PROPHETS AND KINGS

Introduction—The Vineyard of the Lord [11]
It was for the purpose of bringing the best gifts of Heaven to all
the peoples of earth that God called Abraham out from his idolatrous
kindred and bade him dwell in the land of Canaan. “I will make of
thee a great nation,” He said, “and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2

. It was a
high honor to which Abraham was called—that of being the father of
the people who for centuries were to be the guardians and preservers
of the truth of God to the world, the people through whom all the
nations of the earth should be blessed in the advent of the promised
Messiah.
Men had well-nigh lost the knowledge of the true God. Their
minds were darkened by idolatry. For the divine statutes, which are
“holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12), men were endeavoring to
substitute laws in harmony with the purposes of their own cruel, selfish
hearts. Yet God in His mercy did not blot them out of existence.
He purposed to give them opportunity for becoming acquainted with
Him through His church. He designed that the principles revealed [16]
through His people should be the means of restoring the moral image
of God in man.
God’s law must be exalted, His authority maintained; and to the
house of Israel was given this great and noble work. God separated
them from the world, that He might commit to them a sacred trust.
He made them the depositaries of His law, and He purposed through
them to preserve among men the knowledge of Himself. Thus the
light of heaven was to shine out to a world enshrouded in darkness,
and a voice was to be heard appealing to all peoples to turn from
idolatry to serve the living God.
“With great power, and with a mighty hand,” God brought His
chosen people out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 32:11. “He sent
Moses His servant; and Aaron whom He had chosen. They showed
His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.” “He
rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: so He led them
vii
viii Prophets and Kings
through the depths.” Psalm 105:26, 27; 106:9. He rescued them
from their servile state, that He might bring them to a good land, a
land which in His providence He had prepared for them as a refuge
from their enemies. He would bring them to Himself and encircle
them in His everlasting arms; and in return for His goodness and
mercy they were to exalt His name and make it glorious in the earth.
[17] “The Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling
wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as
the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over
her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them
on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no
strange god with him.” Deuteronomy 32:9-12. Thus He brought the
Israelites unto Himself, that they might dwell as under the shadow
of the Most High. Miraculously preserved from the perils of the
wilderness wandering, they were finally established in the Land of
Promise as a favored nation.
By means of a parable, Isaiah has told with touching pathos the
story of Israel’s call and training to stand in the world as Jehovah’s
representatives, fruitful in every good work:
“Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved
touching His vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very
fruitful hill: and He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof,
and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of
it, and also made a wine press therein: and He looked that it should
bring forth grapes.” Isaiah 5:1, 2.
Through the chosen nation, God had purposed to bring blessing
[18] to all mankind. “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts,” the prophet
declared, “is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant
plant.” Isaiah 5:7.
To this people were committed the oracles of God. They were
hedged about by the precepts of His law, the everlasting principles
of truth, justice, and purity. Obedience to these principles was to be
their protection, for it would save them from destroying themselves
by sinful practices. And as the tower in the vineyard, God placed in
the midst of the land His holy temple.
Christ was their instructor. As He had been with them in the
wilderness, so He was still to be their teacher and guide. In the
Introduction—The Vineyard of the Lord ix
tabernacle and the temple His glory dwelt in the holy Shekinah
above the mercy seat. In their behalf He constantly manifested the
riches of His love and patience.
Through Moses the purpose of God was set before them and the
terms of their prosperity made plain. “Thou art an holy people unto
the Lord thy God,” he said; “the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to
be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the
face of the earth.”
“Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to
walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His commandments,
and His judgments, and to hearken unto His voice: and the Lord
hath avouched thee this day to be His peculiar people, as He hath
promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments;
and to make thee high above all nations which He hath made, in [19]
praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be an holy
people unto the Lord thy God, as He hath spoken.” Deuteronomy
7:6; 26:17-19.
The children of Israel were to occupy all the territory which
God appointed them. Those nations that rejected the worship and
service of the true God were to be dispossessed. But it was God’s
purpose that by the revelation of His character through Israel men
should be drawn unto Him. To all the world the gospel invitation
was to be given. Through the teaching of the sacrificial service,
Christ was to be uplifted before the nations, and all who would look
unto Him should live. All who, like Rahab the Canaanite and Ruth
the Moabitess, turned from idolatry to the worship of the true God
were to unite themselves with His chosen people. As the numbers
of Israel increased, they were to enlarge their borders until their
kingdom should embrace the world.
But ancient Israel did not fulfill God’s purpose. The Lord declared,
“I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how
then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto
Me?” “Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself.”
