N ew I n t er nat iona l V er sion
t he
Maxwell
leadership
bi bl e •
John C. Maxwell Tim Elmore Executive Editors
Nashville Dallas Mexico City Rio De Janeiro
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Introduction to
1 Kings
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irst and Second Kings give an account of the leaders who followed David: kings such as Solomon, Jeroboam and Rehoboam; prophets such as Elijah, E lisha and Micaiah. These men picture the necessity of purpose- driven leadership—leadership motivated by core values and strong convictions. Some call purpose-driven leadership visionary leadership. Visionary leadership is motivated by something that not only could be done, but should be done. The leader carries a sense of moral obligation about the vision. First Kings describes the reign of King Solomon. Despite his wisdom, he lacked focused leadership. He begins well, but by chapter 11 he becomes distracted from any moral obligation. The book begins with a skirmish over who will succeed David as king of Israel. David selects Solomon, who takes over as the final king to reign over a united Israel. Solomon recognizes the overwhelming responsibility of his position and goes to the proper Source for wisdom. This pleases God immensely, to the point that God gives him all the necessary wisdom—and everything else he didn’t ask for! Yet Solomon illustrates a fundamental principle every leader must understand. While this man became the wisest human leader who ever lived and authored a number of books, the king’s poor choices and failure to apply what God told him weakened his leadership. Before Solomon left the way of God, the Lord greatly used him. Kings and queens from distant lands visited him and became acquainted with the God of Israel— precisely what God had in mind for the Jews. Israel was to
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The Necessity of Purpose-Driven Leadership God’s Role in 1 Kings
By the end of 1 Kings, the Hebrew nation lies divided, torn both by civil wars and invaders. God seeks out godly leaders like David—men who would listen to his voice and obey it. As in so many Old Testament books, God’s interaction in 1 Kings appears almost entirely limited to leaders—for if he can raise up leaders to model the life he intended for Israel, the people would almost certainly follow suit.
Leaders in 1 Kings
David, Adonijah, Solomon, Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Abijam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Ahab, Jezebel
Other People of Influence in 1 Kings
Nathan, Ahijah, Elijah, a widow, Obadiah, Micaiah
Lessons in Leadership ■■
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Success without a successor is a failure. Decision making and problem solving is the fastest way to gain influence. Check your motives before you lead anything. The issue is not prioritizing our schedule, but scheduling our priorities Influencing followers is addition; influencing leaders is multiplication.
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Introduction to 1 Kings
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become a light to the nations, and for a while its beacon of hope shone brightly. But when Solomon began trusting his own wisdom and failed to stay focused on God, the Lord divided his kingdom and ripped it away. The nation remained split until outsiders like Assyria and Babylon conquered one kingdom, then the next. In the difficult years in between, God had to raise up prophets as his leaders and spokesmen, since the kings frequently would not listen to his voice.
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Keep first things first; distraction is the enemy of direction. Leaders must touch a heart before they ask for a hand. A divided leader eventually produces a divided nation. Passion and conviction mark the difference between a great leader and a mediocre one. Principles, not emotions, should guide your leadership.
Leadership Highlights in 1 Kings SOLOMON AND THE LAW OF THE BIG MO: Momentum Is a Leader’s Best Friend (2:1—4:24)
page 408
SOLOMON: A Wise King Who Forgot the First Principle of Wisdom (1 Kings 4:29–34)
page 413
REHOBOAM AND THE LAW OF CONNECTION: Leaders Touch a Heart Before They Ask for a Hand (12:1–24)
page 426
ELIJAH: Standing Alone, Speaking Truth (17:1—18:40)
page 433
COURAGE: Elijah’s Fire and Passion Attract Others (18:1–40)
page 434
CHARISMA: Ahab and Jezebel Manipulate People Because They Cannot Move Them (19:1—22:40)
page 440
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Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King When King Dav id was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2 So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.” 3 T hen they s earched throughout Israel for a beautif ul young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The woman was very beautif ul; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexua l relations with her. 5 Now Adonijah, whose mother was Hagg ith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses a ready, with fift y men to run a head of him. 6 (His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) 7 Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeru ia h and with Abiat har the priest, and they gave him t heir support. 8 But Zadok the p riest, Bena iah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and Dav id’s special g uard did not join Adonijah. 9 Adonijah then sacr if iced sheep, catt le and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He inv ited all his brothers, the k ing’s sons, and all the roya l off icials of Judah, 10 but he did not inv ite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special g uard or his brother Solomon. 11 T hen Nat han asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord Dav id k nows nothing about it? 12 Now then, let me adv ise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in to King Dav id and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son s hall be king after me, and he will sit on my t hrone”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.” 15 So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, w here Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. 16 Bathsheba bowed down, pros trating herself before the king. “What is it you want?” the king asked. 17 She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ 18 But now Adonijah
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has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19 He has sacrif iced great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has inv ited all the k ing’s sons, Abiat har the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not inv ited Solomon your servant. 20 My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the t hrone of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherw ise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ances tors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.” 22 W hile she was still speaki ng with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground. 24 Nat han said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your t hrone? 25 Today he has gone down and sacrif iced great numbers of catt le, fattened c alves, and s heep. He has inv ited all the k ing’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiat har the priest. R ight now they are eat ing and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not inv ite. 27 Is this somet hing my lord the king has done with out letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” David Makes Solomon King 28 T hen King Dav id said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the k ing’s presence and stood before him. 29 T he king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of ev ery trouble, 30 I will surely carr y out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Is rael: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my t hrone in my place.” 31 Then Bathsheba b owed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” 32 K ing Dav id said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nat han the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoia da.” When they came before the king, 33 he said to them: “Take your l ord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34 There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, a 5 Or charioteers
