1 Kings 9 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Kings 9 Short Summary:

God appears to Solomon and gives him instructions for leading the nation of Israel. If Israel obeyed God, they would be blessed among the nations. If Israel failed to obey God, God would allow their temple to be torn down and their nation to fail. The second part of 1 Kings 9 documents some of the notable accomplishments of Solomon during his early to middle reign.

1 Kings 9 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• 1 Kings 9 records events that took place in the middle years of Solomon’s reign, after 20 years of building the Temple and the king’s house.

• The Temple was completed in Solomon’s 11 year.

• Solomon was king for 40 years according to 1 Kings 11:42, from approximately 1015-975 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Solomon – The son of David and the 3rd king of Israel and Judah.

• Hiram – King of Tyre. He provided Solomon with wood from the forests in Lebanon to build the Temple and the king’s house.

• Pharaoh’s Daughter – She was given to Solomon in marriage as part of alliance between Israel and Egypt.

WHERE:

• Solomon’s house and the Temple of the Lord were in Jerusalem.

• Solomon gave Hiram several cities in the Land of Galilee. This was the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee.

• Solomon built ships at Ezion-geber, which was 200-250 miles south of Jerusalem.

• Ophir (9:28) was likely the name of a region, rather than a city. Its location is unknown. Theories propose Arabia, India, Africa, the Philippines.

OUTLINE:

• GOD APPEARS TO SOLOMON (9:1-9):

  • After the king’s house and the Temple were built, God appeared to Solomon a second time (the first time was in Gibeon, when God made Solomon wise; 1 Kings 3:5).

  • God was pleased with the Temple, but He was primarily interested in the hearts and devotion of His people.

  • God told Solomon He would establish him and his descendants as kings over Israel if Solomon would give his heart to God, as David had done.

  • If Solomon and the people turned away from the Lord, God promised to “cut off Israel” from the Promised land and to turn the Temple into a “heap of ruins.”

  • If this happened, the ruined Temple would be a clear sign to all other nations that Judah and Israel failed to obey God.

• ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT SOLOMON’S REIGN (9:10-28):

  • After 20 years building the Temple and the king’s house, Solomon gifted Hiram with 20 cities in Galilee.

  • For a reason not specified, Hiram wasn’t pleased with the gift, but he still sent Solomon 120 talents of gold (talent = about 75 pounds or 34 kg).

  • Solomon drafted all the Canaanites to do forced labor. These were non-Israelite people who the Israelites failed to drive out during the conquest of the Promised Land. They built the wall of Jerusalem, the Millo (a type of fortification), and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

  • Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-Geber on the Red Sea.

  • His servants went on voyages to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold.

APPLICATION:

• God is less interested in your achievements than your heart.

• As we’ll see in upcoming books of the Bible, God didn’t hesitate to tear down the Temple when His people turned away from Him.

• God doesn’t want glory from edifices built by hypocrites. That includes religious edifices.

• God will be honored in your achievements when your heart belongs to Him.

• It’s better to have fewer achievements with a godly heart than to have a great “spiritual” resume with a heart adrift from the Lord.