Front matter (continued, part 52)
The Lord informed Israel (vv. 38–53).3 Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah, protected by David's personal troops, obeyed David's instructions to the letter and announced to all Israel that Solomon was king. The people were ecstatic as they played their musical instruments and shouted "God save King Solomon." This shout echoed down the valley and reached En Rogel where the people were shouting "God save King Adonijah" (v. 25).
As they finished their meal, Adonijah and his guests heard the shouting and the sound of the trumpet and wondered what was going on in Jerusalem. Had David died? Was it a declaration of war?
Their questions were answered by the arrival of Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest who had assisted David during Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. 17:17–22). Adonijah thought that Jonathan was bringing good news, but it turned out to be the worst possible news for Adonijah, Abiathar, and Joab. Jonathan's report is that of an eyewitness who saw Solomon riding the king's mule and watched as Zadok and Nathan anointed the new king. But verses 47–48 describe what transpired in David's bedchamber (vv. 36–37), and we wonder where Jonathan obtained this information. Did he hear Benaiah tell his troops that they would now be loyal to Solomon as they had been to David? Did Nathan or Zadok quote David's words to the people?
David's words parallel those of Moses when he commissioned Joshua (Deut. 31). First Moses admonished Joshua to "be a man" and face his responsibilities with courage and faith (vv. 1–8), and then Moses gave the law to the priests and admonished the people (including Joshua) to know it and obey it. The king was expected to be familiar with the law and the covenant (Deut. 17:14–20), for in obeying God's Word he would find his wisdom, strength, and blessing.6
Jonathan made it clear that Solomon was at that very moment the king of Israel. Adonijah, his fellow conspirators, and his guests knew what that meant: they were all under great suspicion. The guests, including the naive princes, all rose up and fled back to the city for safety, and Adonijah fled to the tabernacle for asylum. This was the tent in Jerusalem, which housed the ark (1 Chron. 16:1, 37). The tabernacle with the other furnishings was at Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39–40; 1 Kings 3:4). There was an altar there and Adonijah
But David also reminded his son of the special covenant the Lord had made concerning the Davidic
1 Kings 2
his throne was secure, so there was no need for any official decisions or ceremonies.
dynasty (v. 4; 2 Sam. 7:1–17). He warned Solomon that if he disobeyed God's law, he would bring chastening and sorrow to himself and the land, but if he obeyed God's commandments, God would bless him and the people. More importantly, God would see to it that there was always a descendant of David sitting on the throne. David knew that Israel had a ministry to perform in providing the vehicle for the promised Redeemer to come to earth, and the future of God's redemptive plan rested with Israel. How tragic that Solomon didn't fully follow God's law and was the means of promoting idolatry in the land and then causing the kingdom to be divided.
Solomon the strategist (2:12–46) The new king had his agenda all prepared: deal with Joab, deal with Shimei, reward the sons of Barzillai, and build the temple. But his first major crisis came from his half brother Adonijah.
Adonijah's request (vv. 13–25). Solomon had graciously accepted Adonijah's submission to the new regime (1:53), although Solomon certainly knew that the man was deceitful and ready to strike again. The fact that Adonijah went to the queen mother with his request suggests that he expected her to have great influence with her son. Adonijah's declaration in verse 15 shows how confused he was in his thinking, for if Solomon was God's choice for the throne, and Adonijah knew it, why did he attempt a coup and try to seize the crown? Like Absalom, he thought that a popular demonstration and the cheers of the people meant success. Perhaps Adonijah said "it was his [Solomon's] from the Lord" just to impress Bathsheba.
B.The first acts of Solomon—2:13–46
"Protect the kingdom!" (vv. 5–9). David knew that there were perils lurking in the shadows in the kingdom and he warned Solomon to act immediately and deal with two dangerous men. Joab, commander of David's army, was the first to be named. He had stood by David through many difficult trials, but from time to time he had asserted his own will and been guilty of murdering innocent men. Joab was David's nephew and the brother of Abishai and Asahel, and all of them were noted warriors. But Joab killed Abner because Abner had killed Asahel (2 Sam. 2:12–32). Joab also killed David's son Absalom even though he knew David wanted him taken alive (2 Sam. 18). He murdered Amasa, whom David had appointed leader of his forces (2 Sam. 20), and he supported Adonijah in his quest for the throne (1 Kings 1:7). Joab had been involved in David's scheme to kill Bathsheba's husband, Uriah (2 Sam. 11:14ff.), and perhaps the crafty general was using his knowledge to intimidate the king. David didn't mention Uriah or Absalom to Solomon, and Solomon already knew that Joab was a traitor to the king.
Students differ in their interpretation of Bathsheba's role in this scenario. Some say she was very naive in even asking Solomon, but Bathsheba had already proved herself to be a courageous and influential woman. It's likely that she suspected another plot because she knew that possession of a king's wife or concubine was evidence of possession of the kingdom. This was why Absalom had publicly taken David's concubines (2 Sam. 16:20–23), for it was an announcement to the people that he was now king. It's difficult to believe that the king's mother was ignorant of this fact. I may be in error, but I feel that she took Adonijah at his word, knowing that Solomon would use this as an opportunity to expose Adonijah's scheme. By having Abishag as his wife, Adonijah was claiming to be coregent with Solomon!
The second dangerous man was Shimei (vv. 8–9). He was a Benjamite and a relative of Saul who wanted to see Saul's line restored to the throne. He cursed David when David was fleeing from Absalom (2 Sam. 16:5–13). To curse the king was a violation of the law (Ex. 22:28), but David accepted this unkindness as a discipline from the Lord. Later, when David returned to the throne, Shimei humbled himself before the king and David forgave him (2 Sam. 19:18–23). But David knew that there was always a pro-Saul element in the northern tribes, so he warned Solomon to keep Shimei under surveillance.
Solomon immediately detected the reason behind the request and said, "Ask for him the kingdom also!" The king knew that Adonijah, Abiathar, and Joab were still united in gaining control of the kingdom. By asking for Abishag, Adonijah issued his own death warrant, and Benaiah went and took the traitor's life. David wasn't there to feel the pain of another son's death, but the execution of Adonijah was the final payment of the fourfold debt David had incurred (2 Sam. 12:5–6). The baby died, Absalom killed Amnon, Joab killed Absalom, and Benaiah executed Adonijah. David paid for his sins fourfold.
David not only remembered dangerous men like Joab and Shimei, but he also remembered helpful men like Barzillai (v. 7), who had provided him and his people with what they needed when they fled from Absalom (2 Sam. 17:27–29). David had wanted to reward Barzillai with a place at his table, but the old man preferred to die in his own home. He asked David to give the honor to his son Kimham (2 Sam. 19:31–38), but now David instructed Solomon to care for Barzillai's sons and not Kimham alone.
Abiathar's removal (vv. 26–27). But Solomon didn't stop there: he also defrocked Abiathar the priest, who had supported Adonijah, and sent him into retirement at the priestly city of Anathoth, about three miles from Jerusalem. This had been the home of Jeremiah the prophet. In deposing Abiathar, Solomon fulfilled the prophecy given to Eli that his family would not continue in the priesthood (1 Sam. 2:27–36; see Ezek. 44:15–16). Zadok was made high priest (v. 35), and his
David did go "the way of all the earth," and "died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor …" (1 Chron. 29:28 nkjv). Solomon was already king and
1 Kings 2
or maybe he thought the guards weren't watching him. Most likely he was deliberately defying Solomon and pushing the limits just to see what he would do. He found out. Solomon knew that Shimei had left Jerusalem, and when he returned, the king confronted him with his crime. Solomon delivered a brief but powerful speech that condemned him for what he did to David and what he had just done to Solomon, and it ended with Benaiah executing Shimei the traitor.
descendants filled the office until 171 BC. Solomon recognized the fact that Abiathar had faithfully served his father David, so he didn't have him executed.
