Preparations for Building the Temple

Introduction:

Solomon prepares to build the temple.

1 Kings 5:1-18 NLT
Preparations for Building the Temple
^5:1 King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.
² Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram:
³ “You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. ⁴ But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. ⁵ So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’
⁶ “Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”
⁷ When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.” ⁸ Then he sent this reply to Solomon:
“I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. ⁹ My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”
¹⁰ So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. ¹¹ In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil. ¹² So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.
¹³ Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. ¹⁴ He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. ¹⁵ Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, ¹⁶ and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work. ¹⁷ At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. ¹⁸ Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 5:1-18 NLT
Preparations for Building the Temple

^5:1 King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David.

Note: Here we are talking about David, not Solomon.

Previously:

We have talked about King Hiram in the past.

2 Samuel 5:11 NLT (1 Chronicles 14:1)
¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace.

King Hiram provided David with:

Cedar timber
Carpenters
Stonemasons

• The King of Tyre helped David build his palace. 

Tyre: (refer to a map)

Tyre was an important Phoenician seaport on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel.(Tyre is part of Lebanon today)

Two towering mountain ranges ran within Lebanon’s borders, and on their steep slopes grew thick forests of cedars.

At this point in history, the Phoenicians dominated international sea trade.

At this point in history, Israel dominated the inland trade routes.

King Hiram formed an alliance with Israel (with David) for trading purposes.

Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food.

• King Hiram and King David had a good working relationship. 

When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.

² Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram: 

³ “You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. 

• Although David was denied the privilege of building the temple, he did make plans and provisions for its construction.

Read:

1 Chronicles 22:2-5 NLT
Preparations for the Temple
² So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. ³ David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. ⁴ He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David.
⁵ David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death. 

God’s work often unfolds in stages—David prepared, Solomon built.

⁴ But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. 

God has given Israel peace “on every side.

The absence of war allowed the temple project to begin.

• The time is right for the temple to be built.

⁵ So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. 

Background:

God speaking to the prophet Nathan, giving him a message to pass on to King David:

2 Samuel 7:12-13 NLT
¹² For when you (King David) die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 

For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’

How does scripture describe the temple?

Deuteronomy 12:5 & 11 NLT
⁵ Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.

¹¹ you must bring everything I command you—your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow—to the designated place of worship, the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored.

• The Old Testament Temple was primarily understood as the earthly residence of God. 

⁶ “Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me.

Cedar is a favored building material because of its beauty and durability.

Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”

Sidon, another more important Phoenician port city at this time, stood about 22 miles north of Tyre.

Sidonians may have been a general name for the Phoenicians.

Wisdom includes recognizing who has the skills needed for God’s work.

• God uses both His people and outsiders to accomplish His purposes.

• A more detailed account of Solomon’s request to King Hiram is found in 2 Chronicles 2:3-10

Read:

2 Chronicles 2:3-10 NLT
³ Solomon also sent this message to King Hiram at Tyre:
“Send me cedar logs as you did for my father, David, when he was building his palace. ⁴ I am about to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. It will be a place set apart to burn fragrant incense before him, to display the special sacrificial bread, and to sacrifice burnt offerings each morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, at new moon celebrations, and at the other appointed festivals of the Lord our God. He has commanded Israel to do these things forever.
⁵ “This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods. ⁶ But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him?
⁷ “So send me a master craftsman who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as with purple, scarlet, and blue cloth. He must be a skilled engraver who can work with the craftsmen of Judah and Jerusalem who were selected by my father, David.
⁸ “Also send me cedar, cypress, and red sandalwood logs from Lebanon, for I know that your men are without equal at cutting timber in Lebanon. I will send my men to help them. ⁹ An immense amount of timber will be needed, for the Temple I am going to build will be very large and magnificent. ¹⁰ In payment for your woodcutters, I will send 100,000 bushels of crushed wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 110,000 gallons of wine, and 110,000 gallons of olive oil.”

⁷ When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.” 

A Gentile recognizes God’s blessing on the people of Israel.

• In this culture it was common practice for people of one nation to recognize the deities of another nation.

Hiram likely was not recognizing Israel’s God as his own. He was most likely politely recognizing Solomon’s God. 

