Chapter 11 describes one of those battles that could have been avoided. I call it the battle of disobedience. While most of David’s battles were the direct result of God’s call on his life to unite Israel and protect God’s people, Solomon’s battles in chapter 11 arose because of nothing less than complete disobedience to the Lord.

Like Solomon, many of the battles that Christians face today are the result of disobedience too. Though not all are, we must always be willing to examine our battles for the root cause. Don’t be afraid to ask, “Lord, am I in this battle because of some disobedience on my part?”

While I regret that Solomon had to go through this season in his life, in it we can learn how to win the battle of disobedience.

GUARD YOUR HEART (Read 1 Kings 11:1-4)
Four times in four verses God mentions the word “heart.” In this section He provides some excellent self-examination questions to help in guarding our hearts.

Examine what you love. How? Examine that which consumes your time, money, energy and emotions. What do you spend your time thinking about? Your calendar and checkbook help with this process. They both tell our stories quite well. Solomon began to love many foreign women, as opposed to God, which became the first step in his considerable disobedience. God encourages us to love Him above all because it is the absolute best for us. Loving anyone or anything in His place invites many unnecessary battles.

Examine what is being sown into your heart and life. God told Solomon specifically not to marry foreign women because He knew they would draw his heart away (verse 2). The people we surround ourselves with are sowing into our lives regularly. If we allow it, their influence becomes greater than the Lord’s. Such was the case with Solomon. He not only tolerated his wives foreign gods, he began to worship them as well. Who is sowing into your life? We must guard our hearts!

Examine what you are holding fast to. Verse 2 says, “Solomon held fast to them [his many foreign wives] in love.” The concept of holding fast to something implies the picture of clenched fists. This visual expresses our desperation to hold on to Solomsomething despite the cost. I imagine the Lord looking sadly at Solomon’s clenched fists and saying, “Solomon, it’s either them or Me. You simply cannot serve foreign gods and Me at the same time.”

While worshipping a piece of stone or burning altar may seem ludicrous to us, present day idols are equally detrimental. Today’s idols may be a material object such as a car or home; a relationship that we are certain we could not live without; a job or ministry or social status that has come to define us. I encourage you to keep those palms open. Nothing is more important than protecting our relationship with the Lord. What are you holding fast to?

Examine who is leading your heart. God or others? Verse 4 states plainly that Solomon’s wives, “turned his heart after other gods.” Though he was responsible for his own choices, they definitely led the way. Take care to be led by God above all. Who is leading you?

DO NOT COMPROMISE (Read 1 Kings 11:5-8)
These verses name the gods that Solomon chose to follow. While any god besides the Lord is a poor choice, Ashtoreth, Molech, and Chemosh (mentioned in verses 5 and 7) were particularly vulgar, immoral, and evil. Once again, Solomon not only tolerated these gods in his household, he compromised his faith completely. He followed these gods (verse 5) and built high places in their honor and to facilitate their worship (verse 7).

It is one thing to be tolerant and try to win people to the Lord through relationships and long-term ministry. It is quite another to put your faith aside and embrace an entirely new godless way of life. Compromise is doing what you know is not pleasing to God just to please another. Solomon chose to please his foreign wives (verse 8). Who are you living to please?

In what way are you being tempted to compromise? In what way have you already compromised and what steps can you take to correct it?

FOLLOW GOD ONLY (1 Kings 11:9-13)

You will never win the battle of disobedience if you stop following God. In these few verses, God reveals some specific things that Solomon forgot which contributed to his downfall.

Solomon forgot God’s call on his life. Verse 9 reminds us about the two times God appeared to him to solidify that call, yet Solomon had retreated to a life of his own choosing.

Solomon forgot God’s Word. Verse 10 summarizes God’s commands that Solomon was ignoring and records fresh words from God that seemed to have little or no impact on the king.

Solomon forgot that every good thing, every gift, and every blessing he possessed came from God. Verses 9-13 paint the picture of the reminder that God not only gave Solomon the kingdom, but was also preparing to take it away. We must never assume we deserve the good things God grants us in this life, and we should always protect them for the Lord, not for ourselves alone.

Solomon forgot the Sovereignty and Justice of God. God is Sovereign and Just. Period. He is the Lord of all, and He alone knows what is truly right and wrong in this life. It can be unsettling to read of His anger in verse 9 and His punishment in verses 11-13. But consider His amazing patience! Solomon acquired 1,000 ungodly wives and concubines! 1,000!!! I imagine God warning Him gently after number 2 and 3 and 4…then after number 156…then after number 347…then after number 788…and on and on. God’s holy nature demands that eventually – and He alone knows when that “eventually” is – He must say “Enough is enough.”

Solomon completely stopped following God. Who are you following?

REPENT (Read 1 Kings 11:14-43)
One of the most precious characteristics of the living God is His amazing love for and gracious response to sincere repentance. Solomon could have turned away from his disobedience at any time and completely changed the outcome of his story. Even if the repentance came right after wife number 1,000, God would have met him right there. But as we read in verse 11, Solomon’s attitude was pure rebellion.

Therefore, verses 14-43 describe the measures that God took against Solomon. The Lord raised up three adversaries, two from without and one from within the kingdom, to bring battles and strife to the most peaceful kingdom in Israel’s history.

It is clear in scripture that not every battle we face is the result of disobedience. Many battles are a direct result of God’s call as we mentioned about David earlier. However, when battles come and the origin is uncertain, we must be willing to ask the Lord if disobedience is a factor. If so, repentance is the next step.

These verses also point to other important characteristics of God.

God is a God of discipline. There is no doubt in these verses: God raised up these adversaries on purpose (verses 14, 23, 31). I sense God using all of them as a last resort to turn Solomon’s heart back to Him. Our God is relentless in His love and pursuit of His children, and discipline is often His most effective work.

God keeps His promises. Don’t miss the repeated mention of the promises God made to David. He had every intention of keeping them regardless of the obstacles Solomon presented to the process. God’s Word is full of promises for us all. He will always keep them. How well do you know them and apply them to your life?

God is always looking for those who will give themselves fully to Him. Jeroboam would be God’s next choice for king, with many promises given to him as well. Unfortunately, like Solomon, Jeroboam would make many foolish and godless choices. How about you? Will you be one to give yourself fully to the Lord? You will not be sorry!

God’s heart cries out, “Better late than never!” The book of Ecclesiastes is believed to have been written by Solomon at the very end of his life. There is no doubt it is written by a repentant heart. I love happy endings! Ecclesiastes is filled with Solomon’s realization that it is not about the money and the women and the power; it is all about the Creator of the universe who loves us and has good plans for us. Though Solomon obviously grieved his mistakes, he knew at the end of his life that “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13b).

We have all disobeyed God and will be tempted to many more times before we step into eternity. Jesus came to save us from ourselves! He is ever-present to help us fight this battle of disobedience. Let us trust Him to help us guard our hearts, refuse to compromise, follow God only, and be quick to repent as needed. He is Faithful and He will give us the victory!