Solomon was the King of Israel. “ Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.”

In Red is modern Israel and the Liberated territories.

1 Kings 1-22

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May 20, 2014

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1 Kings 1

First Kings begins with the passing of David and the succession of Solomon. Solomon; who, except for a period of sinfulness; was a type of cherished king, and Solomon’s kingdom was a type of the millennial kingdom of God.  Solomon’s reign knew mostly peace. He was also the wealthiest king, and the wisest man who ever lived. 

Solomon was the King of Israel. ^“ Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.” 1 Kings 2:12

Solomon’s kingdom knew a time of unprecedented peace. This peaceful reign foreshadowed the time of peace that will never end.1 Kings 4:24,25 This time of physical peace eventually ended because of sin.  

Solomon was rich, with yearly tax revenue equalling 39,960 pounds of gold. plus much silver and other income of animals and grain and from trade. 1 Kings 10:14 (See all of 1 Kings 10 ) He had an opulent palace and many building projects, the pinnacle of which was Solomon’s temple. Read 1 Kings 6:14-22.  And the wisdom of Solomon is legendary.

1:1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

David was old and failing fast and always feeling cold upon his death bed.  It was determined because his wives were also old to bring in a young girl to warm the king with body heat.  At this point, although this was not intended by the creator; polygamy and divorce were permitted because of the hardness of their hearts.

1:2 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. 1:3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

The damsel did her best to warm David with her embrace, but no sex took place.

1:4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

Then Adonijah the king’s son sought to take the throne.   Higgith was the mother of Adonijah, the fourth of David’s sons, born (according to 2 Samuel 3) in Hebron.

1:5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith [David’s exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

David did not discourage Adonijah being to weak and ill, close to death, to do so; and the king’s officers helped him.  In the order of sons Adonijah was born fourth, after Maachah bore bore David’s third son Absalom

1:6 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. 1:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

The prophet, the priesthood and certain other leading men were against Adonijah

1:8 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.

Adonijah threw a campaign party to make himself king, but the prophet and high priest and some of the mighty men stood for Solomon and were not called to the feast.

1:9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants:

1:10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba that their lives were endangered, for if Adonijah was king he would surely slay his rival Solomon and his supporters.

1:11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? 1:12 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.

Nathan tells Bathsheba to appeal to David and that he would follow her to confirm her words as the prophet of God.

1:13 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?1:14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

Bathsheba did as Nathan advised and came to remind the dying David of his oath.

1:15 And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite[the damsel found to serve the king] ministered unto the king.

1:16 And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? 1:17 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. 1:18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not: 1:19 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. 1:20 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. 1:21 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.

Nathan the prophet confirms her words.

1:22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

1:23 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.

Bathsheba withdrew and waited to hear what had come of Nathan’s appeal to David.

1:24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?1:25 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. 1:26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.

1:27 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?

1:28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came [back into] into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.

1:29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, 1:30 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.

Then Bathsheba fell before her Husband to thank him.

1:31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

David instructs the high priest and the prophet to anoint Solomon king.

1:32 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. 1:33 The king [David] 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:

The Gihon Spring was the main source of water for the City of David.

1:34 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.

After anointing Solomon king and sounding the trumpets before him, they were to escort  Solomon to David’s throne and sit him upon it.

1:35 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.

1:36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.1:37 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.

1:38 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.

Solomon was anointed at Gihon the water source for the city.  This was a reference that the king would be full of the holy spirit of God. 

1:39 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.

1:40 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.

1:41 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? 1:42 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.

1:43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

1:44 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: 1:45 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.

1:46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

1:47 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.

1:48 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.

1:49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

1:50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

1:51 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 today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

1:52 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.

1:53 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.

1 Kings 2

Securing the Throne

David gives his last instructions to Solomon.  These are God’s instructions to all who would be godly leaders, including all those Called Out to become kings and priests of the spiritual New Covenant.  This is the duty of elders, leaders and all brethren in the Ekklesia. 

Ecc 2:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

1 Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; 2:3 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: 2:4 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.

Then David gets into specifics about what Solomon should do politically, and the first thing is to render justice for Joab’s murders which David had not done.  It is also the duty of kings and priests, the brethren and their leaders to be just.

2:5 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.

2:6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.

David extends kindness to his friend Barzillai who being 80 years old yet came out to help David when he fled from Absalom.

2:7 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.

David who had withheld his wrath on Shimei for his cursing’s of David because of Shemei’s apparent repentance and David’s oath of peace towards him; advises Solomon to destroy Shemei.  It may be that Shemei later again resisted king David and David could not take action because of his vow.

2:8 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. 2:9 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.

David died.

2:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 2:11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron [over Judah], and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem [over a united Israel].

2:12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.

Then Adonijah who would naturally have been king as the oldest surviving son of David, goes to Bathsheba with a request.  In those days it was the custom that all the wives of the dead king belonged to the new king; this in Israel in the sense that they were considered as “mothers’ of the new king.  Therefore for  Adonijah to take Abishag was symbolic of m aking Adonijah equl to Solomon in the eyes of the people.

2:13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

2:14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. 2:15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine  [because he was the eldest surviving son], 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 [YHVH].

2:16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. 2:17 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.

Bathsheba was taken in by this political stratagem.

2:18 And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 2:19 Bathsheba 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.

2:20 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. 2:21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

Solomon then says that his older brother is for death like Joab and why should he be given joint rule over the kingdom?

2:22 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.

Solomon who was willing to let his brother live after his first attempt to take the throne, then pronounces sentence on his brother for this second attempt to usurp the throne.

2:23 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. 2:24 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.

So Solomon had Adonijah the other claimant to the throne killed.

2:25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.

Then Solomon banished Abiathar for backing Adonijah for the succession.  Thus was fulfilled the curse on the family of Eli 1 Sam 2.

2:26 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. 2:27 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.

Then Solomon dealt with Joab who had supported Adonijah claims for the throne. Adonijah being dead and Abiathar banished, Joab fled for his life into the tabernacle and took hold of the altar of burnt offerings.

2:28 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.

Solomon then sent his executioner to Joab, and the man reported back to Solomon the difficulty of Joab being in the tabernacle.

2:29 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. 2:30 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.

The Solomon commanded that the wicked Joab would not find refuge in the tabernacle, but must pay for his murders.  Today we say that we are God’s church and that therefore the tribulation will not fall on us.  trust not in lying words, for God will require of every person for their deeds of sin, regardless of what they call themselves or claim with their lips..

Jer 7:3   Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. ⁴ Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of theLord, The temple of the Lord, are these.

1 Kings 2:31 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.

2:32 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. 2:33 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.

2:34 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.

Then Banaiah was made commander of the armies of Israel, replacing Joab;  and Zadok was made high priest, replacing Abiathar.

2:35 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.

Then Solomon offers Shemei the curser of David a test to prove him as to his obedience and the sincerity of his repentance. 

In the same way, we are being continually tried and tested as to the sincerity of our own repentance and our faithful obedience to the whole word of God; and we are failing and doping what we think is right, instead of obeying the whole word of God.

2:36 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. 2:37 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.

Shemei agrees to remain in Jerusalem close to te king; as we have agreed to remain close to our God!

2:38 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.

then Shemei forgot his commitment and left Jerusalem for his own gain; even so most o fus have forgotten who we are to zealously follow and obey and have left off an y zeal for obeying the whole word of God for our own perceived needs and gain.

2:39 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. 2:40 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.

Shemei returned to Jerusalem but was found to hav ebroken his commitment ot the king.  EDven so we call ourselves God’s people but we have left off following an dobeying the whole word of God to do as we think best.

2:41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.

The king called Shemei and judged him for his refusal to keep his vow to obey the king and remain in Jerusalem.  Even so, we shall be judged by our LORD when we depart from our baptismal commitment to obey the whole word of God ONLY,  and to follow God in all things.

2:42 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.

2:43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 2:44 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; 2:45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.

The eternal kingdom of God will also be established by the destruction of all those who turn to their own ways and rebel against the King; being without zeal to learn and keep the whole word of the great King!   ONLY the sincerely repentant will have the sacrifice of Christ and his mercy applied to them, and be changed to spirit receiving the gift of eternal life!

2:46 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.

1 Kings 3

This chapter begins with the statement about Solomon’s building and in v 2 immediately jumps to the religious state of affairs at that time.

3:1 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.

David had pitched a tent in Jerusalem for the Ark and God’s Tabernacle had remained in Gibeon. The Tabernacle went from Gilgal to Shiloh, (to Nob?), to Gibeon; and the Ark went from Gilgal to Shiloh, to Kirjath-jearim, to Jerusalem. In Gibeon, and without the Ark in the Tabernacle,  the Tabernacle became mixed up with pagan worship.

The Ark was removed from Gibeon by God at the hands of the Philistines when the Tabernacle in Gibeon was set up in “the great high place” of the pagans, and later God brought the Ark to Jerusalem by the hand of David.

Solomon and the people were divided  worshipping God  at the Ark in Jerusalem and sacrificing at the Altar at the Tabernacle in Gibeon. 

This being the major religious political problem to be resolved by the building of a permanent Temple in Jerusalem at the place that God had commanded; the threshing floor or Arunah. 

David teaches the history of the Tabernacle and the Ark at that time, and prophesies of the Temple. 

Psalm 78:60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; ⁶¹ And delivered his strength [the Ark to the Philistines] into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand.

David speaks of the battle of Gibeon when the Philistines defeated Israel and took the Ark.

⁶² He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. ⁶³ The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. ⁶⁴ Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.

Then God smote the Philistines with hemorrhoids. to shame them and their crops he gave over to the vermin.

⁶⁵ Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. ⁶⁶ And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.

God rejected Joseph and chose Judah as the royal tribe [because of his prophecy regarding Tamar and her children]; this is also a reference to the Tabernacle that God caused Moses to built.

