The Fall of Solomon

The Judgement of Solomon (1836) by William Dyce

King Solomon is described in the bible as the wisest man that ever lived. 

In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. 

                                                                1 Kings 4:30

Let's back up and tell the story of Solomon and how he came to be wise.

King Solomon was the son of Israel's King David and his wife Bathsheba. He became king right before King David died and these were King David's final instructions to his son.

Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all that you do and wherever you go. If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, 'If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all of their heart and soul, one of them will also sit on the throne of Israel.'

                                                             1 Kings 2:3-4

King Solomon had a good start as king.  The Lord blessed him and appeared to him in a dream.

That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, "What do you want? Ask and I will give it to you!"

Solomon replied, "You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.

"Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his was around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. 

                                                          1 Kings 3:5-9

God grants Solomon the wisdom.

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, "Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies-I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or will ever have!

                                                       1 Kings 3:10-12

So Solomon seemed set up for the perfect reign.  Being gifted by God like no other and with God on his side how could he fail? King Solomon even erected the first temple ever to the Lord thy God and it was beautiful.

So Solomon finished building the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do. The the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had done before at Gibeon. The Lord said to him,

"I have heard your prayer and petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy-this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.  

                                                           1 Kings 9:1-3

With great power comes great responsibility.

"As for you (Solomon), if you follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: 'One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.' 

But if your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel the object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and gasp in horror. They will ask, 'Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?"  

And the answer will be, 'Because his people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them.'"

                                                             1 Kings 9:4-9

So God is true to his word. He has always stated that there should be no other gods before him.

"You must not have any other god before me."

                                                             Exodus 20:3

He will always be with you if you obey.

"If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you."

                                                              1 Kings 11:38

In Solomon's story though, this is not what happens...

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, "You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods." Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

                                                            1 Kings 11:1-3

The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord's command. So now the Lord said to him, "Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. 

                                                             1 Kings 11: 9-12

God many times over in the bible warns of your sin being generational.  If the parent sins and does not repent and turn to God, their sin will be passed on to their children.

'The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected-even children in the third and fourth generations.'     

                                                              Numbers 14:18

What does God say about sin?

"Do you think I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All of their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins."

                                                              Ezekiel 18:23-24          

Only God is worshipped.
And even King Solomon fell into sin.

"Wasn't this exactly what led King Solomon of Israel into sin?" I demanded. "There was no King from any nation who could compare to him, and God loved him and made him king over all Israel. But even he was led into sin by his foreign wives."
                                                               Nehemiah 13:26

You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all of your enemies.

                                                               2 Kings 17:39

So, the lesson in this story is even King Solomon "the wisest man that ever lived" fell into the trap of sin.  

Could it also happen to you?

What do you worship? Would God approve?  

Your set apart from the rest of the world to live in godliness, to be holy.  You must never abandon the Lord.

What are you putting before the Lord?

Your body is a temple unto the Lord.  Our Savior Jesus Christ has made it possible for the Spirit of the Lord to live in you.

Don't you realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

                                                                  1 Corinthians 6:19-20               

Blessings to you,

Sherry

I will be linking up with these parties:
Mommy Moments at Life of Faith- Sun evening
The Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims
Moments of Hope at Lori Schumaker
Monday's Musings at What Joy is Mine
Tuesday Talk with Sarah E. Frazer
Coffee and Conversation at Pat and Candy.com- Tues eve
Tell Us His Story at Jennifer Dukes Lee- Tues eve
Grace Moments at Journeys in Grace
Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3-D Lessons for Life
Grace and Truth at Above the Waves
Fresh Market Friday Crystal Twaddell

Faith and Friends at Counting My Blessings