Categoria: 1 Kings

King Ahaz (Israel) made an alliance with King Jehoshaphat (Judah) so as to unite in retaking from the Arameans Ramoth Gilead, so they decided to consult the Lord about the matter. 400 prophets were consulted and they were unanimous in giving the green light for the venture, but it was a case of “prophesying” what the kings wanted to hear rather than hearing what God had to say. However they yet decided to consult the prophet Micaiah who had a more independent stance. Initially he sarcastically he repeated the position of the 400 prophets, but when pressed he countered their stance and even forecasts Ahab’s death ending a 22-year reign. So Jehoshaphat and Ahab went to battle but Ahab disguised himself, as he surely feared the fulfillment of the prophecy, but he was shot and killed by a random arrow showing that God is not fooled by our disguises and that God’s justice will catch up with us sooner or later, as Ahab had been the worst possible king. 

As to Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah he did what was right before God, he got rid of the male shrine prostitutes, but he didn’t remove the high places so came short there. He built a fleet of trading ships but these ended up as wrecks. After his death his son Jehoram succeeded him and Ahaziah succeeded Ahaz. 

Naboth had a vineyard close to King Ahab’s palace and Ahab offered to buy it or to swap it for a better vineyard. Naboth rejected this as it was part of his family inheritance. The rejection put Ahab into a bad mood, but Jezebel said she would fix the problem for him. So Jezebel had Naboth falsely accused of blasphemy and executed as a consequence, leaving the road clear for her husband to take possession of the land. God was angry at this and sent the prophet Elisha to reprimand him saying that in the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they would do the same with his blood. Dogs, he said, would also devour Jezebel. However in the light of Ahab’s repentance the punishment was postponed to be meted on their descendants. 

Ben-Hadad of Syria, together with a confederation of 32 kings, besieged Samaria capital of Israel and demanded their silver, gold, best women and children. Ahab initially agrees but then changes his mind and a battle ensues which Israel wins miraculously despite being completely outmanned. However Ben-Hadad escaped together with some horsemen and a prophet warned Ahab to get prepared because in the spring the Arameans would be back. When this happened God again gave Israel the victory killing 100,000 Syrians followed by the death of a further 27,000 when the city of Aphek wall fell on them! Then Ahab made a treaty with Ben-Hadad and let him go. Following this a prophet tried to get a man to hit him, but when he refused a lion killed him as a result. Then another man did strike him and so he could approach Ahab disguised by bandages. The prophet proceeded to condemn Ahab for having set free Ben-Hadad against God’s command.

When Ahab’s wife Jezebel was told about Elijah’s great victory at Mount Carmel and his subsequent slaughter of the Baal prophets she threatened to kill him so Elijah was afraid and ran to Horeb. On the long journey God miraculously sustained him and encouraged and strengthened him as he was very down and depressed. On Mount Horeb there was a theophany accompanied by extraordinarily strong wind, then followed an earthquake which was followed by fire, but God spoke to Elijah after the wind, earthquake and fire with a gentle whisper. God told Elijah to anoint Hazael king of Aram, anoint Jehu king of Israel and anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. So Elijah saw Elisha ploughing the fields and he threw his clock upon him, and Elisha started to follow him.

 After a 3-and-a-half-year drought God told the prophet Elijah to go and have a show-down with King Ahab over his pagan Baal worship. Elijah met up with the chief of Ahab’s palace Obadiah, but he was reluctant to announce Elijah’s presence. However Obadiah plucked up courage, told Ahab that Elijah wanted to see him, and so they met with Ahab insulting Elijah as a trouble maker. The prophet replied that the trouble maker was him abandoning God’s commands and following the Baals. So Elijah threw down the gauntlet to Ahab to bring Baal’s 450 prophets and Asherah’s 400 prophets to decide once and for all if the Lord is God or if Baal is God – and they gathered for the challenge of fire on Mount Carmel. Each was to sacrifice a bull and call down fire to consume it, and the god who answers by fire is God. So the prophets of Baal cried out all day long for fire to fall, but to no avail and Elijah ridiculed them. Then it was Elijah’s turn to call upon the name of the Lord and first of all he had water poured over everything. When Elijah prayed the fire fell consuming the sacrifice, wood, stones, soil and water – so the people cried out the Lord, he is God – and they slaughtered the prophets of Baal! Elijah then prophesied that the rains would return and it was only for the 7th time of looking at the sky that his servant saw the first sign of rain coming. Then down came heavy rain and Ahab took off in his chariot in the rain to Jezreel, but ecstatic Elijah beat him running anointed by the power of God!