Because Israel had set up the Tabernacle on a pagan high place; and God had commanded his people to totally destroy all pagan high places:  God had rejected his Tabernacle and had caused the Ark to be removed OUT of that Tabernacle and to Jerusalem where a Temple would be built for it in the place that GOD had chosen. 

This is a lesson for us that even if we are the House of God; he will remove himself from us if we are not zealous for his whole word!

⁶⁷ Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: ⁶⁸ But chose the tribe of Judah [to be the king’s tribe], the mount Zion  which he loved. ⁶⁹ And he built his sanctuary [his temple] like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

1 Chron 15:1  And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent [David’s tent, not the Mosaic Tabernacle] . 

1 Ch 16:1   So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent [David’s tent, not the Mosaic Tabernacle[ that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.

2 Sam 6:17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it [David’s tent, not the Mosaic Tabernacle].

1 Kings 3:2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, [at the Tabernacle in Gibeon and undoubtedly other pagan sites contrary to the commandments]  because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

Solomon sacrificed at Gibeon because the Altar of sacrifice was at Gibeon, while the Ark was at Jerusalem.

3:3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the [Tabernacle and altar set up on the pagan high place]  great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

Here is the companion account in 2 Chronicles 1:3-6  

So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness.

⁴ But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

⁵ Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

⁶ And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

⁷ In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

Because of Solomon’s zeal for God and the whole word of God; God appeared to him and offered him a gift.  Oh that all the brethren were as zealous to learn and to keep the whole word of God and to exalt the Eternal as Solomon was at Gibeon.

1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

Oh, that we would learn that eternal spiritual greatness is a gift of God, directly proportionate to our zeal for God and his whole word.

3:6 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.

Solomon expresses true humility before God and seeks God’s wisdom to lead the people righteously according to the whole word of God.  Oh that our leaders and elders would  do likewise, not with mere lip-service but with sincere humble and honest intent.

3:7 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. 3:8 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.

Solomon asked for spiritual understanding to discern between good and evil,  to lead the people by the good of the whole word of God.

3:9 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? 3:10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

Many say that Solomon asked for wisdom; but he really asked for understanding between good and evil to keep and to judge and lead according to the whole word of God.  And God granted Solomon’s request as a type of Jesus Christ who will lead humanity in the millennium and after according to the wisdom of the whole word of God.

Isaiah 11   And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

² And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; ³ And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

⁴ But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.⁵ And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

1 Kings 3:11 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; 3:12 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.

If we first seek the kingdom of God to internalize its laws and attitude within us so that we ,might become godly kings and priests, then all else shall be added to us in the resurrection of the chosen.

3:13 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.

Eternal life is given to all those who faithfully and zealously walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments.  Conversely those who walk in their own ways will NOt receive the gift of eternal life.

3:14 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.

Solomon then returned to Jerusalem and offered sacrifices before the ark of the covenant.

3:15 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 two whores and the children.

3:16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

3:17 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. 3:18 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.

3:19 And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. 3:20 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.

3:21 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. 3:22 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.

Then Solomon rightly judged and tested the attitude of the two women.

3:23 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. 3:24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 3:25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

3:26 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.

3:27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 3:28And 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.

1 Kings 4

The organization of the kingdom

4:1 So king Solomon was king over all Israel.

4:2 And these were the princes [leaders, officials]  which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

THE RECORDER: Was a kind of minister to the king:  The “recorder” was the chancellor or vizier of the kingdom. He brought all weighty matters under the notice of the king, “such as complaints, petitions, and wishes of subjects or foreigners. He also drew up papers for the king’s guidance, and prepared drafts of the royal will for the scribes. All treaties came under his oversight; and he had the care of the national archives or records, as royal historiographer, The Hebrew term was mazkir, i.e., “the mentioner,” “rememberancer”

THE SCRIBES:  During the kingdom period The scribes acted as secretaries of state, whose business it was to prepare and issue decrees in the name of the king ( 2 Samuel 8:17 ; 20:25 ; 1 Chronicles 18:16 ; 24:6 ; 1 Kings 4:3 ; 2 Kings 12:9-11 ; 18:18-37 , etc.). 

The scribes copied the scriptures preserving and multiplying the copies, gaining for themselves distinction by their intimate acquaintance with the scripture  contents. On them devolved the duty of multiplying copies of the law and of teaching it to others ( Ezra 7:6 Ezra 7:10-12 ; Nehemiah 8:1 Nehemiah 8:4 Nehemiah 8:9 Nehemiah 8:13 ).  

Later after the destruction of Jerusalem, the Hellenic Pharisees [modern Rabbins] despised the scribes, attacking them and calling the Karaites, for their insistence of loyalty ot the scriptures and rejecting the Rabbinic Hellenized reasoning’s.  The scribes while copying the scriptures, rejected Messiah and any understanding of the spiritual intent of the law. 

Contrary to some, the Rabbinic Jews had nothing to do with the scribes and preserving the scriptures, in fact the Rabbins were enemies of the scribes because they tried to apply their own reasoning’s to the scriptures which the scribes rejected..

4:3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.

Benaiah was commander of the armies and Zadok was high priest while Abiathar was a deposed but still living high priest.  Two sons of Nathan the prophet were over the king’s advisors.

4:4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 4:5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend: 4:6 And Ahishar was over the household [the activities in the palace]: and Adoniram the son of Abda was [the taxman] over the tribute.

Solomon had twelve officers, one over a different area of the tribes of Israel; In the millennial kingdom David shall be king over all united Israel, under the king of the whole earth Jesus Christ;  and shall have twelve rulers under him, one over each of the tribes of Israel; who shall be the twelve apostles chosen for that honor by Christ.

Luk 22:29   And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; ³⁰ That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

1 Kings 4:7 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.

4:8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: 4:9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan: 4:10 The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: 4:11 The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: 4:12Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam: 4:13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; 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:

4:14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim: 4:15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife: 4:16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth: 4:17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: 4:18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin: 4:19 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.

Here we see a pictorial type  of the millennial kingdom of peace and prosperity.

4:20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.4:21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river [Euphrates] unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

This daily provision was for the kings table at which many nobles and officials were invited to eat with the king in royal meals.

4:22 And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, 4:23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.

In Red is modern Israel and the Liberated territories.

Solomon ruled many places directly, but also ruled over other kings like Moab and Ammon and Syria as a small fore-type of the King of kings.  In the millennium Israel and king David will rule over these nations again, moving into them after they have been devastated by the armies of Asia coming to attack the final redoubt of the beast emperor and son of perdition at Jerusalem.

4:24 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.

4:25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

Micah 4   But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

² And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

³ And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

⁴ But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

1 Kings 4:26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 4:27 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. 4:28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

Solomon was wiser than the men of the east famous for wisdom, like the ancient Job and his friends.

4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 4:30 And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 4:31 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.

It is such a shame that most of these songs and proverbs have been lost; perhaps in the millennium they shall be restored?

4:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

Solomon also learned and wrote of the flora and fauna of his day.  To find such writings would be like finding a treasure.

4:33 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.

All who heard the reports of Solomon’s wisdom came to see if they were true.  So shall it be in the millennial kingdom when all nations shall flow to the house of the LORD to leaner the wisdom of God.

Isaiah 2:2   And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord‘s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

³ And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

⁴ And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

⁵ O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

1 Kings 4:34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

1 Kings 5

Today’s study is about the building of the temple at Jerusalem by Solomon.  The Temple is built on the same plan as the Tabernacle, but is much expanded and constructed on a permanent fixed immovable site.

Hiram rejoices to help Solomon build the temple of God.  Even so the Gentiles shall turn to Jesus Christ the millennial King of kings, and shall bring their wealth to Jerusalem to help build the millennial temple of God.

5:1 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.

5:2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 5:3 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.

5:4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. 5:5And, 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.

5:6 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.

In the coming millennial Kingdom of God ALL nations shall rejoice that a wise Ruler has come to rule over the whole earth!

5:7 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.

Hiram agrees to sell Solomon timber of cedar and fir.

5:8 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.

5:9 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.

5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire.

Solomon gave  in return for the work of the people of Hiram:

5:11 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.

5:12 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.

Solomon sent workers out of Israel to help Hiram to speed the work.

5:13 And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 5:14 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.

Solomon sent 80,000 stonecutters and 70,000 laborers to cut huge blocks of stone for the Temple.

5:15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains; 5:16 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.

Huge stones were cut and brought to lay the Temple foundations at great cost.

5:17 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.

5:18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

 1 Kings 6

6:1 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.

6:2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits [90 feet], and the breadth thereof twenty cubits [30 feet] , and the height thereof thirty cubits [45 feet].

6:3 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.

6:4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.

The actual Temple without the outer courts.

6:5 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: 6:6 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.

The various parts of the Temple were made in many different places, and then to be brought together and assembled as the temple of God. This representing that the various parts of the spiritual temple would be made up of many different parts [persons] over time and in different places; to be assembled together as the spiritual Temple.

No tools were to be heard in the final assembly of Solomon’s Temple for God, out of deep respect; but also as a type representing that the spiritual Temple is built by God and not by the implements of men.

6:7 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.

6:8 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.

6:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

6:10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

Solomon’s Temple with all its Courts

God confirmed to Solomon that If Israel would keep the whole word of God, then he would dwell with them in the Temple. 

Spiritually speaking, we have the same promise from God that IF we are zealous to keep his word, then he will be pleased to dwell within us. 

The converse is also true; as God turned his face away from Israel when they turned away from his word to do as they desired, and if we also turn away from zeal to learn and to keep the whole word of God; He will also turn away from and reject us.

6:11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, 6:12 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: 6:13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

6:14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

6:15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

A cubit is 18 inches.

6:16 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 [the Holy of Holies], even for the most holy place.

