1 Reis 3
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Reis 3
Utley - In the ANE (Ancient Near East) marriage alliances were like peace treaties. The fact that such a powerful nation as Egypt was willing to give Solomon a princess shows the power and prestige of Israel at this time. The Law of Moses condemned the inter-marriages with Canaanite women but never Egyptian women (cf. Gen. 24:3; Deut. 7:3). Jewish tradition says she became a proselyte. This may be true, for even in Solomon's later years when his other wives caused him to apostatize (1 Kgs. 11:4,6), there was never any Egyptian gods or practices in Israel. Notice the building projects that Solomon did before he built her a palace (1 Kgs. 7:8; 9:24). (1) his palace, (2) the Lord's temple (cf. 1 Kings 6), (3) the protective walls around Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kgs. 9:15; 11:27). Sacrifices (slaughter, offer sacrifice)(02076) zabach to slaughter or kill an animal for sacrifice. Moses told Pharaoh that this was one reason the Israelites wanted to leave to "sacrifice to the LORD our God." (Ex 3:18, 5:3, 8, 17, 8:8, 25-29, 13:15). Zabach could refer to slaughter of animals for food (Dt. 12:21; 1 Sa 28:24). Zabach was used to seal a covenant (Ge 31:54). Sacrificial animals were presented to gods or the true God; Jacob's sacrifice was to God (Gen. 46:1) as were most of these sacrifices, but the nations sacrificed to other gods as well, such as Dagon (Judg. 16:23) or the gods of Damascus (2 Chr. 28:23). Vine - This word is a common Semitic term for sacrifice in general, although there are a number of other terms used in the Old Testament for specific sacrificial rituals. There is no question that this is one of the most important terms in the Old Testament; zābaḥ is found more than 130 times in its verbal forms and its noun forms occur over 500 times. While there were grain and incense offerings prescribed as part of the Mosaic laws dealing with sacrifice (see Lev. 2), the primary kind of sacrifice was the blood offering which required the slaughter of an animal (cf. Deut. 17:1; 1 Chron. 15:26). This blood was poured around the altar, for the blood contained the life, as stated in Lev. 17:11: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life" (rsv). Since the blood was the vehicle of life, it belonged to God alone. Because the blood is the life, and because it is given to God in the process of pouring it about the altar, it becomes the means of expiating sin, as an offering for sin and not because it becomes a substitute for the sinner. Zābaḥ is also used as a term for "slaughter for eating." This usage is closely linked with "slaughter for sacrifice" since all eating of flesh was sacrificial among ancient Hebrews. The word carries this meaning in 1 Kings 19:21: "And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh… and gave unto the people, and they did eat." (Vine's Dictionary) High places (01116) bamah Six activities seem to be related to high places -- burning of incense, sacrificing, eating of sacrificial meals, praying, prostitution, child sacrifice (cf. bama in the valley, Je7:31). The first use in Lev 26:30 is God's declaration to Israel "I will destroy your high places." In Dt 32:13 speaking of Jacob (Israel) He declared "He made him ride on the high places of the earth," so clearly some uses of bamah are not negative. In a similar use God says Israel "you will tread upon their (Israel's enemies') high places." Another positive use is Psalm 18:33 where David declared Jehovah "makes my feet like hinds' feet, And sets me upon my high places." (cp Hab 3:19 - NET Note = David "compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.", cp Isa 58:14) We see he effect of Israel's high places on Jehovah in Ps 78:58 = "For they provoked Him with their high places and aroused His jealousy with their graven images." A sad phrase that is repeated again and again (speaking of Israel) is "the high places were not taken away" (1Ki 15:14, 2Chr 15:17 = King Asa but notice he did remove some of them - 2Chr 14:3, 5, 1Ki 22:43, 2Chr 20:33 = King Jehoshaphat, 2Ki 12:3 = King Jehoash, 2Ki 14:4 = King Amaziah, 2Ki 15:4 = King Azariah, 2Ki 15:35 = King Jotham son of Uzziah and look what his son did in 2Ki 16:1-4!, 2Chr 20:33). In many of these passages the context was of a king doing "spiritual house cleaning" so to speak and yet still failing to remove the high places. Isn't sin that way? We confess one or two sins but we have a little pet sin (better a "venomous viper") that we just don't have the heart to kill! God grant us spiritual eyes and hearts to learn from Israel's mistakes. Amen! Some kings like Hezekiah (1Ki 18:4, 2Chr 31:1, Isa 36:7) and Josiah (2Ki 23:4,8, 13, 15, 19-20, 2Chr 34:3 cp prophecy about Josiah 300 years earlier = 1Ki 13:2) did destroy the high places, but in Hezekiah's case his own son Manasseh rebuilt them (2Ki 