Inspired by Solomon’s Story

One day, I read Solomon’s story when I was studying the Bible. When Solomon was appointed to be a king, he asked for wisdom from God, and he indeed got great wisdom. As a believer of God, he built the temple for Jehovah God. This is how Jehovah God said to Solomon, “Concerning this house which you are in building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with you, which I spoke to David your father: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel” (1 Kings 6:12-13). Solomon listened to God’s words and had God’s presence. At the temple’s inauguration, he led all the people to pray, and asked them to worship Jehovah God, not to keep away from God’s way.

Sadly, Solomon failed to continue acting in harmony with Jehovah’s will. He did evil in the eyes of Jehovah God. God forbid the interracial marriage of Israelites to other nations, and directly forbid worship or service of other gods. But Solomon lacked the reverence for God, and he didn’t keep what God commanded. He married hundreds of women, including many who worshiped foreign gods. Just as it is recorded in the Bible, “But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the LORD said to the children of Israel, You shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in to you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon joined to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart” (1 Kings 11:1-3). Gradually his wives inclined his heart away from Jehovah to the worship of idols. He immersed himself in the pleasures of the flesh all day long and followed foreign women to worship idols, and even built high places for idols in the hill that was before Jerusalem, for people to worship. He seriously went against God’s words, received God’s disgust, and provoked God’s anger. “Why the LORD said to Solomon, For as much as this is done of you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely rend the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant” (1 Kings 11:11).

When Solomon just ruled the nation, he was so considerate of God’s will. This was why he asked for God to give him wisdom to govern God’s people, and lead people to worship God. The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, and treasured his heart, and thus blessed him greatly. However, when he violated God’s commandments, living in the fleshly pleasures, and even shifted his allegiance away from God, went to worship foreign idols, God got angry with him, and rended the kingdom from him. His death allowed Israel to be divided into two kingdoms. Solomon’s failure gives us the later generation a great warning. If we have the reverence for God, our thoughts and actions are all conform to the truth, and for satisfying God, obeying Him, being considerate of God’s will, then we will receive God’s kindness and blessing. Conversely, if we don’t fear God, deliberately refuse to practice what we know to be the truth, and even violate God’s commandments to do evil things and resist God, offending God’s disposition, then we will receive God’s punishment and curse.

Living in such an evil era, we are surrounded by all kinds of temptations. Without the heart and reveres God, we will be inclined to do something that offends the disposition of God, which will cause us to be detested and rejected by God. Therefore, we must maintain our reverence to God, watch our words and deeds, keep away from these temptations, avoid doing things that offend God’s disposition, and frequently put God’s requirements into practice. Only by doing so can we be protected by God, overcome temptations, and receive God’s grace and blessing.