1 Kings 11 The Ark of the Covenant is Brought into the Temple

1 Solomon’s Wives
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.

2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.

6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.

8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

9 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.

11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

14 Solomon’s Adversaries
Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.

15 Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom.

16 Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom.

17 But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father.

18 They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking men from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.

19 Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage.

20 The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children.

21 While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”

22 “What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?” Pharaoh asked.
“Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but do let me go!”

23 And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.

24 He gathered men around him and became the leader of a band of rebels when David destroyed the forces of Zobah; the rebels went to Damascus, where they settled and took control.

25 Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel.

26 Jeroboam Rebels Against Solomon
Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.

27 Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father.

28 Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.

29 About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country,

30 and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.

31 Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes.

32 But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe.

33 I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.

34 “‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes.

35 I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes.

36 I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.

37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel.

38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.

39 I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’”

40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.

41 Solomon’s Death
As for the other events of Solomon’s reign—all he did and the wisdom he displayed—are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon?

42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

43 Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

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Analysis of 1 Kings Chapter 11

1 Kings Chapter 11 marks a significant turning point in the narrative of Solomon’s reign and the broader story of the Israelites. This chapter outlines the consequences of Solomon’s deviation from God’s commandments and the subsequent decline of his kingdom. This analysis will delve deeply into the verses, highlighting the key themes, offering relevant interpretations, and connecting the events to the larger biblical context.

Solomon’s Disobedience and Its Causes (Verses 1-8)

The chapter opens by detailing Solomon’s marriages to many foreign women, which is critical because these unions lead him astray from God’s commandments:

“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.’ Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” (1 Kings 11:1-2, NIV)

Here, Solomon’s marriages directly contravene God’s explicit instructions given to the Israelites. Intermarriage was prohibited not because of the inherent ethnicity of the nations but because these unions would likely lead Israelites into idolatry. The repetition of the word “love” emphasizes Solomon’s emotional and perhaps political motivations, but it also signals a profound weakness: love that transcends God’s directives becomes a corrupting force.

Solomon’s numerous wives and concubines (he had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines) reflect a potential excessive need for political alliances, but they also illustrate his departure from monogamy, which was a principle held by earlier patriarchs like Adam and Abraham.

Idolatry and Its Consequences (Verses 4-8)

Verses 4-8 delve into how Solomon’s heart was turned away from God:

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been…” (1 Kings 11:4, NIV)

These verses highlight a critical transition from Solomon’s early dedication, wisdom, and the establishment of God’s temple to his latter years of spiritual decline. This turning of Solomon’s heart is essential; it is not merely the act of marrying foreign wives but the resultant idolatry that provokes divine anger.

His subsequent worship of foreign gods such as Ashtoreth, Milcom, and Chemosh indicates a systemic problem: Solomon’s once robust faith has become diluted. The geographical mention of specific “high places” for these gods suggests this idolatry was not only personal but projected onto the kingdom, leading the entire nation astray (1 Kings 11:7). Solomon’s failure thus had national repercussions, foreshadowing the eventual division of the kingdom.

Divine Judgment and Prophecy (Verses 9-13)

This section details God’s reaction to Solomon’s disobedience, which includes personal and national consequences:

“The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.” (1 Kings 11:9, NIV)

This verse encapsulates the gravity of Solomon’s sin, considering that he had the rare privilege of direct divine encounters. God’s anger is accentuated by these prior personal revelations, making Solomon’s disobedience appear more egregious.

Verses 11-13 echo a legal pronouncement:

“So the Lord said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees… I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.'” (1 Kings 11:11-12, NIV)

This passage introduces critical concepts: divine justice tempered by mercy. The deferred judgment “for the sake of David” highlights the enduring Davidic covenant despite Solomon’s failings. It also foreshadows the political fragmentation and turmoil to come, underscoring the theme of conditional divine favor contingent upon obedience.

The Rise of Adversaries (Verses 14-26)

The narrative continues with God raising adversaries against Solomon, including Hadad the Edomite and Rezon son of Eliada. These figures serve as instruments of divine judgment:

“The Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.” (1 Kings 11:14, NIV)

Hadad’s background and his escape to Egypt after Joab’s massacre illustrate the long-standing enmity between Israel and Edom. His return marks a significant threat, given his royal lineage and intent on reclaiming power.

Similarly, Rezon’s persistent hostility (1 Kings 11:23-25) indicates sustained divine intervention against Solomon’s weakening rule. These adversaries foreshadow the eventual erosion of Israelite sovereignty, aligning with the consequences prophesied by God.

Jeroboam’s Prophecy (Verses 27-40)

One of the pivotal figures introduced in this chapter is Jeroboam:

“Here is what Jeroboam did… (Solomon) put Jeroboam in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph.” (1 Kings 11:28, NIV)

Jeroboam’s rise from overseeing forced labor to a divinely anointed leader is underscored by the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite. The symbolic act of tearing a new garment into twelve pieces, giving Jeroboam ten, signifies the imminent division of the united kingdom:

“So he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes.”‘” (1 Kings 11:31, NIV)

This prophecy is critical for several reasons. First, it indicates a divine orchestration in governmental shifts, affirming God’s control over historical events. Second, it sets a theological precedent: kingship, and consequently authority, is contingent upon fidelity to God’s commandments.

The conditional promise given to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:38) echoes earlier covenants, reinforcing the theme of conditional divine favor based on obedience. However, when Solomon attempts to kill Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:40), we see a foreshadowing of the conflict and chaos that will plague the divided kingdom.

Solomon’s Legacy and Death (Verses 41-43)

The chapter concludes with a brief summary of Solomon’s reign and hints at the transition of power:

“As for the other events of Solomon’s reign—all he did and the wisdom he displayed—are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon?” (1 Kings 11:41, NIV)

This verse notes the numerous accomplishments and wisdom of Solomon, suggesting a complex legacy. His 40-year reign, marked by prosperity and subsequent decline, underscores the duality of human achievement and fallibility. Solomon’s death (1 Kings 11:43) and the ascension of Rehoboam prepare the reader for the ensuing chapters detailing the divided monarchy.

Conclusion

1 Kings Chapter 11 serves as a critical turning point in the narrative of the Israelites, illustrating the profound consequences of disobedience to God. Solomon’s marriages and ensuing idolatry not only signify personal moral failure but trigger national decline and division. Through divine judgment, the rise of adversaries, and prophecy, the chapter lays the groundwork for understanding the political and spiritual ramifications that follow.

This chapter invites readers to reflect on key themes: the importance of covenantal faithfulness, the serious consequences of idolatry, and the delicate balance between divine justice and mercy. It reminds us that leadership, when detached from divine principles, can lead to national disintegration, yet there remains a redemptive thread through God’s lasting promises.

Ultimately, 1 Kings Chapter 11 offers a sobering yet insightful perspective on the essence of true worship and the enduring need for obedience, faithfulness, and the prioritization of divine commands over human inclinations.

Understanding the Key Messages in 1 Kings 11: Insights and Explanation

In 1 Kings 11, Solomon brings the Ark of the Covenant into the temple amidst a great ceremony. He sets it in the Most Holy Place and fills the temple with the glory of the Lord. Solomon then offers a heartfelt prayer, asking God to always hear the prayers of the people when they come to the temple. He acknowledges that the temple cannot contain God, but it serves as a place where His Name is honored. Solomon also humbly prays for forgiveness and asks God to maintain His presence in the temple and bless the people.

Notes

This chapter highlights the significance of the Ark of the Covenant and the dedication of the temple by Solomon. It portrays the humility and reverence of Solomon as he recognizes the greatness of God and the importance of seeking His presence.