Solomon's Fame Was Reduced to Shame
Book 1 Kings 10:1-7, 24-27, 11: 4-13
What is fame? Fame is a favorable report of good or great actions that exalt character.
News of the knowledge of Solomon and his wisdom was spreading around the known world of that day.
What is shame? Those things that bring reproach and degrade a person in the estimation of others. Dishonor, disgrace.
Solomon was living on the achievements and the reputation of his father who caused security and peace to come to Israel.
Under Solomon, Israel became a great power ranking almost as great as Egypt which is why Egypt made a bond with Solomon and Pharoh's daughter became the wife of Solomon.
Israel ranked even as great as Assyria at that time.
After Solomon Israel has never reached those same boundaries.
These things were credited to Solomon's wisdom.
Solomon turned Israel from a military people to a people of commerce and slaves to taxation.
In reality, Solomon turned a people made free by King David into slaves and concentrated the wealth of the whole nation in the capital Jerusalem and most of Israel suffered.
As God would say, Israel did not reap the fruits of its government.
The downfall of Solomon began when he listened to his pagan wives and his wisdom left him.
Solomon was by nature a man of peace, yet he maintained a large military scattered in various places to help bring peace.
No nation had defeated his father David, but Solomon had no desire to extend the boundaries of Isreal, and it was possible for him to do so.
Solomon's chief ally was Hiram, the king of Tyre which is Phoenicia.
The Temple of Solomon was built in seven years, but Solomon spent thirteen years building his own palace which was called the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
It is these things that made Solomon famous throughout the world.
Solomon had many foreign visitors seeking his wisdom.
One of those was the Queen of Sheba.
*****1Ki 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.
Sheba was a land in Arabia, which is modern Yemen today, rather than Ethiopia.
Yemen was the chief spice country in that area at that time.
Sheba was about fifteen hundred miles from Jerusalem so this Queen had traveled a great distance requiring a lot of time.
The Temple had been built in the name of the Lord God of Israel.
We can be sure when questions arose about the temple there would be questions about the God of that Temple.
No one else has such a God who is alive!
Much of the world believed that the wisdom of Solomon had come from his God, and they would be correct.
This Queen of Sheba did not make this connection, she came to prove him with hard questions.
Some say these were questions she could not trust anyone else to answer.
Many of the questions could have been hard riddles as some believe.
It does not seem to me that this Queen showed much interest in Jehovah God to her downfall.
Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Could Solomon have answered, what is the purpose of life? We have all asked this question in our lifetime.
Could he have said, "Where do we truly come from?”
There are billions of people out there today who would like to know, "what is the purpose of it all"?
The truth is in Jehovah God!
*****1Ki 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.
We can believe that this Queen was also seeking a trade agreement.
She brought a large quantity of spices, gold, and precious jewels.
We can be sure that she traveled with military protection, but it is not mentioned, and they would have been stopped and not allowed to enter Jerusalem maybe even the border of Israel.
To travel for fifteen hundred miles meant she was serious about meeting King Solomon.
It seems that this Queen was not the wife of a King but the actual ruler of these people.
She was serious about seeking the answers to great questions of life so she could be a better ruler.
King Solomon answered all her questions!
*****1Ki 10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
1Ki 10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
1Ki 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.
Solomon's kingdom was famous not only for its material prosperity but also for his great wisdom.
King Solomon got so caught up in his wisdom that today we would use the phrase, "he got the big head" and we will soon see how these things affected him.
King Solomon had spent seven years building the Temple, but he spent thirteen years building his own mansion. After this, he rebuilt many cities most of which belonged to Israel, but he rebuilt some cities that did not belong to Israel.
This Queen of Sheba was more impressed with Solomon's house than she was with the Temple of God.
She was another pagan who had her own false gods.
Solomon answered all of her questions, and this Queen was overwhelmed with the wisdom of Solomon. I do not read anywhere where Solomon gave the credit for his wisdom to His God and our God Jehovah.
