Running head: CONTENT ESSAY: 1 KINGS ASSIGNMENT 1

Content Essay: 1 Kings Assignment

Shawn King

OBST 515

July 31, 2022

Liberty University
 CONTENT ESSAY: 1 KINGS ASSIGNMENT 2

Content Essay: 1 Kings Assignment

The relationship of Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and the two books of Kings supports the idea

of what a leader should be and shows the dynamic of the kings of Israel. In the context of Kings,

Deuteronomy points out important qualifications Israel is to expect from their king. The first and

direct command is that the king must be from the same nation and not a foreigner; as well as to

be chosen by God, Himself (Deuteronomy 17:15, KJV). He was to be a humble man, focusing

his attention on his country and his people (Deuteronomy 17:20 KJV). The king is not to take too

many wives. This was key to preventing himself from being pulled in many directions away

from God (Deuteronomy 17:17 KJV). The king is to also avoid gathering wealth for himself

(Deuteronomy 17:17 KJV) and creating a large garrison for himself (Deuteronomy 17:16 KJV).

The king must study and obey all the law (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). The characteristics written

about the way of life and the attitude of the Israelite kings and the reality of the life of kings is

severely contrasted. When you compare these qualifications with the characteristics of Saul,

David, and Solomon, these men failed at being king. Saul’s character revealed the disregard for

the command of the LORD. God told Saul to kill Agag and the nation of the Amalekites. Saul,

instead, allowed Aga to live (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). This led to Saul being rejected as king (1

Samuel 15:10-23.

With Solomon, he was selected to be king by the LORD. David had several children to

succeed as king but the thing that led to his reign was the LORD had chosen Solomon to reign as

king. David gave his support to the LORD’s choice:

“Solomon was anointed and proclaimed king in the closing years of his father David,

who abdicated in his favor. His early life was bright with promise, and it was God's
 CONTENT ESSAY: 1 KINGS ASSIGNMENT 3

purpose that he should go on from strength to strength, from glory to glory, ever

approaching nearer the similitude of the character of God, and thus inspiring His people

to fulfill their sacred trust as the depositaries of divine truth” 1.

In his early years, Solomon was dedicated to his calling as king. He fit the qualifications.

David, himself, knew Solomon needed “to fulfill the trust with which God was pleased to honor

him, the youthful ruler must be not merely a warrior, a statesman, and a sovereign, but a strong,

good man, a teacher of righteousness, an example of fidelity” 2.

From the narrative of 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Kings, it is evident that these first three king

were indeed set to be the representative God himself set them to be, true leaders for the people.

But as with Saul, he deviated from his post based on the instruction of what a king should be.

This indeed makes me to believe that the writer of Kings had the elements of Deuteronomy 17 in

mind when writing the “Solomonic Narrative”.

With respect to the list of qualifications of being king, Solomon manifested the

following:

“While Solomon exalted the law of heaven, God was with him, and wisdom was given

him to rule over Israel with impartiality and mercy. At first, as wealth and worldly honor

came to him, he remained humble, and great was the extent of his influence” 3.

1
Ellen G. White. Prophets and Kings, Pacific Press Publishing, 1917, pg. 25.
2
Ibid, pg. 26.
3
Ibid, pg. 51.
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This statement depicts Solomon as a worthy king. Throughout the narrative of 1 Kings,

Solomon was noted for his positive qualities. The positives were that Solomon invested in the

work of finishing the temple was moved and blessed by the LORD. Solomon was noted as a wise

king (1 Kings 10:23-24) but was noted as a terrible king (1 Kings 12:4).

In the early chapters of 1 Kings, Solomon was noted to have “made affinity with Pharaoh

king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had

made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem

round about” 4. This is an early indication that Solomon was straying away from the

characteristic revealed in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 17:16 states that the king should not

“cause the people to return to Egypt” 5, something that Solomon was slowly introducing into the

realm of his kingdom.

Solomon begun to lose sight of his calling. “As inclination gained the ascendancy over

reason, self-confidence increased, and he sought to carry out the Lord's purpose in his own way.

He reasoned that political and commercial alliances with the surrounding nations would bring

these nations to a knowledge of the true God; and he entered into unholy alliance with nation

after nation. Often these alliances were sealed by marriages with heathen princesses. The

commands of Jehovah were set aside for the customs of surrounding peoples” 6.

Solomon began to pride himself due to his wisdom. He prided himself that his influence

and wisdom would lead his wives to turn from “idolatry to the worship of the true God, and also
4
1 Kings 3:1 (KJV)
5
Deuteronomy 17:16 (KJV)
6
Ellen G. White. Prophets and Kings, Pacific Press Publishing, 1917, pg. 54.
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that the alliances thus formed would draw the nations round about into close touch with Israel” 7.

Solomon began to move away from the qualification of a king revealed in Deuteronomy 17 and

showed characteristics opposite of being a king. The responsibility Solomon had he tried to

maintain but his motivation had changed. Solomon moved himself to complete the call of

conversion. His character of humility moved into pride.

“From a human point of view, this marriage, though contrary to the teachings of God's

law, seemed to prove a blessing; for Solomon's heathen wife was converted and united

with him in the worship of the true God….But in forming an alliance with a heathen

nation, and sealing the compact by marriage with an idolatrous princess, Solomon rashly

disregarded the wise provision that God had made for maintaining the purity of His

people. The hope that his Egyptian wife might be converted was but a feeble excuse for

the sin. 8”

Solomon fell into the same trap that Saul fell into, the disregard of the commandment of

God which led Solomon to do his own will.

7
Ibid, pg. 54
8
Ibid, pg. 53
 CONTENT ESSAY: 1 KINGS ASSIGNMENT 6

Bibliography

1 Kings 3:1 King James Version

Deuteronomy 17:16 King James Version

White, E. G. (1917). Prophets and Kings. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing

Association.