1 Kings
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‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my t hrone and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37 As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his t hrone even greater than the throne of my lord King Dav id!” 38 So Za dok the p riest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelet hites went down and had Solomon mount King Dav id’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the peo ple shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound. 41 Adonijah and all the g uests who were with him heard it as they were finishing t heir feast. On hear ing the sound of the trum pet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?” 42 Even as he was speak ing, Jon a t han son of Abiat har the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.” 43 “Not at all!” Jonat han answered. “Our lord King Dav id has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nat han the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites
and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the k ing’s mule, 45 and Zadok the priest and Nat han the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. 46 Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the roya l t hrone. 47 A lso, the roya l off icials have come to congratu late our lord King Dav id, say ing, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his t hrone greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48 and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a suc cessor on my t hrone today.’ ” 49 At this, all Adonijah’s g uests rose in a larm and dispersed. 50 But Adonijah, in fear of Sol omon, went and took hold of the h orns of the altar. 51 Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his ser vant to d eath with the sword.’ ” 52 Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adoni jah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.” David’s Charge to Solomon When the time drew near for Dav id to die, he gave a c harge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am a bout to go the way of all the e arth,”
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The Law of Legacy: David and Solomon 1 Kings 1:28–4 0
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wo things greatly helped Solomon in his succession to the throne of Israel; both gave him the authority he required to rule. First, God chose him to be the next king. Second, David chose him as his successor. Transitions in leadership often cause significant problems for groups and organizations. Notice what David did to smooth the transition process in his kingdom:
1. He made a public commitment (vv. 28–30).
2. He brought key influencers into the process (v. 32).
3. He gave Solomon some of his own resources, easily recognizable to the people (v. 33).
4. He set up a public commissioning for Solomon (vv. 34–35).
5. He publicly endorsed Solomon’s leadership (v. 35).
6. He initiated a celebration to transition the leadership to his successor (vv. 39–40).
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he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 and ob serve what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regu lations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants w atch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a suc cessor on the t hrone of Israel.’ 5 “Now you your self know what Joab son of Zeruia h did to me — what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He k illed them, shedding t heir b lood in peacetime as if in batt le, and with that b lood he stained the belt a round his w aist and the sandals on his feet. 6 Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the g rave in peace. 7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among t hose who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom. 8 “And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ 9 But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the g rave in blood.” 10 Then Da v id rest ed with his an ces tors and was buried in the City of Dav id. 11 He had reigned fort y years over Israel — seven years in Hebron and thirt y-t hree in Jerusalem. 12 So Sol omon sat on the t hrone of his fat her Dav id, and his rule was firmly established. Solomon’s Throne Established 13 Now Adonijah, the son of Hagg ith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?” He answered, “Yes, peacef ully.” 14 Then he added, “I have something to say to you.” “You may say it,” she replied. 15 “As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as t heir king. But things c hanged, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. 16 Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” “You may make it,” she said. 17 So he continued, “Please ask King Solo
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1 Kings 2:23
mon — he will not refuse you — to give me Abi shag the Shunammite as my wife.” 18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will s peak to the king for you.” 19 W hen Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his t hrone. He had a t hrone brought for the k ing’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand. 20 “I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.” 21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.” 22 K ing Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Ad onijah? You m ight as well request the kingdom for him — after all, he is my older brother — yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruia h!” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if
The Law of the Inner Circle: Solomon Ensures Loyalty 1 Kings 2:1–4 6
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olomon had to make some tough but crucial leadership decisions at the beginning of his reign. First, he had to deal with men scheming for power; even his own brother, Adonijah, tried to set up his own kingdom. One by one, King Solomon discerned the loyalties of his associates, then removed all who refused to cooperate with him. Solomon knew he could never work with renegades, no matter how influential or strategic they might seem. The young king ensured that his inner circle would include only loyal men who wanted to work with him. David had seen these troubles brewing on the horizon. He knew he was placing his son in a precarious leadership situation, but twice he confidently declared that Solomon would know what to do (1Ki 2:6, 9). David understood that those closest to Solomon would greatly hinder or improve his level of success. Solomon understood the same thing—and wisely acted on it.
