1 Kings 13:26-32 – Taking God’s Word seriously

What is being described in 1 Kings 13:26-32 keeps us both curious and puzzled at the same time. Why did the prophet from Bethel deceive the one from Judah and then go about to retrieve his dead body and had him buried? The whole incident seems weird and unusual. Nobody knew the reason for the latter’s plight except the old prophet who had lied to him. In verse 26, the lying prophet then exclaimed, “It is the man of God, who disobeyed the command of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.” Could he be leveraging on what happened to give the impression that he was more in touch with God than he really was? Or perhaps, he was unwittingly used by the Lord to make known that it is a grievous matter to disobey the Lord. 

Whatever the case, he had his sons saddle a donkey for him so that he could go and retrieve the body. He found the body not devoured by the lion but lying dead by the roadside with the donkey and the lion that mauled him to death standing over it. When he had found the body, he brought it back, mourned for him, and had him buried in his own grave. Then he left words for his sons to have his own body buried with the prophet when he dies. Then he went on to affirm the word of the dead prophet saying that whatever he had proclaimed concerning the altar at Bethel and the high places of Samaria would surely come to pass.

The action of the lying prophet was enigmatic at best. He was the one who had caused the death of the man of God yet ironically, he was also the one who gave him a proper burial. Furthermore, he desired his dead bones to be buried beside his when he dies. If this man was a friend to the prophet who was deceived, the latter certainly would not need an enemy. This incident tells us to be careful who we befriend. More importantly, it tells us not to take God’s personal word to us lightly. We need to have high regard for God’s personal word to us. Today God still speaks to us through the Bible, the Written Word. Hebrews 4:12 says that “the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” We cannot trifle with the Word of God and expect to get away when we disobey it. It behooves us to take God’s word to us seriously! 

1 Kings 13:20-25 – Be careful who you listen to

Deceived, the nameless prophet from Judah returned with the dishonest old prophet from Bethel. First Kings 13:20-25 then proceed to describe how God dealt with his disobedience. Verses 20-21 said that the word of the Lord came to him through the lying prophet as they were sitting and having a meal. This time the dishonest old prophet was used as a channel to re-iterate what the Lord had spoken earlier to him. And the Lord went further to tell him what would happen to him for not obeying His word. He was told that he would die on the way and not be buried with his ancestors.

Verses 23-25 then describe how the word of the dishonest old prophet came to pass. Verse 24 said that the young prophet from Judah was mauled to death by a lion when he was on his way home. Remarkably, the lion who attacked him did not devour nor eat him up. Neither was the donkey that he rode on attacked by the lion. Verses 24-25 only say that his dead body was left by the roadside with both the donkey and lion standing over it. What happened was seen by onlookers who returned to tell the old prophet from Bethel. This unusual scene proved that whatever had happened to the man of God from Judah was clearly a divine discipline.

It seems unfair to the victim who had fallen for a lie. But it’s a fact that no matter how much each of us has grown in the Lord or how often God has used us for His work, He is constantly working at perfecting our obedience to Him. This event could be seen as God seeking to perfect the young prophet’s obedience. Here was a test that the man of God from Judah had obviously failed. The judgment he had to face tells us every responsibility from God comes with accountability. It behooves us to take every responsibility given to us seriously. Remember greater responsibility always means greater accountability.   

But still, we are bugged by the fact that God would use a lying prophet. Why should God use a dishonest man? The truth is: God is sovereign, He uses whom he wills to do His bidding. He has the right to use anyone and anything to fulfill His purpose. Remember, if He could use a donkey to speak to disobedient Balaam, why not a dishonest prophet? It is also true that God used Satan to bring about Job’s perfection. In Job’s case, Satan became God’s unwilling servant to fulfill God’s purpose in His servant’s life. Hence, we don’t have to wonder and debate why a person who purported to be a dishonest prophet could be used by God. The truth remains that he was used by God to test the nameless prophet.

Firstly we can learn from this incident, that we must be careful who we listen to in life and ministry. It is always better to listen and consult only with people with proven character, with leaders whom God has placed over us. Leaders, whose proven life we can attest to. Don’t ever run helter-skelter, here, there, and everywhere to listen to every purported man of God without finding out their resume. Secondly, being deceived is a poor excuse for not taking seriously the personal word of God to us. It remains our duty to be sure that every word we hear from God personally must be obediently adhered to without compromise. Finally, remember that if we are on talking terms with God, He seldom directs us through someone else without first revealing his direction to us personally. Hence, we must test every personal prophecy given to us. Don’t be hook-winked, be sure you are listening to the right people!

     

 

1 Kings 13:11-19 – Wise up, don’t be gullible!

The nameless prophet from Judah did the right thing by not accepting the invitation of Jeroboam to a meal and to receive his reward. He showed himself to be a man of character by not yielding to the subtle bribe of the king. Being obedient to God who had forewarned him of this, he left  Bethel via a different route from the one that he used to come to Bethel. First Kings 13:1-19 introduce another character, referred to as “an old prophet.”  These verses discuss his questionable deed and the response of the nameless prophet.

The old prophet heard of the nameless prophet’s exploit at the altar of Bethel from his sons. They told him everything that had happened in detail. Verse 11 said that the old prophet’s sons even related to their father the exact words the nameless prophet had said to the king concerning the Lord’s instructions to him. Immediately the old prophet inquired about the direction that the nameless prophet went. When told of the way he left, the old prophet went in search of him.

The old prophet caught up with the younger prophet resting under an oak tree. Having ascertained that he was the man his sons had told him about, he invited him to a meal. Again the prophet refused to eat with him citing what the Lord had told him. The old prophet then chose to concoct a tale to get the nameless prophet to return with him. He lied that he was directed by the Lord to bring him back for a meal. Accepting the old prophet’s words, the nameless prophet disobeyed the Lord and gullibly took the bait and went back with him for a meal.  

We are mystified by the actions of the old prophet. How could a prophet lie to get another to disobey the Lord? What could be his benefit? What was his motive? How could the nameless prophet fall for the ruse? These and many other questions raged in our minds. The text is silent and whatever answers we have to these questions, would be sanctified guesses at best. It could be that the old prophet knew the king and wanted to win his favor. Hence, he did what he did to get this nameless prophet into trouble with the Lord. Secondly, it could be that what the nameless prophet did, reveal the old prophet’s irresponsibility. If he were a godly prophet, he would have warned the king of his sinful actions and held him accountable. Apparently, he did nothing of that.

