In 1 Kings 9:1-9, we read about God conveying a message to Solomon, urging him to remain close to God, just as his father David did in the past. Now, David was not perfect – he failed miserably at times. But despite David’s disobedience, he consistently returned toGod throughconfessionand repentance, which is precisely what God is asking from Solomon. Unfortunately, though, as we continue reading in 1 Kings, we’ll read that Solomon failed to heed the Lord’s command. He committed some serious sins and failed to repent like his father had done. Sadly, Solomon’s life took a tragic turn, and ended with his heart far from God. Ultimately, Solomon’s disobedience resulted in a civil war in Israel, dividing the kingdom into Judah in the south and Israel in the north. The core message though of 1 Kings 9:1-9 is that God was trying to encourage Solomon to obey based on a profound truth: God had promised David an eternal throne. Now, if this promise had depended on the obedience of David or Solomon, it would have fallen apart rather quickly. But fortunately, this promise was not based on their obedience, but rather upon the expectation of a future Son descending from the line of David, who would be wholly obedient. And with this future Son in mind, God pledged to Solomon, that David’s throne would endure for all eternity. Solomon 40
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