and prestige he apparently thought he was above reproach. The Law had clearly forbidden foreign marriages (Deut. 7:1-5). In addition to this, a king was also prohibited by God from marrying many wives “or his heart will be led astray” (Deut. 17:17).  Solomon completely disregarded this. His palace apparently included 700 wives and 300 concubines. His pagan wives led him into idolatry just as God had warned.

Solomon was never involved in complete rejection of God but he worshiped other gods as well (vv. 4-8). Three heathen gods were given prominence in the religious system promoted by the king. Ashtoreth was the goddess of sex. Molech worship was the national religion of the Ammonites, which involved the offering of human sacrifice. Chermosh was the national god of Moab and was equally cruel and licentious.

The reason for God’s judgment on Solomon is clear as his heart had turned away from the Lord (v. 11). This happened despite the fact God had revealed Himself to Solomon, making promises to him.  To satisfy his wives, the king threw away every important blessing of God. Verses 14-22 reveal how Hodad, the prince of Edom, left the security of Egypt to become Solomon’s foe. The final judgment was delayed until Solomon was dead and his son had taken over. This was a gracious act by God because of his love for David.

 

Application

When people ignore clear instructions from God, such as Solomon had concerning marriage, negative consequences result. He knew the right way to live, but he did not always have the will to do it.

 

1 Kings 11:1– 22 (NET)

1 King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh’s daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. 2 They came from nations about which the Lord had warned the Israelites, “You must not establish friendly relations with them! If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.” But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them.

3 He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines; his wives had a powerful influence over him. 4 When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. 5 Solomon worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. 6 Solomon did evil in the Lord’s sight; he did not remain loyal to the Lord, as his father David had. 7 Furthermore, on the hill east of Jerusalem Solomon built a high place for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. 8 He built high places for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and make sacrifices to their gods.

9 The Lord was angry with Solomon because he had shifted his allegiance away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him on two occasions 10 and had warned him about this very thing, so that he would not follow other gods. But he did not obey the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you insist on doing these things and have not kept the covenantal rules I gave you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 However, for your father David’s sake I will not do this while you are alive. I will tear it away from your son’s hand instead. 13 But I will not tear away the entire kingdom; I will leave your son one tribe for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of my chosen city Jerusalem.”

14 The Lord brought against Solomon an enemy, Hadad the Edomite, a descendant of the Edomite king. 15 During David’s campaign against Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom. 16 For Joab and the entire Israelite army stayed there six months until they had exterminated every male in Edom. 17 Hadad, who was only a small boy at the time, escaped with some of his father’s Edomite servants and headed for Egypt. 18 They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, gave him a house and some land and supplied him with food. 19 Pharaoh liked Hadad so well he gave him his sister-in-law (Queen Tahpenes’ sister) as a wife. 20 Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son, named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh’s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s sons. 21 While in Egypt Hadad heard that David had passed away and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead. So Hadad asked Pharaoh, “Give me permission to leave so I can return to my homeland.” 22 Pharaoh said to him, “What do you lack here that makes you want to go to your homeland?” Hadad replied, “Nothing, but please give me permission to leave.”