God’s lessons from history
An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the Book of 1 Kings
Philip Smith
This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.
Words in boxes are from the Bible. In the Bible text, words in [ ] are part of the Bible text. Words in ( ) are explanations.
A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.
We do not know who wrote the books. Some people say that Jeremiah did. He lived just before Jerusalem’s enemies overcame the city. 2 Kings 24:18-25:30 is the same as Jeremiah chapter 52. There is nothing about Jeremiah in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings. However, Jeremiah went to Egypt. 2 Kings ends with the events in Babylon. An unknown *prophet in Babylon probably wrote both 1 Kings and 2 Kings.
The writer or writers used a lot of information from other books. These books probably included Isaiah, Jeremiah and Chronicles. The book refers to an unknown book called the ‘Book of the acts of Solomon.’ It also mentions the ‘Books of the chronicles of the kings of *Israel and *Judah’. (A chronicle is a record of events in the order in which they happened.) It also uses collections of stories about the *prophets Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah and Isaiah.
The author gave a message. He did not just write history. He follows what the Book of Deuteronomy taught. Deuteronomy contains God’s law for his people. It directs how they should live. But most of the kings in *Judah and *Israel did not obey these instructions. (In fact, none of the kings in the northern *kingdom (called *Israel) were good kings.) And when the kings were evil, most of the people in their *kingdoms became evil too.
For example, the Book of Deuteronomy explains how the people should *worship God. But most kings and most people did not want to *worship the real God. They preferred to *worship images of false gods. Much of this evil *worship had a relationship with sex. People believed that such gods would give them large families and successful farms. And agriculture was very important in *Judah and *Israel.
So the kings and the people neglected the *worship of the real God. But there were important exceptions. *Judah had some good kings. And these kings had a good effect on their entire nation. In fact, Hilkiah the chief priest rediscovered the Book of Deuteronomy in the *Temple when Josiah was king (2 Kings chapter 22). Then Josiah stopped the *worship of false gods. He taught the people to obey God. And Josiah himself obeyed God completely. But Josiah’s son would be an evil king.
Deuteronomy taught the people about God’s laws. God intended his people to obey his laws and his *covenant. He intended that they would make his *worship pure. If they did, they would receive *blessing. If not, they would suffer a terrible punishment (Deuteronomy chapter 28).
The Books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings tell us about a period of nearly 400 years. This was from the time when David died to the *exile in Babylon. In 930 *B.C. (years before Christ) the *kingdom divided into two parts. This happened after the death of Solomon. This is the most important event in the book.
There is more about the northern kings (*Israel) than about the southern kings (*Judah.) The author writes a great deal about the kings who affected the religion of the country. He does not say much about the other kings. For example, he says a lot about Ahab who made people *worship *Baal. He says very little about Ahab’s father Omri, who was a much better king.
The author also says a lot about the *prophets, in particular Elijah and Elisha. He explains why God allowed his people to go into *exile. The book speaks badly about the people in the northern *kingdom. They did not give honour to God at Jerusalem. The kings of the southern *kingdom either obeyed or did not obey the laws in Deuteronomy. The book’s opinion of them depends on what they did.
The books describe the history of the kings and queens of *Israel and *Judah. They begin with the last days of David. They include Jeroboam’s revolution, when the *kingdom became divided. And they end with the *exile in Babylon.
After the *kingdom divided, the author writes about each part of the *kingdom in turn.
For example, he describes the rule of a king of *Judah. Then he describes the rule of the king of *Israel. He tells us in which year of one king’s rule the other king’s rule begins. Sometimes these numbers do not match. There are various reasons:
· Sometimes they count the year that a king began to rule as a complete year. In fact, he may have begun his rule part of the way through the year.
· Sometimes two kings ruled at the same time. For example, Uzziah became ill. Then his son ruled while he was still alive.
· Also, the northern and southern *kingdoms began their years in different months. The northern *kingdom began its year in the month called Nisan (March/April.) The southern *kingdom began its year in the month called Tishri (September/October.)
For kings of *Israel, the author adds the name of the capital city where he ruled. He then says how long that king ruled. He also says what that king was like.
For the kings of *Judah, the author mentions the age at which each king started to rule. He also mentions the name of the queen mother (that is, the mother of the king). He tells us if the king obeyed God’s law. And he compares that king with David.
1:1-53 The struggle for power
2:1-12 David gives advice to Solomon. The death of David
2:13-46 Solomon becomes king and he makes himself strong.
3:1-28 Solomon’s wisdom
4:1-34 Solomon’s government and his riches
5:1-7:51 Solomon builds his *temple and his palace.
8:1-66 Solomon gives the *temple to God.
9:1-28 God answers Solomon’s prayer. Solomon’s buildings and trade
10:1-29 The visit of the Queen of Sheba
11:1-43 Solomon loses much of his power and then he dies.
12:1-24 Rehoboam becomes king after Solomon.
12:25-33 Jeroboam *rebels and he persuades the northern *tribes to support him.
13:1-32 Jeroboam appoints priests. A *prophet warns him about *disaster.
13:33-14:20 Ahijah warns Jeroboam’s wife about *disaster. Jeroboam dies.
14:21-31 Egypt attacks Rehoboam. Rehoboam dies.
15:1-8 Abijam, king of *Judah
15:9-24 Asa, king of *Judah
15:25-32 Nadab, king of *Israel
15:33-16:7 Baasha, king of *Israel
16:8-14 Elah, king of *Israel
16:15-20 Zimri, king of *Israel
16:21-28 Omri, king of *Israel
16:29-34 Ahab, king of *Israel
17:1-19:21 God provides for Elijah when there is no rain. Elijah opposes Ahab on *Mount Carmel. Elijah runs away. Elijah appoints Elisha.
20:1-43 Ahab defeats the king of Syria and then makes *peace with him.
21:1-29 Ahab and Naboth’s *vineyard
22:1-40 Ahab’s final war with Syria
22:41 - 2 Kings 1:18 Elijah *challenges Ahaziah.
2:1-25 God takes Elijah to heaven. Elisha becomes a *prophet in his place.
3:1-27 The war with Moab
4:1- 8:15 Elisha’s *miracles
8:16-24 Jehoram, king of *Judah
8:25-29 Ahaziah, king of *Judah
9:1-10:36 Jehu’s revolution. Elisha makes him king. Jehu kills Joram, Ahaziah and Jezebel and the family of Ahab. He removes the *worship of *Baal.
11:1-20 Athaliah, queen of *Judah
11:21-12:21 Joash, king of *Judah; Joash repairs the *temple.
13:1-9 Jehoahaz, king of *Israel
13:10-13 Jehoash, king of *Israel
13:14-25 The death of Elisha
14:1-22 Amaziah, king of *Judah
14:23-29 Jeroboam II, king of *Israel
15:1-7 Azariah (Uzziah), king of *Judah
15:8-31 Revolutions in *Israel
15:32-38 Jotham, king of *Judah
16:1-20 Ahaz, king of *Judah
17:1-41 Assyria *captures the Northern *Kingdom. The author explains why it happened.
18:1-12 Hezekiah, king of *Judah
18:13-19:37 Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem.
20:1-21 God cures Hezekiah. Hezekiah makes a foolish friendship with Babylon. He dies.
21:1-18 Manasseh, king of *Judah
21:19-26 Amon, king of *Judah
22:1-20 Josiah repairs the *temple. Someone discovers the book of the law.
23:1-30 Josiah’s improvements and his death
23:31-35 Jehoahaz, king of *Judah goes into *exile in Egypt
23:36-24:7 Jehoiakim, king of *Judah. The rulers of Babylon take control of *Judah for the first time.
24:8-17 Jehoiachin, king of *Judah. The rulers of Babylon take control of *Judah for the second time.
24:18-25:7 Zedekiah, king of *Judah. Soldiers from Babylon take the people from *Judah into *exile.
25:8-30 Soldiers from Babylon destroy Jerusalem. The *exile.
Solomon would become king after his father, David. But this did not happen easily. Two of Solomon’s older brothers also tried to become king. First, Absalom tried to become king by force (2 Samuel chapter 15). His plan failed and he died. So Adonijah made his plans carefully. He waited until David was very old and weak. Then Adonijah found important people who would support him. He intended to appoint himself as king, even before David was dead.
But David was still alive. And he was still the king. The staff in the palace were still loyal to him. And only David could act to prevent the success of Adonijah’s plans.
v1 King David was now a very old man. He could not keep warm, although his servants covered him with blankets. v2 His servants said to him, ‘Let us find a young woman to stay with you and to take care of you. She will lie close to you so that you can keep warm.’
v3 They looked all over *Israel for a beautiful girl. They found Abishag from Shunem and they brought her to the king. v4 She was very beautiful. And she nursed the king and she waited on him. But he did not have sex with her.
David was now about 70 years old. His servants still respected him as the king. So they did not just choose any woman to carry out this task. They selected a woman who was fit to be a queen. They searched across the whole country to find her. In the end, they chose Abishag to be David’s nurse. She looked after the king. But he was too old and weak to have sex with her. People believed that to keep someone warm in that way was a good medical way to look after that person.
v5 Now Adonijah, the son of David and Haggith, wanted to be king. He got *chariots and horses and 50 men to protect him. v6 His father had never interrupted his plans. He never told him that his behaviour was not acceptable. Adonijah was very handsome. He was born after Absalom.
v7 Adonijah talked with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest. They agreed to support him. v8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the *prophet did not join him. Neither did Shimei and Rei and the men who protected David.
v9 Adonijah then *sacrificed sheep, cows, and young fat *bulls at Snake Rock. This was near En Rogel. He invited all the other sons of David and the king’s officials who were from *Judah. v10 But he did not invite Solomon, Nathan the *prophet, Benaiah or the men who protected the king.
Adonijah, the fourth son of David decided to become king. He was very handsome. Absalom, one of Adonijah’s brothers had killed his older brother Amnon. And Joab had killed Absalom. We do not know what happened to his other brother. Adonijah was the oldest son who was still alive. Therefore, he thought that he should become king. He made plans. His intentions were clear. Our translation mentions the 50 men who would protect him. But these men were not merely guards. In the original language, the book says that they would run ahead of him. In other words, they would declare him to be king.
It seems that David heard about these plans. But David did nothing to prevent them. Probably David felt too weak to stop the plot. And Adonijah had already become very powerful.
Adonijah knew that his father would die soon. So Adonijah made plans for a ceremony where he would declare himself to be the new king. Joab and Abiathar joined him. In past times, they had helped David. They did not ask God what they should do. Perhaps they did not care what God wanted them to do. Perhaps Abiathar was angry because Zadok was chief priest. Perhaps Joab was angry because Benaiah was important in the army.
Joab had been the loyal captain of David’s army. But Joab was always a selfish and cruel man. David allowed Joab to be powerful because he (David) could not control Joab (2 Samuel 3:39). Like Adonijah, Joab’s ambitions were very strong. Neither man cared about God’s plans. They always chose to follow their own plans.