The prophet Elijah told king Ahab that Israel was to be punished for its idolatry by a severe prolonged drought. However God told Elijah to go to the Kerith Brook where he could drink from the brook and be fed with bread and meat morning and evening by ravens. When the brook eventually dried up God told Elijah to go to Zaraphath where he had commanded a widow to feed him. When Elijah met the widow it was clear that the widow was not aware of God’s command, but she trusted Elijah’s instructions and believed in his promise that if she made him food her flour and oil would not run out until the rains returned and that therefore the widow, her family and Elijah would be sustained. However after some time the widow’s son died which naturally left the widow terribly distraught and she pointed the finger at Elijah. So Elijah took the boy and stretched himself out on him 3 times and cried to the Lord beseeching his resurrection. He then returned him to his mother live and well which obviously confirmed to her that Elijah was a man of God.

This chapter lists a series of wicked Israelite kings culminating with Ahab, the worst of all. It was clearly a period of severe moral decadence. First of all comes the continuation of Baasha with him receiving a message of judgement from God through the prophet Jehu. Again God will judge with dogs and vultures as he did with Jeroboam. Baasha died and was succeeded by his son Elah. 

Elah reigned in Israel for 2 years. However he was assassinated by his official Zimri who then replaced him as king. He then proceeded to eliminate the entire family of Baasha in his extremely short reign of 7 days. However when the people realized what at happened they made army commander Omri king with Zimri dying under siege in an arson attack at the royal palace. There was initially a power struggle between Omri and Tibni, but Omri prevailed and reigned for 12 years. However Omri sinned more than all those before him. Upon Omri’s death his son Ahab succeeded him.

Ahab reigned over Israel for 22 years and he did more evil than ever! He married Jezebel, who was the daughter of the king of the Sidonians, and introduced and practiced pagan Baal worship in Israel. Ahab built a temple for Baal in Samaria where he erected an altar to the pagan god. He further erected a pagan Asherah pole. Ahab was a very perverse king of Israel. 

In the 18th year of Jeroboam Abijah became king of Judah where he reigned for 3 years, but he sadly repeated the sins of his father and made war with Jeroboam.

In the 20th year of Jeroboam Asa became king of Judah where he reigned for 41 years doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He expelled the male shrine prostitutes and abolished all the idols, and he even deposed his grandmother from the pagan post of queen mother cutting down and burning her Asherah pole. Asa made an alliance with the king of Aram ruling in Damascus and thus strengthened his position against Israel. In his old age Asa had diseased feet prior to dying and being succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat.

Nadab, son of Jeroboam, became king of Israel in the 2nd year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned for 2 years. He did evil before God being a case of like father like son. Baasha killed Nadab and replaced him as king, when he reigned for 24 years but doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. He then proceeded to kill Jeroboam’s entire family.

 Jeroboam’s son was ill so he sent his wife to consult the prophet Ahijah disguised, taking him bread, cakes and honey. With God’s help the prophet saw beyond her disguise and he prophesied her son’s imminent death. He also spoke out categorically against Jeroboam’s idolatry prophesying disaster for his house with dogs eating men’s bodies in the cities and vultures eating men’s bodies in the country. Ahijah yet prophesied eventual exile for Israel as a result of Jeroboam’s sin. So Jeroboam died after a reign of 22 years and Nadab his son succeeded him as king of Israel.

