Year 4, Day 352: 1 Kings 11

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Approval

• Approval: We all need to feel as though we are accepted.  When we seek the approval of God, our Up is in the right place.  But when we seek the approval of other people besides God, we open the door to pursuing false gods and risk putting someone or something other than God in our Up position.

There is so much to learn from this chapter.  I would recommend looking at the post I wrote three years ago, to which I put a link at the beginning of this post.  In that post I enumerate three flaws in Solomon’s character that aid him in falling away from God.

As we look at those flaws, the thread we truly see running through each point is approval.  Solomon had many wives and he cared about what they thought.  Because Solomon sought their approval above God’s approval, his heart was led away from God.  Because Solomon was not as focused on God’s approval more than the approval of others, we never truly see Solomon repentant when confronted – or reminded – of His sin.  Much of Solomon’s life is wrapped up in the approval of people rather than the approval of God.

To make this point even more clear, we follow this sad ending to Solomon by reading about the set-up for Jeroboam.  Jeroboam is to be the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after the kingdom splits.  So what is the word that God sends to Jeroboam before his reign even begins?  God tells Jereboam in verse 38 that if Jereboam follows God and God’s ways that He will be with him.  In other words, if Jereboam is obedient and if Jereboam cares more about God’s approval than his own approval and the approval of others around him then God will be with him.

It’s the same for us.  It’s so easy to follow our own course.  It’s also easy to follow the course that people around us want us to follow.  But our hearts should seek out the approval of God.

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