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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4a
In the uprightness of his heart, he exhorts the congregation of
Israel: “Let your heart, therefore, be perfect with the Lord our God, to
walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.”
As long as Solomon steadfastly obeyed the commandments, God was
with him, as he had entreated that he might be, as he was with David.
“Thou hast shown unto my father David great mercy, according as he
walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness
of heart.”
There is enough contained in these words to silence every skep-
tic in regard to God’s sanctioning the sins of David and Solomon.
God was merciful to them according as they walked before him in
truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. Just according to their
faithfulness, God dealt with them.
Solomon walked for many years uprightly before God. Wisdom
was given him of God to judge the people with impartiality and mercy.
But even this exalted, learned, and once good man, fell through yield-
ing to temptations connected with his prosperity and honored position.
He forgot God, and the solemn conditions of his success. He fell into
the sinful practice of other kings, of having many wives, which was
contrary to God’s arrangement. God commanded Moses to warn the
people against their having a plurality of wives. “Neither shall he
multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away. Neither shall
he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.”
Solomon’s heart was turned from God when he multiplied to him-
self wives of idolatrous nations. God had expressly forbidden his
people to intermarry with idolatrous nations, for he had chosen them
as his peculiar treasure. “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old,
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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.” “And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because 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; but he kept not that which the Lord
commanded. Wherefore, the Lord said unto Solomon, 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.” The Lord informed Solomon
by his prophet of his purpose concerning him. That he would cause