1 Kings 9:6

“ But if you shall turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them,”

The contrasting alternative is then put, the possibility that they will turn away from following YHWH. (For ‘turning away from following YHWH' see especially Joshua 22:18). Note the movement from singular to plural. The initial charge was personal to Solomon in the circumstances (although of course continually applicable), while the alternative leaves open the fact that it might be his sons who will later do it (‘you or your children'). And the thought is that they might fail to keep His commandments and statutes, and might go and serve other gods and worship them. The huge pressure on Israelites to do this, in a land where there were ‘ancient' false sanctuaries everywhere, and where all nations round about had their prominent idols, has to be experienced to be understood. Such sanctuaries were easily available and provided a quick solution and an easy way out, as well as appealing to man's primitive instincts. And they would be constantly being urged to it by previous inhabitants of the land. Furthermore they provided elements which excited the lower nature and made no excessive moral demands. That was why YHWH had taken such trouble to guard against them (Exodus 20:3; Exodus 23:24; Exodus 23:32; Exodus 34:12; Leviticus 19:4; Leviticus 26:1; Leviticus 26:30; Deuteronomy 4:19; Deuteronomy 7:4; Deuteronomy 8:19; Deuteronomy 11:16; Deuteronomy 13:2; Deuteronomy 17:3; Deuteronomy 28:14; Deuteronomy 30:17; Joshua 24:16; Judges 2:19; Judges 10:13; 1 Samuel 8:8). As will be seen from the references ‘serve other gods' is typically Deuteronomic, while for ‘serve other gods and worship them' see uniquely Deuteronomy 11:16. For the ease with which Israel could be turned to the worship of other gods see Numbers 25:2.

The consequence of their serving other gods and worshipping them will be that they will be cut off from the land which God has given them, the point being that the land was given to them because He was their Overlord and they were His people, and on rebelling against Him they would thus no longer have any right to it. Compare Leviticus 18:24; Leviticus 20:22. The phrase ‘be cut off out of the land' is unique in respect of Israel. But a very similar idea is found in Leviticus 18:24; Leviticus 20:22 where His people were warned that they might be spewed out of the land for the same reason, (something which would have the same effect), while the godless nations had previously been ‘cast out' of the land for the same reason (Leviticus 18:24. Those in Israel who did this would also be ‘cut off from among My people' (Leviticus 18:29). This phrase ‘cut off from among My people' occurs regularly in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, but is not found in Deuteronomy. In Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 20:5 it has reference to idol worship. For being ‘cut off' from God see Leviticus 22:3. (Being ‘cut off' is thus not a Deuteronomic idea).

The theoretical idea that Israel could lose their land if they were disobedient was clearly a well known one, and does not therefore require a specific reference to the Exile. Indeed a similar idea of what could happen to YHWH's House is found in Micah 3:12 where the Exile was certainly not in mind. They were to see their privileges as constantly dependent on obedience.

For ‘the land which I have given them' see Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 9:23; Deuteronomy 25:19. For the idea behind it see Numbers 20:24; Numbers 27:12; Numbers 32:7; Numbers 32:9; Numbers 33:53; Deuteronomy 3:20; Deuteronomy 26:15. The point is that they have a duty and resonibility to Him as their Benefactor and Overlord.