By Elimu Assistant Team 
Leadership in Israel and Solomon: The 12 Mind-Bogling Questions with Answers
1. Explain five achievements of King Solomon.
- Successful merchant
- Built professional army
- Had government officials to assist in ruling
- Diplomatic relations by marrying daughters of foreign kings
- Wise man
- Built the temple
- Brought the ark of the covenant to the temple of Jerusalem
- Built a palace
- Composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005songs
2. Give five lessons that political leaders can learn from King Solomon.
- To pray for God’s wisdom
- Not to get drunk with power
- Not to enforce labour on others
- To avoid immoral marriages
- Maintain faith in God
- Not to be influenced into evil practices
- To develop nations’ economics
3. State five factors which led to the division of the Kingdom of Israel after the death of King Solomon
- Foreign wives -Solomon had married many foreign princesses who bought high places (idols) with them for the worship of foreign gods in Israel.
- Sol. Worship (idols) -Solomon not only allowed his foreign wives to worship their gods but also built high places of worship where his wives worshipped their gods. This displeased God.
- Solomon broke the covenant with God by disobeying his commands not to worship foreign gods. ( 1 Kings 11: 9- 10)
- Over-taxation -To support his harem of wives and court officials, Solomon needed a lot of money and this he got by overtaxing his subjects. This was oppression.
- Forced labour -Solomon spent years and a lot of resources building his palace and the temple, and projects made him introduce forced labour in Israel.
4. Explain how King Solomon turned away from the covenant way of life
- He married Canaanite wives/foreign wives.
- He disobeyed God’s command of not worshipping the Canaanite gods.
- He did not observe the brotherhood law (When he taxed the Israelites heavily for the upkeep of the foreign wives.
- He disregarded the advice of god’s prophets when he built worship places for false gods.
- By signing trade and marriage agreements with his neighbours, hence relying on human beings other than God/ selling the cities.
- He disobeyed the instructions from his father, David that he should rely on God only.
- He subjected the Israelites to forced labour/oppression/slavery in the construction of the temple/the place.
- He murdered his half-brother (adonija) who he thought would be his rival in power.
5. Identify five ways used by the Israelite Kings to bring people back to God
- Destroyed the altars of God (i.e. Asherah poles)
- Set examples to the people by repenting their sins when warned by the prophets of their wrongdoings by worshipping
- Killing the priests of Baal e.g. Jehu
- Restoring temple worship e.g. David/captured the ark/taking the ark to Jerusalem.
- Removal of the covenant/they led the people in renewing their allegiance to Yahweh and the Sinai covenant e.g. Jehu and Josiah renewed Jewish festivals.
- Repaired the temple/they made God’s dwelling place presentable and accorded it its due respect Hezekiah/build a temple e.g. Solomon.
- Destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made during the exodus for the Israelites had begun worshipping it they burnt incense to it (Hezekiah of Judah 2 Kings 18:3)
- They did not form political alliances with neighbouring kings thus demonstrating to the people that God was to be completely trusted.
6. State five reasons why Samuel was opposed to the idea of having a king in Israel 1 Sam 8:6-18
- They would be rejecting God as their unseen King/ruler.
- Their sons would be recruited forcefully into the army.
- There would be forced labour
- The people would be enslaved.
- The king would grab their land/property/maid/servant.
- There would be over-taxation.
- They would lose their identity as a covenant people/Idolatry.
- Their daughter will be made Mandy in the royal houses.
- Hereditary kingship would lead to oppression/dictatorship
7. State the factors that led to the failure of David’s successor
- They shed innocent blood
- They were oppressive in their rule (forced labour/heavy taxation/bribery)
- They married foreign wives
- They built temples/shrines for idols
- They were unfaithful/ dishonest
- They did not tell people who God was
- They were disobedient to God
- They did not rule according to the law of Moses
- They did not listen to the prophets
- They worshipped both God and idols/syncretism/worshipped idols
- They sought alliances with neighboring states instead of relying on God
8. What are the factors that prevent political leaders from performing their duties efficiently in Kenya today?
- Ridicule from members of the society
- Inability to live up to the expectations of the electorate/promises made
- Women leaders are discriminated against/looked down upon
- Lack of training in leadership skills/poor looked down upon
- Divisions/conflicts within/between the parties
- Lack of adequate forum to meet/address their electorate
- Insecurity funds to initiate development projects help their electorate
- Differing/conflicting ideologies resulting in divisive decisions
- Inadequate funds to initiate development projects help their electorate.
- Personal differences
- Inadequate infrastructure
- Cultural/religious barriers/tribal/ethnic/racial corruption
9. State the achievements of Solomon as King of Israel
- He built the temple for the worship of Yahweh
- He established trade links with neighboring nations
- He built many cities in Israel/ infrastructure
- He organized the central government/ improved tax collection/ established a strong army to maintain peace
- He established diplomatic links with other countries/ nations
- He built a magnificent palace
- He composed proverbs songs for the worship of Yahweh/ wrote the book of ecclesiastics
- He settled disputes wisely
- He installed the Ark of the Covenant in the temple/ dedicated the temple of God.
10. Explain four factors that led to Religious Schism in Israel after the death of King Solomon.
- Introduction of foreign gods by the wife of King Ahab
- King Ahab allowed his wife to worship their gods which displeased Yahweh.
- The building of high places for foreign gods in Israel by King Ahab
- Oppression of the Israelites as enforced by King Ahab
- Establishment of worshiping places by King Jeroboam in the northern Kingdom
- Rehoboam’s rejection of the elder’s advice and promise to rule in a harsh way
- Long-standing internal conflict in the House of King David
- Failure of King Solomon to guide his sons
11. Explain four ways in which King David’s successors fulfilled prophet SAMUEL’S reasons against kingship in Israel
- Forced labour: Solomon used forced labour in building his palace and temple of God
- Grab land: As indicated by Samuel Ahab killed and grabbed Naboth vineyard
- Over-taxation: King Solomon over-taxed his people to meet the expenditure of his royal palace
- Lose their identity as covenant people: During the reign of Zedekiah Israel was taken into exile
- Hereditary leadership would lead to oppression: Rehoboam, Solomon‘s son promised to double the burden on the people, leading to schism.
12. Four ways in which King Solomon fulfilled Samuel’s prophecy about kingship in Israel
- Solomon used forced labour during the construction of his palace and temple
- Solomon overtaxed the Israelites to provide for the upkeep of the palace and army
- He grabbed the property of the Israelites and gave it to his officials
- He took the daughters of the Israelites and made them his payments and concubines
- He was oppressive in his rule e.g. he killed his half-brother Adonijah
- He sold part of Israel’s land due to debts he had incurred
- He allowed his wives to bring the false gods into Israel
- His marriage alliances made Israel lose identity us God’s nation
