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The Book of I Kings,
Chapters 1:-22:.
By Darren Johnson
A Commentary on the Book of
I Kings, Chapters 1:-22:.
Publisher’s Note:
The Scripture quotations found herein are from the text of the Old King James, 1611 Authorized Version of the Bible.
Any deviations there from are not intentional.
The publisher owns the copyright and hereby gives anyone permission to reproduce or transmit in any form and any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage, retrieval system, multimedia, or Internet system, any part or all of this publication. However, he may not sell any of it for profit.
Matt. 10:8 “…freely ye have received, freely give.”
The Book of I Kings, Chapters 1:-22:. ©Darren Johnson 2016.
Table of Contents
Introduction …………..…..….……........4
I. I Kings 1: .……………............5-8
II. I Kings 2: ……….……...........9-12
III. I Kings 3: ….…….……........13-15
IV. I Kings 4: ….…….................16-18
V. I Kings 5: .……..…..……....19-20
VI. I Kings 6: …...………...........21-25
VII. I Kings 7: ….……..…….......26-31
VIII. I Kings 8: …..…..……….....32-39
IX. I Kings 9: …...……….….....40-42
X. I Kings 10: …...……….…...43-46
XI. I Kings 11: .……………......47-51
XII. I Kings 12: .…...........….......52-54
XIII. I Kings 13: …...……….…...55-58
XIV. I Kings 14: .……………......59-61
XV. I Kings 15: .……………......62-65
XVI. I Kings 16: .…………….....66-68
XVII. I Kings 17: …...……….…..69-70
XVIII. I Kings 18: .…………….....71-75
XIX. I Kings 19: .…………….....76-78
XX. I Kings 20: …...………..….79-83
XXI. I Kings 21: .…………….....84-86
XXII. I Kings 22: .…………….....87-92
XXV. Salvation Message .…….....93-94
Introduction
The purpose of this book is to motivate you to study the I Kings. I Kings began with the death of David and covers the rise of Solomon to king and what happens to him and Israel while he is king. Afterward it covers the split of Israel into two nations(Israel and Judah) and the kings afterward
(I Kings 12:-22:). After the split, the kings of Israel covered are Jereboam, Nadab, Baasha, Zimri, Omri & Ahab and the kings of Judah are Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshophat. Only Asa and Jehoshaphat were good kings in the eyes of the Lord.
The average Christian is ignorant of the many truths found in the book of I Kings. For the Bible believing Christian, every book in the Bible is important and loaded with truths and everyday applications(II Tim. 2:15, 3:16-17).
I Kings 1:1-4 NOW king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.
:2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
:3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
:4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
When king David was old and close to death, his body wasn't producing enough body heat to stay warm. Since the king was always feeling cold, they decided to get the king a young virgin, who turned out to be Abishag a Shunammite, to sleep with the king at night to keep him his body warm. The king slept with the virgin only for body heat and had no sexual relations with her.
I Kings 1:5-8 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
:6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.
:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.
:8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
Afterward, Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself and wanted to be king. He had chariots, horsemen and fifty men to run before him wherever he went(his entourage). Adonijah was brother to Absalom, he was a very goodly man in looks and strength and he was never disciplined by David for his arrogant behaviors. So Adonijah conferred with Joab and Abiathar the priest and they helped him in his insurrection against David. However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei and the mighty men which belonged to David stuck with king David.
I Kings 1:9-14 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants:
:10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.
:11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?
:12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
:13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?
:14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.
Adonijah has a feast by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants. There he was going to ordain himself as the new king of Israel. However, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, mighty men and Solomon his brother were not called to the feast. Adonijah was doing this act behind king David's back without his approval. When Nathan the prophet got wind of what was happening, he told Bathsheba the mother of Solomon about the insurrection against king David. He advised Bathsheba to tell king David. Nathan promised to follow Bathsheba's request with himself confirming her words. If nothing was done, Adonijah would have been king and Bathsheba and Solomon would be executed as potential rivals, etc.. Solomon was already picked by king David to succeed him as king.
I Kings 1:15-21 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
:16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
:17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the Lord thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
:18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:
:19 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.
:20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
:21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
Bathsheba went to king David and informed him about the insurrection of Adonijah and the feast he was having for his followers. She pointed out that in the past, David promised that Solomon would succeed him. Since she and Solomon weren't called to the feast and Adonijah became king, they would be considered a threat to the kingdom and executed. Bathsheba urged king David to name Solomon his successor and ordain him as king while David was still alive.
I Kings 1:22-27 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
:23 And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
:24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
:25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.
:26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.
:27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
After Bathsheba, came Nathan the prophet to king David confirming the story of a potential insurrection. He questioned whether Adonijah should reign after king David. He pointed out that Adonijah was having a feast with all the king’s sons, the captains of the host and Abiathar the priest. At the feast they were saying God save king Adonijah. However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Solomon was not called to the feast along with himself. Nathan asked if the information about Adonijah as king was withheld from him.
Nathan had the right strategy. Go to the king with reason and logic and be open to rebuke and correction if an honest mistake was made. This is in contrast to Adonijah who thought to take the kingdom by force and deception, etc..
I Kings 1:28-35 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.
:29 And the king sware, and said, As the Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
:30 Even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
:31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
:32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
:33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
:34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
:35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
After hearing the report of Adonijah, king David called Bathsheba and swore to her that Solomon would reign as king after him. So that day king David made Solomon king of Israel. By the way, notice that when Nathan and Bathsheba bowed to king David, it was out of reverence or respect for the office of king. Reverence is not fear nor worship(Heb. 12:28). David was a man with great authority from God(Rom. 13:1-8), but not God.
So king David called Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada to ride Solomon on a mule from Jerusalem to Gihon(just east of Jerusalem). At Gihon Solomon was annointed king, a trumpet was blown and it was proclaimed that God save king Solomon. Afterward, Solomon would return to Jerusalem and sit on the throne over all Israel and Judah.
Note, the nation of Israel consisted of twelve tribes that included Judah. However, since David came back to Jerusalem after the insurrection of Absalom, the nation of Israel has been referenced in two pieces, Israel(eleven tribes) and Judah. When the kingdom of Israel splits into two nations during king Rehoboam's death, they split into Israel(ten tribes) and Judah(Judah and Benjamin).
I Kings 1:36-40 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the Lord God of my lord the king say so too.
:37 As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.
:38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.
:39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.
:40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was pleased to hear David making Solomon king. He hoped that Solomon's kingdom would surpass the greatness of David's kingdom. So the leaders that backed David did as he said and made Solomon king. After Solomon was made king, the people of Israel rejoiced with musics(pipes, like a flute, etc.) and had great joy. The noise was so loud that the earth rent or tore beneath, etc..
It is funny that the people didn't rejoice when Adonijah was being called king. The people evidently knew that Adonijah was corrupt and couldn't be trusted. They learned their lesson from Absalom, etc..
In history, people know when a good leader is in power. That is why good people in the US rejoiced over the re-election of Reagan and mourned over the re-election of Obama.
I Kings 1:41-48 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
:42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.
:43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.
:44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule:
:45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.
:46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.
:47 And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.
:48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
As Adonijah's guests were finishing their feast, they heard the sound of the people shouting. When the trumpet was blown, Joab inquired about the noise in the city. Afterward Jonathan the son of Abiathar came in and told them that king David had made Solomon king. Furthermore, Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites and Pelethites have made him ride upon the king's mule and anointed him king in Gihon. He said that the people rejoiced upon Solomon's return to Jerusalem and he currently sits on the throne of Israel as king. Moreover, the king’s servants blessed king David and proclaimed that God would make Solomon's name and throne greater than David's throne. Finally, David bowed to Solomon in reverence as king and thanked the Lord for allowing him to see someone sit on the throne after himself.
The Lord put down the insurrection of Adonijah without an arrow being shot. God took care of David and Solomon in their situation to protect them and the kingdom. For the Christian, it pays to be holy and trust in the Lord always(Pr. 16:8, Matt. 6:33).
I Kings 1:49-53 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
:50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
:51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.
:52 And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.
:53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.
After the news was presented, the guests of Adonijah were afraid and departed in separate directions. Adonijah in fear went to the tabernacle and caught hold on the horns of the altar(brasen altar in the courtyard). King Solomon was notified that Adonijah feared Solomon as king, begged for mercy and asked for a promise not to be slain with the sword for his insurrection attempt. Solomon showed him mercy and let him live. However, if wickedness would be found in him later, like a desire of any kind to usurp his authority, he would be executed. Afterward, Adonijah was brought from the altar to the throne of Solomon. There Adonijah showed reverence, judgment was proclaimed and Adonijah was sent home.
I Kings 2:1-6 NOW the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
:3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
:4 That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
David gives his son Solomon the king a charge to be brave and keep God's charges, statutes, commandments, judgments and testimonies as written in the law of Moses(found within Ex. 20:-Deut. 33:, see comments there). If Solomon follows the Lord, then the promise to David of having a seed on the throne of Israel will continue. Eventually we see that Jesus was born in the line of David(Lu. 3:) and Jesus rules forever starting with the millennium kingdom(Rev. 20:, see comments there) and forever after.
We see that David took God's word literally for the nation of Israel(II Tim. 3:16-17). The Christian should do the same under the new testament church covenant. God's word is the Old King James bible for the English speaking people.
I Kings 2:5-12 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
:6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.
:7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
:8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
:9 Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.
:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
:11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
:12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.
As far as personal kingdom issues, David encouraged Solomon to deal with Joab, who murdered two captains(Abner and Amasa) of the hosts of Israel during times of peace. David encouraged Solomon to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite who helped him during the insurrection of Absalom, his brother. Finally, in regards to Shimei the son of Gera that cursed David when he fled to Mahanaim from Absalom, he told Solomon to make him accountable for his cursing. He encouraged Solomon to execute Joab and Shimei for their crimes, but to do it in wisdom at the right time. After David's final charge to Solomon, he slept with his fathers.
When a saved person died in the Old Testament, their soul and spirit went to Abraham's bosom(Lu. 16:23-26). It was called paradise, all the saved went their and there was peace and harmony. Meanwhile the bodies of those in paradise slept or stayed dead until the rapture occurred and raised them up into immortal and perfect bodies(I Th. 4:17-18). This is why in the new testament, it is said that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the God of the living. Those who have died physically are still alive and well spiritually in paradise. Today, the saved go directly to heaven since the doors opened after Jesus died on the cross and poured his blood on the altar in heaven, etc..
David reigned for 40 years over the nation of Israel with 7 years in Hebron and then 33 years in Jerusalem. Afterward king Solomon took the throne and his kingdom was greatly established. For more information on the kings of Israel download “The time line of the Kings, Part I & II”, at ).
I Kings 2:13-25 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
:14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.
:15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the Lord.
:16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.
:17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
:18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
:19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
:20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.
:21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.
:22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
:23 Then king Solomon sware by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
:24 Now therefore, as the Lord liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
:25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.
After Solomon was made king, Adonijah came to Bathsheba peaceably with a request. He asked her to ask Solomon to give him Abishag the Shunammite(the one who kept king David warn unitl he died with her body heat) to wife. Bathsheba agreed and went to king Solomon for Adonijah's sake. The king bowed in respect for his mother and caused her to sit on his right hand of his throne. After the king promised to give her whatsoever she asked, she asked that Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah his brother to wife.
Solomon recognized Adonijah's request as an act of treason. If he marries Abishag, then it makes him look special and it appears that he has a legitimate claim to the throne. Remember if David married Abishag, then Adonijah would me husband to the wife of the former king. Hence in Solomon's wisdom he saw the request of Adonijah as a stepping stone to get the kingdom with the help of Abiathar the priest and for Joab the son of Zeruiah(those who had high ranking positions under David).
Hence, Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada to Adonijah and executed him with the sword.
I Kings 2:26-34 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
:27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord; that he might fulfil the word of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
:28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
:29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
:30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.
:31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.
:32 And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
:33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord.
:34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
Afterward, king Solomon banished Abiathar the priest to Anathoth and his own fields. However, he spared his life because he bore the ark of the Lord God before David my father and because he had been afflicted in all wherein king David was afflicted. Abiathar being banished from the priesthood along with his seed after him fulfilled the prophesy on the house of Eli in Shiloh, before Samuel took over as judge of Israel(I Sam. 3:11-14, see comments there).
When Joab heard the news about Abiathar and Adonijah he knew he was dead and at the mercy of king Solomon. This seems to show that Abiathar and Joab knew about Adonijah's plan with Abishag and afterward. Hence Joab fled to the tabernacle and took hold on the horns of the altar, like Adonijah did when he submitted to Solomon after he was made king. However, Joab got no mercy and he was slain by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada with the sword while holding the horns of the altar. He was slain there because he wouldn't leave the tabernacle(brasen altar). Joab was executed for murdering Abner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa, captain of the host of Judah, behind David's back. This execution would make the line of David innocent of the his crimes and bring peace to the kigdom.
It can be said that the brasen altar is where the sacrifices of sin were made as well as judgment on sin is made for the transgressor. In Joab's case, he personally had to die for his sins because there was no sacrifice that could spare his life. It is similar to the thief on the cross next to Jesus who got saved before he died. He was forgiven for his sin but still had to die physically for his crime that put him on a cross with a death penalty in the first place.
I Kings 2:35-38 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
:36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.
:37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.
:38 And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
Afterward, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada became captain of the host of the army and Zadok the priest was put in charge of the tabernacle(became the high priest). Shimei was commanded to build a house in Jerusalem and stay there under localized arrest. If he left Jerusalem and passed over the brook Kidron he would be executed for violating his restricted freedoms. In modern days, you would get an electron brace put around your ankle that tracked all of your movements. As soon as you left the limits of your restriction, the police would be notified and you would be arrested, etc..
I Kings 2:39-46 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
:40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
:41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.
:42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the Lord, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.
:43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?
:44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;
:45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever.
:46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
However, after three years in Jerusalem Shimei violated his restriction to chase two servants that escaped westward to Gath. He went to Gath and then to Achish before he found his servants and brought them back to Jerusalem.
When Solomon heard that Shimei had violated his probation restrictions, he was brought to his throne for judgment. There Solomon pronounced that he would be executed for his violation and not keeping his oath to the Lord as well as the commandment of the king. Also, Solomon criticized him for his past wickedness against his father king David during his reign. Hence, after the sentence was announced, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada slew Shimei with the sword. As a result, the kingdom of Solomon was established, blessed and the lineage of the throne of David was secured, etc..
In the end, those that feared the Lord were blessed of God and established and those who practiced sin got their just ends. Likewise at the judgment seat of Christ ever Christian will be rewarded for their service to Christ for exactly what they deserve(II Cor. 5:10). Also, the lost will be condemned to the lake of fire forever for rejecting Jesus as their Savior(Rev. 20:12-15).
I Kings 3:1-4 AND Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
:2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.
:3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
King Solomon made affinity(a spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something
) with Pharaoh king of Egypt. As a result, he took Pharaoh’s daughter to wife and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, the house of the Lord and the wall of Jerusalem round about. The wall was for additional defense to keep the enemy from just walking into Jerusalem at any time. King Solomon understood the need for strong Jerusalem city security.
By the way, walls keep bad people out. This is why a country needs good border security. It ensures that mostly good people get in and bad people rarely if at all get in. Once a bad person is found he is deported. This is how America always did it until the 1960's when politicians tolerated illegal immigrants because they were benefiting from it(Democrats-votes, Republicans-cheap labor) at the expense of the American people.
Until the temple was built, the people of Israel in high(ground) places. King Solomon loved the Lord and walked in the statutes of the Lord like David his father(Eccl. 12:13-14). The second and third king of Israel were devout believers in the law of Moses and the Lord and look how great the country fared. Compare that to kings who didn't serve the Lord and how bad the country fared, etc..
Solomon burnt incense in high places and sacrificed at Gibeon because their was a great high place there. Solomon offered 1000 burnt offerings on that altar to the Lord. Solomon gave to the Lord regularly(I Cor. 16:1-2, see comments there).
I Kings 3:5-9 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
:7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
In Gibeon(5 miles north & 3 miles west of Jerusalem) the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and asked him what he would like from God. By the way, God isn't your genie, you don't rub the lamp(bible) and God is your servant. If you obey God and sell out to Him, then you have a right to ask for anything that is holy and in God's will for your life. Solomon was obedient and dedicated and hence earned the privilege to ask for anything.
Solomon told God that he showed David great mercy based on his walk with and obedience to God(I Pet. 1:15-16, see comments there). Because of God's great kindness, He allowed Solomon to be king after David. Solomon realized that he was a little child in terms of wisdom and running a country. He knew that Israel was a great nation and without God's help he couldn't run it properly. Hence he asked God for an understanding heart to judge the people and discern between good and evil.
This is what a good leader desires. To know God perfectly and to rule the country fairly. In the US we have corrupt politicians because they don't care about the people but about feathering their own and their constituents(special interest groups, etc.) nests with money and power. If they feared the Lord, it would show in the laws they pass(ban abortion-murder, ban homosexuality-perversion, enforce laws and deport all illegal immigrants, etc.). They would enforce good laws within the country and protect from bad people getting into the country, etc..
I Kings 3:10-15 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
:11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
:13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
:14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
The Lord was pleased with Solomon because he asked for the understanding of the Lord to discern between good and evil. Remember that wisdom is knowledge applied and understanding is knowing how wisdom applies to the Lord and His will. With spiritual understanding, you get wisdom, knowledge, God's will and a perfect path to follow in life. The goal of every saved person is to have an understanding heart from the Lord. In the US, given the few Christians there are(see Salvation message at the end of the book), few of them have much of the Lord's understanding. For the few that have some understanding, they usually aren't listened to but are deemed fanatics and ignored. This is why the US is falling apart morally, spiritually, emotionally and economically, etc..
The carnal person would have asked God for long life, earthly riches and victory over his enemies (what's the point if you don't serve the Lord, you are just serving your flesh). By the way, if you sell out and serve the Lord you will usually get those three things anyway. If not, it won't matter, because the true riches is your walk with God and the eternal rewards earned(II Cor. 5:10).
E.g. in my life, I am going on 50 years old, I have a good job with many accomplishments, I have all the money I need and I have a good ministry, etc.. I have this because I sold out to the Lord in 1998 and did whatever it took to serve God better. I didn't care about a career, money, accomplishments, etc.. However, I got them anyway as a result of serving God and God blessing me with wisdom, etc.. Also, my joy isn't in a career, money, health, accomplishments, social standing, etc., but in the Lord. The things of the world only bring temporary enjoyment. They are nice to have but not necessary. God is all you need. When you realize and experience that Christian through obedience and the power of God, then you will understand why Solomon asked for what he asked for and why God gave him all the other extra blessings that the world lusts after every day(Matt. 6:33).
So God gives Solomon a wise and an understanding heart like no other king in history before or after him. Hence if you want to see the best king in history lived and ruled, read the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Definitely don't listen to the advice and foolishness of the Democratic National(Socialist) Convention(2016).
As a result, Solomon got both riches and honor beyond any king of his day. God promised Solomon a long life if he walked in God's ways and kept his statutes and commandments as written in the law of Moses. After Solomon awoke from his dread, he went to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord(go to and download, The Tabernacle, Part I & II, for more information on the the ark of the covenant), and offered burnt and peace offerings. Afterward he had a feast in celebration to all of his servants.
I Kings 3:16-22 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
:17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
:18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
:19 And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
:20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
:21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
:22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
King Solomon's first test as king occurred when two harlot(Heb. 13:4) women approached him claiming that a certain baby was their child. The one claimed that the one harlot overlaid her child at night and killed it. Afterward, she rose at midnight and switched her dead child with the living one from the other harlot. The two babies were delivered two days apart so evidently it was hard to discern whose baby was whose, etc. The two women dwelt in the same house and there was no one else there when the incident happened. When the other harlot arose from sleep with a dead child, she thought about the situation and concluded that the babies were switched in the middle of the night(motherly instinct for her baby). However, the harlot with the living child claimed that the other harlot's story was false.
I Kings 3:23-28 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
:24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
:25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
:26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
:27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
:28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.
Solomon had to make an unbiased decision based on the facts. He relied on the motherly instinct to give the true mother away. Hence, he ordered that the baby be cut in half and one half be given to each harlot. Before the child could be slain and cut into two pieces, the real mother cried out and begged the king to give the living child to the lying harlot. She was willing to give up her child to preserve its life. This is what a true mother does. She would never stoop so low and have an abortion(Ex. 20:13, see comments there). However, the woman who doesn't care about the child doesn't care if the child lives nor dies. Hence the real mother was found out and the one that cried out for her babies life got the baby and the baby was spared from being cut in two. When the nation of Israel heard the judgment of Solomon in this case, they realized that he had the wisdom of God in him in judgment. As a result they feared the king and his authority. A good king will put the fear of God in you that you sin not and obey the law of Moses(I Jo. 2:1, see comments there). In our day, a good pastor will put the fear of God in you with his teaching and preaching that you sin not and obey the New Testament Church covenant.
I Kings 4:1-6 SO king Solomon was king over all Israel.
:2 And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
:3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.
:4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
:5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:
:6 And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.
King Solomon had Azariah the son of Zadok(high priest under David) as high priest. Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, were the scribes, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host(same captain as when David was king). Zadok and Abiathar were the priests(evidently the same names for different people) serving in the tabernacle, etc.. It must be pointed out that certain names in Israel were popular as well as the common practice of people naming kids with the same names as themselves, etc.. Hence, the bible is not in contradiction but a very accurate book in detail(Ps. 19:14, 12:6-7).
Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers and Zabud the son of Nathan was the principal officer and the king’s friend. Ahishar was over the household and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute. So God provided Solomon with a good cabinet of people to help him run the nation of Israel under the power of God. By the way, good people draw good helpers whereas corrupt people draw corrupt people(e.g. look at the Obama appointees and their track record of corruption and inefficiency, Ps. 9:17, etc.).
I Kings 4:7-19 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
:8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
:9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan:
:10 The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:
:11 The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
:12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:
:13 The son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
:14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:
:15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
:16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:
:17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
:18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
:19 Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.
Also, king Solomon had 12 officers over all Israel that took a particular month to provide victuals for the king and his household. The twelve officers were the following:
The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan:
The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:
The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:
The son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:
Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:
Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.
Each officer was over a certain region in Israel(as always one can go to to get the location of each city in Old Testament times on a color coded map). E.g. in the US we have governors over each state just like Israel had officers over each tribe(I Cor. 14:40, see comments there).
Note that Abinadab and Ahimaaz were each married to one of Solomon’s daughters. Note that tw of the officers were sons-in-laws to king Solomon.
I Kings 4:20-28 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
:21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
:22 And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
:23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
:24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
:25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.
:26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
:27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
:28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
The reign of Solomon was a reign of peace. He is a picture of the reign of Jesus for 1000 years(Rev. 20:, see comments there). While at peace time the people of Judah and Israel were populated like the sand which is by the sea(several millions probably) and they were eating, drinking and making merry every week. People were safe, at peace and enjoying the fruits of their labor in happiness. This is the economic and emotional goal of every nation that ever existed. It was accomplished under a monarchy under the law of Moses found in the bible. Hence if you want a prosperous nation, you need to make the bible your handbook for life and government, etc.. Sadly to say in the US, they rejected prayer and the bible for the public schools in 1962. Today, fundamentalist Christianity is deemed evil and as a result the country is falling apart at the speed of light in terms of morality and corruption(2016).
King Solomon reigned over other kingdoms as well as the chief ruler. He ruled over the Philistines to the west of Israel and southwest to the border of Egypt. Those in those areas brought presents to Solomon to keep the peace and served the nation of Israel all the days of his life.
In Solomon’s kingdom, his daily provision for one day was 30 measures(1 homer = 36.44 liters) of fine flour, 60 measures of meal, 10 fat oxen, 20 pasture oxen and 100 sheep plus harts, roebucks, fallow deer and fatted fowl. Evidently his whole cabinet ate with him or was fed by the king along with his servants.
King Solomon had dominion over Tiphsah(off of the Euphrates river) to Azzah and over all the kings on south side of the Euphrates River. All of Israel was safe from Dan(north) to Beersheba(south) as well as all the countries around him(Ammon, Moab, Edom to the east, Philistines to the west, Egypt to the southwest, Syria to the north and Arabia to the south, etc.). Notice that every man in Israel owned his own property that was prospering agriculturally.
King Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots(remember that they used ten horsemen or riders per chariot) and 12,000 horse men. The twelve officers that came one at a time every month provided the barley, straw for the horses and dromedaries(single humped camel). In a time of peace, the army of Solomon was still huge and well trained. As the old saying goes, you get peace through strength. Sadly to say in the US(2016) are weakness abroad and within as a nation has led to many terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists at home and abroad. Also, the number of threats to the US abroad has increased and our enemies laugh in our faces.
I Kings 4:29-34 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
:30 And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
:31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
:34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
God gave king Solomon exceeding amounts of wisdom and understanding as well as largeness of heart like the sand on the sea shore in abundance. When you get closer to God your heart gets bigger in terms of compassion, not being selfish, mercy, justice, judgment, love and truth, etc.. The wisdom that Solomon had was the greatest in the world of his day. He was wiser than all the nations of the world which included the people of the east and Egypt.
In modern times, they brag much about the wisdom of the ancient Egyptians and the wise of the east. Funny how the world ignores the great wisdom of Solomon based on his knowledge of the bible and walk with God(I Jo. 2:15-17, see comments there). Also, Solomon was wiser individually than any great wise men of his time including Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Chalcol, Darda and the sons of Mahol. The only way you could forget the history of Solomon is to ignore the facts and teach lies(like they do in modern American history books or revisionist history or propaganda history, etc.). In the US they did the same with science(taught the lies of evolution and ignored the truths of creation(Gen. 1:, see comments there). Sadly to say that falsehood has now invaded the family structure to where a household with one man and one women with children is frowned upon for the perversions of our day (2016, Ps. 9:17, download The Christian Home, Part I & II at ).
King Solomon spoke 3000 proverbs and wrote 1005 songs. He wrote Proverbs and the Song of Solomon(download, The Song of Solomon at ). Solomon knew his biology backwards and forwards. He spoke about the trees, the hyssop(any of several aromatic herbs belonging to the genus Hyssopus), beasts(animals), fowl(birds), creeping things(bugs) and of fishes. His wisdom was so great and detailed that people came from around the world on a regular basis to hear him speak. Solomon was a creationist and not an evolutionist(I Tim. 6:20, see comments there). He was a picture of Jesus in that he had all wisdom and knowledge about the things of life. If you wanted to know the truth you had to go to him and ask him or read his writings(The Bible was written by God, II Pet. 2:20-21, see comments there). He was the world’s authority on many issues, etc..
I Kings 5:1-6 AND Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.
:2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
:3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.
:4 But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
:5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.
:6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.
Hiram king of Tyre(Tyre is off the Mediterranean Sea, a city of Phonecia or modern day Lebanon that was northwest of Israel) sent his servants to Solomon to evidently congratulate and honor him after he was anointed king of Israel after David. Hiram and David were allies.
Solomon requested that the people of Hiram provide him cedar trees for a salary or hire out of Lebanon to be used to build the temple or the Lord's house. It was God's will for Solomon to build the temple(permanent tabernacle, go to and download, The Tabernacle, Part I & II). Solomon's kingdom was a kingdom of peace, just like Jesus reigning in the millennium.
I Kings 5:7-12 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.
:8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.
:9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.
:10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire.
:11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
:12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.
Hiram agreed with Solomon over providing timber of cedar and fir for the house of the Lord. The logs of wood were carried to the Mediterranean Sea and floated down the coast going south to an appointed drop off point. Hiram rejoiced greatly that Solomon hired his people for the job and hence gave Solomon as much wood as he desired.
Along with the workers getting paid, the household of Hiram got 20,000 measures of wheat and 20 measures of pure oil(measure=homer=35.44 liters). A league or agreement between the two nations was made and there was peace. After displaying great wisdom within Israel, Solomon is know showing wisdom without Israel or with other nations.
A good leader knows how to negotiate deals with foreign countries that is mutually beneficial to both nations. Sadly to say in the US, we have been making bad business deals with foreign countries(Mexico, China, etc.) that have caused the loss of jobs in the US and a massive trade deficit(E.g. NAFTA under Bill Clinton). This is done for the benefit of the politicians and their special interest groups. This is why Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders both promoted “fair trade” policies if elected in 2016.
I Kings 5:13-18 And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
:14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy.
:15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;
:16 Beside the chief of Solomon’s officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work.
:17 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
:18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
A levy is an imposed tax or an enlistment of service. In this case, Solomon made a levy that required 30,000 men to work with Hiram for the timber cutting and sending. Like an offshore oil rig worker, they were doing 30/60 or 30 days on the job(Lebanon) and then 60 days off(at home). 10,000 men were working all the time each month. raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. Also, Solomon had 70,000 that bared burdens and 80,000 cutters or hewers in the mountains involved in the work. There were 3300 foreman or supervisors plus the officers over them to make sure the job was being done completely, efficiently and safely, etc.. Note that the cutters were bringing great stones for the foundation of the temple(great stones(uncut), hewed stones(cut stone) and costly stones(gems) to lay the foundation of the house. It was a joint effort between king Solomon and Tyre to get the materials to Jerusalem to build the temple. The temple was one expensive and great work for it to take so much labor, time and materials. Remember that this is where all of Israel went to offer and sacrifice to the Lord. Hence the temple was more like a mega church with 20,000 seats with accessories to accommodate all the people coming and going all year long, etc..
On a side note, although they didn't have modern technology, they didn't seem to have any trouble building great architectures. This is how the pyramids in Egypt were built. The reason why modern day architects don't understand how they did it is because they are too dependent on modern technology. Remember we went to the moon on 60's technology. Now, I have a 3.4 Megahertz
quad pro with 32 gigs of ram and a terabyte(100 gigs) of ram for a computer(supercomputer in comparison). When stuck with lesser technology, you figure out other ways of doing the same thing efficiently, cheaply and safely, etc..
I Kings 6:1-7 AND it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
:2 And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
:3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
:4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
:5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
:6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
:7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
The house of the Lord or temple was built in the 480th year in the second month after the nation of Israel came out of Egypt or the Exodus. Go to and download, The Bible Timeline, to see how everything fits together in the bible over time. Note that Solomon’s reign begins in the 476th year after the Exodus. A lot of Hebrew history happened from Moses to Solomon and the Christian should know his bible history backwards and forwards(Rom. 15:4, see comments there).
The house(sanctuary portion) or temple that was built under Solomon’s authority was 60 cubits(90 feet) long, 30 cubits high(45 feet) and 20 cubits(30 feet) wide or 2700 square feet and 4 ½ stories high. The temple had a porch before it of 20 cubits(30 feet) long or the same length as the house and ten cubits(15 feet) broad or extended from the temple. The temple had windows of narrow lights or small windows. Outside the temple, he built chambers against the walls round about(or the other three sides different from the porch). Remember that the house of the Lord consisted of two parts. The oracle refers to the holy of holies part of the temple(I Kings 6:20). Note that the oracle is the same size or 400 square feet as the holy of holies in the millennial temple. The chambers were used by the priests for living quarters, etc..
The chambers on the end of the temple were 5 cubits(7 ½ feet) long whereas the chambers in the middle were 6 cubits(9 feet) long. The third chamber, following the first two of 5 & 6 cubits evidently was a chamber 7 cubits(10 ½ feet) long. This would give you 9 chambers on the sides and 5 chambers at the back of the temple(23 chambers in all for the priests living quarters and any other needs, etc..) for each story. The chambers built outside the temple were not fastened or connected to the temple itself.
The stones used to build the temple were perfectly prepared so that when the temple was assembled, the pieces of stone didn’t need to be adjusted to fit in place. I talked to a house builder once and he told me that is unheard of in modern times. Usually, someone got some of the measurements slightly off or some of the materials are slightly off to where adjustments had to be made. Things didn’t fit together perfectly. The point here is that when God builds a building it comes out perfect whereas when man builds a building there are always mistakes to account for. The same can be said spiritually that God’s laws always are perfect and make the Christian better(I Pet. 1:15-16, 22, see comments there) whereas religion is flawed and leads to disaster(Mark 7:6-9).
By the way, in the millennial temple(Ezek. 40:-43:, see comments there) there were chambers for the priests built around the temple as well as chambers outside the inner court, etc.. As usual, the temple is built precisely and efficiently according to the word of the Lord for His benefit and glory.
Whether it is the temple, Noah’s ark, or some other bible structure, God knew what he was doing. The reason why the US liberal media gives misconceptions of the size, construction and quality of the temple, Noah’s ark, etc. because it proves the bible and God are right(Ps. 138:2).
I Kings 6:8-13 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
:10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
:11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,
:12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
:13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
On the right side of the temple was a middle chamber that had a door with a staircase, like you have in buildings. Evidently there were three stories of chambers(just like in the millennial temple). So every chamber around the temple in three stories was accessible through the one middle chamber door on the outside facing the right side of the temple.
The temple was finished and covered with beams and boards of cedar. The chambers of three stories were 5 cubits(7 ½ feet high) high and rested on the temple(they were not fastened to it by beams). By the way, this implies that half of the height of the temple was surrounded by chambers. That said, here are some websites that give a better visual description of Solomon’s temple ( - this gives a 3-D walk through tour, & give a reasonable description). I am not an architect so I would recommend helps that give a clear visual picture of Solomon’s temple so that you can see what God is talking about and what Solomon is building. Everything I say or the other websites say should be matched with the word of God. My commentary is an aid to learning, not an all authoritative document on the bible(II Tim. 3:16-17).
After the house and the chambers were finished, God appeared to Solomon and promised him that if he walked in His statutes, executed His judgments and keep all His commandments to walk in them, He would perform his word or keep the promises as stated in the law of Moses for the nation of Israel, etc.. Furthermore, God would dwell with the people of Israel and not forsake them as a nation.
Just like in the millennium, God dwelt with the people of Israel in holiness. For the Christian, God through the Spirit(I Pet. 1:22, Eph. 5:18), dwells with the Christian in holiness. God’s fellowship is based on how many commandments you keep as well as how often you keep them(Jo. 14:15, 21, 23, see comments there). This is how a nation, the leaders and the people are blessed(Eccl. 12:13). It is the opposite of the dominated liberal US where the bible is considered bigoted and racist and political correctness and immorality are considered normal(Isa. 5:20-23, see comments there).
I Kings 6:14-19 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
:15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
:17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
:18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
:19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
Solomon built and finished the house or temple of the Lord. The temple house walls, floor and ceiling were made of boards of cedar. The cedars were covered with wood on the walls and ceiling whereas the cedars of the floor were covered with planks of fir(any coniferous tree belonging to the genus Abies, of the pine family).
On the sides of the temple house, he built four walls of twenty cubits(30 feet) each. This would make the oracle a separate compartment from the first compartment. The walls and floors of the oracle were made of boards of cedar. The temple itself(the first compartment of the temple that doesn’t include the oracle) was 40 cubits long. This is the same length of the millennial temple with a 40/20 cubit length for both compartments respectively.
All the cedar of the house from the inside had wood carvings of knops(a small rounded protuberance, especially for ornaments.) and open flowers. No stone could be seen from the inside of the temple. The oracle or most holy place was prepared and built from within. There the ark of the covenant of the Lord was placed(like in the Tabernacle under Moses and in the Millennial Temple under Jesus).
I Kings 6:20-22 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
:21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
The oracle or the most holy place or the forepart of the temple was 20 cubits(30 feet) long, wide and high. The walls of the oracle were covered in pure gold. Remember that gold wood on the outside over gold on the inside is a picture of the Jesus(I Tim. 3:16), God in the flesh. The most holy place is a picture of heaven where God dwells(I Jo. 5:7, see comments there). The altar of incense before the most holy place was also overlaid with gold(for more typologies on the altar of incense and other tabernacle furniture that was the same or similar to the temple, download, The Tabernacle, Part I & II at ). Note that although there may be some size differences between the Tabernacle of Moses, temple of Solomon and millennial temple of Jesus, the analogies and typologies still hold, etc.. Solomon also made a partition(a wall or screen that separates one area from another) by the chains of gold before the oracle and overlaid it with gold. This was equivalent to the veil in the tabernacle. There was no veil in the millennial temple because God or Jesus in his eternal body was dwelling with man. Evidently, Solomon overlaid all the insides of the temple with gold.
Like in the Tabernacle, the first compartment was a picture of fellowship with God whereas the oracle was a picture of heaven and direct fellowship with God. Gold over wood is a picture of Jesus and the altar of incense pictures the prayers of the saints going up to God(Rev. 8:4, see comments there).
I Kings 6:23-28 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
:24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
:25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
:26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
:27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
:28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
Solomon made two cherubims out of the olive tree of 10 cubits(15 feet) high. The wings of the cherubims were 5 cubits(7 ½ feet) long with a wingspan of 10 cubits(15 feet). For more on the cherubims(Ezek. 1:, 10:), go to and download my teaching on The Cherubims or download The Book of Ezekiel). Both cherubims were of identical size and they faced each other. Since the wings were 5 cubits long and the cherubims had four wings, then the two wings stretched forward(2*5=10 cubits for both cherubims facing each other) plus the two wings stretched backward(2*5=10 cubits for both cherubims) would make 20 cubits. Hence they would be touching the walls of the most holy place or oracle. The cherubims were overlaid with pure gold.
Note that the olive tree produces olives of which olive oil comes from. Olive oil is a picture of the Holy Ghost. The cherubims glorify God, are sinless and stay in God’s presence all the time(they carry God’s throne, etc.). They are not pure gold because only God can be that. Remember that God the Father never took on the form of a man and sits on the throne in the temple in heaven along with Jesus(on his right hand) and the Holy Ghost(on his left).
I Kings 6:29-32 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
:30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
:31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.
:32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.
The walls of cedar wood in the oracle had carved figures of cherubims, palm trees and open flowers within and without. Note that only the inside of the walls in the first part of the temple had knops and flowers. Palm trees are flowers are associated with paradise or the perfect environment. The best a Christian can do in this life is to be in an environment where God is glorified and dwells. Hence, the home and new testament church should be holy sanctuaries for the Christian and his family in this world(I Jo. 2:15-17).
The wood carvings on the wall were overlaid with gold. The floor was overlaid within and without with gold or gold compassed it above and below. This implies that wherever God stands, you are in the presence of holiness or God is always standing on holy ground, etc..
When entering the oracle, you went through two doors made of olive wood. The lintel(horizontal beam over an opening in a building that carries the weight of the wall above it.) and the side posts made up 20% of the wall(20*20*.2=80 square cubits). The two doors had carvings of cherubims, palm trees and open flowers all of which were overlaid with gold. Evidently there was extra gold used(or the gold plate was thicker) for the cherubims and palm trees. Because gold is so malleable, it is technologically possible to gold plate an US quarter for around 2 cents worth of gold. We know that the gold overlay was a lot thicker than some cheap micron plated gold layer based on the amount of gold that was used in the temple, etc..
I Kings 6:33-38 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.
:34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
:35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
:36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif:
:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.
The temple posts were made of olive tree. The posts on the outside covered ¼ of the wall(20*30/4 =150 square cubits(225 square feet for both)). The doors of the temple were made of fir tree with each door() made of two folding leaves, see website for example of modern folding doors). Upon the leaves of the folding doors were carved cherubims, palm trees and open flowers. The carvings were covered with fitted gold.
The inner court is the area surrounding the temple and it was built with three rows of cut(hewed) stone and a row of cedar beams. Remember that the millennial temple also had an inner court whereas the Tabernacle only had an outer court. The foundation(the slab of concrete or rock laid that supports the building being built on it) was finished in the 4th year of Solomon’s reign in the month Zif(the second month). The temple was finished in the 11th year in the month Bul(the eighth month of the Hebrew calendar) after seven years of building. This included all the parts and fashion(details, carvings, etc.).
The fact that the temple was expensive and took seven years to complete implies that it was a great masterpiece of architecture as well as a great sacrifice of time and labor. Since this is where a person in Israel came to give God his offerings and sacrifices, it had to be magnificent and the best architecture in the land. Remember Christian, we give God our best, not our second best. This is why the New testament church should look as least as good if not better than your own house. The place where Christians go to get training, fellowship and the power of God(Matt. 28:18-29) should be a holy place and a step up from their usual surroundings. This glorifies God and is a testimony to those of the world looking at it from the outside.
I Kings 7:1-6 BUT Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.
:2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
:3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.
:4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.
:5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.
Solomon spent 13 years building his own house. The fact that his house took almost twice as long to build as God's house, indicates that the carnality of riches was the beginning of his fall into sin. When you read the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon gave himself all the riches that his day could afford. He concluded that all his vanity in this world(Eccl. 12:8, I Jo. 2:15-17). Sadly, he had to experience it and learn the hard way. For the Christian, you can just read it, avoid it and be blessed(Eccl. 12:13-14).
The house of the forest of Lebanon was 100 cubits(150 feet) long, 50 cubits(75 feet) wide and 30 cubits(45 feet) high. We see that this house stored military equipment as well as treasure(like an armory and treasury, I Kings 10:17). The house was built upon four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams upon the pillars(tall vertical structure of cedar wood used as a support for a building). The cedar beams for three of the four rows was covered with cedar wood. Note there were four rows of fifteen pillars. The house was set upon these pillars and it had three rows of square windows. The door and posts of the house were also square shaped.
I Kings 7:6-12 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.
:7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.
:8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.
:9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.
:10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.
:11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.
:12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the Lord, and for the porch of the house.
The porch was 50 cubits long(75 feet) and 30 cubits(45 feet) wide. There was another porch called the porch of judgment, where king Solomon judged. The floors were covered with cedar wood. Solomon had a court within the porch similar to the one at the house of Lebanon at his house (
& ). Note that the picture here is the rebuilt temple of Solomon after the captivity that lasted into the 1st century). Also, Solomon made a house for Pharaoh’s daughter his wife, similar to the same porch. Note that Solomon married a lost person in Pharaoh’s daughter(Deut. 17:17, see comments there). We see that Solomon falling into deep sin later into his life was a result of sin taking hold in his life and growing over time(Jam. 1:14-15, see comments there).
When you are doing well Christian, small sins don’t have much effect on the overall spirituality in your life as well as your ministry. However over time, sin creeps along(creeping incremental-ism, like far left wing policies in the US) until one day some disaster occurs. Note that great Christian leaders don’t fall into great sin overnight. It was something developed over time that just got exposed to the public for the first time, etc..
Solomon’s court in his house was made of costly stones that were cut and sawed within and without. Certain stones were 10 cubits(15 feet) high whereas others were 8 cubits(12 feet high). From the foundation to the coping(a finishing or protective course or cap to an exterior masonry wall or the like), the court was made of expensive stones(E.g. Using granite and marble instead of concrete and brick).
