Trans World Radio - India

First Kings opens with the death of David and closes with thedeath of Jehoshaphat.

The death of David, the reign of Solomon, and the divisionof the kingdom are the dominant features of 1 Kings.

The evil reign of Ahab and Jezebel and the spectacular ministryof Elijah the prophet are the fitting climax to this first bookof Kings.

I. Death of David, Chapters 1, 2

Chapter 1

David becomes senile. Adonijah, a son ofDavid, takes advantage of his father’s condition and makes abid for the throne. David anoints Solomon under pressure fromNathan and Bathsheba.

Evidently Absalom was the choice of David as his successor.After Absalom’s death and as David approached old age, he lostinterest in choosing his successor. This led to confusion and theabortive attempt of Adonijah.

Chapter 2

David charges Solomon. David’s charge toSolomon (vs. 2, 3) reveals his attitude toward Solomon.

Charging him to show himself a man reveals that David had littleconfidence in a successor who had been reared in the palaceamong women. David knew the tough discipline of the cavesand rugged outdoor life. Solomon has a taste for comforts, luxury,and ease. David’s charge reveals something of his owncharacter.

David’s legacy to Solomon is sometimes ignored.(1) He transferred the leadership of the nation from thehouse of Saul and the tribe of Benjamin to Judah and establishedthe royal house of David.

(2) He established Jerusalem as the Holy City and as the religiouscenter and national capital for all Jews.

(3) He stamped out idolatry, practically speaking, andmade the worship of Jehovah universal in the land.

(4) He made conquests of many nations who paid tributeto Israel and its king. He extended the borders of the countryto Egypt on the south and to the Euphrates River in the northand east, including far more territory than at any other time inthe nation’s history.

(5) Although an oriental monarch with a sizable harem,David’s foreign marriages were largely political and relativelyfree from religious and moral corruption.

(6) David was a poet and musician who endeared himselfto the people as the “sweet psalmist of Israel.”

(7) David planned the Temple, which was to exalt the religiouslife of the nation and the worship of Jehovah, althoughhe was not permitted to build the Lord’s house.

(8) Although there was still rivalry of a sort between theten tribes of the north and Judah (and had been ever since thedeath of Saul and his son), even so, David had no serious difficultyin uniting all the tribes under his rule and about thenational capital at Jerusalem.

(9) At the time of David’s death, the nation was second tonone in power and military prowess, and the people had alarge measure of peace and freedom, as every man “sat underhis own vine and fig tree.”

David’s death injects a sad note into the record.Adonijah’s treachery is revealed in his request toBathsheba. Adonijah is slain, Abiathar removed from thepriesthood, and Joab flees but is captured and slain.Solomon made Benaiah captain and Zadok priest.Shimei, of the house of Saul, who cursed David, is executed.

II. Glory of SOLOMON’S REIGN, Chapters 3 — 11

A. Solomon’s prayer for wisdom, Chapters 3, 4

Chapter 3

Solomon was married to the daughter ofPharaoh, but at this time he loved the Lord (v. 3). The spiritof compromise is evident in this marriage as well as his failureto remove idolatry from the land.

Solomon prayed for wisdom. Evidently he was praying forpolitical wisdom and not spiritual discernment.That God granted his request is manifested in the methodhe used in determining which of the two harlots was the realmother of the child.

Chapter 4

Peace and prosperity became a reality (vs.20, 25, 26). Solomon was a prince of peace, while David was aman of war. Solomon became famous because of his wisdom.

Note the areas in which he was a specialist (see vs. 32-34).B. Building of Temple, Chapters 5 — 8

Chapter 5

olomon engages Hiram, King of Tyre, tobuild the Temple. His workers were the greatest builders ofthat day. The building required 30,000 Israelites, 150,000Canaanites, 550 overseers, and 3500 subordinates.

Chapter 6

Solomon begins to build the Temple. Itwas patterned after the wilderness Tabernacle but was abouttwice as large. It was more ornate, elaborate, and costly. Thesimplicity of the Tabernacle was lost, and there seemed to bedefinite spiritual deterioration. There are several indicationsof this. For instance, the Tabernacle depended solely uponthe light of the lampstand in the Holy Place, but in the Templethere were narrow windows. Natural light is substituted forthe light which speaks of Christ. Also, the measurements ofthe cherubim over the mercy seat are given while there wasno measurement of the cherubim in the Tabernacle because itspeaks of the deity of Christ which cannot be measured.