“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I
pray you, betwixt Me and My vineyard. What could have been done
more to My vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I
looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? [20]
And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I
x Prophets and Kings
will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break
down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: and I will lay
it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up
briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no
rain upon it. For … He looked for judgment, but behold oppression;
for righteousness, but behold a cry.” Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 10:1;
Isaiah 5:3-7.
The Lord had through Moses set before His people the result
of unfaithfulness. By refusing to keep His covenant, they would
cut themselves off from the life of God, and His blessing could not
come upon them. At times these warnings were heeded, and rich
blessings were bestowed upon the Jewish nation and through them
upon surrounding peoples. But more often in their history they forgot
God and lost sight of their high privilege as His representatives. They
robbed Him of the service He required of them, and they robbed
their fellow men of religious guidance and a holy example. They
desired to appropriate to themselves the fruits of the vineyard over
which they had been made stewards. Their covetousness and greed
caused them to be despised even by the heathen. Thus the Gentile
[21] world was given occasion to misinterpret the character of God and
the laws of His kingdom.
With a father’s heart, God bore with His people. He pleaded
with them by mercies given and mercies withdrawn. Patiently He
set their sins before them and in forbearance waited for their acknowledgment.
Prophets and messengers were sent to urge His
claim upon the husbandmen; but, instead of being welcomed, these
men of discernment and spiritual power were treated as enemies.
The husbandmen persecuted and killed them. God sent still other
messengers, but they received the same treatment as the first, only
that the husbandmen showed still more determined hatred.
The withdrawal of divine favor during the period of the Exile
led many to repentance, yet after their return to the Land of Promise
the Jewish people repeated the mistakes of former generations and
brought themselves into political conflict with surrounding nations.
The prophets whom God sent to correct the prevailing evils were
received with the same suspicion and scorn that had been accorded
the messengers of earlier times; and thus, from century to century,
the keepers of the vineyard added to their guilt.
Introduction—The Vineyard of the Lord xi
The goodly vine planted by the divine Husbandman upon the
hills of Palestine was despised by the men of Israel and was finally
cast over the vineyard wall; they bruised it and trampled it under their [22]
feet and hoped that they had destroyed it forever. The Husbandman
removed the vine and concealed it from their sight. Again He planted
it, but on the other side of the wall and in such a manner that the
stock was no longer visible. The branches hung over the wall, and
grafts might be joined to it; but the stem itself was placed beyond
the power of men to reach or harm.
Of special value to God’s church on earth today—the keepers of
His vineyard—are the messages of counsel and admonition given
through the prophets who have made plain His eternal purpose in
behalf of mankind. In the teachings of the prophets, His love for
the lost race and His plan for their salvation are clearly revealed.
The story of Israel’s call, of their successes and failures, of their
restoration to divine favor, of their rejection of the Master of the
vineyard, and of the carrying out of the plan of the ages by a goodly
remnant to whom are to be fulfilled all the covenant promises—this
has been the theme of God’s messengers to His church throughout
the centuries that have passed. And today God’s message to His
church—to those who are occupying His vineyard as faithful husbandmen—
is none other than that spoken through the prophet of
old:
“Sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the
Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any
hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” Isaiah 27:2, 3.
Let Israel hope in God. The Master of the vineyard is even now
gathering from among men of all nations and peoples the precious
fruits for which He has long been waiting. Soon He will come unto
His own; and in that glad day His eternal purpose for the house of
Israel will finally be fulfilled. “He shall cause them that come of
Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of
the world with fruit.” Verse 6.
xii Prophets and Kings
Section 1—From Strength toWeakness [23]
[24]
“Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man
glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise
loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in
these things I delight, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23, 24.
[25] Chapter 1—Solomon
In the reign of David and Solomon, Israel became strong among
the nations and had many opportunities to wield a mighty influence
in behalf of truth and the right. The name of Jehovah was exalted
and held in honor, and the purpose for which the Israelites had
been established in the Land of Promise bade fair of meeting with
fulfillment. Barriers were broken down, and seekers after truth
from the lands of the heathen were not turned away unsatisfied.
Conversions took place, and the church of God on earth was enlarged
and prospered.
Solomon was anointed and proclaimed king in the closing years
of his father David, who abdicated in his favor. His early life was
bright with promise, and it was God’s purpose that he should go
on from strength to strength, from glory to glory, ever approaching
nearer the similitude of the character of God, and thus inspiring His
people to fulfill their sacred trust as the depositaries of divine truth.
