It happened at the time of Solomon’s old age that his wives guided his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully with Yahweh his God as the heart of David his father had been (1 Kings 11: 4)
And He had commanded him concerning this matter not to go after other gods, but he did not keep that which Yahweh commanded ( 1 King 11:10) LEB
From reading 1 Kings 8 to the start of 1 Kings 11, I have to say I felt very…sad. King Solomon’s rise and fall is very sobering. I started wondering when reading 1 Kings 11 this week, how many years transpired between the tragic turn of events. Of course, in true fashion, I went and asked ChatGPT. It provided a timeline of approximately 28 years. This is based on the period from the temple dedication in chapter 8 to chapter 11. 1 Kings 11 covers the end of Solomon’s reign, around year 40.
This sad reality opened my eyes. It showed how quickly one can go from praying to Yahweh to being led astray. How easy it can become to allow outside influences to impact our relationship with God. How subtle deception can creep in and take root in our hearts-if we let it. As Solomon added wives, he diluted in character. As he clung to their ways, he forgot Yah’s way.
He became so devoted to the world through his wives. He built altars to the gods they served instead of the God he heard. It troubled me to read this. I can’t imagine the sadness God must have felt. He was abandoned by a man who originally asked Him for wisdom.
And at the end of his life, apostasy had overtaken him. I searched and searched, although I read this over and over before. I wondered if Solomon repented when he was rebuked about what he had done. He received the fate of his kingdom from God through Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:26-40). There is no mention of him asking God for forgiveness.
In fact, he tried to kill Jeroboam for confirming his judgment. But what if in that moment, he repented? What if he asked God to have mercy on him? What would have been the outcome? I know we will never know. But when I read the Word, I remind myself that these are real people with both testimonies and tragedies.
This was a very strong warning for me and I think for us in this time. We have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). We must cling to the Living word of the Lord. We must yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must cloth ourselves in His armor. We must pray that we are not deceived or that the enemy wins and leads us astray.
Stay Encouraged and In Prayer
Seek Him. Obey the Call. Complete Your Assignment.
Complete Your Calling 