21:1-2, 3, 2Chr 33:3) and in Josiah's case the people rebuilt them! We see the spiritual effect of high places on the people when King Jehoram (2Chr 21:5-10) "made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray." (2Chr 21:11) One of the most incredible (and saddest) verses in the OT (in my opinion) is "Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon." (1Ki 11:7, cp 1Ki 3:3 = Solomon had "half a heart" for God!) This was too much for Jehovah and He declared that the 12 tribes would be split as a result of Solomon's sin! Sin is costly. You may think you are getting away with it, but you are not! You may think you are the wisest man in the world (like Solomon) but you are really the most foolish (as Solomon was)! There was one high place that was not idolatrous (at least not at the outset) - "Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place which was at Gibeon; for God's tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness." (2Chr 1:3, cp 1Chr 16:39-40, 21:29). In Amos we see bamah is used in a description of Jehovah - For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The LORD God of hosts is His name. (Amos 4:13, cp Micah 1:3) Bamah - Over 100x in 91 verses translated in NAS as heights(3), high place(19), high places(76), places(1), waves(1). - Lev 26:30; Nu 22:41; 33:52; Deut 32:13; 33:29; 1 Sam 9:12ff, 19, 25; 10:5, 13; 2 Sam 1:19, 25; 22:34; 1Kgs 3:2ff; 11:7; 12:31f; 13:2, 32f; 14:23; 15:14; 22:43; 2 Kgs 12:3; 14:4; 15:4, 35; 16:4; 17:9, 11, 29, 32; 18:4, 22; 21:3; 23:5, 8f, 13, 15, 19f; 1 Chr 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chr 1:3, 13; 11:15; 14:3, 5; 15:17; 17:6; 2Chr 20:33; 21:11; 28:4, 25; 31:1; 32:12; 33:3, 17, 19; 34:3; Job 9:8; Ps 18:33; 78:58; Isa 14:14; 15:2; 16:12; 36:7; 58:14; Jer 7:31; 17:3; 19:5; 26:18; 32:35; 48:35; Ezek 6:3, 6; 16:16; 20:29; 36:2; Hos 10:8; Amos 4:13; 7:9; Mic 1:3, 5; 3:12; Hab 3:19 LORD (03068) Jehovah (I am; the eternal living one). The Scripture appellation of the supreme Being, usually interpreted as signifying self-derived and permanent existence. The special and significant name (not merely an appellative title such as Lord [adonai]) by which God revealed himself to the ancient Hebrews (Ex. 6:2, 3). This name, the Tetragrammaton of the Greeks, was held by the later Jews to be so sacred that it was never pronounced except by the high priest on the great Day of Atonement, when he entered into the most holy place. Whenever this name occurred in the sacred books they pronounced it, as they still do, "Adonai" (i.e., Lord), thus using another word in its stead. The Massorets gave to it the vowel-points appropriate to this word. This Jewish practice was founded on a false interpretation of Lev. 24:16. The meaning of the word appears from Ex. 3:14 to be "the unchanging, eternal, self-existent God," the "I am that I am," a convenant-keeping God. (Comp. Mal. 3:6; Hos. 12:5; Rev. 1:4, 8.) The Hebrew name "Jehovah" is generally translated in the Authorized Version (and the Revised Version has not departed from this rule) by the word LORD printed in small capitals, to distinguish it from the rendering of the Hebrew Adonai and the Greek Kurios, which are also rendered Lord, but printed in the usual type. The Hebrew word is translated "Jehovah" only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, and in the compound names mentioned below. QUESTION - What is the significance of high places in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - High places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities). It seems that, at times, high places were set up in a spot that had been artificially elevated; 2 Kings 16:4 seems to differentiate the “high places” from the “hills.” The Israelites, forever turning away from God, practiced Molech worship and built high places for Baal (Jeremiah 32:35). Although Solomon built the temple of God in Jerusalem, he later established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them, causing him the loss of the kingdom (1 Kings 11:11). The people were still sacrificing at the pagan high places before the temple was built, and Solomon joined them. After the Lord appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, the king returned to Jerusalem and sacrificed offerings; however, he continued to waver between the two places of worship. Not all high places were dedicated to idol worship. They played a major role in Israelite worship, and the earliest biblical mention of a site of worship, later called a “high place,” is found in Genesis 12:6–8 where Abram built altars to the Lord at Shechem and Hebron. Abraham built an altar in the region of Moriah and was willing to sacrifice his son there (Genesis 22:1–2). This site is traditionally believed to be the same high place where the temple of Jerusalem was built. Jacob set up a stone pillar to the Lord at Bethel (Genesis 28:18–19), and