Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Solomon’s Temple (7)

The Destruction of the First Temple (a.)                              1 Kings 11:1-28 - King James Version (KJV)



Intermarriage with Foreign Women

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

2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

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

Worship of Idols

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

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

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

The Rebuke of God


9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

The Chastisement of God

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

15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;

16 (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom:)

17 That Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little child.

18 And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.

19 And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

20 And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.

21 And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country.

22 Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.

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

24 And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

26 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.

27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.

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.

 
  



T

he destruction of the First Temple was the watershed (turning point) of Jewish history. Notwithstanding their inadequacy, the Jewish people took the lessons of the destruction to heart and rebuilt their lives physically and spiritually.


The Ninth of Av

 At sunset at the beginning of the ninth day of the month of Av the Babylonians set fire to the Temple. The fire began at night just after the close of the Sabbath; and it was completely destroyed.


The Ninth of Av became a fast day on the Jewish calendar. The Second Temple, too, would be destroyed four centuries later on the very same date, the ninth of Av.

God’s protective Hand, which guides everything in history, was removed. When it was removed, the Temple was but an empty shell. “If the owner of the house is no longer there then the robbers can plunder.” That is what the Jewish people mourned.


 The Cardinal Sins

Three behaviors led to the destruction of Solomon’s temple:
  • Paganism - the lack of any allegiance to God.
  • Murder - little value on human life. Human life reigns supreme. The instances when human life can be taken are extremely limited.
  • Adultery - sexual immorality. Human beings can – indeed, must – do something to improve. The lesson of the destruction of the Temple made that concept real.

  


Make no mistake about it:  God gives special recognition to those whose hearts are wholly His.  To believe that casual devotion to God is as blessed as whole-hearted devotion is self-deception.  Be very careful not to let those for whom you have affection lead you away from full devotion to the Lord.

11:1-4 The greatest kingdom of the known world began to crumble, not from external opposition, but from internal weakness. Not only was Solomon prohibited from multiplying horses (see 10:26, 28, 29), but it was also forbidden for him to marry many wives (Deut. 17:17).  The reason for this restriction was that pagan wives would lead God’s people into idolatry.  As God had warned, so it happened.

11:5-7 Ashtoreth was the Canaanite goddess of fertility whose worship involved not only sexual rites, but also astrology.  The worship of Milcom or Molech included human sacrifices, especially of children.  The worship of Chemosh was equally cruel and also centered in astrology. High Places

·         High Places. During the time of the Book of Judges, Israel adopted the pagan custom of offering sacrifices at high places (elevated hilltops). The pagans believed the closer they were to heaven, the greater the chance their prayer and sacrifices would reach their gods.  Since many of these high places were old Baal sites, this practice was expressly forbidden to the Israelites (Lev. 17:3,4).  But in certain exceptions the Lord gave His approval for His people to worship HIM at a high place) 1 Sam. 9:12-14).  The high places in v.2 and the great high place in v.4 appear to fall under this unusual exception, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days (v.2).  Since the tabernacle of Moses and the great bronze altar were at the great high place at Gibeon (1 Chr. 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chr. 1:3-6).  Solomon’s sacrifice there is not to be seen as idolatrous. 

11:9-13 Even in the midst of judgment, God shows mercy by promising not to take the kingdom from Solomon in his lifetime (v.12) and by assuring him that his son will reign over one tribe (v.13).

11:14-25 In addition to the internal weakness, the Lord now brings external opposition by raising up two adversaries. Hadad the Edomite (vv. 14-22) and Rezon…of Zobah (vv. 23-25.

11:26-28 The most dangerous adversary the Lord raised up against Solomon was Jeroboam, for he led a revolt from within.  Jeroboam would later lead 10 of the tribes of Israel in a rebellion against Solomon’s successor Rehoboam, and he became the first king of the northern kingdom known as "Israel" 




Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/President/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts


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