Solomon Turns From The Lord
May 14, 2020
Commentary
Solomon’s life ends in disaster. It seems that as he grew older, he got farther away from God. Riding the crest of power and prestige he apparently thought he was above reproach. The Law had clearly forbidden foreign marriages (Deut. 7:1-5). In addition to this, a king was also prohibited by God from marrying many wives “or his heart will be led astray” (Deut. 17:17). Solomon completely disregarded this. His palace apparently included 700 wives and 300 concubines. His pagan wives led him into idolatry just as God had warned.
Solomon was never involved in complete rejection of God but he worshiped other gods as well (vv. 4-8). Three heathen gods were given prominence in the religious system promoted by the king. Ashtoreth was the goddess of sex. Molech worship was the national religion of the Ammonites, which involved the offering of human sacrifice. Chermosh was the national god of Moab and was equally cruel and licentious.
The reason for God’s judgment on Solomon is clear as his heart had turned away from the Lord (v. 11). This happened despite the fact God had revealed Himself to Solomon, making promises to him. To satisfy his wives, the king threw away every important blessing of God. Verses 14-22 reveal how Hodad, the prince of Edom, left the security of Egypt to become Solomon’s foe. The final judgment was delayed until Solomon was dead and his son had taken over. This was a gracious act by God because of his love for David.
Application
Today we see the results of sin in our own land. Lord help me to see sin in my own life and be willing to deal with it so I can experience your blessing as I share your Word with others.
Isaiah 29:1– 12 (NET)
1 Ariel is as good as dead — Ariel, the town David besieged! Keep observing your annual rituals; celebrate your festivals on schedule.
2 I will threaten Ariel, and she will mourn intensely and become like an altar hearth before me.
3 I will lay siege to you on all sides; I will besiege you with troops; I will raise siege works against you.
4 You will fall; while lying on the ground you will speak; from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard. Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld; from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation.
5 But the horde of invaders will be like fine dust, the horde of tyrants like chaff that is blown away. It will happen suddenly, in a flash.
6 Judgment will come from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise, by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.
7 It will be like a dream, a night vision. There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel, those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.
8 It will be like a hungry man dreaming that he is eating, only to awaken and find that his stomach is empty. It will be like a thirsty man dreaming that he is drinking, only to awaken and find that he is still weak and his thirst unquenched. So it will be for the horde from all the nations that fight against Mount Zion.
9 You will be shocked and amazed! You are totally blind! They are drunk, but not because of wine; they stagger, but not because of beer.
10 For the Lord has poured out on you a strong urge to sleep deeply. He has shut your eyes (you prophets), and covered your heads (you seers).
11 To you this entire prophetic revelation is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read and say, “Read this,” he responds, “I can’t, because it is sealed.” 12 Or when they hand the scroll to one who can’t read and say, “Read this,” he says, “I can’t read.”
Illustration:
It’s not easy to step up against the authorities. Let me illustrate: During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of his predecessor, Joseph Stalin. Once, as he reproached Stalin in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout from a heckler in the audience. “You were one of Stalin’s colleagues. Why didn’t you stop him?” “Who said that?” roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied quietly, “Now you know why.” (Source unknown, Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author)