1 Kings 11:9–43

"His wives turned away his heart" — the word is repeated in verse 4. It is a terrible thing when what belongs to the world lodges in the heart and takes control of it. It turns the affections away from their only object toward vile, shameful, guilty objects... It took time for this sowing to the flesh to bear its fruit. Who would have believed that the Solomon of the temple would become an idolater? He once knelt and spread out his hands toward God in the sight of the people.

At first this neglect of the word appeared to have no bad effect. He grew rich, as though it were only the fulfilment of God's promise. But it soon led to a departure more serious in its nature and its consequences... It ended in open disobedience of the clearest and most essential requirements of God's word. The path of sin is slippery, and it is always walked with quickening steps. The reason is that the first sin tends to weaken in the soul the authority and power of the one thing that can keep us from committing still greater sins. That one thing is the word of God, along with the sense of His presence, which gives the word all its practical power over us.

The Lord's anger burned against this famous king. He turned against God, even though the Lord had appeared to him twice and had given him a clear command not to follow other gods. It seems unthinkable that a believer would sink to such a level as Solomon did, but wealth and ease can be a terrible snare even to one who is born of God.

The greater the privilege and the higher the honour, the deeper the shame... It is written for our wisdom, for our learning, for our warning, that we should beware of slipping in the very thing which God singles out in us. ... Solomon rested in the fruits God had given him. He enjoyed what came from God, but turned aside from the living source.

We find Solomon importing war horses from Egypt and multiplying wives. He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned away his heart. This went against the prohibition in Deuteronomy 17:16: "Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses... And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away." Wisdom did not keep Solomon, and it will not keep any one of us. But clinging to the Lord will.

Grace known by us in Christ does not deliver us from this holy government of God. Instead, it gives us a higher place of favour than faith had ever known before. So we have greater responsibility, and we come more directly under the action of such divine principles... David used the sword to carry out his own sinful will, and the sword never left his house. Solomon mixed with foreigners, and his heart was led astray. Enemies then rose up from the very places he had drawn on to please himself.

As far as man is concerned, this is the end of the kingdom. But what a prospect for the future! ... The kingdom of the Divine Solomon will reappear like the sun shining in its strength. It will never again depend on the fallible obedience of man. It will rest on the unfailing responsibility of the King whom God will anoint on Zion, the mountain of His holiness.

Once more, and for the last time, Solomon heard the voice of his God. When He appeared to him in Gibeon, He said, "Ask what I shall give you." He was pleased with the young king's reply (1 Kings 3). In Jerusalem He spoke to him with encouragement and warning (1 Kings 9). Now He could only pass sentence on a servant who had been so unfaithful. The kingdom of Israel was now to be broken up. As a witness for God it had become worthless.

God had given warnings and clear instructions in the Law. He had also appeared to Solomon Himself twice, and had commanded him not to go after other gods. Wife after wife seems to have persuaded him to build a high place for her idol... Before long these high places defiled "the mountain east of Jerusalem," the Mount of Olives. They stayed there 350 years, until the reign of Josiah.

At first this neglect of the word seemed to do no harm. He grew rich, as though God were only keeping His promise. But it soon led to a more serious departure, both in itself and in what came of it... and at last to open disobedience of the clearest and most basic commands. The slippery path of sin is always walked with quicker and quicker steps. The first sin weakens in the soul the authority and power of the one thing that can keep us from still greater sins — the word of God.

One good clue lies in a proverb of his, where he tells us, "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool" (Prov. 28:26). God had given His people clear instructions that their kings were not to take many wives. Solomon... took 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines besides these! Perhaps he told himself that some of these marriages served the interests of the state. But God tells us plainly that "Solomon clung to these in love." Solomon's problem was a matter of the heart! He disobeyed, and his heart was turned away.

There is a little comfort for us here — almost the only comfort in all we are told of king Solomon — and it is this: God disciplined him. He did not merely let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show up in his family. He disciplined Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people. In some cases it is almost the only hope you have that a person is a child of God: God does not let the evil pass, but deals with it now, in this world. Those God passes over in spite of evil are clearly waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and are dealt with now are the objects of God's fatherly care.

When David sinned against the Lord, he repented deeply as soon as the Lord reproved him. God reproved Solomon too, but nothing suggests that he ever repented.

When Solomon turned from God, he left his first love. He gave the idols of the nations the place in his heart that belonged to God. There is always the danger, even in old age, that something will push out of our hearts the love we owe to God. That is why it is written, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21).

Turn to 1 Kings 10 and 11 and you find King Solomon breaking down at every point. He collects many horses. He sends the people back to Egypt. He takes many wives for himself, and piles up silver and gold in great amounts. And though much is told us of Solomon's riches, wisdom and splendour, we are never told that he read the law of the Lord.

His heart was turned away from the Lord first, so when he grew old he gave in to the pull of idols. Our hearts are not empty spaces. If we push the Lord out of our hearts, they will soon take hold of some false substitute. These wives had many substitutes, and they could persuade Solomon that they were attractive.

Once more, and for the last time, Solomon heard the voice of his God. When He appeared to him at Gibeon, He said, "Ask what I shall give you," and He was pleased with the young king's reply (1 Kings 3). In Jerusalem He spoke to him in words of encouragement and warning (1 Kings 9). Now He could only pass sentence on His shamefully unfaithful servant... The kingdom of Israel should now be broken up. As a witness for God it had become worthless.

When the Lord rebuked David for his sin, David repented deeply. God rebuked Solomon too, but nothing shows that he repented.

The Lord was angry with him, and no wonder: He would tear the kingdom from him and give it to his servant (1 Kings 11:11). This came to pass, not in Solomon's reign, for God had respect to his father, David. It came in the reign of his very foolish son Rehoboam. The kingdom was split: ten tribes went with Jeroboam, Solomon's servant, and Judah and Benjamin stayed with Rehoboam. It was a big price to pay for his folly and sin.

He has become like Saul. Saul tried to kill David because God had given him the kingdom. In the same way Solomon tried to kill his servant Jeroboam, because God had given him ten tribes. In both cases it was rebellion against the decree of God.

Yet the Lord would not do this while Solomon was alive, because He respected Solomon's father David. Solomon's son would suffer the shame of a broken kingdom (v.12). Even so, God would leave one tribe to that son — again for David's sake, not for Solomon's sake... This mercy was also for Jerusalem's sake. God's choice of that city stood, despite the failure and disobedience of all Israel.

Ten of the tribes of Israel were torn from Rehoboam. In 1 Kings 11:11 we are told it was for the sin of Solomon. But verse 33 of the same chapter says it was for the idolatry of the people. And in chapter 12 we find the triggering cause was the harsh way Rehoboam met the people... The fact is that the sin of any one of the three named was enough by itself to bring all the harm that was done. So the responsibility is left at the door of each. Let me say again, though, that this judgment is only about God's government in this life. It does not always reach into eternity.

As far as man is concerned, this is the end of the kingdom. But what a prospect for the future! ...the kingdom of the Divine Solomon will reappear like the sun shining in its strength. It will never again depend on the fallible obedience of man. It will rest on the King whom God will anoint on Zion, the mountain of His holiness, and He never fails in what He has taken up.

God spoke to Solomon again, but now in judgment. He had warned Solomon what would come of turning away from following Him and keeping His commandments. If he served and worshipped idols instead, the result would be ruin. He must now act in faithfulness to His word. In Galatians 6:7 we read, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." Solomon's wisdom, wealth and power could not turn aside God's just judgment. The kingdom would be torn from him and given to his servant.

God acted in judgment as He must always do when the believer knowingly breaks Scripture. God delayed carrying out that judgment, not for Solomon's sake, but for his father David's.

Yet the Lord would not do this while Solomon was living, because the Lord respected Solomon's father David. But Solomon's son would suffer the humiliation of a broken kingdom (v.12). God would still leave one tribe to that son — again for the sake of David, not for Solomon's sake. Judah was that tribe, though Benjamin, very small and weak, was included with Judah.

In the government of God, children have to suffer for the sins of their parents, and nations for the sins of their rulers. People may complain about this and call it injustice. But the fact remains. If a man wastes his inheritance and abuses his body, his children will suffer for it in poverty and weakness. But this does not extend beyond the present life, and the sorrows here on earth are short-lived. No one will undergo the judgment of hell for the sins of others, but only for those he has committed himself.

God always acts in faithfulness to His word and in keeping with His character. So here God holds back from carrying out His judgment during Solomon's lifetime. He does this in line with His word to David, whom He calls "My servant," and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city He had chosen. God also softens its severity. He would not take away the entire kingdom. He would give Solomon's son one tribe, and so keep a lamp for David always in Jerusalem.

Now Solomon faced another promise of God. This time God had promised Jeroboam that part of the kingdom would be his. God had assured him, "Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days." Solomon would not rest in that. Like Herod in a later day, he took the law into his own hands and tried to kill Jeroboam. But of course nothing could frustrate God's promises. Jeroboam fled into Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.

The obvious and immediate cause of the division was the foolishness of the king. He rejected the advice of the elders. But the underlying cause was Solomon's idolatry... The kingdom was never reunited, and will not be until the Lord comes.

