1 Kings 9 Devotional
By Pastor Lawrence

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” said one of the guards of the king’s castle in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Even though Israel was enjoying peace and prosperity on every side under the reign of God’s anointed king Solomon, this chapter continues to hint that there is nevertheless corruption and evil lurking in the shadows. After reading such a wonderful chapter yesterday of how the Lord gladly inhabited his temple in Jerusalem and covenanted with his people that he might live in their midst forever, we are reminded that God’s pledge and promise to Israel is entirely dependent upon the faithfulness of the king. This is part of the Davidic covenant. As long as the king walks with integrity before the Lord, the Lord will maintain his throne and continue to bless Israel, but if the King turns away from the Lord to serve other gods, then the people of Israel will be cast out of the Promised Land and the temple will be destroyed. And sadly, some fault lines are already beginning to show under Solomon’s throne.

After Hyram, king of Tyre, had given Solomon all the resources he needed to build the temple and his own palace, as much timber and gold as he desired, Solomon repaid him by giving him seemingly worthless properties in the region of Galilee in Israel which bordered the land of Tyre in the north. We might ask why Solomon is giving out parcels of God’s Promised Land to Gentiles in the first place? But to make matters worse, the land is not desirable in the least which causes Hyram to turn his nose up at it. Acknowledging that it was rotten deal, he calls the land Cabul, which generally means “good for nothing” suggesting that the ground was sterile rather than fruitful. Interestingly, the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, has a similar derivation in the Arabic language.

Then in vv.15-19 we see that Solomon is building store cities throughout Israel and the surrounding lands for the accumulation of grain and other food stuffs to supply his growing empire. But in addition to storing grain in case of famine and flood, the king is also storing horses and chariots aplenty, the very thing the king was explicitly warned not to do because his heart would be tempted to rely upon his own power and resources instead of the Lord, which would only encourage independence, sinfulness, and idolatry.

Additionally, in vv.20-23 we’re told that the king made slaves of the Canaanites still living in the Promised Land in order that they might carry out his construction projects. Interestingly, the author states that these people were still in the land because the previous generations in Israel were unable to devote them to destruction as the Lord had commanded. Now, King Solomon has the power to finish that sacred work but chooses not to. Instead, like King Saul prior to him, he chooses to preserve their lives for his own purposes disobeying the command to destroy these people who would lead Israel astray through their pagan practices and idolatry. On the other hand, Pharaoh the king of Egypt captures one of the Philistine cities on the western border of the Promised Land, burns it to the ground and kills all the inhabitants of the city in order to give the land as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. So what Solomon was unwilling to do for the Lord, the Pharaoh was more than happy to do for his daughter.

Apparently, Solomon was willing to do just as much for the Pharaoh’s daughter, which would also play a role in his downfall. In v.24 we read that she “went up from the city of David to live in the house that Solomon had built for her,” but why? In 2 Chronicles 8:11 Solomon provides this reason, saying: “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.” And here’s the rub: Solomon purposely built his own palace across from the temple in order that there might be a close relationship between the Lord and the king, so that the king would be ever mindful of being in the presence of God. But the very fact that he married someone whom he could not bring into God’s presence was surely a problem. Consequently, his heart would soon be aligned with that second palace far removed from the temple of the Lord.

There’s certainly a lot here for us to chew on personally this morning as we reflect upon, and repent of, the rottenness in our own hearts. But praise to God that he has given us his Son, King Jesus, who has been and ever will be faithful to God’s covenant. Our very inheritance in the Promised Land and all the current and future blessings of God are derived solely from his obedience and his perfect once-and-for all sacrifice for sins. King Solomon may have kept up with the ceremonial sacrifices three times a year during his reign, but King Jesus laid down his life for his subjects to remove all the rottenness from his realm and to usher in a new and glorious kingdom. And our standing and security before the Lord are assured because of his purity and faithfulness.