6:17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

6:18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers [of almonds as in the Tabernacle] : all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

6:19 And the oracle [Holy of holies] he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

The apparent sun’s in the Most Holy Place in the right hand floor plan of the Holy Place and Most Holy Place are meant to represent the two cherubs.

6:20 And the oracle [Holy of holies] 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.

The cedar was overlaid with gold.

6:21 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.  6:22 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.

6:23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree [The olive tree symbolizing the Vine and Trunk of the source of the oil of God’s spirit, Jesus Christ John 15]  and, each ten cubits [fifteen feet] high. 6:24 And five cubits [7 and 1/2 feet] 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.

The wings of the cherubs spread over the Ark from each cherub on each side, so that the wind of each cherub reaches out for 7 and 1/2 feet to touch each other; making the total distance that the wings covered as 15 feet.

6:25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.6:26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

6:27 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 [reached out from] touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched [reached out from] the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

6:28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

6:29 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.

6:30 And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

6:31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree [Again the olive tree, representing the source of God’s spirit Jesus Christ]: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.

6:32 The two doors also were of olive tree [the doors to the Temple picturing Jesus Christ the DOOR of salvation]; 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. 6:33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.

The two outside doors or gates

6:34 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. 6:35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

The green outlined space is Solomon’s Temple; and outside the green line is Herod’s expansion

The court

6:36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.

Solomon began laying the foundations in his fourth year and completed the building in his eleventh year.

6:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: 6:38 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.

1 Kings 7

Solomon built his royal palace on the Temple Mount adjacent to the Temple. 1 KIngs 7 is mainly about the building of the Palaces of Solomon.

7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

Solomon’s palace was built of cedar from Lebanon.

7:2 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. 7:3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row. 7:4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks. 7:5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.

7:6 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.

He built a throne room with a cedar ceiling from Lebanon.

7:7 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.

His palace at Jerusalem had a throne room.

7:8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work.

Solomon also built a palace for his wife the Queen, a princess of Egypt.

Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.

These palaces were built with huge expensive blocks of stone, like the Temple.

7:9 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.7:10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

7:11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars. 7:12 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 [Palace].

A worker in brass was brought in from Tyre.

7:13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. 7:14 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.

7:15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.

Chapiter:

The ornamental head or capital of a pillar. Three Hebrew words are so rendered.

• Cothereth ( 1 Kings 7:16 ; 2 Kings 25:17 ; 2 Chr 4:12 ), meaning a “diadem” or “crown.”
• Tzepheth ( 2 Chronicles 3:15 ).
• Rosh ( Exodus 36:38 ; Exodus 38:17 Exodus 38:19 Exodus 38:28 ), properly a “head” or “top.”

7:16 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: 7:17 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.

7:18 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. 7:19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits. 7:20 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.

The two pillars.  The left Jachin pillar (Means: right, true, steadfast, to establish by truth; YHVHEstablishes)  and the Boaz pillar (Means: Strength, power; The Strength of YHVH)

7:21 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.  7:22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

A brass basin for water was made.

7:23 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. 7:24 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.7:25 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.

A “bath” is 5.8 US gallons or about 22 liters.

7:26 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.

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. 7:28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 7:29 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.

7:30 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. 7:31 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.

7:32 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. 7:33 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. 7:34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.7:35 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.

7:36 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. 7:37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.

7:38 Then made he ten lavers [Basins for water] of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver. 7:39 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.

7:40 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:

7:41 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; 7:42 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; 7:43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases; 7:44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea; 7:45And 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.

7:46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.

A vast unknown weight of brass was used.

7:47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.

The Temple vessels.

7:48 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, 7:49 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, 7:50 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.

7:51 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.

1 Kings 8

In this post: Solomon assembled all of the elders of Israel to bring the Ark up from David’s tent and place it in the new Temple in the seventh month seven days before the fall Feast of Tabernacles. 

Solomon’s address to the elders of Israel and his prayer at the dedication of the Temple.  This address and prayer were at the dedication of the physical Temple and zealous faithful New Covenant spiritual Israel, is also the Temple, the dwelling place of God. 

Please read every line and every word and deeply consider the meaning of these profound words; both in the physical and in the spiritual sense.  Every word applies to those called out to have an opportunity to have a part in the spiritual New covenant Temple of God. 

I will not comment over much on these awesome words which should be self explanatory; I only ask that people consider their application to the called out of the New Covenant and not simply read over them as some kind of dry ancient history, to be read, not understood in the spiritual plain and forgotten.

8:1 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.

8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

8:3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 8:4 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.

Huge numbers of animals were sacrificed as the Ark was brought up into the Temple on the Feast.

8:5 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.

The ark was placed under the cherubim in the Most Holy Place.

8:6 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. 8:7 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.

The carrying staves [poles] were removed and kept in the Most Holy Place that the ends might not protrude through the curtain.

8:8 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.

In the Ark were the two tablets of stone, Aaron’s rod that budded and a pot of manna. 

Heb 9:4   Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

8:9 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.

Then the cloud of Christ’s glory came down and filled the whole Temple.

8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,8:11 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.

The Temple in spite of its glory was nothing but physical stone, wood and metal;  It was the glory of the eternal’s presence that made the temple a glory. 

We have forgotten this lesson and look to our organizations, leaders and our own ways as spiritually glorious; no longer understanding that it is our God and how whole word that are the glory of the people of God! 

The spirit of God is the glory that shines in his people, only as we are zealously faithful to God and his whole word to keep it.  We have no glory in ourselves if we depart from zeal for the whole word of God!  

Solomon’s address to physical Israel sould be taken seriously by each one of spiritual Israel. 

The Temple was merely the dwelling place of God; It was the God who dwelt there that was glorious and made the Temple glorious; and  not the physical building itself, which was merely physical and subject to decay and ruin; as we being physical are also subject to decay and death. 

Let us not glory in our own ways; but let us glory in the whole word of God to love and to enthusiastically keep it.  Like the physical Temple, we are only the temple of god as long as we are zealously obedient to the whole word of God. 

Therefore let us follow the word of Solomon and turn away from our idols of men, to seek the glory of the Eternal to seek his mercy and to keep his whole word faithfully.

Solomon addresses the elders of Israel.

8:12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 8:13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.

The people stood out of respect for Solomon.

8:14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)

8:15 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, 8:16 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.

8:17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 8:18 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. 8:19 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.

8:20 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. 8:21 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.

Solomon’s prayer to God.

8:22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands [in supplication] toward heaven: 8:23 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:8:24 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.

8:25 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.

8:26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.

8:27 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? 8:28 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: 8:29 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.

8:30 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.

8:31 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: 8:32 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. 8:33 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: 8:34 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.

8:35 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: 8:36 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.

8:37 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; 8:38 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: 8:39 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;) 8:40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

8:41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; 8:42 (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; 8:43 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.

8:44 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: 8:45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

8:46 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; 8:47 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;8:48 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: 8:49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 8:50 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:

8:51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: 8:52 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.

Consider that spiritual Israel has also been called out and separated from the unconverted, and if they will look to God they shall also be forgiven.

8:53 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.

Solomon had prayed to God kneeling before the altar with his hands lifted up to heaven in supplication, as the elders stood before God.

8:54 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.

The day will come when the Chosen and resurrected of spiritual Israel and ultimately all of mankind, will echo the following blessing and praise of the Eternal.

8:55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 8:56 Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, [and spiritual New Covenant Israel at the resurrection to spirit]  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. 8:57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: 8:58 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.

8:59 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: 8:60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.

8:61 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.

8:62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD. 8:63 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. 8:64 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 [grain]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.

The Dedication of the Temple was held for seven days, and another seven days for the Feast of Tabernacles; and at the end of the Eighth Day Feast the people were sent home.

8:65 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.

8:66 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.

1 Kings 9

After the dedication of the temple and Solomon’s prayer, God appeared to him in a dream.

9:1 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, 9:2 That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.

YHVH choses this place to put his name there forever.  When Jesus Christ returns to rule he will build a millennial Temple and his own palace and seat of government in the same place.  We will study that in the Ezekiel study. 

This is also an allegory that those who are zealously faithful to keep the whole word of God shall be resurrected to eternal life and the nature of God thr9ought His spirit shall remain in them forever.

9:3 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.

9:4 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:

Here we see that the promise to David about his descendants being kings is entirely conditional on their obedience to God; which they were not. This promise of sitting on the throne, is for those son’s of David who are faithfully obedient to God; and  is a type of the spiritually called out who will also sit on thrones after the resurrection as the spiritual son’s of David; having the same sincerely repentant and submissive to God’s word attitude that David had.

9:5 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.

If the kings and leaders and the people turn away from God, then God will turn away from them.  The same is absolutely true in the spiritual sense of the modern Church of God who have turned away from zeal to keep the whole word of God, to embrace a zeal for their idols of men.

9:6 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:

We, the Church of God groups; are about to be rejected by Jesus Christ and cast into great tribulation, Rev 3:16, because we have rejected our zeal for the whole word of God to idolize and follow the false traditions of our idols of men.

9:7 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: 9:8 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?

Why will we be cast into the furnace of affliction?  Because we have turned form zeal for the whole word of God, towards a zeal for our idols of men, corporate entities and false traditions.

9:9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt [out of the bondage of sin], and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped [obeyed their idols of men and exalted them above the word of God] them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.

After twenty years Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities for his service for the building program of Solomoin.

9:10 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, 9:11 (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.

9:12 And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not. 9:13 And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul [that which is not pleasing] unto this day.

The Greatness of Solomon is clearly a type of the millennial Kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ, who is far greater still, for his greatness is spiritual and eternal; while Solomon is dead and in his grave.

Then Hiram sent Solomon 120 talents of gold to help in the building of the city walls.  Hiram though displeased still sent tribute to Solomon.  This is an example that in the millennial kingdom the treasures of all nations shall flow to the King of kings at Jerusalem. 6 times 20 [a score] = 120 talents; as a score is a group or set of 20.

