Twice during Solomon's reign the Lord had appeared
to him with words of approval and counsel--in the
night vision at Gibeon, when the promise of wisdom, riches,
and honor was accompanied by an admonition to remain
humble and obedient; and after the dedication of the temple,
when once more the Lord exhorted him to faithfulness.
Plain were the admonitions, wonderful the promises, given
to Solomon; yet of him who in circumstances, in character,
and in life seemed abundantly fitted to heed the charge and
meet the expectation of Heaven, it is recorded: "He kept
not that which the Lord commanded." "His heart was
turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared
unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this
thing, that he should not go after other gods." I Kings
11:9, 10. And so complete was his apostasy, so hardened
his heart in transgression, that his case seemed well-nigh
hopeless.
From the joy of divine communion, Solomon turned
to find satisfaction in the pleasures of sense. Of this experience
he says:
"I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted
me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards: . . . I got
me servants and maidens: . . . I gathered me also silver
and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the
provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and
the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and
that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than
all that were before me in Jerusalem. . . .
"And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from
them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart
rejoiced in all my labor. . . . Then I looked on all the
works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that
I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation
of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
"And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness,
and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after
the king? even that which hath been already done. . . . I
hated life. . . . Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken
under the sun." Ecclesiastes 2:4-18.
By his own bitter experience, Solomon learned the emptiness
of a life that seeks in earthly things its highest good.
He erected altars to heathen gods, only to learn how vain
is their promise of rest to the spirit. Gloomy and
soul-harassing thoughts troubled him night and day. For him
there was no longer any joy of life or peace of mind, and
the future was dark with despair.
Yet the Lord forsook him not. By messages of reproof
and by severe judgments, He sought to arouse the king
to a realization of the sinfulness of his course. He removed
His protecting care and permitted adversaries to harass and
weaken the kingdom. "The Lord stirred up an adversary
unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. . . . And God stirred
him up another adversary, Rezon, . . . captain over a band,"
who "abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. And
Jeroboam, . . . Solomon's servant," "a mighty man of valor,"
"even he lifted up his hand against the king." I Kings
11:14-28.
At last the Lord, through a prophet, delivered to Solomon
the startling message: "Forasmuch as this is done of thee,
and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes, which
I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from
thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in
thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but
I will rend it out of the hand of thy son." Verses 11, 12.
Awakened as from a dream by this sentence of judgment
pronounced against him and his house, Solomon with
quickened conscience began to see his folly in its true light.
Chastened in spirit, with mind and body enfeebled, he turned
wearied and thirsting from earth's broken cisterns, to drink
once more at the fountain of life. For him at last the
discipline of suffering had accomplished its work. Long had
he been harassed by the fear of utter ruin because of inability
to turn from folly; but now he discerned in the message
given him a ray of hope. God had not utterly cut him off,
but stood ready to deliver him from a bondage more cruel
than the grave, and from which he had had no power to
free himself.
In gratitude Solomon acknowledged the power and the
loving-kindness of the One who is "higher than the highest"
(Ecclesiastes 5:8); in penitence he began to retrace his
steps toward the exalted plane of purity and holiness from
whence he had fallen so far. He could never hope to
escape the blasting results of sin, he could never free his
mind from all remembrance of the self-indulgent course
he had been pursuing, but he would endeavor earnestly to
dissuade others from following after folly. He would humbly
confess the error of his ways and lift his voice in warning
lest others be lost irretrievably because of the influences
for evil he had been setting in operation.
The true penitent does not put his past sins from his
remembrance. He does not, as soon as he has obtained
peace, grow unconcerned in regard to the mistakes he has
made. He thinks of those who have been led into evil by
his course, and tries in every possible way to lead them
back into the true path. The clearer the light that he has
entered into, the stronger is his desire to set the feet of
others in the right way. He does not gloss over his
wayward course, making his wrong a light thing, but lifts
the danger signal, that others may take warning.
