The Lord Appears to Solomon (Solomon): 24 years into his reign, after completing the Temple and Palace building projects, the Lord appeared to King Solomon again. This time, instead of giving him the gift of wisdom, God gave him a stern but gracious warning: There is a path that leads to life, but there are many paths that lead away from life. Recorded on Jan 11, 2026, on 1 Kings 9:1-9 by Pastor David Parks.
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This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
We’re working through a sermon series on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel, in a series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. And for the last few weeks, we’ve seen the joy and celebration of the dedication of the beautiful and historic Temple of God in the city of Jerusalem. And it wasn’t just that pretty much our whole sermon series led up to this, although it did. As we said, the dedication of the Temple is the high point of the whole Old Testament. Everything in Israel’s history led up to this unprecedented time of peace and prosperity, and in building the Temple for the God who had been so good and so faithful to them. Today, we’ll consider the second appearance of God to King Solomon. The first appearance was back in chapter 3, before the Temple project started, when Solomon asked for wisdom to administer justice, and God was pleased with this and lavished his wisdom on the king. Would God give Solomon something more now that he had accomplished so much for God? Well, yes, but it might not be what you’d expect. After all kinds of success, the Lord gave Solomon a gracious yet stern warning about the way he should walk through life. And how should we walk through life? Well, friends, there is so much wisdom in this warning. So, if you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 9:1. We’ll read through it and unpack it as we go.
1 Kings 9:1-3 (NIV), “1 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, 2 the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” Twenty-four years had passed since Solomon, son of David, had become the king of the kingdom of ancient Israel. We saw that the first four years were spent organizing and mobilizing the kingdom for these historic building projects with all the wisdom that God had so graciously given him. Then King Solomon spent seven years building a house for the Lord, the signature building project of his reign. For the last two weeks, we considered the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the prayer and worship that accompanied that. It was a huge celebration of the goodness and faithfulness and nearness of God to his covenant people. But then, once the Temple was done, King Solomon kept his machine going to build himself a house. And he spent thirteen years, almost double the amount of time spent on the Temple, to build his famously lavish Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. You might remember that the editor of the book of Kings inserted that story in the middle of the Temple story, which raised the question of whether it was right for Solomon to spend so much more time building so much bigger of a house for himself than for the Lord. But there were no strong condemnations in the text. So even though it was maybe questionable, it didn’t seem to be obviously sinful, but it did foreshadow later problems in the king’s life. Nevertheless, when these projects were done, I’m sure Jerusalem looked like a totally different city. Imagine the pride you would have if you lived there. Your king was famous for his wisdom and wealth. The kingdom had peace and prosperity. And did you hear what God just told King Solomon? The Lord told Solomon he heard his prayers at the dedication of the Temple. And God said that he had consecrated Solomon’s Temple, that is, he set it apart as holy. There have been many beautiful and impressive buildings throughout the history of the world. But this one was special, because the Lord God Almighty, the maker of the heavens and the earth, decided put his Name on this one. In ancient times, a name represented all of who someone was. For God to put his name on the Temple meant this Temple represented all of who he was/is/ever would be. And God said, “My eyes and my heart will always be there.” In other words, this place would always have his attention and affection (eyes and heart). Now, the Lord had no obligation to do this. But he did it because he wanted to have a relationship with them. And in any healthy relationship, you’re going to have someone’s attention and affection, their concern and their compassion. But a healthy relationship is a two-way street. Both partners ought to benefit, but both have responsibilities as well. Would God have any responsibilities for Solomon?