Rehoboam came to the throne at 41 years of age and he reigned for 17 years, and after his death he was succeeded as king of Judah by his son Abijah. Rehoboam’s reign had been as negative as Jeroboam’s in Israel with widespread paganism and even the use of male shrine-prostitutes and other detestable pagan practices. As a result of such perversity in the 5th year of his reign Shishak king of Egypt ransacked Jerusalem robbing all its gold articles including all the gold shields, so that Rehoboam had to replace them with bronze ones. There was also continual civil war between Israel and Judah.

A prophet came from Judah to rebuke Jeroboam for his rampant paganism and he confirmed his message by the altar being split apart. Jeroboam reacted against the prophet and suffered a withered arm for which he depended on God’s healing. He then invited the prophet to have a meal at his house, but the prophet declined as God had prohibited this. Then an old prophet met with the prophet from Judah and tricked him by lying to eat with him saying that an angel had suggested this. Hence the prophet from Judah ended up disobeying God’s command by default and ended up being killed by a lion as a result and the old prophet buried him. After all this Jeroboam did not change his evil ways but continued unabated in his sinful paganism. 

 Rehoboam went to Shechem to be crowned king, but the people asked for lower taxes and a lighter work load. Rehoboam asked for 3 days to think this over and consult about it. The elders told him to accept what the people requested, but younger men said the opposite saying that in his reign things would be even tougher! When the people received this tough reply they rejected Rehoboam dividing the nation with the 10 northern tribes breaking from Judah and Benjamin in the south with Rehoboam becoming king just of the south.

Meanwhile Jeroboam returned from exile in Egypt and became king of the northern tribes of Israel. However fearing that he would be prejudiced by the people going to worship in Jerusalem he set up alternative worshipping places at Bethel and Dan of 2 golden calves! Jeroboam also built pagan shrines on high places and appointed non-Levite priests. Israel and Judah were in a big mess.

 Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines! He married Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites – all nations for which God had forbidden intermarriage because of the implicit dangers of pagan involvement. And this is exactly what happened. For as Solomon got older he started getting involved with his wives’ pagan religions as he followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Molech the god of the Ammonites. He built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites and for all his foreign wives. This greatly angered the Lord as he saw Solomon consistently turning away from him and following other gods. 

So it was that God raised up adversaries against Solomon – Haddad the Edomite and Rezon. Then Jeroboam, rebelled against Solomon. though he had been in charge of his whole work force. One day Jeroboam met Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh who tore his robe into 12 pieces, gave Jeroboam 10 saying these represented the 10 tribes he would now lead in the place of Solomon, leaving Solomon only with the rest. This God did in the light of his apostacy. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam but he fled to Egypt where he stayed until Solomon’s death. Then after 40 years reign Solomon died and his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.

The Queen Of Sheba came to visit King Solomon because she had heard so much about him. She came as a doubter, but she left a believer! She came with a barrage of trick questions to test Solomon’s wisdom, but he answered them all. When the Queen of Sheba saw Solomon’s extensive wisdom, luxurious palace, exemplary staff and amazing food she was overwhelmed. She came expecting to find that all the stories she had been told were exaggerated, but the truth was the opposite and “the half had never been told”! The Queen gave Solomon gifts of 4 tons of gold, large quantities of spices and precious stones and he gave her whatever she wanted in exchange. Then she left and returned to her own country.

The chapter goes on to tell us more of Solomon’s colossal wealth with an annual income in gold of 23 tons! He made 200 large shields of hammered gold plus 300 small shields. He made an ivory and gold throne ornamented with lions. All his household goblets and articles were gold and his fleet of trading ships worked on a 3-year cycle bringing in gold, silver, ivory, apes and baboons. Solomon also accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. 

After Solomon had finished building the temple and palace God appeared to him a second time. The first time had been in 1 Kings 3 when he made him wise. God expressed his pleasure with the temple but made it clear that his priority was man’s heart being of integrity and uprightness. God warned Solomon of the dire consequences of the going after pagan gods which would result in the destruction of the temple and exile from the promised land.

