1 Kings 12: The Split

Division, unrest, strife, infighting, rebelliousness.  These are all the consequences of sin.  Solomon's great sins at the end of his life, the sins of his son Rehoboam, and the egregious sins of Jeroboam, his challenger, all contribute to what happens to the unified Kingdom of David.  God calls for unity and peace.  Satan calls for rupture and discord.  At the heart of it all is the unwillingness to humbly follow God's commands.  These rulers--Solomon, Rehoboam, Jeroboam--all acted selfishly and blasphemously.  And they got what they deserved.  Not only was the kingdom split in two, but for generations afterward there would be crisis after crisis, until ultimately the kingdoms would be subjugated and destroyed by outsiders.  Never again would there be peace and unity among God's people.  Nothing could redeem this situation--nothing, that is, until God sent His Only Son to do what we humans could not.  

It seems, too, that God wasted no time scourging the Israelites.  As soon as Jeroboam is made king of the ten rebel tribes of Israel, he institutes idolatry.  This is why the northern kingdom collapsed sooner.  In an act worse than Solomon's, Jeroboam erects shrines to golden calves in the north and south of his kingdom.  He is trying to win the favor of the people, which tells us that the people were no better than their rulers in falling away from God's commandments.  This egregious slap in God's face foreshadows only doom.  This, like many chapters of Scripture, can be disheartening to read.  But we must remember it is all a reflection of the rebelliousness in each of us, and the need we all have of Christ's saving grace.  From this point forward in the Old Testament, Christ's coming will be most ardently yearned for among the righteous.  

1 Kings 10-11: Solomon's Demise

The Tragedy of Solomon.  That's what these chapters could be named.  Solomon began his reign with so much promise.  He wished for wisdom, and God was pleased.  He built the Temple.  But then, in his later years, he succumbed to the world.  His notoriously large harem of wives and concubines could have only led to one thing: a perversion of priorities.  A comparison has been made to England's King Henry VIII, who also began his reign with much promise and benevolence.  But as we know, Henry became embroiled in controversies involving his many wives.  Like Solomon, Henry began to act antagonistically toward God -- Henry by casting out the Church and remaking it to his liking; Solomon by building pagan temples dedicated to strange gods.  Both men's reputations have been tarnished since.

It is quite shocking to read about David's son building shrines to Moloch and Astarte among other pagan deities.  It is the sin of sins, a breaking of the First Commandment.  Some say at least six different temples were constructed around the perimeter of Jerusalem (for at least Solomon did not have the audacity to build within the city itself) to house these various idols.  Of course, some excuse this by saying he did it for his pagan wives to have a place to worship, but many interpretations of these events show Solomon partaking in the various worship ceremonies at these idolatrous temples.  I don't see a way to excuse Solomon here.  Other than to believe and hope that he repented before his death, which is described at the end of Chapter 11.  The Bible, though, is silent.  No mention of Solomon's repentance is to be found in Scripture.  There are hints and clues, though, perhaps.  Because God so loved David, this may have worked in Solomon's favor.  It is mentioned that God will divide Solomon's kingdom because of his sins, but that he will wait to do it for David's sake.  Perhaps God provided Solomon with the graces necessary for his repentance "for David's sake."  We don't know for sure.  We at least know that Solomon did leave us with worthy and virtuous writings, the Proverbs, Wisdom, Song of Songs, etc.  It's not clear if these were written before or after his fall, but regardless, they are redemptive, pointing us toward the way of God.  

Solomon represents the height of the Israelites' worldly powers.  The extravagance of his court, his palace, his lifestyle would be unmatched and become legendary.  But it would also serve as a lesson to us all of the deceptive allure and destructive powers of worldliness.  Solomon got sucked in completely, and it ruined him (as well as following generations).  When Jesus came to reestablish the Kingdom, He made it clear it would not be a worldly kingdom, but a spiritual one.  And unfortunately too many failed to accept this, wanting instead Solomon's materialistic kingdom all over again.  Too many failed to learn the lessons built into Solomon's story.  