Joab's execution (vv. 28–35). Joab no doubt had an efficient spy system, and when he heard the news that Adonijah had been slain, he knew he was next on the list. He fled to the tabernacle David had erected in Jerusalem for the ark of the covenant (2 Sam. 6:17) and there claimed asylum by taking hold of the horns of the altar. However, only people who were guilty of manslaughter could do this and claim the right to a trial, and Joab was guilty of both murder and disloyalty to King David and King Solomon. Joab defied both Benaiah and Solomon by refusing to come out of the sacred enclosure, but Solomon was not to be treated in such an arrogant manner by a man who was obviously a traitor and a murderer. Though he was a soldier, Benaiah belonged to a priestly family, so it was legal for him to enter the sacred precincts, and he went and killed Joab at the altar and then buried him. Solomon then promoted Benaiah to be the commander of the army in the place of Joab (v. 35).
Solomon was to be a "man of peace" (1 Chron. 22:6–10), and yet he began his reign by ordering three executions. But true peace must be based on righteousness, not on sentiment. "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable" (James 3:17 nkjv). The land was polluted by the innocent blood that Joab had shed, and the land could be cleansed only by the execution of the murderer. David didn't execute Joab, even after Joab killed Absalom, because David knew that he himself had blood on his hands (Ps. 51:14). David was guilty of asking Joab to shed Uriah's innocent blood, but Solomon's hands were clean. Solomon was indeed a "man of peace," and he achieved that peace by bringing about righteousness in the land.
It's important to understand that Solomon wasn't simply acting in revenge in the place of his father David. Solomon explained that the death of Joab took away the stain of the innocent blood that Joab had shed when he killed Abner and Amasa. The shedding of innocent blood polluted the land (Num. 35:30–34) and the victim's blood cried out to God for vengeance (Gen. 4:10). The cities of refuge were provided for people who had accidentally killed somebody. They could flee to one of the six cities and be protected until the elders had investigated the case. But murderers like Joab were not to be given any mercy but were to be executed so that the innocent blood they had shed would pollute the land no more (Deut. 19:1–13; 21:1–9; Lev. 18:24–30). Saul's treatment of the Gibeonites had polluted the land and created trouble for David (2 Sam. 21:1–14), and Solomon didn't want that to happen during his reign.
From the human viewpoint, it was sunset for David and sunrise for his son Solomon, but not from the divine viewpoint. "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18 nkjv). As a leader, David was "as the light of the morning … even a morning without clouds" (2 Sam. 23:4), and for the sake of David, the Lord kept the lamp burning in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 8:19). Even today, when we read and sing his psalms and study his life, that light shines on us and helps to direct our way.
Notes 1 We aren't able to identify with certainty Shimei and Rei (v. 8), unless they were David's brothers Shimea and Raddai who held offices in the kingdom (1 Chron. 2:13–14 niv). There was also a Shimei, son of Ela, who served in Solomon's court (1 Kings 4:18). The Shimei in 1 Kings 1:8 certainly wasn't the same Shimei who cursed David during Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. 16:5–12; 19:18–23). 2 David ruled over a united kingdom, so the phrase "over Israel and over Judah" seems strange to us. But this record was written many years after these events occurred and after the kingdom had been divided. 3 1 Chronicles 29:23–25 records another coronation service for Solomon. Whether this is the same one described in 1 Kings 1 or a later celebration that was larger and more carefully planned, we can't be sure. It seems unlikely that the ailing David got up from his deathbed, made the speeches recorded in 1 Chronicles 28:1–29:20, witnessed Solomon's second anointing, and then returned to his room to die. 1 Chronicles 29:22 states that Solomon was "acknowledged as king" and anointed "a second time," so the event in 1 Kings 1 has to be his first. It's possible that the author of Chronicles dropped this information in at this point as a summary of the last events in the life of David (29:21–30). In times of crisis, it wasn't unusual for the new king
Shimei's daring (vv. 36–46). Since Shimei was related to Saul (2 Sam. 16:5; 1 Sam. 10:21), he was a potential troublemaker who might arouse the tribe of Benjamin against the new king, and perhaps even stir up the ten northern tribes of Israel. David had brought unity and peace the nation and Solomon didn't want Shimei creating problems. He ordered him to move to Jerusalem, build himself a house, and stay in the city. If he left the city and crossed the Kidron Valley, he would die. Jerusalem wasn't that large a city at that time, so Solomon's men could keep their eyes on the Benjamite who had cursed David and thrown dirt and stones at him.
Shimei obeyed for three years and then disobeyed. When two of his slaves ran away and went twenty-five miles to Gath, Shimei decided to go personally and bring them back. Surely he could have hired somebody else to go get the slaves, but he went himself. Perhaps he thought he had fulfilled the terms of the agreement,
1 Kings 3
people to help support his extravagant lifestyle. When David died, the people mourned; after Solomon died, the people begged his successor King Rehoboam to lighten the heavy yoke his father had put on their necks. David was a warrior who put his trust in God; Solomon was a politician who put his trust in authority, treaties, and achievement. "King Solomon was among the wisest fools who ever wore a crown," wrote Frederick Buechner.1
to have a hasty coronation and then a larger and more formal one later. There are some chronological problems here, but in view of the volatile situation, it isn't impossible that God gave David strength to participate in the great public events described in 1 Chronicles 28—29. Solomon's second anointing was necessary to establish once and for all that he was indeed the king. David was anointed three times (1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4 and 5:3). 4 Since Adonijah was the leader of the rebellion, he was the most responsible. Solomon not only pardoned Adonijah but he also pardoned the other sons of David who were at the feast (1:9). Solomon realized that they had been duped by Adonijah and attended the feast in innocence. Once there, they discovered the reason for the celebration, but it would have been dangerous to leave, knowing that all the army officers were there. Jonathan's news report gave them the opportunity they needed to escape. 5 Chronologists don't find it easy to calculate Solomon's age at his accession to the throne, nor do we know how long David lived after Solomon became coregent. David was thirty years old when he began to reign in Hebron (2 Sam. 5:1–5), and he reigned seven years there and thirty-three years in Jerusalem, making him seventy years old when he died. If he was fifty when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and if Solomon was the son born next after the death of their baby (2 Sam. 12:24–25), then Solomon could have been eighteen or nineteen years old when he became king. However, 1 Chronicles 3:5 suggests strongly that Solomon was their fourth son, which could make him as young as fifteen when he became king. David described Solomon as "young and tender [inexperienced niv]" (1 Chron. 22:5 kjv), but perhaps this was the language of an aged father as he looked at his successor. Raised in the security of the palace, Solomon wasn't the well-rounded man that his father was, but does any leader think his son is ready to take over? 6 For examples of kings obeying God's law, see 2 Kings 14:6; 18:4, 6.
