READ: 1 Kin. 11:1-8: … For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David … And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
Solomon rose to great heights when he served the LORD according to His Word. That service was not perfect, but still he remained in the LORD’s favor. Yet the overwhelming prosperity that accompanied it also posed a danger. The power and luxury given to him tested his perseverance in true service to the LORD.
We must remember that the LORD had warned Solomon repeatedly that His favor for him and his descendants could only remain if he continued to serve the LORD with an undivided heart, obedient to all God’s commandments and statutes.
Sadly, Solomon failed to resist the temptations of wealth, honor, and power. He not only took many wives but especially took women from pagan nations where idols were worshiped. In this way, he brought idolatry into his palace—against which the LORD had strongly warned in His Word (Ex. 34:16; Deut. 7:3).
As a result, Solomon, who loved his many wives, also participated in their idol worship. The LORD considered this a great sin; it was “evil” in His eyes. Again his service to the LORD is compared with that of David.
David was not perfectly obedient either, but he confessed his sins and continued to love and serve the LORD with an undivided heart. Solomon, however, yielded to his passions and showed double-mindedness, serving idols alongside the LORD—idols the LORD abhors (Deut. 7:25-26; 32:16). He, the builder of the LORD’s temple, now built high places for “detestable” idols.
How is it with our idols?
Sing: Ps. 119:30,43