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21 LAWS SOLOMON AND THE LAW OF THE BIG MO Momentum Is a Leader’s Best Friend 1 Kings 2:1—4:24 IT TAKES a leader to create momentum. Followers catch it. And managers are able to continue it once it has begun. But creating it requires someone who can motivate others, not one who needs to be motivated. Harry Truman once said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” For leaders, that statement should be changed to read, “If you can’t make some heat, get out of the kitchen.” All leaders face the challenge of creating change in an organization. Just as every sailor knows you can’t steer a ship that isn’t moving forward, strong leaders understand that to change direction, you first have to create forward progress. Without momentum, even the simplest tasks can seem insurmountable. But with momentum on your side, the future looks bright, obstacles appear small, and trouble seems temporary. With enough momentum, nearly any kind of change is possible. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
The time of transition from one leader to another presents the most critical challenge to continuing momentum. How did Solomon so successfully take the reins from his father? Consider the following actions the young king took to ensure a smooth transition: 1. He started with what David provided. Solomon’s father gave him everything he needed to start his reign: a stable kingdom, plentiful
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resources, wise counsel, and his public endorsement. David made it clear to everyone in Israel that he had chosen Solomon as king. 2. He humbly asked for leadership wisdom above all else. Solomon probably became king at about 18 years of age, yet despite his youth, he recognized the difficulties of leadership. He knew he needed wisdom above all else, so he asked for an understanding heart to judge God’s people. That request kept his motives pure and made it possible for him to avoid momentum- breakers. 3. He made wise decisions that won him credibility. Solomon made several deft decisions concerning enemies to his throne. He exiled one opponent, executed two others, and put a fourth under house arrest. But even more important, he cemented his credibility with the people. The wisdom he displayed in a domestic dispute profoundly impacted the people: “When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe” (1Ki 3:28). 4. He maintained the peace. Solomon’s bold moves against enemies within Israel maintained peace at home, thus preventing a bloody civil war. But Solomon wisely took additional
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military leader, David, created the nation’s momentum. Yet Solomon never led an army; his goals weren’t military in nature. He gave most of his attention to trade and construction—and that meant he had to change the direction of the nation’s momentum.
measures to keep other nations from threatening his country’s progress— and therefore he “had peace on all sides” (1Ki 4:24). 5. He surrounded himself with wise associates. Only Solomon among the kings of Israel can challenge David as the architect of a great inner circle. Solomon kept on a few of David’s trusted servants in his own administration, but not many. Most of them he nurtured himself.
What It Takes to Sustain Momentum How does a winning team keep winning? What makes it possible for an organization to keep the momentum going? The answer is not what, but who. It takes a leader to sustain momentum, a leader who possesses . . . 1. A willingness to accept responsibility for the organization’s momentum. Most leaders happily accept responsibility so long as an organization succeeds, but hedge when the organization starts to slip. Yet momentum—positive, negative, or nonexistent—is always the leader’s responsibility. Olan Hendrix, CEO of the Leadership Resource Group, maintains that after you’ve led an organization for three years, every problem is your problem. 2. A willingness to direct momentum instead of letting it direct him. Momentum always has a direction. Most people in an organization have little impact on its momentum; it simply carries them. But leaders cannot afford to surf momentum; they must steer it. Before Solomon became king, an outstanding
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3. A willingness to be enthusiastic at all times. Remain positive! Some personality types find it easy to remain enthusiastic; others don’t. Reflect on the following secrets to keeping leadership positive all the time: ■■
The work I’m doing is most important. Make sure your vision, your mission, and your actions all line up. It’s easy to stay excited when what you’re doing really matters.
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The people I work with are the best. Place a high value on everyone you work with. Expect the best of them, and they’ll give their best.
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The results will be positive. For the most part, you get what you expect. Only occasionally will you be surprised—but even then, you’ll just as often be surprised by better results as by worse ones.
Have you ever met a leader with a chronically negative attitude who was able to continually sustain positive momentum? Probably not. No leader can ignore the impact of momentum. If you’ve got it, you and your people will be able to accomplish things you never thought possible. If you don’t, the smallest tasks will seem difficult. As the leader, you must make the choice to have it.
