1 Kings 1:5-8

Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, "I will be king." So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never interfered with him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David's special guard did not join Adonijah.

David did not discipline his sons. Notice that David never interfered with Adonijah by asking him, "Why do you behave the way you do?" And how was Adonijah behaving – he put himself forward to be king. In other words, he rebelled against his father, David, and said, "I will be king". Does this sound so familiar with a parent child relationship. Especially, where the parents do not discipline. Remember: God’s discipline is intended to make us more "Christ-like" in our behavior. A parent’s discipline is to teach the child the ways of Christ (and not the world). Isn’t it interesting that worldly discipline (also known as punishment) is easy and quick to administer whereas Godly discipline requires thinking like Christ with a spiritual perspective?

1 Kings 1:28-30

Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him.

The king then took an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place."

David proclaims Solomon as his successor. This took place because Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, intervened to ensure that David named Solomon as king.

1 Kings 1:35b

he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah."

Note that although the split has not occurred, the Jewish Nation refers to itself as two parts: Judah (Southern Kingdom) and Israel (Northern Kingdom).

1 Kings 1:42-43

Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news."

"Not at all!" Jonathan answered. "Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

Adonijah gets the message that David has made Solomon king. After some fearful moments for a possible retribution from Solomon because of Adonijah’s rebellion, Adonijah eventually responds respectfully.

1 Kings 1:52

Solomon replied, "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die."

Solomon and Adonijah made up as brothers should. Now, recall that David was king of both Judah and Israel. We are going to see that after Solomon’s reign as king, the nation will split because of Solomon’s successor. This begins a spiritual down spiral for the Jewish Nation.

1 Kings 2:1-4

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

"I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: `If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

David almost implies that Solomon has not shown himself to be a man. Bathsheba’s intervention is another indication that Solomon probably laid around the house enjoying being the son of a king. We will find that Solomon does not heed everything that his father is telling him. At this time, what is the Law of Moses? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Also notice the HUGE promise from God to David…David’s descendants will always be on the throne of Israel. Christ comes from the lineage of David and, in the last days, He will occupy the throne of Israel forever.

1 Kings 2:10-12

Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel--seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

David dies. Remember that he had a heart after God. There are so many positives and negatives about David’s life. Couldn’t we say the same thing about our own lives? I know that we are not kings but we are children of a King. I do hope that you seriously consider keeping a daily journal of your spiritual walk. I believe that you will find that your walk (life) is very similar to David’s in terms of times of joy and times of sorrow. The people in the Old Testament, like David and Joseph and others, make the Old Testament so real and applicable to our lives. The New Testament provides us an understanding of salvation and sanctification. But the Old Testament is real people trying to have a relationship with God.

1 Kings 3:1

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem.

We’re going to see a lot of building going on with Solomon—the temple, all of the furnishings for the temple, the wall around Jerusalem, his own Palace, etc.

1 Kings 3:2-3

The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

Who remembers what a high place is? Very important. Before the Israelites took over, the Canaanites and others had their own religions. They would have their religious services on high places (including child sacrifices). Women would act as priestesses; men would have sexual relationships with them next to an Asherah pole. This was done to honor their gods so that the fruit of their labor would be bountiful.

Why was this a problem – it became an easy way out. But these places were more convenient to go to, and they would go there but say they worshipped God.

Notice what Solomon is doing? He is engaged in mixing the various religions. Let’s worship so and so god on the high place and while we are here, let’s worship God also. He is basically saying, I can be in the world and love God at the same time. You can’t do this. And we will see later that this is one of the fundamental reasons for the downfall of the Jewish nation. Don’t miss that little word "except" meaning that Solomon didn’t do everything that David told him.

1 Kings 3:5-9

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

It is interesting that God did not appear to Solomon while he was offering a thousand burnt offerings…that’s a lot of offerings. Either Solomon was very thankful to God or he was trying to get God’s attention. And he did. God came to him at night in a dream. God said, "Ask for whatever you want." That’s a pretty big question coming from God. What would you say? I want world peace… $10,000,000… joy that lasts forever… or whatever. Notice that these requests would not be in accordance with the will of God. Solomon answered in the will of God. Give me a discerning heart to govern your people and to determine what is right and wrong.

Did you know that as a Christian, I believe that you should be as wise as Solomon? God has given each one of us the Holy Spirit. He tells us that we should be as wise as serpents and as innocent as lambs. We should be able to discern right from wrong. God intends for us to be just as wise about spiritual things—not wise in the world or smart, but spiritually wise. I personally believe that we all, myself included, have a lot of growing up to do to understand that truth.

Take a look at 1^st Corinthians 2.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" --

but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Kings 3:10-15

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for--both riches and honor--so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." Then Solomon awoke--and he realized it had been a dream.

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

The Lord was pleased with his answer. Where did he go to praise God this time? Not the high places but to Jerusalem and to the ark.

1 Kings 3:16-28

We won’t read this entire story but it does illustrate the discernment that Solomon was given by God to see into the hearts of the two women who both said it was their child.

1 Kings 3:26-28

The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"

But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."

When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

Who else would have thought to do it this way?

<Only the wisdom of Jesus has surpassed that of Solomon. Mark 12:42b says, "she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here." An example of the wisdom of Jesus is in John 8:3-5,7: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?' … When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.'">

1 Kings 4:29-34

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite--wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

From this passage, you can see the broad understanding that Solomon had regarding many different subjects. In addition, Solomon wrote Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon and probably some of the Psalms. Ecclesiastes is an interesting book when you realize that Solomon was very wise. He basically says in that book that "I have tried everything in the world and it is all meaningless." Who would doubt Solomon?