Solomon is mentioned nearly three hundred times in the Old Testament and a dozen times in the New Testament. He's listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:6–7) and is cited as an example of splendor (Matt. 6:29; Luke 12:27) and wisdom (Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:31). He is identified as the builder of the temple (Acts 7:47). One of the colonnades in the temple was named after him (John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12). His father, David, was recognized as the ideal leader, and his record became the standard by which every succeeding king of Judah was measured. However, nobody pointed to Solomon as a good example of a godly ruler.
Chapters 3 and 4 describe events that occurred during the first three years of Solomon's reign, before he began to build the temple (6:1), and they describe Solomon in several roles.
The peacemaker (3:1a) Solomon's name comes from the Hebrew word shalom which means "peace," and during his reign, the kingdom was at peace with its neighbors. His father, David, had risked his life on the battlefield to defeat enemy nations and claim their lands for Israel, but Solomon took a different approach to international diplomacy. He made treaties with other rulers by marrying their daughters, which helps to explain why he had seven hundred wives who were princesses, as well as three hundred concubines (11:3). It appears that Solomon entered into treaty arrangements with every petty ruler who had a marriageable daughter! Yet Moses in the law warned the Jewish kings not to multiply wives (Deut. 17:14–20).
II. The kingdom enriched (1 Kings 3:1— 10:29) A.God's gift of wisdom—3:1–28
CHAPTER TWO 1 Kings 3—4 (2 Chronicles 1) WISDOM FROM ABOVE W
His first bride after he became king was the daughter of the pharaoh of Egypt, Israel's old enemy. This alliance indicates that Egypt had slipped much lower on the international scene and that Israel was now much higher, because Egyptian rulers didn't give their daughters in marriage to the rulers of other nations.2 It's significant that Solomon didn't put his Egyptian wife3 into the royal palace where David had lived, because it was near the ark of the covenant (2 Chron. 8:11), but housed her in another place until her own palace was completed. He spent seven years building the temple of God but thirteen years building his own palace (1 Kings 6:37—7:1).
hen Solomon ascended the throne, the people of Israel soon learned that he was not another David. He was a scholar, not a soldier, a man more interested in erecting buildings than fighting battles. David enjoyed the simple life of a shepherd, but Solomon chose to live in luxury. Both David and Solomon wrote songs, but Solomon is better known for his proverbs. We have many of David's songs in the book of Psalms, but except for Psalms 72 and 127, and the Song of Solomon, we have none of Solomon's three thousand songs.
Solomon's complex system of treaties cut at the very heart of Israel's unique position as the people of God among the nations of the world. They were God's holy people, a chosen people among whom the Lord himself dwelt (Ex. 33:16; Deut. 4:7–8, 32–34). God had made
David was a shepherd who loved and served God's flock, while Solomon became a celebrity who used the
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9:17–19; 10:26–29). He became quite a "horse dealer" himself and imported horses and chariots and sold them to other nations (2 Chron. 1:14–17; 9:25–28), no doubt making a good profit on the sales. He also built "store cities" in strategic places (9:15–19; 2 Chron. 8:1–6). At that time, Israel controlled several important trade routes that needed to be protected, and military personnel were housed in these cities, along with supplies of food and arms.
no covenants with the Gentile nations, nor had He given them His Word, His sanctuary, or His holy priesthood (Rom. 9:1–5). God said to the Jews, "I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from other people" (Lev. 20:24, 26). As long as Israel trusted the Lord and obeyed Him, the nation would "dwell safely alone" (Deut. 33:28). The prophet Balaam described Israel as "a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations" (Num. 23:9 nkjv).
Solomon violated the law of Moses not only by marrying many wives but also by multiplying horses and depending on chariots (Deut. 17:14–17). Contrary to God's command, Solomon went back to Egypt for both! The king was required to copy out for himself the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 17:18–20), and we wonder how Solomon responded when he read the command about wives and horses. Or did he ever meditate on what his father wrote in Psalm 20:7 (and see also 33:16–19)? During Solomon's reign, the outward splendor and wealth of Israel only masked an inward decay that led eventually to division and then destruction.
The Lord placed Israel among the Gentile nations to be a witness to them of the true and living God, a "light among the Gentiles" (Isa. 42:6). If Israel had continued to be faithful to the terms of God's covenant (Deut. 27—30), the Lord would have blessed them and used them as an "object lesson" to the pagan nations around them. Instead, Israel imitated the Gentiles, worshipped their idols, and abandoned their witness to the true God. For that reason, God had to chasten them and then send them into captivity in Babylon. God wanted Israel to be the "head" of the nations, but because of her compromise, she became the "tail" (Deut. 28:13, 44). Solomon may have thought he was making political progress by bringing Israel into the family of nations, but the consequence was really spiritual regress. Solomon also entered into lucrative trade agreements with other nations (10:1–15, 22), and the nation prospered, but the price he paid was too high.
The worshipper (3:2–15) Solomon certainly made a good beginning, for he "loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father" (v. 3), but a good beginning doesn't guarantee a good ending. Saul, the first king of Israel, started out with humility and victory, but he ended up being rejected by the Lord and committing suicide on the battlefield. Solomon himself would write in Ecclesiastes 7:8, "The end of a thing is better than its beginning" (nkjv) and "A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth" (7:1 nkjv). We receive our name soon after birth, and between birth and death, we either enhance that name or debase it. After death, we can't change a bad name into a good name or a good name into a bad name. "Great is the art of beginning," wrote the American poet Longfellow, "but greater the art is of ending."
The kingdom of Israel prospered only as she trusted God and obeyed the terms of His covenant. If they were true to the Lord, He promised to give them all they needed, to protect them from their enemies, and to bless their labors. But from the very beginning of the Jewish monarchy, Israel's leaders made it clear that they wanted to be "like the other nations" (1 Sam. 8), and Solomon led them closer to that goal. Ultimately, Solomon married many pagan wives and began to worship their false gods, and the Lord had to chasten him. (See 1 Kings 11.)
The builder (3:1b) Solomon is remembered as the king during whose reign the temple was built (chaps. 5—7; 2 Chron. 2— 4). His alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre, gave him access to fine timber and skilled workmen. But he also built his own palace (7:1–12), which seems to have consisted of living quarters plus "the house of the forest of Lebanon," where arms were stored and displayed (10:16–17), the Hall of pillars, and the Hall of Judgment. He also built a house in Jerusalem for his Egyptian princess wife (2 Chron. 8:11). Official state visitors were overwhelmed by the splendor of these structures (chap. 10).
Consecration (vv. 2–4). God purposed that the people of Israel have a central place of worship and not imitate the nations in Canaan by building "high places"4 wherever they chose. When Israel entered the land, they were instructed to destroy these "high places" and the idols that were worshipped there (Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:5; 12:1ff.; 33:29). However, until the temple was built and centralized worship was established in the land, the people of Israel worshipped the Lord in the "high places." In time, the phrase "high place" began to be used to mean "a place of worship" and the Jews worshipped Jehovah at these temporary shrines.