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Adonijah does not pay with his life for this re quest! 24 And now, as surely as the Lord lives — he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised — Adonijah shall be put to death today!” 25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Ad onijah and he died. 26 To Abi athar the priest the king said, “Go back to your f ields in Anat hoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord be fore my fat her Dav id and shared all my fat her’s hardships.” 27 So Solomon removed Abiat har from the priesthood of the Lord, fulf illing the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli. 28 W hen the news r eached Joab, who had con spired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 K ing Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Be naiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!” 30 So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’ ” But he answered, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.” 31 Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. S trike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the g uilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. 32 The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and k illed them with the sword. Both of them — Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army — were better men and more upright than he. 33 May the guilt of their b lood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may t here be the Lord’s peace forever.” 34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and k illed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. 35 The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiat har with Zadok the priest. 36 T hen the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a h ouse in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. 37 The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”
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38 Shimei answered the king, “What you say is
good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time. 39 But t hree years later, two of Shimei’s s laves ran off to Achish son of Maa kah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” 40 At this, he sadd led his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shim ei went away and b rought the slaves back from Gath. 41 W hen Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, 42 t he king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’ 43 W hy then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?” 44 T he king also said to Shim ei, “You know in your heart all the w rong you did to my fa ther Dav id. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. 45 But King Solomon will be blessed, and Dav id’s t hrone will remain secure before the Lord forever.” 46 Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and s truck Shimei down and he died. The kingdom was now established in Solo mon’s hands. Solomon Asks for Wisdom Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He b rought her to the City of Dav id until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrif icing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been b uilt for the Name of the Lord. 3 Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his fat her Dav id, except that he offered sacrif ices and burned in cense on the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrif ices, for that was the most important high p lace, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Sol omon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 6 Solomon answered, “You have shown g reat kindness to your servant, my fat her Dav id, be cause he was faithf ul to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great
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kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his t hrone this very day. 7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father Dav id. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great peo ple, too numerous to c ount or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to disting uish between right and w rong. For who is able to govern this great peo ple of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the d eath of your enemies but for discernment in admin istering justice, 12 I will do what you have a sked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that t here will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for — both w ealth and honor — so that in your lifetime you will have no e qual a mong k ings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as Dav id your fat her did, I will give you a long life.” 15 Then Solomon awoke — and he rea lized it had been a dream.
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He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrif iced burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a f east for all his court. A Wise Ruling 16 Now two prost it utes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was t here with me. 18 The third day after my c hild was born, this woman also had a baby. We were a lone; there was no one in the h ouse but the two of us. 19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the midd le of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to n urse my son — and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.” 22 T he other woma n said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the f irst one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they ar gued before the king. 23 T he king said, “This one says, ‘My son is
The Law of Intuition: Solomon’s Problem Solving Gave Him Influence 1 Kings 3:3–2 8
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hat would you choose if God offered to give you anything you named? King Solomon came face- to-face with that delightful dilemma when Yahweh presented the young king with his equivalent of the genie in the bottle. “Ask for whatever you want me to give you,” the Lord said to Solomon one night (1Ki 3:5). Solomon displayed a good amount of wisdom by asking for more of it to lead the people of Israel. God not only answered his request, but also gave him what he did not ask for: riches, honor, long life and conquest. Leadership wisdom allowed Solomon to:
1. Make wise decisions for his nation.
2. Choose the right staff for his palace.
3. Judge wisely between disputing parties.
4. Recognize priorities and gain perspective. Before chapter 3 ends, Solomon has the chance to demonstrate his wisdom. Two women bring a child to him, both claiming to be the mother. Solomon tells them to cut the baby in half and let each woman have part of the child. He wisely used his knowledge of the overpowering maternal instinct to reveal the identity of the true mother.
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1 Kings 3:24
a live and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’ ” 24 T hen the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” 26 T he woma n whose son was a live was deep ly moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” 27 T hen the king gave his ruling: “Give the liv ing baby to the f irst woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.” 28 W hen all Israel heard the verd ict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to ad minister justice. Solomon’s Officials and Governors So King Solomon r uled over all Israel. 2 And t hese were his chief off icials:
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Azaria h son of Zadok — the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha — secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud — recorder; 4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada — commander in chief; Zadok and Abiathar — priests; 5 Azaria h son of Nat han — in charge of the district governors; Zabud son of Nat han — a p riest and adv is er to the king; 6 Ahishar — palace administrator; Ad o ni ram son of Abda — in charge of forced labor. 7 Solomon had t welve dist rict governors over all Israel, who supplied prov isions for the king and the roya l household. Each one had to pro vide supplies for one month in the year. 8 These are t heir names:
Ben-Hur — in the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-Deker — in Makaz, Shaa lbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan; 10 Ben-Hesed — in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his); 11 Ben-Abinadab — in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon); 12 Baana son of Ahilud — in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zaret han below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;
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13 Ben-Geber — in Ramoth Gilead (the settle ments of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixt y large walled cit ies with b ronze gate bars); 14 Ahinadab son of Iddo — in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz — in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon); 16 Baana son of Hushai — in Asher and in Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat son of Parua h — in Issachar; 18 Shimei son of Ela — in Benjamin; 19 Geber son of Uri — in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district. Solomon’s Daily Provisions 20 T he people of Judah and Israel were as nu merous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. 21 And Solo mon r uled over all the kingdoms from the Eu phrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. T hese countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life. 22 Solomon’s daily prov isions were thirt y cors a of the finest f lour and sixt y cors b of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed catt le and a hundred s heep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and c hoice fowl. 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Eu phrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree. 26 Solomon had four c thousand stalls for char iot horses, and twelve thousand horses. d 27 T he dist rict governors, each in his month, supplied prov isions for King Solomon and all who came to the k ing’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper p lace t heir quotas of barley and s traw for the chariot horses and the other horses. Solomon’s Wisdom 29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very g reat insight, and a breadth of understanding as mea sureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the a 22
That is, probably about 5 1/2 tons or about 5 metric tons That is, probably about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons c 26 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 9:25); Hebrew forty d 26 Or charioteers b 22
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people of the East, and greater than all the wis dom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite — w iser than He man, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding na tions. 32 He s poke t hree thousand proverbs and his s ongs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Leba non to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the k ings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. a Preparations for Building the Temple b When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Sol omon had been anointed king to succeed his fat her Dav id, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with Dav id. 2 Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:
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3 “You know that because of the wars aged against my father Dav id from all w sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on ev
Profile in leadership
SOLOMON
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1 Kings 5:9
ery side, and there is no adversary or disas ter. 5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my fat her Dav id, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will b uild the temple for my Name.’ 6 “So give orders that cedars of Leba non be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so s killed in felling timber as the Sidonians.” 7 W hen
Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lord today, for he has given Dav id a wise son to rule over this g reat nation.” 8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon: “I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in prov iding the cedar and juniper logs. 9 My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediter ranean Sea, and I will f loat them as rafts by sea to the p lace you specif y. There I will a 34 In Hebrew texts 4:21-34 is numbered 5:1-14. b In Hebrew texts 5:1-18 is numbered 5:15-32.
