King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Monday, June 15, 2026
Chapters: I Kings 9, II Chronicles 8
Message: I Kings/II Chronicles: Solomon’s Accomplishments
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday we heard two very good sermons that tied in perfectly. The morning service reminded us of the many religions who proclaim Christ yet are not biblically sound and therefore leading people down the wrong path. The evening service reminded us of how easy it is for the one on fire for God to turn away from Him all together. It all comes down to the heart and making sure that we as saved, born again Christians are keeping our hearts, minds, and walk with Christ according to the Word of God. And believe it or not, it does matter. As we return to the reading of I Kings, God informs Solomon that He has heard his one thousand word prayer.
[I Kings 9:1-3 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do, 2 That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. 3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.]
Anyone can pray to God, but that does not mean that He hears them. Notice that it says that God appeared to Solomon as He had appeared unto him at Gibeon, meaning that this encounter also came to Solomon in a dream. Therefore, the fire that fell from heaven was not the moment when God spoke to him. That fire was God’s public response to Solomon’s prayer, but the private conversation came afterward. God Himself consecrated the Temple, set it apart for His own use, placed His name upon it, and assured Solomon that He would hear the prayers offered there as long as he stayed faithful to Him as his father did.
[I Kings 9:4-6 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: 5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. 6 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:]
God promises to be with us through thick and the thin. He will hear and answer our prayers, and He alone is the One who establishes us in His kingdom. However, His protections and provisions are conditional. God, goes on to tell Solomon what would happen if he or any of his children turned away from Him and followed other gods.
[I Kings 9:7-9 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: 8 And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? 9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.]
God’s second revelation to Solomon carried a twofold purpose. First, it assured the king that his prayer had been heard and that the Temple was fully accepted by the Lord. Second, God laid before Solomon the conditions upon which both king and people could enjoy lasting prosperity. Wholeheartedness was required, not merely in the great milestones of life, but in the steady steps of daily obedience. Should they turn on Him, then their sin would be exposed to the whole world. It would be evident that they had not only abandoned the Temple, but defiled it with their iniquities. Salvation does not exempt anyone from earthly judgment. Jesus said this to His Church.
[Revelation 2:2-5 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.]
Believers cannot totally or finally fall away from the grace they have received; yet they may fall into sin, and in doing so lose, for a season, some of the mercies and comforts that accompany close fellowship with God. After the Temple was completed, Solomon accomplished several other projects with Hiram’s help. Yet in the midst of these successes, he made one unwise decision that strained not only his relationship with Hiram, but the stability of the kingdom as well. To repay Hiram for his services, Solomon gave him a portion of land, however, Hiram was displeased with the land he received because it had been burnt. Because of this, Solomon bought the land back from him and then imposed taxes on the people to cover the cost.
[I Kings 9:11-12,15-16 (Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not. 15 And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife.]
Can you see why Hiram was dissatisfied with the land? It held no real value, and Solomon’s choice reflected poor judgment in his dealings, even if he had no idea that the Pharaoh destroyed it. Christians must be just as faithful, if not more in their dealings with the world as they are with fellow believers, [Luke 16:10-12 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?]
Now, twenty years has passed and at the time, Solomon, was very religious, deeply involved in all the worship services at the temple and even had an altar built at his home where he offered burnt offerings daily. Not all of the women he married were ones out of love, he also did so out
[II Chronicles 8:1-3,7-9 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house, 2 That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. 3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it. 7 As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel, 8 But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day. 9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.]
Doing business with the world is one thing, but becoming entangled with them is something entirely different. We are to be careful about forming close partnerships with those who are not like‑minded in our faith. Even, at times, with certain born‑again Christians whose walk or convictions may not align with what God has called us to. The difficulty arises when their choices or attitudes become a hindrance, pulling us away from what God desires for our lives. Yet Solomon and the kingdom continued to prosper as long as he remained faithful to God and kept himself separated from those who were not walking in the same direction. That is why it is recorded that he put his wife in a separate home away from the Temple.
[II Chronicles 8:11-13 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come. 12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch, 13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.]
Solomon had direct and continual access to the Temple. In fact, a special entrance was constructed from the palace to the Temple grounds. This allowed him not only to seek spiritual guidance with ease, but also to approach the altar daily to make atonement for sin. Solomon also goes on to appoint the Levites to their duties.
[II Chronicles 8:14-16 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded. 15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures. 16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.]
God does not expect us to be perfect, for we are already made perfect in Christ. What He does expect is faithfulness. Those who are faithful will fail Him more times than they can count, and they will stumble more than once along the way. Yet they remain faithful, they return, they repent, they keep walking with Him, and that means much more to God than any false commitment, [I John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, It truly is amazing what You have done in my life since the day I got baptized and dedicated my life to You. The walk has not always been easy, I have been tempted and tried, and even walked into some dangerous territory, but You have always kept me from falling completely, even pulling me out of the fire more times that I care to admit. LORD, let me never lose sight of Your faithfulness to me, and Your willingness to give me the things I need and desire through my faithfulness to You. You are my strength, my guide, my comfort, my hope, and my foundation, I am nothing without You, and never want a day without You. I love You Lord, and pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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