Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, 'You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.' Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father. "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, (1Ki 8:22-28)
Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple is an interesting read. One would consider it strange that Solomon, despite finally completing the actual construct, claims no credit for himself. He ascribes all to the LORD, who spoke, who fulfilled by His hand, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to His servants, in particular His promise to David. Solomon’s confession was that “the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house... Yet have regard to the prayer …and plea.” at this grand occasion. David would have been mighty pleased with his son.
And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the LORD commanded. Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen." (1Ki 11:9-13)
This same meek Solomon, who the LORD confirmed as king, by coming down into the temple, in awesome display before His people, would go on, only to pursue after Ashtoreth, Milcom and Chemosh. He provoked the LORD to come to him the third time in judgment. Was it a small thing, or a insignificant lapse in judgment to build at least three other temples to other gods? Not one but three. What of the designs? Were they all originals, requiring much thought, or replicates hijacked from the LORD’s patterns? Did he magnify his errors by plagiarizing from the temple of the LORD to further his idolatry? How much manpower and material were expended? Over what duration of time? To take of the LORD’s peoples, blessing and provisions to build places of worship to other gods, who are no gods? How did his people reconcile or understand his leading? Now that there are further temples built by the king, do the people not worship there? Which temple was to regarded as most relevant? The first, or the latest? Which god now? Did the wisest of kings not know and regard the magnitude of his errors?
"When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again.' And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. "And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. (Deut 17:14-20)
Is it not remarkable that the role of a king, when there was yet no king, was already laid down and prescribed in the Law by Moses? We read of Samuel’s grief over the rejection of the LORD as Sovereign and the diminution of the office of the High Priest only in I Sam 8. The Law given to Moses was in Deuteronomy, and in Judges, there was no king over the people.
Solomon being king and shepherd over Israel was required to read, and make a copy of a book, to be confirmed by the Levites, of the commandments of the LORD. He was to learn to fear the LORD by ensuring that he kept the commandments, law and statutes, not veering left or right, that his kingdom, his children, may continue long in Israel. He was required to read and keep for himself, this book for the rest of his days. We are not sure if Solomon ever made a written copy of the Law for himself, but we know with certainty that he broke every other rule prescribed for kings; acquiring many horses, returning to Egypt( pharaoh’s daughter as wife to consummate his treaty with Egypt), acquiring many wives, foreign wives included, amassing excessive silver and gold.
The Law provided a king with clear directives and a script to add. We also have been given a book. Would it not be wise, to learn daily from it, for the rest of our days and hold fast to all the teachings, so that it will be well with us, and our children after us? How are we to know the commandments, law and statutes, or are we exempt? We must be more wary of Egypt nor cause our children to go there, yet many of our pursuits, desires and ambitions are resident there. We see Israel delivered out of Egypt but taking Egypt out of their hearts was not a done thing. So many love it there, whilst others are waiting, only to go or return there. Egypt truly has much to offer for earthly living. Wine for water, meat for manna, cucumbers, garlic and delicacies to suit every taste and fancy. To live in the comfort and safety of mansions within a walled city. To own vineyards and olive groves; why be shepherds looking after incorrigibly silly sheep? Why not be slaves, if slavery offered delicious scraps from off the Egyptian lords’ tables? What more the opportunity to multiply horses, to fill one’s treasuries with much silver or gold, not forgetting servants and slaves . Who is the fool, who would forego the glitter, pomp and leisure within reach? Why did Solomon move, from one end of the pendulum, to the antipode? Why did Solomon follow after other gods who are no gods? Why did Solomon regress and no longer followed after the LORD? His foreign wives?
Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. (1Ki 11:1-3)
If we would play Adam’s blame game, we could well say that Solomon’s lapse and collapse was owing to his foreign wives. But Solomon loved them so and clung on to them in love. Foreign wives were always warned to be a snare, and as with all snares, once caught, the more you struggle, the more you’d become entangled or hurt yourself. He was not caught in one, but by numerous. The wisest man in his time, following after strange women, doing stranger deeds and loving them so. Was the problem really his wives or his love? Did not his father, David’s years of nurture, matter? Did not the LORD, speaking and revealing Himself to him, count or come to mind? All those years spent on building the temple, so involved in the ministry, so to say. Were the LORD’s bountiful goodness and provision, not sufficient? What did the other gods promise or provide? Were his desires insatiable? Or did the mighty arm of his flesh, seem so strong, having accomplished much, as if by his own strength? Was he as Adam’s son predicated to listening to his wife? Were his foreign wives not predisposed to rule over him? Was he enticed to succumb to their combined onslaught or did he find it more comfortable by choice? How did he forget, from whose hand he had received all that he ever had? Why did the LORD remain silent until judgment? Does He allow us to do as we please, until?
The LORD is kind and good. No physical ill befell Solomon personally for His own Name’s sake. His kingdom was not wrested from his hand, nor from before his eyes though Solomon tried hard to kill Jeroboam. As if he could undermine or preempt the LORD’s will. I wonder; could Solomon not have repented and pleaded his case? Did he? Why did he not? Some say he did; but the consequences of his departure could not be erased or avoided. Oftentimes, we would propose and posit that God in His mercy and graciousness will always forgive, and we have this ridiculous notion that the consequences of our departures would somehow therefore not continue to extract their irreparable toll. Reading Ecclesiastes 12, whoever penned the book, whether Solomon or his scribe, the chapter, if not the whole book, echoes a tinge of resignation, if not remorse and regret. The summation concluding that the duty of man, no longer spoken as by a princely king, was to fear the LORD, the same epicenter of the very Law so early prescribed for kings. Beside King Solomon, lesser persons are we. The book ; reading, learning and following it’s edicts daily, holding fast to it for the rest of our days, would enable us, by the LORD’s grace, to end perhaps a shade less encumbered. To stay clear of Egypt and to shun “foreign” wives? both tasks more formidable than we would honestly admit. Those who have been there, will submit that it is will take a more miraculous act of the LORD, to take Egypt out of us.
The LORD is good, His love endures forever.
God bless.
ckho
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