⁸ Then he sent this reply to Solomon:

“I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. ⁹ My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away.

From Jerusalem to the nearest point on the Mediterranean coast was about 35–45 miles in a straight line. Traveling by road would be roughly 40–55 miles.

Getting the logs from the Lebanon Mountains to the city of Jerusalem would have been an incredible task. 

You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”

Repeat: Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food.

¹⁰ So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. ¹¹ In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil. ¹² So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. 

And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.

Similar to the alliance King David had with King Hiram.

• The alliance between Israel and Phoenicia resulted in peace for many years. Tyre was dependent on Israelite agriculture for much of its food. Israel needed lumber from the Lebanon Mountains (Tyre). 

¹³ Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. ¹⁴ He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. 

1 Kings 9:15, 21-22 NLT
¹⁵ This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.  

²¹ These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them as slaves, and they serve as forced laborers to this day. ²² But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers. 23 Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects.

2 Chronicles 8:7-8 NLT
⁷ There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ⁸ These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them for his labor force, and they serve as forced laborers to this day.

Solomon’s method of providing workers for state projects eventually became very distasteful to the people.

1 Kings 12:18 NLT       (2 Chronicles 10:18)
¹⁸ King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem. 

¹⁵ Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, 

Scripture does not clearly state where all this labor came from.

It may have all been forced labor.

It could have included Israelites who were not “forced labor”.  (Rather a form of state labor.) 

¹⁶ and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work. 

These are most likely native Israelites.

Overall, it took a lot of people to build the temple.

• Organization and administration are essential in carrying out God’s work. 

¹⁷ At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. 

Quarried at a nearby quarry:

1 Kings 6:7 NLT
⁷ The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.

Work is done with precision before assembly.

Transportation of these stones to Jerusalem would require enormous manpower. 

¹⁸ Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.

The Gebelites lived 60 miles north of Tyre.

This story emphasizes the favorable relationship between King Solomon of Israel and the Phoenician king, Hiram.

Proverbs 16:7 NLT (almost certainly written by Solomon)
⁷ When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.

God Uses Both His People and Outsiders.

Phoenicians contributed significantly to the temple. (Labor and materials.) 

• When people’s lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them. (Proverbs 16:7 NLT)

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Solomon’s Administration of Israel

Introduction:

Solomon does some things well in the beginning of his reign as Israel’s king.  We do see, however, that Satan is already “getting his foot in the door”.

1 Kings 4:1-34 NLT
Solomon’s Officials and Governors
^4:1 King Solomon now ruled over all Israel,
² and these were his high officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest.
³ Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries.
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
⁴ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
⁵ Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king.
⁶ Ahishar was manager of the palace property.
Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.
⁷ Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year. ⁸ These are the names of the twelve governors:
Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim.
⁹ Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan.
¹⁰ Ben-hesed, in Arubboth, including Socoh and all the land of Hepher.
¹¹ Ben-abinadab, in all of Naphoth-dor. (He was married to Taphath, one of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹² Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam.
¹³ Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair of the tribe of Manasseh) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates.
¹⁴ Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim.
¹⁵ Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, another of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹⁶ Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth.
¹⁷ Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar.
¹⁸ Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin.
¹⁹ Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan.
There was also one governor over the land of Judah.

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom
²⁰ The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. ²¹ Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.
²² The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal; ²³ also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.
²⁴ Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. ²⁵ During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.
²⁶ Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses
²⁷ The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. ²⁸ They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.
²⁹ God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. ³⁰ In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. ³¹ He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. ³² He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. ³³ He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. ³⁴ And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

Examine the Scriptures

Solomon’s Administration of Israel

1 Kings 4:1-34 NLT
Solomon’s Officials and Governors 

^4:1 King Solomon now ruled over all Israel, 

Solomon ruled over an undivided kingdom, as his father had before him at the end of his reign.

2 Samuel 8:15 NLT
¹⁵ So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.

Israel is now functioning as one nation under Solomon’s rule.

Rather than a loose tribal confederation.

A tribal confederation is a loose alliance of independent tribes that come together for shared purposes—such as defense, leadership, religion, or survival—while still maintaining their own identity and local authority.

The kingdom under Solomon’s rule was unified and stable.

• King Solomon ruled over all of Israel. 