God always acts in faithfulness to His word and in keeping with His character. So here God holds back His judgment during Solomon's lifetime. He does this in line with His word to David, whom He calls "My servant," and for the sake of Jerusalem, which He had chosen. God also softens its severity. He would not take away the entire kingdom, but would give Solomon's son one tribe, and so keep a lamp for David always in Jerusalem.

Yet the Lord would not do this while Solomon was living because the Lord respected Solomon's father David. But Solomon's son would suffer the humiliation of a broken kingdom. God would still leave one tribe to that son, also for the sake of David, not for Solomon's sake. Judah was that tribe, though it also included Benjamin, which was very small and weak. God granted this for Jerusalem's sake too, since His choice of that city stood despite the failure and disobedience of all Israel.

What mercy! "a light always." The kingdom was greatly reduced in size and in glory. But there was a very marked difference from the ten tribes, the much larger part that passed to the other man. They would change rulers from time to time. Their governing family kept changing, and one man after another rose up... Not so with Judah. God calls it only one tribe, to state their utter loss of glory in the strongest possible way. Yet the light shall be there always. This was how the Lord God of Israel dealt with them: merciful, and at the same time completely righteous.

In verse 34 God comes back once more to the grace He had shown to David. He adds in verse 36: "Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David My servant may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put My name." Grace is more in God's eyes than all glory. Or rather, grace is the most precious part of glory, for it stands, so to speak, at the head of all divine perfections.

Would the royal house of David be true to its trust as witness for God among the nations? Sadly, we know the answer. Yet the patience of God was wonderful. In His anger He told Solomon that He would tear his kingdom away. Then He added, "but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David My servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen" (1 Kings 11:13). To Jeroboam He said that David His servant was to have a lamp always before Him in Jerusalem, "the city where I have chosen to put My name" (1 Kings 11:36). Later God recorded the unfaithfulness of Abijam, Solomon's grandson. Even then He said, "Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem" (1 Kings 15:4).

But God makes one reservation: "And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever" (v. 39). In due time that grace, on which David's kingdom rested, would assert its rights again. Jeroboam's kingdom and Solomon's own stood not on grace but on responsibility. The promises of God are without repentance; He delights in grace. So the future kingdom of the true King of Glory will rest on a new covenant, a covenant of grace where God alone is under obligation.

Satan is a name for THE DEVIL, the great enemy of God and man. The name is much the same in Hebrew, Greek, and English, and it means "adversary." Several passages use the word of other adversaries too: see Numbers 22:22; 1 Kings 11:14, 23, 25.

As long as he cared for the LORD's interests, his fame and glory stayed unspotted. He could say, "The LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune" (1 Kings 5:4). But he forgot the honour of the LORD's Name, and the brightness of his glory was dulled. Then the LORD stirred up adversaries for him.

"When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). So Asa proved, and Jehoshaphat his son. Both these kings had quiet and rest all around, because they did the will of God… It is a solemn thing when God must enter into a dispute with any of us. But "if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31).

But this is a little comfort to us. Indeed, I may say it is almost the only comfort we have in the story of king Solomon — that God chastised him. He did not only let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show up in his family. He chastised Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people. In some cases it is almost the only hope you have that a person is a child of God: God does not let the evil pass, but deals with it now in this world. Those whom God passes over despite their evil are people who are clearly waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and are dealt with now are the objects of God's fatherly care.

God is wise, and that young prince was kept to be a sting to king Solomon… God does not say a word about that until Solomon's failure. Then Hadad comes forward in a clear and decided way to be a scourge for the guilty king.

God stirs up enemies against Solomon from the very nations his desires had drawn him to. Edom was full of deadly hatred against Israel, because David, through Joab, had cut off all the males of that land. Hadad had escaped with a few servants. But had his hatred lessened because Solomon had taken Edomite women as wives? … One emotion in the heart of Hadad speaks more loudly than all the honours and delights of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy this hatred… Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed. The conduct of believers, whether more or less at fault, only serves as an excuse for this hatred.

The world is like Hadad. The cross of Christ gives us our place towards it: by that cross the world is crucified to us, and we to the world (Galatians 6:14). As long as we keep that place and count the world a defeated enemy (John 16:33), it does not make a move. But make an alliance with it, and it cannot forget its defeat. It may keep up an appearance of indifference, but it will hate us no less.

When enemies rise up against us our first appeal should be to God as to why He has permitted it. The enemies themselves may have no thought of God, but they can still be His instruments to discipline His people… Hadad and Rezon appear to have troubled him for many years. Solomon could have crushed them, but in his greatness and majesty he seems to have despised them. Solomon forgot his own words in Proverbs 16:7. When a later enemy rose up, instead of exercising his conscience before God about him, he tried to kill him, as Saul had done with David.

Now he comes forward. God is wise, and He kept that young prince to be a sting to king Solomon. But this is some comfort to us. I may say it is almost the only comfort the story of king Solomon gives us — that God disciplined him. He did not merely let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show in his family. He disciplined Solomon himself, in his own lifetime.

This is His way with His own people. In some cases it is almost the only hope you have that a person is a child of God: God does not let the evil pass. He deals with it now, in this world.

The Lord does not begin to discipline His people at once, or quickly. At least, that is not His usual way. Our sin may find us out years and years after we commit it. The Lord may bring our ways back to mind long after we have left them and turned to better ones.

Solomon kept company with foreigners, his heart was led astray, and enemies rise up in the very places that supplied his pleasures (1 Kings 11). A man's self-made plans and wilful choices always come back to him with a harvest of results. If he would only hear the Voice speaking in them, that harvest would bring him down before God, confessing his own helplessness and sin. There he would receive the lifting up that God always gives to those who humble themselves under His mighty hand.

Peace, the fruit that marked this reign, is destroyed. Solomon passes through a time full of troubles, revolts, and plots against his throne. Nations such as Egypt once counted an alliance with him an honour. Now they feed, honour, and support his worst enemies.

Edom was filled with deadly hatred against Israel, because David, by the hand of Joab, had cut off all the males of that land. Hadad had escaped with a few servants. But had his hatred grown any less because Solomon had taken Edomite women as wives? One feeling in the heart of Hadad speaks more loudly than all the honours and delights of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy it. No doubt the conduct of David's men had given him the motive, but Joab and David were dead, and the hatred went on. Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed. The behaviour of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only serves as an excuse for this hatred.

Hadad was an Edomite who had fled to Egypt when Joab under David had reduced the Edomites to almost nothing (vs.14-16). Hadad gained such favour with Pharaoh king of Egypt that Pharaoh gave him his own wife's sister as a wife (v.19). Edom pictures the flesh, while Egypt stands for the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

The world is like Hadad and Rezon. The cross of Christ gives us our place towards it: by that cross the world is crucified to us, and we to the world (Galatians 6:14). As long as we keep that place, and count the world a defeated enemy (John 16:33), it does not make a move. But let us make an alliance with it, and it cannot forget its defeat. It may keep up an appearance of indifference, but it will not hate us any less.

Edom was filled with deadly hatred against Israel because David, by the hand of Joab, had cut off all the males of that land (2 Samuel 8:13-14; 1 Chronicles 18:12; Psalm 60, heading). Hadad had escaped with a few servants... No doubt the conduct of David's companions had given the motive for it, but Joab and David were dead: the hatred continued. Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed. The conduct of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only gives that hatred a pretext.

Now he comes forward. God is wise, and that young prince was kept to be a sting to king Solomon. But this is a little comfort to us, and indeed, I may say, almost the only comfort we have in the history given us of king Solomon — that God chastised him. He chastised him, not merely allowing the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, to appear in his family, but chastised him himself in his own lifetime. Those whom God passes over in spite of their evil are clearly waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and whom He deals with now are objects of His fatherly care.

When enemies rise up against us our first appeal should be to God as to why He has permitted it. The enemies themselves may have no thought of God, but they may still be His instruments for the discipline of His people. The cruel Assyrian was the rod of the Lord's anger toward Israel — "but he does not so intend" (Isaiah 10:5-7). The Hebrew Christians were suffering, and they were close to giving up. Their suffering seemed to come from the persecution of godless men. But it was also the Father's gracious chastening.

Solomon kept company with foreigners, his heart was led astray, and enemies rose up in the very places he had drawn on to please himself. Man's self-chosen plans and wilful choices always come back on him with a harvest of results. If he would only hear the Voice speaking in those results, they would bring him down before God, owning his helplessness and sinfulness. There he receives the lifting up that God always gives to those who humble themselves under His mighty hand.

Hadad was an Edomite who had fled to Egypt when Joab under David had reduced the Edomites to almost nothing. Hadad gained favour with Pharaoh king of Egypt, who even gave him his own wife's sister as a wife. Edom pictures the flesh, while Egypt symbolises the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

"When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). So Asa proved, and Jehoshaphat his son. Both these kings had quietness and rest round about, because they did the will of God... It is a solemn thing when God has to enter into controversy with any of us, but "if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31).

