1 Kings 11
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CHAPTER 11
Solomon’s Wives (11:1–13)
1–8 In these verses we read some of the saddest words in the entire Bible. The great Solomon, who had been so blessed by God, who shared in the covenant promises God had given to his father David (2 Samuel 7:12–16), was now no longer fully devoted to the Lord (verse 4). His heart had become divided: he loved his foreign wives and had begun to follow their gods53 (verses 1–3). Though Solomon never completely forsook God, he mixed his worship of God with the worship of other gods, and in doing this he broke the most fundamental rules of God’s covenant (Exodus 20:3–6). Solomon’s life provides a dramatic example of the dangers of entering into ungodly relationships, of compromising with evil, and of loving the world (see 1 Kings 9:6–9 and comment). If the great Solomon could succumb to these things, so can anyone else.
In doing all these things, Solomon did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done (verse 6). David had committed grave sins, but he had always confessed them and turned back to the Lord in repentance. As a result, David’s sins (though not their consequences) were erased, and David continued to follow the Lord completely.
9–13 The Lord became angry with Solomon; He had blessed Solomon by appearing to him twice (1 Kings 3:4–5; 9:1–9), the second time in order to warn him against doing the very things he had now begun to do. Solomon wasn’t simply falling into an occasional sin; he had developed a sinful attitude (verse 11) and was therefore choosing to continue in his sins. As a result of Solomon’s willful disobedience to God’s covenant laws, God told him that his kingdom would be “torn away” from him and given to another.
But immediately God softened His judgment with mercy—for the sake of David (verse 12). Solomon’s kingdom would not be torn away during his lifetime, and furthermore, one tribe would be left in the house of David: Judah54 (verse13).In this way,God would continue to honor His promise to David that there would always be someone from his house to sit on the throne—the throne of Judah (Genesis 49:10).
In addition, God determined to preserve Judah for the sake of Jerusalem (verse 13), which was located on Judah’s northern border. Jerusalem was the place where God had chosen to establish His earthly dwelling(the temple) and His earthly throne (the ark).
As we come to the end of this sad section, we look back and see how the wisest of men became the greatest of fools. Though Solomon had been given supernatural wisdom to distinguish between right and wrong in a judicial sense (1 Kings 3:9), he was unable to distinguish between right and wrong in a moral or spiritual sense. True wisdom is spiritual in quality. Solomon himself wrote: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). If that is so, then the “end” (the fruit) of wisdom is to walk in all the ways of the Lord and to serve Him with all one’s heart. It is not how we “begin the race” that counts; it is how we end it (Mark 13:13; Galatians 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:7).
Solomon’s Adversaries (11:14–25)
14–22 In this section, the writer describes two adversaries who rose up against Solomon: Hadad (verses 14–22) and Rezon (verses 23–25). Hadad, an Edomite, had fled to Egypt during David’s invasion of Edom (2 Samuel 8:13–14). After David and Joab were dead, Hadad returned to Edom and continued to make trouble for David’s son Solomon.
23–25 Rezon was a rebel who fled from the king of Zobah during David’s campaign against the kingdoms north of Israel (2 Samuel 8:3–4). At that time the Arameans of Damascus55 fought against David (2 Samuel 8:5–6). Later Rezon and his fellow rebels took control of Damascus, following which Rezon ruled in Aram—presentday Syria (verse 25). Although Solomon maintained overall control of the northern kingdom as far as the Euphrates River (1 Kings 4:21), he was never able to drive Rezon out of Damascus itself.
From the mention of these two adversaries, Hadad and Rezon, we can see that Solomon’s kingdom was beginning to weaken and fray around its edges.
Jeroboam Rebels Against Solomon (11:26–40)
26–28 In addition to Hadad and Rezon (verses 14–25), a third and more serious adversary arose from within the ranks of Solomon’s own officials. This was Jeroboam, whom Solomon had put in charge of all the conscripted laborers from the house of Joseph (verse 28)—that is, from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons), the largest of the ten northern tribes.56
29–33 God sent the prophet Ahijah to meet Jeroboam. Ahijah tore his cloak in twelve pieces and gave Jeroboam ten of them; then he explained to Jeroboam the meaning of what he had done. Ahijah basically repeated to Jeroboam what the Lord had already told Solomon (see verses 9–13 and comment). In giving thereason for theLord’sdecisionto give ten tribes to Jeroboam, Ahijah said that they (Solomon and his people) had forsaken the Lord by worshiping other gods (verse 33). From this we can understand that many of the people had followed Solomon’s example and had begun to worship the gods of his foreign wives (see verses 4–8).
34 —36 Then Ahijah told Jeroboam that in accordance with the Lord’s word to Solomon (verse 12), the ten tribes would not be taken from Solomon during his lifetime; rather, they would be taken from his son’s hands (verse 35)—namely, from Rehoboam (verse 43). Furthermore, Judah would be left to Rehoboam so that David would always have a lamp57 in Jerusalem (verse 36)—that is, a living descendant to continue his line.
37–39 Then Ahijah, speakingforthe Lord, told Jeroboam that he would be king over Israel (verse 37)—over the ten northern tribes. But Ahijah added that the same covenant stipulations that had applied to Solomon would also apply to Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 2:3; 6:12–13). Then Ahijah added a significant comment: I will humble David’s descendants because of this (Solomon’s sin), but not forever (verse 39). The division of Solomon’s kingdom did humble David’s descendants: it cut their territory in half. But their humbled state would not last forever; one day the kingdom would be reunited under a Son of David yet to come, Jesus Christ (see Ezekiel 37:15–28; Hosea 3:4–5; Amos 9:11–12).
40 Solomon somehow learned that Jeroboam was planning to rule over the northern tribes; perhaps Jeroboam had started a rebellion without waiting for Solomon to die. In any event, Solomon forced Jeroboam to flee to Egypt, which at that time had a new king named Shishak.58
Solomon’s Death (11:41–43)
(2 Chronicles 9:29–31)
41–43 Here the writer briefly notes the length of Solomon’s reign, forty years, and his burial in Jerusalem. He also cites one of the historical documents from which he compiled his books of 1 and 2 Kings: the book of the annals of Solomon.59
Solomon’s life and death teaches us one thing above all: it is our relationship with God that brings lasting success, not our ability or wisdom. Solomon lost his relationship with God, and at the end of his life he realized that, apart from God, everything was meaningless (Ecclesiastes 12:8). Solomon’s final words to us are these: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13).