King Solomon, the Wisest Man That Ever LivedSample

King Solomon's downfall

“When Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (1 Kings 11:4)

Several times we have read of Solomon's desire to faithfully serve the Lord, the God of his father David. But by the end of his life, that was no longer the case. Solomon even began to build places of sacrifice for idols. How could that happen?

Even before the people of Israel settled in their land, God had told them not to marry women from the surrounding nations lest they be tempted into idolatry (see Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Moreover, God said that the kings who would rule Israel should not take many wives, "or his heart will be led astray.” (Deuteronomy 17:17).

Solomon did so anyway, with tragic consequences. He had as many as 700 wives and 300 concubines from many different nations. To please those wives, he offered them the opportunity to sacrifice to their idols. In fact, Solomon joined them! What a disappointing end to such a promising king. It is not surprising that the Lord God was angry about this. As a result of Solomon's unfaithfulness, God would give most of his territory to another king.

Solomon's wives were his weak spot. His love for them led the wise king astray. Do you also have weaknesses or vulnerabilities that threaten to separate you from God? How do you deal with them?