God is wise, and He kept that young prince to be a sting to king Solomon. But this gives us a little comfort. In fact, I may say it is almost the only comfort we have in the record of king Solomon: God chastised him. He did not merely let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show in his family. He chastised Solomon himself during his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people. In some cases it is almost the only hope you have that a person is a child of God: God does not let the evil pass. He deals with it now, in this world. Those God passes over despite their evil are clearly waiting to be condemned with the world. But when God deals with the guilty now, they are the objects of His fatherly care.

God made him a source of trouble to Solomon. When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had died, he came forward. But God does not say a word about that until Solomon's failure. Then Hadad appears in a clear and definite way to be a scourge for the guilty king.

Solomon kept company with foreigners. His heart went astray. Enemies now rise from the very places he had used to please himself (1 Kings 11). A man's own plans and stubborn choices always come back to him with a harvest of results. If only he would hear the Voice speaking in them, that harvest would bring him down before God, owning his own helplessness and sin. There he would receive the lifting up that God always gives to those who humble themselves under His mighty hand.

Hadad had fled to Egypt. Pharaoh's court welcomed him, he became Pharaoh's brother-in-law, and his son grew up among the heirs to the throne. Where do the sympathies and favours of the world go? Not to David, but to David's enemy. One feeling in Hadad's heart speaks louder than all the honours and pleasures of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy this hatred… Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed. The behaviour of believers, better or worse, only gives that hatred an excuse.

Edom pictures the flesh while Egypt symbolizes the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

Peace was the fruit that marked this reign, and it is destroyed. Solomon goes through a time full of troubles, revolts, and plots against his throne. Nations such as Egypt once counted an alliance with him an honour. Now they feed his worst enemies, raise them to honour, and support them.

When enemies rise up against us, our first appeal should be to God, asking why He has permitted it. The enemies themselves may have no thought of God. Even so, they may be His instruments to discipline His people… Hadad and Rezon seem to have caused trouble for many years. Solomon could have crushed them, but in his greatness and majesty he seems to have despised them.

Now he comes forward. God is wise, and that young prince was kept to be a sting to king Solomon.

Hadad then is one means of putting the wise king to great uneasiness… God does not say a word about that until Solomon's failure. Then Hadad comes forward in a very decided and distinct way to be a scourge for the guilty king.

Hadad had fled to Egypt, had been welcomed at Pharaoh's court, had become his brother-in-law, and his son had been brought up among the heirs to the throne. Where do the sympathies and favors of the world go? Not to David, but to David's enemy. One emotion in the heart of Hadad speaks louder than all the honours and delights of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy this hatred.

No doubt the conduct of David's men had given the reason for it. But Joab and David were dead, and the hatred went on. Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed, and the conduct of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only serves as an excuse for this hatred.

The Lord did not allow Solomon to have everything go his way. To speak to Solomon's conscience the Lord raised up adversaries against him. They could not dethrone Solomon, but were thorns in his side to cause unrest among the people… Edom pictures the flesh while Egypt symbolizes the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

David used the sword to carry out his own sinful will, and the sword never left his house. Solomon kept company with strangers, and they led his heart astray. Enemies now rise up from the very places he had drawn his pleasures from (1 Kings 11). The plans a man makes for himself and the choices of his own will always come back on him with a harvest of results. If he would only hear the Voice speaking in them, that harvest would bring him down before God, owning his own helplessness and sin.

When enemies rise up against us our first appeal should be to God as to why He has permitted it. The enemies themselves may have no thought of God. Even so, they can be His instruments to discipline His people… Hadad and Rezon seem to have caused trouble for many years. Solomon could have crushed them, but in his greatness and majesty he seems to have despised them.

This is one comfort to us — almost the only comfort in the whole history of king Solomon — that God chastised him. He did not merely let the results of his folly appear in his family; He chastised Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people. Those whom God passes over in spite of their evil show that they are waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and are dealt with now are the objects of God's fatherly care.

An Edomite of the royal family. As a child he was taken to Egypt. Pharaoh later gave him his sister-in-law as his wife. When David died, he returned to his own country. God stirred him up, and he became an enemy who did harm to Solomon.

Hadad had fled to Egypt. Pharaoh's court had welcomed him, he had become Pharaoh's brother-in-law, and his son had grown up among the heirs to the throne. Where do the sympathies and favours of the world go? Not to David, but to David's enemy. One feeling in Hadad's heart speaks louder than all the honours and delights of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy this hatred. Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed, and the conduct of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only serves as an excuse for this hatred.

To speak to Solomon's conscience the Lord raised up adversaries against him. They could not dethrone Solomon, but were thorns in his side to cause unrest among the people... Hadad gained favour with Pharaoh king of Egypt, so much so that Pharaoh gave him his own wife's sister in marriage. Edom pictures the flesh while Egypt symbolises the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

The king's unfaithfulness would also bring the Lord's discipline down on himself during the last years of his reign. Peace, the fruit that marked this reign, is destroyed. Solomon goes through a period full of troubles, rebellions, and plots against his throne. Nations such as Egypt, who in earlier times had counted an alliance with him an honour, now feed his worst enemies, raise them to honour, and support them.

God is wise, and He kept that young prince to be a sting to king Solomon. There is a little comfort for us in that. In fact I may say it is almost the only comfort in the whole story of king Solomon — that God chastised him. He did not simply let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show up in his family. He chastised Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people... Those whom God passes over despite their evil are plainly waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and whom He deals with now are the objects of His fatherly care.

The world is like Hadad and Rezon. As long as we keep the place toward it that the cross of Christ gives us the right to take — the cross by which the world is crucified to us and we to the world (Galatians 6:14) — as long as we treat the world as a defeated enemy (John 16:33), it does not make a move. But make an alliance with it, and it cannot forget its defeat. It may keep up an appearance of indifference, but it hates us just as much.

Genubath: son of Hadad an Edomite by an Egyptian princess, sister of Tahpenes the queen.

Now he comes forward. God is wise, and that young prince was kept to be a sting to king Solomon. But this is a small comfort to us. Indeed, I may say it is almost the only comfort we have in the story we are given of king Solomon — that God disciplined him. He did not merely let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show up in his family. He disciplined Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people... The people God passes over despite their evil show that they are waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and are dealt with now are the objects of God's fatherly care.

Hadad had fled to Egypt, had been welcomed at Pharaoh's court, had become his brother-in-law, and his son had been brought up among the heirs to the throne. Where do the sympathies and favours of the world go? Not to David, but to David's enemy. One feeling in Hadad's heart speaks louder than all the honours and pleasures of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy this hatred. Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed. The conduct of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only serves as an excuse for this hatred.

The Lord did not let Solomon have everything go his way. To speak to Solomon's conscience the Lord raised up adversaries against him. They could not remove Solomon from the throne, but they were thorns in his side, causing unrest among the people. Hadad gained favour with Pharaoh king of Egypt, even to the point that Pharaoh gave him his own wife's sister as a wife. Edom pictures the flesh while Egypt symbolises the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

The king's unfaithfulness would also bring the Lord's discipline down on him during the last years of his reign. Peace, the fruit that marked this reign, is gone. Solomon goes through a period full of troubles, revolts, and plots against his throne. Nations such as Egypt once counted it an honour to be allied with him. Now they feed his worst enemies, raise them to honour, and support them.

Grace known by us in Christ does not deliver from this holy government of God... Solomon kept company with foreigners, his heart went astray, and enemies rise up from the very places where he drew the means of pleasing himself. A man's own plans and willful choices always come back to him with a harvest of results. If he would only hear the Voice speaking in them, they would bring him low before God, owning his helplessness and sinfulness. Then he would receive the lifting up that God always gives to those who humble themselves under His mighty hand.

When Hadad heard that David was no longer living, he wanted to return to his own country. After he returned, the record here says nothing more about him. But since he was an adversary of Solomon, the implication is that he took up Edom's cause and resisted Solomon's reign. Though Solomon had married an Edomite wife, this did not lessen Hadad's enmity.

God does not say a word about that until Solomon's failure. Then Hadad comes forward in a clear and decided way, to be a scourge for the guilty king.

Peace, the fruit that marked this reign, is destroyed. Solomon goes through a time full of troubles, revolts, and plots against his throne. Nations such as Egypt once counted an alliance with him an honour. Now they feed, honour, and support his worst enemies.

Solomon kept company with foreigners, his heart was led astray, and enemies rise up from the very places he had used to please himself (1 Kings 11). A man's own plans and wilful choices always come back to him with a harvest of results. If he would only hear the Voice speaking in them, that harvest would bring him low before God, confessing his own helplessness and sinfulness.

Where do the sympathies and favours of the world go? Not to David, but to David's enemy. One feeling in Hadad's heart speaks louder than all the honours and pleasures of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy it. No doubt the behaviour of David's men had given him his reason for it. But Joab and David were dead, and the hatred went on. Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed, and the conduct of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only serves as an excuse for this hatred.

Nothing more is said about him after his return, but as an adversary of Solomon he seems to have taken up the cause of Edom against Solomon's reign. Though Solomon had married an Edomite wife, this did not lessen Hadad's hatred.

