And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father [had done]. (11:6)
Message: Solomon's Disobedience
Time: The author of 1&2 Kings (originally 1 book) is not known. First Kings follows the history of this divided kingdom from the death of David around 971 BC through the year 853 BC. First Kings reveals Solomon’s relationship with Yahweh and introduces the prophet Elijah who pronounces judgment on the evil northern king Ahab. Like other books, it helps us to understand the history of Israel and Judah.
What the Lord is Saying: Solomon was indeed wealthy. "King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom" (10:23). Solomon accumulated wealth annually. Traders and trade was significant under his reign and Israel's strategic location made it a hub for commerce. He had so much gold he used it in shields. The House of the Forest of Lebanon (verse 17) was a place to store treasures. He used ivory in construction of the throne, showing opulence. Gold was also readily available at the time. Silver was actually not as much of a luxury due to the abundance of gold. In verse 27, "The king made silver [as common] as stones in Jerusalem." His wisdom is also legendary with the books Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon associated with him.
But Solomon had a problem - "he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away." He formed alliances with other nations through these women, nations were often hostile toward Israel. The concern was intermarriage would lead someone away from worshipping God. His heart was divided between his love for God and his love for his wives. And as he aged, his heart turned away from God, sometimes a problem for aged men. Aging can bring challenges to maintaining the same fervor for God. "His wives turned his heart away after other gods, and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God" (verse 4).
I think of this verse and the impact these wives had on Solomon, turning him away from God. Yet we think of Solomon as a man of great wisdom. The principle here is found in the verse and it is real and true. I am seeing this occur in someone life that is close to me. I am watching a woman (though it could be a man as well in other situations, but in this case a woman or girlfriend) take this person off course. He was deeply involved in church prior to her, but since her he has not been as strong in church and continues to wander and find reasons for himself to not be involved. He has become divided and the focus on spiritual things is not as strong as it once was in his life. It makes me think about my own life and making sure I am being careful about what might be moving me away from God and serving Him. Are there other gods in my life? I think in reading this about him having so many women seem preposterous today, but in a way men can have a tendency to do this with the lust of the eyes and more specifically pornography. Through that people can form a union with those pictures even though it is not the same as real life, but back in those times real life relationships with women was the option.
In Solomon's life it also seems like riches also became a problem and might have lured himself away from God as well. I think Solomon had a lot of respect for God. He followed the ordinances, but still his heart, later in life especially, had turned away from God. In this passages he is compared often to his father David. David's sins were apparent as well, but maybe didn't stand out as much. Like Solomon he penned many of the wisdom literature (Psalms).
Summary: While Solomon accumulated a lot of riches and had access to much wealth his life was also marked by union with many women and this led him away from following God completely.
Promise: Only Christ will never fail in our lives and while there are good men in life all of us have areas of compromise.
Prayer: God, you are rich in mercy and you make real people that have real problems. I want to be guided by your principles and seek You. I thank you for Solomon and the wisdom that he had but also see some of his words about being lured away by women he wrote he fell victim to in his life. I thank you for the wisdom he had and you gave him. Help me to be wise and focus on doing things right. Thank you for the peace that is found in You. Lord, thank you for my friend Karl and hearing of his passing yesterday, I am thankful for the man of God he was and the testimony he had for others. He struggled in his life as well with many sort of temptations, but he ended well and I am thankful for this. Thank you for placing Him in my life.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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