Many of David’s men did not support Adonijah. Adonijah arranged a *religious meal. He probably burnt the fat of the animals and shared the meat with his guests. He did this to encourage other people to support him. He offered *sacrifices to God. People would then think that he wanted to serve God. He did not invite Solomon, Nathan or Benaiah. Some people think that he intended to kill them later.
v11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. ‘Perhaps you have not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has made himself king. King David does not know anything about it. v12 Let me advise you how you can save your life and the life of Solomon. v13 Go to King David and say, “Your *Majesty, you promised me that my son Solomon would be king after you. Why then has Adonijah become king?” v14 While you are still talking to the king, I will come in. And I will give evidence that you are telling the truth.’
Nathan warned Bathsheba about the danger. He realised that Adonijah might kill both her and Solomon. Therefore, he advised Bathsheba to tell the king what Adonijah was doing. He would then come in. He would tell David that her story was true. Nathan knew that God wanted Solomon to be king.
Nathan was an important *prophet. When Solomon was born, God sent a special message to David by means of Nathan. God had chosen Solomon for a special purpose (2 Samuel 12:24-25).
Somehow, Nathan realised that Adonijah’s plans were wrong. Perhaps God had spoken to Nathan. Perhaps Nathan remembered the message that God gave him at Solomon’s birth. Or perhaps Nathan realised that Adonijah’s attitudes were wrong. Adonijah did not respect his father. And Adonijah did not respect God’s special plans for Solomon’s life.
So Nathan sent Bathsheba to David. David was weak. He would find an official meeting difficult. But Bathsheba, whom David still loved, could persuade David to act. Even in his weak state, he still had complete authority as king. His commands would be enough to stop Adonijah’s plot.
v15 Bathsheba went to see the old king in his room. Abishag from Shunem was looking after him. v16 Bathsheba got on her knees in front of the king.
‘What do you want?’ the king asked.
v17 She said, ‘Your *Majesty, you promised me this in the name of the *Lord your God. “Solomon your son shall become king after me.” v18 But Adonijah has become king and you do not know about it. v19 He has made a *sacrifice of many cows, sheep and fat young *bulls. He invited your sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the leader of the army. However, he did not invite Solomon, who is loyal to you. v20 Your *Majesty, all the people in *Israel are waiting for you. They want you to tell them who will be the next king. v21 If you do not, then this will happen. As soon as you are dead, Adonijah will deal with Solomon and me as criminals.’
Bathsheba immediately went to the king. She showed him great honour. Then she reminded him about his promise to make Solomon king after him. She told him what Adonijah had done. Adonijah did not want Solomon to become king. The fact that he had not invited Solomon to the ceremony showed that.
In fact, she explained, Adonijah was already acting as king. And Adonijah had plans to kill both Solomon and Bathsheba. Then nobody would have any reason to oppose him.
But now, the people in *Israel were waiting. They were waiting to see what would happen. They still respected David’s authority. They wanted to know whether David would allow Adonijah to become king.
So Bathsheba asked David to act immediately. He could declare Solomon to be the next king. And David’s officials could appoint Solomon immediately. They did not need to wait for David’s death. Solomon could begin his rule at once.
v22 She was still speaking to the king when Nathan the *prophet arrived. v23 The king’s servants told him that Nathan was there. Nathan went in and *bowed down in front of the king.
v24 Nathan said, ‘Your *Majesty, have you announced that Adonijah will be the next king after you? v25 Today he has gone and *sacrificed many cows, sheep and fat young *bulls. He invited all your sons, the leaders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Just now, they are having a large meal and they are saying, “We pray that King Adonijah will live for a long time!” v26 But he did not invite Zadok the priest or Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He did not invite Solomon or me, but we are still loyal to you. v27 Is this something that your *Majesty has done? You have not told your loyal servants who will be king after you.’
v28 So King David said, ‘Ask Bathsheba to come back in.’ So she came and she stood in front of him. v29 Then he said to her, ‘I promise you this by the living God who has rescued me from all my troubles. v30 Today I will *keep the promise that I made to you. I made it in the name of the *Lord, the God of *Israel. Solomon your son will be king after me.’
v31 Bathsheba *bowed low on her knees in front of the king and she said, ‘I pray that King David will live for a long time.’
Nathan told David what had happened. The crowds had shouted. ‘We pray that King Adonijah will live for a long time.’ They did this as if David was already dead. Nathan asked David a question. Had he announced that Adonijah would be king? He knew that this would make David angry. Therefore, David would act quickly. David immediately called for Bathsheba. He promised her that Solomon would be king. David would not delay. He would act at once to perform his promise.
v32 King David said, ‘Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the *prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.’ When they came in, v33 he said to them, ‘Take my servants with you and put Solomon on my own *mule. Take him down to the fountain at Gihon. v34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the *prophet will pour oil upon his head and they will make him king. Blow the *trumpet and shout this. “We pray that King Solomon will live for a long time.” v35 Then you must follow him here. He must sit on my royal seat and be king instead of me. I have chosen him to rule over *Israel and *Judah.’
v36 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada answered the king. ‘I pray that it will be so. I pray that the *Lord your God will say so too! v37 The *Lord has been with your *Majesty. And we pray that he will be with Solomon in the same way. We pray that God will make his rule even greater than your rule.’
v38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the *prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada left. They went down with the men called Kerethites and the men called Pelethites (the king’s special guards). They put Solomon on David’s *mule. And they went with him to Gihon. v39 Zadok the priest took the oil which he brought from the tent of the *Lord’s *presence. He poured the oil on Solomon’s head. Then they blew the *trumpet. All the people shouted, ‘We pray that King Solomon will live for a long time.’ v40 All the people went up after him. They shouted for joy and they played instruments. They made enough noise to shake the ground.
David ordered Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah to make Solomon king immediately. Benaiah agreed with this. He believed that God wanted Solomon to be king. He wanted God to say so! He prayed that God would *bless Solomon’s rule. He prayed that Solomon’s rule would be even greater than David’s rule. By human standards, Solomon’s rule was greater. By *spiritual standards, it was not. Jesus was the son of David who had the best *spiritual rule.
Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah went down together with the men called Kerethites and Pelethites to Gihon. The Kerethites and Pelethites were special guards who came from Crete and from Philistia. They were soldiers whom people paid to protect the king. Zadok took the *holy oil from the tent that David had erected in Jerusalem. (The *Covenant Box was in this tent.) He poured this oil on Solomon’s head and all the people shouted with joy.
This special ceremony with the oil is called an ‘anointing’. It showed how God’s Spirit was acting to appoint Solomon as the king (1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 16:12-13). Adonijah was trying to appoint himself as the king. But God, by his Spirit, appointed Solomon. Jesus has the name ‘Christ’, which means: ‘He who has received the anointing’. See Acts 10:38.
Solomon received this anointing at the same time as Adonijah’s guests were finishing their party.
v41 Adonijah and his guests heard the noise as they were finishing their party. When Joab heard the sound of the *trumpet, Joab asked, ‘What is the meaning of all the noise in the city?’
v42 Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest arrived while Joab was speaking. Adonijah said, ‘Come in. A good man like you will be bringing good news.’
v43 ‘No’, said Jonathan. ‘His *Majesty King David has made Solomon king. v44 He sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the *prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He also sent the men called Kerethites and Pelethites with him. They have put Solomon on the king’s *mule. v45 Zadok the priest and Nathan the *prophet made him king at Gihon. Then they went into the city and they shouted for joy. Now the whole city is full of noise. That is what you can hear. v46 Also, Solomon has sat down on the royal seat. v47 Also, the royal officials have gone to give honour to King David. They have said, “We pray that your God will make Solomon’s name more famous than yours. We pray that his rule will be greater than your rule!” Then the king *bowed in *worship on his bed. v48 He said, “I give honour to the *Lord, the God of *Israel. He has allowed me to see one of my *descendants as king today.” ’
Zadok made Solomon king before Adonijah and his guests had finished their large meal. Joab was very afraid when he heard the sound of the *trumpet. Adonijah thought that Jonathan had come with good news. Instead Jonathan told him that Zadok and Nathan had made Solomon king. Solomon had ridden on the king’s *mule. This was a clear *sign that he was now king. He also sat on the king’s royal seat. King David was glad that Solomon was king. Now Adonijah knew that he would not become king.
v49 Then Adonijah’s guests were all afraid. They got up and they left. v50 But Adonijah was afraid of Solomon. Adonijah went and he held on to the corner of the *altar. v51 People told King Solomon that Adonijah was afraid of him. He had held on to the corners of the *altar. He had asked King Solomon to promise that he would not kill him. v52 Solomon replied, ‘If he is loyal, I will not touch a hair of his head. (In other words, I will not hurt him even slightly.) But if he is not, he will die.’ v53 Then King Solomon sent men to fetch Adonijah from the *altar. Adonijah *bowed to King Solomon. Solomon said to him, ‘Go to your home.’
Adonijah’s guests left quickly. They were afraid that people would punish them. This was because they had helped Adonijah. Adonijah went to hold the corners of the *altar. Exodus 21:14 says that a person would be safe there. However, that was only true if they had not intended to kill someone.
Although Adonijah intended to kill Solomon, Adonijah was not yet guilty of murder. But Adonijah was guilty of other crimes. He had not respected his father, David. Instead, Adonijah had even plotted a revolution against him. David and Solomon were kings whom God had appointed. So when Adonijah tried to appoint himself to be king, he was acting against God. So Adonijah was plotting to destroy God’s purposes.
Adonijah’s actions were terrible, but Solomon decided not to make a judgement about Adonijah’s crimes. Instead, Solomon was wise. He made a sensible political decision. He knew that many people liked Adonijah. So Solomon simply told Adonijah that he must be loyal. If Adonijah obeyed, he would not die.
It is interesting to compare this situation with our *forgiveness in Christ. Solomon did not really forgive Adonijah. But Solomon gave Adonijah the opportunity to avoid punishment. However, Jesus promises us complete *forgiveness and *mercy if we put our trust in him. We must also be loyal to him. 2 Timothy 2:12-13 says, ‘But we must not say that we do not know Christ. Because then he will also say that he does not know us. If we turn away from him, he will never turn away from us. He cannot do anything that is against his own nature.’ Hebrews 3:14 says, ‘We are partners with Christ, if we trust him to the end. We must trust him to the end, as we did at first.’
Solomon was now the king. But before David died, he gave some special instructions to Solomon. David told Solomon to respect God and to obey his laws. That is a very important lesson for anyone who has authority. A king might make laws for other people to follow. But even a king must obey God’s laws.
v1 When David was near death, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon. v2 ‘I will die soon like everyone else’, David said. ‘Be strong and confident. v3 Do what the *Lord your God orders you to do. Obey all his laws and commands. These are in the book of the Law of Moses. Then wherever you go, you will be successful in all your actions. You will be successful wherever you go. v4 Then God will *keep the promise that he made to me. He told me that my *descendants would always rule *Israel. This would happen if they were careful to obey his commands with all their heart and *soul.’