[26] David knew that God’s high purpose for Israel could be met only
as rulers and people should seek with unceasing vigilance to attain
to the standard placed before them. He knew that in order for his son
Solomon to fulfill the trust with which God was pleased to honor
him, the youthful ruler must be not merely a warrior, a statesman,
and a sovereign, but a strong, good man, a teacher of righteousness,
an example of fidelity.
With tender earnestness David entreated Solomon to be manly
and noble, to show mercy and loving-kindness to his subjects, and
in all his dealings with the nations of earth to honor and glorify the
name of God and to make manifest the beauty of holiness. The many
trying and remarkable experiences through which David had passed
during his lifetime had taught him the value of the nobler virtues
and led him to declare in his dying charge to Solomon: “He that
ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall
be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning
14
Solomon 15
without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear
shining after rain.” 2 Samuel 23:3, 4.
Oh, what an opportunity was Solomon’s! Should he follow the
divinely inspired instruction of his father, his reign would be a reign
of righteousness, like that described in the seventy-second psalm:
“Give the king Thy judgments, O God,
And Thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
He shall judge Thy people with righteousness,
And Thy poor with judgment….
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass:
As showers that water the earth.
In his days shall the righteous flourish; [27]
And abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the river unto the ends of the earth….
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents:
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him:
All nations shall serve him.
For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth;
The poor also, and him that hath no helper….
Prayer also shall be made for him continually;
And daily shall he be praised….
His name shall endure forever:
His name shall be continued as long as the sun:
And men shall be blessed in him:
All nations shall call him blessed.
“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only doeth wondrous things.
And blessed be His glorious name forever:
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory;
Amen, and Amen.”
In his youth Solomon made David’s choice his own, and for many
years he walked uprightly, his life marked with strict obedience to
16 Prophets and Kings
God’s commands. Early in his reign he went with his counselors
of state to Gibeon, where the tabernacle that had been built in the
wilderness still was, and there he united with his chosen advisers,
“the captains of thousands and of hundreds,” “the judges,” and “every
governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers,” in offering sacrifices
to God and in consecrating themselves fully to the Lord’s service.
2 Chronicles 1:2. Comprehending something of the magnitude of
the duties connected with the kingly office, Solomon knew that
[28] those bearing heavy burdens must seek the Source of Wisdom for
guidance, if they would fulfill their responsibilities acceptably. This
led him to encourage his counselors to unite with him heartily in
making sure of their acceptance with God.
Above every earthly good, the king desired wisdom and understanding
for the accomplishment of the work God had given him
to do. He longed for quickness of mind, for largeness of heart, for
tenderness of spirit. That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a
dream and said, “Ask what I shall give thee.” In his answer the young
and inexperienced ruler gave utterance to his feeling of helplessness
and his desire for aid. “Thou hast showed unto Thy servant David
my father great mercy,” he said, “according as he walked before
Thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with
Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that Thou hast
given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
“And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king
instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know
not how to go out or come in. And Thy servant is in the midst of
Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be
numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore Thy servant an
understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between
good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?
“And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this
thing.”
“Because this was in thine heart,” God said to Solomon, “and
thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of thine
enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and
[29] knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge My people,” “behold,
I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and
an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee,
Solomon 17
neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given
thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor,” “such
as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither
shall there any after thee have the like.”
“And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My
commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen
thy days.” 1 Kings 3:5-14; 2 Chronicles 1:7-12.
God promised that as He had been with David, so He would be [30]
with Solomon. If the king would walk before the Lord in uprightness,
if he would do what God had commanded him, his throne would
be established and his reign would be the means of exalting Israel
as “a wise and understanding people,” the light of the surrounding
nations. Deuteronomy 4:6.
The language used by Solomon while praying to God before the
ancient altar at Gibeon reveals his humility and his strong desire to
honor God. He realized that without divine aid he was as helpless as
a little child to fulfill the responsibilities resting on him. He knew
that he lacked discernment, and it was a sense of his great need that
led him to seek God for wisdom. In his heart there was no selfish
aspirations for a knowledge that would exalt him above others. He
desired to discharge faithfully the duties devolving upon him, and he
chose the gift that would be the means of causing his reign to bring
glory to God. Solomon was never so rich or so wise or so truly great
as when he confessed, “I am but a little child: I know not how to go
out or come in.”