Marble and granite stones can be shaped and come in various colors, not to mention they are very durable, etc.. So with strong cedar wood and expensive stone you can build a solid house on a solid foundation that will be a work of art, etc.. The great court at Solomon’s house had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams. This was made for the inner court of the house of the Lord as well as Solomon’s house. It must be noted that Solomon’s house and porch were not overlaid with gold. Wood is a picture of man or humanity whereas gold is a picture of God and deity.
One could argue that the similarities implied that Solomon had the same standard of holiness as king as well as at home(download, The Christian Home, Part I & II at ). The Christian should take his Christianity to every aspect of his life(I Pet. 1:15-16, see comments there) which includes home life, employment, relaxation, friends, family and neighbors, etc.. Christianity is a lifestyle of holiness that will be rewarded in the next life(II Cor. 5:10, see comments there).
I Kings 7:13-17 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.
:14 He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.
:15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.
:16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:
:17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.
Hiram was a man of Tyre who was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali. Hiram was a worker in brass(metallurgist) who was filled with wisdom, understanding and cunning(skillful) to work all works in brass. He came to king Solomon and wrought(made) all his work or pieces of brass that was requested of him.
Hiram made two pillars of brass that were 18 cubits(27 feet) high. These pillars were surrounded by a line of brass of 12 cubits(18 feet) round about them. If the line made a square then you would have 3 cubits per side, etc.. Hiram made two chapiters of molten brass to set upon the tops of the pillars. Each chapiter(the upper part of the pillar or column) was five cubits(7 ½ feet) long.
Hiram made nets of checker work(like a barbeque grill grate) and wreaths of chain work (decorations made out of brass). Each chapiter had seven sets of wreaths and checker work. Note that a wreath is an arrangement of leaves, flowers, fruits, etc., in the shape of a circle that is used for decoration. This is a spiritual picture of the fruits, life and beauty a country and individual is blessed by when it serves the Lord.
I Kings 7:18-22 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.
:19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.
:20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.
:21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.
:22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.
Hiram made two rows round about to cover the chapiters with pomegranates. In other words you had two rows of flowers going around the chapiters in decoration. The chapiters were of lily work(looked like the Egyptian lotus flower) and were four cubits(6 feet) long. These chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly(center) which was by the network. The 200 pomegranates were laid out in rows round about the chapiter. Note that lily work is associated with peace and purity(picture of Christianity when you practice holiness, Jo. 14:15).
The pillars being made here were set up in the porch of the temple. The right pillar was called Jachin(God establishes) and the left pillar was called Boaz(strength). The meaning of the two names was derived Hebrew.
I Kings 7:23-26 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
:24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.
:25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
:26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
Hiram made a circular molten sea of brass, whose diameter was ten cubits(15 feet including the brim thickness of 4 inches on both sides). It was 5 cubits (& ½ feet) high with a circumference of 30 cubits(45 feet). By the way, the circumference = 30*18” = 2*3.14*(5*18-4)”, which has to be calculated after adjusting for the brim thickness. I point out this obvious high school math fact because some atheists who think the bible is in contradiction here never mastered algebra or common day applications(Pr. 1:7). Just remember Christian that if the Old King James Bible is perfect. If you find an error, it is because you have made a mistake in your interpretation, comparing scripture with scripture, etc.. It is okay to say I don’t know and I will pray for the wisdom of God to show me later, etc.. E.g. I didn’t learn all my bible knowledge and wisdom in three weeks, but consistently over the last 29 years, etc..
There were knops in two rows under the sea surrounding it(10 for every cubit or 18 inches). The molten sea stood upon 12 oxen. Three oxen were looking toward the north, south, east and west. The oxen were facing outward from the sea and their hind or back parts were facing inward. The molten sea is similar to the laver in the Tabernacle. Brass is a picture of judgment and you can see your reflection in polished brass. When you see your sinful life for what it is and repent and forsake your sin(Pr. 28:13), you can be made clean or holy(Eph. 5:26).
Oxen are a picture of servants. Jesus was the perfect servant who died on the cross for our sins (Mark 10:42-45, the book of Mark, the ox is one of the four faces of the cherubim). Notice that the oxen look in all four directions(the four corners of the earth) or look everywhere in the earth(II Ch. 16:9). Note that Christians serve the Lord(I Cor. 6:19-20, see comments there) and are supposed to take the gospel to the rest of the world(Matt. 28:18-20).
The molten sea(pictures the sea of glass in the temple of heaven, Rev. 15:2, see comments there).
had a brim that was 4 inches or a hand breadth thick. The brim looked like the top of a cup that had
flowers of lilies engraved on it or put on top of it in brass. The molten sea evidently was filled with water and hence contained 2000 baths of water(like a large round Jacuzzi). Note that a bath is equal to 8 gallons and three quarts of liquid. The molten sea could hold up to 3000 baths of water to full capacity(II Chr. 4:5). However, when I take a bath, I don’t fill the bathtub to its capacity because I don’t want to get water on the bathroom floor after I get in it(basic physics that an atheist can’t seem to grasp when it comes to the bible). As usual, God has the math and the practicalities down to a science(Pr. 9:10), whereas the atheist is heading for hell(Ps. 14:1) in his ignorance of the truth.
I Kings 7:27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.
:28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:
:29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
Hiram made 10 bases of brass of 4 cubits(6 feet) long and wide and 3 cubits(4 ½ feet) high. The bases had borders that were between the ledges(a relatively narrow, projecting part, as a horizontal, shelf like projection on a wall or a raised edge on a tray). There were lions, oxen and cherubims on the borders. There was a base on the ledges and there was a thin work of brass under the lions and oxen.
Remember that the lion is a picture of Jesus as king(book of Matthew), the ox is a picture of Jesus as a servant(Book of Mark) and the cherubims(Ezek. 1:, 10:) are a picture of Jesus, etc..
I Kings 7:30-36 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.
:31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
:32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
:33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.
:34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.
:35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.
:36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.
Each of the ten bases had four brazen wheels and plates of brass. The four corners had under setters or shoulders along with the laver of molten brass that had under setters at the side of every addition
(). So what you have is ten portable lavers for washing that could be pushed around the temple to go along with the big laver that was stationary(molten sea on 12 oxen). Remember that the Tabernacle had only one laver and it was stationary like the molten sea.
The mouth part of the ten bases was 1 cubit high( ½ cubit for the bowl part & ½ cubit for the compass part) and 1 ½ cubits wide. Under the mouth was a foursquare support with engravings. The border part of the base was supported by four wheels that were a height of 1 ½ cubits. The wheels were like chariot wheels all of molten brass. Note that the naves were the center part of the wheels whereas the felloes were the outer rim of the wheel. Each corner of the base had an undersetter for support that was connected to the base. On top of the base was a round compass one ½ cubit(9 inches) along with borders and ledges(a raised or projecting edge or molding intended to protect). On the plates or sides of the foursquare base there were cherubims, lions and palm trees engraved. .
Spiritually, we see that the bases with water were a picture of the word of God that makes you clean(Eph. 5:26). The word of God is active and on the move(Matt. 28:18). The cherubims represent the four faces of Jesus, the lion(king of the jungle) is a picture of Jesus as king and the palm trees are a picture of paradise(heaven and peace).
I Kings 7:37-45 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.
:38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
:39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
:40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the Lord:
:41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;
:42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;
:43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;
:44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;
:45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the Lord, were of bright brass.
All of the ten bases were of one size, they were made of brass and they held 40 baths(350 gallons of water). They had 1/75 of the holding capacity that the molten sea had. Obviously, the smaller bases could handle the smaller jobs related to the sacrifices and could be all around the inner court whereas the molten sea handled the bigger jobs, etc.. Each base had on the top part a laver that was four cubits in diameter.
They put five bases on each side of the temple and the molten sea was in the front of the temple to the right(eastward over against the south(front of the temple)). Hiram also made shovels(for moving hot coals, etc.) along with the lavers and basons(liquid containers).
In summary, Hiram built all the vessels and things of brass in the temple that included the following:
the two pillars, the two bowls of the chapiters on top of the two pillars, the two networks to cover the two bowls of the chapiters, 400 pomegranates for the two networks to cover the two bowls, the ten bases, the ten lavers on the bases, the one sea, the twelve oxen under the sea, the pots, the shovels and the basons. So all the objects for taking care of the needs of the sacrifices and offerings by the priests were available in the temple for use. As usual, all the objects down to the last detail were practical, necessary, efficient and glorified God. The Christian as being part of God's royal priesthood(I Pet. 2:9, see comments there) can learn from the detailed and sold out service of the priests along with the objects they used(Rom. 12:1-2, see comments there).
I Kings 7:46-51 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.
:47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.
:48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,
:49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,
:50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.
:51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the Lord.
The brass items for the temple were cast in the plain of Jordan between Succoth(5 miles east of the Jordan river & 1 mile west of the Jabbok river) and Zarthan(5 miles west of the Jordan river & 4 miles south of Succoth). The weight of the brass made was so much that the weight was never calculated. This symbolizes the judgment(brass) from an eternal or infinite God who has infinite wisdom in judgment. Note that judgment in the lake of fire is forever or an everlasting judgment(Rev. 20:12-15).
Other items made the temple were the the altar of gold, table of gold, where the show bread was placed and the candlesticks of pure gold(5 on the right side and 5 on the left side). The candlesticks had flowers, lamps, tongs of gold, bowls, snuffers, basins, spoons and the censers of pure gold. The altar of incense, the table of show bread and the candlestick were the same items put in the first part of the Tabernacle as well(download, The Tabernacle, Part I & II for illustrations and spiritual applications on the table of show bread, the candlestick and the altar of incense). Note that the hinges of the doors for the inner house, the most holy place, the doors of the house of the temple were all of gold.
When the temple and all the accessories were finished, Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated. This included items of silver and gold as well as other vessels. These were added to the other treasures of the house of the Lord.
I Kings 8:1-4 THEN Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
:3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
:4 And they brought up the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.
After the temple was finished, the ark of the Lord was brought up from the tabernacle along will all the holy vessels in it in the 7th month, the month Ethanim. This signifies the end of the tabernacle (portable temple) and the beginning of the permanent tabernacle(temple) in Jerusalem. King Solomon's reign was full of peace and prosperity with the law of Moses reigning supreme in the land. It is a picture of the Christian having dominion over his flesh, world and the Devil in everything. All the elders, heads and chiefs were in agreement (civil government) along with the Levites(spiritual or ceremonial government).
I Kings 8:5-11 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
:6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
:7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
:8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
The king, the rulers of Israel and the people were assembled before the ark and an untold number of sheep and oxen were sacrificed to the Lord. Afterward the ark of the Lord was brought into the oracle or most holy place and placed under the wings of the cherubims. Remember that the staves(long poles that were put through the rings on the side of the ark) carried the ark so the bearers could move the ark without touching it(download, The Tabernacle Part I & II, at ). Afterward, the staves were taken out of the ark and left in the most holy place part of the temple. The staves were never seen again by the people, apart from the high priest once a year. This signifies that God found a permanent resting place in Jerusalem. By the way, after Jesus takes over the earth, He will make his permanent resting place in Jerusalem for 1000 years(Rev. 20:, see comments there).
I Kings 8:9-11 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,
:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.
In the ark were the the two tables of stone(with the ten commandments written in stone by the finger of God). The stone tables were the first ten laws of the law of Moses which he got on mount Horeb (Ex. 20:, see comments there).
When the priests came out of the holy place(the temple) after setting the ark in its place, the cloud of God(like in the days of Moses) filled the house of the Lord. Because of the glory of the Lord in the temple, the priests could not enter. Remember that no one could see the face of God and live. The cloud of God is a picture of God the Father. He is unseen and sinless, whereas Jesus took on the form of an angel in the Old Testament or the Angel of the Lord and took on flesh in the New
Testament to die for mankind's sin(I Tim. 3:16, see comments there). During the millennium he will live amongst man in a glorified immortal body from Jerusalem, etc..
I Kings 8:12-21 Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
:13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.
:14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)
:15 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,
:16 Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
:17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
:18 And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.
:19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.
:20 And the Lord hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
:21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
God dwelt in the thick darkness in that his face was shielded from man. Physically when not on earth, He dwelt in the third heaven(Rev. 15:, see comments there), which has the bottom of it(solid ice in space) covered by a thick cloud so it can't be seen. God dwelt in the third heaven as well on earth in the tabernacle, the temple of Solomon and the millennial temple in the future.
King Solomon blessed the people of Israel in the name of the Lord before giving them a speech on the history of the ark, the kingship and the temple. God chose king David, the father of Solomon, to rule over Israel. He had a desire to build a temple, but God told him that his son would build it. King Solomon was the son that fulfilled the promise of the Lord to David. Afterward the ark of the covenant was placed in the temple. This was the final fulfillment of the promise to Moses and the nation of Israel after they were brought out of the bondage of Egypt 487 years later.
I Kings 8:22-26 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
:23 And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
:24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
:25 Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
:26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
There was an altar that was in the inner court in front of the temple. King Solomon stood before it in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, spread forth his hands toward heaven and gave a national prayer.
Solomon's prayer started by calling God the Lord God of Israel. He was referring to a specific God(Mic. 4:5) and not to all gods believed by the religions of the world. In America they first pushed ecumenical-ism(except all religions provided the religions accepted each other-religious diversity). What this did is marginalized the true believers of God or Christian fundamentalists. Now in America the far left wing democrats push diversity(all walks of life or lifestyles are excepted as long as each lifestyle excepts the others). What this did was marginalize those that believed in the common sense truths of life(life begins at conception, marriage is between one man and woman only, the home according to the bible is the foundation of a society, the bible is the moral rule book of man, if you didn't work you didn't eat(no massive welfare state), etc.). That said, Obama and Al Sharpton are as Christian as your aunt Molly's alley cat.
Solomon praised the Lord for keeping his promises to king David his servant. He also asked God to fulfill his promise by keeping a man on the throne of Israel of the line of David(fulfilled in Jesus, Matt. 1:, Lu. 3:). Hence the children of Israel will walk before God like in the days of David(Eccl. 12:13).
Here Solomon is encouraging future generations to serve God and obey His commandments. Until 1962, this is why pray and the bible were in the public schools nationwide(Pr. 1:7, 9:10).
I Kings 8:27-30 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
:28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:
:29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.
:30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
Solomon in his prayer points out that God's creation can't contain Him(Gen. 1:, see comments there) let alone the temple that he built. Solomon asks God to respect and answer his prayer that His eyes(II Ch. 16:9) may be open toward this house night and day. King Solomon asked that He would answer the future prayers of his people when they pray toward the temple. This is why in the Old Testament people prayed toward Jerusalem, because it was the place where God resided on earth.
People went to God for forgiveness(I Jo. 1:9, see comments there). For the Christian we pray towards the temple in heaven where Jesus sits as the Great High Priest(I Jo. 2:1, see comments there).
I Kings 8:31-36 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:
:32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
:33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
:34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.
:35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
:36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.
Solomon asked for judgment against people who forced others to swear an oath against their will. He prayed that God would hear and judge His servants, by condemning the wicked and justifying the righteous according to his righteousness. Here every man is judged(Jo. 7:24, see comments there) according to the word of God(Jo. 12:48, see comments there).
Solomon asked for help for the nation of Israel when they were before an enemy because of the sins. He asked God to hear them and bring them back out of captivity if they turned to God(repent, sorrow and want to change), confessed their sins and asked for help in supplication to God towards or in the temple. King Solomon had foresight that the nation of Israel sometime in the future would forsake the Lord and be exiled and the land put under foreign rule. Notice the solution for a country beaten by a foreign power. Get right with God!!! When a country needs to rebuild itself it needs God and His laws, not public works, welfare, more liberal education, diversity(perversity), etc..
Solomon asked for help for the nation of Israel in times of drought because of their sins. If they confess and turn from their sins(repent, II Cor. 7:10, see comments there) that God would hear, forgive and give the nation of Israel rain. Also, God would teach them the good way wherein they should walk(Jo. 16:13, see comments there) so they can stay right with God(II Tim. 3:16-17).
I Kings 8:37-40 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;
:38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
:40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
When the nation of Israel suffers famine(lack of food due to poor crop yield), pestilence(disease), blasting(wind that shrivels a plant), mildew(a thin whitish coating consisting of minute fungal hyphae, growing on plants or damp organic material such as paper or leather) or crop destroying insects(like the locust or caterpillar), Solomon asks God to hear, forgive and give to everyman according to his ways(holy living, I Pet. 1:15-16, 22) if the people pray towards the temple with a repent and confessing heart. Likewise, Solomon asks God to hear and , forgive when the nation of Israel is besieged by the enemy in the land of their cities and any type of plague and/or sickness breaks out as a result. Notice that when they pray then know why they are being punished. Sin starts in the heart and is called the plague of his own heart(Jam. 1:14-15, see comments there).
Because God blesses, punishes and forgives according to the law of Moses, the prophets(Ps. 138:2) and any other bible book written up to this time, it will teach the people of Israel to fear God(Eccl. 12:13). King Solomon reminds God that He gave the nation of Israel the land of Canaan and only if they obey His word will God keep the blessings flowing in the land of Israel.
For the Christian, God can send famine, disease and other disasters into his life to punish him for his sin(Heb. 12:6-7). Likewise God can bless the Christian for his obedience(Jo. 14:21, 23, see comments there). This teaches the Christian that God is in charge and His way is the best way of living(II Tim. 3:16-17).
II Kings 8:41-43 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake;
:42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;
:43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.
For the Gentile or the stranger from another nation, Solomon asks God to hear his prayer as well according to his obedience to God. Solomon knew that the name of God and his greatness had and would continually spread throughout the globe. Solomon wanted the whole world to believe in the Lord God of Israel and serve Him regardless where they lived or came from(Matt. 28:18-20). As always, God is trying to reach the world with the truth regardless of the millennium of man's history (almost 6100 years according to the creation account, Gen. 1:). God wants all men everywhere to repent(Acts 17:32), believe(Acts 10:43) and serve God(Jo. 14:15, Eccl. 12:13). So the temple in Jerusalem was for the whole world just like the millennial temple will be for the whole world to pray towards and serve God, etc..
I Kings 8:44-50 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:
:45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
:46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
:47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
:48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
:49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
:50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
When the people of Israel are in battle against their enemies at home or abroad, Solomon asks God to hear their prayers when they pray towards the temple. Regardless of your background and/or situation, king Solomon wants the person who is right with God or getting right with God to be heard by God when they pray towards the temple in Jerusalem(I Jo. 1:7, 1:9, 2:1, see comments there).
Solomon knew that all men at some time in their life will sin(Rom. 3:10-11, see comments there). The point here is that the believer had a place to pray towards when they wanted to confess their sins and change their ways(Pr. 28:13). When you live for God(Rom. 12:1-2), He will maintain your cause to keep serving Him. E.g. My ability to keep my ministry for God going since 2001 wasn't an accident nor luck. It was a result of striving for sinless perfection and serving God in every aspect of my life. God gave me what I need to have a television ministry and an international internet ministry.
Notice that God can get angry. Anger is not a sin if it is holy anger or righteous indignation(Eph. 4:26, see comments there). When God gets anger and drops the holy hammer of judgment, armies lose battles, eventually nations get overrun and people are taken into foreign captivity. In Israel's case, the ten northern tribes ended up in Assyrian captivity whereas the two southern tribes(along with the Assyrians) ended up in Babylonian captivity 143 years later.
When getting right with God a sinner has to acknowledge that he has sinned, committed wickedness and acted perversely(e.g. Sexual perversion-LGBT). After a person's sins have been confessed the sinner needs to turn to God with all of his heart and soul(repent). When in exile, if the person prayed towards the temple in Jerusalem, king Solomon is asking God to hear, forgive and maintain their cause in the land of their captivity. He asked for the enemies of the Jews in captivity to have compassion on them and make peace with them(Pr. 16:7).
I Kings 8:51-53 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:
:52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
:53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.
King Solomon reminded God during his national prayer that God delivered His people and inheritance out of the nation of Egypt. The bondage against the Hebrews was so great it was likened to being in the middle of a furnace of iron. Notice how king Solomon goes to the greatness of the origins of the nation of Israel. King Solomon reminds God of Moses whom God used to deliver the nation of Israel from Egypt(The book of Exodus, see comments there).
In America, the origins were a people who wanted to break free from the tyranny of England (taxation without representation). They wanted freedom of speech, religion and protection against a corrupt government. It was founded on truth, liberty and justice. Our founding fathers(George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, etc.) sacrificed it all and took great risks to start the greatest nation of the last 200 years until recently(America has been dropping steadily since 2007).
In terms of our founding fathers, you wouldn't know that if you ever asked Obama or went to a Democratic National Convention. When is the last time you heard them talk about people like George Washington in a positive light, etc.. We have history revisionists that constantly change the history books to make them more acceptable to left wing progressive ideas(propaganda history, not real truthful history). They think are country was founded on racists(not true) and believed in slavery(the democrats of the south did, check the DNC of 1840 & 1864). Jim Crow laws and the KKK were democratic inventions(remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. By the way, don't fall for the excuse that the pro-slavery democrats became the republicans of today. History shows only 1% of those people went Republican. The Democrats are the party of slavery and keeping people and races down with entitlements and welfare(no initiative to work and elevate themselves economically or in education, etc..