Hadad was an Edomite who had fled to Egypt when Joab, under David, had reduced the Edomites to almost nothing... Edom pictures the flesh while Egypt symbolizes the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

The cross of Christ gives us our place toward the world: by it the world is crucified to us, and we to the world (Galatians 6:14). As long as we keep that place, and treat the world as a defeated enemy (John 16:33), it does not make a move. But let us make an alliance with it, and it cannot forget its defeat. It may keep up an appearance of indifference, but it will not hate us any less.

To speak to Solomon's conscience the Lord raised up adversaries against him. They could not remove him from the throne, but they were thorns in his side, causing unrest among the people.

God is wise, and that young prince was kept to be a sting to king Solomon. But this is a little comfort to us, and indeed, I may say, almost the only comfort that we have in the history that is given us of king Solomon — that God chastised him... Those that God passes over in spite of evil are persons who are evidently waiting to be condemned with the world, but those who, being guilty, are dealt with now are objects of God's fatherly care.

Hadad had fled to Egypt. Pharaoh's court welcomed him, he became Pharaoh's brother-in-law, and his son grew up among the heirs to the throne. Where do the sympathies and favours of the world go? Not to David, but to David's enemy. One feeling in Hadad's heart speaks louder than all the honours and pleasures of Egypt's court: hatred, hatred against Solomon. He gives up all his advantages to satisfy this hatred. No doubt the conduct of David's men had given him a reason for it. But Joab and David were dead, and the hatred went on. Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed, and the conduct of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only serves as an excuse for this hatred.

Hadad was an Edomite who had fled to Egypt when Joab under David had reduced the Edomites to almost nothing. Hadad gained such favour with Pharaoh king of Egypt that Pharaoh gave him his own wife's sister as a wife. Edom pictures the flesh while Egypt symbolises the world. The world will always be friendly with the flesh, and Hadad was well off in Egypt.

God is wise, and that young prince was kept to be a sting to king Solomon. This gives us a little comfort — in fact, I may say, almost the only comfort in the story we are given of king Solomon: God chastised him. He did not just let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show up in his family. He chastised Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people... Those whom God passes over despite their evil are people who are clearly waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and are dealt with now are the objects of God's fatherly care.

When enemies rise up against us our first appeal should be to God as to why He has permitted it. The enemies themselves may have no thought of God, but they may still be His instruments for disciplining His people... Hadad and Rezon seem to have caused trouble for many years. Solomon could have crushed them. But in his greatness and majesty he seems to have looked down on them.

The world is like Hadad and Rezon. As long as we keep the place towards it that the cross of Christ allows us to take — the cross by which the world is crucified to us, and we to the world — as long as we treat the world as a defeated enemy, it does not make a move. But if we make an alliance with it, it cannot forget its defeat. It may keep up an appearance of indifference, but it will not hate us any less.

Another adversary that God raised up against Solomon was Rezon the son of Eliadah. He was the servant of Hadadezer king of Zobah whom David had decisively defeated (2 Sam. 8:3-8). Rezon "loathed Israel" (v. 25), and gathered followers, so that he became a captain of a band of raiders (v. 24). So these two enemies, Hadad and Rezon, believed they were right to hate Israel, because David had made their nations suffer.

I do not mean that the trouble caused by Hadad or Rezon began only when Solomon became an idolater. But I do point this out: the Holy Spirit holds back the account of the trouble they caused the king until then. The Spirit Himself presents it as a direct chastening of his idolatry.

This is almost the only comfort we have in the history given to us of king Solomon — that God chastised him. He chastised him. He did not just let the fruit of his evil, the results of his folly, show up in his family. He chastened Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people. In some cases it is almost the only hope you have that a person is a child of God: God does not let the evil pass, but deals with it now, in this world. Those He passes over despite their evil are plainly waiting to be condemned with the world. But those who are guilty and are dealt with now are the objects of God's fatherly care.

Peace, the fruit that marked this reign, is destroyed. Solomon goes through a time full of troubles, riots, and plots against his throne. Nations such as Egypt once thought it an honour to be allied with him. Now they feed, promote, and support his worst enemies. All kinds of ties are weakened. The king's yoke weighs heavily on the people, to prevent rebellion at home. The result is only poorly suppressed discontent, which breaks out from time to time.

Underneath it all, the world always hates the Lord's anointed, and the conduct of believers, whether more or less blameworthy, only serves as a pretext for this hatred. The world is like Hadad and Rezon. The cross of Christ gives us a place to take toward the world — the cross by which the world is crucified to us and we to the world (Gal. 6:14). As long as we keep that place, and treat the world as a defeated enemy (John 16:33), it does not make a move. But let us make an alliance with it. Then it cannot forget its defeat. It may keep up a look of indifference, but it will hate us no less.

David had reigned over Damascus. Only in the days of Solomon's decline did Syria begin to exist as a separate and independent kingdom (see 1 Kings 11:23-25). Its first king "was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon… And he loathed Israel and reigned over Syria." This continued to be the attitude of Syria toward Israel.

"When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov. 16:7)… It is a solemn thing when God has to enter into a dispute with any of us, but "if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged" (1 Cor. 11:31).

I do not mean that Hadad and Rezon only became a trouble when Solomon turned to idols. But notice this: the Holy Spirit saves the account of the trouble they caused the king until then. The Spirit Himself presents them as a direct chastening for his idolatry. And these were not the only ones. They were external. Solomon might say, "Well, we cannot expect anything better. They have private grudges, or national grudges, against our family." But "Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite," was no foreigner. He was not avenging some supposed wrong done to his family or his race.

Solomon's third enemy was the most dangerous. He was Solomon's own servant, a capable man whom the king had trusted with a responsible position (v.28). Jeroboam rebelled against the king because of a message God sent to him by the prophet Ahijah. So it is plainly God who raised up such an adversary.

Jeroboam, the first king of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, was the son of a widow and a promising young man. From the human standpoint he had everything going for him. Solomon was busy fortifying Jerusalem. He noticed how hard Jeroboam worked and put him in charge of the work crews from Ephraim and Manasseh. But we see that the king was not alone in taking note of this young man. God also took note of his industry and ambition. God's eye is upon the ways of man and, more than that, He knows the thoughts and desires of every man's heart.

"He lifted up his hand against the king," it says. It may have been some failed attempt on his part to raise a rebellion, to hurry along the fulfilment of the prophecy about him. Compare 2 Samuel 20:21. How unlike David, the man after God's own heart! Samuel the prophet had anointed and chosen him to replace Saul. Yet David would not harm a hair of the condemned king's head, or lift a finger to take the kingdom for himself! David was a man of faith; and faith — that precious "gift of God"! — always waits on God, waits for His time and His way to fulfil His promises.

Ahijah had made it clear that Solomon should be "prince all the days of his life." Only out of his son's hand would God take the kingdom and give it to Jeroboam. But he could not wait. Like a wilful, impatient child, he took the case out of God's hand and handled it himself.

The kingdom was his. He had only to believe the promise of God for that. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he had to work out his own schemes to get the promise fulfilled. Are we not ourselves sometimes guilty of the same mistake? So often we are not content with God's clear promise. We try to get what we want by our own efforts, sometimes at the cost of obeying God's Word.

David used the sword to accomplish his own sinful will, and the sword never departed from his house. Solomon consorted with strangers, his heart was led astray, and enemies arise in the very quarters from which he drew the means of pleasing himself (1 Kings 11). Man's self-devised plans and wilful choice always come back on him with a harvest of results.

They have been a divided people since the days of Rehoboam. Solomon's serious turning away from the Lord tore the nation apart after his death. God allowed Jeroboam to lead ten tribes away from their loyalty to the house of David (1 Kings 11 — 12). They have never been united since that day.

The mischief caused by Hadad and Rezon did not only begin when Solomon became an idolater. But notice this: the Holy Spirit holds back the account of the trouble they caused the king until then. The Spirit Himself presents it as a direct chastening for his idolatry. And these were not the only ones. They were external. Solomon might say, "Well, we cannot expect anything better. They have private grudges, or national grudges, against our family." But "Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite," was no foreigner, and it was not a question of avenging supposed wrongs done to his family or his race.

Next comes the building of the Millo. This must have been a citadel, a tower in Jerusalem's defences. Solomon fortified his kingdom against possible attacks by enemies. Yet he had already welcomed the enemy into his kingdom by marrying an Egyptian woman!

Solomon kept company with strangers, and they led his heart astray. Enemies arose in the very quarters from which he drew the means of pleasing himself. Man's self-devised plans and wilful choice always come back on him with a harvest of results.

The post gave him a place of importance in the eyes of his fellow countrymen, and it prepared the way for what was soon to follow. They plainly resented this forced labour. "Your father," they said later to Rehoboam, "made our yoke heavy." There is no certain evidence that this was really so. Their labour served the glory and security of the kingdom, and everyone was meant to share in its prosperity. It is possible, though, that Solomon set them to work on projects that served nothing but self-indulgence. When men leave the right way, as Solomon did, they soon become oppressive. That would give some ground for their discontent. And Jeroboam, it is quite certain, would take no trouble to calm it.