David is telling Solomon what to do after he dies. Solomon must obey the laws of God that Moses wrote in the Book of Deuteronomy. If Solomon did so, then he would succeed. God had promised David that his *descendants would rule *Israel. This would only happen if they obeyed all his commands.
v5 ‘Now you know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me’, David continued. ‘He killed the two leaders of *Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them in a time of *peace with an act of war. Joab wore his belt and shoes that had the stains of their blood on them. v6 Deal with him wisely. Do not let him die in *peace. v7 Be kind to the family of Barzillai from Gilead. Let them eat with you and share your goods. They helped me when I had to escape from your brother Absalom. v8 Remember that you have with you Shimei, son of Gera, the *descendant of Benjamin. He lived in Bahurim. He *cursed me in an angry way when I went to Mahanaim. However, later I met him at the River Jordan. I promised him this in the name of the *Lord. “I will not kill you.” v9 But now, do not let him go without punishment. You are a wise man. You know what to do. Kill him.’
v10 Then David died. They buried him in David’s city. v11 He ruled *Israel for 40 years. He ruled 7 years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem. v12 So Solomon became king instead of his father. And his rule became strong.
In the ancient world, kings did not just lead the government. They were also the chief judges in their *kingdoms. Fair judgements in the law courts are essential in any country.
David had been a good king. But he was aware that, sometimes, he had not been a good judge. In particular, there were two men whom he ought to have punished. But he was too weak to punish them. And there was one family that deserved special honour. David felt that he had not sufficiently rewarded that family.
David had not been able to carry out these judgements himself. But he saw that Solomon would be a wise king. The beginning of Solomon’s rule would be a good opportunity to act.
David told Solomon that he should kill Joab and Shimei. These were powerful men who had done evil things. But they had managed to avoid punishment.
Joab had killed Abner (2 Samuel chapter 3) and Amasa (2 Samuel chapter 20). He had pretended to be their friend. Afterwards, he wore the belt and shoes that had stains of blood on them. This showed that he was not sorry for his actions. Also, he was not afraid of any punishment. David should have killed Joab himself, but David was not bold enough to do so. David told Solomon that he should kill Joab.
Barzillai was a very old man who gave food to David and his army. David tells Solomon to help Barzillai’s family as a reward. Perhaps Barzillai himself was dead.
Shimei *cursed and threw stones at David. That was when David ran away from Absalom. Kings usually killed people who *cursed them. Shimei later asked David to forgive him. David promised that he would not kill him (2 Samuel chapter 19). It seems that David considered his promise to be unwise. Shimei deserved punishment. David told Solomon that he should kill Shimei. David did not want Solomon to punish Shimei because of what Shimei had done to David personally. But it was God who appointed David to be the king. So a *curse on the king was like a *curse on God. Solomon must punish Shimei.
They buried David in his own city after he had ruled *Israel for 40 years. He achieved many things during his life. He loved God with his whole heart. He was a great king.
v13 Adonijah, son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked him, ‘Is this a friendly visit?’
He answered, ‘Yes it is.’ v14 Then he added, ‘I want to ask you something.’
‘You may’, she replied.
v15 ‘You know this’, he said. ‘I should have become king. Everyone in *Israel expected it. However, things changed and my brother has become king. This is what the *Lord wanted. v16 Now I want to request one thing. Please do not say “No.” ’
‘You may ask’, Bathsheba said.
v17 He answered, ‘Please ask King Solomon to let me have Abishag from Shunem as my wife. He will agree if you ask.’
v18 ‘Very well’, Bathsheba replied. ‘I will speak to the king for you.’
Adonijah wanted to marry Abishag. She had been like David’s mistress. But now David was dead. Abishag was a beautiful young widow.
However, Adonijah had another reason for his request. If he married David’s widow, Adonijah would have the right to be king. There was an ancient custom that a new king had the right to marry the former king’s wives. But God’s law did not allow this.
Adonijah hoped that Bathsheba would help him. He pretended to be pleased that Solomon was king. Adonijah would marry Abishag although he was not king. It was surprising that Bathsheba was happy about his request. She probably did not realise that such a marriage would affect Solomon’s authority. Perhaps she thought that it was a good solution. Perhaps she thought that she was helping Solomon. Adonijah might respect Solomon more, if Solomon was kind to him.
v19 Bathsheba went to Solomon to speak about Adonijah’s request. The king stood up to greet her and he bent down. Then he sat down on his royal seat. People fetched a royal seat for the king’s mother. She sat down at his right side.
v20 ‘I want to make a small request’, she said. ‘Please do not say “No.” ’
The king replied, ‘Ask, mother. I will not refuse.’
v21 So she said, ‘Please let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag from Shunem.’
v22 ‘You should certainly not ask me to give Abishag from Shunem to Adonijah’, answered Solomon. ‘You might as well ask me to give him the *kingdom. He can claim that right because he is my older brother. Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah are on his side.’
v23 Then Solomon made a serious promise in the *Lord’s name. ‘Adonijah will die because of this request. If not, I pray that God will punish me severely. v24 The *Lord has made me king after my father David. He has given the *kingdom to me and to my *descendants, as he promised. I promise by the *Lord who lives. Adonijah will die today.’ v25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. He went out and killed Adonijah.
Solomon gave Bathsheba the place of honour at his right side. She did not seem to have understood the meaning of Adonijah’s request. Solomon did, however. He immediately ordered Benaiah to kill Adonijah. Solomon would not be safe as long as Adonijah lived.
Probably, Solomon did not want to kill his brother. But Solomon saw that Adonijah would never be loyal to him. So Solomon had to act in a firm manner.
Sometimes as Christians, we too must act in a firm manner. In particular, we must make a firm decision not to allow *sin to control our lives. In Romans 8:13, Paul says this: ‘If you follow your *sinful character you will die. But if by the *Spirit you kill the *sins of the body you will live.’ We must make God the ruler of our lives. Our *sinful character must not rule our lives.
v26 The king told Abiathar the priest to go back home to work on his farm in Anathoth. ‘You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now. You used to carry God’s *Covenant Box while you were with my father David. You shared all my father’s troubles.’ v27 So Solomon punished Abiathar. He would no longer be a priest of the *Lord. So what the *Lord had said at Shiloh about the family of Eli came true.
Both Abiathar and Joab had helped Adonijah. Solomon only sent Abiathar home. He did not kill him. This was because Abiathar had helped David in his troubles. He had also been a priest to him. Solomon knew that he must respect God’s priests. However, God had told Eli that his sons would no longer be priests. This was because of their *sins (1 Samuel chapter 2). Abiathar was the last priest from the family of Eli. The new priests were from Zadok’s family.
v28 Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom. He ran to the tent of the *Lord when he heard the news about Abiathar. Joab held on to the corners of the *altar. v29 King Solomon heard that Joab had run to the tent. He was next to the *altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah the son of Jehoiada to kill Joab.
v30 So Benaiah entered the *Lord’s tent and spoke to Joab. ‘The king says, “Come out!” ’
But Joab answered, ‘No, I will die here.’ Benaiah told the king what his answer was.
v31 Then the king ordered Benaiah. ‘Do as he says. Kill him and bury him. Then my father’s family and I will not be guilty of the deaths of the innocent people whom he killed. v32 The *Lord will punish him for those murders. He killed two men without David’s knowledge. Abner son of Ner was the leader of *Israel’s army. Amasa son of Jether was the leader of *Judah’s army. Both men were innocent. And they were better men than Joab was. v33 The punishment for their murders will fall on Joab and his *descendants for always. But David, his *descendants, his family and his *kingdom will enjoy the *Lord’s *peace for always.’
v34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada killed Joab. He buried him at his home in the desert. v35 The king made Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, the leader of the army instead of Joab. He made Zadok the priest instead of Abiathar.
Joab held on to the corners of the *altar. He thought that he would be safe there. Solomon did not kill Adonijah at the time when he went to the *altar for protection (1:51-53). Perhaps Joab hoped that Solomon would be unwilling to kill anyone at such a *holy place. But Joab’s support for Adonijah was not his only crime. The *altar did not protect those who had murdered other people. David did not order Solomon to kill Joab because of his (Joab’s) support for Adonijah. David ordered Solomon to kill Joab because Joab was a murderer.
So Solomon carried out his father’s orders and he made *peace for himself and his family. Now nobody would say that David and his family supported Joab’s murders.
Joab believed that to hold the *altar would keep him safe. He was wrong. The Christian who trusts Christ for *forgiveness will be safe. He will enjoy God’s *peace now and for always.
v36 Then the king sent for Shimei. This is what he said to him. ‘Build a house in Jerusalem and live there. Do not go anywhere else. v37 Do not leave the city and cross the valley called Kidron. If you do, you will die. You will be responsible for your own death.’
v38 Shimei replied, ‘I agree with your decision. I will do what you say.’ So, he stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
v39 But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish, son of Maacah king of Gath. People told him, ‘Your slaves are in Gath.’ v40 So he got on his *mule. And he went to Achish at Gath in order to find his slaves. He found them and he brought them back.
v41 And Solomon heard what Shimei had done. v42 He sent for him and spoke to him. ‘I made you promise in the *Lord’s name not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you. “If you go anywhere else you will certainly die.” You agreed and you promised to obey me. v43 But now you have not *kept the promise that you made to the *Lord. And you have not obeyed me.’ v44 The king also said to Shimei, ‘You know all the wrong things that you did to my father David. Now the *Lord will punish you for it. v45 But the *Lord will *bless King Solomon and he will make David’s family’s rule certain for always.’
v46 Then Solomon ordered Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, to kill Shimei. He did so.
Solomon was now in complete control.
Solomon ordered Shimei to stay in his own house in Jerusalem. However, when two of his slaves ran away, Shimei left Jerusalem. He found them in Gath and he brought them back. When Solomon heard about this event, he sent for Shimei. He told him that he would punish him. This punishment was also for what he had done to Solomon’s father David. So Benaiah killed Shimei. Solomon said that God would *bless King Solomon. The *curse that Shimei had put upon David could have no effect (2 Samuel 16:7-8).
David knew that Solomon would need wisdom to deal with Shimei. If Solomon had killed Shimei at once, Solomon would have seemed cruel. And Solomon would seem to be acting without honour. David had promised that Shimei would live. So Solomon, who was David’s son, should continue to perform that promise.
Solomon dealt with Shimei in a similar manner to how he dealt with Adonijah. Solomon did not punish either man immediately. Instead, he tested them to see whether they were loyal. So Solomon asked Shimei to promise not to leave Jerusalem. Shimei promised this in the *Lord’s name. So the promise was a sacred, serious promise. But Shimei did not *keep that promise. To *break such a promise was a serious crime. Shimei deserved his punishment.
v1 Solomon made an agreement with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter. Solomon brought her to live in David’s city. She lived there until he finished the construction of his palace. He also wanted to finish the *temple of the *Lord and the wall round Jerusalem.
v2 The people still made *sacrifices at different *altars on the mountains. This was because he had not yet built a *temple for the *Lord. v3 Solomon loved the *Lord and he obeyed the commands of his father David. However, he *sacrificed animals and he burned *incense on different *altars. v4 The king went to Gibeon to *sacrifice. That was the most important place for *worship. Solomon offered 1000 *burnt offerings upon the *altar.
Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter. This was probably a political arrangement. Solomon was a skilled politician. The Pharaohs were the most powerful kings in the region. This marriage meant that *Israel would be at peace with Egypt. However, it was against God’s law for Solomon to marry a foreigner. In the end, Solomon would suffer many troubles because of such marriages.
Pharaoh gave the town called Gezer to Solomon. (See chapter 9:16.) This gave Solomon control of some routes for trade. This would help him to get the materials that he needed for the new buildings in Jerusalem. The princess lived in the old city at Jerusalem. Solomon built her palace 20 years later.
There ought to have been only one place where people went to offer *sacrifices (Leviticus 17:3-4). However, Solomon and other people offered *sacrifices on high hills. Many of these places were where people had *sacrificed to other gods. This was wrong. Solomon did not always obey the commands in the Book of Deuteronomy. The tent of meeting that Moses had made was at Gibeon. God allowed Solomon to *worship there. Solomon showed his love for God by means of a special, large *sacrifice.
v5 At Gibeon, the *Lord spoke to Solomon during the night, by means of a dream. ‘What would you like me to give you?’ he asked.
v6 Solomon gave this answer. ‘You were very kind to your servant my father David. He was loyal to you; and he was good and honourable. You continued this kindness. You have given him a son who today rules in his place. v7 Now *Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king instead of my father David. However, I am very young and I do not know how to rule. v8 I, your servant, am here among the people that you have chosen. There are so many people that nobody can count them. v9 Please give me, your servant, the wisdom to rule your people. Help me to know the difference between right things and wrong things. Otherwise, I will never be able to rule your great people.’
After Solomon had given honour to God, God spoke to him in a dream. In reply, Solomon reminded God of his kindness to David and to himself. He recognised that he did not have much experience. (He was probably about 20 years old.) He knew that *Israel was a large nation. He therefore asked God to give him wisdom. Then he would make the right decisions when he ruled the nation.
Solomon was already a wise man (chapter 2:9). And he was a skilled politician (verse 1). That is, he had both human wisdom and political wisdom. But here, he was asking God for something more. He did not want his decisions to be merely the result of his natural wisdom. He wanted to have *spiritual wisdom. Our translation says ‘wisdom’ in verse 9. In the original language, the words are ‘a heart that hears’. Solomon wanted to hear from God. Then, like David his father, Solomon would do what God wanted him to do.
v10 The *Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. v11 So God said to him, ‘You have asked for wisdom to rule in a fair way. You have not asked for long life or wealth or the death of your enemies. v12 So I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom than anyone has ever had before you. Nobody will ever have so much wisdom again. v13 I will also give you what you have not asked for. You will have wealth and honour, more than that of any other king. v14 Obey me. And obey my laws like your father David did. If you do, I will give you a long life.’
v15 Then Solomon woke up. He realised that it had been a dream. He went back to Jerusalem and he stood in front of the *Lord’s *Covenant Box. He offered *burnt offerings and *fellowship offerings to the *Lord. Then he gave a large meal for all his officials.
God was pleased that Solomon asked for wisdom rather than wealth. Because of that, God knew that he could trust Solomon with wealth as well. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, ‘Search for God’s *kingdom. Learn what he wants you to do. He will provide you with all the other things.’
God gave Solomon wisdom because he asked for it. He gave him wealth because he did not ask for it. God promised Solomon a long life if he obeyed God’s commands. But Solomon did not do this. As a result, he died when he was only 60 years old.
After his dream, Solomon went back to Jerusalem and he gave honour to God. He also *celebrated with his officials.
v16 One day, two prostitutes came to see the king. (Prostitutes are people who offer themselves for sex with someone in return for money.) These two women stood in front of the king. v17 One of them said, ‘Your *Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. v18 Two days after my child was born she also gave birth to a boy. Only two of us were in the house. There was nobody else. v19 During the night, this woman’s baby died because she lay on him. v20 So she got up during the night while I was asleep. She took my son from my side and she put him by her breast. Then she put her dead son by my breast. v21 The next morning, I got up to feed my baby and I found him dead. But I looked more closely. Then I saw that he was not my child.’
v22 The other woman said ‘No. The child who is alive is my son. The dead child is your son.’ The first woman answered, ‘No. The dead one is your son. The one who is alive is my son.’
So they argued in front of the king.
v23 The king said, ‘This woman says, “My son is alive and yours is dead.” That one says, “No. Your son is dead and my son is alive.” v24 Then the king said, ‘Bring me a sword.’ So they brought a sword for the king. v25 Then the king gave an order. ‘Cut the child who is alive in two. Give each woman half of it.’
v26 The woman whose son was alive was full of love for him. She said to the king, ‘Please, your *Majesty, do not kill the child. Give her the baby.’
But the other woman said, ‘Do not give him to either of us. Cut him in two.’
v27 Then Solomon said, ‘Do not kill the child. Give him to the first woman. She is his real mother.’
v28 When all the *Israelites heard King Solomon’s decision, they respected him. They saw that God had given him wisdom. He would be a good judge.
This story gives an example of Solomon’s wisdom. It is evidence that God answered Solomon’s prayer. Solomon does not merely show human wisdom here. It seemed impossible to decide who was the real mother. Both women seemed to be arguing the same thing. But God showed Solomon what to do. So Solomon knew that the real mother would love the child. She would not want to see someone kill it. She would rather let the other mother have it. This event shows that God was directing Solomon’s judgements.
This judgement impressed the whole nation. They saw that God had given wisdom to their king.
Paul prayed that God might give the Christians at Ephesus the *spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17). James said, ‘Anyone who does not have wisdom should ask God.’ He also said, ‘The wisdom that comes from heaven is in the first place pure. It loves *peace. It is gentle and friendly. It cares about other people. It does good actions’ (James 1:5; 3:17).
This chapter shows how successful Solomon’s rule was. The country was wealthy. It was at peace. The farms were successful. Food and drink were plentiful. People lived good lives. Other nations respected Solomon. Some of those nations paid taxes to him.
The Bible said that people will know such a good and peaceful time again. This will happen when Jesus returns to this world. See Isaiah chapter 55. But, of course, Solomon’s rule was not perfect. Jesus’ rule will be perfect. And it will continue beyond the end of time.
v1 Solomon ruled over all *Israel. v2 These were his chief officials.
· The priest was Azariah son of Zadok.
· v3 The official writers for the king were Elihoreph and Ahijah sons of Shisha.
· Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud wrote down the records.
· v4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in command of the army.
· Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
· v5 Azariah son of Nathan was in command of the officers of each district.
· Zabud son of Nathan was a priest who also gave personal advice to the king.
· v6 Ahishar controlled the palace.
· Adoniram son of Abda controlled slave labour.
Many of these people were officials when David was king. We are not sure if ‘Nathan’ was the *prophet or Nathan the son of David. Unlike his son Rehoboam (see chapter 12), Solomon took advice from men who had experience.
v7 Solomon also had 12 rulers of districts over all *Israel. They supplied food for the king and his family, officials and servants. Each ruler had to provide enough food for one month in the year. v8 These are their names:
· Benhur ruled in the hill country of Ephraim.
· v9 Bendeker ruled the cities called Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan.
· v10 Benhesed ruled the cities called Arubboth and Socoh and all the territory of Hepher.
· v11 Benabinadab married Solomon’s daughter Taphath. He ruled the whole region called Dor.
· v12 Baana son of Ahilud ruled the cities called Taanach, Megiddo and all the region called Beth Shan. This was near the town called Zarethan, south of the town called Jezreel. The whole area was as far as the city called Abel Meholah and the city called Jokmeam.
· v13 Bengeber ruled the city called Ramoth in Gilead. He also ruled the villages in Gilead that belonged to the family of Jair. Jair was a *descendant of Manasseh. He also ruled the district of Argob in Bashan. Its 60 cities had walls and metal gates.
· v14 Ahinadab son of Iddo ruled the district called Mahanaim.
· v15 Ahimaaz, who had married Basemath, another daughter of Solomon, ruled the region called Naphtali.
· v16 Baana son of Hushai ruled the region called Asher and the town called Bealoth.
· v17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah ruled the territory of Issachar.
· v18 Shimei son of Ela ruled the territory of Benjamin.
· v19 Geber son of Uri ruled the territory of Gilead. [This was the land that Sihon and Og used to rule. Sihon was the king of the people called *Amorites. And Og was the king of Bashan.] Geber was the only ruler over the district.
The districts were not quite the same as the territories of the *tribes. This may be to make sure that each district could produce enough food. However, this may have been one of the events that caused the *kingdom to divide. Note that some of these officials had married into Solomon’s family.
v20 The number of people in *Israel and *Judah was very large. They ate and drank. And they were happy. v21 Solomon ruled over all the *kingdoms from the River Euphrates to the land of the people called Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. These countries paid him taxes and they belonged to his *kingdom all his life. v22 This is the food that Solomon needed each day. He had 5000 litres (1300 gallons) of flour, 10 000 litres of corn, v23 ten fat *cattle and 20 *cattle from the fields. He also had 100 sheep and goats, *deer, *gazelles, small male *deer and fine birds. v24 He ruled over all the *kingdoms west of the River Euphrates. He ruled the territory from Tiphsah as far west as the city called Gaza. He was at peace with all the other countries.
v25 During Solomon’s life, the people in *Judah and *Israel from north to south lived in safety. Each family had its own *grape plants and fig (kind of fruit) trees. v26 Solomon had 4000 places for his *chariot horses to live and 12 000 men to ride his horses. v27 The district rulers supplied food for King Solomon and all who ate with him. They did this in turn each month. They supplied everything that he needed. v28 Each ruler provided his share. He provided barley (a kind of grain) and straw for the *chariot horses and the other horses. They took it wherever Solomon wanted it.
These verses show Solomon’s wealth and the size of the country that he ruled. Psalm 72 speaks about his rule, especially in verses 8-11. That Psalm is also a *prophecy about Jesus’ rule.
Solomon ruled over the entire land that God promised to Abraham. He was the only king to do this. A large number of people lived in his country. Each family had its own home. Everyone had plenty to eat. It was a time of *peace. Rulers of the countries near him paid him taxes and they obeyed him. Some people say that the rule of Solomon is a physical image of the *spiritual rule of Jesus.
v29 God gave Solomon wisdom and knowledge. Solomon’s knowledge was so great that nobody could measure it. v30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men in the East or in Egypt. v31 He was wiser than any other man was. He was wiser than Ethan the son of Zerah was. He was wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol were. His fame spread to all the nations near him. v32 He spoke 3000 proverbs (wise sentences) and he wrote 1005 songs. v33 He spoke about large and small plants. These varied from the *cedar (a tree with sweet smelling wood) of Lebanon to the hyssop (a plant). This plant grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals, birds, things that crawl along and fish. v34 Kings all over the world heard about Solomon’s wisdom and they sent people to listen to him.