King Solomon concludes his national prayer by asking God to having His eyes open(II Ch. 16:9) to the supplication of his servant(Solomon), the people of Israel and the rest of the world who ask for help in the right way for the right reasons(Ps. 66:18, Is. 59:1-2, see comments there). For the Christian, if he lives godly, he can get all of his prayers answered(go to and download, How to Get your Prayers Answered, Part I & II).
I Kings 8:54-61 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
:55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
:56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
:57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
:58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
:59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
:60 That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.
:61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
After Solomon finished his prayer, he arose off of his knees and blessed the nation of Israel. He said to them with a loud voice that blessed be the Lord who has given rest to the nation. Not one word from the law of Moses has failed(Josh. 21:45, see comments there). By the way to see when the books of the bible were written with respect to the bible, go to ) and download the bible time line.
Solomon addressed the nation of Israel by saying that the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Notice that king Solomon didn't bash Moses(one of Israel's founding fathers if you will), nor focus on his faults(accuse him of racism) or focus on his faults. Solomon focused on what Moses did right and how it blessed the nation(something you don't get about the US at the DNC or a liberal revisionist history class, etc.). Solomon hoped that God would never leave the nation nor forsake them completely. In the end, God regroups the nation of Israel in the seven year tribulation after the rapture and establishes them as the most powerful nation on earth during the millennium(Rev. 20:, see comments there).
Furthermore, king Solomon hoped for God to incline the hearts of the people of Israel towards God in terms of walking in all his ways(applying the truths of God to their every day lives), keep his commandments(divine rule), statutes(a written law passed by a legislative body, I Jo. 5:7) and judgments(words spoken by God) as written in the law of Moses(Eccl. 12:13). Solomon charged the people of the nation of Israel to be perfect in their lifestyle with the law of Moses and their service to God(Matt. 5:48, Rom. 12:1-2, see comments there)
The same applies for the Christian under the New Testament Church Covenant(implemented after the death of Jesus(Matt. 16:18, 27:51) and continued until the rapture(I Th. 4:17-18, see comments there). The word of God is found in the Old King James bible for the English speaking people. Holiness is keeping the commandments of God in the power of the Holy Ghost(I Pet. 1:15-16, 22, see comments there).
King Solomon hoped his prayer and charge would be near to the Lord his God day and night. Solomon was trusting in God to maintain his cause as needed as a righteous king of Israel(like King James of England, etc.) as well as the cause of the people of Israel who serve God at all times. It was king Solomon's goal that all the people of the earth would know that the Lord is God(Matt. 28:18-20) and that there was none else(Mic. 4:5, see comments there).
I Kings 8:62-66 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord.
:63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.
:64 The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar that was before the Lord was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.
:65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
:66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.
Afterward, king Solomon and all Israel offered sacrifice before the Lord. The total of sacrifice and peace offerings offered by Solomon was 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Nevertheless, Solomon gave much to the Lord above his tithe(Mal. 3:6-11, see comments there). Solomon and the people dedicated the house of the Lord. The middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord was hallowed (made holy) by Solomon to accommodate all the burnt offerings, meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings of the people of Israel. This was done because the brasen altar wasn't big enough to handle all the sacrifices and offerings that were being given.
King Solomon held a feast(banquet of food) afterward in celebration of the temple being built and then dedicated. The whole nation participated in the feast from the entering in of Hamath(of the west coast of the Sea of Galilee) to the river of Egypt(Nile River evidently). It lasted 14 days in two groups of seven days. On the eighth day after seven days of the feast were completed, the king sent them home. Remember that seven is the number of completion and eight is the number of new beginnings (go to and download, Numerology, Parts I-IV, to get the meaning of the numbers of the bible, etc.). The people of Israel blessed the king and went home to their tents joyful and glad of heart(Phil. 4:4, see comments there) for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant and for Israel his people.
I Kings 9:1-5 AND it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do,
:2 That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.
:3 And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
:4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
:5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
After king Solomon finished the building of the house of the Lord, his own house and every other building project he desired, the Lord appeared to him a second time at Gibeon(5 miles north & 3 miles west of Jerusalem). The Lord told Solomon that he heard his prayer, hallowed(made holy) the temple, put his name there forever and his eyes and heart will be there(II Ch. 16:9). He promised king Solomon that He would establish the throne of Israel forever(a man would rule after him over Israel forever), if he walked before Him(Gen. 5:24, see comments there). To walk before God means you have the right spiritual intentions or motive (integrity of heart, you are uprightness(not crooked or partial in your dealings, no favoritism) and you keep all the commandments, statutes and judgments.
I Kings 9:6-9 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
:7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
:8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house?
:9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.
With every promise of God there is a blessing for keeping it and a curse for breaking it. The punishment for breaking God's law as king by not keeping His commandments and statutes etc. and serving other gods and worshiping them(Mic 4:5, see comments there) is a country in exile. This includes the destruction of the temple, people that pass by talking about why the Lord exiled His people and destroyed His temple and the nation of Israel being a negative proverb and byword(e.g. Don't let this happen to you, etc.) among the people of the world. Finally, the nation of Israel will be remembered for forsaking the Lord their God who delivered their fathers out of the land of Egypt. God forsook them because they followed other gods, worshiped them and served them. This is why the Lord punished them so severely.
For the Christian, you can either serve God or not. Likewise, he will bless you or curse you based on your behavior. What you do is being watched and remembered by others. In the end, it always pays to do right(Jam. 1:14-15) and sell out to God(II Cor. 5:10).
I Kings 9:10-14 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the king’s house,
:11 (Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
:12 And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.
:13 And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.
:14 And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
The house of the Lord and the king’s house took 20 years to build. King Solomon paid Hiram the king of Tyre with 20 cities in the land of Galilee. This was for all the cedar trees, fir trees and gold(120 talents or 4 ½ tons, 1 talent = 75 lbs. = 1.46 million dollars at 1335/toz) that he provided Solomon. However, Tyre was unhappy with the 20 cities he got in payment(paid in real estate property, etc.) and felt the value was not worth what he and his country worked for. Because of this the twenty cities were called the land of Cabul(20 miles west & 2 miles south of the top of the Sea of Galilee).
I Kings 9:15-19 And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
:16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
:17 And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether,
:18 And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
:19 And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
King Solomon raised a levy or tax amongst the nation of Israel to pay for the construction costs of house of the Lord, his own house, the wall of Jerusalem and the works done in Millo(north of Jerusalem), Hazor(8 miles north of the Dea Sea), Megiddo(7 miles south & 23 miles west of the bottom of the Sea of Galillee) and Gezer(18 miles west & 6 miles north of Jerusalem). Gezer had to be rebuilt after Pharaoh king of Egypt defeated the Canaanites and burnt the city to the ground afterward. This city was given to his daughter, who was Solomon’s wife.
King Solomon built Gezer(1 mile north & 8 miles east of Baalath, Beth-horon(9 miles west & 8 miles north of Jersualem) the nether, Baalath(4 miles north of Jerusalem & 8 miles west of the Mediterranean Sea) and Tadmor(85 miles south of the Euphrates River) in the wilderness. He also built all the cities of store(storage for crops like wheat and corn, etc.), the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen along with any other building project in Jerusalem, Lebanon and all the land of his dominion.
King Solomon built up the country’s infrastructure and food reserves so it could operate more efficiently as well as be prepared for future famines, etc.. Also, he built up places in Lebanon, where Hiram reigned and a base in Tadmor. By building up the nation and helping other nations which you have an alliance with is a smart strategy to keep the peace and prosperity, etc.. Note that a smart nation doesn’t borrow from others but is self-sufficient in every way. One of the downfalls of America is our current 19+ trillion dollar debt with no plan nor intention to pay it back(2016, Ps. 9:17). Another downfall of the US is that right now(2016) we have an untrustworthy reputation amongst our allies and our enemies take us for granted because of weak leadership(leading from behind, Obama, etc.).
I Kings 9:20-24 And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,
:21 Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.
:22 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.
:23 These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.
:24 But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.
The people that were left of the nation of Israel that were captured in battle were put to tribute and bond service in exchange for their lives and living in the land. These people were the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites and were not Hebrews. However, no Hebrew was made a bond servant in the nation of Israel, but were made his men of war(joined the army of Israel), servants (had government jobs), princes(cabinet positions), his captains and rulers of his chariots(higher ranking positions in the army) and his horsemen. King Solomon had 550 chief officers(construction supervisors) over the construction jobs in Israel. Pharaoh’s daughter and king Solomon’s wife had her own house in Millo.
In the nation of Israel, everyone had a job and a place of service. Under Solomon, the nation was organized, productive, holy and safe. This is how America used to be when it feared the Lord as a nation. Since 1962 we have gone down morally at the speed of light. Now it is affecting every aspect of life(economically, spiritually, emotionally, politically, civil laws, etc.). The same thing that led to the nation of Israel’s captivity is the same thing that has destroyed America. To make America great again, the nation needs to return to the applying the bible(US based on religious freedom which the people used to practice fundamental Christianity), which was what made it great in the first place.
I Kings 9:25-28 And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the Lord. So he finished the house.
:26 And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
:27 And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
:28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
Three times a year king Solomon gave burnt and peace offerings upon the altar of the temple. King Solomon built a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea(top of the portion on the right side of the fork) in the land of Edom. King Hiram and Solomon worked together in the navy and Hiram sent Solomon his servants had knowledge of the sea along with the servants of Solomon(joint naval operations). The navy was used to fetch(bring back gold from Ophir (420 talents of gold).
King Solomon had alliances with other nations for the benefit of the nation of Israel. A good leader makes good foreign policies that promote the nation economically. Unfortunately in America we have bad trade policies(trade deficit with China is 900 billion a year alone). This is why many jobs have gone over seas at the expense of the middle class(at the benefit of special interest groups). Good government policies are fair and benefit all, not the corrupt few(like in America, 2016, Ps. 9:17).
I Kings 10:1-5 AND when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.
:2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
:5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
One day the queen of Sheba(200 miles south & 50 miles west of Jerusalem, land mass at the bottom of the fork of the Red Sea) came to Jerusalem to prove king Solomon with hard questions. She heard of his global fame and came with a very great train. This included camels that bare spices, very much gold and precious stones as gifts. The queen communed(to converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, interchange thoughts or feelings) with Solomon all that was in her heart. Solomon answered all of her questions thoroughly.
After her meeting with Solomon and her viewing of the house or temple that he had built, the meat of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his ministers, their apparel, his cup bearers and his ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. Solomon and his subjects were a picture of Jesus and those sold out to him(Rom. 12:1-2, read comments there).
Jesus knows every thought of man and the answer to all questions in this life(Jo. 2:24). Every detail in king Solomon's kingdom down to the last detail glorified God(which included the way they sat and walked, etc.). This shows the Christian that everything we do in life down to the last detail is important to God and it will be rewarded(Matt. 10:42).
Also, when you pay attention to all the smaller sins in life(E.g. Thought sins, little things, etc.), the bigger sins will never manifest(since they develop from the smaller sins over time, Jam. 1:14-15). This is why it pays to have conservative strict rules that keep you as far from sin an possible. E.g. when making choices in life, make sure all the potential choices are good choices. Never choose between bad and good(always give your kids good choices to choose from, etc.).
I Kings 10:6-10 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
:7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
:9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
:10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
The queen of Sheba was blown away by the wisdom and glory of Solomon and the nation of Israel as a result of serving the Lord. When she heard the personal witness testimonies of Israel, she didn't believe it, but had to investigate. However, when she saw and heard it in person, she realized that she wasn't even told half the story.
E.g. when people started witnessing to me about Christ and eternal life, I didn't believe much of it, but it spurred my curiosity to investigate. After reading the bible for 6 weeks I understood and got saved(the half had not been told me). Later in my Christian life I was encouraged to forsake the worldly lifestyle completely, but delayed. When I finally did and saw the blessings of it, I realized the half had not been told me of the glories of serving the Lord all out. In conclusion, I wish someone would have told me about Jesus when I was old enough to understand. I wish I would have gotten saved then and sold out to God immediately and stayed that way until now. However, it didn't happen that way. That is just how you feel Christian when you get the full story(not the half) about the greatness of Jesus, eternity and other truths of the bible, etc.. The reason why I wrote a verse by verse commentary series of the bible was to get as much truth out as possible. Trust me, when you get a hold of God and learn past my teachings, you will realize I didn't show you even half of it, just the spark to get you started with the eternal God(Pr. 1:7, 9:10, 21:30, see comments there).
The queen of Sheba concluded correctly that Solomon's men and servants were happy to stand continually in his presence and hear his wisdom. She blessed the Lord that delighted in Solomon by making him king of Israel to do judgment and justice. The queen gave 120 talents of gold, a very great store of spices and precious stones to Solomon as a gift. The gift of spices was the greatest king Solomon ever received in his life from any one.
For the Christian we see that trusting and serving God in all our ways makes us wise and gives us a great testimony with others in the world. It leads to rewards in this life(Matt. 6:33, Ps. 37:4) and the life to come far beyond what we would imagine. E.g. in my life, the honors, blessings and glory I have gotten at work and the ministry on a local to an international level is mind blowing. I am going on 50 years old and I have already accomplished things I wouldn't have imagined before I got saved in ten lifetimes, etc..
I Kings 10:11-17 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
:12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
:13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
:14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
:15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
:16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.
:17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
Also, the navy of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a great plenty of almug(a tree, possibly the red sandalwood) and precious stones. The pillars of the temple and the king’s house and harps and psalteries(an ancient stringed instrument played by plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum, like a dulcimer) for singers were made from the almug trees.
King Solomon sent the queen of Sheba away with a royal bounty, along with the answers to all her questions. She got more than she ever expected. Also, the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold=972.36 million dollars at 1335/toz). Furthermore, king Solomon had the payment in gold from the trade of the merchantmen, the traffic of the spice merchants and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
Nevertheless, gold was abundant in the land of Israel. So king Solomon made 200 targets of beaten gold(600 shekels of gold per target =275 toz=$367,125 at 1335/toz) and 300 shields of beaten gold (3lb=52.66 toz = $70,300). These items with gold were put in the house of the forest of Lebanon(the treasury of Israel, like Fort Knox of the US). Beaten gold symbolized Jesus, the beaten crucified Savior(Jo. 1:29). The target and shields symbolize the offense(Matt. 28:18-20) and defense(Eph. 6:10-18) of the ministry of God.
When the nation of Israel was abundantly prosperous, gold was abundant and the nation was on the gold standard. This is what happens to a nation that sells out to God and is blessed economically. This was the US until 1933(off the gold standard) and then 1965(off the silver standard). Now we print monopoly money without restraint(federal reserve notes) and accumulate debt we don’t plan to pay back(19 trillion and counting before bankruptcy). The US has gone financially bankrupt while it has gone morally bankrupt(abortion, evolution taught, gay marriage and other abominations, Ps. 9:17, etc.).
Note that in Israel, they had stringed instruments to glorify God in music. It is different than an electric guitar played to corrupt ungodly beat(go to and download, New Testament Church Music). Briefly, God’s music is played with God’s instruments, music and words.
It will inspire someone’s heart to serve the Lord better, not move his flesh to sin, etc..
I Kings 10:18-21 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.
:19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.
:20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
:21 And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
King Solomon made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps with the top of the throne with the back of it shaped like a semicircle. On both sides of the throne where Solomon sat were two lions to serve as arms for the chair. There was one lion(12 total) put on each side of the six stairs as king Solomon ascended to his throne. The lion is a picture of Jesus, who is the king of the universe in judgment(Jo. 12:48, see comments there). The lion is the king of the animal kingdom(book of Matthew, Jesus is king of Israel). There were 12 tribes of Israel, hence God is over each tribe, etc.. God’s word is the final authority of all faith and practice(Ps. 12:6-7, 19:14). The Old King James Bible is the perfectly preserved word of God in English(Ps. 138:2). Note that the throne was the only one of its kind in Solomon’s days. The nation of Israel was the only nation living under the law of Moses.
It was like America in the 1950’s and before, when we had some resemblance of living for God. We were the only nation that was all out for God in promoting the truths of God and sending missionaries out to promote it. That is why we were the beacon of freedom for the rest of the world that led to victory in WWI & WWII. Now under Obama(2016), we are just like the rest of the world: immoral, weak and corrupt, etc.. It won’t be long before we end up like Israel and other nations of the world that got overrun because of our iniquities(Ps. 9:17, etc.).
All of king Solomon’s drinking vessels and the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. The abundance of gold in his kingdom was so vast, that silver wasn’t used for these vessels and no one was surprised by it. Christian, when you have complete victory in your Christian life, you have peace and dominion over your flesh, the world and the Devil. This is the pure gold lifestyle of Christianity with perfect fellowship with God(Jo. 14:21, 23, see comments there).
I Kings 10:22-24 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
:23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
:24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
King Solomon’s navy of ships was at Tharshish(southern sea coast city of Spain) with king Hiram’s navy. This would be on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea that leads out to the Atlantic Ocean. We see that king Solomon had a wide range of influence and trade routes to get everything you could think off in importance in his day, etc.. Every three years the navy brought gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks to the nation of Israel. King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and wisdom and the nation of Israel became the wealthiest and wisest nation in the world.
As a global superpower, the nation of Israel was greater than the US at its peak in power (1950’s). What made the nation great was that it feared God and kept its commandments as a nation(Eccl. 12:13). It wasn’t making immorality good(Isa. 5:20-21, see comments there) and promoting political correctness at the expense of truth while carrying a 19 trillion dollar debt, etc.).
Because of king Solomon’s wisdom from God, everyone around the globe came to him to listen to him. During the millennial reign of Christ, the whole world will come to Jerusalem to listen to the immortal resurrected Christ to listen and worship Him(Zech. 14:16-17, Rev. 20: see comments there).
King Solomon had it all as a man in the flesh in this life. In the book of Ecclesiastes he covered every area of his life and then concluded in the end to fear God and keep His commandments(Eccl. 12:13). Everything in this life is vanity and won’t last. What does last is your obedience to God and the rewards in the afterlife(II Cor. 5:10, see comments there).
Note that peacocks are birds used to produce eggs, other peacocks for meat and for their beauty. Apes in are kept as pets, used for scientific experiments and displayed as zoo animals.
I Kings 10:25-29 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
:26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
:27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
:28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
:29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.
People from around the world brought their gifts to king Solomon in exchange for his wisdom.
King Solomon received vessels of silver, vessels of gold, garments, armor, spices, horses and mules at a yearly rate. King Solomon had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen to pull the chariots. In battle they had 10 horsemen per chariot. King Solomon had so much silver in his kingdom, that it was as abundant as stones were in any other kingdom. Likewise the abundance of cedar trees in Jerusalem was like the abundance of sycamore trees that are in the vale. Note that cedar trees are used for buildings and shipbuilding whereas sycamore trees are used for boxes and crates(Cedar is a better quality of wood, etc.)
King Solomon had brought from Egypt horses and linen yarn at a price. Also, a chariot from Egypt cost 600 shekels of silver($5500 dollars = 275 toz at $20/toz) and a horse cost 150 shekels of silver ($1375). Evidently the kings of the Hittites and Syria sold horses and chariots as well to the nation of Israel. So transportation was abundant and cheap in the nation of Israel. Anyone and everyone could afford a horse(remember that silver were abundant as stones for the wealth and prosperity of the nation). Note that yarn is used use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and rope making.
Everyone had all the wisdom of God at their footsteps with all the benefits their day could afford. The US used to be like this in wealth and prosperity. However, the forsaking of God’s law and corruption in government(civil law) has led to the decline of our country today(2016). Notice that king Solomon had fair global trading agreements that benefited the nation of Israel(unlike the free trade agreements promoted by Bill Clinton(e.g. NAFTA, etc.).
I Kings 11:1-5 BUT king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
: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.
:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
The downfall of king Solomon was his love for many strange(foreign) women(Deut. 17:17, see comments there). Rather than be happily married(Hebr. 13:5) and glorifying God with his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, he married multiple wives and obtained concubines from the women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians and Hittites. As a result, his 700 wives and 300 concubines(female slave who functioned as a secondary wife and surrogate mother) influenced his heart to serve other gods in his old age(Mic. 4:5, see comments there). As a result, Solomon wasn’t
perfect with the Lord his God in obedience and served Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
For the Christian, it is important that you marry another Christian of the opposite sex who has a desire to serve the Lord. If you marry a lost or carnal Christian, their sin could pull you down and cause you to compromise your holiness for God(II Cor. 6:14-17, see comments there). Remember that marriage is a picture of Christ and the new testament church(Eph. 5:23, 25, see comments there) and it needs to be a holy and God glorifying relationship. The problem in today’s backward America is that they have removed morality from the marriage to where almost anything goes(no commitment, business relationship, abortion, no fault divorce, abandoning role responsibilities, career over kids, the schools, daycare centers, baby sitters raise the kids, etc.). People get married and then divorced for the wrong reasons. People fornicate and commit adultery for the wrong reasons(Hebr. 13:4). When the sin starts to grow, it ends up in disaster and the judgment of the Lord(Hebr. 13:4).
I Kings 11:6-8 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
As a result of following other gods, king Solomon built an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. King Solomon appeased his foreign(non-Hebrew) wives which burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods. Under the law of Moses, there should have been some penalty enforced(Deut. 13:6-18, see comments there). However, Solomon used his position as king to protect his corrupt lifestyle in his old age.
