1 Ki. 11: Shedding the Mortal Coil

1 Kings 11:11 "So the LORD said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.'"

Solomon gets into the same sort of trouble as his father did, with his libido. He hooked up with chicks far and wide, hot and not, chaste and skanktified. And just as before, hooking up with foreign women meant hooking up with polytheism. In addition to the Temple of the LORD, Solomon set up high places for Chemosh and Molech, additionally, Solomon followed Ashtoreth for a period of time.

What did God say? God said not to follow these gods. But Solomon did. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines to keep happy religiously. Of course he was going to stray. Women overtook God in order of importance.

Was it merely a matter of keeping these women happy? Why would tail supersede religion? What was it about these women that made his heart turn away? Was it only pleasure? Was it only reputation? What could cause a man who was visited personally by God twice to turn away from God? To actually follow these other gods, when he knew the LORD was the one true God?

Because of this, God raised up some adversaries to make life hard for Solomon, politically and militarily. And it is interesting, the story of Hadad the Edomite. Hadad was just a boy when David and Joab crushed Edom. He bided his time in Egypt, until he saw that David was dead to make his move. Did God spare Hadad because he knew Solomon would one day turn away from Him? Or did God merely use Hadad's situation out of convenience?

Another rebel was Solomon's own subordinate, as God said in verse 11. Jeroboam was his name. A laborer in charge of building terraces or something, Jeroboam was met by the prophet Ahijah, who happened to be wearing a new cloak. Which is nice. It's nice to have new things. Especially cloaks. Those are great. The cloak had a purpose, and it wasn't for wearing. Ahijah tore it into twelve pieces. To represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Ten tribes went to Jeroboam, and one tribe went to Solomon, because God had made a promise to David, that his line would always be on the throne. So thats eleven. And the twelvth... the twelfth...that tribe goes to...doesn't say...but Jeroboam was told he would rule over all he desired...so maybe to Jeroboam? I guess we'll find out.

So the kingdom is divided again. Also, Jeroboam was given the "follow my statues and obey my commands" speech, but isn't given a permanent place on the throne in place of David's line.

Then Solomon dies after 40 years on the throne, and Rehoboam becomes king. Maybe Rehoboam gets the 12th Tribe?