² and these were his high officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the (high) priest.
³ Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries.
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
⁴ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
⁵ Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king.
⁶ Ahishar was manager of the palace property.
Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.

Solomon’s governmental officials included:

A high priest
Court secretaries
A royal historian
A commander of the army
Priests
A person in charge of the district governors
A trusted advisor
A manager of the palace property
A person in charge of forced labor (More about this in vs. 21-22)

• Solomon developed an organized and highly structured government.

1 Corinthians 14:40 NLT
⁴⁰ But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

• Solomon delegated authority to capable leaders. 

⁷ Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year. 

Solomon’s twelve districts did not exactly coincide with the old tribal allotments.

• Each of Solomon’s twelve districts was responsible for providing for the king’s household for one month each year.

⁸ These are the names of the twelve governors: 

Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim.
⁹ Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan.
¹⁰ Ben-hesed, in Arubboth, including Socoh and all the land of Hepher.
¹¹ Ben-abinadab, in all of Naphoth-dor. (He was married to Taphath, one of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹² Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam.
¹³ Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair of the tribe of Manasseh) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates.
¹⁴ Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim.
¹⁵ Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, another of Solomon’s daughters.)
¹⁶ Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth.
¹⁷ Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar.
¹⁸ Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin.
¹⁹ Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan.

There was also one governor over the land of Judah.

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom 

²⁰ The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

Review God’s promise to Abraham.

Genesis 22:17 NLT God speaking to Abraham
¹⁷ I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.

They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. 

Solomon displayed great wisdom in the early years of his kingship, and as a result, Judah and Israel prospered and “were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.”

• The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

• The people of Israel and Judah were experiencing a growth in population, peace, and prosperity. 

²¹ Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south.

Refer to a map.

Review God’s covenant with Abram.

Genesis 15:18 NLT
¹⁸ So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—

God’s nature is perfectly truthful—He cannot lie.

Everything God says is reliable, pure, and trustworthy.

Hebrews 6:18 NLT
¹⁸ So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. 

Numbers 23:19 NLT
¹⁹ God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through? 

The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.

The non-Israelite communities did not lose their identity and territory, but rather recognized Solomon’s authority and brought him tribute without giving up their land.

“Satan’s foot in the door.”

1 Kings 9:20-21 NLT
²⁰ There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ²¹ These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them as slaves, and they serve as forced laborers to this day.

These inhabitants should have been destroyed.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18 NLT
¹⁶ In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing. ¹⁷ You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹⁸ This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God. 

2 Chronicles 2:17 NLT
¹⁷ Solomon took a census of all foreigners in the land of Israel, like the census his father had taken, and he counted 153,600.

1 Kings 5:13-14 NLT
¹³ Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. ¹⁴ He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force.

1 Kings 9:15 NLT
¹⁵ This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

• Solomon’s kingdom included non-Israelite communities.

• Non-Israelites sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.

• Solomon conscripted non-Israelites as slaves, and they served as forced laborers.  

²² The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal; ²³ also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.

• Maintaining the royal court was costly.

This lifestyle appears to be excessive. (Satan’s foot in the door)
(Continued in v. 27) 

²⁴ Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. 

Refer to a map. 

²⁵ During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety.

And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.

• The people of Solomon’s kingdom experienced God’s blessings of personal security, economic stability, and domestic peace. 

²⁶ Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses.

Note:

“Satan’s foot in the door.”

Deuteronomy 17:16 NLT
¹⁶ “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’

1 Kings 10:26-29 NLT
²⁶ Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah. ²⁸ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. ²⁹ At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver, and horses for 150 pieces of silver. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Note:

Horses = military power in the ancient world (especially chariots).

Egypt was known for supplying horses and chariots.

God did not want his people to trust in military strength.  God wants his people to trust in him.

God does not want his people to relying on foreign alliances (especially Egypt).

• Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses. 

²⁷ The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. ²⁸ They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.

• The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court.

A form of taxation 

Samuel Warns against a Kingdom

1 Samuel 8:10-17 NLT
¹⁰ So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. ¹² Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. ¹³ The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. ¹⁴ He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. ¹⁶ He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. ¹⁷ He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.  

²⁹ God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. 

• God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.

