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Verse:And it came to pass . . . that the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time. —1 Kings 9:1, 2
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a second dream following the completion of his construction projects. The dream at Gibeon had been one of encouragement and promise.
This dream differed significantly from the first.
This dream presented dire warnings of what might be expected if Solomon failed to walk in uprightness and integrity. God’s promise to establish David’s lineage on an eternal throne was contingent upon Solomon keeping God’s commandments and statutes.
God had heard Solomon’s prayer and had sanctified the temple with His presence. Now He reminded Solomon that obedience was necessary for His promise to be fulfilled. Obedience would bring joy and blessings, but transgression only sorrow, disaster, and death. “God did not choose the children of Israel for the purpose of later casting them off. He did not choose David with the purpose of later rejecting his house. Every choice of God is a wise choice, and has behind it basic reasons that prove it good. It was His plan that the throne of David and the nation of Israel should be established forever. In spite of the failure of the descendants of David and of Israel after the flesh, God’s purpose will yet be accomplished through spiritual Israel (Rom. 2:28, 29; 4:16; Gal. 3:29) and through Jesus the Son of David (Micah 5:2; Acts 2:34–36; Rom. 1:3).” The worship of false gods was singled out as being a particularly grievous sin against the Lord Himself. “Repeatedly through His prophets the Lord warned Israel of the tragic consequences of transgression, and His solemn warnings seem to have been multiplied in the closing days of Israel’s and Judah’s history, when transgression brought the people face to face with doom (Isa. 1:19–24, 28; Jer. 7:9–15; Eze. 20:7–24; Dan. 9:9–17; Hosea 4:1–9; Amos 2:4–6; 4:1–12; Micah 1:3–5; Zeph. 3:1–8).” God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage.
He led them through the wilderness to their Promised Land.
He bestowed upon them divine favor.
How, then, could such a blessed nation be so ungrateful as to turn to idol worship? “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).