9:14 And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.

9:15 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.

Pharaoh helped Solomon and destroyed the Canaanites at Gezer and gave that city to his daughter Solomon’s wife.  We are the daughters of Egypt [bondage to sin] who, if we overcome and faint not; shall become the bride of the King of kings. The bride of Christ will be given rulership over the nations under the King of kings.

9:16 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.

Solomon was a great builder king, and so will be Jesus Christ in the millennial kingdom.  The King of kings building not only physical magnificence, but also a spiritual Temple of the whole population of the earth

9:17 And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether, 9:18 And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,9:19 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.

The Ammonites paid tribute to Solomon, as in the millennium the people of Ammon, Syria  the Palestinians and Turkey, will be subjects of Israel.

9:20 And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, 9:21 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.

The people of Israel were mighty men of war for Solomon; and we are to be spiritual mighty men of spiritual warfare destroying all sin against the whole word of God! 

If we compromise with the whole word of God now, and are zealous for idols of men and false traditions, it is to our great shame; and we shall surely not qualify to be mighty spiritual rulers in the millennial kingdom of God.

9:22 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.

There were 550 officers over the workers on Solomon’s construction projects.

9:23 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.

9:24 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.

As commanded by God, three times in the year did Solomon observe the Feast’s of the Eternal; Passover and Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles.

9:25 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.

Solomon and Hiram built ships at Eilat, and Hiram sent Phoenician sailors to help Solomon and they brought back much gold.

9:26 And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom. 9:27 And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

Now somewhat about Sheba and Ophir of gold.   

Ethiopian tradition says that the emperor was descended from Solomon and Queen Makeda, Empress of Axums [Eretria] while other traditions say that the Queen of Sheba was from Yemen or India. There is nothing in scripture about Solomon impregnating the Queen of Sheba, and such a notable event surely would have been recorded.

The cities of Sheba and Ophir had nothing to do with Ethiopia or Yemen and the emperor Haile Selassie I was not likely descended from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Sheba and Ophir were places now in modern India:  Historical documents quoted by Wiki: “And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.”  Joktan’s sons in the order provided in Gen. 10:26-29, were Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab.

A king reigned over the town of Saba [Sheba, Scind] and annexed to his kingdom the cities of Ophir and Havilah, And in the days of Reu a king reigned in Shebha (Saba), and in Ophir, and in Havilah.

And there reigned in Saba [Scind] sixty [generations] of the daughters of Saba. And for many years women reigned in Saba–until the kingdom of Solomon, the son of David. And the children of Ophir, that is, Send (Scind in India), And the children of Havilah appointed to be their king Havîl, who built Havilah, that is, Hind (in India).

Ragu [Reu] was 180 years old and in the days of Ragu, one in the land of India reigned, whose name was Sasen, and who built the city of Saba [Sheba, Sind]. And all the kings who reigned over that country were called Sabaeans, after the name of the city. Then again Phar’an reigned over the children of Saphir [Ophir], and built the city of Saphir; and that is the land of Sarania [India], and because of these stones of gold, they say that the mountains of that country and the stones thereof are all of gold. Then the children of Lebensa of the country of India, made king over them, one called Bahlul, who built the city of Bahlu. Then Ragu [Reu]  died in his 289th year.” 

It should be noted that neither Yemen nor Ethiopia were rich in gold and had no peacocks or sandalwood; while the area of India just inland from modern Goa has been rich in these things.

1 Kings 9:28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

1 Kings 10

The ships of Solomon’s fleet sailed for trade and found Ophir where they found much gold, peacocks, Sandalwood and apes all abundant in India.  There they met the ruler of the l;and, the Queen of Sheba [including Ophir] and told her of the wonders and wisdom of Solomon.  She being excited to know the truth of the matter quite probably sailed back with Solomon’s fleet in ships of her own, to meet this ruler of such an astounding reputation.

10:1 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. 10:2 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. 10:3 And Solomon told [answered] her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, 10:5 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 [She was astonished].

She would have heard the reports from Solomon’s sailors and traders.

10:6 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. 10:7Howbeit 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.

This Queen of cities within modern India then praised God; even as in future the nations of the earth will come up to see the King of kings and shall praise God an d rejoice in the Eternal , and shall be grafted into spiritual Israel!

10:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

10:9 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.

10:10 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.

Almug wood is the finely scented sandalwood, another form of Almug [zitan] is from the species Dalbergia luovelii, Dalbergia maritima, and Dalbergia normandi, all similar species named in trade as bois de rose or violet rosewood, which when cut are bright crimson purple changing to dark purple again. It has a fragrant scent when worked.
These woods are products only found in  India. 

10:11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. 10:12 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.

10:13 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.

Solomon’s tax revenue

10:14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold[33,300 lbs], 10:15 Beside that he had of [received in taxes from] the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and [the tribute from foreign lands] of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

10:16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target. 10:17And 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.

10:18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. 10:19 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. 10:20 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.

10:21 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.

Solomon had also a second fleet of traders, which by its cargo was also sent to India and remained their trading for some time so that the whole trip was a three year trading expedition.

10:22 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.

Even so; the whole earth will send representatives and rulers to see the King of kings and give him gifts paying him homage.

10:23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. 10:24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 10:25 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.

10:26 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.

10:27 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. 10:28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

Solomon made much money in trade between Egypt and the Syrians.

10:29 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.

1 Kings 11

Then Solomon from the lust of the flesh turned away from the commandment of God.

Deu 7:1-4  When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

² And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

³ Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

⁴ For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

In New Covenant terms this forbids knowingly marrying the unconverted. 

In spiritual terms this means accepting any teaching that is false and contrary to the whole word of God.

1 Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: 11:2 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.

Solomon had many women and likely each would have demanded a place of worship for her god, or she would leave him to return home to worship there.  Therefore Solomon built temple to the idols of the people on what is now known as the “Hill of Evil Council”.

11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.11:4 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.

And as if that sin were not enough, as God had warned in his commandment; the wise Solomon was led astray by his wives to worship these false god’s himself.

11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

To not be fully and wholeheartedly following the whole word of God; is to mix holiness with sin and render one spiritually unclean; and rejected by God. 

1 Cor 3:17  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  ¹⁷ If any man defile [make spiritually unclean with idolatry and false  traditions] the temple of God [our minds], him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1 Kings 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.11:7 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. 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

Then the anger of YHVH was hot against Solomon; as it is hot against the latter day COG Groups for their idolatry of men, false traditions and corporate organizations; exalting them above the word of God.

11:9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 11:10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

As Christ took the kingdom away from Solomon; surely God will take away our place as rulers in His kingdom.

11:11 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.11:12 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.11:13 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.

Then God began to stir up opposition to Solomon, and the king of Edom’s son, was sirred to wrath for what David had done ot his people and rose up against Solomon.

11:14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.

Some of the Edomites fled David’s captain Joab, including the crown prince Hadad.

11:15 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; 11:16 (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:) 11:17 That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.

The Edomites path to Egypt.

11:18 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. 11:19 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. 11:20 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.

When her heard that Joab and David were dead, Hadad returned to his own land and in time was inspired by God to resist and vex Solomon.

11:21 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. 11:22 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.

Rezon had fled from Zobah when David took that city, and Rezon became ruler of Damascus and also rose up to vex Solomon.

11:23 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: 11:24 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.

11:25 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.

Then Solomon’s servant Jeroboam of Ephraim also rebelled against Solomon.

11:26 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.

11:27 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. 11:28 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 [Ephrsim and Manasseh] .

Because of Solomon’s idolatries, Jesus Christ raised up these adversaries to vex Solomon in his lifetime. 

This is the state of the church of God today.  Because of our idolatries and because every leader does what is right in his own eyes, instead of doing what God has said; we have lost the foundation of unity, which is zeal for the whole word of God; and are become divided into many corporate groups.

The prophet declares the word of the LORD; that Jeroboam shall be given ten tribes of Israel; which cause Solomon like Saul sought to kill his perceived rival.

11:29 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: 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:

The prophet speaks the word of the Eternal.

11:31 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: 11:32 (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:)

11:33 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.

11:34 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: 11:35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

Ephraim and Manasseh are the one tribe of Joseph, consisting of two half tribes.  David’s house was left with the tribe of Judah and the city of Jerusalem which was in the territory of Benjamin; while God’s Levites and priests were scattered in Judah and in Israel.

11:36 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.

11:37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

11:38 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. 11:39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever [speaking of the millennial reunion of Israel and Judah].

11:40 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.

Solomon reigned forty years and died.

11:41 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? 11:42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 11:43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

 1 Kings 12

12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

When Rehoboam went to be crowned king over Israel, Jeroboam came with the elders of Israel and promised to serve Rehoboam if he would lighten their burdens a little.

12:2 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;) 12:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 12:4 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.

Rehoboam asks for three days to consult with his advisors.

12:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

The wise men of Solomon gave good advice which Rehoboam rejected and forsook.

12:6 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? 12:7 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.

Then Rehoboam consulted with the young men, who gave him foolish advice.

12:8 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: 12:9 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? 12:10 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. 12:11 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.

Then the people returned on the third day for an answer.

12:12 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. 12:13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 12:14 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.

This was all inspired by God that His will might be fulfilled.

12:15 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.

Israel was then turned from Judah as God had judged against Solomon; and the family of David was left with Judah and Jerusalem [Benjamin’s area]

12:16 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[Judah], David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 12:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

Rehoboam sent his tax man to Israel and the people killed him, so Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem.

12:18 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. 12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day [The day this was written].

Then Israel made Jeroboam king over them.

12:20 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.

Rehoboam then took up arms against the man he regarded as a rebel against him, Jeroboam.