No doubt this Queen had all types of questions with some riddles but also diplomatic and ethical questions.
This truth would make Solomon a trustworthy business partner and a possible ally, though her nation was fifteen hundred miles away from Israel.
Today Yemen can fire rockets and drones fifteen hundred miles into Israel and are mortal enemies of Israel.
Of course, Israel can do the same and are still under the power of God.
These servants were the officers and distinguished people who were privileged to sit at the king’s table and were arranged according to rank and were in large numbers at royal banquets.
These ministers were those who stood to serve the guests doubt they were dressed in a way to distinguish them from the guests but were fit to serve royalty.
2Ch 9:4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
The wisdom and prosperity of King Solomon and his achievements had reached the uttermost parts of the world, and this Queen admitted that these reports had been true.
It does not matter so much what this Queen thought of these things, it matters more of what God thought of these things.
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
As a pagan Gentile, this Queen could not go into the Temple though she may have seen a secret way that the king could get into the Temple.
*****1Ki 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.
1Ki 10:7 Howbeit 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.
We must understand the mission of Israel in the time of Solomon and now the mission of the Church is to point all nations to God.
Israel has failed so far, will the Church also fail?
Israel was not to compete with our nations for riches or even military power. Jehovah God is the power of Israel!
Jehovah is the power of the Church.
We are not in some competition with religions!
We have the truth of Christianity!
The Church is to be a bright and shining light in this world.
It was the same for Israel in the days of King Solomon.
The Queen came to Solomon tortured by questions, and it does not seem she got all the answers she needed.
Certainly, the things she said about Solomon were true.
He was the wisest man upon the earth but not as wise as Jesus Christ,
He was the richest man on the earth, but no earthy riches can compare to the Glory of Heaven!
*****1Ki 10:8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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
This queen brought the best spices of Yemen, many of them used in perfumes of that day.
She brought a lot of gold and precious stones.
She brought sweet, scented wood.
This wood Solomon was used in his palace.
2Ch 9:11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
2Ch 9:12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
As the Queen was about to leave she made a great speech to those servants of Solomon.
She said from what her eyes had seen and now had heard not even half of the truth of King Solomon was told.
She also took a moment to praise Jehovah that out of His eternal love to His people Israel, he had given them a king to do justice and righteousness.
Some say this Queen was converted to Judaism, but this is not true.
Like many who praised the God of Israel, they observed Him as just another god in the world of many gods just as many think today.
God had His reasons for putting Solomon on the throne of Israel.
1) It fulfilled a promise to David who was a man after God's own heart.
2) Solomon who was chosen to build the Temple of God.
After this Solomon transgressed against the Lord.
God had written the qualifications for the kings of Israel.
Deu 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
Deu 17:15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Deu 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
Deu 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
Deu 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
King Solomon disobeyed in every area!
1) He had too much gold.
2) He owned thousands of horses.
3) He gathered hundreds of wives and concubines.
All the earth sought the wisdom of Solomon.
*****1Ki 10:24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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.
Solomon was not greater than anyone else and neither was this God's intent.
Solomon became greater because all the world sought him out for his wisdom.
They brought him gold that he wasted on shields and other foolish things when he could have helped the cause of God, and he could have removed the strain of taxation upon his own people, but he did not.
Solomon made two hundred large shields and three hundred shields of gold that made beautiful displays but were useless in battle.
They were too heavy and too soft to make effective shields.
Each of those shields would be valued at over a quarter million dollars today and the smaller shields at over sixty thousand dollars or about thirty-three million dollars.
They were eventually taken by a foreign king.
Solomon made silver to be worthless which did not help the economies of the world of that day.
In the end, it was women who truly brought King Solomon down to shame.
*****1Ki 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
1Ki 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.
1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 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.
Over half of Solomon's reign was over by the time the Temple, his own palace, and other buildings were completed.
These things took up much of his personal time.
We could add that during this time Solomon had negotiated peace agreements between Israel and many nations, and those agreements were sealed by the marriage of that ruler's daughter.
