Had these scribes and Pharisees believed that Solomon had died as an apostate, they would immediately have reproached Jesus for comparing Himself (Matt. It was an age of prosperity and national unity, But in the end his reign ended disastrously he began to oppress the people, multiplied wives and introduced pagan worship. He is also the one who committed iniquity and so, the promise of God that He would not depart from him His lovingkindness, is also about him. Doesnt seem fair nor does it sound like something that the Father of Love would submit mankind nor His children to. He therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. This is exactly what He promised to do if Solomon sinned - chasten him with the blows of men. Happy to read about your background Dr R Nine Reasons Why Solomon Did Not Perish Eternally. We assume that, upon his death, Solomon went to heaven to be with the God he loved and served. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. There is no indication that Solomon ever repented from his idol worship or tore down the pagan altars. Amen. His writings clearly speak of a man who had a personal relationship with God and knew firsthand the folly of living without God. God created people to do His will. 12: 13), and thus had been born a year before Solomon began his reign of 40 years (2 Chron. Omission of an event in Kings is therefore not to be regarded as casting doubt on its historicity in Chroniclesanymore than the omission of an event in one synoptic Gospel justifies doubt as to its historicity when it appears in another gospel. (Gleason Archer, Jr., New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, 469-472 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan). Kingdom Divided. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine? And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. It is worth considering the possibility, at least, that Solomon may, in his last years, have turned back to the Lord in true repentance and faith. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. We must guard our hearts. If Soloman couldnt do it then what chance do I have? 25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD. Time ~ 6. Scripture does not give any clear indication that Solomon repented of his sinfulness before he died. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. Of course, Solomon lived in the Old Testament dispensation and thus did not experience being "born again" or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for that was not possible before the Christ's ascension and the birth of the church (see John 16:7 ). 23:13; Neh. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Act 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomons porch. He may have even taken a shot at the Catholic Church at the end. See Talmud Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 53a. Donations to this ministry aretax-deductible. (NASB) 1 Kings 4:29-30, Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Is he forgot Thou shalt not kill? And yet he still falters. His action was liken the king Saul. 33: 1217), happy to be able to show his people that even such a wicked king as Manasseh could and did repent and return to the God of his fathers. Actually, the Bible does tell us about many people who went to heaven. Did Solomon repent before he died? Through the power of the risen Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are more than conquerors through Jesus who loved us. Thanks for the feedback, Susanna. For example, it seems significant that the Lord himself, in His human incarnation as Jesus the Christ, referred to Solomons glory and his wisdom, but never to his apparent apostasy. Our spouse will affect our relationship with God! Solomon, the great king, the son of David, kneels down on a bronze platform and raises his hands to heaven (II Chronicles 6:13). Furthermore, according to 1 Kings 11:14,23, God raised up adversaries against Solomon. God sets a high standard for leaders. Now that was the blessing of God on his life, but it does not prove a mans heart is right before God. The fact that 2 Chronicles shows the repentance of the wicked king Manasseh, while such is not mentioned in the accounts of the Books of the Kings, simply reminds us that we must accept and analyze the teaching of all the Word of God. Furthermore, God promised David that although He would chasten that son when he would commit iniquity, He would not take away from His lovingkindness, as He did with Saul (2 Sam. 1-9) does not explicitly mention anything about Solomons great sinfulness. Interpreters dispute whether the book of Ecclesiastes is an OT record of the repentance of Solomon prior tohis death. We could guess that, He did not listen to his fathers instruction. We could say, It was his wealth and fame! The right answer is his wives turned his heart away. That is what scripture says (1 Kings 11:4). How long did David live after Solomon became king? The Lord stirred up adversaries against Solomon who plagued him for the rest of his life (1 Kin. And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Call no man happy before his death, for by how he ends, a man is known (Sirach 11:28). Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . Later God granted Solomon the privilege of building the Temple. Many other Scriptural considerations confirm this interpretation. before his heart turned away from God or after. Many would say he was a man of God. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place (Rev 2:4-5). One reasonable answer might be that he knew somehowor at least had reason to believethat Solomon had indeed repented and received forgiveness in his later years. Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, You shall not associate with them, neither shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods. Solomon held fast to these in love. 12:39). . He finished his life surrounded by hundreds of beautiful women, untold riches and every type of pleasure that a person could ever desire. He honors God early in his reign but he dies having given himself and Israel over to idolatry. There are some interesting parallels here with 2 Chronicles that deserve consideration. So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. It was written near the end of his life and describes his search for meaning in life. What are various methods available for deploying a Windows application? My wisdom also stood by me. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding. All rights reserved. Everyone's desire has, at some point, overruled their brain. I sha You are welcome. The story of Solomon is a powerful lesson for us that it does not pay to disobey. Under his son and successor, Amon, the people reverted to their immoral, idolatrous lifestyle, just about as they had done before Manassehs return from captivity. First, the Book of Ecclesiastes stands as powerful evidence that Solomon repented of his wickedness. But the Chronicler was interested in recording great moments of faith, even when no lasting consequences ensued for the nation as a whole. (1-9) 1 Kings 2:23. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen. (1 Kings 11:1-13)(NASB). He wants you to want Him! Answer (1 of 11): The wisest man is still susceptible to temptation. He then restored the worship of Yahweh in the temple according to the law of Moses and ended his days in restored fellowship with God. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. King solomon will never be wise if he couldnt save his soul. It seems very much as though Ezra (who is believed by most scholars to have written 1 and 2 Chronicles) deliberately omitted all the negative aspects of Solomons birth, life, and career, recording only the positive items, as far as possible. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Thank you for finding these verses of Scripture. Had Solomon died as a wicked apostate who never repented, Jesus would not have compared Himself to Solomon because Solomon would in that case have ultimately proved to be the greatest fool in the history of Israel. Repent and do the things you did at first. Because 2 Chronicles records at length the sinfulness of other kings of Israel and Judah (for example, 2 Chron. In his natural state, no man loves God (Rom. 10,000600 8,000 . (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)(NASB). Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 1 Kings 11:3 tells us that he had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. Even those whom God chastens with death because they do not repent (many sleep [1 Cor. Now, as already noted, Solomon was no more than 20 years old when he became king, which means that he was in his late teens when he wed Naamah. Did King Solomon die in a state of broken fellowship with God? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Thanks for the feedback, Susanna. I am blessed to work with the Couchtown church of Christ (please see our Facebook page, Couchtown church of Christ) in Busy, Kentucky. They will surely tempt you to follow their gods.". At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon had these words to say to the people. As I studied the Bible, I searched for Scripture There are 2 very serious problems with using the assertion that ' Darwin . He finally concluded his book (and probably his last written words) with the admonition to young people to fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Luk 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. Do we see him then some day cast into the lake of fire? But he died a shell of man empty, hopeless and full of regret. Let us fear to sin as Solomon did through his ungodly associations with ungodly people. There are several indications that this could really have happened, even though the biblical accounts of his life and death never say so specifically. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. (NASB) 1 Kings 3:2-3 Solomon loved God but not completely. Life without God is a dead-end street. - Lesley Jan 24, 2021 at 9:49 I enjoy reading and learning. On top of that he is able to manipulate the world, enter our thoughts, and turn our own flesh against us. Protecting The Most Valuable Treasure On Earth. 11:5-8). 7:14) through Hadad and Razon (1 Kin. Did King Solomon repent before God? Although she was from another country, Ammon, she could not have been one of the foreign wives he married later in life, for Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to reign (2 Chron. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Here is a key spiritual truth for us. Yet Manasseh did later repent and turn back to God, and Ezra the scribe recorded this in his account (2 Chron. Was it a test? In fact, Solomon's father, David, had committed serious sins for which he repented before God and was forgiven, although he suffered serious consequences. 7), which is analogous to what was probably Solomon's life (and beliefs) prior to his repentance. Even if he did not repent before he died, we would be right in inferring that God chastened him with death for his being an unrepentant believer so that he would not be condemned with the world (1 Cor. 1 Kings 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. But it appears from Eccl. When Athaliah hears of her son Ahaziah's death by Jehu, according to the accounts in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, she destroys the entire royal family. Had Solomon apostatized from the faith to perish eternally, he would surely have been mentioned in one or more warning passages in the NT because he would have been a profound example of one who did so. Scripture does not give any clear indication that Solomon repented of his sinfulness before he died. Thanks for sharing . Solomon drifted away from God like a boat drifts away from a harbor of safety out into the rough sea. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. But I dont agree with your conclusion. ). 11:1-3; 10, 11). 12:38) whom He rebuked with this statement (Matt. 25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. No offsetting goodness was ever found in King Manasseh, at least according to the record in 2 Kings (21: 118). 17:13). I have neither the wealth nor the wisdom nor the heritage of a King Soloman. It is also interesting to note that the account of Solomons career as recorded in the two Books of Chronicles, covering some 13 chapters in the two books, never refers to Solomons foreign wives at all, except for the one verse (2 Chron. However, some Bible verses hint at Solomon mending his ways with God after he was allowed to build the temple. This was wise instruction from a father. Both the OT and the NT provide information that implies that Solomon did repent before he died. How did Solomon respond? Copyright 2011-2023 by Rajesh Gandhi. Even gets to tempt and lure those that are already imperfect. The author of 1 & 2 Kings was attempting to focus primarily on the nation of Israel, and not necessarily on individual kings and their relationship to God. He eventually returned to God, but God had removed blessing from his life. Solomon did react quickly, for this was the second time Adonijah had attempted to take the throne by subtlety. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Just as God warned, his foreign wives turned his heart away after other gods (1 Kin. First Kings 11 is the primary passage. It seems a bit strange that such an important development as the latter-day repentance of this long-reigning king receives no mention whatever in 2 Kings 21. Therefore, seek to enter the New Covenant with Jesus Christ and to live a holy life, so that you will have all the assurance of salvation. Look at the example of true repentance in King David. I believe we will see him in heaven. It reveals the fact that Solomon for awhile was not walking with God. 11:4) implies thatit was still imperfectly with the LORD his God. The statement that he went not fully after the LORD (1 Kin. Your posts are unique . Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. That is when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. Three verses inform us about the rest of his acts, his death, and his burial in Jerusalem, the city of David his father (1 Kin. Here is his conclusion. Solomons kingdom grew along with his fame. 11:30-32). A People for His Name: My Ministry Testimony, Spiritual Warfare and Professional Occultists: Indisputable Realities, A Very Plausible Scenario concerning Cains Unacceptable Worship. Forgiveness of Sin through a Directive both to Repent and to Pray. Solomon drifted away from the Lord because of his wives. The greater untold story is still there waiting to be told. 11:9-11). As a result, he did much evil in Gods sight, building high places for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods (1 Kin. The first nine verses of this chapter detail his sinful violation of Gods covenant and the baneful influence he exerted for the spiritual downfall of his people. But the reason seems to lie in the different focus of interest that guided the author of Kings. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Before I respond further to your points, please reread my article carefully to see if it already addresses your concerns. 3:11-12). The disturbing truth is: Solomon turned away from God, died spiritually and never returned to salvation. On the other hand, in 1 Kings it is not stated that his wives turned his heart away to other gods when he was old. Yet, he sinned greatly. and some of the proverbs. Dad knew God and Solomon did not. All rights reserved. What is the meaning of know the Father in 1 John 2:12-14. Did Solomon Repent Before He Died? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The maneuver seemed successful, and Baashas fortress was later completely dismantled by Asas troops; but there were sinister consequences for the future. Yet he did not hesitate to write about the sins and weaknesses of Rehoboam, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Uzziah, Ahaz, and the other later kings of Judah. Many would say just forgive him for his womanizing, false doctrine and let him continue to minister. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. There were kings who did much evil throughout their lives, such as Ahab and Manasseh, but they repented for the evil they had done. Thus, Ezra certainly knew about Solomons problems, so why did he omit them in his own account? But if the Song of Solomon was written early in his life, his Book of Ecclesiastes was surely written very late in his life. I sha You are welcome. So why did he spare Solomon? Solomon's prayer in II Chronicles 6:12-42 (see also I Kings 8:22-53) is one of the great prayers in Scripture. Before he died he did go into a coma and was peacefully unconscious before he passed away, but up until that point as far as I know he was fine where communicating was concerned. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Later in his life, Solomon sinned grievously against God. menu What experience do you need to become a teacher? Enoch and Elijah both went to heaven, as did Jesus. We should not read into the OT record of his life what the Bible never says directly, that is, he apostatized, died unrepentant of his sins, and perished eternally. And I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. Again, thanks for your sharing. One can think of how Solomon needed to repent to be restored to God. . 