1 Kings 11:1-25

11:1-8 | Solomon was about 60 years old by this time. Among kings in the ancient Near East, taking foreign wives often produced political alliances; for Israel, it led to the worship of other gods (Ex. 34:12-17; Deut. 17:17) – a double disobedience. At first, Solomon’s sin was immorality and sensuality, but eventually it became gross idolatry that divided his heart.

11:9-12 | Even God’s blessing and wisdom cannot compensate for a divided heart. Solomon spoke with the God of Israel in person twice (3:5; 9:2) and was singled out for special blessing. Yet he left a son who was more foolish than he was, and Solomon died knowing that the great kingdom God had given him from his father would soon be torn asunder.

11:14-40 | A divided heart leads to a divided kingdom. Today, believers bring division to their marriages, their families, and their churches when they fail to guard their hearts and set them on eternal concerns (Prov. 4:23; Col. 2:3; 3:1-4).

11:14-15 | King Hadad became a thorn in Solomon’s side for the rest of his reign. Hadad lived to take revenge on Israel for David’s slaughter of the Edomites (2 Sam. 8:13-14).