Moses met God on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:1–3). Joshua set up stone pillars after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:20) and considered this a high place of worship because the Israelites “came up from” the Jordan onto higher ground. The high places were visited regularly by the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 7:16). High places as sites of Canaanite idol worship (Judges 3:19) extended into the period of Elijah (1 Kings 18:16–40). God would name only one high place where sacrifice was authorized, and that was the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3:1). God commanded that all other high places be destroyed. King Josiah destroyed them in 2 Kings 22—23. QUESTION - Why did Solomon worship at a high place? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - In 2 Chronicles 1 we are told that Solomon, early in his reign, worshiped at a high place. 2Ch 1:3 reads, “Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the LORD’s servant had made in the wilderness.” The text is clear that the reason Solomon worshiped at this high place was that the tabernacle (also called the tent of meeting) was located there. This was the same tabernacle that the children of Israel, under Moses’ leadership, had constructed in the wilderness many years previously. Prior to the construction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the tabernacle was the place God had chosen for worship. In fact, King David had previously worshiped the Lord at this high place in Gibeon. 1 Chronicles 16:39 notes, “David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon.” With the tabernacle was the altar of burnt offering (see 1 Chronicles 21:29). While in Gibeon, “Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the LORD in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it” (2 Chronicles 1:6). That night, the Lord appeared to Solomon and offered to give him anything he requested. When Solomon requested wisdom, God promised to give it to him, along with vast wealth, possessions, and honor (verse 12). In 2 Chronicles 2, Solomon prepared to build the Jewish temple as a place for his people to worship the Lord. First Kings 6:38 notes that construction of the temple took seven years to complete. Once the temple was finished, Solomon had the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant placed inside the temple, and from then on the temple was the place for Jewish worship. Though Solomon later was led astray into idol-worship by his many wives, his experience in 2 Chronicles 1 of worshiping at a high place was a noble one that God honored. It was only after the temple was completed that Gibeon was no longer considered a place to worship the Lord. After Solomon’s time, many wicked kings of Israel used “high places” for worshiping false gods. For example, King Jehoram of Judah “built high places on the hills of Judah and . . . caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and . . . led Judah astray” (2 Chronicles 21:11). In most contexts, high places are associated with false worship. However, in Solomon’s worship at the high place in Gibeon, he worshiped at the tabernacle and presented offerings to the Lord God. Life Lessons from a Flawed Hero By Dr. Woodrow Kroll Scripture: 1 Kings 3:1–3 and 11:1–6, especially 1 Kings 11:4 (NIV) As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his father had been. Introduction: Alexander the Great conquered the world, yet died at age 33 in a drunken stupor. Hannibal may have crossed the Alps with elephants, but he had three bushels of gold rings taken off knights he slaughtered; and he later committed suicide. Julius Caesar conquered eight hundred cities across Europe and the Middle East, but he was stabbed by his closest friends. Napoleon was the scourge of Europe, yet he died in banishment. Have you noticed that some who leave a strong mark have tragic lives? Solomon was like that. He was the wisest, wealthiest man who ever lived; yet there’s a tragedy to his life, and we can learn from it. From my study of his life, it seems to me that Solomon made three gigantic mistakes. 1. The Mistake of Unholy Alliances (1 Kin. 3:1). Solomon did what he thought he needed to do to solidify his power, but instead of pleasing God, he did the opposite. In 1 Kings 1:5, even before he became king, his throne was challenged by a half-brother. In 1 Kings 1:7, some of his father’s allies betrayed him. Solomon’s position was threatened, and that’s why he made an alliance with Egypt. Instead of making alliances with the right people in his country, with the priests and Levites and leaders in his family, he went to his worst enemy. A lot of people do that. Instead of seeking counsel from godly people, we go to the world for help. That’s why 2 Corinthians 6 warns about being unequally yoked with unbelievers. We often apply that to marriage, but it has to do with every area of life, whether business or friendship. 