JESUS CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF 1 KINGS (SOLOMON)
JESUS CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF 1 KINGS (SOLOMON)
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
April 29, 2025, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
The message of 1 Kings establishes the absolute that God’s throne is above all earthly thrones. Kings succeed or fail according to their relationship to the Heavenly Throne, and their response to the Word of the Lord as it flows through the ministry of the Prophet. The Throne of God is seen as immovable in the midst of the changing thrones (governments) of man.
Again, it seems we are in an “on-time” study as we are watching weekly, even daily, thrones and governments of men being overthrown.
Israel’s Monarchical Period began with the wrong motives. Yet, God chose Saul and his successor, David. The book of 1 Kings covers the glorious reign of Solomon, the dividing of the Kingdom after his death, and the history of the divided kingdom through the reigns of Ahab in the north (Israel) and Jehoshaphat in the south (Judah). All the kings of Israel and Judah lined up under two ‘standard men.” David the Godly king and Jeroboam the ungodly king.
We can say this is the kingdom of the spirit of antichrist (political spirit) vs the Kingdom of God. The battle continues to rage.
All of the northern kingdom’s kings, and most of the remainder of Judah’s were conspicuously lacking in spiritual leadership. Nevertheless, what the kings lacked in moral influence was made up for by the great prophets. Most notable among them were Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and Jeremiah before the exile, Ezekiel and Daniel during the exile, and Zachariah and Malachi after the exile. Ending with Ezra and Nehemiah, who led in the days of restoration. Israel’s history is a parade of men of God who were instruments of His-story.
The history of the Old Testament ends some 400 years before Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is seen in the Book of 1 Kings as:
1. The Heavenly Solomon, King of Peace, Glory, and the Wisdom of God--- 1 Co. 1:30: But of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God ---and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…
(a) The builder of God’s Temple--- Eph. 2:9-22: fellow citizens…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone…fitted together…grows into a holy temple in the LORD.
(b) The “Greater than Solomon” Mt. 12:42: “indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”
2. The One who is the Prophet of God, the Word made flesh. (Acts 3:20-26: Moses truly said to the fathers, “the LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.
3. The One who is the King of King and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:16).
4. The Foundation of the House 1 Co. 3:11: For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
5. The Right Pillar, Jachin Rev. 3:12: He overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God and I will write on him My new name.
6. The Ark of the Lord (1 Ki. 8: 1-9).
7. The Heavenly Elijah, the intercessor (Jn. 17).
8. The One who prophesied the destruction of Ahab and Jezebel, political and religious Babylon (Rev. 17-18).
1 Ki: 1:1: King David was old, advanced in years…
We can calculate that David was approximately 70-years old at his death. He became king at 30 and ruled for 40 years. He was bed-ridden. A young virgin, Abishag, a Shunamite, was called in to lie with him to keep him warm. She was very fair, and ministered to him, but the king knew her not (vs. 4).
Next comes the first attempt to usurp the throne. David and Haggith’s son, Adonijah, exalted himself saying, “I will be king.” Adonijah was David’s oldest living son. His brother was Abasalom. Including his deceased sons, David had 20 sons. Most were born to different wives.
Joab and Abithar, the priest, helped the rebel, Adonijah by setting up a counterfeit King-Priest ministry. But there were those who did not participate in this rebellion: Zadok who later became Solomon’s priest; Benaiah, became Solomon’s general; Nathan, the prophet; Shimei; Reil; and the Mighty men which belonged to David.
Nathan informed Bethsheba of these events. This revolt was defeated by prophetic insight. David had covenanted that Solomon would rule. Bethsheba related the news of Adonijah to David. Nathan was called in to confirm. David decreed Solomon as king:
1:30-37: Assuredly Solomon thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, even so will I certainly do this day… cause Solomon, my son to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, “God save king Solomon… he shall sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah…”
Benaiah answered the King with a prophecy over Solomon: 1:36-37: Amen, the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord, king David.
1:39: Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “God save King Solomon.”
Adonijah feared and caught hold of the horns of the altar. Solomon showed mercy said if he shows himself a worthy man he shall be saved, but if wicked, he shall die. However, his tricks were not over. He tried to persuade by manipulation of Bathsheba to marry Abishag which would have given him a right to the throne. Adonijah was put to death (1 KI 2:24)
1 Ki. 2:1-9 is David’s Charge to Solomon to follow the Law of Moses and to eliminate Shimei and Joab. Elimination of both men was ordered. Solomon was about 19 or 20 years old at this time. David lived about 6 months after the coronation of Solomon.