I Kings 11:9-13 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
:10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
:11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
:12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
:13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
King Solomon angered the Lord that appeared to him twice in the past. Since he openly served other gods, God promised to split the nation of Israel in two pieces, giving one tribe for the lineage of king David. As a result, the nation of Israel consisted of the ten northern tribes and the nation of Judah consisted of the tribe of Judah(David’s tribe, where Jesus came from) and the tribe of Benjamin. The nation of Israel was divided into two nations under king Rehoboam, Solomon’s son.
Because of sin, the nation of Israel went from a theocracy to a monarchy(starting with king Saul) and now the nation has become divided. For the Christian who falls into sin, he first kicks God off the throne of his life and makes the final decisions. As time passes, his sins destroy his life(cut in two, J0. 10:10). When he gets right with God, God will sit on the throne of his life and put the pieces off his life back together(I Jo. 1:9, 2:1, Pr. 28:13, see comments there).
I Kings 11:14-22 And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.
:15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
:16 (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:)
:17 That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.
:18 And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.
:19 And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
:20 And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.
:21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.
:22 Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.
As punishment for king Solomon, the Lord raised up four adversaries against him. The first was Hadad the Edomite, who was of the king’s seed in Edom. He escaped king David and Joab when they defeated the Edomites in battle and slew all the males there(II Sam. 8:14, see comments there). Hadad escaped into Egypt as a little child along with certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. There journey went from Edom (southeast of Israel) to Midian to Paran to Egypt(southwest of Israel, for bible locations go to ). In Egypt they were given a house, land and victuals by Pharaoh. Hadad found great favor with Pharaoh and as a result got the wife of the sister of Tahpenes the queen (Pharaoh’s wife). Hadad had a son named Genubath his son that grew up in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.
After getting the news of the death of David and Joab, Hadad asked Pharaoh to return to the land of Edom. He told Pharoah that he needed to go back even though he had everything he needed in Egypt.
The point here is that God knew the future and could change the future. E.g. had Solomon served God to the end, Hadad stays in Egypt and the kingdom doesn’t divide. Man has free will and God has the ability to change events to get the moving parts in the right places to fulfill his blessings and/or curses, etc.. Hence, it always pays to do right regardless of the circumstances.
I Kings 11:23-25 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:
:24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
:25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
The second adversary against Solomon was Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. After king David defeated Zobah of the Syrians(II Sam. 10:6-14, see comments there), Rezon gathered men to him, became their captain and dwelt and reigned in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Notice that Syria is to the north of Israel and Edom is to the southwest of Israel. God was raising up enemies around the nation of Israel as a result of king Solomon’s sins. Originally he had rest on every side. Righteousness brings peace(Rom. 14:17) whereas sin brings hardness of life(Pr. 13:15).
I Kings 11:26-33 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
:27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.
:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
:32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)
:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
The third adversary of king Solomon was Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant. After king built Millo(I Kings 9:15) and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father, Solomon promoted Jereoboam over all over all the charge of the house of Joseph, because he was industrious.
One day the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found Jereboam walking out of Jerusalem wearing a new garment. While the two were alone in the field, Ahijah tore his garment into twelve pieces and gave him ten pieces. Afterward he prophesied that the Lord, the God of Israel, will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give him ten tribes. The son of Solomon who reigned after him will get the tribe of Judah(Benjamin joining as well) to preserve the kingly line of David(and then Jesus, Lu. 3:).
The reason God did this was because that the nation of Israel had forsaken Him and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. Also, the nation of Israel had not walked in the ways of God, to do that which is right in His eyes and to keep His statutes and judgments, like David did. We see that the sins of Solomon spread throughout the kingdom.
When the leaders of a nation are corrupt(like Obama and his cabinet), the rest of the nation will be corrupt. Either corrupt people elect corrupt leaders or corrupt leaders pass corrupt laws that corrupt the people. Since Bill Clinton was caught fornicating in the White house with his assistant and wasn’t impeached, it opened the door to normalize such behavior, etc..
I Kings 11:34-36 Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:
:35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.
:36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
God promised to keep Solomon king until his death for David’s sake. We see that David’s walk was so holy that he had pull with God long after his death. This happened because he kept God’s commandments and statutes according to the law of Moses(Eccl. 12:13). For the Christian, if you want a lasting effect on others in this life and after you are dead, sell out to God(Rom. 12:1-2, Matt. 28:18-20) in this life and serve Him to the end.
Notice that the real holy Christian’s of yesterday have a way of surviving and influencing Christians today, whereas Christian celebrities usually are done before they even die, etc.. E.g. The prophets of the Old Testament, Fox’s book of martyrs, certain missionary’s testimonies survived because of what they did for God, etc..
So God chose Jerusalem to have a light there forever(Jesus reigns from Jerusalem during the millennium, Isa. 2:2-4, see comments there). Jesus is born of the line of David(Matt. 1:).
I Kings 11:37-39 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
:38 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.
:39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
So Jeroboam is the first king of Israel after the split. Go to to see the genealogy of the kings for both the nation of Israel and Judah up to their respective captivities. God promised Jeroboam that if he walked in the ways of God, to do right in His sight and to keep His statutes and commandments like king David did that He would be with him in his kingdom and establish it. This would include a son to reign after him and future generations like He promised David.
For that matter, God will bless any nation that puts his laws(new testament church covenant) first in the land. This is why America was blessed as the most powerful nation in the world because the people chose in multitude to serve God and keep his commandments(Jo. 14:15, see comments there). Remember that America was built on religious freedom and the people chose the right religion (fundamental Christianity). Unfortunately since 1962(when prayer and the word of God was removed from the public school system), the country has gone downhill(Ps. 9:17). The US rejected the ways of Jesus and the bible(I Jo. 5:20, see comments there) to serve other gods(Mic. 4:5) or reject God altogether(Ps. 14:1).
God promised that the nation of Israel would afflict the seed of David implying that there would be wars between the two nations(Israel and Judah). Also, the Hebrews as a people would be weaker when they are not united and split into two nations. It must be pointed out that all of the kings of Israel after Jereboam were bad and didn’t serve the Lord. Hence the nation of Israel would be next to a nation that was against the law of Moses, etc..
I Kings 11:40-43 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
:41 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
:42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
:43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
When king Solomon heard of what Ahijah the prophet said to Jeroboam, he tried to kill him. As a result, Jeroboam fled to Egypt under Shishak king of Egypt until the death of Solomon. King Solomon reigned over Israel for 40 years before he died. His son Rehoboam reigned in his stead.
I Kings 12:1-11 AND Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
:2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
:4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
:6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
:7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
:8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
:9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
:10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Rehoboam went to Shechem(3 miles east & 27 miles north) and was made king. While in Shechem, Jeroboam came from Egypt to be in Rehoboam's presence along with the rest of Israel. The people told Rehoboah that Solomon made their yoke of service to him grievous(over bearing) and requested a lighter burden in exchange for loyalty to the king. King Rehoboam requested three days to think about the petition.
King Rehoboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived. They told the king to grant the petition of the people and they would be loyal to him. However, Rehoboam forsook their wise counsel and asked the young men that were grown up with him and which stood before him. The young people told the king to make the yoke of bondage heavier on the people and rub the fact in their faces. Hence Rehoboam used the expressions of “my little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins” & “my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions”. He did this to so sound tough and cool with his friends and to show all who was in charge. However, it backfired in his face.
In the US, I have watched the younger generation at the local university and at work and I noticed an arrogant and ignorant attitude on life. They act like they have a Ph. D. and over 10 years of experience(I have 24 years) when they are interns without a B.S. These new interns are the experts at opening their mouth and inserting their foot. When these kind of people are in charge and making the decisions for a school, company and/or nation, trouble and disaster will follow, etc..
I Kings 12:12-17 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
:13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;
:14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
:15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
:16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
When Rehoboam returned after three days or the third day after the day he spoke, and answered the people roughly(took the foolish counsel of the young men over the counsel of the wise men). This resulted in the people of Israel rebelling, the kingdom splitting and the fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite.
It must be pointed out that if king Solomon served God to the end, he would have raised up Rehoboam properly until his death(Pr. 22:6). In the process, Rehoboam would have respected and understood the advice of the experienced and wise old men, etc.. Hence, Solomon's sin was a direct result of a foolish son that led to the permanent split in the nation of Israel. For more information download, The Christian Home, Part I & II at ).
I Kings 12:18-24 Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
:20 And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
:21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
:23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
:24 Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.
When king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute, to collect the money from the people of Israel, he was stoned to death by the people. Afterward, king Rehoboam fled by chariot from Shechem to Jerusalem. The ten tribes of Israel made Jeroboam their king in place of Rehoboam, whereas the tribe of Judah followed Rehoboam, along with the tribe of Benjamin.
King Rehoboam assembled and army of 180,000 soldiers to take back the other ten tribes. However, God sent Shemaiah the man of God to forbear from fighting, stating that the rebellion was of the Lord. Hence king Rehoboam submitted to the Lord and disbanded his army. So the judgment on the sins of king Solomon came to pass on the nation of Israel.
I Kings 12:25-33 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
:27 If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
:29 And he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan.
:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
:31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
:32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made.
:33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.
Meanwhile, king built Shechem in mount Ephraim and dwelt therein. Afterward he built Penuel(7 miles east of the Jordan river & off the Jabbok river). Jereboam could have followed the prophet Ahijah’s advice, served the Lord and God would have worked it out. Obviously the temple was in Jerusalem where everyone went to worship. However, other nations of the world came to the temple and their nation stayed intact. Instead of trusting the Lord, Jeroboam trusted his own heart and made two calves of gold. He told the people it was too much of a burden to go to Jerusalem to serve the Lord. Hence, he declared the two golden calves the gods of the ten tribes of Israel. He proclaimed that they brought them up out of Egypt. This was the same error the people made in the days of Moses(Ex. 32:, see comments there). So Jereboam put one golden calf in Bethel(10 miles north of Jerusalem) and the other put he in Dan(22 miles north & 3 miles east of the top of the Sea of Galilee).
King Jereboam created false gods because he thought it would save his life and kingdom. Instead, it was the foundation of sin that led to the Assyrian captivity of the ten tribes of Israel around 240 years later. Note, there wasn’t a single king of Israel after Jereboam that was good in the sight of the Lord.
So the golden calves became a sin for the people and they worshipped before them. Jereboam made a house of high places and priests of the lowest of the people that were not of the sons of Levi. The king made false gods, a false house of god, false priests and a false holy day(15th day of the 8th month).
So the priests worked in Bethel and king Jereboam offered upon the altar there his incense and sacrifices.
We see clearly that religion can be made up by man(Mark 7:6-9). Like Catholicism, you can have false priests, false doctrines, false beliefs(in God), false churches and false celebrations(Nov. 1, etc.). God has nothing to do with any of this(go to and download, What is Wrong with Catholicism, Part I & II).
I Kings 13:1-5 AND, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
:2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.
:3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
:4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth-el, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
:5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
Because of the sin of king Jereboam, God sent a man of God to pronounce judgment on Jereboam. He promised that God would raise up a man of the line or house of David that will kill the priests and burn their bones on the altar of Jereboam. The sign that this will come to pass is that the altar would be torn(rent) in two and the ashes upon it will be poured out. After the pronouncement, king Jereboam put forth his hand to have the man of God arrested. In the process his hand dried up and he lost function in the arm(evidently paralysis). This was followed by the altar being torn in two and the ashes being poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
In the Old Testament, God sends prophets and men of God who give advice, predict the future and give the word of God(the bible, II Pet. 1:20-21, see comments there). God uses the Christians to proclaim the truth about salvation and holiness(II Tim. 4:2, 3:16-17).
The altar is the source of receiving the sacrifices and the ashes are what's left over. Tearing the altar and pouring out the ashes on the ground(ashes are supposed to be hallowed) is God's way of showing disrespect and disapproval of the false religion right down to the source. When the law of Moses ended, God tore the vail(separated the holy of holies from the front of the sanctuary) of the temple in Jerusalem(Matt. 27:51).
I Kings 13:6-10 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
:7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
:8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
:9 For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.
:10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.
Afterward. King Jereboam begged the man of God to pray to the Lord his God and restore his hand to normal. The man of God prayed for Jereboam and his hand was restored. So king Jereboam got two signs of God's judgment. The destruction of his altar and a healing(I Cor. 1:22, see comments there).
In spite of this, Jereboam didn't turn his heart to serve the Lord. Most people are sorry that they are suffering and not sorry that they sinned and what to change(II Cor. 7:10, see comments there). Just because you see God face to face or in this case get a few miracles from the man of God, doesn't mean you will serve God. A person still has to repent(Lu. 13:3) and believe by faith(Rom. 10:9, see comments there) in the sacrifice of Jesus for salvation(Jo. 1:29). Afterward he has to make a heart decision to serve the Lord(I Pet. 1:15-16, Eph. 5:18, see comments there).
King Jereboam wanted to give the man a God a reward for his service of healing, however he was instructed by God to take none(including a drink of water). This way the healing was of God and could not be bought. This is a great opposite contrast to the phony faith charismatic healers and television evangelists that are always asking for money, etc.. E.g. my ministry is free. You can download the whole website for free if you wish. The copyright keeps you from repackaging it and selling it for profit(Matt. 10:8)
The man of God was told by the Lord not to eat bread, drink water, or return the same way he came to Bethel. Like the Spirit of the Lord in judgment, you don't know when and where He will arrive and when and where He will leave afterward(same way with salvation, Jo. 3:8).
I Kings 13:11-19 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
:12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
:13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
:14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
:15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
:16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
:17 For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
:18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
:19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
Afterward an old prophet in Bethel heard from his sons about the works of the man of God in Bethel. He asked which way the man of God left Bethel and went after him upon an ass(donkey). He caught up with him and found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked the man of God to come home with him to eat bread.
The man of God replied that the Lord instructed him not to eat nor drink water in Bethel. However, the old prophet lied to him and said that the Lord told him to come back to his house to eat bread and drink water. The man of God was persuaded and returned to eat and drink in Bethel.
Spiritually, you have two major themes of spiritual opinions in life, those that agree exactly with God and those that don't. The Devil uses God's word to deceive(Gen. 3:5, see comments there). He will change, delete and add accordingly as well as take things out of context and time fulfillment to promote his lies(Jo. 10:10, I Pet. 5:8 see comments there). God would never contradict his word(Deut. 18:20-22, see comments there). Like the man of God, the Christian needs to stick with what God showed and told him. Otherwise he could be tricked by false doctrine, which could lead to disaster and judgment in his life, etc..
I Kings 13:20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back:
:21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,
:22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
:23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
:24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
When the man of God came back to Bethel to eat and drink, the word of the Lord came to the prophet that brought him back. God judged the man of God guilty of disobeying God's commandment by eating bread and water in Bethel. He told him that his carcass(dead body) would not be buried in the sepulchre(tomb) of his fathers(ancestors). The man of God left by ass and was shortly after attacked by a lion that killed him. The lion didn't kill the ass and stood by the carcass along with the ass.
Spiritually, the wages of sin is death(Rom. 6:23, see comments there). Disobeying God as a Christian brings judgment(Heb. 11:6-7). The lion is the king of the jungle, like Jesus is king of the universe(Col. 1:15-18, see comments there). Jesus judges man by his word(Jo. 12:48) on the last day(II Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:12-15, see comments there). The fact that the ass wasn't killed by the lion was a sign that God did it(I Cor. 1:22). Obeying God's word must be done immediately, exactly and with a good heart to get God's blessing.
Comically, God used the false prophet to proclaim the judgment on the man of God. When you trust in false religion, it will bring a curse in your life. Also, God is a person and has a sense of humor, etc..
I Kings 13:25-34 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
:26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.
:27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
:28 And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.
:29 And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
:30 And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
:31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
:32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
:33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
:34 And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
After the man of God was killed, people walked by his body without doing anything. They told the old prophet what happened and went to get the body. When he arrived the lion and ass stood by the dead carcass. The old prophet laid the carcass on his ass, brought him back to Bethel and buried him in his own grave. The old prophet asked to be buried next to the man of God.
Spiritually, religion or false doctrine will dig your own grave Christian(Jam. 1:14-15, see comments there) and one day bury you or destroy you spiritually. You will miss out on the blessings of being in God’s will and practicing holiness(Rom. 14:17, see comments there).
The old prophet knew that the word of the Lord against the altar and houses of the high places would be fulfilled in the future in Bethel and Samaria. In spite of the clear prophecy and the signs afterward, Jereboam continued in his evil way. He once again made priests of the lowest of the people. Based on his authority, he ordained priests for his false religion. Because of this sin, the house of Jeroboam(seed after him) was cut off and destroyed from off the face of the earth. Like with Saul, his house reigning over Israel was limited and doomed.
It must be pointed out that when you have a completely corrupt spiritual leader, he will choose the worst of the worst to do his bidding. E.g. Notice the incompetence and the corruption of the people that surround president Obama(Al Sharpton, Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton/John Kerry, Joe Biden, Loretta Lynch, etc.). Also, when the government started promoting the perverted/backward LGBT insanity on the government, they chose leaders who were compliant, perverted and/or backward in their morality. Notice that spiritual Christians promote it nor want the job. However, in the end or the legacy, Obama like Jereboam planted the seeds of his own demise as well as the destruction of America as we once knew it. Only a good leader can bring us back or make the US great again(2016, Ps. 9:17).
Spiritually, a corrupt religion will ordain corrupt people to run it and be their leaders. No spiritual Christian wants a leadership position in a false religion. This is why the ecumenical movement like the diversity movement is a disaster and a failure. It will only promote what is wrong at the expense of what is right.
I Kings 14:1-5 AT that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.
:2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.
:3 And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.
:4 And Jeroboam’s wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
:5 And the Lord said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.
King Jeroboam had a son named Abijah that fell sick. He had his wife pretend to be someone else in disguise and go to Ahijah the prophet to find out what would become of the child. Ahijah was either blind or had really bad vision(there were no glasses worn in those days). However, the Lord tipped of Ahijah in advance that Jeroboam’s wife was coming to enquire about their sick child in disguise.
King Jereboam knew he didn't have God's favor so he tried to trick God's man into helping him. However, God sees all(II Ch. 16:9) and you can't fool Him. This showed king Jereboam's great
arrogance. Many lost people think they are smarter than God or that God is weak and stupid. This is why they act with irreverence and do arrogant things against God. They don't realize that everything they do is being recorded and will be judged(Rev. 20:12-15, see comments there). No one gets away with a single sin and every sin is paid for in hell and the lake of fire.
In a side note, Glasses to correct near sightedness were invented in 1451 and the modern day glass frame in 1727. I was part of the FDA group study in 1995 that did the lasik eye surgery in Lafayette, LA(went from around -7.75 to -0.5 in both eyes & came out seeing 20/30). Christian, don't take modern medicine, vision and dental for granted. Don't take modern technology for granted either (internet, computers, television, movie making software, transportation, communications, etc.). We can use these available tools to do things for God(Matt. 28:18-20) that they could not do in the days of the kings.
I Kings 14:6-11 And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.
:7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel,
:8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes;
:9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
:10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
:11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the Lord hath spoken it.
When Jeroboam's wife entered the door of Ahijah, he called her out by name. He asked her why she came in disguise and said that God had given him bad news(heavy tidings) for her. The prophet Ahijah reminded Jereboam that God made him king over the ten tribes of Israel. However, he didn't follow God with all his heart and do that which was right in the sight of God. He was guilty of doing evil above all the leaders before him by making other gods and molten images. He had provoked God to anger and hast cast Him behind His back.
Ahijah proclaimed the judgment of God in that evil will be brought upon the house of Jeroboam. Everyone of his seed will eventually be killed. The dogs will eat the dead carcasses of the house of Jereboam in the city and the fowls will eat the dead carcasses in the field. His house will be removed like people remove dung from an outhouse until it is all gone(With no respect and ill repute, etc.).
I Kings 14:12-16 Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.
:13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
:14 Moreover the Lord shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.
:15 For the Lord shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the Lord to anger.
:16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
When the wife of Jereboam enter the city(cross the city limits) of her home town, the child would die of its sickness. Only the child will be buried in the grave. Afterward, God will raise up a king after Jeroboam. In the future, God promised that the nation of Israel would go into captivity(Assyrian captivity occurred after 243 years, see the time line of the kings, at ).
God judged the sin of the individual as well as the sin of the nation(Ps. 9:17). No one is exempt (Gal. 6:7-8, see comments there). Whether lost or saved, all sin will be judged one day(II Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:12-15, see comments there). It never pays to do wrong.
I Kings 14:17-20 And Jeroboam’s wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;
:18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.
:19 And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
:20 And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.
When Jeroboam’s wife came to Tirzah the child died. The child was buried according to the word of the Lord, spoken by Ahijah the prophet. God's word always comes to pass exactly as spoken. The future is guaranteed(Rev. 20:-22:, see comments there). If you are lost get saved(see Salvation Message, at the end of the book) and if you are saved then sell out to God(Rom. 12:1-2, see comments there).
The acts of Jeroboam on how he warred and reigned were written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. King Jereboam reigned 22 years over Israel before he died. Afterward, Nadab his son reigned in his stead. A chronicle is just a historical record. Historical chronicles are not part of the bible, but are just references to other books written in the days of the nation of Israel. From historical records one can verify the existence of the nation of Israel and the kings that reigned. However, all the Christian needs is God's record or the bible to know the truth and everything important to obey God in this life(Ps. 138:2, 19:14, 12:6-7).
I Kings 14:21-24 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
:22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.
:23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.
:24 And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
King Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 17 years in Jerusalem.
