Solomon’s decease (vv. 41-43) was in gloomy disappointment. His glory fell off like the flower of grass (Matt. 6:29; 1 Pet. 1:24), and his splendid career became “vanity of vanities,” as he had preached (Eccl. 1:2). However, what God did through him as a type of Christ remains forever (see note 1 Kings 2:1¹).

Under the light of the spiritual life, it is clear that Solomon was a wise man but not a spiritual man; a man of capability, not a man of life; a man whose wisdom was a gift, not a measure of life. The careers he accomplished were evidences of his capacity from his God-given gift of wisdom, not manifestations of the ability of the maturity of the divine life. Capability apart from life is like a snake, poisoning God’s people; life is like a dove, supplying God’s people with life. Cf. note Ruth 4:18¹.

Solomon’s enjoyment of the God-given good land reached the highest level through his God-given gift. However, because of his small measure in the maturity of the spiritual life, he was cut off from the enjoyment of the good land in God’s economy because of his unbridled indulgence of his lust. His father David, a man according to God’s heart, failed in this same gross and ugly sin (2 Sam. 11). Solomon’s failure in this satanic temptation was much greater than his father’s. This caused his descendants to lose more than ninety percent of their kingdom and caused the people of God’s elect to suffer division and confusion among themselves throughout many generations. Eventually, they lost the God-given land and became captives in the foreign lands of idol worship. The nation of Israel is still suffering because of Solomon’s failure. What a warning and an alarm this should be to us! We must be careful. Even a little failure in the indulgence of lust can damage the church and kill the splendid aspects of the church life.

Lit., he.

I.e., the citadel.

The kingdom of God’s elect was split into two: the southern kingdom, the kingdom of Judah, of two tribes and the northern kingdom, the kingdom of Israel, of ten tribes (vv. 30-32). Judah was genuine, but Israel was a division in apostasy. The division among God’s elect issued in confusion, which always accompanies division (Gen. 11:7-9). See note Matt. 1:7^1a.

After Solomon fell, God came in to punish and discipline him. God became angry with Solomon and determined to tear the kingdom away from him and give it to his servant (vv. 9-13). For David’s sake, however, God would not do this in Solomon’s days but would do it in the days of his son (vv. 12, 34). Moreover, for David’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, which God had chosen, God would still keep one tribe for the son of Solomon (vv. 13, 32-33, 35-36).

Places where the Gentile peoples worshipped their idols. When the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan to possess it, God commanded them to destroy all the high places of the nations (Num. 33:52). Here Solomon, the very one who had built the temple according to God’s desire on the ground of the oneness of God’s people, took the lead to build up the high places once again. These high places were related to fornication and idolatry. Solomon’s setting up of the high places was especially connected with the indulgence of lust in his loving many foreign women. See note 1 Kings 12:31².

Solomon’s fall was in his indulging his lust by loving many foreign women (vv. 1-3), in his forsaking God, who appeared to him twice (v. 9b), and in his worshipping the Gentile idols through the seducing by the foreign women whom he loved (vv. 4-8).