1 Ki. 2:10: So, David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
Because of the death of Pope Francis and the soon election of a new pope, I will spend a little time on Abithar, the priest. Solomon suspected that Abithar was behind the plot of Adonijah to usurp the kingdom. Solomon had banished Abithar to Anathoth to his own fields (estate). Abithar was “a man of death.” This is the principle of soulish priesthood (ministry) which is destined to be thrust out. Abithar was a descendant of Eli through Ithamar. The priestly line shifted to Eleazer in the person of Zadok. This is the principle of changing the priesthood from soulish to spiritual ministry. Zadok would be the “faithful Priest” after God’s heart, pointing to the Melchisedec order of Heb. 7.
After the deaths of Joab and Shimei, 1 Ki. 2:46: reads, “…and the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
In 1 Ki. 3, Solomon marries and Egyptian princess, a daughter of one of the Pharaohs of the 21st dynasty. Marriage to an Egyptian was not forbidden (only to Canaanites). Solomon sacrificed to Jehovah in “High places” because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD. This Canaanite way of worship was too deeply rooted for even Asa and Hezekiah to remove. It was Josiah who finally destroyed the high places. These high places fostered idolatry and endangered the unity (one altar) of the nation.
(Sheshonk, founder of the 22nd Egyptian dynasty, did all in his power to weaken Solomon.)
Solomon prayed for wisdom. God appeared unto him in Gibeon and heard his request for an understanding heart. 1 Ki: 3:10: And the speech pleased the Lord. In a dream, God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and not asked for yourself long life, neither asked for riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to your words: lo, I have given you a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like unto you. I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honor; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto you all your days. If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days. Solomon awoke; and behold it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
1 Ki. 4- Solomon’s high officials are listed. Judah and Israel were like the sand for multitude…eating drinking, and making merry. Solomon reigned from the Euphrates River unto Philistia and south to Egypt. He had dominion over all the kings and had peace on all sides. Judah and Israel dwelt “safely” from Dan to Beersheba. He had 40,000 stalls of horses, and 12,000 horsemen. Not only did he have wisdom and understanding, but he had largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore. He excelled the wisdom of the East, the Chaldeans, Arabians, Persians, and Egypt.
1 Ki. 4:22: He spoke 3000 proverbs; and his songs were 1005.
1 Ki. 5, is the principle of Solomon’s temple. This, of course is a study unto itself as all of 1 Kings should be. The location is identified with the threshing floor of Ornan, known as Mount Moriah. The site of the threshing floor lies today within the enclosure of the Muslims. The inspiration for the Temple plan and structure came to King David. The collection of silver and gold of Ophir, brass, iron and jewels might equal a trillion dollars in today’s market.
The start of the construction was in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. The foundryman was a Phoenician, Hiram of Tyre. (1 Kg. 7:13). The work of building the Temple occupied 7 years and 6 months. The dedication occurred in the 7th month (Tishri).
On the first day of the 7th month (Feast of Trumpet), the Ark was brought from David’s Tabernacle on Mount Zion and placed in its final resting-place (the staves were drawn out). Then the Cloud of God’s glory filled the House of the Lord. The fire fell following Solomon’s prayer. The Shekinah glory filled the temple. Then was celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles.
(I have an in-depth study of the typology of the Tabernacle of Moses in a separate teaching.) The beauty of Solomon’s Temple expanded that of the Tabernacle of Moses.
While the House was being built, the Word of the Lord came to Solomon:
6:12-13: Concerning this house which you are in building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them, then will I perform my word with you, which I spoke unto David your father. I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people, Israel.
In Ch. 8, Solomon assembles the elders of Israel, His prayer honoring the Lord’s word to David and the decree that the Lord has performed His Word is one of the most beautiful prayers of the Bible. His prayer of dedication before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel gives all glory to God, and the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
8:10-13: It came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so, that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. Then spoke Solomon, “the LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built you a house to dwell in, a settled place for you to abide in forever.”