Two lessons from this passage. Firstly, whatever ministry we are entrusted by the Lord, be diligent and do our part. We must not compromise on our assignment and offer to the Lord anything less than the best. Don’t ever emulate the old prophet. Secondly, don’t be gullible, wise up and be discerning. Evaluate and ascertain every counsel before jumping headlong into action. The nameless prophet knew for sure that the Lord had told him what he must do. If another message from another person contradicts what he had heard from the Lord, it should have alerted him. He should have clarified with the Lord. He didn’t, he just gullibly followed. Wise up so that we will not fall for any ruse!

1 Kings 13:4-10 – Be true to our calling

First Kings 13:4-10, describe the immediate reaction of Jeroboam on hearing the words of God by the nameless prophet who cried out against the altar. Intimidated by his words, Jeroboam instinctively stretched out his hand from the altar, and ominously ranted, “Seize him.” He did not even wait to see if the prophet’s word would come to pass.  He just reacted so fast without a pause. As soon as his order reverberated in the air, God’s judgment fell. His outstretched hand shriveled up and he could not withdraw it. Spontaneously, the altar also split apart, and the ashes spewed out just as the prophet had prophesied.  

By this time Jeroboam must have realized that the Lord meant business. So verse 6 said that he begged the prophet, saying, “Please entreat the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” The prophet obliged and entreated God on his behalf. His prayer was heard. God responded, healed, and restored the king’s withered hand.   

Was Jeroboam changed? He obviously was not. Stalling for time, he attempted to win the favor of the prophet. So verse 7 said that he invited the prophet for a meal, saying  “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” He was trying to entice the prophet, but his ploy did not work for him. For God had already commanded the prophet, not to eat any bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which he came. So the prophet's response to the king was, even “If you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place.” So he left via another route and did not take the same way he came to Bethel.

Two takeaways from these seven verses.  Firstly, we learn that the person God uses must be courageous. Just like that prophet, God’s instrument must show courage to confront unflinchingly. Like the prophet, God’s instrument must not mince words but speak God’s word boldly. Secondly, to be God’s effective instrument one must be discerning and not succumb to bribes. The king baited the prophet with rewards but he remained unmoved. He was even brave enough to tell the king off. He valued God’s command more than the rewards of man. We know how tempting riches, prestige, and honor can be, but a true servant of God will remain faithful to Him and will not succumb to bribes. Let us be true servants of God!

 

1 Kings 13:1-3 – Cultivate a sensitive heart to God

First Kings 12 describes everything that Jeroboam had done in contradiction to what God had in mind for him and for Israel. He outrightly violated the instructions concerning not having other gods, about not having non-Levite priests, and about not having high places. He even had the audacity to go up to the altar at Bethel to burn incense and declare a new religious order. What he had done was obviously wrong and repulsive to God. Continuing the account, 1 Kings 13:1-10 show us what God declared He would do.

In 1 Kings 13:1-3, God sent a nameless prophet from Judah to deal with the situation. Precisely at the moment when Jeroboam was burning incense at the altar in Bethel, the man of God appeared and prophesied against that altar. He did not even care to speak to Jeroboam. He went straight to declare what would happen to the altar. He foretold of a descendant of David, Josiah by name, who would emerge to deal with the deviant altar. In 2 Kings 22-23, we will read of the emergence of Josiah and his reform. He came 330 years after Jeroboam. One of the things he did was to clear the aberrant altar of sacrifices. To affirm what he said would come to pass, the nameless prophet said the altar Jeroboam was burning the incense then would be split apart and the ashes on it would pour out. This really came to pass as the prophet had declared.   

Why did the prophet speak to the altar and not to Jeroboam? Had Jeroboam become so callous, insensitive, and indifferent to God? Looks like he had. This would be attested to later. Whatever had happened did not stop him from continuing in what he was doing. The prophet’s words were not so much for Jeroboam as for the people. There was no point talking to Jeroboam, for he was bent on doing what he planned, regardless. Insensitivity makes a person nonchalant and not receptive to the truth.  Are we sensitive to what God is doing in our lives?

How can we cultivate a life that would keep us aware and open to the transforming work of God in our lives? Here’s a suggestion: before we start each day or before we go to bed, take five to ten minutes to do a review of the last 24 hours of our lives. Think through the different aspects of that duration. Go through our interpersonal interaction with God and others, our inner attitude, our thought patterns, and our responses or reactions. Stop to ask where we are most lacking in Christlikeness. As we do, ask God to help us deal with our shortcomings. We will be amazed by how transforming short moments like these can make us more sensitive to God. Take time to build a life of awareness and sensitivity to God. It will help our relationship with God and our journey with Him. It is a habit worth cultivating!

 

 

1 Kings 12:25-33 – Don’t be self-serving

In 1 Kings 12:25-33, we catch a glimpse of Jeroboam’s insecurity and self-serving flaws. His immediate action after being king of Israel was to enlarge and fortify Shechem and Penuel. Shechem in Ephraim was an important ancestral location. Genesis 12:6-7 tells us that it was here that God promised Abraham to give his offspring the promised land. He then built an altar to the LORD there. During the period of the conquest, Joshua 21:20-21 said that Joshua handed Shechem to the Kohathites as a city of refuge. Joshua 24:32 reveals that this place was also Joseph’s burial ground. It seemed obvious that Jeroboam wanted to make Shechem the capital of Israel, which was later moved to Tirzah, then eventually to Samaria. First Kings 12:25 also said that Jeroboam strengthened Penuel. Genesis 32 reveals that this was the place that Jacob had named Penuel after his encounter with the angel of the LORD. It was here that his name was changed from Jacob, the conniver or trickster, to Israel, meaning strive with God.