12:21 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.

God stepped in by his prophet to tell the people that this split was from God, and war was averted as the people of Judah and Benjamin believed and obeyed the prophet of God.

12:22 But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 12:23 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, 12:24Thus 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.

Jeroboam then built his capitol in Ephraim.

12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

Jeroboam knowing that the real power was in religion decided to create a religion of his own, for fear that the people in being faithful to God would leave him.

Today the COG Groups are also jealous against God and His word;  and seek to have the people follow themselves and their false traditions.

12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 12:27 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.

The people then obeyed the king and turned aside from God to follow the idols of men; just as we in the New Covenant called out have done today; only our golden calves are idolizing men, corporate entities and false traditions.

12:28 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. 12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 12:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

Jeroboam then made priests of those who were willing to turn contrary to the word of God to exalt his idols, as HWA and the later COG Groups have ordained very many elders for their zeal for the human idol leader, organization of false traditions; and have not ordained men for their zeal towards keeping the whole word of God.

12:31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest [most disreputable] of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. [Not of the son’s of Levi corresponding to the many unconverted elders of today]

Then Jeroboam had a feast in the eight month.  Jeroboam devised a religion out of his own heart, doing what was right in his own eyes instead of diligently keeping the whole word of God.  Even as the Latter Day COG Groups devise false traditions and teachings out of their own thoughts, instead of being enthusiastic to keep the whole word of God,

12:32 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 Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. 12:33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel 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.

Temple stones  Mat 24  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. ² And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

I have been asked about the stones of the Wailing Wall, and Ernest Martin’s insistence that the site of the Temple was not on the Mount but at the Gihon Springs.

Jesus said that no stone of the Temple would remain in its place and that has been fulfilled. 

To understand about the Wailing Wall and the Temple, we must realize that the “Mount” was a typical physical hill with sloping sides and that Solomon built retaining walls and filled in the sides of the hill and make it a straight sided hill with a flat top, as a foundation for the Temple structure.  The Temple was then built in the flat space on top of the hill created in the building process. 

The Temple on the top of the flattened Mount has been totally destroyed; and the  Wailing Wall is NOT a part of the Temple on top of the Mount.  The Wailing Wall is only a part of the retaining wall at the bottom of the foundation wall surrounding the Mount.  It is not and never was a part of the Temple itself. There is no doubt that the Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa stand on top of the temple mount. The history of the place is very well known and indisputable.

The wailing wall had nothing to do with the actual temple are/were not a part of the Temple stones; [every stone of the Temple has fallen down]  but a part of the retaining wall shoring up the lower  side of the mountain at the mountain’s base; in effect they are a retaining wall for a part of the foundation and have nothing to do with the actual Temple which was set on the top of the Mount. 

Ernest Martin:   In 1974 left the WCG and started the Foundation for Biblical Research in Pasadena where he remained as chairman until 1985. He wrote studies on subjects like the Sabbath, High Days and Tithing trying to destroy these doctrines by presenting large studies in apparently professional language, which if a person not grounded in sound doctrine read, would confuse him by the scholarly appearance and numbers of words.

In 1985 Martin founded Associates for Scriptural Knowledge and became a member of various other societies.

Martin’s claims that the Temple was built over the Gihon Springs are untenable, because that area is on the lower side of a hill and not on top of a mount as the Temple is described in scripture.  In fact, from ancient antiquity, tunnels were built from the Gihon Springs to the city to provide water for the Temple at the pools [Siloam] adjacent to the Temple. 

To this day the spring surges twice a day bringing water to Siloam and the Temple  through the tunnel.  I have walked in Hezekiah’s tunnel myself.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezekiah’s_Tunnel

Martin was a mainstream evangelical crackpot with delusions of being a scholar. Dr. Martin went on to start his own church, and then to repudiate the keeping of the Sabbath and Holy Days altogether.  Ernest Martin was a Pentecostal evangelical who began the  movement inside the WCG that ultimately led to the Tkach changes.  

Martin left WCG, just before Ken Westby left in 1974.

Ernest Martin is famous for attacking the sound doctrine of scripture and for his ridiculous archeological claims based on false premises; like deciding that a retaining wall was part of the Temple, and then claiming  that the Temple was built on the steeply sloping lower side of another hill, instead of on the top of a Mount!  

Imagine a retaining wall in your own backyard, and thinking that retaining wall was a part of your house!

In short Martin’s studies have an appearance of scholarship, without the scholarship; being error, hidden in many scholarly appearing words designed to confuse and impress the reader to accept his false teachings and turn away from the word of God.

1 Kings 13

The Deeds of Jeroboam

God sent his servant to rebuke the apostasy of Jeroboam, and prophesying of another who would destroy the idols; calling him by name Josiah.  he cried out against Jeroboam and the altar to idols.

13:1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 13:2 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.

The Church of God organizations will also be destroyed along with their idols of men and false teachings in great tribulation, unless they turn to a zeal to reject their idols and to keep the whole word of God.  God has not left his people without a warning.

13:3 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.

Then Jeroboam sought to harm the man of God who was doing his duty to God, and God defended him and Jeroboam’s arm was dried up.

13:4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, 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.

A sign was given in the rending of the idols altar and the drying of Jeroboam’s hand; so that Jeroboam was terrified, but instead of repenting he tried to buy off the man of God.

13:5 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.

13:6 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.

13:7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

The man of God rejected the bribery of Jeroboam and rejected anything from him as being tainted by idolatry.

13:8 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: 13:9 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.

The man of God then sought to return to his own place, but a prophet came out to tempt him.

13:10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. 13:11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

The son’s of the prophet told him these things and saddled his ass that he might go out to meet the man of God.

13:12 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. 13:13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

This story is a profound lesson that we are to follow no person contrary to the whole word of god or to anything that God should require of us.  Paul writes that we are even to reject angels from heaven, if they teach us to live contrary to the whole word of God. 

When God says something in his word:  DO IT!  And when we are told something by any man, or by a spirit;  prove out the spirit whether it is of God by testing it against the whole word of God.

Do not be deceived, even by an apparent  genuine prophet of God as this man of God was; and do not be deceived by false spirits as UCG is being deceived away from zeal for the word of God, into a false religion of appearances of spirituality, without the works of enthusiastic obedience to God.

Gal 1:8   But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel [than that of repentance from sin and salvation by Jesus Christ; to go and sin no more] unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

The prophet found the man of God and tempted him.

13:14 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.

13:15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

The man of God resists the temptation to sin from the prophet.

13:16 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: 13:17 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.

The  prophet then lied to the man of God.

13:18 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. 13:19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

The prophet who had deceived the man of God was taken by the spirit of God and prophesied against the man that he himself had deceived; for God had been testing that man of God to see if he would obey the whole word of God in all situations.

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: 13:21 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,13:22 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.

The man of God then rode his saddled ass until a lion killed him

13:23 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. 13:24 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.

The prophet who had deceived the man of God because he wanted to be hospitable and commune with him, knew his own guilt and buried the man of God in his own grave.

13:25 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.

13:26 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. 13:27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. 13:28 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. 13:29 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.

This prophet must have been devastated to know that it was by his lie that a man of God had been deceived to sin against the word of the LORD.

13:30 And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! 13:31 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: 13:32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

13:33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest [least reputable] of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. 13:34 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.

1 Kings 14

Jeroboam inquires of God for his ill son Abijah.  Jeroboam KNEW better than to apostatize but he did so and led the people to do so, for fear of losing his following of men.  How many elders in the COG preach what they know is false to receive their pay and maintain their following?

14:1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 14:2 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. 14:3 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.

She did as she was told for doubtless she was concerned for her son.  Ahijah was blind, but God revealed the truth to him and told him what to say to her.

14:4 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. 14:5 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.

Ahijah tells her that her son will die because of the sins of the house of Jeroboam the king. In effect God is saying top Jeroboam: Because you will not listen to me, I will not listen to your or grant your requests.

The same thing is true today in the COG Groups:  It is because we are apostate form any zeal to keep the word of God that we have so many divisions, trials and our sicknesses are rarely healed.  Healing is a sign of the people of God, given to those who please God!

1 John 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

When God’s two servants appear, they shall heal as a sign that they are the true disciples of Christ. 

Mark 16:15   And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

¹⁹ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

1 Kings 14:6 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.

God’s Indictment of Jeroboam; and of us:  WE were called out of an evil world to become kings and priests of the Eternal God, to teach humanity to be zealous top live by every word of God, Mat 4:4, as jeroboam was called to be a king in the place of the family of David. 

We like Jeroboam have gone astray and served the idols of our own devising; and we shall; surely be rejected as Jeroboam was rejected unless we repent most sincerely and most quickly.

14:7 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, 14:8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: andyet 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;

Many of us have cast all zeal to keep the whole word of God behind our backs, in order to be faithful to and exalt our idols of men and false traditions, as Jeroboam did.  Therefore if we do not quickly and sincerely repent; we will be cut off from being kings and priests, as the house of Jeroboam was.

14:9 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: 14:10 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. 14:11Him 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.

In this case the ill child was at least partly faithful to God and yet was allowed to die because of the sins of his father.  How many of our good and largely innocent children, shall die horribly in tribulation because of the idolatry and sins of their parents?

14:12 Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. 14:13And 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.

The Eternal promises to raise up a king in Israel that shall destroy the house of Jeroboam.

14:14 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.

The Eternal also begins to prophecy that he will remove Israel from the land for all their wickedness.  God did not leave these people without many warnings.

14:15 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 [Euphrates], because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.

God knew that the sins of Jeroboam had already become deeply embedded in Israel and that except for short periods, the people would not keep his word; therefore already in the days of Jeroboam, Israel was judged to be a rebellious people who would be removed from off the land.  As Moses said, possession of the land was totally CONDITIONAL on the peoples obedience to God and his word. 