1 Kings 9:4-5 (NIV), “4 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’” In these verses, the “you” is singular, meaning God is speaking to King Solomon alone. If you, Solomon, walk according to my ways, things will go more than well for you. God reiterated his promise to David from 2 Samuel 7 that God would establish their kingdom, and they would have a king from their house and line who would reign over Israel forever and ever. God would do what he promised, but we see here that Solomon had responsibilities in this relationship as well. He was to walk before God with integrity of heart and uprightness — not to pay God lip service only or check off some religious boxes, but to obey the Lord from the heart. His inner world was supposed to match his outer world, to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, as his father, David, had done. Now, we know that David wasn’t a perfect man. But David repented of his sins and was forgiven by God because God is gracious and merciful. Even in his sin, David trusted in the Lord to save. And this would become the standard for what a good and godly king, on this side of eternity, could look like. Would Solomon follow this pattern, this way of walking through life? Well, so far in our series, it would appear as if he would, right? After all, who was it that God chose to be the king after David? Solomon. And who was it that God chose to build his Temple? Solomon. And who did it? Solomon! When he was a boy, he was raised in the faith. He definitely knew the Scriptures; that’s clear. And God made specific promises about him. As a man, when he became the king, Solomon put years of his life and untold riches and the resources of his kingdom into the Temple; he was very generous to the Lord. And Solomon prayed such a faith-filled prayer at the dedication of the Temple that the Lord approved all his requests. Surely, Solomon would stay faithful to the Lord. Surely he would have integrity of heart, obey the Law, and walk faithfully before the Lord all the days of his life, just as his father, David, had done……But what if he didn’t?
1 Kings 9:6-9 (NIV), “6 “But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 9 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’” This is God’s word. Friends, I’ve had a heavy burden on my heart for you as I prepared this message. I’m not sure I understand all the reasons why, but one thing I know for sure, this is a very severe and direct warning of God to not only Solomon but to the whole kingdom of Israel. We know this because in these verses, “you” changes from singular to plural. “But if you [all] or your descendants turn away from me,” then it will be an absolute calamity. Israel would be cut off from the land. This phrase is used in the Law for someone who, through their lawbreaking, had to be removed (cut off) from the congregation of the people. They were no longer considered part of God’s people. But also, the Lord would reject his house that he had just consecrated for his Name. The Hebrew word for “reject” implies a divorce. “Israel will then become a byword” means they’ll become an example to the world of what happens when you abandon the Lord, an object of scorn/scoffing. But the world will know that they brought all this destruction on themselves. Why? Because they rejected the one who made/loved/rescued them time and again. They rejected the one who blessed them and set his attention and affection on them. It wouldn’t be that God changed his mind. It would be because the people had rejected God. This is serious stuff. But was it really necessary for God to be so stern with Solomon here? Yes. Because if, after all the good things that God had done for them, they were still in danger of apostasy and all the disasters that come with rejecting the only source of life, light, and love in the universe, then it would be the most loving thing for God to warn his people. If Solomon would be seriously tempted by his virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women, even after all the good things he had done for the Lord, then it was an act of grace that God would be so severe in this second appearance, right? If one of my kids started doing something different from what I would prefer, I might make a comment about it or maybe ask a few questions about it, but I wouldn’t stress about it too much. But if they started doing something dangerous or destructive that could harm them or others, I wouldn’t be subtle about that. I would make sure they heard my warning and understood the consequences of continuing down that path because, as a father, I hate the things that harm my children. Well ok, but still, with everything Solomon knew about who God was and all that he had done for him and his people, did he really need this warning? It might seem insane that, after everything Solomon had seen with his own eyes of the goodness and faithfulness of God, and after all he had done himself to promote the worship of the one true God, that he would choose his own sinful path. But, friends, that’s the power of sin. Sin is blinding. We can’t always see how foolish or destructive it is. In fact, it’s just the opposite; sin often seems appealing, as if it were good for us! Isn’t that what happened in the Garden of Eden? When Satan questioned God’s word and lied to Eve, saying that his command wasn’t good or true, then what happened? “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Ge 3:6). They didn’t disobey God because they thought it would hurt them; they thought