Though he wasn't a warrior himself, Solomon was concerned about the security of the land. He expanded and strengthened the "Millo" (9:24; 11:27), a protective wall or embankment that David had begun to build (2 Sam. 5:9). The word millo means "filling." Solomon had a special interest in horses and chariots and built stables in special "chariot cities" (4:26;
Gibeon was such a sacred place, for the tabernacle was located there. As a first step toward the construction of the tabernacle, David had moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but the rest of the tabernacle, including the altar of sacrifice, was still at Gibeon,
1 Kings 3
bly twenty years old at this time and certainly much younger than his advisers and officers, some of whom had served his father. He called himself a "little child" (1 Chron. 22:5; 29:1ff.), a mark of both honesty and humility. The phrase "to go out or come in" refers to giving leadership to the nation (Num. 27:15–17; Deut. 31:2–3; 1 Sam. 18:13, 16; 2 Kings 11:8). In his prayer, the king not only confessed his own smallness but also the nation's greatness (v. 8). The people of Israel were the people of God! This meant that God had a great purpose for them to fulfill on earth and that their king carried a great responsibility in ruling them. God had multiplied the nation and fulfilled His promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:2; 13:16; 15:5), Isaac (Gen. 26:1–5), and Jacob (Gen. 28:10–14), and Solomon wanted the blessing to continue.
located five miles north of Jerusalem. Solomon assembled the leaders of Israel and arranged for them to go to Gibeon with him and worship the Lord (2 Chron. 1:1–6). This event would not only be an act of consecration but it would manifest to the people the unity of the nation's leaders. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord as he and his officers together praised the Lord and sought His face. The burnt offering pictured total dedication to the Lord.
Revelation (v. 5). The assembly lasted all day and the people remained at Gibeon for the night, including King Solomon who was given a remarkable dream from the Lord. David had both Nathan and Gad as his counselors, but there seems to have been no prophet in Solomon's circle of advisers. Twice the Lord spoke to the king through dreams (see 9:1–9). The Lord sometimes communicated His messages through dreams not only to His own servants but also to those of other nations, such as Abimelech (Gen. 20), the Egyptian servants of Pharaoh (Gen. 40), and Pharaoh himself (Gen. 41).
The king concluded his prayer by anticipating the future and asking the Lord for the wisdom needed to rule the nation (v. 9). Wisdom was an important element in Near Eastern life and every king had his circle of "wise men" who advised him. But Solomon didn't ask for a committee of wise counselors; he asked for wisdom for himself. In that day, the wise person was one who was skillful in the management of life.5 It meant much more than the ability to make a living; it meant the ability to make a life and make the most out of what life might bring. True wisdom involves skill in human relationships as well as the ability to understand and cooperate with the basic laws God has built into creation. Wise people not only have knowledge of human nature and of the created world, but they know how to use that knowledge in the right way at the right time. Wisdom isn't a theoretical idea or an abstract commodity; it's very practical and personal. There are many people who are smart enough to make a good living but they aren't wise enough to make a good life, a life of fulfillment that honors the Lord.
Solomon heard the Lord say, "Ask! What shall I give you?" (v. 5 nkjv). The Lord's command and question were a revelation of God's grace as well as a test of Solomon's heart. (The word "ask" is found eight times in this passage.) What people ask for usually reveals what they really desire, and what they desire depends on how they envision their life's calling. Had Solomon been a warrior, he might have asked for victory over his enemies, but he saw himself as a youthful leader who desperately needed wisdom so he could adequately serve God's chosen people. He had succeeded David, Israel's greatest king, and Solomon knew that the people couldn't help but compare and contrast father and son. But even more, he had been called to build the temple of the Lord, an awesome task for such an inexperienced leader. Solomon knew he couldn't accomplish that great venture without wisdom from heaven.
Solomon asked God to give him "an understanding heart," because no matter how smart the mind may be, if the heart is wrong, all of life will be wrong. "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23 nkjv). The word translated "understanding" means "hearing"; Solomon wanted a "hearing heart." True understanding comes from hearing what God has to say, and to the Old Testament Jew, "hearing" meant "obeying." When the Lord speaks to us, it's not that we might study and pass judgment on what He said, but that we might obey it. An understanding heart has insight and exercises discernment. It is able to distinguish the things that differ (Phil. 1:9–11). It knows what is real and what is artificial, what is temporal and what is eternal.6 This kind of understanding is described in Isaiah 11:1–5, a prophecy concerning the Messiah. Believers today can claim the promise of James 1:5.
Petition (vv. 6–9). Solomon's prayer was brief and to the point, and it was spoken with true humility, for three times he called himself "your servant." First, Solomon reviewed the past and thanked God for the faithfulness and steadfast love shown to his father (v. 6). Solomon acknowledged God's goodness in keeping his father through many trials and then giving him a son to inherit his throne. Solomon is referring here to the covenant God gave to David when he expressed his heart's desire to build a temple for God (2 Sam. 7). In that covenant, God promised David a son who would build the temple, and Solomon was that son. Solomon admitted that he wasn't the king because God recognized his abilities but because He kept His promises to his father David.
Then, Solomon moved into the present and acknowledged God's grace in making him king (v. 7). But he also confessed his youthfulness and inexperience and therefore his desperate need for God's help if he was to succeed as Israel's king. Solomon was proba-
Approbation (vv. 10–13). God was pleased with Solomon's request for wisdom, for it showed that the king was concerned with serving God and His people by knowing and doing God's will. Solomon never read Matthew 6:33, but he practiced it—and the Lord gave
1 Kings 3—4
Israel, the law of Moses laid down some severe restrictions and punishments (Lev. 19:29; 21:7, 9, 14; Deut. 23:18). The book of Proverbs warned young men about the wiles of the harlot ("the strange woman"), and Paul instructed believers to avoid prostitutes (1 Cor. 6:15–16). These two women lived together with other prostitutes in a brothel, they became pregnant about the same time and both delivered babies. One can't help but feel sorry for the little ones who came into the world in such a place, without fathers to provide for them and protect them. But the kind of men who would visit prostitutes might not be the best fathers!
to him the additional blessings that he didn't ask for! God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. When you read the book of Proverbs, you find that the love of wisdom and the practice of discernment can lead to these extra blessings (see Prov. 3:1–2, 10, 13–18). In the subsequent chapters, we will learn about Solomon's wealth and honor and how he attracted visitors from other nations who wanted to hear his wisdom.
Obligation (v. 14). The Lord was careful to remind Solomon that his obedience to God's covenant and his devotion to the Lord were the keys to his future blessings. Solomon was required to write out his own personal copy of Deuteronomy (Deut. 17:18–20), and this would include the covenant spelled out in Deuteronomy 28—30. Solomon also knew the terms of the covenant God made with his father David (2 Sam. 7:1–17) and that it required obedience on the part of David's son and successor (vv. 12–16). God promised to lengthen Solomon's life if he obeyed the Word (Prov. 3:2, 16), for he would be honoring God and his father David and could claim the promise of Exodus 20:12 (see Eph. 6:1–3). It's unfortunate that Solomon with all his wisdom forgot this part of the agreement and gradually drifted into sin and disobedience, and God had to chasten him.7
Since there were no witnesses to the birth of the two babies or the death of the one, the case couldn't be tried in the courts in the normal way. It would be one woman's word against the word of the other, even though it was obvious that one of the women was a liar. Using the divine wisdom God gave him, Solomon bypassed the word of the women and went right to their hearts, for the heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. By suggesting that they "divide the baby" between them, Solomon revealed the heart of the true mother and gave her baby to her. We aren't told what he did with the mother who had lied and stolen (kidnapped) the baby. We trust that the true mother abandoned her sinful ways and raised her son in the ways of the Lord.
When Solomon returned to Jerusalem, he went to the tent that housed the ark and there offered more sacrifices (v. 15). The ark represented the presence of God among His people and the rule of God over His people (Ps. 80:1; 99:1). Solomon acknowledged the sovereign rule of God over his own life and the life of the nation. In other words, Solomon knew that he was second in command. It was when he started to forget that basic truth that he got himself into trouble.