³⁰ In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. ³¹ He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. ³² He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. ³³ He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. ³⁴ And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

• People “from every nation” came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

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Solomon Judges Wisely

Introduction:

Today’s passage is very familiar to many people.  It is a story of King Solomon using his God-given wisdom.

Two prostitutes come before King Solomon with a dispute over a living baby. Both women had given birth, but one child died during the night. Each claims the living child as her own.

1 Kings 3:16-28 NLT
Solomon Judges Wisely
¹⁶ Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. ¹⁷ “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. ¹⁸ Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.
¹⁹ “But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. ²⁰ Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. ²¹ And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”
²² Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”
“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.
²³ Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. ²⁴ All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.
²⁵ Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”
²⁶ Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”
But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”
²⁷ Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”
²⁸ When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 3:16-28 NLT

Solomon Judges Wisely 

¹⁶ Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled.

The Israelite king represented the highest court of appeal.

It was possible to bypass lower judicial officers.

Difficult or unresolved cases could be brought before the king.

Lower judicial officers did exist:

Deuteronomy 16:18 NLT
Justice for the People
¹⁸ “Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.

This is not the only time individuals appealed to the king of Israel:

2 Samuel 15:2 NLT
² He (Absalom) got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe.

2 Kings 8:1-3 NLT
The Woman from Shunem Returns Home
^8:1 Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the Lord has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.” ² So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
³ After the famine ended she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land. 

• Two prostitutes came to King Solomon to have an argument settled. 

 ¹⁷ “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house.

While the law condemned prostitution (Leviticus 19:29 and Deuteronomy 23:18), it still existed in Israel.

Brothels were common in ancient Near Eastern cities.

Though these women were the most despised class of women in Israel, Solomon demonstrated his kindness and availability to all people.

• Deuteronomy 23:18 says that prostitutes were detestable to the Lord.

• Solomon was willing to give these women a fair hearing—showing justice is for all people.

Solomon’s court was open even to the lowest members of society. 

I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. ¹⁸ Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.

There were no other witnesses. This a judge’s worst-case scenario.  It was one person’s word against another person’s word.

• There were no other witnesses. This was a case of one person’s word against another person’s word.

The testimony of a prostitute would not have much credibility to most people.

The Lack of Evidence: Because they were alone in the house, there were no witnesses. In ancient Near Eastern law, cases usually required two or three witnesses. Without them, it was one person’s word against another’s—a “hard case” that only a divinely inspired king could solve.

Deuteronomy 19:15 NLT
¹⁵ “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Paul quotes Deuteronomy 19:15 in 2 Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 13:1 NLT
^13:1 This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”). 

¹⁹ “But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. ²⁰ Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. ²¹ And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”
²² Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”
“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
⁹ “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?

• Solomon is dealing with deceit, desperation, and lies, with no witnesses to support either argument. 

²³ Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other.

Solomon was a good listener.

Solomon restates the case.

The issue is accurately defined.

This highlights the difficulty: there are no witnesses, no proof—only two opposing claims.

Human judgment alone cannot easily resolve this.

Solomon:

treats both claims equally.

avoids premature conclusions.

positions himself as a fair and neutral judge.

• Solomon sets the stage for a deeper test—not of facts alone, but of the heart. 

²⁴ All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.

²⁵ Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”

• Solomon proposes a shocking solution: divide the living child in two, giving half to each woman.

Solomon understands true motherhood will reveal itself through compassion.

Solomon knows that the real mother’s love will do almost anything to protect the life of her child.

• True wisdom involves understanding human nature, not just applying laws.

God-given wisdom discerns more than surface facts—it reaches the heart. 

²⁶ Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!” 

But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”

Note the contrast.

• The real mother immediately pleads for the child’s life, even if it means surrendering him to the other woman. The false claimant agrees to the division.

True love is self-sacrificing; false love is self-centered. 

²⁷ Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”

Through his God-given understanding of human nature, Solomon identified the true mother.  Solomon understood why people behave as they do and how they will respond in various situations.

The child’s mother did not want to see her baby killed so she was willing to give it to the other woman.

The woman who was not the baby’s mother had no compassion for the child.

• Solomon identifies the real mother based on her compassion and gives her the child.

• God’s gift of wisdom enabled Solomon to uncover truth where evidence was lacking. 

²⁸ When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

• The people of Israel realized that the wisdom of God was in Solomon.