Even so, our calling is totally CONDITIONAL on our zealous faithfulness to keep the whole word of God; we do NOT have it made, by following false elders who teach contrary to the word of God!

14:16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

Jeroboam’s wife returned home and the prophet’s word from God was fulfilled.

14:17 And Jeroboam’s wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died; 14:18 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.

14:19 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. 14:20 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.

The Deeds of Rehoboam

14:21 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.

14:22 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.

In spite of God splitting the nation and rending Israel from Judah, Judah continued in wickedness.  Sounds like the Church of god today; split after split and we still insist on each one going his own ways instead of all being united in zeal to keep the whole word of God.  Like Judah we also follow our idols of men, traditions, leaders and corporate high places.

14:23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.

At least one COG Is very tolerant of sexual Sodomites in their congregations today; but the main sin of Sodom was pride which most COG Groups have in abundance.  Eek 16:49 is a good description of most COG leaders today.  Full of pride and sel on their own ways.

Ezek 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. ⁵⁰ And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

.2 Kings 14:24 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.

The treasures of the temple were taken to Egypt by Shishak.  Did this include the Ark,  removed long before the Babylonians took the city? 

14:25 And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:14:26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he eventook away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

14:27 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. 14:28 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.

After God sent his prophet to tell the people that this division was from him, they went home; however they had continual outbreaks of conflict from then on.

14:29 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? 14:30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.

14:31 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.

1 Kings 15

Great emphasis is placed on the fact that Judah was at war almost continually with Israel.

15:1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat [of Israel] reigned Abijam over Judah.

Abijam the son of Rehoboam reigned in Jerusalem over Judah and sinned as his father Rehoboam did.

15:2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 15:3 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.

15:4 Nevertheless for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him [give David] a lamp [son, descendant] in Jerusalem, to set up his son [descendant] after him, and to establish Jerusalem: 15:5 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.

15:6 And there was war between Rehoboam [Abijam the son of rehoboam]  and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

15:7 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. 15:8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

After Abijam died, Asa reigned over Judah in Jerusalem.

15:9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. 15:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

Asa was one of the rare godly kings in Judah.

15:11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. 15:12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 15:13 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. 15:14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

15:15 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.

Then Jeroboam died in Samaria and Baasha became king of Israel; and Israel set up a border post to prevent any faithful people in Israel from going down to Jerusalem to worship God.

15:16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Nadab died in the second year of Asa and Baasha reigned in his place.

15:17 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.

Then king Asa of Judah hired Syria as his Allie against Israel.

15:18 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 Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 15:19 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.

Syria attacked Israel on behalf of Judah, and Israel turned away from building its birder fortress to prevent the faithful from going to Jerusalem.

15:20 So Benhadad 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 Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 15:21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

Judah then took the hewn stones and timber from Israel and built cities in Benjamin.

15:22 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.

15:23 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. 15:24 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.

This is an inset concerning the two year reign of Nadab, who reigned before Baashan but did nothing significant in his short reign in Israel except for his great wickedness.

15:25 And Nadab the son [descendant of] of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. 15:26 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.

Then after Nadad died Baasha reigned over Israel.  Baasha was of Issachar and not of Jeroboam.

15:27 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.

Nadab became king of Israel in the first year of Asa king of Judah; and Nadab was replaced by Baasha in the third year of Asa king of Judah.

15:28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.

Then Baasha killed all that were of the family of Jeroboam for all their sins of Jeroboam as God had judged.

15:29 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: 15:30 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.

15:31 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? 15:32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Baasha was as wicked as the house of Jeroboam that he had destroyed.

15:33 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.

15:34 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.  The sin of idol worship; the very same sin that prevails throughout the church of God groups today.  The sin of replacing zeal to keep the word of God, with idolizing men, false traditions and corporate entities, and following them instead of the whole word of God.

1 Kings 16

All scripture was written for our instruction and example.

Baasha has been rejected by God like Jeroboam, because like Jeroboam Bassha has rejected God to do what seems right to himself; just like the modern  COG leaders.

16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani [the prophet] against Baasha, [king of Israel] saying,  

God’s word to Jeroboam and now to Baasha are the same words that Jesus Christ is speaking to his spiritual called out in Rev 3:14-22.

16:2 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; 16:3 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. 16:4 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.

16:5 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? 16:6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

16:7 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. [He was not acting as a champion of God when he killed Jeroboam because himself was guilty of the same thing]

16:8 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.

Zimri came when his king was drunk and killed him, usurping the throne of Israel for himself.

16:9 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. 16:10 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.

Zimri killed all the males of Baasha.

16:11 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. 16:12 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. 16:13 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.

So shall it be with the present leaders and unrepentant elders of the Church of God who sin and lead the people to exalt and idolize men and false traditions;  they shall surely be cast into great tribulation.

16:14 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?

16:15 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.

The people were enraged by Zimri’s rebellion, and appointed Omri king after seven days.

16:16 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. 16:17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

Zimri  then decided that he would not allow Omri the palace and suicided by burning down the king’s palace over his own head.

16:18 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.

Zimri was as evil as Jeroboam; perhaps more so and he was quickly destroyed.

16:19 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. 16:20 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?

A power struggle followed between Tibni and Omri, but Omri prevailed.

16:21 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. 16:22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

We should notice that obedience to the whole word of God by Asa resulted in a long and internally peaceful kingdom of Asao; while in Israel many strove for the pre-eminence and rejected a zeal for the word of God to do what they thought right, which resulted in division and bloodshed. 

This is exactly the problem in the COG Groups today, as each does what is right in his own eyes and strives for the chief seats. 

16:23 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.

Omri built Samaria, but he also did w=hat was right in his own eyes and rejected the word of God to follow the idolatry of Jeroboam. 

16:24 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. 16:25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him.  16:26 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.

16:27 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? 16:28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

Ahab succeeded his father Omri.

16:29 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.

Ahab was even worse than his father Omri.

16:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.

Ahab went beyond his own idols of Jeroboam and began to serve the Baal of the pagans.

16:31 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. 16:32And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

16:33 And Ahab made a grove [an obelisk (an obelish is the shaft (penis) of Baal, a fertility symbol; the male p[art of the Easter rituals) as is common on our nations today]; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Jericho is built and his son’s died as was prophesied by Joshua.

16:34 In his [Ahab’s] days did Hiel the Bethelite 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.

Elijah

At this point the story of Elijah begins.  Elijah was a man of God; he was loyal to God over loyalty to the king.  God used Elijah to correct the king.  Elijah was not a priest, but was a man selected by God out of the nation and sent by God to correct the nation and turn the people back to an enthusiastic zeal to keep the whole word of God..  A prophet is called out from among the people directly by God, who calls whomever he decides to use.

No prophet of God was ever ordained by any man; with the  exception  that God sometimes  told a prophet that a certain man should be his successor, like Elijah was told that Elisha would succeed him; nevertheless that choice was God’s and not Elijah’s.

Prophets and men of God are to be known by their fruits Mat 7; any man that proclaims himself a prophet without any fruits of a prophet, is not a prophet:  You shall know them by their fruits.  And anyone who has to spend half his time insisting  that he is a prophet, is not a prophet of God, he is far more about his own personal ego than he is about keeping the whole word of God.

Today the COG is filled with men who claim to be apostles or prophets either to deceive people to follow themselves, or to stroke their own inflated egos.  Remember the warnings of Jesus Christ in Mat 7 and Mat 24; and test every word of man by the whole word of God. 

The first two chapters about Elijah show that men must be faithful to keep the word of God above the teachings of any man. 

In the very big general picture; the withholding of rain, and the destruction of the prophets of baal followed by the heavy rains;  is consistent with the withholding of rain dring the tribulation, the destruction of the resisting armies by Christ at his coming; the acceptance of the Eternal and the destruction of the false teachers by humanity, and the pouring out of the physical rain and the spiritual rain of God’s spirit on the earth, Joel 2:28.

1 Kings 17

This Elijah told the king of Israel from God that there would be no water of rain or dew on the land for the wickedness of the king and the people.  This was a direct challenge to the false gods of the heathen to prove whether they could provide rain when the Eternal had stopped it.   When they began to see the effects of the drought, the king and people would have appealed to their false gods for rain. Which gods were after all, fertility gods.

The withdrawal of rain was to prove who was stronger and who was the real God indeed; the Eternal or the gods and self will of the people.

17:1 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.

The God commanded Elijah to hide himself for a time.

17:2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 17:3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 17:4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 17:5 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.

Because Elijah obeyed God, he was fed and had water in his refuge: as those who are zealous to obey God today; shall eat and drink in their modern refuge in Moab [which is NOT Petra which is in Edom]

17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 17:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

Then Elijah was sent to Zidon [modern Sidon of Lebanon] to find refuge with a widow.  Now consider that this woman lived in a foreign country and Elijah did not stay in Israel but found refuge from God outside Israel.

17:8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 17:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

Elijah obeyed God and left his own country.

17:10 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.

The widow was extremely poor and impoverished yet she was willing to care for Elijah and God had chosen her [for her godliness?] to care for Elijah.

17:11 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.17:12 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.17:13 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.

Elijah told her the word of God:  And she obeyed and gave her last food to Elijah.  Is there such faith and obedience in the church of God today?  How many would obey God when tested like this?

17:14 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. 17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 17:16 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.

Because of her obedience her son is raised from the dead.   Could God not have prevented this illness/  This illness and death was permitted by God as a lesson for us, and this event was an allegory; that because of our obedience we shall be raised from the dead. 

17:17 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.

The dead have no hope and the living have no hope for the dead; except in the Eternal and his mecry on those who are faithful to him.

17:18 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? 17:19 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.

17:20 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? 17:21 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 [spirit] come into him again.

Even so, the faithful and obedient to God shall be raised up on that day; not merely to a transitory physical life, but to eternal life in their Family of God.