"He lifted up his hand against the king," it says. It may have been a failed bid on his part to stir up rebellion, to hurry along the prophecy concerning him. How unlike David, the man after God's own heart! The prophet Samuel had anointed and chosen him to replace Saul. Even so, David would not harm a hair of the condemned king's head, or lift a finger to bring the kingdom to himself! David was a man of faith; and faith — that precious "gift of God"! — always waits on God, waits for His time and His way to fulfil His promises.

Solomon had set him over Ephraim for the work of fortifying Millo, which was the defence of Jerusalem against enemies from the north. It was a most dangerous move, but what could Solomon foresee? God alone knew. Through his duties Jeroboam knew all the secrets of the stronghold, and he won the sympathies of his own tribe as well. In the same way, when difficulties arise among God's people, the greatest danger comes from those who by their own activity have taken up the principles of their fellow believers. Such men have managed to put themselves in the place of Christ in winning the sympathies of the many.

Jeroboam is an example of something quite common in the East. A man is raised from a relatively low position in private or public life to the highest, or one of the highest, positions in the land. We have examples of this in Scripture, such as Joseph and Moses, and secular history mentions plenty more.

The Holy Spirit holds back the account of the trouble Hadad and Rezon caused the king until this point. The Spirit Himself presents it as a direct chastening of Solomon's idolatry. And these were not the only ones. They were external. Solomon might say, "Well, we cannot expect anything better. They have private grudges, or national grudges, against our family." But Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite, was no foreigner. This was not a matter of avenging supposed wrongs done to his family or his race.

The third enemy of Solomon was the most dangerous, for he was a servant of Solomon, a capable man whom Solomon had entrusted with a responsible position (v. 28). Jeroboam rebelled against the king because of a message God sent to him through the prophet Ahijah. So it is plainly God who raised up this adversary. Jeroboam was from Ephraim, and Solomon set him over all the labour force of the house of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh). He would be fully familiar with the running of the affairs of Solomon's kingdom.

When Solomon was busy fortifying Jerusalem he noticed Jeroboam's industrious ways and promoted him to be in charge of the work crews from Ephraim and Manasseh. But we see that the king was not alone in taking note of this young man. God also took note of his industry and ambition. God's eye is on the ways of man and, more than that, He knows the thoughts and desires of every man's heart.

Jeroboam's industriousness was commendable, but God looks for more than merely commendable human character traits. He looks at the heart and wants hearts wholly committed to Him. So He told Jeroboam, "If you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes… as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house… and I will give Israel to you" (v. 38).

This naturally gave him a place of importance in the eyes of his fellow countrymen, and prepared the way for what was soon to follow. They clearly resented this forced labour. "Your father made our yoke heavy," they later said to Rehoboam… There is no certain evidence that this was true. Their labour served the glory and security of the kingdom, and everyone was meant to share in its prosperity… It is possible, however, that they were set to work on what served only self-gratification; for when men leave the right way, as Solomon did, they soon become oppressive.

He had secretly longed for power over his brothers. The phrase "all that your soul desires" shows it clearly. He probably chased the fulfilment of Ahijah's prophecy with the feverish haste of pride… Ahijah had said plainly that Solomon should be ruler all the days of his life, and that only out of his son's hand would the kingdom pass to Jeroboam. But like a wilful, impatient child, he could not wait, and had to take the matter out of God's hand and act for himself.

Now a prophet appears. The ruin of the priesthood raised up Samuel; in the same way, the fall of the kingship now raises up a prophet. As these books go on, he becomes the striking link between the people and God, now that the kingship has failed in its responsibility.

His appearance proved that the grace and mercy of God could not be destroyed even when everything was ruined.

Solomon's third enemy was the most dangerous. He was Solomon's own servant, a capable man whom Solomon had trusted with a position of responsibility (v.28). Jeroboam rebelled against the king because of a message God sent him through the prophet Ahijah. So it is plainly God who raised up this enemy.

Ahijah met Jeroboam outside Jerusalem, with no one else there to see it (v.29). Ahijah was wearing a new garment. He took it and tore it into twelve pieces, telling Jeroboam to take ten of them. The garment was Solomon's kingdom, newly set up.

He tears the new garment he is wearing (the kingdom itself was still quite new), and gives ten parts to Jeroboam. At that very moment the kingdom is torn out of Solomon's hands, though people only see it later. One tribe is left to the house of David, because grace freely chose David and Jerusalem.

"They" was Solomon, the king! No doubt, all the people later followed that same path, but at this moment one man had sinned — the king. God had set him in a position of responsibility for all the people, and his unfaithfulness brought judgment on Israel.

God's reason for breaking up the kingdom is stated very clearly. Israel had forsaken the Lord and had sunk to worshiping all kinds of false gods and goddesses, ignoring God's statutes and judgments (v.33). God plainly hated that guilt, and Solomon led the way into it. It should have made a deep impression on Jeroboam's conscience, so that he took care never to copy such practices. But soon after he was raised up as king of the ten tribes, he fell into the same evil ways.

What mercy — a light always! Judah was greatly reduced, cut down in size and glory, yet one thing marked it off sharply from the ten tribes. Their kingdom began with a rebellious servant, and it would not end with him. Rebellious servant after rebellious servant would rise up against the king of Israel, so the ruling family was changed over and over and over again. It was not so with Judah. God calls it only one tribe, and still the light will always be there.

But like a stubborn, impatient child, he could not wait. He had to take the case out of God's hand and handle it himself.

The kingdom was his. He had only to believe the promise of God for that. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he had to work out his own schemes to get the promise fulfilled. Are we not ourselves sometimes guilty of the same mistake?

Now a prophet appears. Just as Samuel came at the time when the priesthood was ruined, so the fall of the kingship now raises up a prophet. He becomes the link between the people and God when kingship in responsibility has failed. We shall see this so strikingly through these books. Ahijah the prophet meets Jeroboam outside Jerusalem. He tears the new garment he is wearing (and indeed the kingdom was still quite new), and gives ten parts to Jeroboam. At that very moment the kingdom is torn out of Solomon's hands, though this fact is only realized later.

Ahijah was wearing a new garment. He took it, tore it into twelve pieces, and told Jeroboam to take ten pieces. The garment was the kingdom of Solomon, newly established.

But God's reason for breaking up the kingdom is stated very plainly. Israel had forsaken the Lord. They had sunk to the level of worshipping various idolatrous gods and goddesses, and they ignored God's statutes and judgments (v.33). God plainly hated such guilt on Israel's part, and Solomon was the leader in it. This ought to have impressed Jeroboam's conscience deeply, so that he would make sure he did not follow such practices himself. But it was not long after he was raised up as king of the ten tribes that he fell into the same evil ways (ch. 12:29-33).

The the message of the Lord through Ahijah also declared His faithfulness to David. The Lord still speaks of "David my servant"; he is to have a lamp always before Him in Jerusalem, the city He has chosen to put His name there. The house of David in the middle of all the evil is not forgotten. There will be affliction, "but not forever" (verse 39). And Jeroboam also has the opportunity of having a house "as I built for David," on the condition of obedience. But ambitious Jeroboam did not keep the statutes and commandments of the Lord.

Because of His promises to David, He would not entirely take the kingdom from David's family, and He would not do this during Solomon's lifetime. While God is always faithful to His word, He is never in a hurry to carry out His righteous judgments.

Ahijah had clearly said that Solomon should be "ruler all the days of his life." Only out of his son's hand would the kingdom be taken and given to Jeroboam. But like a wilful, impatient child, he could not wait, and had to take the case out of God's hand and act for himself.

God's promise to Jeroboam was plain. The kingdom was his unconditionally. "You shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel." The continuing of the kingdom, on the other hand, depended on his obedience. "If you will listen… walk in My ways, and do what is right in My eyes… I will be with you and build you a sure house." The kingdom was his. He only had to believe God's promise for that. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he needed to work out his own schemes to get the promise fulfilled. Are we not sometimes guilty of the same mistake? So often we are not content with God's clear promise. We try by our own efforts to get what we want, sometimes at the cost of obeying God's Word.

When the king failed in his responsibility, it was really the people's relationship with God that suffered. But then something happened that lasted through the whole life of the kingdom, and even after it: the prophet came on the scene. His appearance proved that the grace and mercy of God could not be destroyed even when everything was ruined.

Ahijah the prophet meets Jeroboam outside Jerusalem. He tears the new garment he is wearing (the kingdom was indeed still quite new), and gives ten parts to Jeroboam. At that very moment the kingdom is torn out of the hands of Solomon, although people only realize this later.

But God's reason for breaking up the kingdom is most clearly stated. Israel had forsaken the Lord and had sunk down to the level of worshiping various idolatrous gods and goddesses, ignoring God's statutes and judgments (v.33). Solomon was the leader in that guilt. God's plain hatred of it ought to have struck Jeroboam's conscience, so that he would keep clear of such practices. Yet soon after he became king of the ten tribes, he fell into the same evil ways.

"They" was Solomon, the king! No doubt all the people later followed that same path, but at this moment one man had sinned — the king. God had set him in a position of responsibility for all the people, and his unfaithfulness brought judgment on Israel.

