God wants us to think for ourselves, but He wants us to think about what He has revealed. As the man of God made his way back to Judah, his message having been delivered to Jeroboam, a local prophet heard about the confrontation from his sons. Perhaps guilt-ridden that he had failed to speak for […]
This unnamed “man of God” joins an illustrious company of those thus honored in Scripture. What vital lessons can be learned in our story today! The first is this: God always has the right assessment of every situation. People worshiping and offering sacrifices all over Israel—how lovely! NO! says the Lord. This is blasphemy! He […]
Man-made religions are created by man, making everything lower than he is, not higher! Rehoboam, whose name ironically means “a people have enlarged,” had just seen his kingdom shrunken to a mere fraction of what it had been. So on his return to Jerusalem, “he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of […]
Meeting these challenges, it’s wise to take Solomon’s advice: “In the day of adversity consider” (Eccl 7:14). At his death, Solomon was only 60 years old. He might have written his own epitaph: “Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more” (Eccl 4:13). Worse than […]
Watch out! It’s not the world that’s forbidden—it’s loving it. “Love not the world,” says John (1 Jn 2:15). The little flock of Israel had been abandoned to the enemy by the foolish behavior of their shepherd, Solomon. Now the wolves were moving in. The last chapter in the king’s life recounts those who wanted […]
In embracing all of God’s lavish gifts, as he aged Solomon spurned the Giver and so lost it all. It seemed that Solomon had a voracious appetite for the three Ws. First was Wisdom. He was a student of the humanities, a writer of proverbs and songs, with a knowledge of trees and animals, birds, […]
The remarkable visit of Sheba’s queen concludes with an inventory list of her gifts to Solomon. The Queen of Sheba gave the following to Solomon: “one hundred and twenty talents of gold [four-and-a-half tons!], spices in great quantity, and precious stones” (1 Ki 10:10). This spurs on the writer to continue in that vein—a gold […]
We have before us one of the most fascinating incidents in the life of Solomon—a regal visit. The Queen of Sheba’s visit (1 Ki 10:1-10, 13) is a story that exposes the pride of man, for many, attempting to enhance it, spoil it with cheap dramatics. The Lord, on the other hand, elevates the story […]
This section might be seen as a recounting of Solomon’s achievements, but it’s full of warnings as well. Chapter 9 of 1 Kings seems to be full of check marks for Solomon. It begins with another private meeting with the Lord (vv 1-9), something few people experience. Then it tells of the remarkable alliance between […]