1 Kings 9: Mysterious Gold

In 1 Kings 9, we see one of the numerous times in the Bible that Jerusalem's destruction (and the tragic fate of the Jews) is prophesied.  Solomon has put all his effort and faith in God into the building of a glorious temple, and God reveals that He is pleased and will bless Solomon and his line if he remains faithful and follows the commandments, ordinances, and judgments of God.  But if Solomon and the Israelites become disobedient and unfaithful, God proclaims, "I will take away Israel from the face of the land which I have given them; and the temple which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast out of my sight" (1 Kings 9:7).  We know that this very thing happened to the Jews and their temple, not just during the Babylonian captivity, but of course again in 70 AD and in the long centuries that followed in which the Jews were cast off from the land they were given and persecuted nearly everywhere they went.  And the Temple has been cast out of God's sight all the while.  These are remarkably accurate prophecies we read in the Old Testament.  

One last thing in this chapter that caught my attention is the mysterious mention of a place called Ophir, from whence Solomon brought immense amounts of gold to his kingdom.  I had not heard this place name before, and apparently to this day its location is still a mystery.  Ophir may have been a place in east Africa, or possibly even as far as India.  Scholars debate this.  But the wildest theory, which is mentioned in my commentary, is that Ophir is in modern day Sumatra!  I don't know what leads some to think this, but it's a fascinating hypothesis.  It stretches the imagination to thrilling lengths to think that the peoples of ancient Palestine could have been in communication with the peoples of far-off Southeast Asia, and that gold may have been transported from the latter to the former.  Of course, this is wild conjecture, and perhaps eastern Africa is the more logical theory.  But it's fun to speculate about these things.  

1 Kings 8: Temple Dedication

"And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem, and it was winter:  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch." (John 10:22-23)

1 Kings 8 describes the official Temple dedication presided over by Solomon.  The dedication of the Temple became a significant feast day for the Jews, and though John 10 may be referring to the re-dedication of the Temple (or "Hanukkah"), it shows that a thousand years after Solomon when the Son of God was walking the earth, the commemoration of the Temple's dedication was still an important annual tradition.  

Another thing I found notable about this chapter was the way in which Solomon dedicated the Temple.  Scripture says, "And the king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: for all the assembly of Israel stood" (1 Kings 8:14).  The fact that Solomon turned toward the people to bless them implies that he was facing the altar for the rest of the dedication sacrifice.  The sacrifice of the Mass, since the Second Vatican Council, has undergone many significant changes, one being that the priest now faces the people (versus populum) instead of the altar (ad orientem) during the Mass.  But would it not be more Biblical to face the altar?  Clearly it was seen as common practice in Solomon's day.  Why in the 1960s was this tradition suddenly questioned?  Protestantism is different, clearly, as the tradition in that sect is for the preacher to face outward to a congregation to preach, which makes sense for its purposes.  But there is no sacrificial element to a Protestant service.  There is no altar.  

Also significant about Solomon's sacrifice is that he offers it upon his knees.  This also is an ancient Christian tradition based on Biblical precedent.  In fact, this instance of Solomon's dedication of the Temple could be the first time we see the kneeling posture used in an official capacity.  1 Kings 8:54 says, "...when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord... he rose from before the altar of the Lord: for he had fixed both knees on the ground, and had spread his hands towards heaven."  The kneeling posture associated with prayer is therefore anciently Biblical, yet just like with ad orientem worship, we see a move away from it in the modern era.  Why?

1 Kings 7: Building for Posterity

1 Kings 7 continues the detailed descriptions of Solomon's temple and palace.  All narrative ceases at this point in Scripture as we are taken through every particularity of the build project.  And it is quite impressively elaborate and monumental.  A note in my commentary says it best:  "The ancients built for posterity."  This immediately brought to mind the sorry state of modern architecture.  Our structures, be they houses or office buildings or shops or even churches, are built quick and cheaply.  The idea of these structures still standing in a thousand years is comical.  They begin to show degradation in one person's lifetime.  And even when a structure is built to awe and impress, such as a government building or a large museum, the architecture has become so stripped of all beauty, seeking to "outmodernize" other buildings with starkness and sleekness and, essentially, emptiness.  So large and "impressive" structures might get some attention initially and titillate with their innovativeness; but will be forgotten or seen as eyesores a few generations from now.

