This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in 1 Kings 11, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once there was a great king named Solomon who ruled over the people of Israel. He was known for his wisdom and wealth, and people came from all over the world to hear him speak.
However, as he grew older, Solomon made some bad choices that went against what God had commanded. One of his biggest mistakes was marrying many women from other countries who did not worship the one true God. God had warned the Israelites not to do this, because it would lead them away from Him and toward other gods.
Despite this warning, Solomon fell in love with these women and married 700 of them, in addition to 300 concubines. They turned his heart away from God, and he began to worship their false gods instead. He built temples and shrines to these gods and made offerings and sacrifices to them.
God was very unhappy with Solomon’s behavior, and He appeared to him twice to warn him about the consequences of his actions. He reminded Solomon that he had been chosen to be king because of his father David’s faithfulness and obedience to God. God told Solomon that if he continued to worship other gods, He would take the kingdom away from him and give it to someone else.
Unfortunately, Solomon did not listen to God’s warning. As he continued to worship false gods, God raised up three adversaries against him: Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam.
Hadad was an Edomite who had escaped when King David’s army had killed all the males in Edom. He fled to Egypt, where he found favor with the Pharaoh and married into the royal family. When he heard that Solomon had turned away from God, he decided to return to his homeland and try to take back his throne. With the help of some allies, he launched an attack against the Israelites and became a thorn in Solomon’s side.
Rezon was another enemy of Israel who had fled from King David. He had gathered a group of followers and become the leader of a marauding band. He attacked Israel and did everything he could to harm Solomon’s kingdom.
Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon who had been put in charge of the forced labor of the house of Joseph. He was a capable and industrious young man, and Solomon recognized his potential. However, when the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road and tore his new garment into twelve pieces, he prophesied that Jeroboam would become king over ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. This was because of Solomon’s disobedience and worship of false gods. Jeroboam fled to Egypt, where he remained until Solomon died.
And Solomon ruled over all of Israel from Jerusalem for forty years. Solomon died and was buried in the city where his father, David, lived. And his son Rehoboam ruled in his place.
Biblical Lessons
- God is patient and merciful, but His justice will prevail in the end.
- Even the wisest and most powerful people can be led astray by their own desires and temptations.
- Disobeying God’s commands not only affects the person who disobeys, but also those around them.
- False gods and idols are a temptation that can lead people away from the one true God.
- We must be diligent in guarding our hearts and minds against anything that might lead us away from God.