2. The Mistake of Allowing Dark Corners to Remain (1 Kin. 3:2–3). The second mistake Solomon made was in allowing dark corners of sin to remain in his life. According to 1 Kings 3:2–3, Solomon worshiped Jehovah but tolerated incense on the high places. The “high places” were altars on hills around the country devoted to pagan gods, especially the gods of the Canaanites. While Solomon did some wonderful things, he tolerated pagan gods. Blessing comes, not from giving God a corner of our lives; it comes from wholly following Him, giving Him everything. Those dark corners always come back to haunt us. 3. The Mistake of Allowing the World to Draw Us Away from God (1 Kin. 11:1–4). Once Solomon became wealthy, his mind drifted from God a bit. In the course of getting everything he wanted, represented by his seven hundred wives, the call of the world drowned out the call of God. See 2 Timothy 4:10 and 1 John 2:15–17. The Bible is clear on this. For you and me as Christians to invest all of our time in this world, to invest all of our energy in this world, to invest all of our money in this world—that isn’t just silly, it’s stupid! But sometimes the distractions of the world cause us to have a life like Solomon’s. He did very well at first. Then he became wealthy, wise, and powerful; and the world became a strong attraction to which he did not summon the energy to resist. Conclusion: If you and I want to be joyous and fruitful Christians, we can learn from Solomon. We cannot allow these things to go wrong in our lives, because if we do they can spoil our hearts the way they spoiled Solomon’s. We must always be aware of how closely we live with God. We can be as wise as Solomon yet still have a foolish life like him if we’re not a person after the heart of God. Let me encourage you today to check out, not how wise or wealthy you are, but how closely you’re living with God. How intimate are you with God? Are you the person after God’s own heart like King David? Or are you a person who has been extremely blessed like King Solomon, yet you haven’t handled that blessing very well? Now is the time to change. And that’s the good news—God will help you do that in Christ Jesus, His Son. More from Dr. Kroll George Barna says that in the evangelical church in America and Canada today, there is much of the world in our churches. We choose to believe only what we want to believe from the Bible; and we choose to believe from the world what we want to believe. Barna says, “We’ve made an amalgam religion”—what strikes our fancy! And he’s absolutely right! Instead of understanding the Word of God and drawing our strength from the Word of God, we draw our strength from here and from any other place we can find. Solomon did the same thing. That was a mistake. God will accept nothing less than total obedience from us. He certainly would accept nothing less from Solomon. Read Deuteronomy 6:4–5. God never accepts from us a piece of an offering. He never accepts from us a partial sacrifice. That’s why Paul says in Romans 12 that we are to totally be sacrificed to Him, to give everything over to Him: to give all of our finances to Him and give all of our children to Him and all of our grandchildren to Him, all of our days to Him and all of our nights to Him—we give it all to Him. He takes care of us because He loves total obedience. Solomon was only partially obedient. He made some mistakes. And making that mistake robs us of the blessing that Solomon lost. This is a man who was extremely wealthy but apparently quite unhappy at the same time because he made many unholy alliances, tolerated sin, and allowed his heart to drift from its pure love for Jesus. STOP AND THINK Text: 1 Kings 3:9 Read: vv. 1–13. J Dean Cameron “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to discern between good and bad.…” INTRODUCTION: Principal, teachers, seniors of the graduating class of —— High School of 19 ——, ladies and gentlemen: I count it an undeserved privilege to address you on this auspicious occasion. Beloved students, I feel that it would desecrate the purpose of this important meeting, should I clothe myself in the vestment of superficial words which would offer you no more than cheap entertainment. Therefore it shall be my purpose to communicate to you thoughts which will stimulate a desire in your hearts to acquire the ability to “discern between good and evil”; for at no previous time in the history of the world has there existed a greater need for discriminating between the real values of life and those vices which rob one of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. STOP AND THINK! WHAT IS EDUCATION DOING FOR ME? 1. Am I gaining ability to be useful to mankind? 2. Is education awakening my best qualities? 