Jeroboam’s kingdom building began on the wrong footing. He did not take the promise of God seriously. The LORD had revealed to him that Rehoboam would be dealt with, and he, Jeroboam would be given a part of Israel to rule. The promise was made in 1 Kings 11:37-38. God said, ^“I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.” In 1 Kings 12:26-33, Jeroboam’s movements had shown that he had utter disregard for the word of God given through the Prophet Ahijah.

First Kings 12:26-33 then describe all his wrong moves. He feared that the people would return to Rehoboam and give him their allegiance when they returned to Jerusalem to worship and sacrifice. He consulted with the people and had two golden calves made and presented to them as their gods. He set up two centers for worship, one at Bethel near the southern border and the other at Dan near the northern border. He also violated the regulation of only having Levites for the priesthood. He even had the audacity to appoint non-Levites to be priests. Furthermore, he instituted religious practices that the Canaanites practiced. High places were built by him in the places of worship. Jeroboam also set up his own festival and celebration and appointed his own feast to prevent the people from migrating southward to join their brethren in Judah. Verse 33 said that “he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.” What he did led Israel on a downward path, and increasingly the people were getting farther and farther away from God.  

Jeroboam’s actions were very telling. They showed that he had never trusted God at all. His actions were all driven by his fear of losing the loyalty of the people. The Bible makes it clear in Proverbs 29:25 that “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” When we fear men, we have the tendency of being self-serving. Just imagine how glorious the northern kingdom would be, had Jeroboam trusted the Lord and taken Him at His word and not be so self-serving.

People who are self-serving seldom feel secure. They have a narrow heart and a small mentality. They are usually very parochial and would do anything to protect their own turf. For self-preservation, they would even compromise on godly principles and values. Their eyes are set on the immediate, not on the eventual. Who would we rather be – a God-fearing person or a self-serving one? The answer is obvious!    

1 Kings 12:21-24 – Arrogance makes a person irresponsible

First Kings 12:21 said that when Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he gathered an enormous force. He managed to assemble a total of 180,000 men, all warriors from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He wanted to fight the people of Israel with the goal of restoring his kingdom. It was probably a face-saving attempt. This was another rash and foolish decision. Many lives would be lost had the Lord not stopped him. Again this proves how unthinking and insensitive he was.

Verse 22 said that the word of God came to him through Shemaiah, a man of God. The word of The Lord was clear and explicit. Speaking to the men of Judah and Benjamin, he said, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me.”’ The intervention of God through Shemaiah prevented the bloodshed on that day. So the men of Judah and Benjamin listened and went back home according to the word of the Lord. However, Israel, for now, was irreversibly split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.    

Ever wonder why the tribe of Benjamin, where Saul, the first king of Israel hailed from, did not join the north? The tribes of Benjamin and Judah could not get along well for a long time due to jealousy. And the people of Benjamin had for a long time resisted the rule of David. Remember this man Shimei, a Benjamite? Second Samuel 16:5-6 said that when David was running away from Absalom, Shimei cursed him and pelted him with stone when he was at Bahurim. Then in 2 Samuel 20:1, we learned about another fellow Sheba, also a Benjamite. He also rebelled against David. Rift with the bad past, what could be the reason for them to choose to remain with Rehoboam? It was because Jerusalem, the pride of the country and the capital of the nation, was within the border of the tribe. Anyway, by this time Jerusalem was largely populated by the people of Judah. Besides, if they had chosen to join the northern tribes in their revolt, it would mean the loss of Jerusalem. Hence it made more sense for them to remain with Rehoboam in allegiance.

Rehoboam was not only proud but was also arrogant. People like him tend to act foolishly. They would abuse their authority and misuse their power. At least we notice that when Solomon started in his reign, he started by seeking God. But unlike his father, Rehoboam’s first thing when he encountered a problem was to seek the counsel of men and not God. This tells us that he was not only proud and arrogant but also godless. For us who trust God, we must learn to view our position as a God-granted privilege. Thus, we need to handle it faithfully and responsibly. Never abuse our authority or misuse our power. Instead, we must always seek the counsel of God through prayer and His word. Be sure not to emulate Rehoboam or face irreversible consequences!     

1 Kings 12:16-20 – A case of pride

First Kings 12:16-20 describe the reaction of the northern tribes to Rehoboam’s inconsideration. He was insufferably insensitive. The people’s plea had fallen on deaf ears. Immediately on hearing the king’s decision, the people rejected his authority. They had also made their decision. They would dissociate themselves with him. They decided that they no longer want to have anything to do with the house of David. Hastily they left Rehoboam to rule Judah alone.

Trying to save the situation, verse 18 said that Rehoboam made one fruitless attempt. He sent for Adoram, the man whom his father had put in charge of the forced labor from the north. He had made another wrong move by underestimating the depth of the anger of the northerners. Rehoboam must have thought that Adoram could quell the rebellion since he had been their supervisor. But he was wrong. The people took stones and pelted Adoram to death. When Rehoboam saw that, he made haste, mounted the chariot, and fled to Jerusalem. Since then the northern tribes had been in rebellion against the house of David. And when the ten tribes from the north heard that Jeroboam had returned from his exile in Egypt, they invited him to their assembly and made him their king.  

What David and Solomon had built for 80 years was brought to ruin with just one wrong move. One crazy decision and the nation was irreparably split into two - north and south. We must be mindful that one wrong move could bring a result that had irreversible consequences. Eventually, the north comprising of ten tribes would come to be referred to as Israel and the south with two tribes would be known as Judah. Thus God’s words through the prophet Ahijah came to pass.  

According to Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Rehoboam’s pride proved this maxim to be so true. His pride had caused him to become pitilessly insensitive to the weariness of the people. If he had adopted the spirit of humility, he would have felt the sentiment of the people toward his father’s regime. Pride had prevented that. True to what Proverbs 16:18 said, destruction and stumbling were the eventual outcomes for Rehoboam. We must never forget that God will resist the proud but give grace to the humble. No matter what position we may be holding, never adopt the spirit of entitlement. The humble shall be exalted in due time but the proud will be brought low. Don’t presume on the grace of God or we will live to regret it!       

1 Kings 12:12-15 – God’s sovereignty and our responsibility

While Rehoboam consulted with the two groups of counselors, Jeroboam and the northern tribes of Israel waited three days for the response of the beleaguered king. These four verses of 1 Kings 12:12-15 described the moment Rehoboam and Jeroboam and the northerners met.