As Solomon began to spend more time with the many wives he had, he was influenced by them.
One man wrote that the home of Solomon was afflicted with the curse of his polygamy and his kingdom with the curse of his despotism, which means he had absolute power, authority unlimited, and uncontrolled power over the people.
Most all alliances Israel had with other rulers ended with the death of Solomon even the long relationship of Solomon with Hiram.
As we looked at last week, no one knew where the Book of Moses(the Pentateuch) was located. Solomon certainly was not obedient to the Word of God concerning the kings of Israel.
Many believe that the prophet Jeremiah wrote this book of First Kings, and he simply says that Solomon loved many strange women.
it is these women who caused the decline of King Solomon!
These things describe a heart that is wandering away from God!
Solomon had seven hundred women who were considered to be his wives.
Solomon had three hundred women with the title concubines.
These were the women who were in Solomon's harem while he was King of Israel.
Son 6:8 There are threescore queens, fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
This verse tells us of those women who were in Solomon's court at one time.
This would be sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number.
King Solomon like his father went against the institution of Jehovah.
What is the marriage institution of Jehovah God?
Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
When God gave Adam his wife. God did not do this by forming Eve out of the dust of the earth just like Adam. Then she would be independent of Adam.
God formed Eve from Adam. He does not do this out of his head, for she is not his superior. Nor does he make her out of his feet, for she is not his slave. He forms her from his side.
She is therefore someone of equal value, standing beside him.
Solomon took wives from many nations, also going against the Word of God about strange wives.
Deu 7:3 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.
Deu 7:4 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.
Solomon not only took these many women into his house, but he also took their gods.
We should understand that someone who knows the Word of God and deviates from it often makes it worse than someone who has never known Jehovah.
When a child of God falls into corruption it is the worst corruption!
The lesson for us who are up in years is, that we may think the dangers of life no longer threaten us but we are wrong.
Satan will do his best to ruin our testimony at any age!
*****1Ki 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
1Ki 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
Ashtoreth(Ishtar, Astarte, queen of heaven)) was the Moon goddess of the Zidonians usually associated with Baal(Baalim, Baalism) the Sun god.
Throughout the world, we see temples and pyramids built to honor the Sun god and the Moon god
Milcom(Molech, Chemosh) is the national god of Ammon, God said he was an abomination!
It is this god to whom children were sacrificed. This is the god of the abortionists in my opinion.
Solomon was not seeking God's own heart as did his father David.
Solomon had temples built for the worship of these false goods and he joined them in their worship of them.
He did the same for all his strange wives!
The word strange means all his wives who were not of Israel, we could say wives from foreign nations.
Certainly, Jehovah was angry with Solomon.
*****1Ki 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,
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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.
Do you want to make Jehovah angry? Go against His Word.
Do you want to really get Jehovah riled up? Go against Him after He has warned you!
This is why we have the Holy Spirit living inside us!
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
What had God told Solomon?
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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:
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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:
1Ki 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:
1Ki 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?
Today we have the Word of if we have a proper translation and we are to do our best to be obedient to it.
As for King Solomon he met with God face to face and he was told the consequences of failing to acknowledge the Word of God.
We know that God will do exactly what he says he will do.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 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:
1Ki 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
1Ki 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:
1Ki 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:)
1Ki 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.
But God will never break a promise he has made!
*****1Ki 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.
1Ki 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.
1Ki 11:14 And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
Solomon had forfeited the promise made to him from Jehovah.
God would allow the line of David to continue through a son of Solomon because David had chosen Jerusalem and not some other city.
This is a sign of God's "grace"!
2Sa 7:15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
2Sa 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
This promise from God will ultimately be fulfilled through the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see the Lord Jesus Christ did appear Himself to begin the New Testament and the Law of Grace and through His disciples, this word had spread around the world and only those who accept the Work of Jesus Christ, the "Gospel" will be allowed into God's New Jerusalem and God's New Heaven where King Jesus will rule forever.
Amen