The writer describes the greatness of Solomon’s wisdom. He was wiser than people from the countries that were famous for their wisdom. Ethan wrote Psalm 89. We do not know who the other people in verse 31 were. (However, a family with the same names appears in 1 Chronicles 2:6.) Clearly, these people were famous for their wisdom at that time. A proverb is a short sentence that helps people to remember a wise truth. Some of Solomon’s proverbs are in the Book of Proverbs in the Bible. The Song of Solomon is the only one of his songs that we have today. Many of his proverbs are about plants and animals. People came from near and far to hear his wisdom.
Paul says this (in Colossians 2:3). ‘All the valuable things of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ.’ Jesus said about himself that ‘someone greater than Solomon is here’ (Matthew 12:42).
Solomon’s first task as king was the construction of the *temple at Jerusalem. This would be a splendid building to give honour to the *Lord. It would be the only proper place for *worship. And it would replace the tent of meeting that Moses made.
Solomon also had great plans of his own. He would build great palaces and halls in Jerusalem. He would make Jerusalem into a very rich city.
To carry out all these plans, Solomon needed a good supply of fine wood and stone. And he would need thousands of workmen. Solomon used his political skills to make the necessary arrangements.
v1 Hiram, king of Tyre, had always been a friend of David. He heard that Solomon had become king after his father. So he sent people with messages to him. v2 Solomon sent back a message to Hiram. v3 ‘You know that my father David had to fight continuous wars against enemies all round him. The *Lord had not yet given him success over his enemies. Therefore he could not build a *temple to give honour to the *Lord his God. v4 But now the *Lord my God has given me peace on all my borders. I have no enemies and nobody will attack me. v5 So I have decided to build a *temple to give honour to the *Lord my God. The *Lord promised this to my father David. “Your son, whom I will make king after you, will build a *temple for me.” v6 So please order your men to cut down *cedars of Lebanon for me. My men will work with yours. And I will pay your men whatever wages you decide. We do not have anybody who can cut down trees as well as the people in Sidon.’
Hiram had helped David before Solomon was born. Tyre was an important port on the coast to the north of *Israel. Hiram had helped David to build his palace. He had given him wood and he sent men to help him. God did not allow David to build a *temple. But he promised him that his son would build it (1 Chronicles 22:8-10). Solomon asked Hiram for help. He promised to pay him for this help.
v7 Hiram was very pleased when he heard Solomon’s message. He said, ‘I give honour to the *Lord today. He has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.’
v8 So Hiram sent a message to Solomon. ‘I have received your message. And I will do everything that you asked. I will provide *cedar and *pine trees. v9 My men will bring them down from the Lebanon to the sea. And I will float them on rafts (flat boats) by sea to the place that you choose. Then I will unload them and you can take them away. I would like you to provide food for my men.’
v10 So Hiram gave to Solomon all the *cedar and *pine wood that he wanted. v11 Solomon gave to Hiram 2000 tons (2 million kilos) of wheat. He also gave 400 000 litres (100 000 gallons) of *olive oil. These were for food for his men. Solomon did this for Hiram every year. v12 The *Lord gave Solomon wisdom as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon. The two of them made an agreement of friendship.
Hiram agreed to do what Solomon had asked. In addition, he would send the wood by sea, probably to the port called Jaffa. There, Solomon’s men could take it over land to Jerusalem. Solomon supplied Hiram’s men with food as payment. The two kings made a *peace agreement.
v13 King Solomon made 30 000 men work for him. These men came from all over *Israel. v14 He divided them into groups of 10 000 men. They worked for one month in Lebanon and they spent two months back at home. Adoniram controlled them. v15 Solomon also had 80 000 people in the hills to cut stone and 70 000 people to carry it. v16 He had 3300 men to direct the work. v17 At the king’s command they cut large blocks of stone. These were for the foundation (the strong base) of the *temple. v18 Solomon’s and Hiram’s men worked together with men from the city called Byblos. They prepared the stones and wood to build the *temple.
Solomon arranged men to carry out the work. He shared the work among the men in a fair manner. And it seems that they were willing workers. Everyone was excited about the wonderful things that Solomon was doing. During David’s rule, the men had to fight in the army. But during Solomon’s rule, the country had peace. So the men were available for this task. Probably, they were very pleased to be able to build the *temple. It was a great honour to carry out this work for the *Lord.
People who were not *Israelites did some of the work. They cut and carried the stone. Some of this stone was 15 feet (4.5 metres) long. It needed many people to carry it. They used very good stone for the strong base of the *temple.
In Ephesians 2:20 Paul says that Christians are like a *temple. The foundation (strong base of a building) is like the instruction of the apostles and *prophets. (The apostles were the men who first took God’s message about Christ to people.) The most important foundation stone is like Jesus. God was present at the *temple. And God, by his *Spirit, lives in the lives of real Christians.
Solomon acted as the *temple’s architect. But the plans were not his own. He used the plans that David had already made. And David did not design the plans by means of his own imagination. God’s *Spirit put these plans into his mind (1 Chronicles 28:11-12; 1 Chronicles 28:19). Hebrews 9:24 explains the reason for this arrangement. The *temple that Solomon built was a copy of the real *temple in heaven. So the design had to be God’s design. God was using Solomon to carry out his work on earth. And, by means of Solomon’s *temple, God would show his power and his honour.
The *temple was splendid. But few people would see the beauty of its rooms. Only priests entered the main hall. However, the most special place was the inner room. It was called the most *holy place. And only one man, the chief priest, would enter it. Even he could only enter it once each year (Hebrews 9:7).
v1 Solomon began to build the *temple of the *Lord. This was 480 years after the *Israelites had come out of Egypt. He began to build in the 4th year of his rule over *Israel. He started in the second month, the month called Ziv.
v2 So King Solomon built the *temple for the *Lord. The *temple was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide and 45 feet high. (One foot is about 30 centimetres.) v3 The entrance room was in front of the main room of the *temple. The entrance room was 15 feet long and 30 feet wide. It was as wide as the *temple itself. v4 He made windows in the *temple. These were narrow on the outside and wide on the inside. v5 He built rooms onto the sides and back of the *temple. These rooms were three storeys high. Each storey was about 7 and a half feet high. v6 Each room in the lowest storey was 7 and a half feet wide. Each room in the middle storey was 9 feet wide. Each room in the top storey was 10 and half feet wide. The *temple wall on each floor was thinner than on the floor below. So the rooms leaned on the wall. But the builders did not build the beams into the wall itself.
v7 The builders prepared the stones for the *temple at the place where they dug them. Therefore there was no sound from any tools like hammers while they built the *temple.
Solomon began to build the *temple in the year 966 *B.C. This would mean that the people left Egypt in 1447 *B.C. The *temple was a small building by modern standards. It would be a house for God. But it was not like a modern church. It was not a place where a large number of people would *worship. Only the priests would *worship in the *temple, as they carried out their duties. However, the *temple was twice as long and wide as the tent that Moses had erected. They stored goods in the side rooms.
They built the *temple silently. This probably showed that the *temple was different from the buildings of other religions. It was a *holy place, where the God of *peace was present.
v8 The entrance to the lowest storey was on the south side of the *temple. Stairs led up to the middle and top storeys. v9 So King Solomon finished the *temple. He put on a roof that he made with beams and boards of *cedar. v10 He built side rooms all along the *temple. Each room was 7 and a half feet (2.25 metres) high. *Cedar beams joined them to the *temple.
v11 God spoke to Solomon. v12 ‘This is what I will do about this *temple. You must obey all my laws and commands. Then I will carry out through you the promise that I made to David, your father. v13 I will live among the *Israelites. I will never leave them.’
v14 So Solomon finished the *temple.
The staircase wound up from the bottom to the top storey. Solomon made the roof from *cedar wood. The side rooms rested on beams that rested on narrow shelves. The builders attached these shelves to the walls.
God encouraged Solomon to finish the work. He promised Solomon that he would be present with the *Israelites. And God referred to his promise to David. David’s family would always rule *Israel, if they continued to obey him. And that would be God’s promise to Solomon too, if Solomon continued to obey God. The splendid building that Solomon made could not impress God. What mattered to God was the attitude of Solomon’s heart. And if Solomon obeyed God’s law, God would support Solomon and his *kingdom. Hebrews 10:36 says, ‘You need to continue although things are difficult. Then you will receive what God has promised.’
v15 Solomon covered the inner walls with *cedar boards from the floor to the roof. He covered the floor with *pine boards. v16 He built an inner room at the back of the *temple. He called it the most *holy place. It was about 30 feet long. (One foot is about 30 centimetres.) He separated it from the rest of the *temple by *cedar boards from the floor to the roof. v17 The main room in front of this was 60 feet long. v18 The inside of the *temple was *cedar. There were *carvings of flowers and fruits. He completely covered the inside with *cedar. So it was not possible to see the stones in the walls.
v19 At the back of the *temple, Solomon had built the inner room. He prepared that room to be the place for the *Lord’s *Covenant Box. v20 This inner room was 30 feet long, 30 feet high and 30 feet wide. He covered the inside of the room with pure gold. He made an *altar with *cedar. v21 Solomon covered the inside of the *temple with pure gold. He put gold chains across the front of the inner room. He covered this with gold. v22 So he covered the whole of the inside of the *temple with gold. He also covered the *altar in the most *holy place with gold.
Solomon covered the building with *cedar wood. He covered the most *holy place with gold. It contained the box of the *Lord’s *covenant which Moses had made. Inside the box were the stones of the 10 *commandments.
v23 Solomon made two *angels out of *olive wood. He put them in the most *holy place. Each one was about 15 feet high. (One foot is about 30 centimetres.) v24 One wing of the first *angel was 7 and a half feet long. The other wing was also 7 and a half feet long. It was 15 feet from the end of one wing to the end of the other. v25 The second *angel had the same measurements. They were both the same shape and size. v26 Both *angels were 15 feet high. v27 He put the *angels inside the most *holy place of the *temple. Their wings spread out. The wing of one *angel touched one wall. The wing of the other *angel touched the other wall. The other wings touched each other in the middle of the room. v28 He covered the *angels with gold.
v29 He *carved *angels, palm trees (a tree with very big leaves) and flowers on the walls all round the *temple. He did this in both inner and outer rooms. v30 He also covered the floors of both rooms with gold.