For weeks, the account of this event was the main topic of conversation in all Israel, and Solomon's decision announced to everybody that the king was indeed a wise man.
The administrator (4:1–28; 2 Chron. 1:14–17) David was a gifted administrator (2 Sam. 8:15–18; 20:23–26), and his son inherited some of that ability. Even though Solomon had great wisdom and authority, he couldn't handle the affairs of the kingdom alone. A good leader chooses capable associates and allows them to use their own gifts and thereby serve the Lord and the people.
B.Organizing the government—4:1–34
The discerner (3:16–28) God's chosen leaders can't always remain on the heights of spiritual glory but must take that glory and blessing with them into the place of duty and service. Jesus left the Mount of Transfiguration for the valley of conflict (Matt. 17:1–21), and Paul left the heights of heaven to carry on earth the pain of a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:1–10). Solomon had been worshipping at Gibeon and Jerusalem, but now he has returned to the responsibilities of the throne.
Special officers (vv. 1–6). Azariah was the high priest (v. 2). He was the son of Ahimaaz and the grandson of Zadok, the priest who had served David so faithfully. It appears that Ahimaaz had died and therefore his son was given the office. See 2 Samuel 15:27, 36; 1 Chron. 6:8–9. The word ben in Hebrew can mean son or grandson. While David had only one scribe, Solomon had two (v. 3), and they were the sons of David's scribe, Shisha. He was also known as Seriah (2 Sam. 8:17), Sheva (2 Sam. 20:25), and Shavsha (1 Chron. 18:16). Solomon's kingdom was much larger and more complex than that over which his father ruled, so the keeping of records would have been more demanding.
Like his father David, Solomon gave the common people access to the king (2 Sam. 14). God had given Solomon a special gift of wisdom and now he could put it to use. He had stood before the ark, the throne of God, and now his people could stand before his throne and seek help. But for Solomon to receive two prostitutes at his throne was certainly an act of condescension. Like Jesus, he welcomed "publicans and sinners" (Luke 15:1–2), except that Jesus did more than solve their problems: He changed their hearts and forgave their sins. In every way, Jesus is "greater than Solomon"(Matt. 12:42).
Jehoshaphat had been recorder during David's reign (2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24), and Benaiah had been appointed head of the army by Solomon (2:35). He was born into a priestly family but chose a military life instead.
Although prostitution seemed to be tolerated in
1 Kings 4
For some reason, five of the commissioners are identified by their fathers, for ben in Hebrew means "son of" (8–11, 13). The son of Abinadab (v. 11) may have been a son of David's own brother and therefore a cousin to Solomon (1 Sam. 16:8; 17:13). He also married one of Solomon's daughters, as also did Ahimaaz (v. 15). It's likely that Solomon instituted this supply system several years into his reign since he didn't have adult children when he was crowned. Baana was probably a brother to Jehoshaphat the recorder (vv. 12 and 3). These twelve men had great power in the land and were a part of the corrupt bureaucracy that Solomon wrote about in Ecclesiastes 5:8–12.
Abiathar had been exiled because of his part in the plot involving Adonijah (2:27), and Zadok had died and been replaced by his grandson. Since both Zadok and Abiathar had served with David, they are found in the official roster. Azariah was in charge of the twelve officers who supervised the twelve districts that Solomon had marked out in Israel (vv. 7–19). Whether his father was Nathan the prophet (1:11), Nathan the son of David (2 Sam. 5:14), or another man named Nathan is not explained. Nathan was a popular name in Israel.
Zabud was a priest who served as special adviser to the king; Ahishar managed the complex affairs of the king's household; and Adoniram was in charge of the men who were drafted to labor in the public works of the kingdom (9:15–23; 2 Chron. 2:2, 17–18; 8:7–10). These would not be Israelites but foreigners in the land. However, in the building of the temple, Solomon did conscript Israelites to devote four months a year to public service (5:13–18). Adoniram was also known as Adoram and he was stoned to death by the people when Rehoboam became king (1 Kings 12:18–20). Samuel had warned the people that their king would do such things (1 Sam. 8:12–18). Special commissioners (vv. 7–19, 27–28). Solomon marked out twelve "districts" of various sizes and put a commissioner over each district. The boundaries of the districts ignored the traditional boundaries of the tribes and even incorporated territory that David had taken in battle, and each district was to provide food for the king's household for one month. It's likely that the commissioners also collected taxes and supervised the recruiting of soldiers and laborers for the temple and Solomon's other building projects. By establishing new districts that crossed over old boundaries, Solomon may have hoped to minimize tribal loyalty and eliminate some of the tension between Judah and the northern tribes. Instead, the plan only aggravated the tension, particularly since Judah wasn't included in the redistricting program. Being the royal tribe that contained the royal city, Judah was administered separately.
Special disctinctions (vv. 20–28). The nation of Israel became famous for its large population, its peace and security, its buildings, its wise king, and its satisfying lifestyle, "eating, and drinking, and making merry" (v. 20). Of course, the population grew because of God's promise to the patriarchs (Gen. 15:5; 17:8; 22:17; 26:4; 32:12) and His promises in the covenant (Deut. 28:1–14). The enlarged territory was also a part of God's promise (Gen. 15:18; Ex. 23:31; Deut. 1:7; Josh. 1:4). The tributary nations submitted to Solomon's rule and brought him gifts and tribute annually, and Solomon enjoyed great blessing because of God's covenant with David (2 Sam. 7). Contrary to God's law, Solomon multiplied horses in the land (Deut. 17:16) and built special cities for housing them (v. 26; 10:26–29; 2 Chron. 1:14–17; 9:25, 28).8
The scholar (4:29–34) King David appreciated and enjoyed God's created world and wrote hymns of praise about the Creator and His creation, but Solomon looked upon nature more as an object of study. God gave Solomon wisdom and breadth of understanding beyond that of the great wise men of the east, and he was able to lecture accurately about the living things in God's creation. Ecclesiastes 2:5 informs us that Solomon planted great gardens, and no doubt it was in these that he observed the way plants and trees developed.
Any king with seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, plus numerous officers and frequent guests, would have a large household to feed. The Queen of Sheba came with "a very great train" that must have included several hundred people. According to verses 22–23, the meals for one day in the palace required 185 bushels of fine flour, 375 bushels of coarse meal, ten oxen fattened in the stall and twenty oxen from the pasture, one hundred sheep, and various kinds of game and fowl. Solomon also needed grain for his many horses, which may have been how the coarse meal (barley) was used. The conquered nations may have looked upon these monthly donations as part of their tribute to King Solomon, but the Jewish tribes considered the whole system to be a humiliating form of extortion. After Solomon's death, it was no wonder that the ten tribes rose up in revolt against "all the king's horses and all the king's men."
Ethan and Heman are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:19 as members of David's musical staff assigned to direct sanctuary worship. Ethan is probably the man also known as Jeduthun who wrote Psalms 39 and 89 (1 Chron. 16:41–42; 25:1, 6), and Psalm 88 is assigned to Heman. These men were also known for their wisdom. Other than 1 Chronicles 2:6, we have no further information about Calcol and Darda.
