1 Kings 10-11: Solomon's Demise

The Tragedy of Solomon.  That's what these chapters could be named.  Solomon began his reign with so much promise.  He wished for wisdom, and God was pleased.  He built the Temple.  But then, in his later years, he succumbed to the world.  His notoriously large harem of wives and concubines could have only led to one thing: a perversion of priorities.  A comparison has been made to England's King Henry VIII, who also began his reign with much promise and benevolence.  But as we know, Henry became embroiled in controversies involving his many wives.  Like Solomon, Henry began to act antagonistically toward God -- Henry by casting out the Church and remaking it to his liking; Solomon by building pagan temples dedicated to strange gods.  Both men's reputations have been tarnished since.

It is quite shocking to read about David's son building shrines to Moloch and Astarte among other pagan deities.  It is the sin of sins, a breaking of the First Commandment.  Some say at least six different temples were constructed around the perimeter of Jerusalem (for at least Solomon did not have the audacity to build within the city itself) to house these various idols.  Of course, some excuse this by saying he did it for his pagan wives to have a place to worship, but many interpretations of these events show Solomon partaking in the various worship ceremonies at these idolatrous temples.  I don't see a way to excuse Solomon here.  Other than to believe and hope that he repented before his death, which is described at the end of Chapter 11.  The Bible, though, is silent.  No mention of Solomon's repentance is to be found in Scripture.  There are hints and clues, though, perhaps.  Because God so loved David, this may have worked in Solomon's favor.  It is mentioned that God will divide Solomon's kingdom because of his sins, but that he will wait to do it for David's sake.  Perhaps God provided Solomon with the graces necessary for his repentance "for David's sake."  We don't know for sure.  We at least know that Solomon did leave us with worthy and virtuous writings, the Proverbs, Wisdom, Song of Songs, etc.  It's not clear if these were written before or after his fall, but regardless, they are redemptive, pointing us toward the way of God.  

Solomon represents the height of the Israelites' worldly powers.  The extravagance of his court, his palace, his lifestyle would be unmatched and become legendary.  But it would also serve as a lesson to us all of the deceptive allure and destructive powers of worldliness.  Solomon got sucked in completely, and it ruined him (as well as following generations).  When Jesus came to reestablish the Kingdom, He made it clear it would not be a worldly kingdom, but a spiritual one.  And unfortunately too many failed to accept this, wanting instead Solomon's materialistic kingdom all over again.  Too many failed to learn the lessons built into Solomon's story.