3. Can I work with others without having my own way? 4. Would I choose one like myself as a trusted friend? 5. When I am wrong, can I gracefully admit it? 6. If I knew I could get by, would I steal? 7. Am I always blaming others for my failures? 8. Do I think the world owes me a living? 9. Would I hire a man like myself in my business? 10. Could I admire a teacher like I would be? 11. Would I trust a doctor like I would be? 12. Would I trust a lawyer like I would be? STOP AND THINK! IN YOUR QUEST FOR HAPPINESS THERE ARE SOME THINGS STANDING READY TO CORRUPT YOUR LIFE. 1. Greed stands ready to destroy your sense of sharing. 2. Hate stands ready to embitter and sour your life. 3. Prejudice stands ready to corrupt your mind. 4. Selfishness stands ready to destroy your character. 5. Undisciplined sex stands ready to pollute marriage. 6. Disrespect is ready to make you a social outcast. STOP AND THINK! You have just one life to live! STOP AND THINK! Just one wrong decision could ruin the only life you shall ever possess! (Mark 11:22). STOP AND THINK ABOUT YOUR CREATOR. 1. God speaks to you through His Word, Heb. 1:1–3. 2. God has something to say to you about life, Ps. 1. 3. God speaks to you about His fellowship, John 14:23. 4. God speaks to you about sin, Rom. 6:23. 5. God speaks to you about the time to seek Him: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not,” (Eccles. 12:1). If I could command the pen of a Samuel Adams; if my talents were equal to the pertinence of a Jefferson; if my soul could vibrate with the zeal of a Patrick Henry; if I could catch but a single spark of those electric fires wrested from the sky by Benjamin Franklin and flash a message to future graduating classes, I would herald forth the words of God’s prophet: “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Mic. 6:8). As young people of this turbulent twentieth century, I challenge you to accept Christ as your Savior and make Him “Senior Partner” of your life; that you may have “an understanding heart to … discern between good and bad” (1 Kings 3:9). “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Eph. 3:20–21). James Smith - SOLOMON’S CHOICE; or, FULLNESS OF BLESSING 1 Kings 3:1–16 “True wisdom is not gotten, but is given; Not dug out of the earth, but dropped from Heaven: Heavenly, not earthly, is the brightness of it.” —LYTTON. It was said of Solomon that “the Lord loved him” (2 Sam. 12:24). How fitting it is to find it stated now that “Solomon loved the Lord” (v. 3). Surely the love of God for us should awaken in our hearts love to Him. It was a very exceptional opportunity that came to Solomon when God said to him, “Ask what I shall give thee.” Such special privileges, laden with Almighty and eternal possibilities, don’t usually come within the reach of any of God’s servants without some unusually solemn preparation. It was certainly so with Solomon. He had gone to Gibeon, a journey of seven miles, and had a long and solemn time of great sacrificing. “One thousand burnt-offerings” he has seen laid on the altar. His whole mind and heart were filled with thoughts of the holiness of God, the horribleness of sin, and the great holocaust atonement. As Solomon lay down that night to sleep, with a deep sense of his own weakness and unworthiness, God appeared to him in a dream, with such an offer of grace as was sufficient for all his needs. If we would be honoured of God, then our souls and in our substance we must honour him. We shall consider— I. The Divine Offer. “God said, Ask what I shall give thee” (v. 5). Let us pause and think of who it is that makes this offer. This “I” is the I that filleth eternity. It is the offer of Him who is the Creator and Possessor of all, whose Name is Holy, and whose nature is Love. Think again of the abounding generosity of the offer. “What I shall give thee.” Only one chance like this is needed to enrich a soul for time and eternity. In making this offer God was as it were laying all the wealth of His Divine Character and Kingdom at the feet of Solomon, that he might be filled out of all the fullness of God. But does the Lord come to us with an offer like this? Yea, He has done more, for in the gift of His Son the whole wealth of “His unsearchable riches” lie continually before us for our daily appropriation. Even without our asking, yea, while we were yet sinners, He gives His all in dying for us. II. The Wise Choice. “Give Thy servant an understanding heart” (v. 9). It was not enough that he should have the opportunity of choosing; he must make up his mind and speak out his request. Every Gospel hearer has the opportunity of making such a choice, but how few like Solomon seek the hearing heart (margin). It was a wise choice, because it— 1. COVERED ALL HIS NEED (vv. 7, 8). A heart quick to hear the guiding, comforting words of God would strengthen and sustain him, as a “little child” set by the grace of God “in the midst of a great people.” If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God (James 1:5). “Christ is made of God unto us wisdom,” etc. In choosing Him we choose that which covers all our need. 2. PLEASED GOD (v. 10). It pleased God, because what he asked was not for any mere selfish advantage, but for His honour and the good of His people. We always ask amiss when we would consume it on our own pleasures (James 4:3, margin). Are not our prayers often choked with the cares and anxieties of self-interest? III. The Abundant Answer. 