A Wise King Who Forgot the First Principle of Wisdom 1 Kings 4:29–3 4
or a smart guy, he sure ended up doing some dumb things. Near the beginning of Solomon’s reign, God approached the young king with a proposal: Ask me for anything you want. Much to God’s delight, Solomon didn’t ask for great riches, respect among world leaders, or an invincible nation. Solomon asked for wisdom, and God answered abundantly. The Bible tells us that the Lord gave the king “wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore,” and that his wisdom exceeded that of anyone else (1Ki 4:29–31). Solomon’s expansive mind explored the disciplines of botany, zoology and musicology, and pondered topics ranging from economics to communication to love. The wisdom of King Solomon helped Israel to prosper greatly. His kingdom annually took in untold amounts of gold and silver and other precious commodities. Solomon himself amassed wealth greater than all the kings of his time (1Ki 10:23). But by the end of his reign, this brilliant king somehow forgot the first principle of wisdom: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps 111:10). When Solomon was old, “his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God” (1Ki 11:4). Only wisdom energized by a vibrant walk with God makes godly leaders.
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1 Kings 5:10
Partnerships Allow Leaders to Achieve Far More 1 Kings 5:1–10
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hen Solomon began his rule, Hiram, the king of Tyre, congratulated him on his new position. Solomon capitalized on the relationship and invited Hiram to help him build the temple. Together, the two leaders achieved far more than they could have alone. That’s partnership.
separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by prov iding food for my roya l household.” 10 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted, 11 a nd Solomon gave Hiram twent y thousand cors a of wheat as food for his household, in ad ressed ol dition to twent y thousand baths b , c of p ive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. 12 The Lord gave Solomon wis dom, just as he had promised him. T here were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treat y. 13 K ing Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel — t hir t y thousand men. 14 He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand am onth, so that they s pent one month in Leb anon and two m onths at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had sevent y thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, 16 as well as thirt y-t hree men who su per v ised the proj hundred d fore ect and directed the workers. 17 At the k ing’s command they removed from the quarr y large blocks of high-grade stone to prov ide a foun dation of d ressed stone for the temple. 18 The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and workers from Byblos cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.
Solomon Builds the Temple In the four hundred and eightieth e year af ter the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord. 2 T he temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirt y high. f 3 The portico at the front of the
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main hall of the temple extended the w idth of the temple, that is twenty cubits, g and project ed ten cubits h from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow windows high up in the temple alls of the main hall and walls. 5 Against the w inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which t here were side rooms. 6 The lowest floor was five cubits i wide, the midd le f loor six cubits j and the t hird f loor seven. k He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. 7 In building the temple, only blocks d ressed at the quarr y were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was h eard at the temple site w hile it was being built. 8 T he ent rance to the lowest l f loor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the midd le level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it uilt the with beams and cedar planks. 10 And he b side rooms all a long the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by b eams of cedar. 11 T he word of the Lord came to Sol omon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulf ill through you the promise I gave to Dav id your fat her. 13 And I will live a mong the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.” 14 So Solomon built the temple and complet ed it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the f loor of the temple with planks of juniper. 16 He parti tioned off twent y cubits at the rear of the tem ple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 The main hall in f ront of this room was fort y cubits m long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with g ourds and open a 11
That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,250 metric tons b 11 Septuagint (see also 2 Chron. 2:10); Hebrew twenty cors c 11 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters d 16 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 2:2,18) thirty-six hundred e 1 Hebrew; Septuagint four hundred and fortieth f 2 That is, about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 27 meters long, 9 meters wide and 14 meters high g 3 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters; also in verses 16 and 20 h 3 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verses 23-26 i 6 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verses 10 and 24 j 6 That is, about 9 feet or about 2.7 meters k 6 That is, about 11 feet or about 3.2 meters l 8 Septuagint; Hebrew middle m 17 That is, about 60 feet or about 18 meters
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flowers. Everyt hing was cedar; no stone was to be seen. 19 He prepared the inner sanctua ry within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord t here. 20 The inner sanctuary was twent y cubits long, twent y wide and twent y high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains a cross the front of the inner sanc tuary, w hich was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the w hole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary. 23 For the inner sanctua ry he made a pair of cherubim out of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the f irst cherub was five cu bits long, and the other wing five cubits — ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The sec ond cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 T he h eight of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with t heir w ings spread out. The wing of one cherub t ouched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and t heir w ings touched each other in the midd le of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
1 Kings 6:38 29 On
the w alls all a round the temple, in both the inner and outer r ooms, he carved cherubim, palm t rees and open flowers. 30 He also covered the f loors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold. 31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made d oors out of olive wood that were one fifth of the w idth of the sanctuary. 32 And on the two olive-wood d oors he c arved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. 33 In the same way, for the ent rance to the main hall he made doorframes out of olive wood that were one fourth of the w idth of the hall. 34 He also made two doors out of juniper wood, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings. 36 A nd he built the inner courtyard of three cours es of d ressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams. 37 T he foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid in the f ourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specif ications. He had spent seven years building it.
