34
Prophets and Kings
On the southern eminence of the Mount of Olives, opposite Mount
Moriah, where stood the beautiful temple of Jehovah, Solomon erected
an imposing pile of buildings to be used as idolatrous shrines. To
please his wives, he placed huge idols, unshapely images of wood and
stone, amidst the groves of myrtle and olive. There, before the altars of
heathen deities, “Chemosh, the abomination of Moab,” and “Molech,
the abomination of the children of Ammon,” were practiced the most
degrading rites of heathenism.
Verse 7
.
Solomon’s course brought its sure penalty. His separation from
God through communication with idolaters was his ruin. As he cast off
his allegiance to God, he lost the mastery of himself. His moral effi-
ciency was gone. His fine sensibilities became blunted, his conscience
seared. He who in his early reign had displayed so much wisdom
and sympathy in restoring a helpless babe to its unfortunate mother
(see
1 Kings 3:16-28
), fell so low as to consent to the erection of an
idol to whom living children were offered as sacrifices. He who in
his youth was endowed with discretion and understanding, and who
in his strong manhood had been inspired to write, “There is a way
which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death” (
Proverbs 14:12
), in later years departed so far from purity as
[58]
to countenance licentious, revolting rites connected with the worship
of Chemosh and Ashtoreth. He who at the dedication of the temple
had said to his people, “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the
Lord our God” (
1 Kings 8:61
), became himself an offender, in heart
and life denying his own words. He mistook license for liberty. He
tried—but at what cost!—to unite light with darkness, good with evil,
purity with impurity, Christ with Belial.
From being one of the greatest kings that ever wielded a scepter,
Solomon became a profligate, the tool and slave of others. His charac-
ter, once noble and manly, became enervated and effeminate. His faith
in the living God was supplanted by atheistic doubts. Unbelief marred
his happiness, weakened his principles, and degraded his life. The
justice and magnanimity of his early reign were changed to despotism
and tyranny. Poor, frail human nature! God can do little for men who
lose their sense of dependence upon Him.
During these years of apostasy, the spiritual decline of Israel pro-
gressed steadily. How could it be otherwise when their king had united
his interests with satanic agencies? Through these agencies the enemy