• Solomon’s wisdom became known throughout his kingdom.

Solomon was admired as a wise administrator of justice.

• The Lord had answered Solomon’s prayer for a discerning heart.

1 Kings 4:29-31 NLT (next chapter)
²⁹ God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. ³⁰ In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. ³¹ He was wiser than anyone else …

God had given Solomon the wisdom he promised:

1 Kings 3:12 NLT (previous lesson)
¹² I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!

1 Kings 10:23-24 NLT (future passage)
²³ So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. ²⁴ People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. 

Application

Wisdom is a gift from God.

Wisdom is more than intelligence or knowledge—it is the God given ability to make right judgments in difficult situations.

God’s wisdom enables us to see beyond appearances to the heart of a matter.

Verses to consider:

James 1:5-8 NLT
⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Proverbs 9:10-12 NLT
¹⁰ Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
¹¹ Wisdom will multiply your days
and add years to your life.
¹² If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

James 3:17 NLT
¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

Biblical wisdom = knowing God + trusting His Word + living it out daily.

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Solomon Asks for Wisdom

Introduction:

The transfer of leadership in Israel had gone from David to Solomon.  Solomon described himself “like a little child who doesn’t know his way around”. 

Solomon had a lot to learn. He was making some good choices and good decisions, but at the same time some of his decisions would have disastrous consequences in the long run.

1 Kings 3:1-15 NLT
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
^3:1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city. ² At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the Lord had not yet been built.
³ Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. ⁴ The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. ⁵ That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
⁶ Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
⁷ “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. ⁸ And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! ⁹ Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. ¹¹ So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— ¹² I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! ¹³ And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! ¹⁴ And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”
¹⁵ Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 3:1-15 NLT

Solomon Asks for Wisdom 

^3:1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters.

• Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh King of Egypt.

Pharaoh’s daughter was the most politically significant of Solomon’s 700 wives.

Solomon strengthens his kingdom through marriage diplomacy.

Marrying Pharaoh’s daughter was politically wise, but spiritually questionable

Consider the following:

Israel had been told not to return to Egypt:

Deuteronomy 17:16 NLT
¹⁶ “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’

Israel had been told not to intermarry with people of other nations:

Deuteronomy 7:1-4 NLT
^7:1 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. ² When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. ³ You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, ⁴ for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.

Looking ahead:

1 Kings 11:3-4 NLT
^11:1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. ² The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. ³ He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.
⁴ In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.

Not all wise political decisions are spiritually wise. 

He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city.

1 Kings 7:8 NLT
⁸ Solomon’s living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way. He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

This could have been as much as 20 years later before she would have moved into her house.

• This alliance would benefited both Solomon and Pharaoh.

1 Kings 9:16 NLT
¹⁶ (Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer, killing the Canaanite population and burning it down. He gave the city to his daughter as a wedding gift when she married Solomon.

Gezer was a major Canaanite city guarding an important trade route (the Via Maris).

*Spiritual growth is weakened by disobedience. 

² At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the Lord had not yet been built.

ESV The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD. 

NIV   The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, 

• When Solomon began his reign, Israel did not yet have a single, permanent central place of worship like the Temple that would later be built in Jerusalem.

The Ark of the Covenant was in Jerusalem, having been brought there by David (2 Samuel 6).

The main worship site—where sacrifices were regularly offered—was still at the Gibeon, where the tabernacle (the portable tent of meeting from Moses’ time) was located (see 1 Kings 3:2–4).

Worship was divided between locations:

Jerusalem → housed the Ark (symbol of God’s presence)

Gibeon → housed the altar and tabernacle (place of sacrifices)

Because of this, people still sacrificed at “high places” (local worship sites), which is noted early in Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 3:2–3).

The open-air, hilltop worship centers that the Israelites inherited from the Canaanites had been rededicated to the Lord.

The Canaanites felt that the closer they got to heaven the more likely was the possibility that their prayers and offerings would reach their gods.

After the building of the Temple, worship at the high places was condemned.

Deuteronomy 12:1-5 NLT
The Lord’s Chosen Place for Worship
^12:1 “These are the decrees and regulations you must be careful to obey when you live in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must obey them as long as you live.
² “When you drive out the nations that live there, you must destroy all the places where they worship their gods—high on the mountains, up on the hills, and under every green tree. ³ Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods!
⁴ “Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. ⁵ Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored.

