Daily reading

Today’s reading is: 1 Kgs. 11; 2 Chr. 9:29-31; Ecc. 1:1-11

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1st Kings Chapter Eleven

  1. The end of Solomon’s life was characterized by a departure from wisdom (1st Kgs. 11:1-8).
    1. His heart was turned away (vv.2-4).
    2. This is a danger for every believer to be on guard against (Heb. 3:12-13).
    3. Solomon’s devotion to the Lord became a divided devotion (1st Kgs. 11:4).
    4. Solomon worshipped false gods in addition to the LORD, God of Israel (vv.4-8).  
      1. Believers are repeatedly warned against such divided hearts (1st Cor. 10:21-22; Matt. 6:24; Lk. 16:13; 1st Kgs. 18:21).
      2. God will not tolerate such divided hearts (Ex. 20:3-5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; Josh. 24:19; Nah. 1:2; Isa. 42:8; 48:11).
  2. The Lord pronounced judgment upon Solomon for his evil, but did not (and could not) abrogate the Davidic Covenant (1st Kgs. 11:9-13).
  3. The Lord’s judgment upon Solomon’s administration came in the form of adversaries (1st Kgs. 11:14-40).
    1. Hadad the Edomite (vv.14-22).
    2. Rezon the Amorite (vv.23-25).
    3. Jeroboam the Ephraimite (vv.26-40).
      1. יָרָבְעָם yārābe‘ām #3379: the people will contend.  רִיב riyb #7378: to strive, contend.
      2. Jeroboam was a mighty warrior (גִּבּוֹר חָיִל) who served Solomon as head of the forced labor of Israel (v.28; cf. 1st Kgs. 5:13-18).
      3. The prophet Ahijah the Shilonite proclaimed the coming Kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam (vv.29-39).
      4. Jeroboam fled to Egypt until the day of Solomon’s death (v.40). 
  4. Solomon dies, and was succeeded by his son, Rehoboam (1st Kgs. 11:41-43).  רְחַבְעָם rechab‘ām #7346: the people have enlarged.

2nd Chronicles Chapter Nine

(Outline continues from Day 149)

  1. The summary of Solomon’s life indicates the written sources from which Ezra drew in writing Chronicles, and explain many of the “to this day” references therein (2nd Chr. 9:29-31).

Ecclesiastes Chapter One

  1. The theme for the Book is immediately established (Eccl. 1:2).
    1. “Vanity of vanities” = the ultimate vanity (emptiness).
    2. “All is vanity” is the great confession of human viewpoint.
      1. Unbelievers are limited to this viewpoint in life.
      2. Believers limit themselves to this viewpoint when they abandon the Divine viewpoint of God’s Word.
    3. The context for this viewpoint is established—“under the sun” (Eccl. 1:3).
  2. Physical sciences, such as genealogy (Ecc. 1:4a), geology (v.4b), astronomy (v.5), meteorology (v.6), & hydrology (v.7), fail to provide spiritual peace (v.8a) as the experimental process falls short (v.8b).  This process leads the natural mind (1st Cor. 2:14), and the carnal mind (1st Cor. 3:1), to a uniformitarian, evolutionist world view (Eccl. 1:9-10), and a cyclic view of human history (Ecc. 1:11).

(Chapter One continues tomorrow)