“So Adonai said to Shlomo, ‘Since this is what has been in your mind, and you haven’t kept my covenant and my regulations which I ordered you to obey, I will tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant.'” – 1 Kings 11:11
I’m discussing with a fellow believer, a Messianic Jew and good friend, whether Christians are wrong to incorporate the Easter deity (Ashtoreth or Ishtar) into their worship practices.
His argument is that what matters is what’s in our hearts.
I wouldn’t necessarily disagree.
After all, the Levitical sacrificial system wasn’t some automatic forgiveness vending machine.
You had to be sincere in your repentance for the wrong you committed.
However, verse 11 renders that argument moot.
Because we’re told Solomon’s unfaithfulness went beyond his thoughts and became a matter of action.
He physically broke the Torah.
As a result, the Kingdom of Israel would be torn away from him and given to another.
Who was this other person?
We’re told it was one of Solomon’s servants.
The Hebrew word used for “servant” is EBED.
This word would obviously be referring to one of Solomon’s underlings.
But EBED still represents a broad range.
It could’ve been anyone from a peasant firewood cutter to an esteemed member of his court.
So who in the world could this person be?
This brings us to another exciting God-pattern.
The Lord NEVER breaks His Word even though circumstances seem like He should.
Lemme explain.
The Lord promised David that one of his descendants would be alive and sit on the throne of Israel forever.
No expiration date!
So how does the Lord turn around and yank the kingdom away from Solomon and hand it to one of Solomon’s own servants?
A servant ain’t family, which means this person would not be of David’s line.
And if the crown leaves the family, doesn’t that kill the whole dynasty?
So how is God still keeping His word to David?
We’re given the answer in the next two verses.
“I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.” – 1 Kings 11:35-36
For the sake of the promise the Lord had made to David, Solomon would be allowed to remain on the throne for the rest of his life.
The judgment would come after his death, when his son took over and eventually lost control of most of the kingdom.
He would retain only a small portion of it.
But here’s the thing.
When Adonai declares that something is gonna happen, it’s as good as done.
Although Solomon’s son wouldn’t lose most of the kingdom until after Solomon’s death…
The outcome had already been determined in heaven.
From this point forward, the throne of Israel stood condemned in God’s eyes.
It didn’t matter who was sitting on the throne.
Because that homie was ruling over a kingdom no longer in favor with the Lord.
God declared that one of Solomon’s descendants would rule over just ONE tribe.
The rest of the kingdom would be ripped away from his dynasty.
And that one tribe would possess the territory of Judah per the Lord’s decree that Jerusalem would stay with David’s descendants.
Jerusalem was where the Lord has chosen to place His Name.
That will NEVER change.
The nations of the world are doing everything in their power to prevent Israel from rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem.
Their aspirations are about as futile as a cockroach trying to earn a PhD in trigonometry.
What these homies fail to grasp is that from a spiritual perspective, the Temple has already been built.
Why?
Because God promised it would be 3000 years ago.
And His Word will not, CANNOT, be broken.
Ya feel me?
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