The *angels were like guards for the *Covenant Box. They were half of the height of the room. The room was 30 feet (9 metres) high. There were *carvings of *angels, trees and flowers on the walls. They were like pictures of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8). God sent people out of Eden because of their *sin. They could only come near to God if he forgave their *sin. The most *holy place was the place where they offered *sacrifices for *sin. We can only enter heaven if we trust in the *sacrifice of Jesus for our *sin.
v31 Solomon made a double door out of *olive wood. This was at the entrance to the most *holy place. The top and the sides of the doorway formed a shape with 5 sides. v32 He *carved *angels, trees and flowers on the *olive wood doors. He covered the doors, the *angels and the trees with gold. v33 He made a *frame with four sides out of *olive wood. This was for the entrance to the main room. v34 He also made a double door out of *pine. v35 On it he *carved *angels, trees and flowers. And he covered them with gold.
v36 He built an inner *courtyard. It had three rows of stone and one row of *cedar beams.
v37 Solomon laid the foundation (strong base) of the *Lord’s *temple in the month called Ziv. This was in the 4th year of his rule. v38 He finished the *temple in the 8th month, the month called Bul. This was in the 11th year of his rule. He followed all the original plans completely. Solomon took 7 years to build the *temple.
We are not sure what some of the words in these verses mean. People built such a splendid *temple because they recognised the greatness of God. It also taught people that God was with them. It did not keep God in one place. Solomon says this in chapter 8:27.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, tells Christians that they are God’s *temple. The Spirit of God lives in them. In Ephesians 2:19-22, Paul says that the church is the *temple of God. Jesus is the foundation (the strong base). Christians are like the stones of the *temple in which the *Holy Spirit lives.
v1 Solomon took 13 years to build his palace.
v2 The first great hall that he made was called the ‘Hall of the Forest of Lebanon’. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. (One foot is about 30 centimetres.) It had three rows of *cedar columns which supported *cedar beams. v3 He made the roof of *cedar above the beams that the columns supported. There were 45 beams, 15 in each row. v4 The windows were high in sets of three. They were opposite each other. v5 All the doorways had *rectangular *frames. They were in sets of three and they were opposite each other.
v6 The second great hall that Solomon made was called the ‘Hall of Columns’. It was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. In front of it was a roof that had columns to support it.
v7 Solomon also built the ‘Hall of Judgement’. This is where he would sit on his royal seat to act as judge. He covered this hall with *cedar from the floor to the roof.
v8 The palace where he would live was further back. This was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this for the daughter of Pharaoh (king of Egypt). He had married her.
v9 Solomon made all these buildings including the great *courtyard. For all these buildings, he used the finest stone from the base to the roof. His workmen cut the stones to size. And they used a saw to make both the inner and outer surfaces smooth. v10 His workmen laid the foundations (strong bases for the buildings) with large stones of good quality. Some were 15 feet long and some were 12 feet. v11 On top of them were good quality stones, which the workmen had cut to size. There were also *cedar beams. v12 The palace *courtyard had walls with one row of *cedar beams. Then it had three rows of stones, which they had cut. So did the inner *courtyard of the *temple and the entrance room of the *temple.
Solomon took twice as long to build his own house as he did to build the *temple. However, he made sure that he built God’s house first.
Solomon’s own palace had many great halls. The halls had different designs.
· The ‘Hall of the Forest of Lebanon’ used much *cedar wood. That wood came from the forests in Lebanon. The hall received its name because of the use of the wood. The hall was a large room with an impressive design. Solomon kept much gold in this hall. He held great parties here (1 Kings 10:16-17; 10:21).
· The next room was the ‘Hall of Columns’. The columns were a very splendid entrance for the room.
· The ‘Hall of Judgement’ was a very important room. It contained Solomon’s throne (royal seat). Solomon used this throne when he acted as *Israel’s chief judge. The throne itself was magnificent. No other king had ever made such a wonderful throne (1 Kings 10:18-20).
The private rooms where Solomon actually lived were behind these halls. And Solomon built another palace for his wife, who was the daughter of the king of Egypt.
Solomon’s workmen used huge blocks of stone of the best quality to build all these buildings. They prepared the stone before they brought it to Jerusalem. They had to move the stone without any vehicles or motors, of course. The stone had to travel long distances. And Jerusalem is on the top of a mountain. They used carts, horses, and the strength of thousands of workmen.
The most common stone in *Israel is called limestone. There are different types of limestone. But some soft limestones have a useful quality for builders. When people cut this stone at first, it is fairly soft. So, it is easier to make smooth. Later, the weather causes it to become harder.
*Cedar wood is of the best quality. Solomon’s workmen chose very tall trees from the forests in Lebanon. They used some of the wood because of its strength. But they also used the wood for its beauty. In the ‘Hall of Judgement’, they covered the stone walls with wooden boards.
v13 King Solomon asked a man called Huram to come from Tyre. v14 Huram’s father had been a man from Tyre who was a skilled worker in bronze (a brown metal). His mother was a widow from the *tribe of Naphtali. Huram was a very skilled worker in all kinds of work with bronze. He came to Solomon. He did all the work that Solomon asked him to do.
Huram’s mother was a widow from Naphtali so she was an *Israelite. After her husband’s death, she married a man from Tyre who became Huram’s father. Both father and son were good workers with bronze (a brown metal). The *Israelites did not know how to work with metal. So Solomon brought this skilled workmen from Tyre. His mother was an *Israelite so he was not a complete foreigner.
v15 Huram made two columns out of bronze (a brown metal). They were 27 feet high and 18 feet round. (One foot is about 30 centimetres.) v16 He also made two tops of bronze on each column. Each top was 7 and a half feet high. v17 He *decorated each top with a design of chains. There were 7 chains for each top. v18 He made two rows in the shape of *pomegranates (round fruit with a thick skin). He made these out of bronze in order to make the tops beautiful. v19 The tops were in the shape of lilies (large flowers) about 6 feet tall. v20 He placed the tops on a round section above the chain design. There were 200 *pomegranates in two rows round each top. v21 Huram placed the columns in front of the entrance to the *temple. The one on the south side he named Jakin. The one on the north he named Boaz. v22 The tops were in the shape of lilies. So he finished the work on the columns.
Physically, the columns were just a way to *decorate the outside *courtyard of the *temple. Their size and beauty were impressive. But the columns also stood as a declaration about the *temple. They would remind people in the future why Solomon built this great *temple.
The names of the columns reminded the people about God. Jakin means ‘He (God) establishes’. That means, God establishes *Israel. In other words, God chose the people in *Israel to be his special people. And Boaz means ‘In him (God) there is strength’. In other words, the people in *Israel should receive their strength from God, not from armies or from wealth. God would keep the people strong in their beliefs. He would also give them the strength to do what he wanted them to do. We should remember these things when we go to give honour to God.
v23 Huram made a round basin out of metal. It was 15 feet across, 7 and a half feet deep and 45 feet round. (One foot is about 30 centimetres.) v24 All round the edge there were two rows in the shape of gourds (a type of fruit). These were all part of the basin. There were 10 of these to each 18 inches (45 centimetres). v25 The basin rested on the backs of 12 *bulls that he made out of metal. The *bulls looked towards the outside. Three looked towards north, three south, three east and three west. v26 The basin was 3 inches (8 centimetres) thick. Its edge was like the edge of a cup, or, like the flower called the lily. The basin held about 11 000 gallons (44 000 litres) of water.
This was a very large basin, for water. The priests used it to wash themselves before they offered *sacrifices. A gourd was a fruit. Huram chose this shape to *decorate the metal basin. Everything in the *temple and its *courtyard would be beautiful.
The basin reminded people about this fact. They must be clean in order to come in front of God. And that would remind them that they also should be *holy.
v27 Huram also made 10 carts out of bronze (a brown metal). Each was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide and about 4 and a half feet high. (One foot is about 30 centimetres.) v28 He made them out of square *panels that he fixed in *frames. v29 On the *panels were pictures of lions, *bulls and special *angels with wings. On the *frames above and below the lions and *bulls there were *spiral designs. v30 Each cart had 4 wheels and *rods which connected the wheels. He made these out of bronze. Each cart had a smaller basin on 4 supports which he *decorated with *spiral designs. v31 On the inside of the cart there was a round *frame. This was about one and a half feet deep. The *frame measured two and a quarter feet, including its base. It had *carvings round it. But the *panels were square; they were not round. v32 The wheels were under the *panels. He attached the *rods which connected the wheels to the cart. The wheels were two and a quarter feet high. v33 The wheels were like *chariot wheels. He made the *rods that connected the wheels out of metal. He made the edges of the wheels out of metal. He also made the *rods that connected the centre of the wheel to its edge. He made the centre part of the wheel. Both of these parts he again made out of metal.
v34 There were 4 handles at the bottom corners of each cart. v35 At the top of the cart there was a round band. This was about three quarters of a foot deep. He attached the supports and *panels to the top of each cart. v36 He *decorated the supports and *panels. He made pictures of *angels with wings, lions and palm trees (a tree with very big leaves). He placed the pictures wherever there was space on the supports and on the *panels. He made *spiral designs all round. v37 That is how he made the carts. They were all alike. They all had the same size and shape.
v38 Huram made 10 smaller basins. There was one for each cart. Each basin was 6 feet across and held about 230 gallons (880 litres). v39 He put 5 of the carts on the south side of the *temple. He put the other 5 on the north side. He put the great basin in the south-east corner of the *temple.
The ceremonies that happened at the *temple were very unlike the ceremonies in a modern church.
People would bring animals to offer as *sacrifices. They would hand over these animals to the priests. The priests would kill the animals at the entrance of the *temple.
Then the priests would prepare the *sacrifices. There were several different types of *sacrifice. The priests had to be careful to obey the right rules for the type of *sacrifice. The law permitted the priests to take some meat for their own use. And the priests would burn other parts of the animals as a gift to God. They would do this on the *altar in front of the *temple.
The priests would cut up the *sacrifices on these carts. They would be careful to obey all the rules in Leviticus chapters 1 to 7.
There were 10 carts (or stands), which Huram made out of bronze (a brown metal). On them, there were smaller basins that would be full of water. These basins contained a supply of water for the priests to use as they worked. They would wash everything constantly as they prepared the *sacrifices. The carts were on wheels so people could move them. Usually they stood in two rows in the *courtyard that surrounded the *temple. There were 5 on one side of the *courtyard and 5 on the other.
v40 Huram also made the pots, spades and bowls.
So Huram finished all the work that King Solomon had ordered for the *temple of the *Lord.
Huram also made some small objects for the *temple. The priests would use the spades to remove the ashes from the *altar. They would place the ashes in the pots (Exodus 27:3). The bowls were for the blood of *sacrifices. The priests would scatter some blood during certain ceremonies.
v41 Huram made the two columns and their two tops, which had the same shape as bowls. He also made the design of chains on each top. v42 He made the 400 *pomegranates in two rows on each column. These were round the design on each top. v43 He also made the 10 carts with their 10 basins. v44 He made the great basin and the 12 *bulls under it. v45 He also made the pots, spades and bowls.
Huram made all these objects for King Solomon for the *temple of the *Lord. He made them all out of bronze (a brown metal). v46 The king arranged for the workmen to shape the metal in the valley of the river Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. They poured the hot metal into holes that they had dug in the ground. v47 Solomon did not weigh any of these objects because there were so many of them. Therefore, they never found out the weight of the bronze.