Most of Solomon's three thousand proverbs have been lost, for fewer than six hundred are recorded in the book of Proverbs. Also lost are "the annals of Solomon" (11:41) as well as the books about Solomon written by Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo (2 Chron. 9:29). We do find many references to nature in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, so Solomon's scientific enquiries did yield spiritual truth and practical lessons for life. He became an international celebrity and important people from all over the
1 Kings 4—5
known world came to see his treasures and hear his wisdom.
(11:9–13). Note that in the first three instances, the emphasis was on obedience. 8 Solomon didn't need 40,000 horses when he had only 1,400 chariots (1 Kings 10:26; 2 Chron. 1:14), so the figure 4,000 in 2 Chronicles 9:25 is no doubt the correct one. If each chariot had two horses, that would leave 1,200 horses for the fortress cities Solomon had armed and also for other state services. 9 Bible Characters from the Old and New Testaments (Kregel: 1990), 284.
Peace and prosperity reigned while Solomon was king, but no matter how successful things appeared to citizens and visitors, all was not well in the kingdom. During the period between his ascension to the throne and his dedication of the temple, Solomon appears to have walked with the Lord and sought to please him. But Alexander Whyte expressed it vividly when he wrote that "the secret worm … was gnawing all the time in the royal staff upon which Solomon leaned."9 Solomon didn't have the steadfast devotion to the Lord that characterized his father, and his many pagan wives were planting seeds in his heart that would bear bitter fruit.
CHAPTER THREE 1 Kings 5:1—6:38; 7:13–51 (2 Chronicles 2—4) FULFILLING DAVID'S DREAM S
Notes 1 Frederick Buechner, Peculiar Treasures (New York: Harper and Row, 1979), 161. 2 Solomon's wife's dowry from Pharaoh was the Philistine city of Gezer (1 Kings 9:16). Egypt had conquered Philistia and still held authority over it. This was not Solomon's first wife, because his firstborn son and successor, Rehoboam, had an Ammonite mother named Naamah (14:21). Solomon must have married before he became king because Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he took the throne, and Solomon reigned forty years. 3 The Jews were not to marry the women who belonged to the pagan nations in the land of Canaan (Ex. 34:16; Deut. 7:1ff.), a law that Solomon eventually violated. There seemed to be no regulation concerning a Jew taking an Egyptian wife. Jewish tradition says that his wife did adopt the Jewish faith. 4 They were called "high places" (bamah) because they were usually located in the hills, away from the cities, in the midst of nature and "closer" to heaven. The word bamah means "elevation." Worship at these pagan shrines usually involved unspeakable orgies. Some Jews worshipped Baal at the high places during the period of the judges (Judg. 6:25; 13:16). During the days of Samuel and Saul, sacrifices weren't always offered at the tabernacle altar (1 Sam. 7:10; 9:11–25; 13:9; 14:35; 16:5). David built an altar on Mount Moriah (1 Chron. 21:26), no doubt anticipating the day when the temple would stand there. Worship at the high places was a constant temptation and sin during the days of the Jewish monarchy, and no sooner did one king destroy these pagan shrines than his successor would rebuild them. 5 See my book on Proverbs, Be Skillful (Victor, 1995). 6 Two different Hebrew words are translated "understanding" in this passage. In verse 9, the word shama means "to hear, listen, obey." The Hebrew daily confession of faith is called "the Shema," and begins "Hear, O Israel …" (Deut. 6:4–5). The word used in verses 11–12 is bin and means "to distinguish, to discern, to separate." Together, the words mean "to hear with the intention to obey, and to exercise discernment so as to understand." 7 The Bible records four times when God spoke to Solomon: at Gibeon (3:10–15), during the building of the temple (6:11–13), after the completion of his building projects (9:3–9), and when Solomon disobeyed the Lord and worshipped idols
urely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob" (Ps. 132:3–5). So wrote King David, for it was his passionate desire to build a temple for the glory of the Lord. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple" (Ps. 27:4). The Lord knew David's heart but made it clear that He had other plans for His beloved servant (2 Sam. 7). David was so busy fighting wars and expanding and defending the borders of the kingdom of Israel that he didn't have time to supervise such a complex and demanding enterprise. Solomon, the man of peace, was God's choice to build the temple, and his father prepared him for the task and encouraged him (1 Chron. 22 and 28). Since the days of Moses, the people of Israel had brought their sacrifices and offerings to the tabernacle, but now they were no longer a pilgrim people but a nation settled in their own land. The tabernacle was a fragile, portable building, and the time had come for Israel to build a temple to their great God. The nations around them had temples dedicated to their false gods, so it was only right that the people of Israel dedicate a magnificent temple to honor Jehovah of Hosts, the true and living God. In the second month (our April/May) of the year 966, the fourth year of his reign, Solomon began the work,1 and these chapters record several stages of the project.
C.Building the temple—5:1—6:38;
Securing the materials (5:1–12; 2 Chron. 2:1–16) As he anticipated the building of the temple, David had set aside some of the spoils of battle especially for the Lord (1 Chron. 22:14). This amounted to 3,750 tons of gold, 37,500 tons of silver, and an unmeasured amount of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. All this wealth he presented publicly to Solomon (1 Chron.
1 Kings 5
transport it overland to the building site, about thirtyfive miles away, as the crow flies.3
29:1–5). David also added his own personal treasure and then invited the leaders of the nation to contribute as well (1 Chron. 29:1–10). The final totals were 4,050 tons of gold and over 38,000 tons of silver, not to speak of thousands of tons of bronze and iron, as well as precious stones. It was a great beginning for a great project.
As any pastor and church board can attest, building programs are not easy, and they either bring out the best or the worst in God's people. But like Moses who supervised the building of the tabernacle, Solomon had a great deal going for him. Both men knew that God had chosen them to direct the work and that He would enable them to finish successfully. Both leaders had an incredible amount of wealth and materials at their disposal before they started, and both received the construction plans from the Lord Himself. Both were blessed to have leaders who gave generously to support the project.
David also gave Solomon the plans for the temple that had been given to him by the Lord (1 Chron. 28). David had also assembled some artisans and laborers to follow those plans and work in wood and stone to prepare material for the temple (1 Chron. 22:1–4). Hiram, king of Tyre, had provided workers and materials for the building of David's palace (2 Sam. 5:11), and David had enlisted their help in preparing wood for the temple (1 Chron. 22:4). Solomon took advantage of this royal friendship to enlist Hiram to provide the workers and timber needed for the temple.
Conscripting workers (5:13–18; 9:15–23; 2 Chron. 2:2, 17–18; 8:7–10) It would take a great deal of manpower to fell the trees, trim the logs, and transport them to the construction site for the builders to use. David's incomplete census had revealed that there were 1,300,000 able-bodied men in the land (2 Sam. 24:9), and Solomon conscripted only 30,000 to labor on the temple, about 2.3 percent of the total available labor force. Ten thousand of the men spent one month each quarter in Lebanon assisting Hiram's men in their work, and then they had two months at home. These men were Jewish citizens and were not treated like slaves (9:22; see Lev. 25:39–43). We aren't told if they shared in any of the wages Solomon promised Hiram's workers, but they probably didn't.