 It was obvious right from the start that Rehoboam had no intention to listen to the sound counsel of his father’s counselors. He was bent on listening to his indifferent peers. It’s true if one runs into a skunk, one will stink like a skunk. So unapologetically, he made known his decision to Jeroboam and his entourage. He simply regurgitated harshly what his peers advised him to do. He said to them, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”       

The response of Rehoboam, the meeting, and the advice of his peers did not happen by chance. Unbeknown to them, God was acting to work out what He had already anticipated when He pronounced to Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah. So the prophet’s words came to pass. All that had happened served to highlight that God is sovereign. Throughout the Scripture, we find this tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. This is said to be the guardian knot of theology.

Without a doubt, God is sovereignly in control of man’s affairs. Yet He will not overwrite mankind’s right to choose which was given to them at creation. God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility are mutually exclusive. We need to know that our responsibility does not encroach on God’s sovereignty, nor would His sovereignty minimize our accountability. Mankind’s loophole is the fallen nature inherited from Adam when he chose to disobey God. But thanks be to God that in Christ, we become His new creation. He gives us a new start to life. We can choose to seek God’s will and do it. Though we may not be able to obey perfectly on this side of earth, Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sin. We can apply 1 John 1:9 that promises: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from our unrighteousness.” Therefore, we on our part must do our best to do what we can and leave it to God to do what we cannot. This is human responsibility working with Divine sovereignty. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!  

 

 

 

 

1 Kings 12:6-11 – Follow only to wise counsel

After hearing the request of the people, Rehoboam had a tough decision to make. It could make or break the nation. The people wanted the load laden on them by his father to be lessened. It was a legitimate request. It was perfectly natural to consult with others and seek answers when in doubt. So 1 Kings 12:6-11 described two groups of people whom he sought to help him decide what he should do.   

The first group comprised of the counselors who served his father Solomon. They were older and had seen more life. Besides they understood the context of their problem. Giving a wise and logical explanation, they told Rehoboam to accede to the request of the people. What they saw was a people who had been stressed and seeking some relief. They could see that if Rehoboam served them well, they would reciprocate and serve him for life. Their counsel seemed reasonable. But that was not what the impudent king wanted to hear. Their words were unpalatable to him. The sad word “forsook” in verse 8 tells us that he would not give any consideration to their wise counsel.  

The second group was made up of people from his peers, people who grew up with him and would gladly pander to his childish puerile thinking. These types of people wouldn’t really consider and care what would happen even if their advice was wrong. They only cared more about what one wanted to hear. So they encouraged him to make it even tougher for the people. Verses 10-11 captured for us what they told the unthinking king to do. They said to him, “Thus you shall say to these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

What lesson can we learn from this passage? Firstly, we learn that it is perfectly alright to seek the counsel of others when we have a tough decision to make. But we must be careful who we approach and listen to. Be sure to seek out the right counselor. Be sure to be wise and discerning with the counsel given. We must learn to evaluate every counsel given. Don’t just plunge headlong without thinking through any given counsel.

Secondly, we need to know that the way people see the problem is often the problem itself. This is quite apparent in the advice given by Rehoboam’s peers. The way they saw the problem was the problem. Yet they failed to see. Hence, they gave a very thoughtless and careless solution. Be careful how we see the problem. It may be the problem itself.        

Thirdly, we must keep this in our hearts. The best counsel we have always comes from God and His Word. Remember that we live to do His will and purpose for our life. Know that people whom He has placed around us are there to help us to explore and seek the best God-guided solution. But the best counsel always comes from God and His Word which Psalm 19:7-11 say:  

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.  

1 Kings 12:1-5 – Consequences follow our decision

Say what we like about Solomon, at least he had brought the nation together to its pinnacle. Israel was on top whether in politics, wealth, or reputation. During his reign life was difficult but there was unity. In the later stage, his spiritual life left much to be desired. It was his idolatry that sent Israel reeling on a free fall. His death had left a huge leadership gap in Israel. At the end of 1 Kings 11, there were already hints of what was coming. While God would honor his word to David, and someone from his lineage would continue to rule, it was only in a two-tribe kingdom. Inadvertently, Israel was heading for a split. With the succession of Rehoboam and the impending rise of Jeroboam, trouble was brewing.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, lacked political prowess. In the closing stages of Solomon’s life, there was already a sense of growing dissatisfaction among the people. First Kings 12:1 tells us that Rehoboam went up to Shechem to be coronated. Why Shechem and not Jerusalem? He could have felt the unrest among his people up north. So to help ease the tension, he chose Shechem, which was approximately 25 miles north of Jerusalem to be made king. His ascension to the throne was not helped by Jeroboam who was seeking shelter with King Shishak of Egypt. The latter was bidding his time to seize the opportunity to do damage to the kingdom. Though he was not present in Israel, verse 2 tells us that he heard of what was happening there.

Verse 3 said the people, we surmise that they were from the northern tribes, sought Jeroboam out. Together, they then came to negotiate with Rehoboam, seeking a reprieve from the pressure that was laid on them by Solomon. What they wanted was not unreasonable. In verse 4, this was what they said to the new king. “Your father made our yoke hard; now, therefore, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” Backed to a corner, Rehoboam was unable to give them an immediate response. He then requested three days to consider their request. So Jeroboam and the people departed to await his response in three days.

Rehoboam was at the crossroad. Israel’s future rested in the decision that he would make. It is undeniably true that making decisions is a critical part of life and leadership. Every decision made would have some ramifications. Whether one has made a good or a bad decision only the result can tell. Unfortunately, for a bad decision made, by the time one realized it, the consequence would have already taken effect. We can choose what to do, but we cannot choose the consequence. Therefore, it is important that we make wise decisions all the time. To do it right, we have a promise from God in James 1:5. He said, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Better still follow the advice of Proverbs 3:5-7:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.   