The nation of Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord. They provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed above all that their fathers had done. They built high places, images and groves on every high hill and under every green tree. Sodomites(homosexuals, LGBT perverts) were in the land in abundance and living out in the open like they do in America(2016).
Notice that when Israel and Judah weren't right with God that the sodomites were abundant and openly accepted by the civil government, whereas when Israel and Judah were right with God they were judged according to the law of Moses(Lev. 18:22, see comments there). Like I said before, God isn't a homosexual and He believes in the institution of marriage(one man and woman for life, Hebr. 13:4). Christian, don't be fooled by the so-called “new information” or “overwhelming evidence” given by the scientists of our day(I Tim. 6:20, see comments there). Scientists also push the false idea of evolution(Gen. 1:, see comments there) and now global warming(as the old saying goes, there is one born every minute).
I Kings 14:25-31 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:
:26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
:27 And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.
:28 And it was so, when the king went into the house of the Lord, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.
:29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
:30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
:31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.
In the 5th year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem to war against it. In the process it took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king’s house. This included all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. King Rehoboam made brasen(bronze) shields in the place of the ones that were spoiled by Shishak in the war. The guards used the shields to protect the king(like the US secret service) when he was home and went to the temple and back. Bronze is a picture of judgment whereas gold is a picture of God or deity. Because of the sins of the nation of Judah, God defeated Rehoboam in battle. The shield is a picture of protection. Sin doesn't protect a Christian(Jam. 1:14-15) but leads to judgment. Holiness protects a person(Eph. 6:10-18, see comments there).
Likewise all the acts of Rehoboam as king was recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Judah. This included the war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. There was no peace between the two nations after the split. This is what sin does. It divides and causes division until it is confessed and forsaken(Pr. 28:13).
Afterward Rehoboam's son Abijam reigned in his stead. Note, that Rehoboam's mother was from the nation of Ammon. Perhaps had king Solomon not married women of foreign countries that served false gods, they wouldn't of had a bad spiritual influence on his children(Pr. 22:6).
I Kings 15:1-7 NOW in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
:2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
:3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father.
:4 Nevertheless for David’s sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
:5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
:6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
:7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
In the 18th year of the reign of king Jeroboam, Abijam reigned over Judah for three years. He walked(or had a lifestyle) in all the sins of his father(Rehoboam), which he had done before him. He was not like David his father(in terms of the lineage, forefather). Notice that king David is the standard for a good king walking perfect(blameless spiritual lifestyle, with the exception of his adultery with Bathsheba and killing Uriah in battle to cover it up).
However for king David's sake, God kept His promise to have a king of his seed on the throne in Jerusalem. Like with Rehoboam, Abijam had war with Jeroboam all the days of his life. Abijam's reign was short and his acts were recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Judah.
Notice that only the events that God thinks are important for the bible believer are kept in the bible. The other historical events have no spiritual value. Spiritually, he was a sinful king, that was always at war, had a short reign and died early. When sin is openly practiced by a Christian it will bring the judgment of God(Heb. 12:6-7). You will always be fighting the flesh, world and Devil(always at war), your victories for God will be short(sin will lessen the victory) and your ministry and even your life will be cut off early before its time(Jo. 10:10, see comments there).
I Kings 15:8-15 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
:9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
:11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father.
:12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
:13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
:14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the Lord all his days.
:15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the Lord, silver, and gold, and vessels.
Asa reigned in Judah after Abijam in the 20th year of the reign of Jeroboam king of Israel. Asa had the same mother as Abijam, who was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. This would imply that Abijam was Asa's brother. Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord(II Ch. 16:9) and was a good king(there were 8 good kings like this in the time frame of the nation of Judah. Note that all the kings of Israel were bad in the eyes of the Lord).
King Asa took away the sodomites out of the land(LGBT perverts, homosexuals, Lev. 18:22). Under the law of Moses they were put to death. King Asa removed all the idols that his fathers had made and removed his mother Maachah from being queen for making and idol in a grove. Asa personally destroyed her idol and burnt it by the brook Kidron(east of Jerusalem). However, he did not remove all the high places for idol worship in the land.
A good leader in America would not promote the LGBT movement but condemn it for its perversion(Bush passed DOMA, whereas Obama had it repealed). Also, a good leader in America would promote fundamental Christianity(It was under president JFK that the bible and prayer were taken out of the public schools, 1962). No president has tried to put it back in, etc.). Instead idolatry reigns in the United States(I Jo. 5:21, see comments there).
King Asa lived for God(heart was perfect with the Lord all his days). He brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the Lord, silver, and gold and vessels. King Asa put God first and removed the false gods(Mic. 4:5).
King Asa didn't show any favoritism with family(not a family business) and judged his mother for her sin. Independent Baptists in America could learn from this example(the new testament church is not a family business, pastor's kids and in-laws all having major positions in daddy's church, etc.). Note, there is nothing wrong with and ordained father and ordained son being in the same new testament church serving the Lord. However, when it is like that in every other church in some like minded groups of churches(all graduated from the same bible college) where the kids can 'do no wrong' no matter how obvious, you will know what I am talking about, etc..
I Kings 15:16-23 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
:17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
:18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
:19 There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
:20 So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
:21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
:22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
:23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel(began his reign in the 3rd year of Asa's reign,
I Kings 15:28). Note that in the first three years of Asa's reign there were three different kings of Israel(Jereboam, Nadab and Baasha). When Baasha was king, he built Ramah(5 miles north of Jerusalem), to prevent people from going in and out to king Asa(like a road block, etc.). Evidently the situation got pretty bad to where king Asa sent gifts of gold and silver for Ben-hadad, king of Syria in Damascus for help. Asa got Benhadad to break his league with Baasha king of Israel and attack and break up his road block so Baasha would leave Asa alone. Benhadad agreed and attacked Baasha by smiting Ijon(15 miles north & 1 mile west of lake Huleh), Dan(9 miles north & 2 miles east of lake Huleh), Abel-beth-maachah(5 miles south of Ijon), all Cinneroth(cities around the Sea of Galilee) and all the land of Naphtali(south of Syria, far northern tribe of Israel). Notice that these attacks are on northern Israel and Baasha is attacking king Asa from the south of Israel. Hence he had to leave the south of Israel and go northward to handle Benhadah's army.
While king Baasha abandoned Ramah, king Asa made a proclamation that required every able body male to remove the stones and timber from Ramah that was used to build a road block and/or fortress, etc.. The materials were used to built the cities of Geba(5 miles north a & 1 mile east of Jerusalem) of Benjamin and Mizpah(6 miles north a & 1 mile west of Jerusalem). The rest of the acts of Asa were recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Judah. It was pointed out that in his old age he was diseased in his feet.
Asa was a good king, however he trusted in the strength of Benhadad to be delivered instead of the Lord(II Ch. 16:7-10). When he got the feet disease he trusted in the physicians and not the Lord((II Ch. 16:12-14). For the Christian, we have to trust the Lord in everything. Asa didn't trust the Lord when it got tough in war and in health.
It must be noted that I & II Kings runs chronologically with I & II Chronicles. It has been said by other Christians that the Kings is the earthly or man's view of events whereas the Chronicles is the heavenly or God's view of events(etc.).
I Kings 15:24-28 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
:25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
:26 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
:27 And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
:28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.
After Asa dies and is buried, Jehoshaphat his son reigns in his stead. It must be pointed out that it death is likened to sleeping with his fathers. This implies that one day, the body is resurrected for judgment(II Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:12-15) and will have an eternal life afterward with God(saved) or the lake of fire(lost). Life doesn't end after death(soul and spirit live on), just your physical body life dies.
In Israel, Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reigned for two years, starting in the 2nd year of Asa. He did evil in the sight of the Lord and he was assassinated by Baasha at Gibbethon(13 miles west of the Mediterranean & 9 miles north of Jerusalem), which belonged to the Philistines. The assassination occurred while king Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. Afterward Baasha reigned as king in Israel.
In a nation run by bad kings(those who do evil in the sight of the Lord, like president Obama, 2009-2017), we see that the leadership is divided and violent. There is no real peace and unity unless God's laws rule the land, etc.. Hence getting rid of the bible and its truths only make the country worse(Ps. 9:17). Evidently Nadab never saw it coming. He was focused on fighting the Philistines when he was betrayed by Baasha.
I Kings 15:29-34 And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
:30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.
:31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
:32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
:33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
:34 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
King Baasha as king, killed everyone that lived of the seed of the house of Jeroboam. Jereboam's lineage was completely destroyed as foretold by Ahijah the Shilonite. This came to pass because of his sins and that he made the nation of Israel to sin against the Lord God of Israel.
In the end, the man that forsakes God and serves his own desires gets destroyed(Jo. 10:10, Jam. 1:14-15, see comments there). If he is lost he goes to hell and if he was saved, he missed out on eternal rewards for serving the Lord(II Cor. 5:10). It always pays to serve God regardless of the situation.
The rest of the acts of Nadab are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. While Asa and Baasha were kings, they fought each other constantly in war. Baasha's reign over Israel started in the 3rd year of Asa king of Judah and he reigned for 24 years. King Baasha was a bad king that did evil in the sight of the Lord like Jeroboam did as well as made the rest of Israel to sin with his bad spiritual policies.
Baasha didn't learn from the spiritual mistake that Jereboam and his family made against the Lord. Evidently it was all about being in control and the riches that go along with it regardless of what the Lord thinks. This sums up most politicians in America. They make decisions based on the special interest groups they want to please at the expense of the people. Most Americans only care about their finances and relationships regardless of the morality of the country. Until America gets right with God, the insanity will continue(2016, Ps. 9:17). What Americans learn from history is that Americans don't learn from history. That's why you need to know your Old Testament Christian(I Cor. 10:6, Rom. 15:4, see comments there).
I Kings 16:1-7 THEN the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
:2 Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;
:3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
:4 Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.
:5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
:6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.
According to the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani, God raised up Baasha to pass judgment on the house of Jereboam. He was to rule in the fear of the Lord. Instead he walked in the sins of the house of Jereboam. As a result, the house of Baasha will receive the same judgment as the house of Jereboam in terms of being wiped out. So the dogs will eat the dead carcasses in the city and the fowls will eat the dead carcases in the field of the house of Baasha.
We see that God wanted the nation of Israel to serve Him. We also see that God is consistent in judgment as well as blessing. All Baasha had to do was trust the Lord and serve Him. God wants the Christian to serve Him and will judge Him in this life and the life to come accordingly(II Cor. 5:10).
The rest of the acts of king Baasha were written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
After Baasha died and was buried in Tirzah(13 miles west of the Jordan river & 26 miles south of the bottom of the Sea of Galilee), Elah his son reigned in his stead.
I Kings 16:7-14 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the Lord against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.
:8 In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.
:9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.
:10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
:11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.
:12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
:13 For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities.
:14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Elah the son of Baasha reigned over Israel for two years. His reign began in the 26th year of Asa king of Judah(go to and download, The Timeline of the Kings). After two years his servant Zimri, who was captain of half his chariots, conspired against him in Tirzah. There, Elah was drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah, when Zimri assassinated him. Afterward in the 27th year of Asa, Zimri reigned over the nation of Israel. The first order of business was to destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet. Notice that Elah was guilty of the same sins of his father.
Vanity means excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements. The house of Baasha was into themselves and not the Lord(Is. 64:6, see comments there). Like for each king, the rest of acts of Elah and all that he did are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
We see division and rebellion in the leadership of the house of Israel. The house of Baasha wipes out the house of Jereboam and then Zimri wipes out the house of Baasha. Not to mention that Israel was always fighting the nation of Judah.
When sin reigns in a Christian's life, there will always be strife within(the flesh) and without(the world and Devil), etc.. Note that praising the Lord for what he has done in your life is the opposite of vanity.
I Kings 16:15-20 In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
:16 And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.
:17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
:18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king’s house, and burnt the king’s house over him with fire, and died,
:19 For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.
:20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Zimri, king of Israel, only reigned for seven days. When the people heard that Zimri conspired and killed the king, they made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. Omri besieged Zimri in Tirzah by encamping against Gibbethon(21 miles west & 9 miles north of
Jerusalem). When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the palace of the king’s house, burnt the king’s house over him with fire and died. Zimri was like Jereboam in terms of doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The rest of his acts along with his treason are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
I Kings 16:21-27 Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.
:22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.
:23 In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.
:24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.
:25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him.
:26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities.
:27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
After the death of Zimri, half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath to make him king and half followed Omri. However, those that followed Omri prevailed and Tibni was killed. In the 31st year of the reign of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel. King Omri reigned 12 years over Israel, with six of his years he reigned from Tirzah.
King Omri bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents(150 lbs = $43,750 at $20/toz) of silver. There he built a city and called it Samaria(), which turned out to be the future capital of Israel. King Omri wrought(worked into shape by effort) evil in the eyes of the Lord and did worse than all that were before him. The rest of the acts of Omri are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
So we see one bad spiritual king in Israel after the other. This is the pattern until they go into Assyrian captivity(Ps. 9:17).
I Kings 16:28-34 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
:29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.
:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him.
:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
:32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
:33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
:34 In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.
After the death of Omri, Ahab his son reigned in his stead in the 38th year of Asa king of Judah. Ahab reigned over Israel 22 years and did evil above all that were before him. On top of walking in the same sins as Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took to wife Jezebel and served Baal and worshipped him.
King Ahab reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria as well as made a grove(a group of trees). In the days of Ahab, Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho. He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub. This fulfilled the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua the son of Nun.
The evil in Israel just keeps maintaining or getting worse. This is what happens to a country that forsakes the Lord that previously served the Lord. Like in America, we abandoned the Old King James bible as the only bible in the 1880’s. We went off the gold standard in 1933 and in 1962 kicked out the bible and prayer from the public schools. In 2013, we repealed DOMA and in 2015 passed gay marriage. Illegal aliens get more benefits than senior citizens and Muslim extremists have more religious freedoms than ordinary professing Christians(Ps. 9:17).
Notice that Asa’s reign is long and prosperous. That is because he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Christian, in times of trouble, you can have peace and prosperity if you follow the Lord (Rom. 14:17, see comments there).
Note that Baal is a false god that represented various nature and fertility gods(Mic. 4:5). The point here is that king Ahab was trusting in the forces of Satan(I Cor. 10:19-20) rather than the power of God for blessings on Israel, and agricultural producing nation. Note that Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians in Phoenicia. Ahab married a non-Hebrew whose family name had “baal” in it. Jezebel encouraged Ahab to serve Baal. Notice that Ahab went out of his way to build an altar, house and grove of Baal. He totally replaced God’s altar and house. Spiritually, Ahab is a picture of the antichrist and Jezebel is a picture of the whore of Revelation because of her ungodly influence (Rev. 17:-18:, see comments there).
I Kings 17:1-7 AND Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
:2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
:3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
:4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
:5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
The prophet Elijah, who was a Tishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead, told Ahab that there would be no dew or rain this and the coming years until he said so. Afterward the Lord had Elijah hide by the brook Cherith(28 miles south of the bottom of the Sea of Galille), that is before the Jordan river. There God fed him with bread and flesh(meat products) using ravens and he drunk the water of the brook to stay alive. As time passed because of the drought, the brook dried up.
When a land gets no rain, over time the crops dry up and die and the livestock die from lack of water. With the food supply dwindling, it effects the whole nation. Less food, higher costs, less efficiency from lack of nourishment, etc.. God had His prophets make a statement that gets everyone
Even the brook dried up. It doesn’t take much for God to judge a nation for their sins and iniquities(Ps. 9:17).
I Kings 17:8-14 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
:11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
:12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
:14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
Next, God had Elijah go to Zarephath(20 miles west & 21 miles north of the top of the Lake Huleh), which belonged to Zidon(Phonecia, Lebanon). There he lived with a widow woman that would sustain him with food and shelter. When Elijah got there he found the widow woman gathering sticks. He asked her for a little water and a morsel of bread to eat. The widow woman told him that she was down to her last handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse(bottle for liquids). She gathered two sticks to make her last meal for herself and her son to eat before they die of starvation. However, Elijah told her to feed him first and he promised her that afterward the barrel of meal wouldn’t waste(run out) neither shall the cruse of oil fail(run dry) until the day that the Lord sent rain upon the earth again.
The woman was taught to take care of God’s man first before her own basic needs. If she did this, God would provide her needs through the famine(Matt. 6:33). For the Christian, when we put God first(in our tithes and offerings), God takes care of our wants and needs. This is where faith comes in. We believe that 90% of our income after the tithe will last longer than 100% of our income without God’s blessings(Jo. 10:10).
I Kings 17:15-16 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
:16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
The widow woman trusted God and was blessed according to the word of God from Elijah. It must be noted that Elijah trusted by God by faith to be provided for. First, a brook for water and ravens for food and now, a widow woman with no money, a child and no job. However, Elijah trusted his calling by faith without seeing a brighter economic future or large church attendance. The real preacher, evangelist and missionary does what God says regardless of the circumstances and the potential(I Tim. 6:5, see comments there). As a result, Elijah and the woman with her child are taken care of and God is glorifies.
God can create something out of nothing by just speaking his word(Gen. 1:1). Unlike the false theory of evolution(I Tim. 6:20, see comments there) only God can create from nothing and make order out of it(I Cor. 14:40). So the barrel of meal wasted not neither did the cruse of oil fail for the widow because God said so. If God can create the universe and everything in it in 6 days, He can meet any need of the Christian if He wants to. The goal is to find out God’s will for your life so that you will be guaranteed to have all your needs met regardless of the circumstances.
I Kings 17:17-24 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
:18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
:19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
:20 And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
:21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.
:22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
:23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
:24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.
Over time, the son of the widow woman fell sick and then stopped breathing. The widow was called a mistress implying that she had the child out of wedlock(Heb. 13:4), which was a sin. Elijah took the child and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. He cried unto the Lord, begged for the life of the son, stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord again. As a result, the Lord heard Elijah’s prayer and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived(go to and download, How to Get your Prayers Answered, Part I & II). Afterward, Elijah gave the child alive back to his mother. The woman replied that she was now convinced that Elijah was a prophet of God and the word of the Lord in his mouth was true.
Elijah performed 12 miracles in his ministry(I Cor. 1:31, see comments there). Not only was the woman spared physically, but she was revived spiritually for God. Also notice that with faith(Hebr. 11:6) you can accomplish anything for God regardless of your financial or social disposition, etc..
I Kings 18:1-4 AND it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:
:4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
We know that it didn't rain for 3 ½ years(Jam. 5:17-18), the same length of half the seven year tribulation. In the 3rd year after Elijah left the widow woman, Elijah was commanded to show himself to Ahab. This implied that Elijah spent around a year at the brook being fed by ravens and then with the widow woman. After that he was alone for around 2 ½ years, where God was taking care of him. Meanwhile, there was a sore famine(lack of crops and food) because of the drought in the capital of Israel or Samaria.
During the 2nd half of the tribulation, the nation of Israel was being persecuted(prophets being killed), there was a famine, the antichrist(Ahab) was ruling Israel with his corrupt wife(Rev. 18:). God preserved a remnant(144,000, Rev. 7:, 100 prophets). God's people were being executed for their faith. Baal worship reigned over the land(false gods, antichrist, etc.). In the 1st half of the tribulation there were two prophets opposing the antichrist(Obadiah and Elijah are opposing Ahab).
Meanwhile, Ahab called the prophet Obadiah, which was the governor of his house and feared the Lord greatly. Obadiah took 100 prophets and hid them by 50 in a cave and fed them with bread and water when Jezebel was trying to kill them(Matt. 10:16). Note that Obadiah wrote the book of Obadiah. Obadiah obeyed God rather than men in a corrupt government(Acts 5:29). Notice that Obadiah had a government position with political authority(Christians can influence government and hold a job while in the ministry when necessary(like Daniel and Joseph, etc.).
I Kings 18:5-8 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
Because of the lack of water, Ahab divided the land between him and Obadiah to search for grass for the beasts so they could eat. Otherwise, Ahab would lose all of his horses and mules to the famine. While Obadiah was searching for grass he was met by Elijah. Elijah told Obadiah to tell Ahab that he was found.
I Kings 18:9-15 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
:10 As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.
:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lord’s prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
:15 And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
While the rain stopped, Ahab actively sought after the prophet Elijah. He made kingdoms and nations take oaths that Elijah wasn't in their lands or vicinity, etc.. Obadiah knew he would be executed if he told Ahab that Elijah was found and then Elijah disappeared by the the Spirit of the Lord. Obadiah had a testimony that he feared the Lord from his youth(child/teenager) and that he opposed Jezebel by rescuing 100 prophets of the Lord. However, Elijah promised by the Lord that he would show himself to Ahab that day.
Elijah had a national influence on Israel. He was enemy number one of Ahab. Christian, when you serve the Lord, don't expect the US government to congratulate you or run to your aid when you need it(Obama, 2009-2017). Notice that Obadiah served the Lord as a youth. Are saved children/teenagers can sell out to the Lord and serve him(Rom. 12:1-2). The sooner the better, since life is about serving the Lord(Eccl. 12:13, II Cor. 5:10) and not a family, career, finances, relationships, social standing, fame, etc..
I Kings 18:16-20 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
:18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
Obadiah met Ahab and told him where to find Elijah. Ahab met Elijah and accused him of troubling the nation of Israel because of the drought. Elijah replied correctly that the drought was God's punishment on Ahab and his house for forsaking the commandments of the Lord and following Baalim.