1. HE GOT WHAT HE ASKED. “I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart” (v. 12). God alone can work in us such a gift as this. This is eternal life to know Him. The promises of God are meant to be claimed and definitely fulfilled in the experience of the believer. Ask and ye shall receive. 2. HE GOT MORE THAN HE ASKED. “I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour” (v. 13). He sought first the Kingdom of God, and all other things were added, and added in such plentitude that Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches (1 Kings 10:23). He that findeth Christ findeth wisdom, and happy is that man, for riches and honour, and length of days are his (Prov. 3:13, 16). “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Lord, give me the “hearing heart,” that Thy will may be done in me, and that the people may be blessed through me. 1 Kings 3:3 Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. AMP Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes of David his father, except [for the fact that] he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places [ignoring the law that required all sacrifices to be offered at the tabernacle]. EXB Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the commands his father David had given him, except ·many other places of worship were still used to offer sacrifices and to burn incense [L he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places; 3:2]. KJV 1 Kings 3:3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. BGT 1 Kings 3:3 καὶ ἠγάπησεν Σαλωμων τὸν κύριον πορεύεσθαι ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασιν Δαυιδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ πλὴν ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἔθυεν καὶ ἐθυμία LXE 1 Kings 3:3 And Solomon loved the Lord, so as to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. NET 1 Kings 3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the LORD by following the practices of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. CSB 1 Kings 3:3 Solomon loved the LORD by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. ESV 1 Kings 3:3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. NIV 1 Kings 3:3 Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. NLT 1 Kings 3:3 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. YLT 1 Kings 3:3 And Solomon loveth Jehovah, to walk in the statutes of David his father -- only, in high places he is sacrificing and making perfume -- loved: De 6:5 Dt 10:12 Dt 30:6,16,20 2Sa 12:24,25 Ps 31:23 Mt 22:37 Mk 12:29,30 Ro 8:28 1Co 8:3 Jas 1:12 2:5 1Jn 4:19,20 5:2,3 walking: 1Ki 3:6,14 1K 2:3,4 1Ki 11:34 1Kin 15:3 1Ch 28:8,9 2Ch 17:3-5 Joh 14:15,21 except he: 1Ki 15:14 22:43 2Ki 12:3 14:4 15:4,35 18:4,22 Related Passages: 2 Samuel 12:24+ (NOTE THE LORD LOVED SOLOMON) Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him HARBINGER OF SOLOMON'S DOWNFALL - PARTIAL OBEDIENCE A harbinger is something that foreshadows or announces a future event. Now - We are thankful it says "now" but wish it would have said something like "now always" or "now and forevermore." This "now" would prove to be a "transient now" in time. Solomon would lose track of his good beginning. He reminds me of Paul's words to the Galatians "You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?" (Gal 5:7+) THOUGHT - Oh my, I am convicted as I wrote that note and Paul's quote. God is looking not just for great starts, but even more for great finishes. O Lord, without the empowerment of Your Spirit and wisdom of Your Word, we do not stand a chance to finish like Paul in 2Ti 4:7+, so we plead with You to bestow on us your grace to be able to testify like Paul "by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me." (1Co 15:10+). All for the sake of Your Kingdom and Your glorious Name, and in the Name of Your Son. Amen F B
