August 21, 2022
This week we finished 1 Kings by reading chapters 11-22. To review, Solomon became king. He was given wisdom from God and he built the temple. 1 Kings 10:23 says, “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.”
Solomon had many weaknesses, and they were the money and women. 1 Kings 11:1-10 says, “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.
7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.”
Thus, Solomon followed other gods because of all the women in his life, and not the one true God. 1 Kings 11:9-13 says, “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. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
This is exactly what God did. He separated the kingdom as he said he would and as he prophesied to Ahijah the prophet (1 Kings 11:29-40). After Solomon reigned for 40 years he died. Rehoboam succeeded him on the throne, but not with all 12 tribes of Israel. Rehoboam only reined over the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. Another man, Jeroboam, who was Solomon’s official, was actually given the kingdom over the other 10 tribes of Israel.
So, the kingdom was split. The Israelites (10 tribes) were in the north and Judah (and Benjamin) were in the South. The rest of 1 Kings discusses different kings for each tribe. Thus far, all of the Israelite kings were evil. Rehoboam and Abijah were evil but Asa and Jehoshaphat were both good kings for Judah.
After Solomon
The Kings that reigned in Judah (and Benjamin)
Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) reigned 17 years and was evil
Abijah reigned 3 years and was evil
Asa reigned 41 years and was good
Jehoshaphat reigned 25 years and was good
After Solomon
The Kings that reigned in Israel (the other 10 tribes)
Jeroboam reigned 22 years and was eveil
Nadab reigned 2 years and was evil
Baash reigned 24 years and was evil
Elah reigned 2 years and was evil
Zimri reigned 7 days ansd was evil
Ahab reigned 22 years and was evil
What happened to these kings that caused them to become evil?
Solomon’s sin caused a ripple effect onto his son and many of the other kings that followed. He worshiped other gods, and so did other kings. He did not follow in the ways of God, and neither did others.
Our actions and decisions can have a ripple effect on others as well. That ripple can be good or not so good.
What kind of ripple effect are we having on others?
Next week we will read 2 Kings 1-12.
Diving into the Bible 