The Difficulty of Handling Power 1 Kings 6:1–3 8
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olomon built the temple with excellence, sparing no expense and caring for each detail. He finished even the “invisible parts” with high quality and precision. Through his building program, Solomon became known everywhere and his power vastly increased. And that may be the very thing that led to his later problems. Every leader has power, gained in a variety of ways. Ponder the following “power platforms” and ask yourself: Which ones do I use with others?
1. Coercive Power: based on fear; failure to comply brings punishment Weakness: Volunteers cannot be forced to act.
2. Connection Power: based on who you know, not who you are Weakness: It becomes political.
3. Charisma Power: based on personality Weakness: Smiles and warm feelings cannot replace truth.
4. Competence Power: based on ability to get results Weakness: Raw ability is good, but not if it alienates or fails to empower people.
5. Christmas Power: based on gifts bestowed Weakness: People want what they don’t need, and need what they don’t want.
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Solomon Builds His Palace It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. 2 He b uilt the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, a with four rows of cedar columns sup porting trimmed cedar beams. 3 It was roofed with cedar a bove the b eams that rested on the columns — forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. 4 Its windows were placed high in sets of t hree, facing each other. 5 A ll the doorways had rectan gular frames; they were in the front part in sets of t hree, facing each other. b 6 He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirt y wide. c In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof. 7 He built the t hrone hall, the Hall of Just ice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from f loor to ceiling. d 8 And the palace in which he was to live, set fart her back, was sim ilar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. 9 A ll t hese struct ures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of b locks of high-grade stone cut to size and s moothed on t heir inner and outer fac es. 10 The foundations were laid with l arge stones of good qualit y, some measuring ten cubits e and some eight. f 11 Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great court yard was surrounded by a wall of three cours es of d ressed s tone and one course of trimmed cedar b eams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico.
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The Temple’s Furnishings 13 K ing Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram, g 14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a s killed craftsman in bronze. Huram was f illed with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all k inds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him. 15 He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference. h 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits i high. 17 A network of interwoven chains adorned the capitals on top of the pillars, sev en for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows j encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. k He did the
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same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the s hape of lil ies, four cubits l high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jak in m and the one to the north Boaz. n 22 T he capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed. 23 He made the Sea of cast meta l, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirt y cu bits o to measure around it. 24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it — ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one p iece with the Sea. 25 T he Sea stood on t welve b ulls, t hree facing north, t hree facing west, t hree facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and t heir hindquarters were toward the center. 26 It was a handbreadth p in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths. q 27 He also made ten movable s tands of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and t hree high. r 28 This is how the s tands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. 29 On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim — and on the uprights as well. Above and be low the li ons and bulls were w reaths of hammered work. 30 Each s tand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with w reaths on each side. 31 On the inside of the a 2
That is, about 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 45 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high b 5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain. c 6 That is, about 75 feet long and 45 feet wide or about 23 meters long and 14 meters wide d 7 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew floor e 10 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verse 23 f 10 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.6 meters g 13 Hebrew Hiram, a variant of Huram; also in verses 40 and 45 h 15 That is, about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference or about 8.1 meters high and 5.4 meters in circumference i 16 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 23 j 18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts made the pillars, and there were two rows k 18 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts pomegranates l 19 That is, about 6 feet or about 1.8 meters; also in verse 38 m 21 Jakin probably means he establishes. n 21 Boaz probably means in him is strength. o 23 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters p 26 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters q 26 That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence. r 27 That is, about 6 feet long and wide and about 4 1/2 feet high or about 1.8 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high
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s tand t here was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit a deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half. b Around its opening there was engrav ing. The panels of the stands were square, not round. 32 The four w heels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each w heel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast meta l. 34 Each stand had four hand les, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. 35 At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit c deep. The supports and panels were at tached to the top of the stand. 36 He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfac es of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with w reaths all around. 37 This is the way he made the ten s tands. They were all cast in the same m olds and were identical in size and shape. 38 He then made ten b ronze ba sins, each holding fort y baths d and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten s tands. 39 He p laced five of the s tands on the s outh side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the s outh side, at the southeast cor ner of the temple. 40 He also made the pots e and shovels and sprink ling bowls. So Huram finished all the work he had un dertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord: 41 the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pil lars; 42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pome granates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); 43 the ten s tands with their ten basins; 44 the Sea and the t welve bulls under it; 45 the pots, shovels and sprink ling bowls. All t hese objects that Huram made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth and Zaret han. 47 Solomon left all t hese t hings unweighed, because t here were so many; the w eight of the b ronze was not determined.