Solomon acknowledged that "the heart of the sons of
men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart." Ecclesiastes
9:3. And again he declared, "Because sentence against an
evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of
the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a
sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged,
yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear
God, which fear before Him: but it shall not be well with
the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as
a shadow; because he feareth not before God." Ecclesiastes
8:11-13.
By the spirit of inspiration the king recorded for after
generations the history of his wasted years with their
lessons of warning. And thus, although the seed of his sowing
was reaped by his people in harvests of evil, his life-work
was not wholly lost. With meekness and lowliness
Solomon in his later years "taught the people knowledge;
yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order
many proverbs." He "sought to find out acceptable words:
and that which was written was upright, even words of
truth." "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails
fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from
one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished."
Ecclesiastes 12:9-12.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter," he
wrote: "Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this
is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work
into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good,
or whether it be evil." Verses 13, 14.
Solomon's later writings reveal that as he realized more
and still more the wickedness of his course, he gave special
attention to warning the youth against falling into the errors
that had led him to squander for nought Heaven's choicest
gifts. With sorrow and shame he confessed that in the
prime of manhood, when he should have found God his
comfort, his support, his life, he turned from the light of
Heaven and the wisdom of God, and put idolatry in the
place of the worship of Jehovah. And now, having learned
through sad experience the folly of such a life, his yearning
desire was to save others from entering into the bitter
experience through which he had passed.
With touching pathos he wrote concerning the privileges
and responsibilities before the youth in God's service:
"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for
the eyes to behold the sun: but if a man live many years,
and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of
darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart.
cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways
of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know
thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into
judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and
put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth
are vanity." Ecclesiastes 11:7-10.
"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,
While the evil days come not,
Nor the years draw nigh,
When thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
"While the sun,
Or the light,
Or the moon,
Or the stars,
Be not darkened,
Nor the clouds return after the rain:
"In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,
And the strong men shall bow themselves,
And the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look out of the windows be darkened,
And the doors shall be shut in the streets,
"When the sound of the grinding is low,
And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird,
And all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
"Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high,
And fears shall be in the way,
"And the almond tree shall flourish,
And the grasshopper shall be a burden,
And desire shall fail:
"Because man goeth to his long home,
And the mourners go about the streets:
"Or ever the silver cord be loosed,
Or the golden bowl be broken,
Or the pitcher be broken at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the cistern.
"Then shall the dust return to the earth
As it was:
And the spirit shall return unto God
Who gave it."
Ecclesiastes 12:1-7.
Not only to the youth, but to those of mature years, and
to those who are descending the hill of life and facing the
western sun, the life of Solomon is full of warning. We
see and hear of unsteadiness in youth, the young wavering
between right and wrong, and the current of evil passions
proving too strong for them. In those of maturer years, we
do not look for this unsteadiness and unfaithfulness; we
expect the character to be established, the principles firmly
rooted. But this is not always so. When Solomon should
have been in character as a sturdy oak, he fell from his
steadfastness under the power of temptation. When his strength
should have been the firmest, he was found to be the
weakest.
From such examples we should learn that in watchfulness
and prayer is the only safety for both young and old.
Security does not lie in exalted position and great privileges.
One may for many years have enjoyed a genuine Christian
experience, but he is still exposed to Satan's attacks. In the
battle with inward sin and outward temptation, even the
wise and powerful Solomon was vanquished. His failure
teaches us that, whatever a man's intellectual qualities may
be, and however faithfully he may have served God in the
past, he can never with safety trust in his own wisdom and
integrity.
In every generation and in every land the true foundation
and pattern for character building have been the same.
The divine law, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, . . . and thy neighbor as thyself," the great
principle made manifest in the character and life of our
Saviour, is the only secure foundation, the only sure guide.
Luke 10:27. "Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability
of thy times, and strength of salvation," the wisdom and
knowledge which God's word alone can impart. Isaiah 33:6.
It is as true now as when the words were spoken to
Israel of obedience to His commandments: "This is your
wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations."
