1 Kings Chapters 11-12 Commentary

First Kings Chapters 11-12 Chapter 11 11:1 “The size of a harem of an ancient oriental ruler was often considered to be an indication of his degree of greatness…Moreover, marriage alliances were commonly used to guarantee peace with one’s neighbors. Solomon’s marriage to princesses from Egypt, Moab, Edom, Phoenicia, and the Hittite states went a long way toward establishing his borders” (Vos p. 82). 11:2 Yet God is not impressed with the necessity of such marriage alliances. God had been very clear that Israelite kings were not to multiply wives to themselves (Deuteronomy 17:17). Sadly, Solomon had become a king “like all the other nations” (and even more so). He was placing his trust in human alliances, conventional human wisdom, and diplomacy, rather than in a relationship with God. In addition, Solomon had been multiplying foreign wives, women from the nations which God had labeled as “off limits” to Israelite men (Deuteronomy 7:1-4; Exodus 34:12-14). What God said would happen, “they will surely turn your heart away after their gods”--did happen! God does not give useless warnings and neither does He exaggerate.

How often do people look at some command in Scripture and say, “but that is unrealistic!” Solomon may have become so “wise” that he thought simple trust and faith in God was for the naïve, and one couldn’t rule a kingdom by simply following the Bible. Do we do the same thing? Are there commands in Scripture that we ignore, because we think that they don’t work in the real world?

11:3 Of course some people think that this verse is an exaggeration, but the Song of Solomon (6:8), records Solomon as having 60 queens, 80 concubines, and maidens without number at an earlier time in his life. In addition, other rulers have had far more wives. Chosroes II, king of Saddanid Persia (590-628 A.D.), had 3,012 concubines, and Mulai Ismail (ruler of Morocco 1672-1727) had 2,000 wives, 800 concubines, and hundreds of sons and daughters. 11:4 God will not accept less than full devotion, and 50% or 60% devotion is not enough, because the heart that is not wholly devoted to the Lord is the heart of an unfaithful person.

Compare with Matthew 22:37. What is meant by his “old age” is

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uncertain, but apparently this happened after he had built the temple (when he was around 40), and some time before the end of his reign.

11:5 “The text does not say he actually sacrificed to those gods, but he did built high places to them to accommodate his wives” (Vos p. 83). Yet accommodation is just as wrong as offering actual sacrifices to idols. In addition, the text says that “he went after”, so it appears to me that he did worship these gods. “Ashtoreth”, is the Hebrew name of Astarte, one of the principal Phoenician goddesses. She was viewed by her adherents as a fertility goddess. Often she was worshipped through immoral sexual behavior at temples dedicated in her honor. “Milcom” or Molech, was worshipped by burning babies in the fiery arms of the hollow metal image that depicted him. By the time of Manasseh, this evil had become an established ritual in the Valley of Hinnom (2 Chron. 33:6; Jeremiah 7:9,10,31; 19:4-5). “Solomon’s choice of gods makes no sense. In the ancient world polytheists tended to worship the gods of nations who had conquered their armies or at least the gods of countries more powerful than their own. Ironically, Solomon worships gods of people he has conquered and already controls. What could be possibly gained from such activity? The whole episode makes no sense, just as idolatry itself makes no sense” (House p. 167).

Error, once accepted is difficult to uproot. “The influence of these ‘high places’ he built was long-lasting. They were still standing three hundred years later when Josiah began his reign over Judah and finally destroyed them (2 Kings 23:13)” (Dilday p. 133). Smart men—the most learned of men, can go off the deep end. Solomon had been humble, wise, and sincere—and now he is an idol worshipper! Yet how many people would have been tempted to justify all of this because “if Solomon thinks it’s right —then surely it must be right and who are we disagree?” The standard of truth is the word of God (John 17:17), and let us never accept a teaching merely because “smart and sincere men” endorse it. “This practice on the part of Solomon diminished the effectiveness of the true temple and made it difficult for the people to distinguish between the true and the false. Foreign deities were given official recognition and this certainly made it difficult to maintain true worship in Israel” (Davis p. 189). 3. In very practical terms, Solomon became a promoter of false religion, that is, Solomon became a false teacher.

11:7 Two high places were located on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, a site elsewhere called, “the mount of corruption” (2 Kings 23:13). The worship of these false gods did not merely include animal sacrifices and incense, but sexual immorality and human sacrifice, and yet, it didn’t seem like Solomon’s conscience even bothered him.