1:8)David had led the nation well, and Solomon didnt want to fail. It is not enough to start well; we must seek God's grace to finish well, too. May Go Dear Sir . Gods chastening Solomon in His mercy to him (cf. We will see Solomon in heaven one day. Based on my study of Scripture, I believe that there are at least nine solid reasons to hold that he did not perish eternally. Satan is a immensely powerful enemy compared to any of us humans, but he is no match for the power of God. Did Solomon repent his sins in the book of Kings before he died? Farther on in 16, "Ungodly men by their words and deeds brought on death, because God did not make anything naturally deadly.Everything is good in itself but evil men brought it on. Conclusion Both the OT and the NT provide information that implies that Solomon did repent before he died. Why did Solomon write Ecclesiastes? 8: 11) that mentions Pharaohs daughter, the first and most important of these wives. Big fan of Robert Jordan, The Wheel Of Time series. The curse of God was not lifted from the city, and the disaster of 587 B.C. Yet he surely had access to the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings when he compiled the Books of Chronicles. And that is the verse that tells us how Solomon took her out of Jerusalem, building a special house for her. But first, lets review some of the events of Solomons life. Although his love for God was incomplete, it was genuine because God first loved him (2 Sam. 5:10; Rom. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)(NASB), The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day. Solomon in Kings is both a good and bad figure. He made his decision, and God made His. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. All Rights Reserved. According to these statements, Solomon was a holy man of God whom the Holy Spirit moved to write the Scripture that he wrote. Christ Connection: King Solomon could have asked for earthly treasures, but he asked for wisdom to lead Gods people. If you spend enough time with Jesus, your heart will grow soft or hard. A number of passages in these earlier books are quoted almost verbatim in Chronicles (for example, compare 2 Chronicles 10: 119, describing the initial acts of Rehoboam, who succeeded Solomon as king, with 1 Kings 12: 119). He wants your love! He followed the people! Scripture does not give any clear indication that Solomon repented of his sinfulness before he died. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it will be evil (Eccles. Remember the height from which you have fallen! All rights reserved. But he is too far gone to be stopped, though he has God's own word for it that he is ruining his kingdom by his sin. He held fast to them in love as they all traveled down the road to hell as idolaters! 12:13-15 that Solomon realized his boat was out at sea and finally returned his boat to the harbor before he died. His relation with the Pharaoh of Egypt has already been alluded to; and the same may be said of his relation with his other great neighbor, Hiram, King of Tyre, and lord of the Phoenician Riviera which lies between Lebanon and the sea. The Jews in general in the Old Testament do not seem to speak of original sin. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. that he knows our heart for him which we receive mercy and forgiveness even for Along with his pagan idolatrous wives, he, therefore, went to fiery torment after his death (Rev. The reason he did this was because of the holy places in Jerusalem and the presence of the ark of Gods covenant there, the implication being that her presence as a pagan religionist in Jerusalem was incompatible with these sacred items in the city. In spite of the darkness that these passages aboutSolomon record, First Kings 11 makes clear, however,that Solomon did not completely turn away from God: 1 Kings 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. What does it mean that the Bible was divinely inspired? First Kings focused on the overall result of each kings reign, in the light of his faithfulness to the covenant. Solomon sins in all three of these areas. Solomon's Idolatry. As for you, don't go astray, but continue to live for God. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. This passage thus explicitly reminds us of Gods special love for Solomon, which again points to his not perishing eternally when he died. How can we do that? Peter specifies that those whom God inspired to write Scripture were special men: 2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. He judges the good and the bad in man and knows all thoughts we have inside. There is know record in scripture that Solomon ever repented that I know of. Instead of writing a novel let me sum this up quickly. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Ask God to show you who they are! Two other passages corroborate the dark record of Solomons later life (2 Kin. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 2007-2023 Moldova Cretin. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. There are 20 passages in the bible that layout to us where the bad guys go after this life. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. All that one needed was to look at how God had blessed him with wealth and fame. Even if he did not repent before he died, we would be right in inferring that God chastened him with death for his being an unrepentant believer so that he would not be condemned with the world (1 Cor. Or just to the promise that the royal dynasty will not be given to another nation? Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots?
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