Look at this, from 1 Kings 3:1-3: “Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.”
The passage goes on to describe the thousand offering Solomon made on the altar at Gibea. God had been very clear with his people from the days of Moses exactly where and how offerings were supposed to be made. Why didn’t Solomon know that?
And didn’t Solomon know that God had told his people not to make a treaty with Egypt? Egypt was the military power of the day, and God didn’t want his people putting their hope in strong neighbors instead of him.
Yet, despite Solomon’s mistakes, God continued to love him and work with him. He came to Solomon and offered whatever he asked for, and Solomon famously asked for wisdom. Solomon knew he didn’t know what he should know. He knew it and didn’t like it; he wanted to change. He wanted that more than he wanted anything else evidently, so God made him into the wisest king who ever lived.
Even that wisdom, though, didn’t keep Solomon from some pretty significant sins. It’s striking that even the advantage of Godly King David as a father and God-given wisdom as a gifting, Solomon wasn’t able to live a pure life.
We can’t save ourselves. Solomon couldn’t, and I can’t. But, as he did with Solomon, God continues to love me and work with me. I hope I want to get it right as much as Solomon seemed to.
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