1 Kings 11:1 – 13 “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.
For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom (Molech) the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely.
At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command.
Then the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
ONE THOUSAND WOMEN!!! That’s right. Do the math, and you realize that Solomon was attempting to please 700 wives and 300 concubines, something that God never intended for him to do. Solomon’s first wife was Pharaoh’s daughter, who may well have converted to Judaism. But the same man who built a glorious place of worship to the God of Israel also took the lead in promoting idolatry in Israel. This catastrophe occurred because Solomon’s bed partners wheedled and begged until he did whatever they wanted. Talk about letting your gonads do your thinking for you!
Solomon’s wisdom was famous throughout the world; yet, he failed miserably in applying it to his own life. Rather than seeking God’s will, Solomon did his own will in God’s name. The results were disastrous and long – lasting.
How bad were these foreign demons to which Solomon erected places of worship? The worship of Milcom, otherwise known as Molech, demanded infant sacrifices with the babies being thrust into the outstretched arms of a fiery red – hot idol. Ashtoreth was a fertility goddess with worship that included ritual sex with temple prostitutes.
How did Solomon fall into this mess in the first place? Solomon refused to study the Laws of Moses or to obey them. After all, God had already spoken personally to Solomon twice, so Solomon felt entitled to do anything he pleased, forgetting the warnings that God had given him. In those days, pagan kings married as many women as possible, so Solomon was merely following that pattern. But that pattern was never God’s perfect will for Solomon’s life. Solomon’s story is a tragic example of a man who was given incredible gifts and who squandered them recklessly on his own passions, totally ignoring his responsibilities as a leader, a husband, and a father.
APPLICATION: We read Solomon’s story and grieve that someone so gifted could make so many horrible mistakes. But would any of us fare any better, were we given Solomon’s wealth? Very few people can actually handle riches in a spiritually correct fashion. The late evangelist Billy Graham serves as a shining example of someone who succeeded where Solomon failed. In 1976, the BGEA (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) had an estimated worth of 28.7 million dollars. At that time, Graham’s personal salary was $39,500 per year, plus income from a syndicated newspaper column. Even though Graham’s salary eventually rose, he gave most of it to charities, including that of the BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse. Graham continued to live in the same house he and his wife built in the 1950’s. Despite the fact that Graham’s net worth when he died at age 99 was 25 million dollars, much of that continued to be handled through various charities.
“Grant Wacker, a professor at the Duke University Divinity School and author of America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation, also says that Graham has led an exemplary life free of financial scandal. “People who didn’t like Billy Graham spent a lot of time trying to find personal violations of his moral and ethical code, and they couldn’t,” Wacker told NPR after Graham’s passing. “They didn’t exist. He was a man who maintained absolute marital fidelity and moral and financial integrity. He was an evangelist who lived the way he preached.” Graham insisted that the BGEA be audited regularly to avoid any hint of scandal. (https://money.com/billy-graham-net-worth-quotes-money-greed/)
Despite the incredible success of Graham’s ministry, he remained faithful to Ruth Bell Graham, his wife of 63 years, with whom he raised five children. Graham was extremely careful to avoid even a hint of sexual scandal.
King Solomon was a tragic figure. While Solomon’s father truly loved God, Solomon himself merely felt entitled, and that he was God’s favorite. No matter how many extravagant sacrifices Solomon offered to God, those sacrifices meant nothing because he wasn’t true – hearted. Solomon never loved God, and the result was disaster. May all of us learn from Solomon’s mistakes!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to learn from Solomon’s tragic mistakes. Help us never to lose sight of You and Your perfect Will for our lives, but to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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