SOLOMON’S FALL

Solomon presided over Israel at the zenith of its splendor. Through the life of his father David and through God’s revelations to him, Solomon knew without a doubt that Israel’s glory depended on him and the nation holding fast to God. Yet, as time progressed, Solomon despite his great wisdom, failed to hold on to God and fell away from favor. The description of his fall is worth examining.

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. (1Kings 11:1-5)

The primary reason listed here for his downfall is that of his many foreign wives turning him astray. God had prohibited intermarriage with women from other nations, yet Solomon was unable to stick to that command from God. In the New Testament, likewise it is commanded that a believer shall marry only another believer. However, this is an area where many who belong to God fail to obey. While it might be attractive to think that the believing partner would be able to influence the non-believer for good and bring him to Christ, the opposite usually happens. And even for Solomon, who was king and endowed with unmatched wisdom, his foreign wives turned his heart away from God.

Solomon held fast to them in love and so his primary love for God that heralded his reign as king dissipated. He no longer was fully devoted to God like David was. And when God gets removed from the place of primary importance, something else will take its place. In Solomon’s case he turns to following after the gods of the nations around Israel from where his wives came from. Chemosh was a fish-based god and chief god of the Moabites. The Moab nation ascribed all its victories to Chemosh. Ashtoreth was a goddess of sexuality, fertility and war. Molek was the god who was infamous for the numerous child sacrifices needed to quench his thirst so as to bless his worshippers. It is incorrigible to even think that Solomon would not only follow these gods but actually promote their worship in Israel.

Variations of these gods and the practices they induced are found in common day culture popularized by unbridled liberal thinking, abortion, Hollywood culture, materialism and promotion of violence in sport and elsewhere. So ubiquitous are these that everyone is influenced to some extent by these and effort is required to dissociate from these in one’s life and practice. A primary passion for God and a desire to honor him above all else is vital to remain true to God. 

That Solomon would fall would have been hard to comprehend at the beginning of his reign. Yet the unthinkable happened as the primary love for God was replaced. The wisest man on earth forgot the foundational rule for wisdom-a love and fear for God.

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