A Lessons Solomon Didn't Learn

Historically, Solomon is known as the wisest king of antiquity. You would think that such a man would have lived a pretty good life himself, but history shows that despite great wisdom, he made some really foolish choices. He wrote the book of Proverbs as a set of instructions to teach his sons how to live a productive and happy life, by avoiding some of the bad decisions he‘d made.

The first thirty chapters are Solomon’s instructions to his ssons, in the form of short precise statements or “proverbs.” Chapter thirty one is different. It describes lessons his mother, Bathsheba taught Solomon, using her pet name, Lemuel, or belonging to God.

“The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.” (Proverbs 31:1)

The normal biblical meaning of the word prophecy in the old testament is to declare what God has said. Here a different Hebrew word is used, that does not mean a message from God but simply to burden or charge with responsibility. She is trying to teach him to take responsibility about his own life.

One statement from the book, The Seven Laws Of Teaching, is burned into my mind. “No learning occurs until original thinking is done.” Until one has thought through a teaching, has meditated on it himself, it isn’t learned, no matter how well he may be able to quote it. It is why memorization is so often unsuccessful as a means of teaching. They have recorded the statements, but they are, like a recording on a cassette tape, easily erased and forgotten. Verse two is literally an attempt to get him to think about what she is saying.

“What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?” (Proverbs 31:2)

Like kids so often do, Solomon foolishly blew off what she taught him, but he records it in hopes his own children will pay more attention. He had known from an early age that he was destined to be king, and as such was inclined to view himself as being slightly above what other people had to do, so Bathsheba relates her instructions specifically to what he expects to become.

“Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.” (Proverbs 31:3)

The pursuit of sexual pleasure has destroyed people from every walk of life. Those who have wealth and power are just as tempted as any, but their peccadilloes affect far more people than those in less prominent positions. Unfortunately, they tend to think that they will be able to conceal their activities because of their wealth. Bathsheba warns of the danger, because she knows the effect David’s involvement with her had on his reign as king, resulting in her husband Uriah’s murder, and the near loss of his kingdom to Absalom.

That Solomon failed to learn this lesson is clear from the statement in I Kings 11:3. “And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines:…” He legally married the princesses to avoid starting wars with their fathers, but just lived with those of “common” birth because their families were no threat.

In his efforts to please all these women, Solomon built each one houses, and houses of worship to all their different Gods, and began participating in their religion, as we see in I Kings 11:7-8. “Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.”

The first way this impacted the nation was financial. Solomon had raised the economy to the point I Kings 10:27 tells us, “And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.”

Solomon’s personal wealth was enormous, according to I Kings 10:21- 23. “And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.”

In spite of that, Solomon raised taxes to pay for all of them to the point that when he died, the people begged his son to lower the taxes in I Kings 12:4 because it was an unbearable burden. Often one of the first evidences of illicit sexual behavior is excessive spending and neglect of business.

A second major signal of illicit involvement is a dropping of the old moral standards and practices. I Kings 11:3-4 describes this in Solomon’s life. “… and his wives turned away his heart. 1ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” He was no longer concerned about his spiritual life, and stopped taking as much part in the church, although he still went through the motions.

Not only did his involvement with all those women cause financial problems, it led to constant conflict for the last several years of Solomon’s reign, finally resulting in civil war and splitting the country, because his sin led to opposition by God. God had warned him before it happened, as he so often does, and when he refused God told what the consequences would be.

“Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.” (I Kings 11:11-13)

When Solomon didn’t repent of his sin and change, God set his judgment in motion, giving him time to still repent. I Kings 11: 14 describes the first conflict that resulted. “And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.” Up to this time, there was no opposition to Solomon’s reign.

The problems grew when he still didn’t listen, with a second adversary according to I Kings 11:23-25 “And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

Finally, civil unrest and ultimately civil war broke out, according to I Kings 11:26. “And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.” After Solomon’s death, the kingdom split completely and eventually was destroyed because of Solomon’s sin.

It is troubling to see the number of young people who have ignored the principles of their parents and grandparents, involving themselves in sexual sin. It is even more troubling to see the number who have never even heard those principles.