I think God gave Solomon spiritual discernment or he wouldn’t have lasted so long. True wisdom comes from God. Based on the books he wrote, in my opinion, I think somewhere along the line, his spiritual wisdom was contaminated by the influence of his many wives. He contaminated his spiritual wisdom received from God and ruined it. I think he got to a point where he said, "Well, Gee, if I’m this wise, let me apply it to the world." It’s like we’ve seen with the Nation of Israel—God gave them something and they misused it. We can see it with his study on biology, zoology, etc. Then you can see the results of it in Ecclesiastes where he said, "What’s the meaning of all this? I’ve studied everything and so what!?" He went from spiritual to worldly wisdom. God granted him wisdom but that doesn’t mean he used it correctly.

Solomon's Temple

Chapters 5-7 give us some details behind the building of the temple.

Recall from our study in Exodus that the tabernacle in the wilderness was built in accordance with God’s very specific instructions. The Bible clearly indicates that God intended man to build a "copy" of the heavenly tabernacle on earth. God was allowing man to see the significance of sacrifice in the Most Holy Place. This significance becomes clear when the book of Hebrews describes Jesus as entering the heavenly tabernacle with his own blood to be presented on the altar of God. This gives all Christians assurance that forgiveness for sins by the blood of Christ was once and for all eternity completed by Christ. It’s amazing that God would show us this through the earthly tabernacle and the Temple that is built by Solomon. More on the temple later.

God gave David the divine plan for building the temple. Solomon executed those plans.

1 Kings 8:10-11

When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.

This is the third time we’ve seen this visible manifestation of God on earth, called "Shekinah Glory." God also appeared in a cloudy whirlwind when Moses received the Ten Commandments and at the dedication of the Tent of Meeting built in the wilderness.

1 Kings 8:12-14

Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever."

While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them.

This begins passages regarding the dedication of the temple to the Lord. These are wonderful passages and make sure you read all of them.

1 Kings 8:22-30

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said:

"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below--you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it--as it is today.

"Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, `You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.

"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, `My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

Do you get a picture of Solomon’s understanding of whom God is? Remember that God is continuing to reveal himself to man. And man’s understanding should begin to comprehend that God has a plan for man to have a relationship with Him for eternity. We call that the plan of salvation given to us through Jesus Christ.

Notice verse 27, "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" Solomon realizes that God is not contained in anything that man can envision.

1 Kings 8:41-43

"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name--for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm--when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

Solomon rightly dedicates the temple as a house of prayer not just for Jews, but for all Nations who worship God.

See Isaiah 56:7 and Mark 11:17.

1 Kings 8:46-51

"When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, `We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.

This is prophecy because this is what is going to happen to both Judah and Israel. Both the Northern and Southern kingdoms fall away from God by sinning and they are taken captive. We will see that in 2^nd Kings. I think Solomon continues with another strong attribute of God and that is "forgiveness".

1 Kings 8:56-61

"Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."

Note again all of the understandings of who God is. Do you spend time daily thinking of who God is and what his promises are to you? And don’t miss the reason for this--"so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other." That should be a Christian’s perspective for their life today. We should be about God’s work while passing through this life. Then, others may know who God is and what He can do in their lives.

Mark 12:28-34

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

This passage tells you how you can be close to the kingdom of God. Solomon is demonstrating this love with all his heart, understanding, and strength.

Now before we leave the dedication of the temple, I want you to know that this temple will be destroyed when the people are taken into captivity. Between the Old Testament and New Testament, Herod (that we will read about in the New Testament) added on significantly to this rebuilt temple. It is the rebuilt and enhanced temple that we see Jesus teaching in. In 70 AD, this rebuilt temple will be destroyed by Rome. The temple has never been rebuilt. With the onset of Islam that takes control of Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock is built on or near the site of the temple. That is a point of contention today for Jews and Muslims. They both claim the site of the temple as a holy place.

The Wise King

A list of Solomon’s political, administrative, military, and architectural achievements would be one of the most impressive of the ancient world. Under his leadership, Israel expanded its influence from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean, and from Asia Minor to the Gulf of Aqaba and Egypt.

Yet underlying all of Solomon’s accomplishments was a God-given wisdom for which he was renowned in his own day and is remembered today (1 Kin. 3:6–14):

• The judgment that he rendered in the case of the harlots and the child won the respect of the entire nation (3:16–28).
• His wisdom was said to surpass that of all other known wise men of his day (4:30, 31).
• He gave 3,000 proverbs (4:32), some of which are contained in the Book of Proverbs.
• He composed 1,005 songs (4:32), including Psalms 72 and 127.
• He demonstrated competencies in botany, horticulture, zoology, and ichthyology (4:33; compare Prov. 30:24–31; Eccl. 2:4–6).
• Visitors from throughout the world traveled to Jerusalem to hear his opinion (1 Kin. 4:34), including the queen of Sheba (10:1–9).
• He was the originator of most of the Book of Proverbs and all of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon; several pieces of extra-biblical literature are attributed to him as well.
• Folktales from ancient Israel, Arabia, and Ethiopia celebrate Solomon’s wisdom and even ascribe magical powers to him.

From: Nelson's new illustrated Bible commentary. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.