1 Kings 11 Drawn Away

Solomon was faithful to the God of his father with a fervent heart. Until his other desire began to draw him away. He began worshiping the gods of his wives.

God KNEW that mixing with the nations around them would draw Israel’s hearts away from Him. This is why He forbad them to inter marry with them. Not because He thought they wee somehow beneath Israel, but to keep their gods, who were certainly beneath Him OUT.

With ALL the wisdom that the Lord gave Solomon, this piece he ignored. He had an eye for the women and he took them from wherever he found one to his liking. Sometimes his marriages were to seal an alliance, but he couldn’t blame all his marriages on such ‘noble’ intentions.

What shocks me most is the thought that just occurred to me, or that the Spirit just revealed. Solomon committed the SAME sin that Adam did. He placed his wives above the Lord. Solomon truly loved his wives. If he didn’t, he had enough of them that, when one complained about wanting their gods, he could have simply stopped seeing her. But he truly loved them and wanted them ‘happy’. Too bad he didn’t teach them where TRUE happiness comes from; the Lord God of ALL creation. Let’s rejoin our story and watch as he falls prey to his own sinful heart.

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Solomon LOVES to keep busy. He writes all the proverbs he learned, especially those from his youth. He wrote a love story so sensuous that is stirs desire in its readers, even those who look below the surface. He designs and built things that no other mind has imagined before. He engages in political negotiations and debates. He sits daily and hears the people’s petitions and rules with wisdom. And he sacrifices to his God lavishly. But his nights are long and empty, when he faced them alone. So he makes certain NOT to face them alone.

Solomon LOVES women. Seeking them out is another thing that occupies his days. Initially it was the daughter of Pharaoh who fills his heart, but he sees beauty wherever he goes, and he seeks to have it. Pharaoh’s daughter will always retain the position of “first wife” and he even built her a massive home of her own to prove it. But he seeks more ‘variety’ in his lonely hours.

Solomon, through the years has acquired MANY women. He now boasts of 700 wives and 300 concubines. He need not spend a night with the same woman for nearly two and a half years, if he so chose to sample all of his wives’ favors. But there are a few that he loves deeply and he has them visit him often. And the more often they come, the deeper their pleas burrow into his heart.

Solomon is well along in years when his wives’ ‘desires’ begin to produce fruit from the roots he allowed in his heart.

“I need a place where I can worship my gods”, pleads Pharaoh’s daughter. “They have sustained me from my youth, just as your God has sustained you.”

“When you married me, it was with the understanding that my God would become your God as well. Has he not blessed you all the while you have been here with me?”

“He has, but my heart longs to honor the gods of my ancestors and of my own youth. Who knows whether they may even hear my plea for more sons to give to you.”

This last plea hit Solomon hard. He has many children, but he desires more sons.

“I will make you a small place where you can worship your god. I will continue to serve my God.”

This ‘softening’ to the daughter of Pharaoh broke open a place Solomon could not conceive of himself ever going! As wife after wife cited his allowance to his first wife’s gods, he began allowing all his wives a place for their foreign gods. In fact, he began erecting altars and places of worship to them on the hills surrounding Jerusalem.

One day, one of his favorite wives comes to him and begs him to accompany her to the shrine of her god; the Ashtoreth. Tears pour down her face and her heart is breaking as she makes this request of Solomon.

“I KNOW my god will grant my petition for children, but only if my husband stands beside me to show that he approves of my request.”

“I will stand beside you, but I will not bow down to your god. My God forbids it.”

The ‘floodgates’ are opened wider as more of Solomon’s wives’ request he accompany them to their shrines. Without even realizing he was doing it, he finds himself engaging in their rituals before their gods.

“This is so much easier that adhering to the requirements of David’s God”, Solomon finally tells himself. Solomon didn’t even realize he had pulled away in his heart. He continued to make sacrifices to the Lord on the three required feasts, but that was the extent of his adherence to the Lord’s commands.

God’s heart aches with each step Solomon takes away from Him. He knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. “I have personally spoken to him TWICE regarding remaining true to me.” God sighs deeply. “He has forced my hand. I must bring upon his head the consequences of his OWN actions.”

God does not leave Solomon in the dark concerning his sins. He confronts him with yet another visitation. As Solomon lay sleeping on his bed one night, the Lord appears to him again in a dream.

“Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen” (1 Kings 11:1-13)

Unlike David his father, who repented when confronted by the Lord, Solomon did not turn even an inch. “The Lord has already decided my fate” he thinks and decided to ‘double down’ and do as his heart desires.

It didn’t happen overnight, but Solomon began having trouble with different people. Some stood against him for deeds done long ago, while others came out of ‘misunderstandings’, and even out of nowhere!

Jeroboam, one of his most trusted men over the forced labor of the tribes of Joseph, brought him the biggest surprise. Solomon didn’t see it himself or hear it from Jeroboam, but word got back to him of Jeroboam’s encounter with the prophet Ahijah.

The Lord spoke to Ahijah and gave him instructions on a visual message to deliver to Jeroboam. It would be one that no one could misunderstand.

Jeroboam is leaving the city of Jerusalem one day when Ahijah the prophet approaches him. Jeroboam had traveled a significant distance from Jerusalem and it was an open field that surrounded the both of them. Ahijah is in a beautiful new robe, but Jeroboam thinks nothing of it. He doesn’t even think anything of passing the man on his journey, until Ahijah blocks his path. Jeroboam tries to step around him, but Ahijah moves to block him, whichever way he moves.

Jeroboam finally realizes the Ahijah is here for him. Jeroboam stops moving and gives Ahijah his full attention.