1 Kings 11:41-43 – What legacy would we leave behind?

In 1 Kings 11:41-43, we come to the end of Solomon’s reign. These three verses gave us four facts about him for our learning. Firstly, all that he had done were recorded in the book of the acts of Solomon. We may not know what was written in this book but verse 41 said that all that he had done, including his wisdom, were recorded. The good part of his accomplishment that took place in his life was when he walked faithfully in obedience  to the commandments and statutes of God. That was when he could judge uprightly, rule judiciously, and built the temple, the most important building of the nation. The minute his devotion for God waned, his life went spiraling downward.    

If our lives are to be remembered, what would we want people to know about us? Won’t we wish that more good deeds than bad are remembered? Won’t we want to be remembered for our devotion to God, and how we have impacted life? Take this as a lesson, we may do many good deeds in life, but one bad deed may erase all the good that we have done. So it behooves us to be careful with our lives.

Secondly, we are told that Solomon ruled over all of Jerusalem for 40 years. He, his father David, and Saul, each ruled for 40 years. In comparison with many of the kings of both Israel and Judah, 40 years was considered long. It is about one generation. Never mind what Solomon had done, what’s important is what are we doing with our 40 years? How will we account for them? However, no matter what we have already done so far, it’s not too late to seize the remaining years of our lives and make them count for the Lord. Let us not be remembered for our flaws. Let us be remembered for the impact we have made in people’s lives for good.

Thirdly, we are told that he died and was buried in the city of his father David. We are not told what was written on his tombstone.  But we do know one line most tombstones today would have. There would be an indication of the year of birth and the year of death. In between the two years would be a short hyphen. It may be short, but it silently represents the sum-total of one’s activities in life, good or bad. What would we like the hyphen in our eventual tombstone to represent? This is a challenge to live life the best way we know how, to honor God.

Finally, we are told that his successor was his son Rehoboam. What kind of a person was he? What legacy did Solomon leave behind for him? We will uncover this in our later reflection. But of now, this should challenge us to consider what legacy would we want to leave behind to our children? We either raise them up to live a life to glorify God or a life that leaves much to be desired. The choice is clear!                

 

1 Kings 11:34-40 – Living a life of faithful obedience to God

In 1 Kings 11:34-40, seemed to be the words of the prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam. He first made known that God would punish Solomon for his sin, but it would not happen during his reign. This is the graciousness of God. Even in disciplining Solomon, He would show grace. He would let him remain on the throne till the end of his life. This was in consideration of His promise to David, who had shown faithfulness and walked according to all His commandments and instructions.

In verses 35-37, God proceeded to say that He would take ten tribes from Solomon’s son and give it to Jeroboam. In other words, Solomon’s successor would only have two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) to rule. In these verses, God again reiterated why He was allowing Solomon’s successor to remain on the throne. It was for David’s sake and for Jerusalem, the city He had chosen for Himself to make His name known. To Jeroboam, God promised that he would also make his kingdom as enduring as David’s if he would obey His commandments and walk in all His ways, as David did. This implied that the moment Jeroboam chose to walk in the footsteps of Solomon and turned to idolatry, the promise would cease.

Verse 39 shows us another gracious act of God. The punishment He would bring upon the descendants of David would not be forever. He had earlier promised that there would always be a king from the Davidic line. This verse highlights that the lamp of David would continue to burn, keeping alive the hope that the Messiah would come from his line.  The whole episode ended with Jeroboam fleeing to Egypt and being protected by king Shishak, for Solomon was after his life. And he remained in Egypt until Solomon died.  

In these verses, God made many promises to Jeroboam. In verse 35, God promised to give ten tribes of Israel to him. In verse 37 God promised that he would rule over Israel to his heart’s desire. In verse 38, he was promised God’s presence, if he would walk in all His ways like David did. God even promised that he could have a dynasty as enduring as David’s. These were wonderful promises. He could have enjoyed just as much greatness as King David. But did he? We will learn how he faired later.

Like him, God has promised to bless us. But we know that it is one thing to have the promises of God and another to have them fulfilled in our lives. It all depends on how willing we are to trust and obey God, and to remain faithful to Him. The promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus, provided we live our lives in line with His word. Let’s be challenged to live a life of faithful obedience to God!    

1 Kings 11:26-33 – Unfaithfulness always invites trouble

The third adversary God raised up to oppose Solomon was Jeroboam from the tribe of Ephraim. He was one of Solomon’s officials and the son of a widow. First Kings 11: 27-33 then went on to describe how he rebelled against Solomon. Verses 27 said that while Solomon was having the Millo built and the fort of the city built by David repaired, he took notice of Jeroboam. The king acknowledged him by promoting him and made him take charge of the workers from the tribe of Joseph. Unwittingly, Solomon had promoted a man who would gain enough power to bring an end to the rule of the Davidic dynasty in the northern part of Israel.

Of course, this was God’s plan to punish Solomon as He had promised. As providence would have it, Ahijah, a prophet, found Jeroboam on a road outside of  Jerusalem.  Verse 29 says that Jeroboam met the prophet, who was dressed in a new cloak, in the field alone. There Ahijah gave him a dramatized prophetic message. He took hold of his new cloak and tore it into twelves pieces and gave ten pieces to Jeroboam. He was told that God would tear ten tribes out of the hand of Solomon and give it to him. But for the sake of David and Jerusalem, the chosen city, He would allow the heirs of Solomon to remain ruler over one other tribe besides Judah, his own tribe.

In verse 33, God reiterates how Solomon had invited these impending disasters upon himself and the nation. He said, “…because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.” Deflecting from God to worship idols was not a small thing. As we have said, it is a clear violation of the first commandment laid down by God. Hence God had to discipline him.

As troublesome as Hadad, Rezon and now Jeroboam were to Solomon, they were not as potent as the influence that came from the people who were near him. The source of his degeneration could be traced to his many foreign wives. This clearly shows how needful it is for us to develop a spirit of uncompromised loyalty to God. If he had stayed within the bounds of God’s instructions, all this could have been avoided. From Solomon’s life, we learn that faithfulness is an indispensable factor if are to stay blessed by God. We need to have faith that will cause us to be dogged in our walk with God. There are enough warnings for us not to follow after other ‘gods’!

 

1 Kings 11:14-25 – Avoid needless discipline

Proverbs 16:7 says, “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” This was clearly demonstrated during the early reign of Solomon. Once he went wayward and turned to venerate idols, adversaries emerged to trouble him. For the consequences of his sins, 1 Kings 11:14-25 tell us that God raised adversaries to trouble Israel.

