1 Kings 11:9-10
King James Version
9 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.
Did Solomon fulfill GOD's command?
That he not have other gods?
These verses tell us what happened:
1 Kings 11:1-8
King James Version
11 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.
6 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.
How did GOD respond?
1 Kings 11:11-13
King James Version
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.
GOD also "stirred up an adversary unto Solomon":
1 Kings 11:14-22
King James Version
14 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.
GOD wasn't done yet.
He stirred up another adversary.
1 Kings 11:23-25
King James Version
23 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.
Enemies from without.
Enemies from within.
GOD made sure of that.
1 Kings 11:26-27
King James Version
26 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.
Of course, GOD wasn't finished yet.
He prophesied through Ahijah, in favor of Jeroboam.
1 Kings 11:28-39
King James Version
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.
34 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.
37 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.
Having fallen out of favor with GOD, and now this thing about Alijah, and Jeroboam, Solomon sought the young man's life.
1 Kings 11:40
King James Version
40 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.
But GOD would not be denied His anger against Solomon.
For worshiping the gods of his many wives.
1 Kings 11:41-43
King James Version
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.
What happened to Solomon's wealth?
You will have to search that elsewhere.
This blog only cares to share how GOD gave Solomon the GIFT of WISDOM.
Thus, the name for this blog:
"WISDOM above gold"
Gold, and all that wealth, was only a bonus given by GOD.
1 Kings 3:11-13
King James Version
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.
ALL GOD asked from Solomon was this:
1 Kings 3:14
King James Version
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.
1 Kings 9:4-9
King James Version
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.
6 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.
GOD is ALWAYS true to His word.
Thus, ends Solomon's saga.
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