👑 1 Kings 3 : Solomon's First Act After Everything Was Settled — the Marriage Alliance with Egypt, the Thousand Burnt Offerings, and a Judgment Made with a Listening Heart

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In chapter 2,

all of David's grudges were settled through Solomon. Along with this, Adonijah's ambition was quickly brought to an end, taking with it Abiathar and Joab, who had followed him.

👑 1 Kings 3 : Solomon's First Act After Everything Was Settled — the Marriage Alliance with Egypt, the Thousand Burnt Offerings, and a Judgment Made with a Listening Heart

👉 Solomon allies himself with Egypt through marriage

(v. 1) Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem.

👉 The LORD appears to Solomon, who offered a thousand burnt offerings at Gibeon

At that time the temple had not yet been built; Solomon went to Gibeon, the great high place, to sacrifice, and there he offered a thousand burnt offerings.

✔️ Given that he offered a thousand burnt offerings, it seems Solomon did so with firm resolve.

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

To govern his great people, Solomon asked for a listening heart to judge the LORD's people and to distinguish between right and wrong, and the record says this request pleased the LORD. (vv. 9-10)

📌 God said Solomon had asked for discernment in hearing cases,
and gave him a wise and discerning heart, with the special blessing: "There has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever be." (v. 12)
God also gave him riches and honor: "There will be no other king like you in all your days." (v. 13)

(v. 14) And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.
→ Wisdom and wealth are not unconditional; this is a conditional promise that depends on walking in God's ways.

👉 The blessing given in a dream; all Israel saw God's wisdom in the judgment

Solomon awoke, and it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the LORD's covenant, offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and gave a feast for all his court. (v. 15)

📝 The ark was in Jerusalem, so it appears Solomon had returned from Gibeon to Jerusalem.

(Then 💎) Two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. (v. 16)

The two women lived in the same house and gave birth three days apart. One of them lay on her own son during the night and he died; then, while the other slept, the babies were switched. Because of this, each claimed that the living child was hers and the dead child was the other's.

Hearing this, Solomon called for a sword and ordered the living child cut in two, half for each. The mother of the living son said, "Please, don't kill him! Give him to the other woman!" The other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

Hearing this, Solomon recognized the true mother and gave her the child. All Israel heard the king's judgment and held him in awe, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him.

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✍️ Closing Thoughts - 1

Chapter 3 is where God answers Solomon's request to be able to distinguish right from wrong in order to judge the people.

Right after he woke and offered burnt offerings and thank offerings, two women appeared, and through the judgment that followed, the wisdom the LORD had given Solomon was proven.

✍️ Closing Thoughts - 2

The great irony of chapter 3 is that, after everything was settled in chapter 2 according to David's final charge, Solomon's first act was marriage to an Egyptian woman!

God commanded that the peoples of Canaan be destroyed so that, because of foreign women, the people would not serve idols or betray the LORD. The verses below are warnings about the Canaanite peoples, but the principle is the same: marriage with foreigners can lead to idolatry. God also warned against both the customs of Egypt and the customs of Canaan.

(Deuteronomy 7:3-4) Do not intermarry with them... for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods...

(Deuteronomy 20:17-18) Completely destroy them — the Hittites, Amorites... as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.

(Exodus 34:15-16) Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them. They will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.

(Leviticus 18:3-4) You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.

✍️ Closing Thoughts - 3

Chapter 3 reveals two things: (the way of the world) and (the way of God).

• Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt - (Solomon's way of the world)

• The wisdom shown in the judgment - (God's way, which sees through to the human heart)

And what is interesting is that God appeared to Solomon in the same way He appeared to Abraham and Jacob.

(Ch. 3) After the thousand burnt offerings, God appeared to Solomon in a dream.

(Gen 15) When the LORD appeared to Abraham, it was in a vision and in a deep sleep.

(Gen 28) When the LORD appeared to Jacob (Israel), it was also in a dream.