The first adversary was Hadad who was the only surviving member of Edom’s royal family. During David's overwhelming victory of Edom, the commander of his army Joab had exterminated every male in Edom in six months. Hadad, a young boy then, together with some of his father’s servants, managed to escape the massacre. Verse 18 said that they arose from Midian and came to Paran and managed to recruit some men from Paran to join him. When they came to Egypt, Hadad found favor with Pharoah,  who not only gave them shelter, but also the hand of his own sister-in-law in marriage. There in Egypt, he had a son named Genubath. Having undergone such circumstances, it was understandable that Hadad grew up hating Israel. So when he heard that David and Joab had died, he sought to return to his country. Despite Pharoah’s persuasion, he insisted on returning to his home to harass Solomon.  

The second adversary God raised was Razon described in verses 23-25. He also had escaped from David. He raised a marauding band and took control of Damascus or Syria. From there they troubled and harassed Israel. Together, Hadad and Razon were a constant menace to Solomon. The former gave him trouble in the south and the latter in the north.

The Bible makes it clear that those whom God loves He will discipline. But honestly speaking, some disciplines are needless. How to avoid needless discipline? Firstly,  don’t take God for granted. Secondly, be quick to obey Him. Thirdly, seek to live a life pleasing to God. For when we do, he will make even our enemies to be at peace with us. Be faithful to God and don’t invite needless discipline!       

1 Kings 11:9-13 – Let God take first place in life

God views the sin of idolatry seriously. It is a violation of the first commandant given by God through Moses. The first commandment stated unequivocally in Exodus 20:2,  “You shall have no other gods before me.” For God had brought Israel out of slavery to be His covenant people. As far as the LORD was concerned, idolatry was the one sin that had the capacity to devastate the covenant relationship He had with them. It, therefore, was no surprise to read that God became angry with Solomon for worshipping other gods.  In 1 Kings 11:9-13, the LORD specified how He would judge his kingdom because of his failings.

God had appeared to Solomon twice in a dream.  The first time was in the early days of his reign recorded for us in 1 Kings 3. In that first encounter, the LORD granted him wisdom and added riches and honor although he did not request for it. But God expected him to walk faithfully according to His statutes and commandments as David, his father did. The second time God appeared to him was in 1 Kings 9 right after the dedication of the temple. In the second appearance, God reiterated saying, “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in the integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel’” (1 Kings 9:4-5). Despite the two gracious encounters, Solomon chose to turn his back on God and went after other gods.  

In 1 Kings 11:9-3, God gave the reason why he was punishing Solomon and also specified the judgment that He would be bringing upon Israel. Because Solomon had chosen to violate His clear instruction, God would tear the nation of Israel into two and give one part of it to his servant. In consideration of His promise to David, the LORD would not do it during Solomon’s reign but during that of his son. However, God would keep Judah, Solomon’s tribe, and one other tribe for his son to rule. We know later that the other tribe was the tribe of Benjamin. It is interesting also to note that the tribe of Judah had absorbed the tribe of Simeon. In verse 13, God made it known that He was granting this concession in consideration of David and Jerusalem, God’s chosen city.  

These verses tell us how serious the sin of idolatry truly is. But what is an idol in our context? A broader definition of an idol for us would be anything or anyone that replaces our love for God. Our idol can come in the form of a spouse, a son or daughter, a friend, a hobby, a career, etc. Anyone or anything which we want, love, desire, treasure, enjoy and glorify more than God has become our idol. Idolatry always begins in the heart. It begins with our craving for that someone or something more than we crave for God. Idolatry is a tendency of our fallen nature. The best way to avoid idolatry in life is to work on our relationship with God. We must fall in love with Jesus again and again, leaving no room for anything to take His place in our life. Let Him take first place in everything, our family, career, and relationships and leave no room for error!

1 Kings 11:4-8 – Don't be derailed by distraction

The main reason God forbade Israel’s kings, Solomon included, from marrying foreign women was because they would bring the idols that they worship with them. This was obviously seen in Solomon’s case. And in his old age, they influenced him to worship their idols as well. Verse 5 said that when Solomon was old, his wives influenced him to worship other gods. His heart was turned toward pursuing after them. Instead of being wholly devoted to the covenant LORD his God, his heart was turned to venerate other gods. What all this meant was that God ceased to be the primary focus of his life. Once this happened, the next thing naturally happened, he would just go into idolatry.  

Solomon did not walk in the footstep of David who wholeheartedly pursued the LORD God. He was distracted by his many wives, and so he followed them to worship their gods. Doing this made no logical sense. The fathers of his foreign wives worshipped their gods because they perceived that it was from them that they received their power to conquer. But  Solomon was different, he had conquered many nations with the help of the LORD God and was at the zenith of his power. So it made no perfect sense that he should want to pivot to worship lesser beings.

The gods that Solomon had in his whole array included Ashtoreth, the Sidonian goddess. This was a fertility goddess from Canaan that Israel had been encountering since entering the promised land. Then he also worshipped Milcom, better known as Molech. Molech was the detestable idol of the Ammonites which encouraged human sacrifice. Solomon also worshipped Chemosh, a god that the people of Moab would honor. This is also another god that encouraged human sacrifice. What was sickening was that he even built a high place on the mountain east of Jerusalem for Chemosh and Molech. Verse 8 suggests that he had high places built so that his wives could burn incense and sacrifice to their idols.

Behold how far the mighty king had fallen! He was distracted. This is how godly man may also fall. Distraction will make a person take liberty with oneself. Then unwittingly, one will soon become unrestrained in his or her freedom even in the face of danger to one’s walk with God. As one thing leads to another, the person will soon give scant concern for the God whose life he or she owes. When that happens, the fear of the Lord will also vanish, leading to unmitigated spiritual disaster. One area we all need to handle in life is distraction. In a world where our attention is often challenged by competing voices and interests, we need to stay focused. We need to set our hearts on pleasing God. There is a need for us to practice the consciousness of God’s presence every moment of every day. We need to cultivate a spirit like that of Caleb and Joshua of old. God said of both of them in Numbers 32:12 that “…they have followed the LORD fully”. Don’t get distracted, stay wholeheartedly devoted to God!     

