Study Desk

"The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he struck two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know about it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself a long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,

"Then this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him.

When all Israel heard about the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

"You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.

However, Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

"But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.

"When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your favor in this house,

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them,

On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the LORD, because there he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.

"And they will say, 'Because they abandoned the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped and served them, for that reason the LORD has brought all this adversity on them.'"

"Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to put you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loves Israel forever, He made you king, to do justice and righteousness."

Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,

because they have abandoned Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and keeping My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.

Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

So the king did not listen to the people; because it was a turn of events from the LORD, in order to establish His word which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because you have disobeyed the command of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you,