Elijah called for a meeting of all Israel at mount Carmel for a test of God's approval between the 450 prophets of Baal that eat at Jezebel’s table and himself.
I Kings 18:21-24 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
:23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
:24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
Ahab agreed to the meeting and all the people were gathered to settle the issue of whether the Lord is God or is Baal God. The people were evidently either undecided in general and/or were serving both when convenient(Zeph. 1:5, see comments there). Elijah was calling for serving one or the other(Mic. 4:5, see comments there). Both couldn't be God so one had to be superior to the other. The meeting was to prove once and for all that the Lord was the true God.
Elijah lays out the case for the Lord. One prophet of the Lord versus 450 prophets of Baal backed by the government of Israel. Elijah proposed that each side would choose between two bullocks for sacrifice. Each side would cut the bullock in pieces, lay the pieces on the wood and no fire would be put under it. The prophets of Baal would call on the name of their gods whereas the prophet Elijah would call on the name of the Lord to accept their sacrifice by it being consumed by fire. The God that answered by fire would be determined the true God and the true teachings for Israel to follow. The people agreed to the test by fire.
For the Christian, his life consists of works that are either godly or not. They are either spiritual wood, hay and stubble that won't pass the test of fire or are gold, silver and precious stones that will pass the test of fire(I Cor. 3:11-15, II Cor. 5:10, see comments there). Hence the spiritual fire test is the acid test of real spirituality. Likewise, the God that answered by fire is the God of Israel.
I Kings 18:25-29 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
Elijah let the prophets of Baal go first. They chose a bullock, dressed it and put no fire underneath it. They cried to Baal from morning until noon(6 hours). They cut themselves and leaped on the altar, but there was no voice nor answer from Baal. As a result, Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal proclaiming that their god was busy doing something else like talking, pursuing, on a journey, or was sleeping. The prophets of Baal continued crying out to Baal for another 6 hours or until the evening sacrifice. The prophets of Baal prophesied during this 6 hour stretch and cut themselves until the blood was literally gushing out of them. However, Baal didn't answer nor regard their cries.
Spiritually, man tries to get to heaven by his own good works and sacrifices(Tit. 3:5, see comments there). The blood of man is sinful and hence his blood isn't accepted for payment(Isa. 64:6). On the other hand, God's blood is sinless and hence is sufficient for the payment of man's sin for salvation(Jo. 1:29, see comments there). Also, God had the power to keep Satan from answering the prayers of the prophets of Baal because that it what a true God can do in the time of need and testing, etc.. Elijah was confident in the Lord and hence could boldly rebuke in mockery the falsehood of Baal.
In America, it is the same way with the ungodly teaching of political correctness(the far left wing replacement of truth and morality to justify their sins and crimes). That is why they hate it when someone criticizes and/or makes fun of them. They think that it is acceptable to criticize and mock others but when you tell them the truth they false proclaim bigotry, racism and hatred, etc.. Fear not Christian, for God is the God of heaven, His word is supreme(Ps. 138:2) and you can boldly just tell it like it is(II Tim. 4:2, see comments there).
I Kings 18:30-35And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
After the prophets of Baal failed to have their sacrifice consumed by fire, Elijah called the people over as he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. He took 12 stones according to the 12 tribes of Israel and with them built an altar in the name of the Lord. He made a trench about the altar that would contain two measures(probably homers, about 91.1 gallons or 3 modern 30 gallon bathtubs) of seed. Afterward, Elijah prepared the sacrifice and then drenched the wood and sacrifice with four barrels(55 gallons of water) three times. The excess water filled the trench to the brim.
Elijah did this in the plain sight of the people three times so that there would be no doubt that the Lord is God when he answered. For the Christian or lost person, God is not hard to find when you are looking for him(Isa. 59:1-2) with a right heart attitude. God has all of nature(Ps. 19:1-3), gives man a conscience, a book in plain English and continual and overwhelming testimonies and proof of His power.
I Kings 18:36-40 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
:37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
:38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
At 6 PM or the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah cried out two sentences to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel(Jacob). He did this because he wanted it to be known that the Lord is God in Israel and that he was His servant. He wanted all to know that he was obeying the Lord according to His word and that the people would repent(turn their heart back to the Lord and away from Baal completely). As a result, God heard his prayer and the fire of the Lord fell from the sky and consumed the burnt sacrifice, wood, stones, dust and licked up the water that was in the trench.
After the people saw the answer they were convinced that the Lord was God and not Baal. As a result at Elijah's command, the prophets of Baal were captured and then executed at the brook Kishon. Note that the Kishon river runs from the Mediterranean Sea(mouth is parallel with the Sea of Galilee) and runs down through the land until it reaches the vicinity of mount Gilboa.
God left no doubt on who was the clear winner. He burned up the sacrifice and everything around it whereas Baal couldn't even get a flicker of light. We see in the bible how God lets the Devil and his people have a big build up over time just so God can instantly let the air out of the bag when appropriate. It never pays to sin and serve the flesh, world, or Devil(I Jo. 2:15-17, see comments there).
I Kings 18:41-46 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
:44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
:45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
:46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
After the execution of the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah told Ahab to get up and eat and drink because the rain was back. Afterward Elijah went up to the top of mount Carmel(2 miles south & 2 miles west of the Kishon river) and bowed himself to the earth with his face between his knees. He told his servant to look toward the sea and evidently look for a sign from God(I Cor. 1:31). After going six times and seeing nothing, the servant went the 7th time and saw a little cloud out of the sea like a man’s hand. The hand is a picture of the Hand of the Lord and the power thereof(download, The Hand of the Lord, at ). Note that the eternal salvation of the Christian is secure and in God's hand(John 10:28).
After the cloud like a hand appeared in the Mediterranean Sea approaching the nation of Israel, Elijah told Ahab to return home by chariot before the rain causes him to stop along the way. So there was a great rain along with the sky turning black and wind. Ahab went back to Jezreel(9 miles north & 17 miles east of mount Carmel, around 18 ½ miles) while the hand of the Lord was on Elijah to allow him to outrun Ahab(or be transported by God directly) to the entrance of Jezreel. If the horses were running at 37 miles per hour, Ahab returned home in 30 minutes, etc.). Perhaps Elijah was carried by the cloud that looked like a hand to Jezreel. Anyway you slice it, God has the power to move objects quickly and give man supernatural strength to run fast, etc..
I Kings 19:1-4 AND Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, which included him killing all the prophets with the sword. Afterward, Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, promising by the gods(Mic. 4:5) to have him executed within the next 24 hours. In fear of Jezebel, Elijah fled for his life to Beersheba(78 miles south & 28 miles west of Jezreel)). There he left his servant and went another day’s journey into the wilderness before he sat down under a juniper tree. There he requested for the Lord to take his life.
Its amazing how Elijah just came out of a miraculous victory against the king and 450 prophets of Baal and then the next day is running for his life away from one Baal worshiping woman. For the Christian, each battle needs to be fought by faith. Each battle can draw faith from the previous victory. Just because you have one major victory in a major battle, doesn't mean that there aren't more battles to come. God isn't a one and done, two and He's threw God of deliverance. God always delivers the righteous right on time(Pr. 16:8). Elijah wasn't consistently strong in the faith and hence in the flesh, ran from the king's wife, who sent one messenger with a death threat. This shows the humanity of the prophets and that they are no different than any other saved Christians. Every saved person has to be bold and full of faith all the time to consistently have victories(I Pet. 4:12-19, see comments there).
I Kings 19:5-9 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
:7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
:8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
While sleeping under a juniper tree, an angel touched him and told him to arise and eat. When Elijah looked around he saw a cake baked on coals and a cruse of water at his head. Hence, he ate and drank and then went back to sleep. The angel came a second time saying the same thing. This time, the cake and water he ate gave him energy for 40 days and nights(40 is the number of testing, go to and download Numerology, Part IV.). Elijah traveled to Horeb(168 miles south & 105 miles west of the bottom of the Dead Sea), the mount of God(where Moses met with God for 40 days and nights). While lodging in a cave in mount Horeb, the word of the Lord came to him and asked him why he was there.
I Kings 19:10-13 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
:13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
Elijah made his complaint to the Lord, how he served God with great jealousy against the false gods. He pointed out that the nation of Israel had forsaken his covenant(the law of Moses), thrown down His altars and slain the prophets of the Lord with the sword. He proclaimed that he was the only one left(not true, Obadiah and the 100 hidden prophets) and he had those seeking his life to put him to death.
When in great distress, the Christian like Elijah forgets some of the facts. He is not the only one serving the Lord, being persecuted and that needs God's help. Likewise, God delivered Elijah as well as the Christian, every time he obeys and trusts Him by faith. God never promised that serving Him would be easy, just that He would deliver the Christian from death(Pr. 16:8), meet his needs(Matt. 6:33) and give him an eternal reward(II Cor. 5:10).
Gold told Elijah to stand upon the mount before the Lord. God had a great and strong wind rent(tear) the mountains to where the rocks broke before the wind, but the Lord was not in the wind. This was followed by an earthquake and then a fire, but the Lord was not in the earthquake or the fire.
Afterward, the Lord spoke in a still small voice. So Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave. God asked him why he was there. By the way, he covered his face because no one can see the face of God and live(God the Father).
There is power in strong winds(hurricane, tornado), earthquakes and fire. However, God's strength is in his word. God is humble and meek. He doesn't try to impress the Christian with his power but with the power of His word(Ps. 138:2, II Tim. 3:16-17). It is funny how at the drop of a dime, God can affect nature that would destroy towns and cities. Yet Elijah was afraid of Jezebel. God kept it from raining for 3 ½ years, kept Elijah fed and clothed, raised a child from the dead and defeated 450 prophets of Baal. However, like any other Christian, he got weak and needed a boost from the Lord(II Cor. 4:16, see comments there). The Christian walk is a daily walk that needs daily empowerment by the Holy Ghost(Eph. 5:18).
I Kings 19:14-18 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
:15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
When Elijah was asked again why he was there, he replied exactly the same as before. He served God with great jealousy against the false gods, he pointed out that the nation of Israel had forsaken his covenant(the law of Moses), thrown down His altars and slain the prophets of the Lord with the sword. He proclaimed that he was the only one left and they were trying to kill him. Elijah was consistent with his testimony. Christians need to be consistent with there testimony before God and men.
The Lord told Elijah to return to the wilderness of Damascus and anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. Also, he was to anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel as well as anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat to be prophet in his place. God promised that no one who his guilty will escape. If king Hazael doesn't kill them then Jehu will and if Jehu doesn't kill them then Elisha will. Finally, God told Elijah that there were 7000 people in Israel who didn't bow their knees to Baal or kissed his statue.
So God hears Elijah by raising up three new leaders to clean up the current corruption in Israel. The Christian is never alone(Heb. 13:5) and God uses his angels to help him(Heb. 1:14). God always has His word, angels and a remnant serving the Lord and preaching His word. This is why I have a television ministry that reaches out to over 500,000 people and an internet ministry that can be accessed globally. I don't care who you are or how alone you may be in terms of persecution, I want you to know that God has your back and my downloads are free for your benefit. I can tell you from experience that you don't have to give in regardless of the opposition and that God can and will deliver in ways you can't comprehend(Heb. 11:6).
I Kings 19:19-21 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
:20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
:21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
From mount Horeb, Elijah found Elisha the son of Shaphat and cast his mantle on him. Elisha was on the 12th ox of a 12 yoke oxen plow working the fields. After Elisha was anointed prophet, he said goodbye to his parents, slew and boiled the 12 oxen with the wood from the plowing instruments of the oxen and gave to the people to eat. Afterward, he followed Elijah and ministered to him.
Notice that Elisha put his family interests and business interests behind him to follow and serve the Lord. By killing the oxen and burning the plowing instruments, there was no turning back(Rom. 12:1-2). This is the right attitude a Christian should have when he sells out to the Lord. Nothing in this world should come before the Lord and His ministry.
God wants the Christian to be happy and blessed, but not put his personal happiness and blessings in front of the ministry that God has given him. When you put God first, your finances, occupation, health, family, relationships have a way of ending up in the right place over time and usually way better than you ever dreamed. I can say personally, that I never thought my work and ministry would have such international influence. I wonder at the amount of knowledge, wisdom and understanding God has given me in all facets of life, not to mention how I can get so many things done in so little time.
I used to worry about many things, now I practically never worry about anything. I almost forget what that pain in the side of my stomach felt like when I worried and/or stressed in the past, etc.. God rules!
I Kings 20:1-4 AND Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.
:2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,
:3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.
:4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.
Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host or army together along with 32 kings with him. They took their horses and chariots to besiege and war against Samaria. Benhadad sent messengers to Ahab proclaiming that his silver, gold, wives and children(including the best ones) were his. King Ahab responded that he was Benhadad's and all his possessions and authority in Israel, etc..
Spiritually, Benhadad is a picture of the flesh, world and Devil that robs a Chrisian(Jo. 10:10, I Jo. 2:15-17, etc.). When a Christian doesn't fight sin, he literally gives it whatever it asks for. E.g. The drunkand(alcoholic) gives up his health, money, career and relationships all over booze without a fight. A crack or crystal meth addict does the same along with jail time, etc.. So Ahab here is willing to give up his wealth and his people(finances and relationships) without a fight(sound like your average member of a Southern Baptist or Assembly of God church).
I Kings 20:5-9 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;
:6 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.
:7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.
:8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.
:9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
After Ahab agrees to the demands of Benhadad. He sends another messenger proclaiming that along with the previous demands, he will send his servants tomorrow to search his house and the house of his servants to take whatever is pleasant in his eyes. However, Ahab was disgusted by this demand along with the elders of Israel. They agreed not to give in and Ahab sent a message back to Benhadad stating the same.
King Ahab had some character in him in that he wasn't going to be a doormat for Benhadad and his army. Even if he lost, he was willing to fight for his possessions, people and precious things of his kingdom. Spiritually, the Christian needs to do the same. However, he shouldn't wait for it to get to this critical mass point of desperation, but fight sin before it grows on a daily basis(I jo. 1:9, I Pet. 1:15-16, see comments there).
I Kings 20:10-14 And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
:11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
:12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.
:13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
:14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.
King Benhadad replied to king Ahab that he was basically going to destroy Samaria and rob it blind, etc.. This is what sin nature, world and Devil will do and it is what there goal is for the Christian and the lost person from day one. Like a far left wing democrat liberal, the are not about the children, truth and all people(sic), they are about creeping incrementalism(Jam. 1:14-15, see comments there) that destroys society while they get rich and powerful in the process(E.g. Obama, George Soros and the Clintons, 2016).
However, Ahab basically replied to not count your chickens before they hatch as the old saying goes. Benhadad was bragging about victory before the battle was fought. Ahab was letting Benhadad know that he was in for a nasty fight and he wasn't intimidated by the name on the uniform as the old sports saying goes.
When Benhadad got Ahab's message, he was partying it up as the old saying goes in the pavilions(bar rooms) with the other 32 kings of his day. Before the message, he was so sure he was going to win and get Samaria without a fight. However with his pride challenged, he immediately set the army in array to attack Samaria. Meanwhile in Samaria, a prophet came to Ahab and promised him that Benhadad and all his multitude would be defeated and delivered into his hand today. The prophet told Ahab to send out the young men of the princes of the provinces to fight with himself in charge.
God is going to judge Benhadad and the 32 kings for their pride and ungodliness. Notice how God can use one wicked kingdom to judge another in battle. The only guarantee for the Christian to always win the spiritual battle is to fight it God's way every time(Eph. 6:10-18, see comments there). Spiritually, Ahab represents the Christian who trusts God, fights sin and gets the victory.
I Kings 20:15-21 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
:16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.
:17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.
:18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.
:19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.
:20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.
:21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
So 232 young men princes with 7000 soldiers went out to face Benhadad, the 32 kings with him and all the armies they commanded. Notice that before battle, Benhadad was drinking himself drunk along with the 32 kings. They were under the influence of the alcohol as they say and went to battle in a drunken proud rage. As a result, the young princes and the army of Israel slew the armies of Benhadad and the 32 kings and pursued them afterward. Ahab joined the pursuit and there was a great slaughter amongst the Syrians. Meanwhile, Benhadad escaped by horseback.
I Kings 20:22-25 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.
:23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
:24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:
:25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.
After the first victory, the prophet(I Kings 20:13) came to the king of Israel and told him to be strong an be very careful, because the king of Syria will attack again at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Syria said to him that the gods of Israel are gods of the hills and that is why we were defeated. However, if we fight against them in the plain, surely we shall be stronger than they and win. So they persuaded the king to put captains in place of the 32 kings and attack Israel with the same size army in terms of the number of men, horses and chariots.
King Benhadad didn't realize that he was fighting God(Is. 43:10-11, see comments there). In his pride he thought he was fighting the gods of the world(Ps. 115:1-8). This is the downfall of every power crazed and hungry leader(Ps. 9:17).
I Kings 20:26-30 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
:27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
:28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
:29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.
:30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
At the end of the year like the prophet said, Benhadad returned with his army to Aphek(19 miles west & 31 miles north of Jerusalem) to fight against Israel. In terms of army size, Benhadad and the Syrians filled the country while the army of Israel looked like two little flocks of kids(young goats). However, God sent a man of God to tell king Ahab that he would win because the Syrians claimed that God wasn't the God of the plains, but only the valleys in battle. God is God of everything throughout the universe(Col. 1:16-17, see comments there). As usually, God promises victory for Israel that they may know that the God of Israel is the Lord and Lord of all.
After the two sides were encamped against each other for seven days, the battle started and the army of Israel slew 100,000 Syrian footmen soldiers in one day. The rest of the Syrian army fled to Aphek. In the city, a wall fell on 27,000 of the footmen and killed them. Meanwhile, Benhadad came into the city and hid in an inner chamber(inside room). King Benhadad is between twice and completely humiliated. This is what sin breeds, defeat and shame. It pays to be holy Christian(I Pet. 1:22).
I Kings 20:31-34 And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
:32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
:33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
:34 And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
In surrender, Benhadad's servants knew that the kings of the house of Israel were merciful kings. Hence they put sackcloth on their loins(remorse for fighting Israel) and ropes around their heads (symbolizing that they were worthy of death) while they pleaded for their lives. Benhadad approached king Ahab by calling Ahab his servant before asking for his life. King Ahab responded by calling him his brother. Afterward the servants referred to Benhadad as the brother of king Ahab in hopes of mercy. When Benhadad was brought to king Ahab's chariot, Benhadad promised to restore all the cities his forefathers of Syrian took from Israel. Also he would allow Israel to make roads going into Damascus, the capital of Syria. King Ahab agreed with the covenant and sent king Benhadad away in peace.
The bible says that all will a man give for his life(Job 2:4, see comments there). Benhadad less than a year ago was proudly demanding everything from king Ahab that was precious to him. Now he has reduced himself to calling Ahab his brother, calling himself Ahab's servant, restoring captured cities of the past and allowing Israel an inroad into the capital. Obviously, king Benhadad was just sorry he was beaten in battle, not sorry he did wrong and wanted to change his ways(II Cor. 7:10, see comments there).
I Kings 20:35-40 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
:36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
:37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.
:38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
:39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
:40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.
Afterward, a certain man of the sons of the prophets told his neighbor in the word of the Lord to smite him. Since the neighbor refused to obey the word of the Lord, the prophet promised he would be found by a lion and slain. After the neighbor was slain by the lion, the prophet asked another man to smite him in the word of the Lord. The man smote him and wounded the prophet in the process. The prophet then disguised himself with ashes upon his face and cried out to the king as he passed by. He told king Ahab a story that was a parable about king Ahab. The prophet supposedly was given the responsibility of watching another man's servant. If the servant went missing he would either be executed or have to pay a talent of silver(75 lbs or 1093.75 toz=$21875 at $20/toz). The prophet then told the king that while he was busy, the servant disappeared. King Ahab told him that his own judgment of execution or a talent of silver of payment was sufficient.
I Kings 20:41-43 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
:42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
:43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
Just like Nathan the prophet with David on the matters of Bathsheba, the prophet got king Ahab to pronounce judgment on himself and Israel. It is funny how leaders, lawyers and judges see things differently when the law applies to someone else or they don't have a stake in the matter. Hence God gives Ahab a case that he doesn't think applies to himself and then uses his judgment against him(Matt. 7:12). Sadly to say in America, we have leaders that have one law for the common man another law for themselves(2016, Obama, Clintons, Black Lives(Lies) Matter, George Soros, etc.).
So after king Ahab spoke his judgment, the prophet removed his disguise and told Ahab that his life and his people will be taken in exchange for Benhadad's life and his people. Benhadad was supposed to be executed along with his army in God's judgment. After being judged by God(Jo. 7:24, 12:48, see comments there), Ahab went back to Samaria with a heavy heart(burdened) and displeased. So God used Ahab to judge Benhadad and then Ahab's failure on Benhadad to judge Ahab. As the old saying goes, it just never pays to do wrong(Pr. 13:15).
I Kings 21:1-4 AND it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
:2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
:4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel that was close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab offered Naboth a better vineyard in exchange for it or the value of it in money. However, Naboth couldn't sell it because it was the inheritance of his forefathers passed down. Ahab was displeased and threw a fit like a child(turned away his face and wouldn't eat).
King Ahab was a greedy spoiled brat who didn't care about other people or their possessions. All he cared about was getting his way, etc.. His needs and wants were met, but he just had to have that particular vineyard, etc..