Then the King turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel… He recited the blessings promised to his father, David, and to the children of Israel from the time the Lord brought them forth out of Egypt.
8:27: But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built.
8:56: Blessed be the LORD that has given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised there has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
9:2-4: the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. This was a warning against apostasy. The second appearance was 13 years after the dedication. God had heard his prayer and had chosen and sanctified the Temple. Solomon’s throne would be established if he walked as David “in integrity of heart”, and in uprightness, and if he would do, keep and observe the Word of the Lord.
Solomon’s foreign diplomacy and intermarriage was designed to produce peace among his neighbors.
In Ch. 10, Solomon built his empire through peaceful commerce. This era of David and Solomon was the Golden Age of Hebrew history. That Donald J. Trump is using the term “Golden Age” for his second term is scriptural. There are those who have tried to identify it with paganism. David was a warrior. Solomon was a builder. David made the Kingdom, Solomon built the Temple. In the outside world, this was the age of Homer, the beginning of Greek history. The nations of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon were weak at the time. Israel was the most powerful Kingdom in all the world. Jerusalem the most magnificent city, and the temple the most splendid building on earth. Men traveled from the ends of the earth to hear Soloman’s wisdom and to see his glory.
Then enters the Queen of Sheba. I can’t help identifying this with the trade and commerce of the national leaders seeking meetings with Donald J. Trump because of tariffs and trade.
The Queen of Sheba coming to Solomon also reveals the nations that shall come to behold the order of the Kingdom, bringing their praise and their finance.
1 Ki. 10: 1-7; 10: When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove (test) him with hard questions.
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. Solomon told her all her questions; there was not anything hid from the king, which he did not tell her. When the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house he had built, the meat of his table, the sitting of his servants; the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord,; there was no more spirit in her. She said to the king, it was a true report that I heard in mine own land of your acts and your wisdom. I did not believe the words until I came, and my eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me…And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, 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.
Sheba is present day Yemen located in South Arabia. This was an important area particularly active in regard to the spice trade and the excavations at Marib, the capital of Sheba. This indicates and advanced and progressive civilization. Trade was carried out throughout the area
and northwards to Phoenicia and Syria. The sudden emergence of a new trading empire on their doorstep threatened their overland caravan route by inaugurating a sea link to the mineral wealth of Ophir. This was sufficient to initiate high level diplomatic activity.
The visit of the queen of Sheba thus takes on an added significance and it may be viewed almost certainly, as a trade and diplomatic mission to establish some sort of agreement between Sheba and Israel.
2 Chr. 9: 23-24; 26: All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart. They brought every man his present, vessels of silver, of gold, raiment, harness, spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year…Solomon reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.
After the visit of the queen of Sheba, then the surrounding kings visit to hear, admire, and honor Solomon for his riches and his honor. This was probably a commercial and trading empire from which Solomon exacted various forms of taxation on the gold and passage of goods on which he was able to impose restrictive trading practices to the benefit of Israel’s treasury.
Chapter 11 covers Solomon’s failures. His sin was apostasy and idolatry because of his numerous pagan wives and marriages for the purpose of carnal security. Raised up by God to chastise him were Hadad the Edomite, Rezon, founder of the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and Jeroboam, who later became head of the Northern kingdom.
The times of Solomons failures were not while he was insecure; but after his kingdom was established greatly; not during a time of conflict and danger, but in a time of peace and safety; not during a time of need, but at a time of prosperity; not when he was young and immature, but when he was old and experienced; not before God appeared to him, but after he did it twice.
11:3-9: He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 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…Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD… The LORD was angry with Solomon… I will surely rend the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant…I will not do it in your days for David your father’s sake, but I will rend it out of the hand of your son. I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to your son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.
God rent the Kingdom apart by stirring up adversaries; Hadad the Edomite, Rezon, raising up of Jeroboam (11: 14-25) and the folly of Rehoboam (12: 1-24).
The LORD gave the northern kingdom of Judah to Jeroboam, son of Nebat. This followed a revolt of the ten tribes against Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. A good place to start on our next study.
1 Ki. 11:41-43: The rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
Rehoboam will reap the consequences of Solomon’s fence-straddling as God rends a large part of the kingdom from him.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Kelly Varner, Principles of Present Truth from 1 Kings. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to express the views of K. Varner.