CHAPTER 3

 1Ki 3:1  And Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh the king of Egypt. And he took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David, until he finished building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem all around. 

1Ki 3:2  Only, the people were sacrificing in high places, for a house for the name of Jehovah had not been built until those days. 

1Ki 3:3  And Solomon loved Jehovah, to walk in the statutes of his father David. Only, he was sacrificing in high places and burning incense. 

1Ki 3:4  And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 

1Ki 3:5  Jehovah appeared to Solomon in Gibeon in a dream of the night. And God said, Ask. What shall I give to you? 

1Ki 3:6  And Solomon said, You have done great kindness to Your servant, my father David, as he walked before You in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with You. And You have kept for him this great kindness, and have given to him a son sitting on his throne, as today. 

1Ki 3:7  And now, O Jehovah my God, You have caused Your servant to reign instead of my father David. And I am a little man-child; I do not know to go out and to come in. 

1Ki 3:8  And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a numerous people that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. 

1Ki 3:9  Also give to Your servant an understanding heart, to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this, Your great people? 

1Ki 3:10  And the word was good in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 

1Ki 3:11  And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself many days, nor asked riches for yourself, nor asked the life of your enemies, and have asked for discernment for yourself, to understand judgment, 

1Ki 3:12  behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given to you a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like you before you, and after you none shall rise up like you. 

1Ki 3:13  And also, I have given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, that there shall not be a man like you among the kings all your days. 

1Ki 3:14  And if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commands, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days. 

1Ki 3:15  And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream! And he came into Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and offered burnt offerings, and made peace offerings. And he made a banquet for all his servants. 

1Ki 3:16  Then two women, harlots, came in to the king and stood before him. 

1Ki 3:17  And the one woman said, O my lord, this woman and I were living in one house. And I gave birth, with her in the house. 

1Ki 3:18  And it happened on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no stranger was with us in the house, only we two in the house. 

1Ki 3:19  And the son of this woman died at night, because she laid on it. 

1Ki 3:20  And she rose up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me and laid it in her bosom; and your handmaid was asleep. And she laid her dead son in my bosom. 

1Ki 3:21  And I rose up in the morning to suckle my son; and behold! It was dead. And I looked at it in the morning; and, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne. 

1Ki 3:22  And the other woman said, No, but my son is the living, and your son the dead. And this one said, No, but your son is dead, and my son the living. And they spoke before the king. 

1Ki 3:23  And the king said, This one says, This is my son, the living one, and your son the dead. And that one says, No, but your son is the dead, and my son the living. 

1Ki 3:24  And the king said, Bring a sword to me. And they brought the sword before the king. 

1Ki 3:25  And the king said, Divide the living child into two, and give the half to the one, and the half to the other. 

1Ki 3:26  And the woman whose son was the living one said to the king (for her womb yearned over her son) yea, she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and do not at all put it to death. And this one said, Let it be neither yours or mine, divide it. 

1Ki 3:27  And the king answered and said, Give to her the living child, and do not put it to death at all; she is its mother. 

1Ki 3:28  And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had judged, and feared from the face of the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment. 

Summary: Solomon makes an alliance with Egypt. There is sacrificing in the high places. Solomon asks God for wisdom. God is pleased and offers more. Solomon reveals his wisdom in something that could have blown up in his face.

1. What was wrong with sacrificing on the high places? Was this a spill over practice? Did this happen in David's time too? The order of sacrifice is clear throughout the judicial dispensation through Moses. Leviticus makes it clear that it was to take place at the tabernacle. Deuteronomy 12 makes it clear that God would dictate the location. 

One issue with "high places" is indicated with the beginning word of the verse "only". This indicates there was something amiss or incomplete in the offering worship. The verse completes the thought "for a house had not yet been built." (See question 2) Note that the ark is not held in the tabernacle as was required by law. Why not? These clues point to what was to come in the temple, a coming together of what God had joined together earlier for His worship.

A bigger issue with "high places" is that many times these were abandoned Canaanite sites of idolatry. We will see many of these places restored to their original cult god worship site status. Over time, Solomon would yield to pressures to restore these places of idolatry.

2. The significance of the Lord appearing to Solomon at Gibeon is found in 1Chron. 16:37-39.

    Where is the ark of the covenant at this time? Jerusalem (2Sam. 6)

    Where was the tabernacle? Gibeon

- What is glaring about verse 1? An alliance with Egypt? Can this be good? Consider the instructions to the kings in Deuteronomy:

Deu 17:16  Only, he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to turn back to Egypt so as to multiply horses, since Jehovah has said to you, You shall not again return in this way any more. 

- How old was Solomon when he asked God for wisdom? Unknown. From the sources I read, it varies from 12-20. He calls himself a little boy in verse seven. That word denotes someone no older than adolescence. It is interesting that in his inaugurating year, Rehaboam is 1-year old. As should be considered, some writings may not be in chronological order. That being said, the text reads as a continual thought. He has the dream, then sacrifices and throws a banquet, then exhibits his wisdom.

- In the Case of the two harlots what does Solomon do to exhibit his wisdom? Was this risky?
Verse 26 - (for her womb yearned over her son) - what does this mean? Does this really happen? Of course it does! Solomon understands the power of love and emotion. It is stronger than any perpetrated lie. Solomon manipulates these two women to expose their rightful place in the situation...through their emotion and intent. This was absolutely risky business. If they both said no or yes, his plan would have failed and he would have lost face. 
The foundation of WHY the risk was not an issue is found in the sentence "they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment."   Verse three gives us insight to Solomon "And Solomon loved Jehovah, to walk in the statutes of his father." Was it not faith that was driving Solomon?

-Where else have we seen the general thought "if you walk in my ways?" 
(Abraham) Gen 17:12, 18:19 - (Levite Priesthood) Lev. 26/27 - (David) 2Sam. 22:33 - (Israel) Deut. 5:33, 8:6, 10:12, 19:9. Many of these passages are closely tied to the law, as well as walking with Him. 

Deut 19:9  if you will keep these commandments which I am commanding you today, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk in His ways forever....

Are we under a system of law with Jesus the Christ? The Hebrew writer is clear that we are not. Are we to continue to "keep commands?" If so, what commands? Paul clearly showed that the law was fulfilled by the Christ and a new covenant has been initiated!
Jesus says in John 14:15 "If you love Me keep my commandments."
How does the Christian reconcile these two? How does a system of mercy/grace work?