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Utley - the high place which was at Gibeon" Later in Israel's history these "high places" (1Sa. 9:12-14; 10:5,13; 1Ki 3:3a; 15:14; 22:43; 2 Kgs. 12:3) are condemned because of their connection to fertility worship (cf. Nu. 33:52; Dt. 12:2; 1Ki 11:7). See Special Topic: Fertility Worship in the ANE. and Fertility Cults But here this was a gesture of faith (cf. 1Ki 3:4; 1 Chr. 16:39) of the new king seeking YHWH's help and blessing before the Tabernacle (cf. 1Ch 21:29; also called "the tent of meeting'). The ark of the covenant had been taken to Jerusalem by David and placed in a special tent (2Ch 1:4; 2Sa 6:17; 1 Chr. 16:1). Gibeon was about four miles NW of Jerusalem. SPECIAL TOPIC: MY SERVANT. At this time worship of Yahweh at great high place was clearly acceptable to the LORD, but it was never meant to be the norm after the Temple was built. Moses describes God's statutes regarding worship of Jehovah... These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. 2 “You shall utterly destroy all the places (THE HIGH PLACES) where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 “You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God. 5 “But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His Name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come (HIS TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM). 6 “There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. (Deut 12:1-6+) The Sanctuary at Gibeon: Gibeon was the seat of an ancient sanctuary, called in 1 Ki 3:4 "the great high place." Here, according to 2 Ch 1:3, was the tabernacle made in the wilderness--but see 1 Ki 8:4. It was the scene of Solomon's great sacrifice after which he slept in the sanctuary and dreamed his famous dream (1 Ki 3:4 ff; 9:2; 2 Ch 1:3,13, etc.). By "the great waters that are in Gibeon" Johanan overtook Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and freed the captives he had taken from Mizpah (Jer 41:11 ff). Among those who returned with Zerubbabel were 95 "children of Gibeon" (Neh 7:25; compare 3:7). At Gibeon Cestius Gallus ancamped when marching against Jerusalem from Antipatris (BJ, II, xix, 1). (ISBE) Philip Ryken has some powerful application points from these early warning signs in Solomon's life... So while it is true that Solomon was a king after David’s heart, a man who loved the Lord, it is also true that he had a wandering heart that loved money, sex, and power—the very temptations that led to the downfall of Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei in chapter 2. The warning signs of Solomon’s tragic downfall are present from the very beginning of his story, which is not just black and white, but colored by shades of gray. In other words, Solomon was a lot like us. He loved the Lord, as every Christian does. But he also had some other loves in his life—sinful passions that had the power to destroy his spiritual leadership. He did not love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, and strength (see Deut. 6:5). While there is some truth to the view that Solomon’s life started out more positive spiritually, before ending up more negative, the deeper truth is that like every other believer, he was always as much a sinner as he was a saint. We face the same struggle. In the famous words of Martin Luther, each of us is simul iustus et peccator—at the same time both righteous and a sinner. Through faith in Jesus Christ, and on the basis of his perfect life and atoning death, we are perfectly righteous in the sight of God. Yet for as long as we live in this sinful world, we will continue to struggle with remaining sin. This means that the warning signs of our own tragic downfall are present right in our own hearts. The sins that go along with money, sex, and power have the capacity to destroy us. What sinful desires have the power to destroy your life the way money and sex and power divided Solomon’s kingdom? We too are tempted by the love of money, the pleasure of sex, and the seduction of power. We face these temptations every time we reach for a credit card, get on the Internet, or start figuring out the best way to get what we want out of other people. Do we recognize how much danger we are in? The sins that go along with money, sex, and power have the capacity to destroy us. (1 Kings - Reformed Expository Commentary | REC) 1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you." the Lord: 1Ki 9:2 in a dream: Ge 28:12,13 Nu 12:6 Job 33:14,15 Mt 1:20 2:13,19 Ask what: 2Ch 1:7-12 Mt 7:7,8 Mk 10:36,38-51 11:24 Joh 14:13,14 15:16 Jas 1:5,6 1Jn 5:14,15 Related Passages: 2 Chronicles 1:7+ In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” JEHOVAH APPEARS AND SPEAKS TO SOLOMON IN A DREAM In Gibeon the LORD (Jehovah) appeared to Solomon in a dream at night - God often gave revelation in dreams (Ge 26:24 28:12 46:2 Da 2:7; 7:1 Mt 1:20 2:12, 19, 22). However, this dream was unique, because it represented a two-way conversation between the Lord and Solomon. And God said, "Ask (command) what you wish me to give you." - Do not think that because Solomon just offered a thousand burnt offerings God is now "paying him back." No, God's ask is based on His grace, His generous bestowal of unmerited favor to sinful men. The gift which I feel I should crave beyond every other boon is holiness, pure and immaculate holiness. C H