 

 

1 Kings 11:1-3 – Beware of the seduction of our sensual desire

In the earlier chapters of 1 Kings, Solomon was seen to have started his reign well. However, as time progressed, he was slowly but surely showing signs of decline. Now in chapter 11, we see his weaknesses and compromise come full bloom. His failures did not just affect himself but also the whole nation. Here, the plot of his life had taken a tragic downward turn. From heights of great power, he fell deeply into idolatry. The nation’s trouble careening in a downward descent and eventually into exile was largely his failings. Had he and the people remained faithful to God and set the pace in covenant faithfulness to God,  all these could have been avoided. What he did leave God with no other option but to discipline the nation.   

One very evident weakness of Solomon was his love for women. First Kings 11:1-2 said that he “…loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women from the nations….” Concerning this matter, God had already stipulated in Deuteronomy 1:7 that the King should “…not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away (from God). However, Solomon did not take heed to the words. He held fast to these women in love. In total Solomon accumulated 700 hundred wives of royal descent and 300 concubines. Much of these marriages were for political alliance.

As a matter of fact, his marriages brought peace between him and his many foreign in-laws. That however had caused him to break his trust with God by disobeying Him. Besides, Moses had clearly commanded that kings should not marry foreign women because they would turn the kings’ hearts toward their idols. Just as God had said would happen if a king should marry a foreign wife, every word came true in Solomon’s experience.

Solomon’s women were a huge problem for him to start with. One foreign woman would be enough to turn his heart away from God, let alone one thousand. The damages they had caused him and the nation were colossal. A lesson: None of us, especially the man, should kid ourselves that we can withstand the subtle temptation of lust. There is no willpower strong enough to protect against the blandishment of a sinister diabolical charm. What can we do in a world where the seduction of sensuality is so real? Hear the wise counsels of the aged Paul and Peter. In 2 Timothy 2:22, Paul said, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” And Peter admonished us saying “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Take heed, lest we fall!

 

1 Kings 10:26-29 – Taking care to end well

Apart from acquiring wealth, 1 Kings 10:26-29 said that Solomon also acquired horses and chariots. Verse 26 said that he gathered all his chariots and horsemen and that he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, stored in chariots cities in Jerusalem near where he was. The king also had countless silver and cedar trees. Verse 27 said that he had made silver more common than stones in Jerusalem and cedar trees more than sycamore trees. Not only did he acquire horses, but he also traded them. Verse 28 said that he imported those horses from Egypt and Kue. He paid 600 shekels of silver for each chariot and 120 for each horse. And verses 29 said that he would also export those horses to the kings of Hittites and Arameans.   

These last four verses not only see Solomon’s great wealth but also his impending decline. There were signs of clear violation of the instructions laid down by God through Moses in Deuteronomy 17:14-17. Take a look at what the passage in Deuteronomy says, “When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.” 

Solomon fitted the descriptions given in these verses so perfectly that it is as if the warnings were specially customized for him. Obviously, he did not take this warning seriously. So in the next chapter, we will see the effect of his disobedience. He was beginning to slowly bring impending shame and destruction to what had been a glorious start to his reign. 

Here’s a lesson we must learn for our spiritual well-being. It is not only needful that we start well with the Lord,  but we must also end well. However, if we want to end well, what we do in-between our starting and ending points must be carefully planned and carried out. We must take seriously Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:15-17. We must seek to understand the will of God. Then we will be careful to walk, not as fools but as wise. We must learn to make the most out of every opportunity accorded to us. Why? It’s because the day we live in is teeming with luring potential evil, designs to tempt and take us down. So 1 Peter 5:8 warns us saying, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Plan for a glorious end. As we seek to walk with God diligently, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! It’s the surest way to end well. 

1 Kings 10:23-25 – Prefer wisdom to riches

These three verses in 1 Kings 10:23-25 show us Solomon was still at the peak of his life. It left us without a doubt that the faithful God had kept His side of the bargain. Since his request for wisdom from the Lord to be able to rule and govern his people well, his wisdom had kept increasing. It came to a point that no one was found wiser than him. His wisdom was unsurpassed. For that reason verse 24 declared that “All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.” And when they came to seek him out, they would also bring to him gifts of all sorts. Verse 25 said that “They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.” Now not only his wisdom was unsurpassed but his wealth also.

At the onset of his reign, wisdom was more important to him. But as he gained more and more wealth, riches became what defined emphasis more. The order of emphasis in verse 23 said that he was first greater than all the kings in riches before mentioning wisdom. Could this be a tell-tale sign of his decline? It is probably the author’s way of indicating that riches had taken priority in Solomon’s life. The God-given wisdom was relegated to a lesser priority.   

And we know that riches have a way of making us switch our focus. When we have little, trusting the Lord seems second nature. But when we are more financially able, we have a greater tendency to trust our money. If we are not careful to guard our desires, we will become subtly influenced to place our faith in money rather than God. No wonder the New Testament asserted that the love of money is the root of all evil.

What we need most in our day of endless temptation is the wisdom from above. Remember, Solomon at the onset of his reign prayed that God would give him the wisdom to govern his people well. And God did not fail him. He was given wisdom so generously that no one could equal his wisdom. In James 1:5 we are also urged to pray for wisdom. We are told that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it. He will surely give generously and without reproach to all who ask of Him. Don’t let riches take away our focus from God. Pray rather that we will have the wisdom to navigate through our challenging times where money seems to be everything. We need it urgently! 

    

 

1 Kings 10:14-22 – Be rightly focused in life

These verses in 1 Kings 10:14-22 demonstrate the glory of Solomon. Verses 14-17 say that the amount of gold received from taxes was 666 talents each year. On top of these 666 talents, he also received revenue from his other trading partners. He had so much gold that he had 200 golden shields made, each using 600 shekels of beaten gold. He also made another 300 smaller golden shields, each made with 300 minas of gold. These golden shields were then stored in the house of the forest of Lebanon. First  Kings 7:2 revealed that Solomon had this part of his house built. He probably had all the pillars made with the timbers from Lebanon. So it is here that he stored the golden shields that were made.