"However," God said, "I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand" (v.34). He would allow Solomon's son to keep the tribe of Judah (which included Benjamin) for David's sake, not for Solomon's sake. God also made it plain to Jeroboam that He had chosen Jerusalem to put His name there (v.36).

What mercy! "a light always." Judah was greatly reduced — reduced in the extent and glory of the kingdom. But there was this marked difference from the ten tribes, the much larger part that passed to the other man. They would shift their loads from time to time. Their ruling family changed again and again, and one man after another rose up. Not so with Judah. Judah was reduced to what God calls only one tribe — the strongest possible way of stating their complete loss of glory. Still, there the light shall be always.

David's kingdom stood on grace, and in due time that grace would assert its rights again. Jeroboam's kingdom, and Solomon's own, stood not on grace but on responsibility. God never takes back His promises; He delights in grace. So the future kingdom of the true King of Glory will rest on a new covenant — a covenant of grace, where God alone is under obligation.

God's promise to Jeroboam was plain. The kingdom was his, with no conditions attached. Keeping it in his family, on the other hand, depended on his obedience. The kingdom was his. He had only to believe the promise of God for that. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he had to work out his own schemes to get the promise fulfilled. Are we not ourselves sometimes guilty of the same mistake? So often we are not content with God's clear promise, but try by our own efforts to get what we want, sometimes at the cost of obedience to God's Word.

The Lord told Solomon that because he had done this, and had not kept His covenant and His statutes, He would surely tear the kingdom away from him and give it to his servant. Yet the Lord would not do this while Solomon was alive, because the Lord respected Solomon's father David. Solomon's son would suffer the shame of a broken kingdom instead. Even so, God would leave one tribe to that son — again for David's sake, not for Solomon's sake. Judah was that tribe, though Benjamin, very small and weak, was counted with it. God granted this also for Jerusalem's sake, because His choice of that city stood despite the failure and disobedience of all Israel.

In the hour of Solomon's idolatry, God decreed the ruin of his kingdom. For David's sake God put off the judgment during Solomon's own day. But in the days of Rehoboam, his proud and foolish son, Jeroboam the son of Nebat rebelled and snatched ten of the twelve tribes out of his hand. Rehoboam was about to go to war to win back what he had lost. Shemaiah, the man of God, stopped him with a word from God: this division was from God. Division was the judgment for idolatry.

When the kingdom divided, Benjamin stayed with Judah, but Israel seized a large part of Benjamin's land. At times Benjamin seems to drop out of sight. Ahijah said that God had kept one tribe for the house of David — as if Benjamin counted as cut off in judgement, 1 Kings 11:36. People spoke of the two tribes together as "Judah," while they called the ten tribes "Israel."

David and Jerusalem were linked by ancient decree in one covenant of peace and joy.

What mercy! "a light always." The kingdom was greatly reduced — reduced in size and in glory. But mark the difference from the ten tribes, the much larger part that went to the other king. They would shift their load from time to time. The family that governed them changed again and again, and one man after another rose up. It began with a rebellious servant, and it would not end with him. Many a rebellious servant would rise up against the king of Israel, and so the ruling family would change over and over again. Not so with Judah. They were reduced to what God calls only one tribe — His way of saying in the strongest possible terms how completely their glory had shrunk. Still, there the light shall be always.

For this future Son to be "the offspring of David," David's line had to be kept alive until He appeared. That is why God had promised David "to give to him always a lamp, and to his sons" (2 Chron. 21:7). Now, how was this lamp going to shine in the royal house until the promised Son appeared? How was it to pass through man's poisoned air and moral darkness without being put out? If it went out, David's true Heir could never appear. Satan understood this. If he could put out the lamp, all God's purposes for the "Just Ruler over men" would come to nothing. But the Son of David appeared in the world, despite all the enemy's efforts to put out this light.

"They have forsaken Me," says the Lord... "They" was Solomon, the king! No doubt, all the people later followed that same path, but at this moment one man had sinned — the king. God had set him in a position of responsibility for all the people, so his unfaithfulness brought judgment on Israel. What a severe punishment Solomon had incurred.

Ten of the tribes of Israel were torn from Rehoboam. In 1 Kings 11:11 we are told it was for the sin of Solomon, but verse 33 of the same chapter says it was for the idolatry of the people. In chapter 12 we find the immediate cause was the harsh spirit in which Rehoboam met the people, when they asked him for a gentler rule than his father's. The fact is that the sin of any one of the three parties named was quite enough to bring all the trouble, and so the responsibility is left at the door of each.

It has been stated that Solomon himself was not actually guilty of idolatry. If he built the places of idolatrous worship for his many wives only, he was guilty of the sin of idolatry. Luxuries, wealth, self-indulgence, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life led into idolatry. It is the same in the closing days of the present age. Ashtoreth, a Phoenician goddess, was worshipped with impure rites. Milcom (Molech) was the idol-god of the Ammonites. Chemosh was the sun-god and war-god of the Moabites.

Then we move from wives to children, and to that most inhuman rite: parents were so blinded by Satan that they gave their own children as sacrifices to Molech or Moloch, and probably Malcham or Milcom.

We may wonder how such a man as Solomon could ever be led to "build high places for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites." But the reason is easy to see. He had first disobeyed the Word of his Lord by going to those nations for wives. From there he fell easily enough into the deeper error of adopting their worship.

His reign opened amid the glory of a little millennium... But as we go on examining his conduct, it is easy to see that his early glory fades, the king's heart turns to the world, the world becomes his master... And how had this decline begun? Note, dear brother, it did not happen all at once, but gradually; without his noticing, the things of the world gained access to his heart, and he went from bad to worse until he became an idolater.

David failed, yet this could be written about him: "David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (1 Kings 15:5). This is a remarkable divine commendation.

In verse 34 God comes back once more to the grace He had shown to David. He adds: "And to his son I will give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for Myself to put My name there" (v. 36). Grace is more in God's eyes than all glory, or rather, grace is the most precious part of glory, for it is, so to speak, at the head of all divine perfections.

Israel was guilty of this, and Solomon was the leader in it. God's plain hatred of such guilt should have impressed itself deeply on Jeroboam's conscience, so that he would take care not to follow such disgusting practices. But soon after he was made king of the ten tribes, he fell into the same evil ways.

"They have forsaken me," says the Lord, "and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians... and they have not walked in my ways... as David his father did" (v. 33). "They" was Solomon, the king! No doubt all the people later followed that same path, but at this moment one man had sinned — the king. God had set him in a position of responsibility for all the people. His unfaithfulness brought judgment upon Israel.

God acted in judgment as He must ever do when the believer knowingly breaks Scripture. The kingdom was to be torn from him and given to his servant. The carrying out of this judgment was delayed, not for Solomon's sake but for that of his father David.

Ahijah had clearly said that Solomon should be "ruler all the days of his life." Only out of his son's hand would the kingdom be taken and transferred to Jeroboam. But Jeroboam was like a wilful, impatient child. He could not wait. He had to take the case out of God's hand and handle it himself.

In verse 34 God, ever coming back to the grace He had shown to David, adds: "Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name" (v. 36). Grace is more in God's eyes than all glory. Or rather, grace is the most precious part of glory, because it stands, so to speak, at the head of all divine perfections.

Although there was failure with David, it could be written about him: "David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD." He "did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (1 Kings 15:5). This is a remarkable divine commendation.

What mercy! "a light always." Greatly reduced — reduced in the size and glory of the kingdom. But there was a very marked difference from the ten tribes, the much larger part that passed to the other man. They would shift their loads from time to time. After continual changes in the ruling family, they had one king after another rising up. Not so with Judah. Judah was reduced to what God calls only one tribe. That word puts their loss of glory in the strongest possible way. Still, there the light shall be always.

David's throne is guaranteed by God, not to Solomon or to any other unfaithful creature, but to Christ. Jeremiah 33:15-17 makes this clear. "In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land... For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel."

Now a prophet appears. Just as the ruin of the priesthood raised up Samuel, so the fall of the kingship now raises up a prophet. The king has failed in his responsibility, so the prophet becomes the link between the people and God. Ahijah tears up the new coat he is wearing — the kingdom itself was still quite new — and gives ten parts to Jeroboam. At that very moment the kingdom is torn out of Solomon's hands, though people only see it later.

Because of His promises to David, God would not take the whole kingdom from David's family. He would not do it during Solomon's lifetime either. God is always faithful to His word. But He is never in a hurry to carry out His righteous judgments.

Solomon was the wisest of men. Yet he did not obey the clear instructions of Scripture. He leaned on his own understanding, wrecked his life, and broke up his kingdom. It will never be one kingdom again until Christ comes to reign. So the consequences of his sin come out in the history of his son, to whom he gave a heathen mother. What else could we expect but catastrophe!

If we had only 1 Kings 11:11, we would conclude that it all happened because of Solomon's sin. If we had only verse 33 of the same chapter, we would say it was for the sin of the people. If we had only chapter 12, we would be sure to blame the nation's ruin on the harsh rule of Rehoboam. The fact is that the sin of any one of the three was enough on its own to bring all the harm that followed. So the responsibility lies at the door of each. Let me say again, though, that this judgment is only a matter of God's government, and does not always reach into eternity.