Hiram had sent Solomon his greetings on the occasion of his coronation, and Solomon had sent back official thanks plus a request for his help in the construction of the temple. In his message, Solomon indicated that he knew that his father had discussed the building of the temple with Hiram, so Hiram wasn't hearing about it for the first time. David had even told Hiram about God's covenant (2 Sam. 7) and God's choice of Solomon to build the house of God. Solomon made it clear that he was constructing, not a monument to the glory of his father, but a temple to the honor of the name of the Lord (v. 5; see 8:16–20, 29, 33, 35, 41–44). Solomon also requested a master artisan who could make the intricate and beautiful furnishings required for the temple (7:13–14; 2 Chron. 2:7), and King Hiram sent him Hiram (or Huram-Abi; 2 Chron. 2:13–14). He was the son of a mixed marriage, for his father was a Phoenician and his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali.2 He was gifted as a metal worker and cast the two pillars at the entrance of the temple as well as the metal furnishings within the temple. As when Moses built the tabernacle, the Lord assembled the needed workers and empowered them to do their work (Ex. 31:1–11; 35:30–35).
Solomon also took a census of the non-Israelite aliens in the land and drafted 150,000 of them to cut and transport stones for the temple (5:15–18; 9:15–23; 2 Chron. 2:17–18; 8:7–10). Of this group, 70,000 carried burdens and 80,000 cut limestone blocks from the hills. In charge of this group were 3,000 overseers and 300 supervisors who were aliens, and over the entire group were 250 Jewish officers. The stone blocks had to be cut carefully so they would fit together perfectly when assembled at the temple site (6:7), and that would demand careful planning and expert supervision.
Even though the conscription involved a very small portion of the male citizens, the Jewish people resented Solomon taking 30,000 of their men to work in Lebanon four months out of the year. This critical attitude helped to strengthen the people's revolt against Rehoboam and to precipitate the division of the nation after Solomon's death (12:1–21). Indeed, when it came to labor and taxes, Solomon did indeed put a heavy yoke on the people.
Solomon's letter was really a commercial contract, for in it he offered to pay for the wood by providing food annually for Hiram's household (5:11), and also to pay the workers one large payment for their labor (2 Chron. 2:10). Until the work was completed, King Hiram's household received annually 125,000 bushels of wheat and 115,000 gallons of pure olive oil. The workers would receive one payment of 125,000 bushels of wheat, 125,000 bushels of barley, and 115,000 gallons of wine and of olive oil, all of which would be divided among them. In his reply, Hiram accepted the terms and outlined the procedure. His men would cut the trees in Lebanon, prepare the logs, and then take them down the coast to Joppa (modern Jaffa; 2 Chron. 2:16), either on ships or bound together as rafts. At Joppa Solomon's men would claim the timber and
Both Jews and Gentiles assisted in the construction of the temple, and this fact is significant, for the temple was to be "a house of prayer for all nations" (Isa. 56:7; Matt. 21:13; Luke 19:46). After the captivity, the Persian government assisted the Jews in rebuilding their temple, and Herod's temple had a special area for the Gentiles. Sad to say, some of the Jewish religious leaders turned the court of the Gentiles into a market
1 Kings 5—6
Unlike the tabernacle, the temple had three levels of rooms attached to outer walls of the temple on the south, west, and north walls. Each chamber was seven and a half feet high. The walls that supported these chambers were constructed like three stairsteps, and the chambers stood on wooden supports that rested on these stairs. The rooms on the upper level were ten and a half feet wide, on the second level nine feet wide, and on the lowest level seven and a half feet wide. These chambers were probably used for storage. At the middle of the south wall of the temple was a door leading to the lowest level of rooms and to a spiral stairway leading to the middle and top floors. On each level there must have been a narrow passage connecting the rooms. In the north and south walls, above the third level of rooms, were narrow windows that let in a small amount of light (v. 4). There were no windows in the tabernacle of Moses. However, the light necessary for ministry in the holy place came from ten lampstands, five along the north wall and five along the south wall. Of course, so large and heavy a structure required a strong foundation (v. 38).
for selling sacrifices and changing foreign money into Jewish currency. The church today is a temple of God composed of believers in Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:11–22). It is being "built up" to the glory of the Lord as "living stones"—both Jews and Gentiles—are added to the temple by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:5).
Hiram's workmen in Lebanon were not worshippers of the Lord, and the aliens in the land of Israel were not Jewish proselytes, yet God used both of these groups of "outsiders" to help build His holy temple. The Lord would "have all men to be saved" (1 Tim. 2:4), but even if they aren't believers, He can use them to fulfill His purposes. He used Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army to chasten Israel, and called Nebuchadnezzar "my servant" (Jer. 25:9), and He used Cyrus king of Persia to set Israel free and help them rebuild their temple (Ezra 1). This should encourage us in our praying and serving, for the Lord can use people we least appreciate to get His will done on earth. God can even work through unconverted government officials to open doors for His people or meet the needs they might have.
A divine message (vv. 11–13). We don't know who brought this message (probably a prophet) or when it was delivered, but the Lord sent His Word to the king at a time when he was either discouraged with the building program or (more likely) starting to become proud of what he was accomplishing. The Lord reminded Solomon, as He must constantly remind us, that He's not impressed with our work if our walk isn't obedient to Him. What He wants is an obedient heart (Eph. 6:6). God would fulfill His promises to David and Solomon (2 Sam. 7), not because Solomon built the temple but because he obeyed the Word of the Lord. A similar warning was included in the covenant God gave Moses in Deuteronomy 28— 30, so it was not a new revelation to Solomon. This was the second time God spoke to Solomon about obedience (see 3:5ff.), and He would speak to him about it again after the dedication of the temple (9:3–9).
Building the temple (6:1–38; 2 Chron. 3:1–17) What were David's two greatest sins? Most people would reply, "His adultery with Bathsheba and his taking a census of the people," and their answers would be correct. As a result of his sin of numbering the people, David purchased property on Mount Moriah where he built an altar and worshipped the Lord (2 Sam. 24). David married Bathsheba and God gave them a son whom they named Solomon (2 Sam. 12:24–25). Now we have Solomon building a temple on David's property on Mount Moriah! God took the consequences of David's two worst sins—a piece of property and a son—and built a temple! "But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more" (Rom. 5:20 nkjv). This isn't an encouragement for us to sin, because David paid dearly for both of those transgressions, but it is an encouragement to us go on serving God after we've repented and confessed our sins. Satan wants us to think that all is lost, but the God of all grace is still at work (1 Peter 5:10).
The inner structure (vv. 14–35). When the basic building was completed, the workers focused on the inside of the temple, which was the most important part, for it was there that the priests carried out the ministry of the Lord. The interior walls from ceiling to floor were paneled with cedar boards, overlaid with gold (v. 22), on which were carved open flowers and gourds, and the floor was covered with planks of pine (or fir), also overlaid with gold (vv. 15 and 30). A pair of beautifully carved folding doors led into the Holy Place from the court of the priests (vv. 31–35). Like the cherubim, these doors were made of olive wood covered with gold, and they even had hinges of gold (7:50). Golden chains hung across the outside of the doors (v. 21).
The outer structure (vv. 1–10, 36–38; 2 Chron. 3). The ancient world had a "short cubit" or "common cubit" of almost eighteen inches and a "long cubit" of almost twenty-one inches. The common cubit was used for the temple (2 Chron. 3:3), which means that the structure was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. A porch thirty feet wide and fifteen feet deep stood at the front of the temple, and a courtyard for the priests surrounded the sanctuary. It was separated from an outer courtyard by a wall composed of stone blocks and wood (v. 36; 2 Chron. 4:9). Jeremiah 36:10 calls the court of the priests "the upper courtyard," which suggests that it stood higher than the outer courtyard. The doors of the temple faced east, as did the gate of the tabernacle.
