Topical Bible: Solomon: His Idolatry

◄ Solomon: His Idolatry ►

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Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, is renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. However, his reign, which began with such promise, was marred by a significant spiritual decline due to idolatry. This aspect of Solomon's life serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of turning away from God.

Background and Rise to Power

Solomon ascended to the throne of Israel after the death of his father, King David. His early reign was marked by a deep devotion to God, exemplified by his request for wisdom to govern the people (1 Kings 3:9). God granted him unparalleled wisdom, as well as wealth and honor (1 Kings 3:12-13). Solomon's wisdom became legendary, attracting dignitaries from distant lands, including the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13).

The Turning Point: Marriages and Foreign Alliances

Despite his wisdom, Solomon's heart gradually turned away from God, primarily due to his marriages to foreign women. The Berean Standard Bible records, "King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. They were from the 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.' Yet Solomon clung to these women in love" (1 Kings 11:1-2).

Solomon's marriages were often politically motivated, intended to secure alliances with neighboring nations. However, these unions led him to compromise his faith. His wives influenced him to worship other gods, directly contravening God's commandments.

The Idolatry of Solomon

Solomon's idolatry is explicitly detailed in 1 Kings 11:4-8 : "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 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."

The text continues, "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."

These actions were a direct violation of the first commandment, which forbids the worship of other gods (Exodus 20:3). Solomon's idolatry not only affected his personal relationship with God but also had profound implications for the nation of Israel.

Divine Judgment and Consequences

God's response to Solomon's idolatry was one of anger and disappointment. The LORD appeared to Solomon twice, warning him to remain faithful, yet Solomon did not heed these warnings. As a result, God declared that the kingdom would be torn from Solomon's lineage, though not during his lifetime, out of respect for David (1 Kings 11:11-13).

The division of the kingdom occurred after Solomon's death, with his son Rehoboam inheriting a fractured Israel. The ten northern tribes rebelled, forming the separate kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam, while Rehoboam retained control over Judah and Benjamin.

Legacy and Lessons

Solomon's idolatry serves as a sobering reminder of the perils of disobedience and the influence of ungodly associations. Despite his wisdom and the blessings he received, Solomon's heart was led astray, demonstrating that no one is immune to the temptations of idolatry. His life underscores the importance of remaining steadfast in faith and obedience to God, regardless of external influences or personal desires.

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1 Kings 3:3,4
And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
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2 Kings 23:13
And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
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Nehemiah 13:26
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
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Library

The Fall of Solomon
... built stood till Josiah's time. If Solomon had ever abandoned his idolatry,
he would not have left them standing. So we seem to have ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the fall of solomon.htm

What Happened to Solomon
... consequently we read, "It came to pass, when Solomon was old ... honored God became an
idolater and put his Lord to ... drew away into the same net of idolatry many of ...
/.../naylor/heart talks/talk twenty-seven what happened to.htm

Of the Promises Made to David in his Son, which are in no Wise ...
... down into the same idolatry: and let him not dare to think that God either promised
this falsely, or was unable to foreknow that Solomon and his house would ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 8 of the promises made.htm

"When Solomon was Old. "
... God had taken pains to save Solomon from idolatry, (see 1 ... try to save a man who will
have his own way ... have thought that a man who knew what Solomon knew, would ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xxiv when solomon was old.htm

'A Greater than Solomon'
... the dark shadows that fell on Solomon's later years ... and noble ideals, and let his
sensuous appetites ... He countenanced, if he did not himself practise, idolatry. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/a greater than solomon.htm

Solomon's Repentance
... Solomon's repentance was sincere; but the harm that his ... During his apostasy there
were in the kingdom men ... operation by the introduction of idolatry and worldly ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 5 solomons repentance.htm

The Rending of the Kingdom
... has traced the sad record of Solomon's successor as one ... confident, self-willed, and
inclined to idolatry, nevertheless, had he placed his trust wholly in ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 6 the rending of.htm

Solomon's Reign.
... encouraged Jeroboam by telling him that, on account of the idolatry fostered by ... throw
light upon the times or seem to refer to Solomon and his experiences. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xii solomons reign.htm

The History of Solomon
... but I find it not in the Bible, that Solomon repented him much of this sin of idolatry
and did ... forty years, and died and was buried with his fathers in the ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the history of solomon.htm

Book 8 Footnotes
... supposal, that such books and arts of Solomon were parts ... was imparted to him by God
in his younger days ... and had been derived from the idolatry and superstition ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 8 footnotes.htm