For the Christian, discontent(Heb. 13:5) will cause you to pursue things that will be damaging to your life. Discontent leads to covetousness. E.g. You are not satisfied with your living arrangements, job, salary, ministry, family, social standing, etc.. I have seen people literally destroy themselves trying to do more than what they could handle and/or try to get more than what they had. If they would have just glorified God with what they had and used it for God, everything else would have taken care of itself(Pr. 16:8).
I Kings 21:5-9 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
:6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
:8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
:9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
:10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
Jezebel inquired why Ahab was so sad and he replied that Naboth the Jezreelite wouldn't sell him his vineyard. Jezebel hatched a plan using the authority of Ahab's kingship to get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite through deceitful means. She wrote letter's in Ahab's name, put the official seal of the king on them and sent the letters to the elders and nobles that were in Naboth's city. She had them proclaim a fast where Naboth was sitting in a high place or position among the people at the fast. She had them set up two false witnesses, sons of Belial, to proclaim that Naboth blasphemed God and the king. Afterward, they were to stone Naboth to death.
Jezebel had no regard for the laws of Israel. She just used the government authority and resources to get what she wanted and remove those that stood in her way(Sounds like the Clinton Foundation, the Hillary emails & the Obama Administration scandals, etc.). Crooked people in government will threaten and/or bribe others in government to get their way. They will enforce certain laws(not always equally case by case) and not other laws. They are always twisting truths and are followed by one scandal after the rest. They steal from honest people(e.g. Higher taxes to give to illegal aliens and welfare recipients who should be working, etc.) and give it to their base supporters(perverts, criminals and lazy people).
I Kings 21:11-15 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
:12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
:13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
:14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
Hence, the nobles and elders of Naboth's city followed Jezebel's orders and proclaimed a fast. Naboth was set on high among the people and two men of Belial sat before him and then witnessed against him. They falsely claimed in the presence of the people that Naboth blasphemed God and the king. Without a trial or cross examination, Naboth was condemned, carried out of the city and stoned to death. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
Spiritually, Naboth is a picture of Jesus. He had done no wrong(sinless) and those in power(Ahab with Jezebel) condemned him to death for crimes he didn't commit. He had two false witnesses against him and he was taken outside the city to be executed(crucified). The Pharisees and Sadducees had no regard for the laws of the forefathers(the law of Moses that guaranteed a land inheritance) like Ahab and Jezebel, etc..
I Kings 21:15-24 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
:16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
:17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
:18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
After the death of Naboth, Jezebel told Ahab to arise and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. While king Ahab went to the vineyard of Naboth, God told the prophet Elijah the Tishbite to meet him there. He was to tell king Ahab that he had killed and taken possession wrongly.
Hence, he promised Ahab that the dogs would lick his blood in death outside the city of Jezreel like Naboth's blood was licked by dogs after he was executed.
King Ahab's sins have finally caught up with him(Gal. 6:7-8, see comments there). When sin isn't dealt with Christian it will destroy you in the end(Jam. 1:14-15, see comments there).
I Kings 21:20-24 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.
:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,
:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
:23 And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.
Ahab replied to the prophet Elijah as his enemy. If Ahab would have done right, he wouldn't have the prophet and God opposing him. King Ahab had sold himself(like a slave being sold) to do work evil in the sight of the Lord. As a result, God promised to bring evil upon him in life, take away his posterity(all future generations of people) and will cut off from Ahab all that follow him evidently(him that pisses against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel). Ahab's house will be made like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and the house of Baasha in terms of being completely destroyed. As far as Jezebel is concerned, her dead carcass would be eaten by dogs by the wall of Jezreel. Ahab's followers that die will be eaten by dogs in the city and in the fields(outside the city) by the birds(fowls).
The result of selling out to sin is complete destruction(Jo. 10:10, see comments there). After you die lost, you will have eternal damnation in hell and the lake of fire(Rev. 20:12-15, see comments there).
Christian it pays to sell out to God(Rom. 12:1-2) and reap the rewards like Elijah did(II Cor. 5:10). Sadly to say, king Ahab didn't learn from history(Jereboam & Baasha) and as a result was doomed to repeat it.
I Kings 21:25-29 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
:26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
:28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.
King Ahab was the most evil king of Israel up to this point. He sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord and was encouraged and motivated by his wife Jezebel. He followed idols(I Jo. 5:21, see comments there) in a very abominable(disgusting to God) way like the Amorites did, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
Notice that Ahab’s wife was an encourager to sin more. Christian, be very careful who you marry and why you marry them. Only get married if the Lord is leading you. Otherwise, if your flesh is leading you, you may end up getting a spouse who is also getting married for fleshly reasons. A family not built on the spirituality of the Lord is destined for failure and heartache. Also, be careful who you hang around or fellowship with. Bad company will corrupt your good character(I Cor. 15:33, see comments there). Hang around people who will make you more spiritual or maintain your spirituality (II Cor. 6:14-17, etc.).
However, after the judgment was passed on king Ahab, he humbled himself before the Lord by tearing his clothes, putting sackcloth upon his flesh, fasting, laying down in rest in sackcloth and went walking softly(not arrogantly and proudly, Jam. 4:10). Because of his humility, the Lord told Elijah that He would not bring the evil in his days(wiping out his seed), but in the days of his son. Ahab will still die and his house wiped out, but at least he got some mercy(didn’t live to see his house wiped out, etc.).
For the Christian, when he does wrong he must humbly accept the consequences. There is mercy with the Lord when you submit to his punishment for wrong doing with a good heart. That said, it is better to humble yourself before the Lord in obedience with a good attitude so you can be blessed and not cursed (Heb. 12:6-8) in your behavior.
I Kings 22:1-4 AND they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
:2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
:3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
:4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
Three years of peace have passed between Syria and Israel(I Ki. 20:26-30). In the third year before there was war, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. King Ahab told him that Ramoth in Gilead(30 miles east of the Jordan river & 13 miles south of the Dead Sea) is theirs and they could take it out of the hand of Syria in war. Jehoshaphat agreed when asked about going to battle against Syria to retake Ramoth-gilead.
Here we see the king of Judah making an equally yoked alliance with the king of Israel in war
(II Cor. 6:14-15, see comments there). For the Christian, we see in this story the dangers and curses for working together with the wicked world when trying to further our cause(physically, financially, spiritually and mentally, etc.).
I Kings 22:5-8 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.
:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him?
:8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
King Jehoshaphat asked the king of Israel to inquire(to ask for guidance) at the word of the Lord that day. The wicked king Ahab didn't have any real prophets of the Lord, but 400 false prophets that told him what he wanted to hear(a 'yes man'). They told him that the Lord would deliver Ramoth in Gilead into the hand of the king.
By the way, beware when you have 'yes men' in leadership positions of your new testament church. It implies that the pastor in charge is acting like a religious political dictator with unlimited pastoral authority(his authority is limited), download, Proper Authority, at ).
However, Jehoshaphat was a good king that served the Lord. He knew the 400 prophets were false and wanted to ask counsel at a prophet of the Lord. The king only knew of one prophet like that named Micaiah the son of Imlah. However, the king hated him because he only prophesied evil concerning Ahab.
King Jehoshaphat wanted God's approval(go to and download, When Facing a Problem get God's Approval). He wanted to know the truth, not what he wanted to hear. King Ahab was wicked so he wouldn't expect to get any good news from a real prophet who would promote God's will and the law of Moses. Truth can hurt sometimes, but it is less painful than falling into sin and being destroyed by it(Jam. 1:14-15, see comments there).
Good in depth holiness preaching will make the bible real, scare the sin desire out of you and make you sell out and stay sold out to God. Real preaching covers every area of your life(II Tim. 3:16-17, 4:2). In America, you have denominations that surround themselves with people who will work within a certain religious framework regardless whether it is right or wrong because it is popular and financially stable. Never mind that they have the message of salvation wrong(Church of Christ, Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal, Pentecostal, Assebly of God, Catholic, Tit. 3:5, Eph. 2:8-9, see comments there, etc.) and/or have the message of holiness wrong(Southern Baptist or your average Baptist or non-denomination church, I Pet. 1:15-16, 22, see comments there). As a result in America,
their fake and watered down Christianity is about offerings, attendance and prestige with the community(I Tim. 6:5, see comments there), rather than righteous, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14:17, see comments there).
I Kings 22:9-14 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
:10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
:11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
:12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
:13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
:14 And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.
Micaiah was called for his opinion. When he arrived, both kings were sitting on their respective set up thrones and the 400 prophets were prophesying before them. Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron and prophesied that they would push the Syrians until they were consumed. All the other false prophets agreed that Ramoth-gilead would be delivered into the hand of the king. Meanwhile, the messenger that brought Micaiah to the king told him to speak a work that was in agreement with the false prophets. However, Micaiah would only speak the words that God spoke to him.
In life there are two views on every matter. There is God's view which is always right in every way and every other opinion that is wrong to a certain degree up to being completely wrong in every which way. The Devil has an excuse and/or a compromise for everyone in every situation, whereas God has one directive(Eccl. 12:13). You either obey God or you don't (II Tim. 3:16-17). You either go to a new testament church that promotes the gospel and holiness or you don't(Matt. 28:18-20). Unfortunately, the majority in charge most of the time in this life and around the world has it wrong and are against the ways of God.
For the Christian, we know that God wins in the end and we get completely compensated for all of our good works for Him(Eph. 2:10). The fallen earth is a proving ground to see how far the Christian will go to serve and trust God. One day this fallen earth will be burnt up and the lost people thrown in the lake of fire forever, never to be seen again(Rev. 20:12-15). It pays to do right Christian, even if you are the only one willing to stand up for God.
I Kings 22:15-18 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
:16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord?
:17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
:18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
When king Ahab asked Micaiah about going to battle against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead, he evidently answered in a sarcastic manner. He replied to go and prosper because God would deliver it into his hand. King Ahab knew that Micaiah was being sarcastic and replied in contempt to only be told the truth in the name of the Lord.
Micaiah prophesied the truth by saying that he saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have no shepherd. Because they have no master, every one of Israel returned home. This implied that king Ahab would be killed in battle. Afterward, king Ahab told Jehoshaphat that once again he prophesied evil against him.
King Ahab didn't want to hear the truth. He wanted respected people in Israel to agree with him and/or compromise their positions and standards, etc.. In the wicked Obama Administration(2009-2017) we have seen compromise amongst court justices, military intelligence, FBI, attorney general, secretary of state, etc. in broad daylight to justify wrong judgments and policies. We have seen a continual lying media(ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, etc.) to cover their tracks. In spite of all the false prophesy about how great America has become, we have deteriorated greatly from a financially, militarily, morally, economically and a safety perspective. As the old saying goes, liberalism in America(far left wing Democrats) is a mental(spiritual) disorder(rejection of truth or an iniquity problem).
I Kings 22:19-23 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
:20 And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
:21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.
:22 And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
:23 Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
Micaiah continued with his prophesy by saying he saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left(Rev. 15:). The host is His angels(Heb. 12:22) and any other spirit creature God made(download, The Unseen World of Angels and Devils, Part I && II at ). The Lord asked his host that who would persuade Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead. Many gave the Lord ideas, but the one spirit that convinced the Lord was the one that would go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets(false prophets of Ahab). So Micaiah prophesied that a lying spirit was in the mouth of the 400 prophets and listening the them would seal king Ahab's doom.
We see that God would allow a false spirit to deceive a person, large groups and even nations. This is because they reject the truth and God has turned them over to their foolishness in judgment. In America, we had a large and long sweep by the false Charismatic movement. They preached a false gospel, a false holiness and false gifts of the Spirit(I Cor. 12:, see comments there). Rejecting the truth has consequences. E.g. The medicine and/or operation you need to fix the problem may be grim news, but it is better than ignoring the problem until it gets worse(and even kills you), etc..
I Kings 22:24-28 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?
:25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
:26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;
:27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
:28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
After Micaiah’s prophesy, Zedekiah punched him in the face and said which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you. Micaiah responded that he would get his answer in the day he hides himself in an inner room(evidently for fear of his life). Notice that the false prophet uses emotion(what you want to hear) and coercion(force his way, intimidation) and not the word of God.
King Ahab condemned Micaiah to prison to be fed with the bread of affliction(Deut. 16:3, unleavened bread) and with water of affliction(Is. 30:20) until he returned from Ramoth Gilead in peace. Micaiah replied that if the king returned safely from battle then the word of the Lord he spoke wasn’t true. Micaiah’s last words were to heed the words of the Lord.
Affliction means mental and bodily distress. Unleavened bread is a picture of the sinless Savior that when eaten is a picture of him dying on the cross(Jo. 1:29). Lack of water would afflict the body like lack of the word of God would afflict the spiritual condition of a Christian(Eph. 5:26). So the food given to Micaiah while in prison was done to mock his belief in God evidently.
Micaiah stayed true to the word of God until the end. His last recorded words were to heed the word of the Lord(Rev. 22:18-19, see comments there). This is the message that has been passed down through the centuries by Christians as well as the dispensations. In the end, God’s word will rule supreme(Jo. 12:48, see comments there). Those who heed God’s word get saved and then practice holiness. Those who don’t won’t get saved and if they do get saved, get caught up in the sins of this life(I Jo. 2:15-17). Micaiah is a true Christian hero that should be admired, exalted and followed after in behavior when it comes to his boldness, steadfastness and holiness.
I Kings 22:29-33 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
:30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
:31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
:32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
:33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
So both kings ignore the wise counsel of the prophet Micaiah and went to battle against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead. King Ahab disguised himself and went into the battle looking like a common soldier. Meanwhile, king Jehoshaphat went in dressed like a king. The king of Syria commanded his 32 captains to only fight with the king of Israel. He knew that if king Ahab was killed the war would be over, hence he made it the emphasis. When the Syrians went to battle they thought they had king Ahab but instead had king Jehoshaphat. They realized that when Jehoshaphat cried out for his life.
When something is popular Christian it is easy to look the other way and ignore holiness. We need to be steadfast in the word of the Lord regardless whether it is popular or not(II Tim. 4:2).
I Kings 22:34-36 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
:35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
:36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
However, a certain man at random shot an arrow into the armies of Israel and it landed right between the joints of the harness(in an automobile we have a harness that goes over the shoulder and across the chest). Evidently Ahab got an arrow in between his shoulders in the chest area and was put into his chariot and rushed back behind the line of fire. Ahab stayed in his chariot until he died at even (6 PM) by bleeding the death(or bleeding out). Around even or the going down of the sun a message was sent throughout the camp of soldiers that the king was dead and that everyone should return home.
So the prophecy of Micaiah came to pass. When you disobey the Lord continually it eventually leads to death(I Jo. 5:16, Ja. 1:14-15, see comments there). Note that Jehoshaphat almost got killed because he hung around the wrong crowd in fellowship(II Cor. 6:14-15). Also as usual, the word of the Lord is rarely followed in the affairs of life. Also, in spite of the continual obvious examples of the benefits of serving the Lord, when keeps on making the same mistakes. What man learns from history is that man does not learn from history.
I Kings 22:37-40 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake.
:39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
:40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
After king Ahab died, he was brought back to Samaria, the capital of Israel, to be buried. While a person was washing out the blood from king Ahab’s armor and chariot, the dogs licked up the remaining blood as prophesied by Elijah(I Kings 21:18-19). The rest of the acts of Ahab and the house of ivory that he made and all the cities that he built in his lifetime were recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
In the end, the word of the Lord reigned supreme. The accomplishments of Ahab’s life with the things he built are just an afterthought buried in the forgotten history of Israel. The only thing important for the Christian is that Ahab was wicked and he served as an example on how not to be spiritual(how not to do it, etc.). For the Christian, all of your accomplishments in this life(published papers, wealth, social standing, worldly accomplishments will go up in flames(Rev. 20:12-15). All that will remain is what you did for the Lord(II Cor. 5:10). Hence live for God and use all of your resources all of the time for God and the promotion of his word(Matt. 28:18-20).
I Kings 22:41-45 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
:43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
:44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
:45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
King Jehoshaphat of Judah, began his reign in the 4th year of king Ahab(download the timeline of the kings at ). Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when his reign began and he reigned for 25 years. He was a good king that walked in the ways of the Lord(the law of Moses) like Asa his father did. However, he didn’t remove the high places where people gave their offerings and incense to the Lord. Remember that they were only to worship in Jerusalem and bring their offerings and incense there. Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel in his lifetime and the rest of his acts of might and ware are written in the chronicles of the kings of Judah.
By the way, the tithe of the Christian goes to the new testament church and not the charity of your choice. The new testament church has the authority to decide where the money goes and not the individual. A Christian has liberty to help others and promote the gospel(charity or love in action, I Cor. 13:). However, any money given to the church is the churches’ responsibility(download, Proper Authority at ).
I Kings 22:46-50 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.
:47 There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
:48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.
:49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
:50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
King Jehoshaphat removed the remaining sodomites(LGBT perverts) out of the land of Judah. Remember that under the law of Moses, homosexuality has a death penalty(Lev. 18:22, Rom. 1:27, see comments there). God is not a homosexual and only promotes one way of marriage and sexual relationships that are holy(Heb. 13:4). Everyone else will face the judgement of God in this life and/or the life to come for their sexual sins.
In the days of king Jehoshaphat there was no king in Edom(southwest of Israel and of the lineage of Esau, Gen. 36:), but only a deputy. The country of Edom had no real leadership(no commander or central authority, etc.,) but just a person to enforce basic laws like a policeman or sheriff in a community would do.
King Jehoshaphat had made ships evidently from the materials of Tharshish(the lower part of Spain after you leave the Mediterranean Sea from the far western end) to go to Ophir(Probably India or a close by region that could be accessed by leaving the Red Sea and going east, etc.- look at any world map) for gold, but they were broken or destroyed while in Ezion-geber(The city off the top of the coast of the Red Sea on the east fork side. As always has the Old & New Testament cities in map form to help your bible geography). When Jehoshaphat sent his ships, he wouldn’t yoke up with Ahaziah’s servants. He had learned his lesson from yoking up with Ahab at Ramoth Gilead, which almost cost him his life. It must be pointed out that the nation of Judah could trade by Sea from Spain(go west in the Mediterannean) on the west to India on the east(through the Red Sea and then east). In Bible times, the nation of Israel was well connected and integrated with the rest of the world in terms of existence and economy, etc.. People who hate the bible try to make it look like a fairy tale rather than an actual historical account with evidence all over the globe as well as the universe(I Tim. 6:20, Gen. 1:, see comments there).
After the death of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram his son reigned in his stead. As God promised, he kept the kingly lineage of David alive that survived until the time of Jesus(Matt. 1:, Lu. 3:).
I Kings 22:51-53 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
:52 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:
:53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
Ahaziah king of Israel reigned two years starting in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. Ahaziah was an evil king that took after his parents(Ahab & Jezebel) in walking in their wicked ways as well as the ways of Jeroboam. Ahaziah served Baal and worshipped him and provoked the anger of the Lord God of Israel.
So the book of I Kings ends with the nation of Israel split into two with two kings going in different directions. One is serving the Lord whereas the other is not. One is learning from his past and following the law of Moses where the other one keeps on rebelling against God like his countries first king Jereboam. For the Christian we see from Jewish history the benefits, curses, results and judgments for serving the Lord as an individual and a nation.
Salvation Message
Because of sin we got to see the judgment of God on mankind in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. However, there is another judgment of God. That is when a person dies without Christ and being forgiven of his sin and wakes up in hell. I don’t want that to happen to you. If you would like to be 1% sure you are going to heaven, please read carefully the salvation message below. All verses can be found in the King James Bible. There are two places where a person can go when they die, either heaven (Gen. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.) or the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.).
Now nobody really wants to go to the lake of fire when they die. However, people go to the lake of fire because of sin (Rom. 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;). Now sin is when you break God’s law. Have you ever made a foolish thought?(Prov. 24:9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.). Have you ever lied before? (Exod. 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.). Have you ever gotten punished as a kid for being bad (Exod. 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.). Plain and simply we all have sinned.
God will punish your sin. Do parents have a right to punish kids if they are bad? Sure they do. Well doesn’t God have a right to punish us? Yes he does, and that is why there is a hell and a lake of fire. We all deserve it, but God doesn’t want us to go there (Mark 9:43-44 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.).
We must be sorry that we have sinned against God and repent (IICor. 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.). Repentance means to turn to God from our sins (we want to change, not just sorry we got caught). It is a change of heart toward God. Our desires toward God changes. Our ‘want to’ changes.
We must understand that Jesus was God in the flesh (I John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.). Jesus is God, he is man(the Son of God), and he is eternal life. Also we must believe that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day in an eternal resurrected body(I Cor. 15:2-3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures).
We must put our trust or faith in the blood of Jesus who is God to have all of our sins forgiven. That is the past, present, and future sins, from the time we are born to the time we die, once for all (I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.). Once we are forgiven we are born again into God’s family (Eph. 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,). Once you are in a family would that ever change? In the same way, once you are in God’s family it is forever and you get eternal life. Understand that though God wants you to be good, like doing good works, getting baptized, and going to church etc., being good can’t save you (Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;). Only the blood alone, once for all can save you.
If you would like to have all your sins forgiven, this is what you must do. Pray to God in your heart to be saved. You can use your own words or the sample prayer below. Now praying this prayer won’t forgive you unless you understand it and mean it in your heart. Otherwise God can’t forgive you.
1 THE SALVATION PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I deserve the lake of fire, but I want to change, please forgive me, for all of my sins, by your blood, once for all, so I can go to heaven. Amen.
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