Practical Application from
First Kings 9:10 to 11:43
As Paul House examines in his commentary on First and Second Kings, individuals and congregations often come to pivotal moments in their lives. Actions and decisions at these strategic times need to be sound, or their consequences would be profound. This section in First Kings illuminates what readers or hearers of its words may expect when faced with life’s turning points. Therefore, the first point of emphasis is that persons and congregations must learn to discern when a pivotal moment has arrived. For some the moment comes after a time of great success, while for others, it comes after a failure, and for still others after one of life’s normal passages, such as a marriage, graduation, or retirement. Proper assessment should help faithful persons stay the course.
Second, when people disappoint us, it is important to remember that ADONAI remains trustworthy regardless of how unstable people may be. YHVH made eternal promises to David and made sure those promises were kept. God’s people can be confident, then, that the Lord never judges incorrectly, never breaks faith and never holds a grudge. His Word is certain and thus a foundation of hope.
Third, Ha’Shem’s use of prophets indicates that the Lord always finds ways to reveal warnings, encouragement, and counsel. Chief among those means, of course, is Scripture, as the author’s repeated allusions to the Torah indicate. Yet, God also uses persons to confront or to counsel other persons. The prophets are good examples of the difficulty, yet importance, of sharing God’s truth with other people.
Fourth, the ramifications of Solomon’s actions should give us further food for thought when we are tempted to sin. Individual sin affects the whole community, especially when that sin is committed by the leader of a group, whether of a nation, a congregation, or a family. Each person must therefore examine the wider consequences of his or her actions. This principle is particularly true in spiritual matters, since our relationship to ADONAI is more important than any other issue in life.
Fifth, Solomon’s spiritual apostasy in his time emphasizes the need for faithfulness in today’s postmodern, pluralistic society. Multiculturalism, competing worldviews, and fear of appearing narrow minded are not new. Biblical characters from Abraham to Moses, to Dani’el to Esther, to Paul and John faced the same problems. Unlike those people, Solomon tragically chose to please his wives, give in to competing religions, and worship other gods. The Bible insists that anyone may trust Messiah, but also that there is no other way of salvation (Exodus 20:3-11; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Acts 4:12). People of faith may suffer for this conviction, yet the effort must be made for the world to come to God.206.
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