This was a good area in which to make things from metal. There was plenty of clay (sticky earth) that the workmen dug from the ground. The clay that remained would keep its shape during the process. The workmen heated the metal until it melted. Trees provided fuel for the fires. The north wind would provide a current of air to make the fires hot. The workmen would pour the hot metal into the ground. When the metal was cool again, the workmen would dig it out of the ground. And the metal would now have the right shape.
All these bronze (brown metal) objects were for the *courtyard outside the *temple building. In fact, these verses do not contain a complete list. The most important other object was the *altar. This was also bronze. It stood in front of the entrance to the *temple. Here, the priests would burn the *sacrifices.
These objects were bronze. This metal reminds us about the nature of people. Bronze is not a pure metal. It is a mixture of other metals. It is not a pure, perfect metal like gold or silver. And people are not perfect, because of their *sin. God provided these objects so that people could offer *sacrifices for their *sin. And therefore, they could have a relationship with him. These *sacrifices show God’s plan to free people from *sin. That happened by the death of Jesus, who was the perfect *sacrifice for *sin.
The objects inside the *temple itself would be gold. Gold is a pure metal. It is also very beautiful. It reminds us that God is perfect. God never *sins. He is *holy.
v48 Solomon made all the furniture for the *Lord’s *temple. He made the *altar out of gold. He also made the table out of gold. This table was for the bread that the priests offered to God. v49 He also made the lamp holders out of gold. There were 5 on the right and 5 on the left in front of the most *holy place. There were the flowers, lamps and tongs (tools to pick up things) of gold. v50 There were dishes of gold. There were tools to put out lamps. And there were bowls. There were larger spoons to hold *incense and dishes to burn *incense. There were also gold *hinges for the doors of the most *holy place. There were also some *hinges for the outer doors of the *temple.
v51 So Solomon had finished all the work on the *temple. Then he placed in the *temple store-rooms everything that his father David had given to the *Lord. These included the silver, gold and all the furniture.
The *altar of gold was not the same as the bronze (brown metal) *altar that stood outside the building. Outside, the priests offered the *sacrifices for the people. But inside the *temple, the priests gave honour to God. So they offered no *sacrifices on the *altar of gold. Instead, they burned *incense on this *altar. So the *altar of gold was called the *altar of *incense.
Note that Solomon’s workmen made everything out of gold. This meant that the *temple was a place of great beauty and value. Solomon used gold because gold is a pure metal. The workmen would heat this gold in the hottest fires in order to remove any other substances.
This process teaches us how *holy God is. He is even more perfect than the purest gold. He is without any *sin whatever. And the nature of pure gold teaches us about God’s *glory (the splendid beauty and wonderful light of God’s perfect character).
Solomon did not choose himself what objects he would make for the *temple. He made objects like those that Moses had made for God’s sacred tent. And Moses had not chosen those objects himself. God directed Moses what to make (Exodus 35:10-19). So the design of the *temple and its furniture was God’s plan.
Verse 51 mentions David, Solomon’s father. David wanted to build this *temple, but God did not allow him. However, God gave David the plans for the *temple. And David himself was very generous. He gave much for the construction of the *temple (1 Chronicles 29:4). We usually call this building ‘Solomon’s *temple’. But in fact, Solomon was really just obeying his father’s orders.
So the people put the many objects that David gave into the store-rooms at the *temple. And then the *temple was complete. Solomon organised a special ceremony for the opening of the *temple (chapter 8).
v1 King Solomon called the leaders of the *tribes and the families in *Israel together. They went to Jerusalem to bring the *Lord’s *Covenant Box to the *temple. It had been in Zion, David’s city. v2 All the men in *Israel came together to King Solomon. They came during the *Festival of Shelters in the 7th month.
v3 When all the leaders had arrived, the priests lifted up the box. v4 They carried it to the *temple. The priests and *Levites also carried the tent of the *Lord’s *presence and all the furniture. v5 King Solomon and the *Israelites with him went in front of the *Covenant Box. They *sacrificed so many sheep and *cattle that nobody could count them.
v6 The priests carried the *Covenant Box into the inner room of the *temple. They put it in the most *holy place under the wings of the special *angels. v7 These wings covered the box and the poles that the priests used to carry it. v8 These poles were very long. People could see their ends from the front of the *Holy Place. People could not see them from anywhere else. The poles are still there today. v9 There was nothing in the box except the two large stones. Moses had placed them in it at *Mount Horeb (Sinai). The *Lord made a *covenant there with the *Israelites. This happened after they came out of Egypt.
v10 As the priests left the *Holy Place, a cloud filled the *temple of the *Lord. v11 The priests could not perform their duties. The cloud of the *glory of the *Lord had filled the *temple.
v12 Then Solomon said, ‘The *Lord has said that he would live in a dark cloud. v13 I have built a magnificent *temple for you. It is a place for you to live for always.’
This describes how they brought the *Covenant Box into the *temple. This event happened during the *Festival of Shelters. This happened on the 15th day of the 7th month.
All the leaders of *Israel attended the ceremony. They all brought animals to *sacrifice to God.
The *Covenant Box was the most sacred object in the *temple. It was a wooden box, but gold surrounded the wood. Originally, Moses made it for the inner room of God’s special tent, that is, the tent of the *Lord’s *presence. Nobody would enter that room except for the chief priest. And even he only entered the room once each year.
The only things in the *Covenant Box were the stones of the 10 *commandments. These reminded the *Israelites about the *covenant that God had made with them at *Mount Sinai.
So, at this great ceremony, the priests moved the *Covenant Box into the inner room of the new *temple. This was a very *holy moment. So the priests acted with great care. The *Covenant Box was very sacred. The priests would know about Uzzah’s death (2 Samuel 6:6-7). Uzzah had died because he touched the box. So the priests carried the box on long poles. They offered very many *sacrifices. After they placed the box in its special place, they left the room.
Then the cloud which was a *sign of the *glory of the *Lord filled the *temple. This showed that God accepted the building and furniture of the *temple. Such an event had happened centuries before. It happened when Moses finished the construction of the tent of the *Lord’s *presence. On both occasions, the cloud showed that God was really present. He had been present at the tent. And now he was present at the *temple.
God sent the cloud so that people could not see the wonderful light of his *presence. That light is too bright for people to see, because of their human weakness. Moses briefly saw the light of God’s *presence. But even Moses could not see God’s face. Any person who saw God’s face would die (Exodus 33:20). Afterwards, Moses’ own face shone so brightly that he had to cover it (Exodus 34:24-35). But Paul says that, in the future, we shall see God’s face (1 Corinthians 13:12). This is God’s wonderful promise to every real Christian. And John agrees, in Revelation 22:4. John adds that our future home will not need the sun or the moon. That home will be bright because God is present there. And that light will shine across the whole world (Revelation 21:23-24).
v14 As the people stood there, King Solomon turned. Then he *blessed them. v15 He said, ‘I give honour to the *Lord God of *Israel! He has done what he promised to David my father. He has said, v16 “I brought my people out of Egypt. I did not choose any city or *tribe in *Israel where people could build a *temple to *worship me. But I chose David to rule my people *Israel.”
v17 My father David wanted to build a *temple. This was to give honour to the *Lord God of *Israel. v18 But the *Lord said to my father David, “Your desire to build a *temple for me was a good one. v19 But you shall not build it. Your son who is from your own family will build it for me.”
v20 The *Lord has *kept his promise. I have followed David my father as king, as God promised. I have built a *temple to give honour to the *Lord God of *Israel. v21 I have provided a place for the *Covenant Box. It contains the stone blocks of the *covenant that the *Lord made. He did this when he brought our *ancestors out of Egypt.’
This is what Solomon said to the people. He thanked God for all that he had done. He had *kept his promises to his people. He had helped Solomon to build the *temple. In the Book of Deuteronomy, God promised to choose a place where his people would *worship him (Deuteronomy 12:5). This would be the proper place for them to offer their *sacrifices. God did not need a house to live in. The *temple was a *sign of his *presence among the *Israelites. In those days, God lived with his people. Today he lives in his people. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:16, ‘We are the *temple of the living God.’
Our translation simply mentions the ‘*temple’. But in the original language these verses emphasise that the *temple is ‘for the name of God’. By ‘name’, Solomon did not just mean the word that we use to call someone. ‘Name’ meant the honour, authority and power of a person’s character. So God’s *temple would show God’s wonderful character. Here, God would forgive *sin when people turned to him. Here, God would show his kindness when he answered prayer. Here, God would accept the *sacrifices that his people offered.
v22 Then Solomon stood in front of the *altar of the *Lord. All the *Israelites were there. He raised his hands to heaven v23 and he prayed. ‘*Lord God of *Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. You *keep your *covenant of love with your servants. You do this when they completely obey you. v24 You have *kept your promise to your servant David my father. You yourself promised this and you have *kept your promise. You yourself did what you said. Today you have carried out your promise.
v25 Now *Lord God of *Israel, *keep the other promise. You made it to your servant David my father. You told him, “You will always have a *descendant to rule over *Israel. But this will only happen if your sons obey me. They must do this as carefully as you have done.” v26 So now, God of *Israel, I pray this. I pray that you will perform all your promises to your servant David, my father.
v27 But surely God will not really live on earth! The highest heaven is not great enough for you. This *temple that I have built certainly cannot be great enough. v28 But *Lord, my God, I am your servant. Please listen to my prayer and to my cry for *mercy. Hear my prayer and the requests that I am making to you today. v29 Watch over this *temple day and night. You said that people would give you honour in this place. Hear the prayers that I, your servant, am praying towards this place. v30 Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people [called *Israel] when they turn towards this place. From your home in heaven, hear us. And when you hear, forgive us.’
Solomon stood to pray. In those days, the person who was lower in rank stood. The person of higher rank would sit down. Solomon therefore showed that God is great. And Solomon was humble as he prayed. He was the king. But he even called himself God’s servant. Kings often thought that the people were their servants. But, in this prayer, Solomon says that the people in *Israel were God’s servants.
God had done what he had promised. So Solomon gave honour to him. God had promised that he would choose a place for the *temple (Deuteronomy 12:5). That had happened. Now Solomon prayed that God would *keep his other promise. David’s *descendants would continue to rule *Israel as long as they obeyed God. Solomon then recognised that he could not keep God in the *temple. God is everywhere. But he asked that God would hear. And that God would answer the prayers that people made to him from the *temple. He prayed too that God would forgive them.