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11:8 Evidently Solomon built many other high places for his other wives and their particular gods. 11:9-10 God specifically spoke to Solomon twice about this—and yet Solomon didn’t change! Wow! So much for the idea that a direct and audible communication from God has more power over the human heart than His written word. Solomon evidently heard God twice and did not pay any attention! When we choose to disobey, nothing can reach us, not even direct intervention—until we are willing to change. 11:11-13 Because of his unfaithfulness, God would divide the kingdom, yet because of David’s faithfulness, the kingdom would not be divided until Solomon was dead and some of the kingdom would remain true to David and his ancestors. The “one tribe” that would remain would be Judah. The tribes of Benjamin and Simeon were also a part of the kingdom left to the descendants of Solomon, but they were too small and insignificant to be specified at this point. “Solomon’s unfaithfulness will not lead God to cancel His promise to David nor His choice of Jerusalem…The Davidic dynasty and the city will continue.

God’s promise will be fulfilled through the tribe of Judah and ultimately through the Messiah, David’s greater son” (Vos p. 84).

11:14-22 The first “thorn” in Solomon’s side is Hadad (HAY dad), a prince of the Edomites. Evidently, Hadad launched an underground liberation movement in Edom and gave Solomon a lot of trouble. 11:23-25 Here is another adversary which God permitted to plague Solomon. Rezon (REE zuhn), who had served under Hadadezer king of Zobah (2 Samuel 8:3-9), had escaped and formed a group of raiders and bandits who ultimately gained control of Damascus. 11:26-40 Jeroboam was from the tribe of Ephraim, thus Israelites of the northern tribes will view him as their natural leader and spokesman. “Ironically, Solomon chooses, promotes, and gives a power base to the man who will end the Davidic dynasty’s rule over Northern Israel” (House p. 171).

God specifically told Jeroboam why He was tearing the kingdom out of the hands of Solomon (11:33). Jeroboam is told some very important truths—that he should have remembered! Solomon lost the kingdom because of idolatry, but David’s descendants would always rule over Judah in the south. So, Jeroboam should have clearly learned: Don’t fight against Judah, for God is with them and remain faithful to God yourself! Jeroboam would rule over Israel (the northern tribes), and God would establish a dynasty for Jeroboam IF he and his sons remained faithful to God. Jeroboam had nothing to fear if he simply served God and stayed away from idolatry. Despite the division of the kingdom, the severed tribes were still the people of God, accountable to His laws. The success or failure of Jeroboam’s kingship would be contingent upon his 3

response to that law. Solomon heard about this, and instead of submitting to the will of God—he tried to kill Jeroboam (11:40). How foolish! Even today people think that they can prevent God from fulfilling His threats or promises by destroying Bibles, churches, and so on. “The activities of the great king are now reduced to the level of vengeance, murder, protecting his turf, shoring up his weaknesses, and frantically trying to postpone the inevitable” (Dilday p. 144). God had chosen Jerusalem and the temple as the place to put His name (2 Kings 21:4; 2 Chron. 6:6; 7:16); He had chosen the seed of Abraham through David for a perpetual royal lineage (2 Samuel 7:13; Matthew 1:1). Therefore, Rehoboam (the seed of David), would survive the split and inherit the throne of Judah; David would always have a light (a royal representative), albeit a small one, left in Jerusalem as a progenitor of the King of Kings (Luke 1:30-33).

11:39 “Starting with Rehoboam’s loss, first, of the ten tribes, then the deprivations of Shishak (chapter 14), Judah became both the smaller and generally the weaker kingdom. It was indeed a shock for Rehoboam and the tribe of Judah to be reduced overnight from the most powerful tribe in an illustrious and world-renowned kingdom to a small state that was soon stripped of what wealth it had left,yet God said that it would not always be thus” (Gaebelein p. 111). In the end, Judah outlasted Israel by about 150 years. 11:40 “Solomon…was disappointing. Rather than bowing humbly before the will of God as David had under God’s chastening hand, Solomon reacted in the manner of Saul, causing Jeroboam to flee into exile” (Gaebelein p. 112). “Shishak” (SHIGH shak), reigned from 940 to about 915 B.C. Even though Solomon had married Pharaoh’s daughter, the Egyptians still offered Jeroboam protection from Solomon—so much for marriage alliances!

11:41 The royal annals (official Hebrew court records) contained a complete record of the events which surrounded Solomon’s administration, but the account recorded here is God’s inspired message.

11:42-43 Solomon ruled for the same number of years as David (1 Kings 2:11), and Saul (2 Samuel 5:4; Acts 13:21), thus the United Kingdom period lasted for 120 years. Solomon’s own words (Ecclesiates 12:13-14), serve as a fitting epitaph and warning.