Then the second part of the chapter gives details of Solomon’s use as slave labour of the Canaanite survivors of Israelite extermination. It also tells of Solomon’s giving of 20 towns to King Hiram of Tyre in thanks for his plentiful supplies of cedar, pine and gold during the construction period, but Hiram was not pleased with the gift. The text also gives details of Solomon’s administrative organization. Solomon also built ships on the shore of the Red Sea and their travels brought 14.5 tons of gold to Solomon!

With the temple’s construction completed King Solomon summoned the nation’s leaders to bring up the ark of the covenant to the temple. The commemoration was massive involving an uncountable number of sheep and cattle being sacrificed. The priests then placed the ark beneath the wings of the cherubim in the most holy place and the glory of the Lord filled the place. Solomon praised God for having fulfilled his promise that the son of David would build a temple for the name of the Lord. 

Then Solomon prayed the prayer of dedication of the temple praising God for his covenant of love, whilst recognizing that the great and eternal God cannot be contained in the temple. He asked God to hear his people from the temple and judge them in right or in wrong forgiving their sin. 

When Solomon finished his prayers of dedication and supplication he rose from before the altar and blessed all the assembly in a loud voice praying that God should be with them, may he turn their hearts to him and be fully committed to him.

Then the King and all Israel offered 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats in sacrifice to the Lord as they observed a 14 day festival of dedication to God!

It took Solomon 13 years to build his luxurious palace which was 46 metres long, 23 metres wide and 13.5 metres high. It had an abundance of solid cedar beams and columns built on high-grade stone blocks. He built a hall of pillars and a hall of judgement where Solomon pronounced his judgements. He built other houses as part of the palace complex including one for his first wife, the first of hundreds! 

Solomon also embarked on furnishing the temple with sumptuous bronze and golden objects. 2 bronze pillars 8.1 metres high by 5.4 metres around were made by Huram who was a craftsman in bronze. One pillar was placed south of the portico of the temple and was called Jakin, and the other massive pillar was put north of the portico and was called Boaz. 

Then Huram made a huge metal bowl for water which held 44,000 litres of water which meant it was called a sea. The sea stood on 12 metal bulls. This water was for the priests to wash themselves. He also made 10 moveable basins each with a capacity of 880 litres. The sea was placed in the south-east corner of the temple, and 5 of the moveable basins were put on the north side and 5 on the south side.

Then finally Solomon made a golden altar and table, 10 golden lampstands, gold floral work, gold dishes, bowls, ladles and censers, and gold sockets for the doors. 

Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem took 7 and a half years to construct and this chapter gives all the details of this wonderful undertaking built to honour God and to be the centre of Israel’s religion. Solomon started the work 480 years after Israel left Egypt, during the fourth year of his reign, and it was 27 metres long, 9 metres wide and 13.5 metres high. The text gives great detail of the temple’s design with all its relevant measurements describing its portico, windows, rooms, walls, panels, flooring, doors, inner courtyard, inner sanctuary etc. The principal wood used was cedar and much solid rock was used, though this was entirely prepared at the quarry so that there was no crashing and bashing at the temple. All the interior of the temple was overlaid with gold. In the inner sanctuary a pair of cherubins overlaid with gold were a significant feature being 4.5 metres high. On the walls were carved cherubins, palm trees and flowers. 

Solomon realized that now in peaceful days he could concentrate on building the temple in Jerusalem so he made an agreement with King Hiram of Tyre, who was a friendly neighbour, for him to provide cedar and pine logs from Lebanon for the construction, with Solomon providing labour to work with that of Hiram, and all the salaries being paid by Solomon. Solomon paid Hiram with vast quantities of wheat and oil. The workforce was very large with a core group of 30,000 men working in shifts of 10,000 with the timber cutting, one month on two months off. Then there were 70,000 carriers, 80,000 stonecutters as well as 3,300 foremen. It was a massive workforce.