Verses 18-20 describe his elaborate throne. This is how Eugene Peterson in “The Message” paraphrases these verses. “The king built a massive throne of ivory accented with a veneer of gold. The throne had six steps leading up to it, its back shaped like an arch. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any of the surrounding kingdoms.”

Solomon had so much gold that verse 21 said that all the vessels, such as drinking chalice and pots in the forest of Lebanon, were made of gold. No vessel was made of silver because it was of little value in his day. Verse 22 was probably intended to emphasize the abundance of Solomon. Once every three years his own fleet of ships from Tarshish collaborating with Hiram’s fleets would bring in “gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.”

Though not spoken, we suspect that Solomon’s true value of life was slowly but surely eroding. He seems to be infected with a dose of megalomania. Without a doubt, it is a privilege to be blessed with what we have. But what we do with what God has blessed us with is indisputably more important. We must not allow His blessings on our lives to make us lose sight of Him and His plan and purpose in our lives. Like Solomon, it is possible for us to shift our focus from God to self, from building character to building a reputation with the blessings of God.

Instead of being consumed with the need to aggrandize ourselves, we must follow Paul’s example in Philippians 3:13-14. He said, “…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” We must make seeking His Kingdom and righteousness our top priority. Make God and building a godly character our primary focus in life. We will never regret it when we do so!      

     

1 Kings 10:6-13 – Nurturing a grateful heart

1 Kings 10:6-13 – Be grateful

First Kings 9:6-13 describe the immediate response of the queen of Sheba from her encounter with Solomon. Having heard from him and seen his orderly and methodical set up, she was thoroughly convinced that the king indeed excelled in all wisdom and was great in prosperity. She confessed that her doubts about Solomon prior to meeting him personally had now been cleared up. And she now had a radical change of opinion. So impressed was she with Solomon that she gave Solomon a great quantity of gold and an immeasurable amount of spices to acknowledge the latter’s greatness.  

But before she offered her gifts to Solomon, she exclaimed in the hearing of Solomon’s subjects, saying how blessed they were. She admitted that they were so privileged to have a king from whom wisdom would continue to flow. She attributed all these to the arrangement of God. So she turned to offer her praise to the God of Solomon. She acknowledged that the Lord deserved to be praised for raising such an excellent king. The queen of Sheba could see God’s love for Israel and recognized that it was He who had raised Solomon to the throne to administer justice and righteousness. Then verse 10 said that “She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones.” The impression so far was that both Hiram and the queen of Sheba could see that Israel was blessed because of God. Because He was the true ruler of the nation and that He blessed whenever the king on the throne walked in obedience to Him. Unfortunately, it appears that Solomon and the later kings who should know this most, seemed to be oblivious.

The author inserted verses 11-12 to remind the readers of the existing partnership between Solomon and Hiram. In 1 Kings 9, we were told how they collaborated with the latter supplying sailors to assist with Solomon’s fleet of ships. Together they brought gold from Ophir and almug trees and precious stones. The almug trees were used for the pillars of both the temple and the palace as well as making lyre and harps for the singers. Verse 13 rounded up by saying that Solomon reciprocated her kind gesture by giving her what she desired as well as other substantial stuff. And the queen returned to her homeland happily.  

In the first five verses of 1 Kings 10, we saw the queen of Sheba as a genuine truth seeker and in these eight verses, we see her as a grateful recipient. How a person responds to the truth is more important than receiving it. The queen obviously knew the true source of Solomon's wisdom and prosperity and gave praise to God. She also could see that without God the king would not be where he was. In the queen of Sheba, we see some things in her worth emulating - her inquisitive heart and her grateful attitude. Like her, we must seek to know the truth. And when we have received and been set free by the truth, we must live a life of gratitude to serve the One who has set us free. For all that we have received from God’s hand, let us begin each day with a grateful heart! 

1 Kings 10:1-5 - Develop a divine curiosity

First Kings 10:1-5 speak of the visit of an unknown queen of Sheba to Solomon. Here we are given two reasons why she made the trip. Where exactly was Sheba? Where she hailed from is not as important as why she made the trip. This passage concentrates on the two reasons why she visited Solomon.

Firstly, it was because she had heard of the fame of Solomon and wanted to ascertain that what she had heard about him was true. Solomon, as we know, had the reputation of being the wisest person of his time. The queen wanted to determine for herself if Solomon did indeed truly deserve such an acclaim. Secondly, it was because of the name of the Lord through whom Solomon was granted this exceptional gift of wisdom and wealth. She probably wanted to know who was this God who had endowed him with such incredible wisdom and wealth.

The queen did not come empty-handed. She came with a whole load of gifts such as “camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones.” Most of all she came with a lot of difficult questions to test Solomon. We get the impression that she did not restrict herself; she just freely offloaded her questions. What’s amazing in this account was that there was not a single question of hers that Solomon did not give an adequate answer to. Every one of her queries was satisfactorily explained. Moreover, she also saw with her own eyes the orderliness of the king’s setup. She was astonished by “the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord.” So she did not only hear the wisdom from the king’s own mouth, but she also saw with her eyes his fabulous set-up. Solomon’s wisdom had indeed surpassed that of her expectation, and she was left so dumbfounded that verse 5 said that there was no more spirit in her. In other words, she had exhausted everything she wanted to know that there was nothing left to explore with Solomon. She was left with no more words to say.

The queen of Sheba gives us a picture of a person who would not take things without examining them to ascertain their genuineness. She had come to be a symbol of a seeker of truth. It was said that she traveled a great distance to determine for herself that what she had heard was not just hearsay. Concerning truth, this is the spirit every child of God must adopt. We must not just be contented with hearsay. We must take time to search and explore the truth. The queen of Sheba reminds us of the believers in Berea recorded in Acts 17.  In verse 11 of Acts 17, we are told that they received the word of God from Paul with great eagerness. But they also examined the Scriptures daily to see whether what Paul said to them was so. Isn’t this in essence the spirit of the queen of Sheba? We need to be willing to get to the truth for it is the truth that will set us free. But how will we know the truth if we do not develop a divine curiosity?