OVERVIEW:
God speaks to Solomon; the Queen of Sheba comes to Solomon; Solomon’s kingdom increases in wealth; Solomon’s heart is turned away; God’s judgment upon Solomon.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Chapter 9 begins with God speaking to Solomon a second time. It has now been 20 years since the Lord spoke to him the first time. He confirms the fact that He wants to bless Solomon the way He had blessed his father David, but also lets him know that His blessing was most certainly conditional. If Solomon walked in “integrity of heart” and in “uprightness”, and simply did the things he knew to do, keeping the Lord’s “statutes and judgments”, he and the kingdom of Israel would be “established” and blessed. But God also warned that if Solomon turned his back on Him, and no longer kept His “commandments and statues”, and began serving and worshipping other gods, the kingdom of Israel would be cursed. The choice Solomon was presented seems like the biggest no-brainer in the history of earth, and yet, recognize that God sets before each of us each day a similar choice. Every day we get to choose whether we will sow to our flesh or sow to the Spirit. (Galatians 5:7-8) If we choose to sow to the flesh, we will of the flesh reap corruption. If we choose to sow to the Spirit, we will of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (i.e. life that keeps giving life, or “abundant life”!) That choice also seems that it would be the biggest no-brainer ever, and yet, as most of us have discovered, somehow, it isn’t. May God help us to make better daily choices than Solomon ultimately made.
As we come into chapter 10, Solomon is presented as, what is perhaps, the greatest type of Christ in the entire Bible. Biblically, he is identified as:
- The “prince of peace”. (The name of King David’s son, “Solomon,” means “peace.” See Isaiah 9:6; 2nd Samuel 12:25)
- The “beloved of the Father”. (Solomon’s name was also, “Jedidiah,” meaning “beloved of Jehovah” or, the beloved of God, the Father. See Matthew 3:17)
- The “son of David”. (Proverbs 1:1; Matthew 1:1)
- The “son of Jehovah”. (1st Chronicles 28:6; Luke 1:32)
- The “man of rest”. (1st Chronicles 22:9; Hebrews 4:8-10)
- The one who sat “upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord”. (1st Chronicles 28:5; Revelation 3:21)
- The one whose kingdom was a kingdom of “peace and rest”. (1st Chronicles 22:9; Isaiah 9:7)
- The one whose kingdom was a kingdom with “no adversary” present. (1st Kings 5:4; Revelation 20:2-3)
- The one whose presence was sought by “all the earth”, and “all the kings of the earth”. (1st Kings 10:24; 2nd Chronicles 9:23: Revelation 21:24)
This is the glory of chapter 10! However, Solomon goes from being perhaps the “greatest type of CHRIST” in chapter 10, to perhaps the “greatest type of ANTICHRIST” in chapter 11! Let us recognize the very fact that this COULD happen to Solomon, and DID happen to Solomon, should cause every one of us to sit up and take notice! Because there probably aren’t any of us who are more “sincere” and “well-meaning” as Solomon, and none of us have had the deck more stacked in our favor than Solomon did. Certainly, none of us have more wisdom than Solomon did, not to mention knowledge and understanding!
So, the question is, just what was it that actually happened to Solomon?
There are several very identifiable “downfalls” in his life. We have already mentioned in yesterday’s reading the fact that “his own house” was almost twice the size of “the Lord’s house” and took almost twice as long to build! Though Solomon was still being obedient to his calling, his first downfall was that he had an obvious PREOCCUPATION with “SELF”! But that’s certainly not all!
Notice, also, his ATTRACTION to WOMEN! The first three verses of chapter 11 say:
Verse 1: “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;”
Verse 2: “Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.”
Verse 3: “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.”
Then, notice, also, his ACCUMULATION of WEALTH! Chapter 10 and verse 14 says: “Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold.” Be aware, that biblically, the number 6-6-6 is always associated with antichrist (Revelation 13:18) and/or what 1st John 4:3 calls the “spirit of antichrist.”
Notice, also, his CONNECTION to EGYPT. Egypt, as we have previously seen, is always a picture of the world and sin in the Bible. Egypt was the place from which God “brought out” His people from bondage, and the place from which God never wanted His people to go back for the purpose of “bringing out” anything else! (Isaiah 31:1-3; Genesis 5:24-25) Don’t miss the fact that God has specifically forbidden the kings of Israel, in Deuteronomy 17:14-17, to conduct any type of business with Egypt, to multiply wives, or to accumulate gold. Solomon would have known that had he followed the instruction of Deuteronomy 17:18, that as a king in Israel, he was to make his own copy of the law! Be it known, when we distance ourselves from the word of God, the compromises we will begin to make will be astounding, and the consequences far-reaching.
CHRIST IS REVEALED: Through SOLOMON, ruling in Jerusalem as the leaders of the world seek Him and His wisdom — 1st Kings 10:1-6 (Philippians 2:9-11)