• Worship at the high places was condemned.

³ Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship.

• Solomon loved the

“except”

Solomon continued worshipping at the high places.

“High places” were unauthorized worship sites, even if used for the Lord.

The temple had not yet been built, which partly explains this practice.

Solomon loved the Lord, yet still participated in these imperfect forms of worship.

Compromises?

*Spiritual growth is weakened by compromise. 

 ⁴ The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon,

Gibeon was the most prominent high place.

1 Chronicles 21:29 NLT
²⁹ At that time the Tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon.

A town about 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle of Moses and the original Bronze altar were located. 

so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings.

Read how this event is recorded in Chronicles.

2 Chronicles 1:2-6 NLT
² Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army, the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. ³ Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)
⁴ David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. ⁵ But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the Lord. ⁶ There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it. 

That is a lot of offering. 

 ⁵ That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream.

God initiates the encounter—this is grace, not earned favor.

God often gave revelation in dreams.

This dream was unique.  This was a two way conversation between the Lord and Solomon.

• The Lordappeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” 

Clearly, God was not upset with Solomon. 

⁶ Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.

• Solomon recognized and remembered God’s faithfulness to David. 

⁷ “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 

• Solomon recognized God’s sovereignty. 

⁸ And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 

The total population was estimated to be over four million people.

God’s promise to Abram:

Genesis 13:16 NLT
¹⁶ And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! 

⁹ Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Solomon’s response:

Solomon acknowledged God’s faithfulness to David.

Solomon recognized his own inexperience.

Some commentators say that Solomon was about 20 years of age (MacArthur being one of them.)

Solomon felt inadequate for the great task of leading Israel.

• Solomon recognized his dependence on God.

• Solomon asked God to give him an understanding heart so that he could govern God’s people well and know the difference between right and wrong. 

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.  

The Lord was pleased. 

¹¹ So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice 

and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 

Typical desires many others in Solomon’s position would have asked for.

¹² I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 

This wisdom is a supernatural gift from God.

¹³ And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 

Solomon was one of a kind.

• God was pleased with Solomon’s request.

God gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart.

God gave Solomon things he did not ask for-riches and fame.

• God gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart and God gave Solomon things he did not ask for-riches and fame. 

¹⁴ And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

“if” – conditional

Blessings can be conditional on continued faithfulness.

Unfortunately Solomon did not remain obedient to the covenant as his father David had.

Because of his disobedience, Solomon dies before reaching the age of 70.

Psalm 90:10 NLT
¹⁰ Seventy years are given to us!
Some even live to eighty. 

¹⁵ Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings.

This was a proper place of worship.

The Ark of the Covenant sat in David’s tent in Jerusalem before the temple was built. 

Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.

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Solomon Establishes His Rule (part 3)

Introduction:

Review:

King David has died and Solomon is now king.  He is dealing with housekeeping issues in order to secure the throne.

Adonijah was the fourth son of David, and had previously declared himself king without David’s knowledge.

1 Kings 1:7-8 NLT
⁷ Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king.  

Adonijah is executed by Solomon.

Abiathar and Joab are guilty by association with Adonijah and they had to be dealt with.

In addition: 

Joab was a murderer, and these murders needed to be dealt with. 

Solomon sends Abiathar into exile to his hometown of Anathoth and removes him from the priesthood.

Joab was executed for “the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he”.

Now Solomon will deal with Shimei.

Shimei first appears in 2 Samuel 16:5–13 when David was fleeing Jerusalem during the rebellion of Absalom.

• Shimei cursed David.

2 Samuel 16:5-13 NLT
Shimei Curses David
⁵ As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. ⁶ He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. ⁷ “Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. ⁸ “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!”
⁹ “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!”
¹⁰ “No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?”
¹¹ Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. ¹² And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” ¹³ So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David.

David refused to have him killed at that moment, saying the Lord might have allowed the cursing.

• Shimei asked David for mercy.

Shimei asks David for mercy.

After Absalom’s rebellion ended, Shimei hurried to meet David and begged for forgiveness (2 Samuel 19:16–23).