God's promise to Jeroboam was plain. The kingdom was his, with no conditions attached... Keeping the kingdom, on the other hand, depended on his obedience... He had only to believe the promise of God. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he needed to work out his own schemes to get what God had promised. Are we not ourselves sometimes guilty of the same mistake? So often we are not content with God's clear promise, but try by our own efforts to get what we want, sometimes at the cost of obedience to God's Word.

If it began with a rebellious servant, it would not end with him. Many a rebellious servant would rise up against the king of Israel. So the ruling family would change over and over again. Not so with Judah. God calls Judah no more than one tribe, which is the strongest possible way of saying how far their glory had shrunk. Yet there the light will always shine.

We must notice the difference between God's ways in government with His people and His ways in grace. Because of their sins and their refusal to repent, the Jews have been under His chastening hand, and they still are. That is His righteous government. But the grace and love of His heart towards them never change. Mark the terms of the covenant: "And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever" (1 Kings 11:39). This principle matters enormously — for Israel, for the church, and for each individual Christian.

"They have forsaken Me," says the Lord, "and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways…" (v. 33). "They" was Solomon, the king! No doubt all the people later followed that same path, but at this moment one man had sinned — the king. Set before God in a position of responsibility for all the people, his unfaithfulness brought judgment upon Israel.

God would leave one tribe to that son, also for the sake of David, not for Solomon's sake. Judah was that tribe, though Benjamin, very small and weak, was included with Judah. Also, this concession was for Jerusalem's sake, for God's choice of that city remained in spite of the failure and disobedience of all Israel.

In verse 34 God, ever coming back to the grace He had shown to David, adds: "And to his son I will give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp always before Me…" (v. 36). Grace is more in God's eyes than all glory, or rather, grace is the most precious part of glory, for it is, so to speak, at the head of all divine perfections.

What mercy! "a light always." The kingdom was greatly reduced — smaller in size and in glory. But here is the sharp difference from the ten tribes, the much larger part that went to the other king. They would change rulers from time to time. The family that governed kept changing, and one man after another rose up. … Not so with Judah. Judah was reduced to what God calls only one tribe — His way of saying as strongly as possible how far their glory had shrunk. Even so, there the light will be always.

In the Old Testament we find anointing and the lamp together: "There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for My Anointed" (Ps. 132:17). David himself was spoken of as "the light of Israel" (2 Sam. 21:17); and, in a far higher sense, our Lord Jesus declares Himself "the Light of the world" (John 8:12).

For this future Son to be "the offspring of David," David's line had to continue until He appeared. That is why God had promised David "to give to him always a lamp, and to his sons" (2 Chron. 21:7). Now, how was this lamp going to shine in the royal house until the appearing of the promised Son? How was it to pass through man's poisoned air and moral darkness without going out? If it went out, David's true Heir could never appear. Satan understood this. If he could succeed in extinguishing the lamp, all of God's counsels concerning the "Just Ruler over men" would come to nothing.

From 1 Kings 11:36 we know that the place referred to in Deuteronomy was Jerusalem. Psalm 78:68 shows us that God chose Mount Zion, which He loved, to place His Sanctuary there. Further on we see (verse 7) that God made this place known in connection with His servant David. David is a picture of the Son of David, who in Matthew 18:20 speaks about the place connected with His Name, where He wants to be among His own.

If it is asked, where does this lamp shine now? Not on earth, for Jerusalem, the place of its earthly display, is "trampled underfoot by the Gentiles." But the eye of faith can see it shining with undimmed brightness "in the true tabernacle." There it will keep shining "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." And then… the blessed lamp will come out from the place where it now shines, and cast its cheering rays on the dark path of the oppressed and sorrowing remnant.

When Solomon was busy fortifying Jerusalem, he noticed how hard Jeroboam worked. He put him in charge of the work crews from Ephraim and Manasseh. But we see that the king was not alone in taking note of this young man. God also took note of his industry and ambition. God's eye is on the ways of man, and more than that, He knows the thoughts and desires of every man's heart.

God favoured Jeroboam by putting the ten tribes of Israel into his trust. A good and wise king had plenty of freedom to act. But God also demanded obedience to His statutes and commandments.

God's promise to Jeroboam was plain. The kingdom was his unconditionally. "You shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel." Whether the kingdom lasted, on the other hand, depended on his obedience. "If you will listen … walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight … I will be with you, and build you a sure house." The kingdom was his. He had only to believe the promise of God for that. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he needed to work out his own schemes to get the promise fulfilled. Are we not sometimes guilty of the same mistake? Often we are not content with God's clear promise. We try by our own efforts to get what we want, sometimes at the cost of obeying God's Word.

But Jeroboam knew nothing of faith. He had secretly wanted power over his brothers. The expression "over all that your soul desires" shows it clearly. He probably tried to hurry Ahijah's prophecy along with the feverish haste of pride, and that is why he had to run to Egypt for shelter… Ahijah had plainly said that Solomon should be "prince all the days of his life." God would take the kingdom only out of his son's hand and give it to Jeroboam. But, like a stubborn, impatient child, he could not wait. He had to take the case out of God's hand and act for himself.

How unlike David, the man after God's own heart! The prophet Samuel had anointed and chosen him to replace Saul. Even so, David would not harm a hair of the condemned king's head, or lift a finger to bring the kingdom to himself. David was a man of faith; and faith — that precious "gift of God"! — always waits on God — waits for His time and way to fulfil His promises.

He had only to let God act in his favour, to obey Him, and he was assured of reigning over all that his soul desired (1 Kings 11:37).

But the promises of God were not enough for this man. He reasoned on a purely human level.

God's promise to Jeroboam was plain. The kingdom was his unconditionally. "You shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel." But whether the kingdom lasted depended on his obedience. "If you will listen… walk in My ways, and do what is right in My eyes… I will be with you, and build you a sure house." The kingdom was his. He had only to believe the promise of God for that. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he needed to work out his own schemes to get what was promised. Are we not sometimes guilty of the same mistake? So often we are not content with God's clear promise, but try by our own efforts to get what we want, sometimes at the cost of obeying God's Word.

God assured Jeroboam of blessing if he sought the Lord's interests as David did. This was not beyond Jeroboam, for God was only asking for what David had already shown.

A new responsibility now rests on Jeroboam. God was giving him a privileged position. His house was to be as sure as David's, if he would listen to the commandments of the Lord. But God makes one reservation: "And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever" (v. 39). In due time the grace that founded David's kingdom would claim its rights again. God established Jeroboam's kingdom — and Solomon's too — not on grace but on responsibility. God never takes back His promises; He delights in grace.

Events unfold without him having to interfere. But he does not trust, and says in his heart: "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David." He has no confidence in God, so he weighs up the probabilities and stops there. Faith never stops at probabilities. I would even say that it feeds on impossibilities and is the better for it. His unbelief in God's promise and his indifference to the worship of the Lord produced a national religion of his own, separate from the worship God had established at Jerusalem.

Despite his wickedness, the Lord allowed Jeroboam to reign twenty-two years. The Lord had used him to discipline the guilty house of David. But his own evil course made it impossible for him to establish a new dynasty. He knew Solomon's sins, and God had encouraged him to do well. The "sure house" mentioned in 1 Kings 11:38 could not be, for Jeroboam had led the people far away from their God.

The Lord gave Jeroboam rule over the ten tribes because Solomon had been unfaithful. He told him that if he would listen to His commandments, walk in His ways, and do what was right in His sight, He would be with him and build him "a sure house" (1 Kings 11:38). But who can God trust except the Lord Jesus? Solomon was unfaithful; so was Jeroboam.

Under God's righteous government, the Jews have been and still are under His chastening hand, because of their sins and their refusal to repent. But the grace and love of His heart toward them never change. Note the terms of the covenant: "And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever." This principle matters immensely — for Israel, for the church, and for the individual Christian. The apostle uses the same principle when he handles Israel's rejection and restoration: "They were broken off because of their unbelief… But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

A new responsibility now falls on Jeroboam. God was giving him a privileged position. His house was to be as sure as David's, if he would listen to the commandments of the Lord. But God makes one reservation: "And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever." In due time the grace that founded David's kingdom would assert its rights again. Jeroboam's kingdom rested on responsibility, not on grace, and so did Solomon's own kingdom. God never takes back His promises; He delights in grace. So the future kingdom of the true King of Glory will rest on a new covenant — a covenant of grace where God alone is under obligation — and on a new creation. Solomon's kingdom rested on neither.

"But not forever": in the ways of God there are periods where judgment, so to speak, eclipses grace. It is not that grace no longer exists. Grace stays exactly the same, but it stops shining out, so that God can show other perfections of His glory, such as righteousness and judgment. The same happens to the sun, more than a hundred times the diameter of the earth, when the earth's shadow eclipses it. When the eclipse is over, the huge star appears again in all its brightness. The shadow that covered it has taken away none of its splendour — except to the eyes of men.

The whole message to Jeroboam ends with the remarkable words, "I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, BUT NOT FOREVER." David's offspring had now come under the rod of the covenant. Afterwards we see little but its blows. We also see the multiplied and multiplying sins that brought these blows on the guilty nation and its more guilty kings, despite all the patience with which God bore with them.