 Solomon’s kingdom was well organized. Zadok, Azariah son of Zadok and Abiathar were priests; Elihoreph and Ahijar were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Benaiah was army commander in chief; Azariah son of Nathan was coordinator of the district officers; Zabud was the King’s personal adviser; Ahishar was in charge of the palace and Adoniram was in charge of the slaves. Solomon also had 12 regional governors who were responsible for providing supplies for the King and his household a month at a time. The governors were Ben-Hur, Ben-Deker, Ben-Hesed, Ben-Habinadab, Baana son of Ahilud, Ben-Geber, Ahinadab, Ahimaaz, Baana son of Hushai, Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, Shimei and Geber.

Solomon’s reign was one of peace and prosperity in which the people were happy, and even neighbouring countries paid him tributes. Solomons daily provisions were 6.6 kilolitres of fine flour, 13.2 kilolitres of meal, 10 stall-fed cattle, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep and goats plus deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. All this was per day! Solomon had 4,000 stalls for chariot horses and 12,000 charioteers.

Solomon’s wisdom and insight was outstanding, surpassing all far and wide, making him famous even amongst the surrounding nations. He composed 3,000 proverbs and over a thousand songs. He also taught biology including plant life, animals, birds, reptiles and fish. International visitors were many coming to hear his wisdom and knowledge.

Solomon begins his reign as King sealing a political alliance with Egypt by his marriage with the Pharoah’s daughter. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon, and God asked him what he most wanted. Solomon didn’t ask for longevity, power or wealth. He asked for wisdom. He said that he needed “a discerning heart” to govern the people as he recognized his youth and lack of experience. God was pleased with his request and said he would give him a wise and discerning heart as well as riches and honour which he had not requested. God said he would also give him longevity as long as he walked in his ways and obeyed his commands. 

Then comes a famous example of Solomon’s wisdom in action as 2 prostitutes disputed a child. For both had babies, but one died. The dispute was that one woman accused the other of having swapped the living baby for the dead one and the dispute was brought before Solomon to sort out, but that wasn’t easy as there were no video replays in those days! Then came Solomon’s wise test of love as he ordered the living child to be chopped in half with each mother having half. The deceitful woman was happy to agree to this but the true mother resisted and asked for the living baby to be given to the liar. Thus Solomon discovered who the true mother of the living baby was and gave it to her, and the people held Solomon’s wisdom in awe.

 On the eve of his death David summons Solomon to be a strong man walking in the ways of the Lord by upholding the covenant with God. David also tells him to execute justice on those who betrayed him: Adonijah, Joab and Shimei. Then David died and was buried in Jerusalem. He had reigned as King for 40 years.

Solomon, having assumed the throne and consolidated his position, eliminated the 3 men suggested by David and thus removed from his pathway potential rivals and those who had created serious problems for David. First of all Solomon had Adonijah executed after he had become further infuriated by him for asking for the beautiful Abishag as his wife. As Abishag had spent David’s final years with him Solomon clearly saw the request as a symptom of his old usurping ambitions.

Next to be executed was Joab whose reaction to Solomon’s removal of Abiathar from the priesthood brought about his downfall doubtless owing to a guilty conscience. Finally Solomon had Shimei killed for having disobeyed the command of house arrest that he had given him. So the kingdom was now firmly in King Solomon’s hands. 

David was now very old so his son Adonijah took his chance to usurp the throne and make himself king without David’s knowledge or backing. David was busy being cared for by a beautiful girl called Abishag who used to lay with him to keep him warm though no sex was involved. Adonijah received the backing of many people which they celebrated in a great feast. However Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, went to David to let him know what was going on. David reacted re-confirming his oath to make his son Solomon has successor. So David had Solomon ride his mule, which was an important gesture, and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon as David’s successor blowing the trumpets and with the people shouting ‘Long live King Solomon’! And Solomon was seated on the throne. When word reached Adonijah his party dispersed and he quickly sought clemency from King Solomon. However Solomon made it clear that clemency would depend on how he behaved. So Adonijah bowed before Solomon and then went home.