At the west end of the Holy Place, sixty feet from the doors, hung the beautiful veil that marked off the Holy of Holies, also called the Most Holy Place (2 Chron. 3:10). This created a room that was a cube,
1 Kings 7—9
measuring thirty feet on every side (v. 20).4 In the tabernacle of Moses, the Holy of Holies was also a cube, but it measured only fifteen feet per side. In fact, the dimensions of the temple were twice those of the tabernacle—ninety feet by thirty feet as opposed to forty-five feet by fifteen feet. The walls of the Holy of Holies were paneled with cedar wood and covered with gold, and the floor was made of gold-plated fir planks. Even the nails used in the Holy of Holies were plated with gold. It was in the Holy of Holies that the ark of the covenant was kept.
steps leading up to a ledge on which the priests could stand and minister (see Ezek. 43:13–17). Some students believe that the altar itself wasn't fifteen feet high but was shorter than that and stood on a stone base that raised it higher. The tabernacle altar was only four and a half feet high.
The laver or molten sea (vv. 23–26; 2 Chron. 4:2–5, 10). To the left of the entrance, on the south side of the court (v. 39), stood the huge "molten sea" that replaced the smaller laver that had stood in the tabernacle court (vv. 23–26; see Ex. 30:17–21; 38:8). It was round and made of brass a handbreadth thick with the image of lilies around the rim, and it could hold over 17,000 gallons of water.6 This large basin measured fifteen feet across and was seven and a half feet high. It stood on the backs of twelve cast statues of oxen, in groups of three, with each group facing a different direction. Perhaps these twelve oxen represented the twelve tribes of Israel. (See 2 Kings 16:17.)
The ark of the covenant represented the throne of God who was "enthroned between the cherubim" (Ps. 80:1 niv). It was a wooden chest, forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. Because the two tables of the law were in the ark, it was also called "the Ark of the Testimony" (Ex. 25:22). Across the top of the ark was a golden "mercy seat," and at each end was a cherub made of olive wood and covered with gold. The cherubim were fifteen feet high and their wings were fifteen feet across, so that as the ark sat in the Holy of Holies, the four wings reached from wall to wall. (See vv. 23–28 and Ex. 25:10–22 and 37:1–9). Once a year, the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat and thus cover the sins of the people for another year (Lev. 16).
There must have been a system for removing small amounts of water so the priests could wash their hands and feet, but this system isn't explained in the text. Perhaps there were spigots at the base of the basin. If the priests didn't keep their hands and feet clean as they ministered in the temple, they were in danger of death (Ex. 30:20). In Scripture, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God (John 7:37–39), while water for washing is a picture of the Word of God (Ps. 119:9; John 15:3; Eph. 5:25–27). As the priests labored for the Lord in the temple, they became defiled and needed to be cleansed, and as we serve the Lord, we too can become defiled and need the "washing of water by the word." Jesus pictured this truth in John 13 when He washed the disciples' feet.
Hiram cast two large pillars of bronze, each twentyseven feet high and eighteen feet in circumference.5 They were freestanding, about four inches thick, and hollow (Jer. 52:21). A decorative capital four feet high rested on top of each pillar (2 Kings 25:17). It was comprised of an inverted bowl, lotus petals, and a network or interwoven chain of pomegranates. The two pillars were named "Jachin" ("he establishes") and "Boaz" ("in him is strength") and they stood outside the entrance to the Holy Place, Jachin to the north and Boaz to the south. The "he" in these definitions surely refers to God, and the pillars bore witness to the Jewish people that it was God who established their nation and Israel's faith in Jehovah was the source of their strength. Some see in this a reference to David's dynasty, established by God (2 Sam. 7) and continued by Him.
The ten stands and lavers (vv. 27–39; 2 Chron. 4:6). These were beautifully decorated metal wagons, six feet square and four and a half feet high, with handles at each corner. Each stand could hold a basin that held 230 gallons of water. The stands were kept in the court of the priests right next to the sanctuary, five on the north side and five on the south side. Since the stands were on wheels, they could easily be moved from place to place. They were used for the washing and preparing of the sacrifices (2 Chron. 4:6) and perhaps for the general cleanliness of the temple. The dirty water could then be wheeled away and disposed of in a proper place and the basins filled with clean water from the molten sea.
7:13–51
Furnishing the temple (7:13–51; 2 Chron. 4) The furnishings of the temple were important to the priests, for without the divinely ordained furniture, they couldn't do their ministry or please the Lord.
It's worth noting that these very practical and useful stands were also very beautiful, which teaches us that God sees beauty in holiness and the holiness of beauty (Ex. 28:2; Ps. 29:2; 96:6, 9; 110:3).
The brazen altar (2 Chron. 4:1). As you approached the temple from the east, you came to the entrance to the inner courtyard of the priests. It was to this entrance that the people brought their sacrifices and offerings to be presented to the Lord. On the right, toward the north, stood the altar of brass, thirty feet square and fifteen feet high (2 Chron. 4:1), where the fire was kept burning and the priests offered the sacrifices (see 8:64; 9:25; see Ex. 27:1–8; 38:1–7). The height of the altar suggests that there must have been
The golden incense altar (6:20, 22; 7:48). The altar was made of cedar covered with gold, but we have no dimensions given in the text. It stood before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, and on it the priests burned incense each morning and evening when they cared for the lamps (Ex. 30:1–10; 37:25–29). In Scripture, the burning of incense is a picture of our
1 Kings 7—9
prayers rising up to the Lord (Ps. 141:1–2; Rev. 5:8; Luke 1:8–10). The Lord gave Moses the recipe for the mixture of spices that was used in the tabernacle and temple worship (Ex. 30:34–38), and this mixture was not to be counterfeited or used for any other purpose. The golden altar was used for no other purpose, and on the annual day of Atonement, the high priest applied blood to this altar to cleanse and purify it (Ex. 30:10). Without "clean hands and a pure heart" (Ps. 24:3–5), we can't approach the Lord and expect Him to hear and answer prayer (Ps. 66:18; Heb. 10:19–25).
new districts and borders, this is no problem. The tribes of Dan and Naphtali were united in the eighth district of Naphtali, supervised by Ahimaaz (4:15). 3 Hiram also provided Solomon with wood for his palace complex. Apparently Solomon ran up a bill he couldn't pay immediately because Hiram also loaned him some gold. As collateral, Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities on the border of Galilee and Phoenicia, but Hiram wasn't pleased with them (1 Kings 9:10–14). Later, Solomon was able to pay his debt and reclaim the cities (2 Chron. 8:1). Of course, all these payments of food and gold came out of the pockets of the Jewish people, so it's no wonder they protested and asked for relief after Solomon died (1 Kings 12:1–15). 4 The height of the temple was forty-five feet, which meant there was an "attic space" fifteen feet high above the Holy of Holies. We aren't told if or how this space was used. 5 2 Chronicles 3:15 gives the height of the pillars as thirty-five cubits, which some take to mean the combined height. 6 1 Kings 7:26 says the basin held 2,000 baths, or about 11,000 gallons of water, while 2 Chronicles 4:5 says 3,000 baths or over 17,000 gallons. The larger amount may have been its full capacity while the smaller amount was what was normally kept in the molten sea. Water was a precious commodity in the East, and it would take a lot of labor to fill up the huge basin.