Day 25: The End of Solomon and Israel as we knew it (1 Kings 8-16)

Perhaps I was a bit prematurely harsh on Solomon.  He didn't actually enslave the Israelites, although they were in a sense still enslaved to him.  He made the Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, etc. actually do forced labor, but the Israelites were still beholden to Solomon.  He was their king.  It wasn't an awful plight like that of the "other nations" but still I don't think it was always a picnic, especially toward the end.

Solomon kind of foreshadows his own doom he encourages and admonishes the Israelites to follow the LORD with all their hearts, fully.  He beseeches the LORD to hear all who repent and cry out to him Israelite and foreigner and God obliges, it's really a beautiful prayer and sentiment (1 Kings 8:22-53), but there is a dark ending.

The LORD appears to Solomon a second time and he encourages and warns Solomon to walk in the ways David did, to not turn from the LORD and serve other gods, and He will bless Solomon.  Solomon was a great king, he was greater in riches and wisdom than anyone else.  His fame was known all over and yet, that did not save him (1 Kings 9:23-25, 1 Kings 11:1-13).  All of those wives, did him in.  They worshiped their own gods and so Solomon worshiped those gods too, because he "held fast to them in love."  His heart was divided, indeed it was blackened and corrupt.  So the LORD took the kingdom from him through his son.

Perhaps I don't like Solomon because I know the ending.  It's sad, especially when he had such promise.  Maybe it's like the Gibeonites and Joshua - I hope that the end is not what it's going to be every time.  Maybe that's how God feels too.

God is a God of chances.  He allows Judah and a man from the line of David to remain, but he gives Jeroboam a chance, but he worships other gods instead of trusting the LORD.  So the kingdom of Israel, the remaining ten tribes minus Judah and Benjamin, is ripped from his son Nadab.  He gives Baash a chance, but the same thing and so the kingdom is ripped from his son Elah.  Then Zimri has a chance, but only 7 days and then things fall to Omri and then his son Ahab.  We'll find out Ahab is all kinds of trouble.

As for Judah, they have 3 kings during the time Israel has 7.  There is a lot less killing for the throne as the kingship remains in the line of David.  Only one of the three, though, follows in the heart of David.  Only Asa worships the LORD with all his heart and stops some of the idol worship that his father and his father's father had started.  He doesn't destroy the high places though and so, ultimately the Israelites will return to their wicked ways.  In the meantime there is a glimmer of hope.  It is a good hope and a bright hope.

I think that's it: David - shining hope.  Solomon - bright star that diminishes to a black hole.  I would rather be on the shining hope end and I pray that I am, LORD.  I think that is my problem with Solomon.