Ancient buildings, however, were built to be beautiful and to endure for all future generations.  This is especially true for buildings of religious significance, such as Solomon's Temple.  The size and scope, the attention and even symbolism of each building material, all point to something bigger than ourselves.  These buildings are meant not to glorify human ingenuity, but to glorify God.  We see it in the Cathedrals of the Middle Ages, and of course the buildings of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece to Rome.  

I had the good fortune to visit Italy earlier this year with my family.  We toured Florence, Siena, and Rome.  And the beauty of the architecture is staggering.  These buildings were not built in a year or five years, but, sometimes, over the course of hundreds of years.  The intricacies and details captivate and inspire.  We could learn from the ancients that we are worthy of more than cheap and quick structures.  We ought to build so that a thousand years from now people will still be inspired by what they see wrought by previous generations.  Of course, we won't do that until we all agree on the purpose of beauty and art and why we ought to build glorious things.  Until we all agree that we ought to glorify God, our Creator, we will continue to sink to our baser instincts--the instincts to build cheap and quick so that we can turn a profit and move on to the next ugly building.  

1 Kings 6: The First Temple

The level of detail found in 1 Kings 6 hasn't been seen since the Book of Exodus and the building of the tabernacle.  Every cubit, every board of cedar, every statue and relief, is described in minute detail, such was the great importance of this mighty temple of God.  What's interesting to me is that the image of ancient Jerusalem (that I imagine at least) always has with it the grand and imposing temple on the hill.  However before Solomon there was no great temple.  There was the altar of sacrifice, but no massive structure to honor God, for hundreds of years before Solomon.  It has made me rethink the landscape of Jerusalem and how significant both David and Solomon are to contributing to our modern conception of the ancient Jews.  At any rate, the temple has now been built, and what an impressive monument to God it is!  The gold, the statuary, the inner sanctuary, the colossal dimensions -- it's all quite amazing.  And God agrees to dwell therein, IF Solomon (and his descendants) keep God's laws.  We know the temple will not last forever, but it stands at this point as a sign of God's favor and blessings upon His people.  It was indeed a golden age.

1 Kings 5: Glory to God

 As I've learned, Solomon's reign ushered in an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity.  It allowed for cultural flourishing -- a newfound appreciation for art, poetry, music, and philosophy.  Starting with Solomon himself, the Israelites were afforded the leisure to pursue these things.  Therefore, it makes perfect sense that at this point in their history, the Israelites began the construction of their long-awaited temple.  With no foreign wars to worry about, no invaders, no internal strife, Solomon led the charge to finally carry out the plan begun during David's reign to build a grand and glorious temple in which to worship Almighty God.  In Chapter 5 we see how even neighboring kingdoms lent a hand to help Solomon out, with King Hiram of Tyre playing a key role by allowing the Israelites to harvest the famous cedars of Lebanon to use as timber to construct the temple.  The massive amount of wood and stone needed to construct the temple tells us how massive it was to be.  Solomon could have used his riches only on himself or on pursuits of pleasure or even entertainment for his people, but instead he used his wealth (given to him by God after all) to glorify God by building a temple fit for the Almighty.  This First Temple would of course not last forever, but it becomes a precedent for the temples and churches built to glorify God in the years to come.  And for a few hundred years at least, Solomon's Temple would be the center of Jewish worship, a sacred place containing the presence of God, and the cornerstone of Jewish life.  And it should be so today -- our churches ought to strive to be awe-inspiring as our God is.  They ought to be grand and glorious and exceed all other structures in size and importance.  They ought to be the foundation and cultural center of any community.  For a time, it was so.