The Wives of King Solomon
King Solomon had been given everything by the LORD, just like we are given everything we have from the LORD. This lesson teaches us that we may have the favor of the LORD but we must keep His commandments and stay true to Him. We must put His commandments first in our lives and not be disobedient.
1 King 11:1-13
King Solomon loved many strange women that he married. His first wife was the daughter of Pharaoh. Other wives were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.
These women came from nations which the LORD said unto the children of Israel they should not go in to them, because they will turn away your heart after their god. King Solomon chose to stay with these women because he loved them.
King Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
When Solomon was old, 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. For Solomon went after ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
King Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then King 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.
He did this for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. The LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but King Solomon did not keep with that which the LORD commanded.
The LORD said unto Solomon, that since he did not keep the LORD’s covenant and statutes, which the LORD have commanded him, the LORD God would tear the kingdom for King Solomon, and give it to his servant. The LORD God would tear away all the kingdom, but would give one tribe to his son for the sake of David, and for Jerusalem’s sake which the LORD had chosen.
What Can This Story Teach Us?
King Solomon had many wives the first was to the daughter of a pharaoh this was probably to strengthen ties with the surrounding nations. He was a very wise King who had written many great works that we read today; like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. He was so loved by the LORD God.
Then King Solomon built altars to foreign gods and to make his wives happy he sacrificed on those altars. This made the LORD God very angry. The peace and prosperity that King Solomon had known was over. He lost it all.
King Solomon wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. Does this sound familiar to you? When you want something you know you cannot have sometimes you want it really more. Sometimes you get what you want without thinking about the consequences.
There are many examples of this such as: wanting a good grade on a test so you lean over and look at your neighbor’s test, you want something in the store you don’t have the money so you shoplift it, you want to be popular with a group of kids so you take on their characteristics like swearing or even worse.
Anytime we put what we want above what our LORD wants for us we are taking a chance of losing it and losing the blessings of the LORD just like king Solomon. We must never put anything before the LORD.
The first of the 10 Commandments reads: “Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.” (Deuteronomy 5:7-9).
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Matthew 12:29-30).
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “The Wives of King Solomon:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2175,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “The Wives of King Solomon:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2175,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “The Wives of King Solomon:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2175, (accessed).