At this point, Ahijah begins ripping the beautiful robe he is wearing into pieces. Twelve pieces to be exact. Jeroboam watches, speechless and mesmerized at what is unfolding before him. If this had been any other man, he would have thought them mad and gotten away as quickly as possible. But everyone knew Ahijah the Shilonite was a prophet of God.

When the robe lies in pieces on the ground, Ahijah speaks God’s words to Jeroboam.

“Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did. Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and will give it to you, ten tribes. Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel. And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever’” (1 Kings 11:31-39).

Jeroboam takes in every word Ahijah speaks, but he has no idea what to do with this information. “Should I train for becoming king?” “Am I supposed to do something to take the kingdom from Solomon?” “Is Solomon going to appoint me himself?”

While these thoughts are circulating in Jeroboam’s mind, Ahijah bends down and collects the pieces of cloth on the ground. He presses ten of them into Jeroboam’s hands, then turns and walks away. Jeroboam stands looking at the pieces of cloth in his hands for some time.

“Imagine! The Lord is going to make me king over Israel. Well, most of it anyway.”

When Jeroboam returns to Jerusalem, he confides in his closest friend. “You will never believe what happened to me today while I was on the road…”

After he is finished sharing all that happened to him, he brings out the ten pieces of cloth that he had tucked inside his robe under his belt.

“WOW! This is amazing! What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t have the faintest idea. Ahijah said it won’t happen until after Solomon dies, so I suppose I will wait and see. Hopefully the Lord will tell me what to do when the time comes.”

Jeroboam’s friend is not to only one hearing his story. One of the palace guards has overheard every word. His eyes even beheld the pieces of cloth. From a distance of course, but still, he KNOWS he has to tell Solomon about this.

The guard waits until Solomon is alone before approaching him. “My king, I have something that I must tell you about.”

Solomon can see by the way his guard is casting looks around, ensuring that they are alone, that the matter must be urgent.

“Speak. None will dare come near.”

“Jeroboam has shared with another, while I happened to be standing near, and encounter he had with Ahijah the prophet. He said that Ahijah told him that he would have ten tribes of Israel to rule over while the Lord leaves your son with only one. Jeroboam even showed his friend ten pieces of a beautiful robe that he says Ahijah tore in pieces to represent the tribes of Israel.”

Solomon listened to the entire tale in silence. By the end of the story, Solomon’s eyes are filled with a smoldering fury. “Where is Jeroboam now?”

“The last I saw him, my king, he was in the barracks.”

“Find him and strike him down. The kingdom must remain united. If he lives, there is no doubt that this tearing of the kingdom will happen. If he is dead, there is still a chance for Israel to remain whole.”

The guard nods. “Should I engage others to assist me?”

“Not yet. If it becomes necessary, then I will pick who will help you.”

The guard returns to the barracks and finds Jeroboam absent. He finds Jeroboam’s friend in the drill yard and questions him. “Do you know where Jeroboam is? The king wishes an audience with him.”

Fear immediately grips the man’s heart. He knows that they have been overheard and that the king has learned of the message given to Jeroboam. Two things leap to his mind regarding things he MUST do to keep Jeroboam safe. The first is to say nothing regarding Jeroboam’s whereabouts. Second is to warn Jeroboam of the danger he is in.

“I know not where he went from here. Perhaps he has gone in search of strong drink” Jeroboam’s friend says with a shrug, as if there is no alarm in his mind for his friend.

The guard looks at the man a little longer, but sees no deception in him. As soon as the guard is gone from sight, the man breathes a sigh of relief. Then he makes certain he is not being followed as he makes his way to Jeroboam. When he sees his friend he rushes to him.

“The king KNOWS!”

It takes only a moment for Jeroboam to understand his friend’s warning. Solomon KNOWS of the prophecy. “Are you certain?”

“One of his royal guards came seeking your whereabouts. He said that the king ‘wants to see you.’ I can think of no other reason for him seeking you out.”

“You are probably right. What do you think I should do?”

“If it were me, I would leave Israel. The king has MANY loyal servants, and your life could be ended by any of them in an instant.”

“You are right. I will go to Egypt. Shishak king of Egypt is not one of Solomon’s supporters. I will stay under his hand until Solomon goes the way of his ancestors. Then I will return to Israel and await the Lord’s direction.”

“Be safe my friend” the man tells Jeroboam as the two embrace.

“You also my friend. Do not put your life in danger any longer on my account. If you are still on this earth when I return, I will seek you out. You will find yourself handsomely rewarded for your friendship to me.”

The two part company and Jeroboam makes his way to Egypt. Solomon has his men searching high and low for Jeroboam. Many don’t know his true intention once Jeroboam is found.

The search ends after several months and word of Jeroboam’s whereabouts have been discovered and confirmed.

“What do you want me to do, my king” asks the original guard who brought word to Solomon of Jeroboam’s visitation.

“Watch the border for him and kill him the instant he crosses back over into Israel. When he does, kill him.”

“It will be done, my king.”

Jeroboam doesn’t return to Israel until after the passing of Solomon. He is safe in Egypt and in no hurry to test his safety.

(to be continued)

Just like Adam, Solomon listened to the desires of his wives. He put them above God in his relationships. And just like Adam, Solomon would pay a price. He isn’t the one who paid the highest price, here on earth. His son was, and then the people of Israel did. Jeroboam would tear them completely away from the Lord as well as away from the rule of David’s descendants.

I wonder if Solomon repented before he dies. Will we meet him in Heaven? If he didn’t make his relationship right with God, we won’t. All that wisdom, and it matters not in eternity. The smartest man without God as his center is still damned to hell.

Father God, I know I’ve wished at times for Solomon’s wisdom. But I don’t want his wisdom. I want David’s steadfast heart for You. Yes. David had faults, but turning from you was NOT one of them. He loved You to the day he died, and beyond. That’s the kind of relationship I want. Forever my Lord!