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1 Kings 8:8 48 Solomon
also made all the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple: the golden altar; the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; 49 the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs; 50 the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprin kling b owls, dishes and censers; and the gold sockets for the doors of the in nermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple. 51 W hen all the work King Sol o mon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father Dav id had dedicated — the silver and gold and the furnish ings — and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.
The Ark Brought to the Temple Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Isra elite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of Dav id. 2 A ll the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the m onth of Ethanim, the seventh month. 3 W hen all the elders of Israel had arrived, the rought up the priests took up the ark, 4 and they b ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Le vites carried them up, 5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and catt le that they could not be re corded or counted. 6 The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its p lace in the inner sanc tuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the w ings of the cherubim. 7 The cherubim s pread their w ings over the p lace of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its car rying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their
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a 31
That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters That is, about 2 1/4 feet or about 68 centimeters; also in verse 32 c 35 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters d 38 That is, about 240 gallons or about 880 liters e 40 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Vulgate (see also verse 45 and 2 Chron. 4:11); many other Hebrew manuscripts basins b 31
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1 Kings 8:9
ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are s till there today. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tab lets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites af ter they came out of Egypt. 10 W hen the p riests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 11 A nd the priests could not perform their ser vice because of the cloud, for the glor y of the Lord f illed his temple. 12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he w ould d well in a dark cloud; 13 I have in deed b uilt a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to d well forever.” 14 W hile the w hole as sem bly of Is ra el was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. 15 Then he said: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Is rael, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father Dav id. For he said, 16 ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any t ribe of Israel to have a temple b uilt so that my Name m ight be there, but I have chosen Dav id to rule my people Israel.’ 17 “My fat her Dav id had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my fat her Dav id, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 19 Nevert heless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own f lesh and b lood — he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’ 20 “ The Lord has kept the prom ise he made: I have succeeded Dav id my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 I have prov ided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he b rought them out of Egypt.” Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication 22 T hen Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his h ands toward heaven 23 and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven a bove or on e arth be low — you who keep your covenant of love
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with your servants who continue whole heartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant Dav id my father; with your mouth you have prom ised and with your hand you have fulf illed it — as it is today. 25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant Dav id my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the t hrone of Israel, if only your de scendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant Dav id my fat her come true. 27 “But will God real ly dwell on earth? The heav ens, even the high est heav en, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have b uilt! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple n ight and day, this place of w hich you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the p rayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. 31 “When anyone w rongs t heir neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your al tar in this temple, 32 t hen hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, con demning the g uilty by bringing down on t heir h eads what they have done, and vin dicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence. 33 “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give p raise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 t hen hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors. 35 “When the heavens are shut up and t here is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give p raise to your name and turn from t heir sin be cause
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you have aff licted them, 36 t hen hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. 37 “When fami ne or plague c omes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grass hoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of t heir cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel — being aware of the aff lictions of their own h earts, and spreading out t heir hands toward this temple — 39 t hen hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, s ince you know t heir h earts (for you a lone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors. 41 “As for the foreigner who does not be long to your peo ple Is ra el but has come from a distant land because of your name — 42 for they will hear of your g reat name and your mighty hand and your out stretched arm — when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heav en, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peo ples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. 44 “When your people go to war against t heir enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven t heir prayer and t heir plea, and up hold their cause. 46 “When they sin against you — for t here is no one who does not sin — and you become angry with them and give them over to t heir enemies, who take them cap tive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of t heir captors and say, ‘We have s inned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 a nd if they turn back to you with all t heir heart and soul in the land of t heir enemies who took them captive, and pray to you to ward the land you gave t heir ancestors, to ward the city you have chosen and the tem
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ple I have built for your Name; 49 t hen from heav en, your dwell ing place, hear t heir prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offens es they have committed a gainst you, and cause their captors to show them merc y; 51 for they are your people and your inheri tance, whom you b rought out of E gypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. 52 “May your eyes be open to your ser vant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them when ever they cry out to you. 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you de clared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ances tors out of Egypt.” 54 W hen Sol o mon had fin ished all these rayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose p from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his h ands spread out toward lessed the whole as heaven. 55 He stood and b sembly of Israel in a loud v oice, saying: 56 “Praise
be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave t hrough his servant Mo ses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have p rayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of
Leaders Know Their Source and Give God Credit 1 Kings 8:12–61
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fter Solomon built a magnificent temple to house the ark of the covenant, he prayed a dedication prayer committing the temple to God. Despite his hard work, Solomon knew all the glory belonged to God. All leaders must recognize that lasting fruit appears only by the blessing of God.
