1 Kings 11
Pastor Mark Hudson
Chapter 11 of I Kings brings all the joy, celebration, and thankfulness to an abrupt and sad end. Remember Deuteronomy 17:15-17, when God gives the stipulations for a king, “you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. . . . 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself exces- sive silver and gold.” It appears that Moses is talking about wives from Israel. Solomon has gone far beyond that prohibition and married women from Moab, Amnon, Edom, Sidon, and Hittite women. This is wrong on so many counts. This is an example of outright rebellion. God had clearly said not to do what Solomon has done. The irony of Solomon’s response is his clinging to these women is what Moses said a man should do to his wife in Genesis 2:24. That means Solomon should not be clinging to all those foreign women.
We don’t know if he actually had 1000 women or this was a number meant to mean ‘too many to count’ but whatever it means, Solomon was in outright rebellion. So “the Lord was angry with Solomon” is rather an understatement. We never, ever want to make the Creator of heaven and earth angry. Of course, our sin is always a serious matter. But in this case God told him twice not to do what Solomon ended up doing. In Solomon’s position as the King of Israel, his sin mattered even more. If God has given you a position or role in the church plead with God that you will never dishonor God or bring disgrace to His name through your words or behavior. God’s holiness must rest heavy upon us. The fear of the Lord is a healthy, positive attitude to cherish and nurture.
The narrator can’t quite say Solomon’s heart turned away from the Lord, so he writes, “And his wives turned away his heart” in verse 3. This is repeated in v. 4. I don’t think we are intended to read this phrase as blaming the women. Solomon is totally to blame. He entered into these political alliances or gathered women as some collect objects. His behavior is wrong on so many counts. This is a scandalous way to treat women. One might think Solomon would learn from David’s practice (he had 8 wives), but Solomon outdid his father in this area of sin.
Notice the phrase in v. 4, “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart . . . .” There are different temptations in different ages. Of course, there are temptations when you are old that are the same when you are young. But beware as you get older that you don’t begin to be less vigilant, maybe more reluctant to follow Christ fully. But if you are younger, realize that sin in older age often begins in your younger years. Are you a jealous, angry, or bitter person but you are trying your best to hide it from others? Are you secretly craving more money? Are you looking or watching things you know you shouldn’t? Whatever your sin is, fight against it. “Keep (Watch over) your heart with all vigilance for from it flows the springs (issues) of life” Prov 4:23. The heart is the smallest battlefield in the world but what God cares about, looks at, and when we sin, His finger is pointing to our heart. Never stop fighting for holiness, purity, and a God-centered heart.
Solomon was an idolator because he actively furthered the worship of gods he was commanded not to worship. He did all he could to encourage others to worship gods that the Bible calls abomination. This is heartrending. Solomon, with such a good start, endowed with wisdom from God, denies the holy God. Don’t think this can’t happen to you. Be honest with God and refuse to let sin get a foothold in your life.
Notice also that God raised up adversaries in vs. 14, 23, and 26. God raised those people up to fulfill His will. Not that these people were trying to please God yet, in some respects, they were used by God to chasten Solomon. These men did serious harm but as we know, sin, even sin, is under the sovereign control of God.
The die is cast regarding the future of Israel. 10 tribes will be called Israel while Judah and Benjamin remain as Judah (often called 1 tribe – Judah since Benjamin was so small). This division, as an act of loyalty to David, occurred after Solomon died. God is still being faithful to David in spite of Solomon’s betrayal. How God can be faithful when we are not is gospel mystery. We ought to be eternally grateful for His grace. And from that one tribe of Judah came the Son of Man who completely obeyed His Father, lived a perfect life, and died as the true Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Dear Lord, You are far more gracious than we could ever imagine. You know all things and all things are under Your Sovereign will. Even these tragic events that have so many ramifications are part of your eternal plan. Remind us of the joy of faithful obedience as well as the heartache and pain of rebellion. Remind us to look to the our faithful Savior who is the only One who never sinned and died in our place so someday we will be free of sin. We long for that day. In Christ’s name, amen.