17:22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul [spirit of life] of the child came into him again, and he revived.

When the resurrection to spirit takes place on the sixth day of Unleavened bread, and the two prophets rise up from the dead along with vast numbers of others; then Israel and much of the word will know that the Eternal is God indeed. 

Indeed, why will the nations refuse to bury these two?  Because they have prophesied that they will be resurrected in 3 1/2 days from their death and they want to see their dead bodies and rejoice over their deaths, but God will use that to demonstrate that they were his servants and will demonstrate His power over all other gods.  Then many will turn to God and sincerely repent and say: 

Rev 11:13   And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

¹² And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

¹³ And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city [Jerusalem] fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

With the work of these two, completed by Almighty God in their deaths and resurrection; the way of the Eternal shall be prepared; and in that day shall Judah and Israel know that the Eternal is God, and that his prophets have spoken the truth.  They shall know that their deliverance and the coming of Messiah the Christ is at hand; and they shall turn to the whole word fo God with all their heart and welcome him with shouts of Hosanna when his deliverance ids at hand!

1 Kings 17:23 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.

17:24 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.

1 Kings 18

Now when God was ready to restore rain to Israel, he sent Elijah back to Ahab.  Now we see clearly as we did with Moses, that prophets of God do not speak their own words, but are faithful to speak what God has told them to speak.

18:1 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. 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

Here we see the reason that Elijah was told to flee; Jezebel had used her influence as Queen and priestess of Baal to kill as many men of God as she could find.

18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: 18:4For 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.)

The meeting of Elijah and Obadiah.

18:5 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. 18:6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

Elijah tells Obadiah to announce his presence to Ahab and Obadiah greatly fears for his life from Ahab.  It is clear that Jezebel had total control over Ahab n the kingdom.

18:7 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? 18:8 And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. 18:9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? 18:10 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. 18:11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.

Obadiah is afraid that Elijah is playing games with him and will flee away after he has told Ahab where to find Elijah.

18:12 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. 18:13 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? 18:14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.

Elijah then informs Obadiah that he intends to see Ahab that day.

18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.18:16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

Then Ahab saw Elijah who he blamed for the drought.  It seems clear that Ahab and Jezebel blamed not only Elijah but all the men of God for the famine and used that excuse to slaughter hem. 

Elijah immediately sets the record straight, that the famine came as the result of the idolatry of Ahab and his people.

18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18:18 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.

Now Elijah would not have done this on his own, but would have been doing as God had commanded him. This event was set up by the famine which demonstrated to the people that God was stronger than baal who could not bring rain when God had withheld it. Elijah then tells Ahab to assemble the 450 priests of baal.  This was to reveal that the Eternal is god and not the idols of men. 

In the same way today, the Eternal is God, and not our idols of men, false traditions, and corporate entities.  And this will be revealed when the faithful to God follow his word by his prophets and go to his refuge, while those trusting in their idols of men shall be destroyed in the fire of great tribulation [If they sincerely repent in that great correction, they may still have an opportunity for salvation and eternal life.].

18:19 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. 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

Then Elijah challenges the people to chose between their idols of men and the whole word of the Eternal God!

18:21 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.

There were other men of God, but only Elijah dared to take an open stand and to publicly stand alone upon the whole word of God.  How like that it is today.

18:22 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.

Elijah then prepared a demonstration for the people, that they might finally decide who was the true God; the Eternal of the idols of men.

18:23 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: 18:24And 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.

The idol followers went first.

18:25 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. 18:26 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.

18:27 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. 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice [just after sunset, not the false Rabbinic 3 PM], that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Elijah came next an din comparison to a whole day’s appeal to Baal , Elijah prayed for only a few seconds.

18:30 And 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. 18:31 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: 18:32 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.

18:33 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. 18:34 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. 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice [just after sunset, not the false Rabbinic 3 PM], that Elijah the prophet came near, and said,

The Prayer of Elijah

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. 18:37 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.

Then the Eternal YHVH answered in his fire upon the altar.

18:38 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.

By the end of the tribulation and the day of the LORD; all nations will acknowledge YHVH the Messiah the Christ, and will welcome Him at His coming WITH his chosen; when His wrath falls on the enemy and the armies arrayed against Him, are dissolved in His presence!  

18:39 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.

Then the prophets of baal were destroyed; as all the idols of men shall be destroyed at the beginning of the millennial kingdom of God.    Then the ten kings will understand that they have been deceived by the false prophet and shall turn on the false religions and destroy them.

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

1 Kings 18:40 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.

Elijah then told Ahab not to fear eating and drinking without the restraint of the famine for the rain comes, because of the destruction of baal and the idols and false religion of men.  These heavy rains are a type of the holy spirit raining down on all flesh in the millennial kingdom of God, Joel 2. 

18:41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

Seven times Elijah checked the sea for rain, before it came.

18:42 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, 18:43 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.

18:44 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.

As clouds filled the sky, king Ahab ran to Jezebel in Samaria, and Elijah ran to meet him in the way, because of the word of the LORD to Elijah..

18:45 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. 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

1 Kings 19

Upon hearing that her priests of baal had been killed Jezebel sought to kill Elijah.  This Jezebel is a type of and is identified as the Roman Catholic Church in the Prophecy of Jesus Christ in Revelation. 

We see here that Jezebel seduced people into sexual immorality and idol worship, and we know that both these things are types of spiritual adultery against the Eternal God our espoused Husband.  And eating things sacrificed to idols is typical of internalizing spiritual error into our minds; like the abomination of exalting a man between people and God in the Papal and many COG church government systems. 

The church of God Groups, beginning with HWA, adopted the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes regarding church government, placing men or boards of men between the people and God, to become the idols of the people. 

By being zealous for men and boards of men; we have become spiritual adulterers and idolaters; against the word of God and our espoused husband!  and we are of Jezebel the great whore.

Rev 2:20   Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee [Thyatira], because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

²¹ And I gave her space [Jezebel] to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. ²² Behold, I will cast her[Jezebel] into a bed [the tribulation], and them that commit adultery with her [the COG Groups that teach her false doctrtine on church government, the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes] into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

1 Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.19:2 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.

In this allegory Elijah after openly revealing the true God and the idolatry of Jezebel; Jezebel uses the authority of the king to attack him and he  hides himself from Jezebel the great whore and high priestess of idolatry.  Elijah abandoned all to flee for his life into refuge from Jezebel, as God’s faithful shall soon do.

19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 19:4 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.

Elijah weary and feeling alone, in a moment of weakness requests that he might die.  God refuses that request.

19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

An angel sent from God feeds him; this representing that God will feed his faithful with spiritual food and drink.  The Elijah went to Sinai where Moses had met with the Eternal.

19:6 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. 19:7 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. 19:8 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.

There God asks him why he hides from Jezebel.

19:9 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?

Elijah feels that he is the only one left that is zealous for the word of god and that all the brethren are turned away to their idols of men.

19:10 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.

God commands Elijah to stand on the Mountain; where God passes by in his strength in a sign to Elijah of God’s power.

19:11 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: 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire:

Then God speaks to Elijah in a gentle loving voice.

and after the fire a still small voice.

The voice of God asks Elijah again, why has he come to the Mount, and Elijah answers with the same answer.

19:13 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? 19:14 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.

God then rejects Elijah’s self pity and commands him to continue to be about his work.

Brethren we are not to give up our mission because we feel tired or alone; we are not to become weary of well doing and let down on fulfilling our mission to do the word and will of Almighty God with a whole heart.

19:15 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: 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

God pronounces bloodshed in the land for their idolatry and sins against the whole word of God.

19:17 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.

God then reveals to Elijah that he has reserved to himself 7,000 who have not become idolaters. Does this mean that 7,000 will repent and turn to God out of the thousands in the COG Groups?  Perhaps not before the tribulation, but I dare say that very many will repent under that rod of that correction.

19:18 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.

Elijah finds Elisha and does as God has commanded.

19:19 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.

Elisha asks Elijah for a permission and Elijah says in so many words you are God’s man don’t ask me for anything.  God’s men take their instructions directly from God, and need not ask for ordination or permissions from any man.

19:20 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? 19:21 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.

1 Kings 20

Syria rises up to fulfill the word of God against Ahab.

20:1 And Benhadad 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. 20:2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, 20:3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

20:4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.

Then the Syrians informed Ahab that they will search his possessions and take what they please.

20:5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 20:6 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.

Ahab asks advice from the elders of Israel.

20:7 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.

Ahab answered the Syrians according to the council of the elders of Israel.

20:8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. 20:9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, 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.

Benhadad responds with boasting threats.

20:10 And Benhadad 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.

Ahab then tells Benhadad not to boast before the battle, but boasting cones after the fight.

20:11 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.

Then the Syrians set the battle in array.

20:12 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.

At this point God through his prophet tells Ahab that God will deliver him from the Syrians as a demonstration that the Eternal [YHVH Family] is God above all other God’s.

20:13 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.

Ahab asks how and by whom this shall be done.

20:14 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.

Then Ahab led  232 commanders and seven thousand from the outlying provinves of the kingdom against  Benhadad.

20:15 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.

Israel went out against Syria at noon and the drunk Benhadad ordered this small force to be taken alive.

20:16 And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 20:17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. 20:18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

20:19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city [Samaria] , and the army which followed them. 20:20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 20:21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

Then the prophet told Ahab to prepare for another attack from Syria.

20:22 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.

The Syrians attributed their loss to the idols of Israel.

20:23 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.

The Syrians also removed the kings from commanding the army and put men of military experience in charge.

20:24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 20:25 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.

20:26 And it came to pass at the return of the year [a year later] , that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

Israel was hopelessly outnumbered.

20:27 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.

Then a prophet was sent by God to encourage the king of Israel.

20:28 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.

