If we reject God, He will reject
us. If we obey God, He will bless us. “In
those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel” – 2 Kings 10:32. First and Second Kings
are just a continuation of the books of Samuel. As their name suggests, they
record the events of the reign of Solomon and then of the succeeding kings of
Judah and Israel. They cover a period of 400 years and tell the story of the
growth and then decay of the kingdom. Kings begin with King David and end with
the king of Babylon. Kings open with the building of the Temple and end with
the burning of the Temple. During Solomon’s reign, the kingdom reached the height
of its grandeur. With the death of Solomon, the kingship really ceased to be
the medium through which God governed his people.
As the scene opens in
1 Kings, we find that “
King David was old and well advanced in
years”. He was prematurely aged for he was only seventy. Because of David’s
feebleness we find a rebellion started against him. Adonijah’s attempt to get
his father’s throne was natural because he was the oldest surviving son (
2 Samuel 3:4). This rebellion called
for prompt action, which Nathan the prophet took. David saw that Solomon was
the most fit to succeed him. Solomon was God’s choice (
1 Kings 2:15). It was clear that the choice of Solomon was popular
(
1 Kings 1:39-40). Adonijah soon saw
that opposition was useless. Because of this rebellion, Solomon was crowned
before David’s death (
1 Kings 1:30, 39, 53).
Solomon was a magnificent king;
his throne was the grandest the world had ever seen and his life was filled
with happenings of marvellous significance. His kingdom of 60000 square miles
was ten times as great as that which his father had inherited. God appeared to
Solomon in a dream early in his reign and asked him to make a choice of
anything that he might wish (
1 Kings
2:6-9). Solomon asked for a “discerning heart”. It will be good that we
also have a heart that listens to the Spirit’s voice. The greatest undertaking
of Solomon’s reign was building the Temple. This was what his father, David,
had longed to do. The immense foundation of great hewn stones upon which
Solomon’s Temple was built remains till this day under the Dome of the Rock. The
Temple site was a historic spot. On Mount Moriah, Abraham offered up Isaac (
Genesis 22:2). We saw how David secured
Araunah’s threshing floor and here today the Dome of the Rock stands, the
sacred spot of the Muslims.
Solomon reigned 40 years, the
second great period of the complete kingdom (
1 Kings 11). At first all went well, but later there was serious
trouble. Saul, David and Solomon each reigned 40 years (
2 Samuel 5:4; 1 Kings 11:42). Taxes under Solomon’s reign had
weighed the people down. Luxury and Idolatry had broken down their morale. The kingdom
now was to be divided. A rise to such prosperity and power as Solomon enjoyed
had its dangers. It cost money and meant increased taxation, which grew into
burdens that were unbearable and that bred the seeds of unrest and revolution.
When Solomon’s son, Rehoboam,
threatened to levy heavier burdens upon the people, his unwise headstrong action
added fuel to a fire that had been gathering and burning for nearly 300 years,
from the time of the judges. The revolt of the ten tribes immediately followed
(1 Kings 12:16), though the two
tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal (1 Kings 12:17). This tension led to the appointment of Jeroboam as
king of the northern section (1 Kings
12:20).
A new name of great importance
appears in the pages of the life of Jeroboam. This young man of low origin had
risen to notice because of faithful service and deeds done. The prophet Ahijah
made a startling revelation to Jeroboam. “
Take
ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, see
I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes”
–
1 Kings 11:31.
Solomon was a great and glorious
king, but unlike his father, David, Solomon dealt cruelty with his brother
Adonijah (1 Kings 2:24-25). His
heart, like Saul, was lifted up in pride (1
Kings 10:18-19). He also was led into idolatry by his wives (1 Kings 11).
Things do not happen by accident.
There is a cause at the root of every revolution. The event may come as
suddenly as an explosion, or as the eruption of a volcano, but somewhere secret
causes were at work undermining the structure. I pray that you be careful when
taking decisions, because the God who watches will be taking the final call
according to your faithfulness towards Him.
This is a song of love in
marriage. The characters in the song are Solomon, the Shulamite maid, his wife
and the daughters of Jerusalem. The love of Solomon and his wife illustrates
the love between Jehovah and his people. This is seen in many passages in the
Bible. Solomon as a lover was a type of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 5).
