"Jehovah was very angry with Solomon about this, for now Solomon was no longer interested in the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him TWICE* to warn him specifically against worshiping other gods. But he hadn't listened." I Kings 11:9-10 (TLB) (* Emphasis Mine)
King Solomon was quite possibly the wisest man that ever lived. People from far and wide came great distances just to listen to him talk. Even the Queen of Sheba came to test Solomon's wisdom. She discovered that it was as advertised. For the Lord gave him the right answers every time.
King Solomon had an honor that made him a member of a very exclusive club. He had face to face, one on one contact with Jehovah. And not just once, but twice. He was specifically warned not to marry women of other nations. So the world's wisest man, who met with God twice over coffee and pie, went and did the exact thing God had prohibited.
King Solomon, with all his wisdom, and with two personal appearances from Almighty God fresh in his memory, created temples for worshipping the gods of other nations. He polluted God's own city, Jerusalem, with idol worship. Because, even with his vast wisdom, he was a human being with the same weaknesses that all other humans have. Solomon had broken the covenant he had made with God.
Tomorrow morning we will see how God reacted to Solomon's disobedience in Part III of the series.
Copyright 2007 Timothy E. Davis