What mercy — "a light always"! The kingdom was much reduced in size and glory. But there was a marked difference compared with the ten tribes. They would shift their loads from time to time, and after continual changes in the ruling family, one king would rise up after another… Not so with Judah. Judah was reduced to what God calls only one tribe, which states their loss of glory in the strongest possible way. Still the light would be there always.

They were the Lord's witnesses. They ought to accept the division as the result of their sin. They ought to commit themselves to God. He would know how to put things right once His judgment had run its course and borne its fruit. That is why Ahijah had said to Jeroboam: "And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever."

Solomon seeks to kill Jeroboam (v. 40). See what feelings this discipline produced in his heart! The obstacle God had raised up should have bowed him into God's presence, submitting to the correction. Instead it only irritates him and drives him to try to free himself of it. How sad is the heart that has lost its fellowship with God and does not judge itself. What has Solomon, the king of righteousness, come to? His heart is no longer upright before God. How far he is from his beginnings!

Solomon knew that God had told Jeroboam he would be king over Israel, but instead of being chastened and repentant because he himself was to blame, Solomon wanted to kill Jeroboam. Thus, he was not willing to submit to God's Word in this matter. His disobedience to God led him farther and farther astray.

When enemies rise up against us our first appeal should be to God as to why He has permitted it. The enemies themselves may have no thought of God. Even so, they may be His instruments to discipline His people… Jeroboam rose up later, and became a much more serious enemy. He was an ambitious young man, and even aspired to the throne (1 Kings 11:37). Solomon forgot his own words in Proverbs 16:7. Instead of searching his conscience before God about this opponent, he tried to kill him, just as Saul had done with David.

But now Solomon faced another promise of God, made this time to Jeroboam: part of the kingdom would be his. God had assured him, "Yet I will not do it in your days, for the sake of David your father." Instead of resting in that, Solomon took the law into his own hands and tried to kill Jeroboam, as Herod would do in a later day. But of course God's promises could not be broken. Jeroboam fled into Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.

We are not told whether news of Ahijah's prophecy reached Solomon, or whether the excited Jeroboam gave the secret away by some rash or rebellious act. But Scripture says of him, "He lifted up his hand against the king." Perhaps he made some failed attempt to raise a rebellion and hurry along the prophecy about him… How unlike David, the man after God's own heart! Samuel the prophet had anointed and chosen him to replace Saul, yet he would not harm a hair of the condemned king's head, or lift a finger to bring the kingdom to himself. David was a man of faith. And faith — that precious "gift of God"! — always waits on God. It waits for His time and His way to fulfil His promises.

The kingdom was his. He had only to believe the promise of God for that. Yet, like Jacob, he felt he had to work out his own schemes to get the promise fulfilled. Are we not sometimes guilty of the same mistake? So often we are not content with God's clear promise. We try to get what we want by our own efforts, sometimes at the cost of obeying God's Word.

Solomon had allied himself with Pharaoh by marrying his daughter. Perhaps he did this only to please himself, or perhaps he expected an alliance with such a powerful country to strengthen his kingdom. Either way it all comes to nothing, as every such scheme does where God's word is disobeyed or ignored. Shishak overthrew Pharaoh, Solomon's father-in-law, and so ended that royal line. Shishak became the "new king" who "did not know" Solomon or his successor.

The Acts of Solomon, 1 Kings 11:41: probably the public records of the kingdom.

In various places the text points to books that contain more about the life of the king in question — books the writer may have based his accounts on. It points, for example, to the book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41), and several times to the books of the chronicles of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah... The author of the books of Kings was able to use these "references" under the guidance of the Holy Spirit while writing his God-inspired work.

When the historical parts of the Old Testament were written, more information about the kingdom was still available in the books named. Anyone who needed it could have found it there. But it was not required for the inspired volume of God.

These chronicles were drawn up during the reigns of all the rulers of those times, whether Jewish or Gentile. They have nothing to do with the Word of God. What the Lord did not choose to record or explain is written there instead. These chronicles have been lost... The believer has no need for any of them; he has God's Word. There in God's account he finds all that is necessary for him, as well as the divine evaluation of people, events, and things. Non-inspired writings may record certain deeds, even with great exactness. But those deeds never carry anything more than human evaluation.

David's later words fill two long chapters (1 Chronicles 28 and 29). The simple faith and delight in the things of God he shows there lifts our souls as we read... But no last words of Solomon are recorded. We have the brief statement that "Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place" (1 Kings 11:43). More about him could be read in the writings of Nathan, Ahijah and Iddo (2 Chronicles 9:29); but no more space is given to this most faulty servant in the inspired Word.

At his death he was buried in Jerusalem, and Rehoboam took the throne (v. 43). But what a solemn lesson for us: the wisest man who ever lived made shipwreck of his personal life! May God preserve us from the pride of knowledge!

It is the end of the race that tells with us all. Happy is the man who, by the grace of God, keeps running well. Happy is the man who can say like Paul at the last, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).

Solomon was now at the height of his glory, a vivid picture of someone greater than Solomon. He really does prefigure the Lord Jesus as King. Only when we see this can we understand why God attaches such importance to the history of men like David in one light and Solomon in another. David as the warrior-king who actively puts down the enemies, Solomon as the man of peace who will reign over the conquered nations and kingdoms.

Solomon reigned the same length of time as his father David — 40 years. But despite his great wisdom and the splendour of his kingdom, he did not leave his son a legacy nearly as valuable as David had left him. David had left Solomon a true regard for the living God. Solomon did not follow his father's path of obedience. What kind of example was this to Rehoboam? Why did Solomon not wisely consider that his days were numbered, just as David's had been? In Ecclesiastes 12 he wrote about how short life is. He concluded, "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." Why did he not accept for himself the advice he gave to others?

Solomon's reign was just forty years. It was a time, they say, in which Judah was bound to have a special prominence. It was also a time in which the remarkable prosperity God gave them tested them as to their real condition. The departure of the people into idolatry, with Solomon himself drawn into it through his wives, was the sad answer to a test like this.

And Solomon? Not a word of repentance! No tears like those his father wept. No confession as came from David's lips. Only one thing is stated. Only one act is mentioned of apostate Solomon. He sought to kill Jeroboam. After a reign of 40 years, Solomon passed away, not quite 60 years old.

David's latter-day words fill two long chapters. The simple faith and delight in the things of God found there lifts our souls as we read. But no last words of Solomon are recorded. ... It is the end of the race that tells with us all.

This is almost the only comfort we have in the history given us of king Solomon — that God chastised him. He did not merely let the fruit of his evil appear in his family. He chastised Solomon himself, in his own lifetime. This is His way with His own people. In some cases it is almost your only hope that a person is a child of God: God does not let the evil pass. He deals with it now in this world.

His reign of righteousness will surpass Solomon's reign, so miserably cut short, in its splendour and its length. For they will fear Him "as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations." But it will also begin as Solomon's reign never began: "He shall come down like rain on the mown grass." It will bring heavenly blessing where judgment has done its work and left nothing to harvest.

The words "So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers" simply state that he died. In Scripture that is a different expression from "buried with his fathers," as a comparison of 2 Kings 15:38 and 16:20 easily shows.

Solomon reigned the same length of time as did his father David — 40 years. Yet despite his great wisdom and the splendor of his kingdom, he did not leave his son a legacy nearly as valuable as the one David left him. David had left Solomon a true regard for the living God. Solomon did not follow his father's path of obedience to God. What kind of an example was this to Rehoboam? Why did Solomon not wisely consider that his days were numbered, just as David's had been? In Ecclesiastes 12 he wrote about how short life is. He ended by saying, "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." Why did he not take for himself the advice he gave to others?

Wherever people know the Bible, Solomon is famous for his exceptional wisdom. How sad that a man so deeply wise turned into a great fool. He wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. In it he feared that his son might be a fool — as indeed he was — but he did not seem worried about himself. Well does the Apostle say, "Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."

But how solemn a lesson for us is the fact that the wisest man who ever lived made shipwreck of his personal life! May God preserve us from the pride of knowledge!

Solomon seeks to kill Jeroboam. Such are the feelings produced in his heart by this discipline! The obstacle God had raised up did not bring him bowed into God's presence, humbly submitting to the chastening. It only irritates him and drives him to try to free himself of it. How sad the heart that has lost its communion with God and that does not judge itself. What has Solomon, the king of righteousness, come to? His heart is no longer upright before God. How far he is from his beginnings!

Then the nation will be one once more. They have been a divided people since the days of Rehoboam. Solomon's serious turning away from the Lord tore the nation apart after his death. God allowed Jeroboam to lead ten tribes away from their loyalty to the house of David. They have never been united since that day.

Solomon's greatness and his later fall answer an all-important question. God gave him the highest favour and dignity possible as a direct gift. Can a man hold himself in that position by his own strength? Let Solomon's fall answer. But was God's promise resting on Solomon's faithfulness? No. God's kingdom does not depend on Solomon's faithfulness. It rests on One greater than Solomon, Who will certainly establish it at the right and appointed time.