Chapter 12 “When Solomon died in 930 B.C. the kingdom appeared to be in good shape outwardly. Yet because of the idolatry introduced in his last days, the seeds of kingdom disintegration had already been sown” (Smith p.

467).

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12:1 Rehoboam was 41 at the time his father Solomon died (1 Kings 14:21; 2 Chron. 12:13), and his succession to the throne does not seem to have been questioned in Judah. “The northern tribes, however, insisted on their right to ratify the coronation of the new king. All Israel assembled as Shechem, the most important city in Ephraim, ‘to make him king’. They had no concrete plans for rebellion at this time” (Smith pp. 467-468).

12:2-5 When Solomon died, the elders of Israel immediately sent to Egypt to invite Jeroboam to speak on their behalf to Solomon’s would-be successor. This indicates that Jeroboam had become quite the folk-hero among the northern tribes and already had a large following at this time.

The northern tribes complained that the price of Solomon’s massive administration and building works had created a large tax burden upon them and asked for a break. Samuel’s prophetic words had come true (1 Samuel 8:18). Israel was finally crying out for a relief from the massive administration and expense it took to maintain royalty. In addition, conscripted labor was also a complaint. “Northerners have been forced to build southern projects, a fact Jeroboam, the former taskmaster (1 Kings 11:28), knows quite well” (House p. 181). “The forced labor and heavy taxation had been almost more than they could bear, or at least were willing to bear. Parenthetically, the modern reader is curious about how great the burden really was. They enjoyed peace and prosperity Israel had never known before; both come at a price. It is easy to complain about the responsibility of maintaining government and to forget the benefits received from membership in the state” (Vos p. 89).

12:5 Give Rehoboam this much credit, he did not make a snap decision, and yet extra time will not help someone who has failed to asked God for wisdom. Time does not make up for maturity and character.

12:6-7 Those who had served his father counseled Rehoboam to concede, a little humility at this point would gain for the new king many servants forever. “A monarch might be the sole voice of authority in a kingdom. Ultimately, however, he rules only with the consent of the governed. If Rehoboam is to expect the submission of his constituency, he must in turn demonstrate his concern for their well being” (Winters p.

99). Here we see a glimpse of leadership through service. 12:8-11 The theory of those about the same age as Rehoboam is that servant leadership will not work, “give them an inch and they will take a mile”.

“Only a bully can handle a diverse kingdom. Rehoboam chooses slogans over wisdom, machismo over servanthood” (House p. 182). These men urged Rehoboam to adopt a get tough policy. The expression, “my little finger is thicker than the loins of my father”, is the idea that Rehoboam’s weakness would be stronger than his father’s strength. Was Solomon too 5

hard on them? He would be tougher! Concerning the attitude of these younger counselors, Dilday writes, “Like Rehoboam, they had grown up in luxury and assumed, as he did, that there was no end to the material prosperity that came to them as a result of their royal privileges. So, out of brash self-interest, they encouraged Rehoboam to increase the burdens on the people” (p. 155).

12:12-15 Verse 15 informs us that God is using Rehoboam’s foolishness to bring about His purpose. Yet, Rehoboam’s decision is still his own. 12:16-17 Without hesitation the northern tribes reject Rehoboam’s authority over them, they deny any responsibility to David’s dynasty and leave Rehoboam to reign over Judah. “One incredibly poor decision tears down in a few days what David and Solomon labored eighty years to build” (House p. 182). “What portion do we have in David”, is the same battle cry Sheba had used in 2 Samuel 20:1. It rang with a familiar appeal like “Remember the Alamo!” The idea is that David’s descendants are offering them no consideration, therefore, they owe David nothing, in addition, his tribe is not ours; his interests are not our interests.

12:18 Rehoboam sends “Adoram” (a DOH rum) the commissioner of forced labor to bring the crowd under control and they stone him!

Recognizing that his own life might now be in danger, Rehoboam jumped in his chariot and fled the scene. “Regardless of whether he sent Adoram to effect a compromise, threaten the people, or conduct business as usual, the result was the same” (House p. 182). 12:19 The expression “to this day” infers that this book was written prior to the captivity of the northern tribes in 722 B.C. 12:20-24 Rehoboam was determined to bring the northern tribes into submission and prepared for civil war, but through a prophet God warned Rehoboam to back off. Give Rehoboam this much credit, at this time he wisely listened to God. “The fact that God stopped a major pitched battle between the two kingdoms on this occasion does not indicate He would likewise intervene to prevent all the border skirmishes between them later on” (Vos p. 92). The date for this division is around 930 B.C. On this occasion God reminds Rehoboam: 1.

