After David, Solomon has the most detailed description of all the Davidic kings or kings of the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 1-11; 2 Chron. 1-9). This makes sense, in that he was the one to build and dedicate the temple, and because of God’s material blessing on Israel, and also because Solomon’s failures led to the dividing of the nation.
What did it mean that David was a man after
God’s heart? One way to answer that is to see the differences between David and
Solomon. Solomon “loved” the LORD (3:3).
But it was not said he was a man after
God’s heart. David did not worship at the high places. Solomon did (v3-4). Even though the temple had not been built in
David’s time, it appears his worship was limited to Jerusalem, at the place
where the Ark was brought, and at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite
(2 Sam. 24:18-25). Perhaps his single-heartedness about God was a key to being after God’s heart.
Also, Solomon’s heart was not loyal to the
LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David (1 Kings 11:4). Therefore, Solomon did evil and did not fully
follow the LORD as David (11:6). David confessed and repented and paid the
price. We are not told that Solomon ever repented and rejected his idolatry and
evil doings. And Solomon didn’t really
pay the price (for David’s sake, 11:12).
Solomon had “adversaries” (11:14) but Rehoboam experienced the division
of the kingdom that was the punishment for Solomon’s sin.
The term “loyal” (11:4 in NKJV) comes from a
word that means to be in a covenant of peace. Thus, “loyal” means to have a heart that is
complete, at peace and perfect. It is
interesting that in 1 Kings 3, after Solomon had married Pharaoh’s
daughter and brought her to the “City of David.” that God still found pleasure
in Solomon (3:10). But obviously, as the
foreign wives multiplied, Solomon became more restless in heart rather than at
peace with God.
Another thing about Solomon has to do with his great “wisdom.” The description of Solomon in 1 Ki. 4:29-34 shows a truly great and wise man. What a great attribute, that God gave Solomon “largeness of heart.” Wisdom is important, especially in the administration of justice. Biblical wisdom tells us how to navigate properly in the world of the Creator. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). Solomon, in Prov. 8, was speaking of Christ when he said that “wisdom” was present at the creation of all things.
Having said that, we still note that, like the
Law, wisdom can tell us how we ought to live and act in a multitude of
situations. But it cannot enable us to be
wise. For that we need a new heart. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived;
yet in many ways he lived foolishly.
There is much on which we need to meditate as
we read of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Solomon certainly provides much for us to consider. Let us do so, for the exaltation of Christ,
our righteous King; and for our own growth in likeness to Him.
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