A King's Heart
1 Kings 11
Shocking And Tragic
Somehow, 1 Kings 11 is never expected. The chapter is always shocking and tragic
to read. It is shocking due to the previous chapters that mention the wisdom and
faith of Solomon. His speech and prayer of dedication at the temple in 1 Kings 8
is a remarkable address of admonition for the people and supplication toward
God. We would never expect the events of 1 Kings 11 to transpire. But they do -
and that is the tragedy. The writer sums up the tragedy in these words: "Solomon
did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord, as did his
father David" (1 Kings 11:6).
The Heart Of The Matter
How could this happen? How could this wise man turn away from God? The answer
comes early in chapter 11. A commandment from God was disobeyed (11:1-2). What
was the result? Solomon's heart was turned away from God (11:3). The writer
seems to pay special attention to Solomon's heart (11:3, 4, 9). Solomon was no
longer the servant of God (8:30, 52) that he once was. His heart was no longer
right with God.
Lessons From Solomon's Heart
1. Practice What You Preach! Solomon had
once said, "Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in
His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day" (1 Kings 8:61). He
preached about loyal hearts, but sometime later, his heart was not loyal to the
Lord (11:4).
2. God Wants All Of Our Heart! The ESV says
that Solomon's heart "was not wholly true to the Lord his God" (1 Kings 11:4). A
divided heart is at odds with God. He wants it all.
3. Disobedience Brings About Despicable Actions!
God told Solomon that part of the kingdom would be given to his servant Jeroboam
(1 Kings 11:11, 28, 31). What was Solomon's reaction to God's message? The
writer says, "Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam" (1 Kings 11:40). Sound
familiar? Solomon is acting more like Saul than his father David. His despicable
behavior is appalling!
4. A Father's Godly Instruction Should Be Obeyed!
David told Solomon to walk in the ways of God and keep His statutes,
commandments, judgments, and testimonies (1 Kings 2:2-3). Sadly, Solomon did not
take heed to his father's godly instruction.
5. We Must Always Obey God! Solomon knew
what God expected from him (1 Kings 9:1-9; 11:2). He could offer no excuses. He
could not plead ignorance. Solomon directly disobeyed God.
Solomon's heart was not right with God. His life was not right as a result. "Get
your heart right," a preacher from a generation ago told me, "And your life will
be right." Applications abound. What about us? Will we learn from Solomon's
heart?
By Jay Taylor
From Expository Files 14.7; July 2007