2 Samuel 19:16-23 NLT
¹⁶ Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David. ¹⁷ A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the chief servant of the house of Saul, and Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king. ¹⁸ They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king’s household across the river, helping him in every way they could.
As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him. ¹⁹ “My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. ²⁰ I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king.”
 ^… turning to Shimei, David vowed, “Your life will be spared.” 

• David spared Shimei’s life and swore he would not put him to death.

However, before David died he told Solomon to deal wisely with Shimei because of the wrong he had done (1 Kings 2:8–9).

1 Kings 2:8-9 NLT
⁸ “And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the Lord that I would not kill him. ⁹ But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.”

• Before David died he told Solomon to deal wisely with Shimei because of the wrong he had done (1 Kings 2:8–9).

1 Kings 2:36-46 NLT

Solomon Establishes His Rule (part 3)

³⁶ The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else. ³⁷ On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”
³⁸ Shimei replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.
³⁹ But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were, ⁴⁰ he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.
⁴¹ Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. ⁴² So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’ ⁴³ Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the Lord and obeyed my command?”
⁴⁴ The king also said to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the Lord now bring that evil on your own head. ⁴⁵ But may I, King Solomon, receive the Lord’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.” ⁴⁶ Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.
So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 2:36-46 NLT

Solomon Establishes His Rule (part 3) 

³⁶ The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else. 

Solomon told Shimei to build a house in Jerusalem and never leave the city.

This was to be Shimei’s permanent residence.

This is both mercy and restriction.

• Cursing David was a serious offense.

Exodus 22:28 NLT
²⁸ “You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers. 

Romans 13:1-2 NLT
Respect for Authority
^13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. ² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

Ecclesiastes 10:20 NLT
²⁰ Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts.
And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom.
For a little bird might deliver your message
and tell them what you said.

Confinement to Jerusalem would greatly reduce the possibility of Shimei conspiring with any reaming followers of Saul, especially from among the Benjamites, against Solomon’s rule.

• Shimei was restricted to living in Jerusalem. The city would be his prison. 

³⁷ On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”

• Solomon told Shimei that he would be executed if he disobeyed his sentence.   

³⁸ Shimei replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.”

• Shimei understood his sentence and agreed to live by it.

So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. 

³⁹ But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath.

Achish was the king of Gath, one of the major cities of the Philistines.

Gath was about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

When Shimei learned where they were, ⁴⁰ he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them.

• Shimei violated Solomon’s sentence by leaving Jerusalem to retrieve two runaway slaves.

This demonstrated that Shimei had no more respect for Solomon’s authority than he had for David’s.  Shimei’s attitude had not changed. 

When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem. 

• Shimei’s disobedience may seem small and practical—but it directly violates the king’s command.

Disobedience often begins with justification (“I had a good reason”). 

⁴¹ Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. ⁴² So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’ 

• Solomon reviewed the terms of Shimei’s sentence with Shimei.

⁴³ Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the Lord and obeyed my command?”  

⁴⁴ The king also said to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the Lord now bring that evil on your own head. 

• Solomon had given Shimei a chance to live out his life in Jerusalem, but because Shimei had disobeyed his sentence he would be held accountable for his actions.

Shimei’s earlier sin is now fully judged.

Shimei will receive the consequences of his own actions. 

⁴⁵ But may I, King Solomon, receive the Lord’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.” 

Solomon’s throne is established by God.

David’s dynasty would endure.

David’s throne would be established “forever”.

This points forward to the eternal kingdom through Christ.

The Lord’s blessings would come through the ruler of David’s line, not Saul’s.

Shimei had always been an advocate of King Saul. 

⁴⁶ Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.

• Solomon commanded Benaiah to execute Shimei.

This is the third execution carried out by Benaiah. (First Adonijah, then Joab, now Shimei.)

This completed the tasks assigned to Solomon by David just before David’s death.

• Solomon’s actions were necessary to secure the throne of David.

Solomon’s actions were neither unfair nor vindictive.

The new king had demonstrated both wisdom and mercy in dealing with his political enemies, men who had conspired against the will of God during David’s reign.

So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.

All internal threats are now removed:

Adonijah (rebellion)

Joab (bloodguilt)

Abiathar (disloyal priest)

Shimei (cursing and instability)

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