it would help them! And it ruined everything. Have you ever experienced this dynamic, tempted to sin, but you couldn’t see what could be wrong with it, in fact, it seemed appealing or helpful to you? Maybe telling a little white lie that you know will make you look good at work? Or maybe leaning into a flirty conversation with someone because your spouse hasn’t been very attentive/exciting lately? Or maybe refusing to forgive someone because you really just don’t like them? The Lord, in his kindness, knew King Solomon wasn’t exempt from this. No one is, including pastors. It’s why the first audience of the book of Kings needed this warning. They were living in the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness that resulted in the Exile and the destruction of the Temple, just as God had said would happen. But this is why we need this warning, too. It’s the perennial problem of life in a broken world. Over and over in the Bible, we’re told that there are really only two ways to live, two paths to take through life: There is a path that leads to life, but there are many paths that lead away from life. This is what God told Solomon all those years ago. But this is what God repeatedly warned his people about. That was God’s message in the Garden—you are literally in paradise in perfect relationship with me, but if you disobey my word, you will surely die. There are two paths, paradise and death. Later, before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses said there were either blessings or curses for them depending on which path they took in life. So many proverbs say this, too, perhaps even some written by Solomon after this conversation with God. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death,” because sin is blinding. Jesus taught on this many times, as well. In Matthew 7:13-14, he said, “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” “But wait a minute,” you might think, “how can there be only one way to live? Isn’t that oppressive or intolerant?” The Biblical answer is that the path to life is the path God has given us in his word, because God is the creator and he designed his creation to work a certain way. If you take a Toyota Prius and drive it across an open field, bad things are gonna happen. Why? Because Toyota is oppressive/intolerant? Of course not! It’s because they didn’t design the Prius to do that. If you drive a Prius off-road, it’s going to fall apart immediately. And if human beings fail to live according to our design, what do you think will happen? I’d guess it would look pretty close to how our world looks today, don’t you think? Constant confusion, chaos, and conflict. Widespread anger, anxiety, and depression. People who are desperate for hope, truth, identity, and joy. A new savior trotted out every other day, only to fall far short of what we need. It certainly feels like we’re off-road, doesn’t it? Well, Christians today know how God finally dealt with the problem of sin in the world. The Lord Jesus offered himself on the cross to pay the price for the sins of the world. So now, everyone from the greatest among us to the very least can be forgiven and freed from the power of sin and the ultimate consequence of sin, that is, death, through faith in Jesus. His way is the way that leads to life! But today, if you’ve never put your faith and trust in Christ, it doesn’t matter how much money you have or how popular you are or how accomplished you might be or even how much you’ve done for God — it doesn’t matter if you’re King Solomon himself; you’re on a path that leads to destruction and death. But please hear the invitation of Christ: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt 11:28–29). Do not delay. You don’t know what tomorrow might bring. But know this: all who come to Jesus in the sincerity of faith will be accepted by him. And he would like nothing more than for you to walk through life with him, starting now and going on into eternity. But what about for the Christian? What can help us stay on this path that leads to life, the path of Jesus? Well, certainly passages like this can be a gut check for us. Maybe that was the burden I felt all week. Because if this was potentially a problem for a man as wise and accomplished as King Solomon, and if it was a problem for generations of Israel, surely many of whom were very smart and relatively good people, I’m not going out on much of a limb when I say this might be a problem for us as well. So today, if you say you’re a Christian, are you following Jesus in every area of your life? Is your faith real, or is it only lip service and a religious box to check? You come to church on Sundays, but are you walking before God faithfully with integrity of heart, careful to obey all commands of Christ? And when you stumble off the path, do you come back in humble repentance, trusting once again in the promise of forgiveness because of the person and work of Christ? If so, then you’re on the right path, the path that leads to life. Now, at times, even on the right path, your life might be very hard, and your circumstances might seem hopeless, but following Jesus is the only path that leads to the life that is truly life, and life eternal in the kingdom of God. He has done so much more for us than merely setting his attention and affection on us. The path of Jesus was a path that led to his death, so ours might lead to life. Let us then fight to follow him with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in us—and live. Let us pray.
