1 Kings 10 - 11

King Solomon is visited by the Queen of Sheba, who is skeptical of his announced wisdom. She travels a great distance with many questions for this supposed wise leader; and finds that she has received incorrect information. The wisdom of Solomon surpasses all reports. Solomon's wealth increases and the borders of his kingdom spread.

But not all was well with the kingdom; and the source of the problem was the king. King Solomon's devotion to beauty and the best led him to marry foreign women; women who swayed the king's affection for the one true God and convinced him to worship the gods of their homelands. Because Solomon did not honor the covenant he made with God to be faithful, God allowed him to enjoy the results of his disobedience. The kingdom would not fully belong to Solomon's son. Instead, the majority of the kingdom would pass to Jeroboam, one of Solomon's servants. Solomon tries to have Jeroboam killed (does this sound familiar?); but Jeroboam escapes to Egypt until after the death of Solomon. Solomon does die; and he is buried with his ancestors. His son, Rehoboam, reigns in his place . . . but for how long?