For the Christian, God really has come to live on earth in the person of Jesus Christ. *Forgiveness is available for all who put their trust in Jesus. This is because Jesus died for us. He is now in heaven and he is praying for his people. He offers their prayers to his Father.
v31 ‘Suppose that a man does something wrong to his neighbour. People ask him to make a serious declaration. Then he comes and makes this declaration in front of your *altar in this *temple. v32 Listen in heaven and act. Be like a judge between your servants. Say which one is guilty. Punish him as he deserves. Say which one is not guilty. Then everyone will know who is innocent.
v33 Suppose that an enemy defeats your people *Israel. This is because they have *sinned against you. Then they turn to you and *worship you. They pray to you in this *temple. v34 Listen in heaven and forgive the *sins of your people *Israel. Bring them back to the land that you gave to their *ancestors.
v35 Suppose that you do not allow it to rain. This would be because your people have *sinned against you. Then your people turn to this place and they give you honour. They turn from their *sin because you have punished them. v36 Listen in heaven and forgive the *sins of your servants, the people in *Israel. Teach them to do what is right. Then send rain on the land that you gave to your people as a permanent possession.
v37 Suppose that there is no food in the country. Suppose that there is great illness. Perhaps strong winds dry out the crops. Perhaps locusts (insects that fly in large groups) destroy them. Perhaps their enemies attack their cities. Or maybe there is some other disease or *disaster. v38 Perhaps one of your people regrets this and prays to you towards this *temple. v39 Then listen in your home in heaven. Forgive them and help them. You alone know the thoughts of the human heart. Deal with each person as they deserve. v40 Then everyone will respect you all the time that they live in the country of their *ancestors.’
Solomon asked God to listen to people’s prayers when people prayed towards the *temple. He asked that God would be their judge. God would know who was the innocent person or the guilty person.
Solomon also prayed here about many different types of trouble. Perhaps *Israel’s enemies would attack them, or there would be a lack of food. Perhaps there would be a *disaster or some disease. He prayed that God would forgive people. But they had to turn from their *sins.
Today, we do not pray towards a place but towards a person, the *Lord Jesus Christ. We can learn about him as we study the *temple. It is Jesus who can forgive us.
Solomon’s words refer back to Deuteronomy chapter 28. In that chapter, God promised to do good things for the people in *Israel. However, they would only receive the benefit of those promises if they obeyed God’s law. If they did not obey, they would suffer many troubles. Solomon mentions many of these troubles in his prayer.
Of course, many people suffer similar troubles for other reasons. Troubles happen to everyone. These troubles are often not the result of *sin (John 9:1-3). But Solomon knew how God had warned the people in *Israel. And so this prayer was about those troubles that really are the result of *sin. Solomon prayed that the people would not suffer a permanent punishment. God had provided the *temple. And this *temple would be the place where people would pray. They could offer *sacrifices. They could ask God to forgive them. So Solomon prayed that God would forgive them. And he prayed that those troubles would then end. (See Ezekiel chapter 18; James 5:13-20).
v41 ‘Suppose that a foreigner hears about your fame. He does not belong to *Israel. He comes from a distant country. v42 [Many will hear of your great name and the great things that you have done.] He comes and he prays towards your *temple. v43 Then hear from heaven your home. Do whatever that foreigner asks you to do. So all the people in the world may know you and obey you. Your people *Israel do this. Then everyone will know about this *temple that I have built. It is the place for people to give honour to you.
v44 Suppose that you send your people to fight against their enemies. Then they pray to the *Lord. They turn towards this city that you have chosen. They turn towards the *temple that I have built for you. v45 Listen to their prayers and give them success.’
Solomon asked God to accept the prayers of foreigners who came to him. He understood that God’s good news was for all people, not just one nation. Jesus said, ‘My *temple is a house of prayer for the people in all nations’ (Mark 11:17).
Solomon also prayed that *Israel might have success in wars. In 2 Kings chapter 19, Hezekiah went to the *temple to pray for the defeat of Sennacherib’s army.
v46 ‘Suppose that they *sin against you. [There is nobody who does not *sin.] As a result, you become angry with them. You let their enemies defeat them. Then their enemies take them as prisoners to their own countries far or near. v47 Perhaps in that country where people hold them as prisoners they will feel sorry about their *sin. Then they pray to you. They realise how wicked and *sinful they have been. v48 So in the country of their enemies who took them as prisoners they turn back to you. They do this with all their heart and *soul. Then they pray to you towards the country that you gave to their fathers. They pray towards the city that you have chosen. They pray towards the *temple that I have built for your name. v49 Then listen to their prayers from your home in heaven. Show them *mercy. v50 Forgive your people who have *sinned against you. Forgive all the *sins that they have done against you. Make their enemies give them *mercy. v51 Do that because they are your people. You brought them out of Egypt. That was a terrible place, like a burning fire.
v52 I pray that you will always answer with kindness the prayers of me, your servant. And I pray that you will always answer with kindness the prayers of your people called *Israel. Please listen to them whenever they call to you for help. v53 You chose them from all the nations of the world to be your own people. You said this by your servant Moses. You said this, *Lord, when you brought our *ancestors out of Egypt.’
Solomon then prayed for those whom God would punish because of their *sin. God would allow their enemies to *capture them and to take them into *exile. As a result, they would turn from their *sins and look towards their country. They would look towards Jerusalem and the *temple. They could not come to the *temple to pray, because they were in *exile. But they could still turn towards Jerusalem to pray. Daniel actually did this in Daniel 6:10.
He asked that God would pardon them. They were the people whom he brought out of Egypt. He chose them to be his own people. Because of God’s *covenant with them, he would show them *grace.
Romans 5:6 tells us how God shows his *grace to Christians also. ‘When we were still without power, Christ died for wicked people.’ Ephesians 1:4 says, ‘God chose us in Christ before he made the world.’ 1 John 1:9 says, ‘But if we tell God the truth about our *sins then he will forgive us.’
v54 When Solomon had finished his prayer to the *Lord, he stood up in front of the *altar. He had been on his knees there. But he was lifting up his hands towards heaven. v55 He stood and he *blessed all the *Israelites in a loud voice. v56 ‘I give honour to the *Lord. He has given his people *peace. He promised that he would. He has *kept all the wonderful promises that he gave by his servant Moses. v57 The *Lord our God was with our *ancestors. I pray that he will be with us in the same way. I pray that he will never leave us alone. v58 I pray that he will help us to obey him. I pray that we will obey him. I pray that we will obey all his laws and commands. He gave these laws and commands to our *ancestors. v59 I want the *Lord always to remember the prayers and requests that I have made to him. I want him daily to assist me, his servant, and his people *Israel with the help that we need. And I pray that he will do those things. v60 Then all the nations in the world will know that the *Lord is God. There is no other god. v61 But you should always be loyal to the *Lord our God. You should always obey his laws and commands as you do at this time.’
Solomon *blessed the people. He told them to be completely loyal to God. He reminded them how God had helped them in the past. As a result, they must obey God. He prayed that God would assist them daily with their troubles. Then other nations would know that he is the only real God. This is because of what he has done for *Israel.
In Ephesians 1:11-12 Paul says to Christians, ‘God chose us in Christ…. to give honour to his *glory.’ So as God works in our lives, he receives the *glory.
v62 Then the king and all the people with him offered *sacrifices to the *Lord. v63 Solomon offered a *sacrifice of 22 000 *cattle and 120 000 sheep and goats as *fellowship offerings to the *Lord. So the king and all *Israel gave the *temple to God.
v64 On the same day, he made the central part of the square in front of the *temple *holy. There he offered *burnt offerings, grain *offerings, and the fat from the *fellowship offerings. He did this because the *altar of bronze (a brown metal) in front of the *Lord was too small. There were so many *offerings.
v65 So Solomon and the people with him *celebrated the *Festival of Shelters at that time. There was a large crowd of people. Some people came from as far away as Lebo Hamath and the border of Egypt. They *celebrated for 7 days in front of the *Lord our God. Then they continued for another 7 days, 14 days in all. v66 The next day he sent the people away. They *blessed the king. They went home full of joy and happiness because of all the *blessings. The *Lord had given these *blessings to his servant David and to his people *Israel.
There was a large crowd of people when they gave the *temple to God. That is why there were so many *sacrifices. The *celebration lasted 7 days. Then the *Festival of Shelters also lasted 7 days. People came from every part of the *kingdom. They came from the Lebanon in the north to the border of Egypt in the south.
This was the beginning of the daily *sacrifices for *sin at the *temple. These lasted as long as the *temple stood. Today Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus prays to God for us. His prayers for us are also continuous. But Jesus’ death as a *sacrifice only happened once. That one perfect *sacrifice was enough for all our *sin (Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 10:10-12).
v1 So Solomon finished the *temple of the *Lord. He finished the royal palace and everything else that he wanted to do.
v2 Then the *Lord appeared to him again as he had at Gibeon. v3 The *Lord said to him, ‘I have heard your prayer and all that you asked me to do. I have made this *temple *holy which you have built. People will give honour to me there for always. I will watch over it and I will love it for all time.
v4 Be honest. Have a sincere heart as your father David did. Obey my laws. Obey all the commands that I give you. v5 If you do these things, your own *descendants will always rule *Israel. I promised this to your father David. I said to him, “Your *descendants will always rule over *Israel.”
v6 But suppose that you or your sons turn away from me. Perhaps you do not obey the laws and commands that I have given to you. Then you go and *worship other gods. v7 Then I will remove *Israel from the country that I have given to them. I will *reject this *temple as a place where people *worship me. Then people will laugh at *Israel and it will be like a lesson for other people. v8 This *temple is very great now. But then, people will be full of terror when they see it. They will ask, “Why did the *Lord do this to the land and the *temple?” v9 People will answer. “It is because his people turned away from the *Lord their God. He had brought their *ancestors out of Egypt. But they *worshipped and served other gods. That is why the *Lord brought this *disaster on them.” ’
God appeared to Solomon as he had done in chapter 3. Then he promised to give him the wisdom that he needed to rule the country. Here he made another promise to Solomon. He would *keep the *covenant which he made with David his father. But the promise depended upon whether or not Solomon and his *descendants obeyed God. They might turn away from God and *worship other gods. If so, the *temple would become a ruin (a building that people have broken). Other people would learn a lesson from this.
Jesus promised that he would give his people *everlasting life. ‘They will never die. Nobody can take them away from me’ (John 10:28). However, Colossians 1:23 says this. ‘You must continue to be loyal.’ Some people may turn away from their beliefs. This may show that they were never really Christians at all. We need to have the fruit of God’s *Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).
In verse 3, God explains how special the *temple was. It was not merely a place for *worship or for ceremonies. In the original language, God says that his ‘name’, his ‘eyes’ and his ‘heart’ would always be there:
· The word ‘name’ means God’s honour, character, authority and strength.
· The word ‘eyes’ means that God would watch his *temple and his people. He would watch them in order to protect them. And he would also watch them in order to show kindness to them.
· The word ‘heart’ should remind us how much God loves his people. He would show that love to them by means of the *temple.
v10 It took Solomon 20 years to build the *temple and the palace. v11 King Hiram of Tyre had given Solomon all the wood and all the gold that he wanted. So Solomon gave him 20 towns in Galilee. v12 Hiram went to see these towns, but he did not like them. v13 He said, ‘I do not like the towns that you have given me, my brother.’ Therefore, he called the area Cabul (without value). People still call it that today. v14 Now Hiram had sent the king