Sunday, May 13, 2012

I Kings 11

Despite writing a book of wisdom, Solomon has hundreds of wives and concubines. There actually was no proverb on having multiple wives, although there were many on happy marriages and faithful women vis a vis prostitutes. The influence of these women lead Solomon astray and he builds shrines to other local gods. This is in full contradiction to what God said to Solomon when God twice appeared to him.

I wonder how this happened to a man who was full of wisdom. Maybe Solomon's wealth, power, and prestige inflated his ego and he became over confident.

God decides to take away most of the kingdom of Israel, but will leave the Davidic dynasty in control over one tribe. The other 10 tribes will go to Jeroboam, to whom God offers a covenant/dynasty similar to one that God offered David.

Jeroboam was an administrator working under Solomon when God sent Ahijah from Shiloh (that's where the ark was before it was moved to Jerusalem) to tell Jeroboam about this. The text states that Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam so presumably Solomon heard about God's choice. Jeroboam escapes and lives in exile in Egypt until Solomon dies. A lot of this reminds me of David escaping from Saul.

V. 39 states that God will punish the Davidic dynasty on account of Solomon's actions, but it is a temporary punishment. I wonder if God had in mind a reunification of all Israel and a unification of the Davidic-Jeroboam dynasties, perhaps by marriage.

God sent a few other adversaries against Solomon who caused trouble during his reign.

Solomon dies and is succeeded by Rehoboam.

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