1.
And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,
2.
That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.
3.
And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
4.
And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
A MOMENTOUS ‘IF’!
‘If thou wilt walk before Me.’
1 Kings 9:4
I. Special privileges and blessings conferred upon us make our responsibility greater.—Twice God appeared to Solomon in a vision, granting him honours and favours. He accepted the king’s work in building the Temple and answered his prayer for the hallowing of the house. He gave Solomon great wealth, power, and wisdom. All these made Solomon’s duty more sacred. When much is given to a man, much also shall be required. Solomon’s sin in departing from God was the greater because of his privileges. Whatever God gives to us is a sacred trust. The more He gives the graver is our responsibility. We have many privileges in our Christian land—what are we doing with them? Are we faithful?
II. All God’s promises are conditional.—Solomon must walk before God in integrity of heart and in uprightness, and must do all God’s commandments if he would continue to enjoy the honours and blessings which he had received. If he departed from God, the many promises made concerning him and to him would be forfeited. God has promised us many good things, but all are conditional upon our own faithfulness and obedience. If we are true to God He will bless us, and as long as we remain true He will continue to bless us. If we are false to Him we shall miss all the good that He had ready to bestow upon us.
III. The world is always the enemy of righteousness.—In Solomon’s time the world was idolatrous. All the other nations had gods of wood and stone—some material form which they could touch and see. It was the fashion then to worship idols. The spirit of the world is the same to-day. It does not worship idols, however, but it inclines to other forms of departure from God which are no less serious. Whether it be to worship a piece of stone, or to worship self in some form makes very little difference. We need to remember always the consequences of any leaving of God. Israel would be cut off, the hallowed Temple would be cast out of God’s sight, His people should be the byword among all nations always. Leaving God brings sorrow and turns blessings to curses.
IV. The great lesson is faithfulness to God.—Why should we forsake God? He is our best friend. He has loved us with a love that is infinite in its tenderness, and has stopped at no cost in redeeming us. If we are true to Him, all blessing and good are assured to us. If we are unfaithful to Him, sorrow and loss will ensue.
Illustrations
(1) ‘The abiding of God’s presence in the Temple would be dependent upon Solomon’s faithfulness. This suggests to us how much one man’s life may have to do with the abiding or the departure of God’s blessing from a place.’
(2) ‘These were very solemn warnings which were given to Solomon. When we remember that even in spite of all the warnings given to him he did turn away from the Lord, we need to learn that only God Himself can keep us from falling. We need to watch, lest we also drift away from Christ.’
(3) ‘The condition and the consequences are inseparably connected. No one can fulfil the condition of verse 6 and have the promise of verse 5. Balaam seemed to wish for this when he said, “Let me die the death of the righteous.” When one was asked whether he would be among the Puritans or the Cavaliers, he replied, “He would rather live with the worldling, hut die with the Puritan.” But it cannot be done. The future and the present are connected, as harvest is connected with seed time. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” ’
5.
Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
6.
But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
7.
Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
8.
And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?
9.
And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
10.
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king's house,
11.
(Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
12.
And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.
13.
And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.
14.
And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
15.
And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
16.
For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.
17.
And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether,
18.
and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
19.
And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
20.
And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,
21.
Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.
22.
But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.
23.
These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.
24.
But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.
25.
And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.
26.
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
27.
And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
28.
And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.