After David and Bathsheba’s first son dies, the pair later has Solomon. Solomon succeeds his father David as king, though an earlier coup—thankfully unsuccessful—by Absalom nearly kept this from happening.
Another brother, Adonijah, also attempts to steal the throne before David makes Solomon king.
As David’s successor, Solomon builds the temple his father yearned to construct. Solomon rules well, enjoys peace, and has a reputation for being wise, wiser than anyone else.
Yet for all his wisdom, Solomon makes an unwise decision. It’s an action he repeats hundreds of times. He marries foreign women, something the Law of Moses forbids (Deuteronomy 7:3–4). In total, Solomon amasses seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.
In his old age, his foreign wives turn his attention from the God his father served to the gods they serve. Solomon’s heart is divided in loyalty between the one true God and the gods his wives worship.
Though Solomon received a great start in life and ruled with wisdom, his foreign wives distracted him from living a life fully devoted to the Lord, as his father, David, had done. This is a sad ending to an otherwise successful life.
What relationships do we have that may turn our focus away from God? Do we follow all of God’s commands or assume, like Solomon, that some don’t apply to us?
[Read Solomon’s story in 1 Kings 1–11. Discover more in 2 Samuel 12:24 and Nehemiah 13:26.]
Learn about more biblical characters in Old Testament Sinners and Saints, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy today.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