Deuteronomy 4:6. Here is the only safeguard for individual
integrity, for the purity of the home, the well-being of
society, or the stability of the nation. Amidst all life's
perplexities and dangers and conflicting claims, the one safe
and sure rule is to do what God says. "The statutes of the
Lord are right," and "he that doeth these things shall never
be moved." Psalms 19:8; 15:5.
Those who heed the warning of Solomon's apostasy will
shun the first approach of those sins that overcame him.
Only obedience to the requirements of Heaven will keep
man from apostasy. God has bestowed upon man great
light and many blessings; but unless this light and these
blessings are accepted, they are no security against
disobedience and apostasy. When those whom God has exalted
to positions of high trust turn from Him to human wisdom,
their light becomes darkness. Their entrusted capabilities
become a snare.
Till the conflict is ended, there will be those who will
depart from God. Satan will so shape circumstances that
unless we are kept by divine power, they will almost
imperceptibly weaken the fortifications of the soul. We need
to inquire at every step, "Is this the way of the Lord?" So
long as life shall last, there will be need of guarding the
affections and the passions with a firm purpose. Not one
moment can we be secure except as we rely upon God, the
life hidden with Christ. Watchfulness and prayer are the
safeguards of purity.
All who enter the City of God will enter through the
strait gate--by agonizing effort; for "there shall in no wise
enter into it anything that defileth." Revelation 21:27. But
none who have fallen need give up to despair. Aged men,
once honored of God, may have defiled their souls,
sacrificing virtue on the altar of lust; but if they repent, forsake
sin, and turn to God, there is still hope for them. He who
declares, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee
a crown of life," also gives the invitation, "Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and
let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy
upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Revelation 2:10; Isaiah 55:7. God hates sin, but He
loves the sinner. "I will heal their backsliding," He declares;
"I will love them freely." Hosea 14:4.
Solomon's repentance was sincere; but the harm that
his example of evil-doing had wrought could not be undone.
During his apostasy there were in the kingdom men who
remained true to their trust, maintaining their purity and
loyalty. But many were led astray; and the forces of evil
set in operation by the introduction of idolatry and worldly
practices could not easily be stayed by the penitent king.
His influence for good was greatly weakened. Many hesitated
to place full confidence in his leadership. Though the
king confessed his sin and wrote out for the benefit of after
generations a record of his folly and repentance, he could
never hope entirely to destroy the baleful influence of his
wrong deeds. Emboldened by his apostasy, many continued
to do evil, and evil only. And in the downward course of
many of the rulers who followed him may be traced the
sad influence of the prostitution of his God-given powers.
In the anguish of bitter reflection on the evil of his
course, Solomon was constrained to declare, "Wisdom is
better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much
good." "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as
an error which proceedeth from the ruler: folly is set in
great dignity."
"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send
forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in
reputation for wisdom and honor." Ecclesiastes 9:18, 10:
5, 6, 1.
Among the many lessons taught by Solomon's life, none
is more strongly emphasized than the power of influence
for good or for ill. However contracted may be our sphere,
we still exert an influence for weal or woe. Beyond our
knowledge or control, it tells upon others in blessing or
cursing. It may be heavy with the gloom of discontent
and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of some
cherished sin; or it may be charged with the life-giving
power of faith, courage, and hope, and sweet with the
fragrance of love. But potent for good or for ill it will
surely be.
That our influence should be a savor of death unto death
is a fearful thought, yet it is possible. One soul misled,
forfeiting eternal bliss--who can estimate the loss! And
yet one rash act, one thoughtless word, on our part may
exert so deep an influence on the life of another that it will
prove the ruin of his soul. One blemish on the character
may turn many away from Christ.
As the seed sown produces a harvest, and this in turn
is sown, the harvest is multiplied. In our relation to others,
this law holds true. Every act, every word, is a seed that
will bear fruit. Every deed of thoughtful kindness, of
obedience, of self-denial, will reproduce itself in others, and
through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice,
or dissension is a seed that will spring up in a "root of bitterness"
whereby many shall be defiled. Hebrews 12:15. And
how much larger number will the "many" poison! Thus
the sowing of good and evil goes on for time and for eternity.