The striking feature of the construction of the Temple isstated in verse 7. It took 7 years to build the Temple (v. 38).Many other buildings surrounded the Temple proper.The estimated cost of the Temple is $2,450,000,000 to$4,900,000,000.

Chapter 7

Solomon builds other structures:

His own palace — 13 years in building (v. 1),

House of the forest of Lebanon (v. 2),

Palace for the daughter of Pharaoh (v. 8),

Pillars for the porch of the Temple (v. 21),

Molten sea for the Temple (v. 23),

Ten lavers of brass (v. 38),

Articles of furniture for the Temple (vs. 48, 49).

Chapter 8

The glory of the Lord fills the Temple afterthe ark is brought from the Tabernacle and installed inside theHoly of Holies (vs. 10, 11).

Solomon dedicates the Temple, giving the proper credit toDavid (vs. 17-20). See 1 Chronicles 22 for the account ofDavid’s gathering all the materials for the Temple. It is properlyDavid’s temple. The only temple Solomon had was onthe side of his head.

Solomon’s prayer of dedication reveals that he had noprimitive view of God (v. 27). It is a pagan notion that Goddwells in a house.

The Temple becomes the center of worship. The world wasto come to the Temple to worship. Israel in captivity was toturn toward the Temple to pray.

The large number of animals sacrificed (v. 63) poses noproblem when it is considered that many temporary altarswere erected for this occasion (v. 64).

C. Fame of Solomon, Chapters 9, 10

Chapter 9

God appears to Solomon the second time(v. 2) and encourages his heart. God sets up David, a veryhuman standard, by which to measure the kings that followedhim (v. 4).

The fame of Solomon spreads throughout the world.Hiram was not happy with the payment for material thatSolomon made to him (v. 12).

Chapter 10

The visit of the queen of Sheba revealsthat Solomon had succeeded in witnessing for God to theworld of that day (see also v. 24). Solomon’s fame had spread,and obviously multitudes were coming to Jerusalem to worshipthe living and true God (v. 1). In the present dispensation,the church is to go to the world, but the commission to go intoall the world was not given to Israel. As Israel was true to God,she was a witness to the world, and the world came toJerusalem to worship.

“And his ascent” (v. 5) should be translated “burnt offering.”This is the offering that speaks more fully of Christ andHis substitutionary death than all others. The queen of Shebaand the world came to know about Christ through the burntoffering — “without shedding of blood is no remission ofsins.” The testimony of the queen of Sheba reveals that shehad come to know the living and true God (vs. 7-9).

This is one isolated experience out of many which couldhave been recorded. (The Book of Acts records only certainconversions such as that of the Ethiopian eunuch.) This chapterreveals that for a time Israel succeeded in witnessing to theworld.

The wealth of Solomon is given in verses 14-21. The luxuryof his kingdom is revealed in verse 22. All these are luxuryitems:

Apes for entertainment,

Peacocks for beauty,

Gold, silver, and ivory for magnificent decorations.

There is a frivolous and tragic note here which is symptomatic.

He is called to give a witness to the world, and hespends his energy and time with apes and peacocks to satisfya whim.D. Shame and death of Solomon,

Chapter 11

Solomon is the most colossal failure on the pages ofScripture. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shallbe much required.” He had the greatest opportunity of anyman who ever lived. He began by failing to remove false religion(1 Kings 3:3). What was at first a spot is now the plagueof leprosy. He has a harem of 1000 wives (vs. 1-3). David alsohad a harem, but his was largely political while Solomon’s islicentious.

The Lord was angry with Solomon (v. 9). The kingdom isto be divided as a judgment from God, yet it would not happenin Solomon’s day — for David’s sake (vs. 12, 13).Jeroboam is promoted by Solomon but plots to lead the 10northern tribes in revolt according to the word of Ahijah theprophet (vs. 29-31). When Solomon discovers this, heattempts to slay Jeroboam who flees to Egypt until the deathof Solomon.

The death of Solomon concludes the chapter. He reigned40 years.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.