These tribes are still your brothers, they are still My people as well as Judah.

2. Secondly, it is God’s will that the kingdom be split at this time.

12:25 Jeroboam’s first concern was to establish a capital city in the north and fortify it. Shechem was not only an important ancestral location (Genesis 12:6), but it also guarded the Northern Kingdom’s west-east pass and commanded the road through the hills of Manasseh to Bethshan.

Penuel was on the caravan road, which led through Gilead to Damascus, so Jeroboam probably fortifies the city to defend his rule over Gilead against hostile attacks from the northeast and east.

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12:26-27 Remember that God had clearly promised Jeroboam that he would be king and his sons would rule after him if they would only remain faithful (11:37-38). Yet like many people, Jeroboam cannot trust in God’s promises, “To him, divine promises were all right, but armed fortresses with thick walls were better” (Dilday p. 161). Jeroboam thinks that God cannot keep his kingdom together, but through human cleverness, he can achieve what God cannot do. Jeroboam’s fears are completely unfounded (12:27). No matter how many times those from northern Israel would go to the annual festivals at Jerusalem, the kingdoms would never unite again. Observe the consequences of a lack of faith. 1. Idolatry. 2.

The entire northern kingdom would eventually go into captivity because of Jeroboam’s lack of faith at this point. 3. Jeroboam spends so much time and effort in trying to stop what never will happen—if he had simply obeyed God. 4. Without faith, we will be tormented by fear.

12:28 Jeroboam installed his own worship centers, one at the southern border town of Bethel (about ten miles north of Jerusalem), and the other near the northern border at Dan, in the foothills of Mount Hermon.

“Perhaps Jeroboam chose the calf because he was influenced toward bovine worship by his years in Egypt. Possibly he sought to establish a bridge between Yahweh worship and the Canaanite population; bulls were symbols of fertility gods among the Canaanites” (Vos p. 93). In addition, he started a massive propaganda campaign, the king urged the people that it was just too inconvenient to travel to Jerusalem to worship. Which implied that God’s expectations in the Law were unreasonable or unworkable. How many apostasies start when people accept the idea that something in the Bible is out-dated, unworkable, harsh, or unreasonable?

12:28 “Behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt”: This is almost the same language that Aaron used when he had constructed the golden calf! Jeroboam stole Aaron’s sermon! (Exodus 32:4) Where Aaron said “god”, Jeroboam said, “gods”. Some commentators try to argue that Jeroboam didn’t mean any harm, but his use of the term “gods” reveals that Jeroboam himself already fully embraces idolatrous principles. He doesn’t believe that Yahweh is the only God that exists. One would think that Israel would immediately reject these idols. In his speech Jeroboam had tied them to one of the most ungodly and sad events in Israel’s history—and yet for the most part the people didn’t have any qualms about worshipping them. To Israel these golden calves should have been as offensive as a Nazi insignia. When people no longer want to serve God, they will accept anything (2 Timothy

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4:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:1-3). Solomon hasn’t been in the grave very long and 10 tribes have embraced full blown apostasy!

12:30 To the very end of the nation, Israel was still worshipping at these shrines. Consider the expression, “for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan”. It seems to be that God is saying that if we want to argue “inconvenience”, then the city of Dan was far more inconvenient than Jerusalem to the vast majority in Palestine. It is interesting that when people really want to do something, they will do it regardless of the time or cost. Convenience is never an issue when you are excited about something or when you are in love with something or someone. I has also observed that man’s religious traditions are often far more restrictive than God’s simple commands.

12:31 Jeroboam made his own temples and established his own priesthood. Other passages tell us that the Levitical priests living among the northern tribes were so offended by these practices that they left the northern kingdom (2 Chronicles 11:13-17). 12:32 He ordered a great festival to be held on the 15th day of the eighth month, one month after the appointed time for the feast of tabernacles. By shifting the feast one month ahead, he might have been arguing that his feast was more convenient for the farmers, for it gave them an additional month to get in their crops. Every aspect of this new religion was devised in Jeroboam’s own heart (12:33). In fact, in verse 33 Jeroboam basically is the new “high priest” of this false religion he instituted. 12:33 “He was guilty of redesigning the faith for his own personal ends. When today’s politicians join the church to get votes, when high achievers unite with a prestigious congregation for ‘social reasons’, when opportunists identify with a certain religious group because it is popular, are their actions any better than Jeroboam’s?…A religion of convenience, devised in one’s own heart, is an abomination to God” (Dilday p. 164).

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