On the seventh day the battle was engaged and the seven thousand of Israel destroyed a hundred thousand of the attackers.

20:29 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.

Then a wall falling killed 27,000 more, so it was a very bad day for the king of Syria.

20:30 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 Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

Benhadad’s servants advised him to give himself up to the mercy of Ahab.

20:31 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.

Benhadad then sent an emissary of men to Ahab.

20:32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 20:33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him.

Then Ahab accepted the offer of Benhadad and made a covenant with him.

Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 20:34 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.

Then a prophet of God insisted from God that another smite him.  Then the man who out of a misguided respect for the prophet, disobeyed the word of god; was killed for exalting a man above the word of God.  This should be a profound lesson for us ,that we must keep the whole word of God and obey his voice; above all else and even above our idols of men.

20:35 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. 20:36 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.

Then the prophet went to another who did obey God and smite the prophet, so that the prophet could go to Ahab wounded.

20:37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. 20:38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

20:39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said,

The prophet uses his wound and places dirt on his face ,to teach the king Ahab by way of a parable.

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.20:40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone.

Then Ahab rendered judgment; whereupon the prophet revealed himself and returned the same judgment from God upon Ahab.

And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. 20:41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.

God gave wicked Ahab a chance and tested him, for the sake of the seven thousand righteous in Israel, that god told Elijah of; but Ahab failed that test of obedience to God and God’s word.

The judgment against wicked Ahab who following his idols and Jezebel’s baal, and refused the word of the LORD to destroy Benhadad. 

The same judgment will be pronounced against the COG leaders for their idolatry and refusal to keep the whole word of God.

20:42 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. 20:43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.

1 Kings 21

Jezebel was a priestess of the fertility religion of baal. jezebel is a type of the pagan Roman Catholic Church since that church is fully pagan only renaming its pagan activities as “Christian”.

The story of Ahab and Jezebel carries many lessons for us today.

1.  Do not knowingly marry unconverted persons.

2.  Be alert and avoid pagan influences within the assemblies; like the Nicolaitane pyramid, men between the brethren and God governance system of Catholicism.

3.  Do not exalt anyone to make idols of them in our hearts, or follow anyone contrary to the whole word of God, no matter what title they apply to themselves to deceive.

After being delivered from the Syrians Ahab adds to his sins.  Ahab was about leading the people into idol worship and fornication and selfish abuse of power.  The COG from HWA  to today has been about the leaders leading the brethren into exalting themselves [idol worship and spiritual fornication] and about the abuse of power.

21:1 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.

Ahab did begin by offering a legal solution through payment, but Naboth not fearing the king rejected the offer.  Naboth exercised his godly right and Ahab should have accepted that and let the matter go instead he unlawfully desired [coveted] the field of Naboth.  This is a classic story illustrating the meaning of coveting. 

21:2 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. 21:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

Ahab was most displeased and this was about more than the field, he would have been outraged that a mere commoner would dare to deny the king.  This issue for Ahab was about coveting and also about self importance and the domination game.  Seem familiar?

21:4 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.

Jezebel [false religion] leads the king into sin; her advice being the selfishness of sin and contrary to the commandments of God,

21:5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 21:6 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.

Notice that it is Jezebel who writes these letters, but Ahab allows her to do so in his name.

21:7 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. 21:8 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.

Again Jezebel wrote these things, but Ahab allowed her to write them in the kings name.

21:9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 21:10 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.

Then the people did as they were instructed.  Did even one resist this evil/? Even so most of the COG brethren follow idols of man, false teachings  and organizations as their “kings” teach them, and are led away from any zeal to keep the word of God.

21:11 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.

They did as they were told, even as the COG brethren do what men tell them and not according to the word of God.  They shun the righteous to support the idols of men, and even try to spiritually destroy the righteous, by attempting to force them to exalt the idols of men and false traditions.

21:12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 21:13 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.

Then the brethren reported to their idol that they had obeyed and killed Naboth, typical of the wicked brethren in the COG groups persecuting the righteous. 

21:14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

21:15 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. 21:16 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.

Then Jesus Christ send Elijah to speak to Ahab.  I have been warning the Ahab’s of the COG for seven years and God will soon send his two prophets [whom I think are types of Moses and Elijah] to warn then one last time.

21:17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 21:18 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.

God tells Elijah what to say, for Elijah as prophet spoke only what God has told him to say.  God condemns Ahab to death for his murder of Naboth, and God condemns to death in great tribulation all those ;leaders and elders who spiritually murder those in their care by teaching them and leading them away from any zeal to keep the whole word of God.

21:19 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.

When Elijah arrives, Ahab calls Elijah his enemy; this because Ahab rejected the commandments of God for his idols and his own ways.

21:20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?

Elijah then delivers the judgment of the Eternal.  This is not Elijah’s judgment although he would have agreed being a man of God;  This was the judgment of Almighty God! 

The same judgment is about to be passed on the COG Groups leaders and elders who deceive the people into idolizing men and turning away from zeal for keeping the word of God, Rev 3:15.

And he [Elijah] answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.  21:21Behold, 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, 21:22 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.

Jezebel [the pagan Roman Catholic Church] will also have her part in the bed of great tribulation.

21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 21:24 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.

We pride ourselves that we would not do as Ahab has done, while we do the very same things on a spiritual plain.  Ahab was a type of the latter day Laodicean church of God, for self righteousness and rebellion against the word of God to follow idols of men and false traditions.  Therefore the unrepentant among us shall be vomited out of the body of Christ and cast into great tribulation.

21:25 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.

It is an ABOMINATION to God to follow idols of men and not exalt God above all else.  It is an ABOMINATION to God to follow the words of men, contrary to the whole word of God.

21:26 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.

Ahab then repented and humbled himself before God.  In the physical Mosaic Covenant God accepted Ahab’s repentance. 

In our case; if we sincerely repent, God will also forgive us!  I know that only a comparative few will sincerely repent now: I also know that the vast majority of the truly called out will repent in the correction of great tribulation and will then have a chance to enter the resurrection to spirit.

21:27 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.

21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 21:29 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.

1 Kings 22

After three years of peace Judah attacks Syria, and then Ahab of Israel thinks he has an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. 

Because punishment for our idolatry is delayed do not imagine that it will never come.

22:1 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. 22:2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

Ahab proposes:  “Let us take Ramoth from Syria while Judah is also fighting Syria.”

22:3 And the king of Israel [Ahab] 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? 22:4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat [king of Judah] said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

Jehoshaphat desires to enquire of God before taking any action in the matter.

22:5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.

Ahab then gathers together the prophets of baal to enquire of them.  These would have replaced those killed by the word of Elijah.

22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

Jehoshaphat then asks for a prophet of God.

22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?

Ahab hates Micaiah because he tells the unvarnished word of God to power.   Today I am also hated because I tell the truth to power in the COG.  Of these men were of god they would rejoice at the truth being revealed and repent of past error.

22:8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire 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.

Micaiah the prophet of God was sent for.

22:9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.

While waiting for Micaiah the two kings arrayed themselves in their royal robes and sat upon thrones to intimidate Micaiah the prophet of God when he arrived.

22:10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void [empty or open space] place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

While waiting for Micaiah the prophet of God, the prophets of baal urged the kings to attack Ramoth in Golan.

22:11 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. 22:12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.

The messenger to Micaiah told him to say good about the proposed adventure; but Micaiah replied that he will only say what God has given him to say.  A true man of God does not speak words to appease those in power, or to be accepted by the brethren; he tells the TRUTH from Almighty God!

22:13 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.

22:14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.

Micaiah tells the king only a part of God’s word, and the king adjures him to tell the whole word of God.

22:15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead 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. 22:16 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?

Micaiah then tells Ahab that Ahab shall die.

22:17 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. 22:18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?

Then Micaiah tells the kings what he had seen in his vision from God. 

This is a most interesting glimpse into the affairs of heaven showing God consulting with his advisors.  It also shows that he at times, uses evil spirits to perform hi swill.

22:19 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. 22:20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.

22:21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22:22 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 persude him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil [judgment] concerning thee.

Zedekiah the prophet of baal challenges Micaiah and Micaiah tells him that he will soon be hiding form the enemy.

22:24 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? 22:25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

Ahab throws Micaiah into prison.

22:26 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; 22:27 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.

Micaiah then affirms his prophecy.

22:28 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.

Ahab feared just a little and disguised himself to avoid any direct attack on his person as king.  Ever the deceiver Ahab also persuaded the king of Judah to wear his royal robes so that Jehoshaphat  would be mistook for the king of Israel

22:29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. 22:30 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.

The Syrians were commanded to seek out and kill Ahab.

22:31 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.

The Syrians mistook the king of Judah for the king of Israel only for a time.

22:32 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. 22:33 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.

Then by chance an arrow struck Ahab.

22:34 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.

22:35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed [held up by his men to keep the army from being discouraged] 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.

Ahab died and the army fled back to their homes.

22:36 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. 22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

The blood of Ahab was licked up by the doges in Samaria, fulfilling the word of the Eternal.

22:38 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.

22:39 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? 22:40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; andAhaziah his son reigned in his stead.

Back to the history of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.

22:41 And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 22:42Jehoshaphat 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.

Jehoshaphat was righteous like Asa his father.

22:43 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.

Jehoshaphat kept peace between Judah and Israel.

22:44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

22:45 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? 22:46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

During the rule of Jehoshaphat there was no king in Edom.

22:47 There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king [regent ruled].

A trading expedition failed because the ships were destroyed at Eilat; by some unnamed disaster.

22:48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.  22:49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.

22:50 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.

Back to Israel.

22:51 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.

Ahaziah Jeroboam’s son ruled Israel in wickedness like his father.

22:52 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: 22:53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

Updated: May 24, 2014 — 05:29

Tags: 1 Kings, Ahab, Elijah, Solomon, temple