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his servant and the cause of his people Is rael according to each d ay’s need, 60 so that all the peoples of the e arth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 A nd may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” The Dedication of the Temple 62 T hen the king and all Is rael with him of fered sacrif ices before the Lord. 63 Solomon of fered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hun dred and twent y thousand s heep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the tem ple of the Lord. 64 On that same day the king con se crat ed the midd le part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and t here he offered b urnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fel lowship offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too s mall to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. 65 So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him — a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the peo ple away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyf ul and glad in h eart for all the good t hings the Lord had done for his servant Dav id and his people Israel. The Lord Appears to Solomon When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had a chieved all he had desired to do, 2 the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had ap peared to him at Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him:
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“I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by put ting my Name t here forever. My eyes and my h eart will always be there. 4 “As for you, if you walk before me faith fully with integrity of heart and upright ness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal t hrone over Israel forever, as I promised David your fa ther when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the t hrone of Israel.’
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6 “But
if you a or your descendants turn away from me and do not ob serve the commands and decrees I have given you a and go off to s erve other gods and worship them, 7 t hen I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All b who pass by will be appalled and will s coff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a t hing to this land and to this tem ple?’ 9 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought t heir ancestors out of Egypt, and have em braced other gods, worshiping and serving them — that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’ ” Solomon’s Other Activities 10 At the end of twen t y years, during which Solomon built t hese two buildings — t he tem ple of the Lord and the roya l palace — 11 K ing Solomon gave twent y towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and juniper and gold he want ed. 12 But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. 13 “What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he a sked. And he called them the Land of Kabul, c a name they have to this day. 14 Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents d of gold. 15 Here is the ac count of the forced la bor King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s temple, his own palace, the terraces, e the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. 16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and cap tured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He k illed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wed ding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He b uilt up Lower Beth Horon, 18 Baa lath, and Tadmor f in the desert, within his land, 19 as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his hors es g — whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, a 6 The Hebrew is plural. b 8
See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now imposing, all c 13 Kabul sounds like the Hebrew for good-for-nothing. d 14 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons e 15 Or the Millo; also in verse 24 f 18 The Hebrew may also be read Tamar. g 19 Or charioteers
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in Lebanon and throughout all the territor y he ruled. 20 T here were still people left from the Amo rites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hiv ites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites). 21 Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these peoples remaining in the land — whom the Israelites could not exterminate a — to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. 22 But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fight ing men, his government off icials, his off icers, his captains, and the commanders of his char iots and charioteers. 23 They were also the c hief off icials in charge of Solomon’s projects — 550 off icials superv ising those who did the work. 24 Af ter Phar aoh’s daugh ter had come up from the City of Dav id to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the terraces. 25 T hree t imes a year Solomon sacr if iced burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord a long with them, and so ful filled the temple obligations. 26 K ing Solomon also built ships at Ezion Ge ber, w hich is near Elath in Edom, on the s hore of the Red Sea. b 27 And Hiram sent his men — sailors who knew the sea — to serve in the f leet with Solomon’s men. 28 They s ailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents c of gold, which they de livered to King Solomon.
questions. 2 Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan — w ith camels carr ying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones — she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. 3 Solomon an swered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4 W hen the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 t he food on his table, the seating of his off icials, the attending servants in t heir robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offer ings he made at d the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed. 6 She said to the king, “The report I h eard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe these t hings until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and w ealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your people must be! How happy your off icials, who continua lly stand be fore you and hear your wisdom! 9 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” 10 A nd she gave the king 120 talents e of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never a gain were so many spices b rought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard
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The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. b 26 Or the Sea of Reeds c 28 That is, about 16 tons or about 14 metric tons d 5 Or the ascent by which he went up to e 10 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
Play to Your Strength: The 70–25–5 Principle 1 Kings 10:1–9
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reat leaders play to their strength. They don’t spend vast amounts of time attempting to be a jack-of- all-trades. Instead, they deepen their ability to do what they do best, until they do it as well as anyone. Solomon certainly lived by this principle. God made him the wisest and richest king of his day (1Ki 3:12–13). Other monarchs heard of his wisdom and wealth and eagerly sought an audience with him. From all over the known world, powerful rulers from distant lands made the long trek to Israel to catch a glimpse of this young phenom. Solomon provided rich counsel and gifts to others, and quickly became known for his breadth of mind and depth of insight. How did Solomon gain such fame? He focused on what he did best. Leaders would be wise to follow a similar pattern, called the 70–25–5 principle: ■■ ■■ ■■
Give 70 percent of your time to your areas of strength. Give 25 percent of your time to the areas you want to improve. Give 5 percent of your time to the areas of your weakness.
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