Christ-Light Connections: Solomon Becomes King & The Idolatry of Solomon and Jereboam

Now we begin the study of 1 and 2 Kings (one book, two scrolls), the history of God’s people from the death of David, to the days of the divided kingdom, and through the Babylonian captivity. Kings is notably bookended by the construction and destruction of the temple. The book is not just about the political changes in Israel, but it is about the history of Israel’s faithfulness and idolatry as influenced by its leaders. Check out the Bible Project video at the end of this post for a great summary.

The Christ-Light theme this week is: The examples of our leaders influence us.

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OT3 6A

Solomon Becomes King — 1 Kings 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10

Context

King David had planned to build a temple for the LORD, but the LORD told him “no” (1 Chronicles 22:5). Therefore, he made all the preparations he could to set up the project for his son, Solomon. Now David was old and about to die. It was time for the next king to rule. David’s household is again filled with conflict and death over claims to the throne.

Big Ideas

David’s Man Speech to Solomon (1 Kings 2:1-4)

Recall from Deuteronomy 17:18-20 the instructions the LORD gave to the future kings of Israel. He was to make his own copy of the Word, keep it with him, and read it all the days of his life. David’s instructions to his son reflect faithful obedience to the LORD’s command.

Conversations Starters:

• Why do you think each king had to write his own copy of the Word? (Can you imagine how much time that took?)
• Why is meditation on God’s Word the most important job of a leader?

Solomon Asks for Wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-15)

Solomon’s prayer reflected a heart that loved God’s people. The servant-leader understood his inadequacies and the gravity of his work. A wise and discerning heart would only come as a gift from the omniscient Creator. The following chapters as well as the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs, show us the great wisdom Solomon was given

Conversation Starters:

• Read James 1:5. What promises of wisdom has God given to us?
• Can you think of a few wise rulers from history or from your own lives? How were those under him or her blessed?
• Read 1 Kings 4:20 and 10:27. How does this great earthly kingdom point forward to the great heavenly kingdom yet to come? (Think about descriptions of heaven from Revelation 21)

The Temple (1 Kings 6)

There are many biblical connections and loads theology packed into the temple design. Watch this video for a summary.

The book The Garden, The Curtain, and the Cross is another great resource to learn about temple theology.

God’s Conditions (1 Kings 9:1-9)

At the midpoint of Solomon’s reign, after the temple was finished, God again came to Solomon to remind him of his promises and to warn him. Solomon and his sons must obey the LORD, or the LORD would reject them and the temple. Sadly, this was not merely a warning, but it was a prophecy of future idolatry and its consequences.

Conversation Starters:

• Why would the wisest man ever to live need to hear this?
• Why do you think God chose this time in Solomon’s life to warn him?
• What is this warning repeated so often?

Digging Deeper

The Seeds of Faith resource provides Law and Gospel points as well as discussion questions.

• Old Testament 4, Lesson 1: The Wisdom of Solomon
• Old Testament 4, Lesson 2: Solomon Builds the Temple
• Serving with Joy, Lesson 5: Workers Build the Temple

OT3 6B

The Idolatry of Solomon and Jereboam — 1 Kings 11-14

Context

We have already read about Solomon’s accumulation of chariots and gold and silver; two things that God had forbidden the kings to do (Deuteronomy 17:14-17). Now we learn about Solomon’s many foreign wives. The author of Kings seems to place the blame for Solomon’s downfall on them.

Big Ideas

Solomon Did Evil in the Eyes of the LORD (1Kings 11:6)

It’s shocking to see that the wisest man ever to live and the man who built that grandest temple ever constructed would spurn the LORD. How did it happen? He despised God’s design for marriage and united himself with the very heathens God had forbidden the Israelites to marry. It seems that the turning of Solomon’s heart was gradual. At first, the altars were for the convenience of his wives, then (1 Kings 11:5) he participated in idol worship, and finally, the entire nation joined him (1 Kings 11:33).

Conversation Starters:

• Why might it be dangerous for a believer to marry an unbeliever? What effect could such a marriage have on the faiths of the children?
• If this describes your family, have an honest conversation about the challenges and hopes that you have. Be sure to speak of your partner with love and respect.

The Split (1 Kings 12:16-24)

The consequences for Solomon’s evil devastated the whole nation so that it would never recover. Israel was divided into two. All the kings of the Northern Kingdom did evil in the eyes of the LORD and so followed the people. Only eight out of twenty kings of the Southern Kingdom followed the LORD.

Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1-12)

Rehoboam, the son of the wisest man, sagely asked for advice from two groups of people. However, he foolishly ignored the words of the elderly to be a loving servant-leader and followed the self-serving advice given to him by his peers. He would rule to benefit himself, not for the benefit of the people.

Jereboam (1 Kings 12:25-33)

It appears that Jereboam did not view his religious changes and golden calves as idolatry but as convenient alterations to God’s original commands about how to worship him. What started as a perceived need for convenience quickly turned into full idolatry as Israel abandoned the LORD and sought after other gods.

Conversation Starters:

• What were Jereboam’s reasons for changing the Israelite worship? (1 Kings 12:26) Why were his concerns not valid?
• How can a desire for convenience negatively affect our worship?

Digging Deeper