Those who today occupy positions of trust should seek to learn
the lesson taught by Solomon’s prayer. The higher the position a
man occupies, the greater the responsibility that he has to bear, the
wider will be the influence that he exerts and the greater his need of
dependence on God. Ever should he remember that with the call to
work comes the call to walk circumspectly before his fellow men.
He is to stand before God in the attitude of a learner. Position does
not give holiness of character. It is by honoring God and obeying [31]
His commands that a man is made truly great.
The God whom we serve is no respecter of persons. He who
gave to Solomon the spirit of wise discernment is willing to impart
the same blessing to His children today. “If any of you lack wisdom,”
His word declares, “let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
18 Prophets and Kings
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5.
When a burden bearer desires wisdom more than he desires wealth,
power, or fame, he will not be disappointed. Such a one will learn
from the Great Teacher not only what to do, but how to do it in a
way that will meet with the divine approval.
So long as he remains consecrated, the man whom God has endowed
with discernment and ability will not manifest an eagerness
for high position, neither will he seek to rule or control. Of necessity
men must bear responsibilities; but instead of striving for the
supremacy, he who is a true leader will pray for an understanding
heart, to discern between good and evil.
The path of men who are placed as leaders is not an easy one.
But they are to see in every difficulty a call to prayer. Never are they
to fail of consulting the great Source of all wisdom. Strengthened
and enlightened by the Master Worker, they will be enabled to stand
firm against unholy influences and to discern right from wrong, good
from evil. They will approve that which God approves, and will
strive earnestly against the introduction of wrong principles into His
cause.
The wisdom that Solomon desired above riches, honor, or long
life, God gave him. His petition for a quick mind, a large heart,
[32] and a tender spirit was granted. “God gave Solomon wisdom and
understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the
sand that is on the seashore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the
wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom
of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; … and his fame was in all
nations round about.” 1 Kings 4:29-31.
“And all Israel … feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom
of God was in him, to do judgment.” 1 Kings 3:28. The hearts of the
people were turned toward Solomon, as they had been toward David,
and they obeyed him in all things. “Solomon … was strengthened
in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified
him exceedingly.” 2 Chronicles 1:1.
For many years Solomon’s life was marked with devotion to
God, with uprightness and firm principle, and with strict obedience
to God’s commands. He directed in every important enterprise and
managed wisely the business matters connected with the kingdom.
His wealth and wisdom, the magnificent buildings and public works
Solomon 19
that he constructed during the early years of his reign, the energy,
piety, justice, and magnanimity that he revealed in word and deed,
won the loyalty of his subjects and the admiration and homage of
the rulers of many lands.
The name of Jehovah was greatly honored during the first part
of Solomon’s reign. The wisdom and righteousness revealed by the
king bore witness to all nations of the excellency of the attributes of
the God whom he served. For a time Israel was as the light of the
world, showing forth the greatness of Jehovah. Not in the surpassing
wisdom, the fabulous riches, the far-reaching power and fame that
were his, lay the real glory of Solomon’s early reign; but in the honor [33]
that he brought to the name of the God of Israel through a wise use
of the gifts of Heaven.
As the years went by and Solomon’s fame increased, he sought
to honor God by adding to his mental and spiritual strength, and
by continuing to impart to others the blessings he received. None
understood better than he that it was through the favor of Jehovah
that he had come into possession of power and wisdom and understanding,
and that these gifts were bestowed that he might give to
the world a knowledge of the King of kings.
Solomon took an especial interest in natural history, but his
researches were not confined to any one branch of learning. Through
a diligent study of all created things, both animate and inanimate,
he gained a clear conception of the Creator. In the forces of nature,
in the mineral and the animal world, and in every tree and shrub and
flower, he saw a revelation of God’s wisdom; and as he sought to
learn more and more, his knowledge of God and his love for Him
constantly increased.
Solomon’s divinely inspired wisdom found expression in songs
of praise and in many proverbs. “He spake three thousand proverbs:
and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from
the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth
out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping
things, and of fishes.” 1 Kings 4:32, 33.
In the proverbs of Solomon are outlined principles of holy living
and high endeavor, principles that are heaven-born and that lead to
godliness, principles that should govern every act of life. It was [34]
the wide dissemination of these principles, and the recognition of
20 Prophets and Kings
God as the One to whom all praise and honor belong, that made
Solomon’s early reign a time of moral uplift as well as of material
prosperity.
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,” he wrote, “and the man
that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than
the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is
more precious than rubies: and all things thou canst desire are not to
be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in
her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay
hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.” Proverbs
3:13-18.
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with
all thy getting get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7. “The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Psalm 111:10. “The fear of the
Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the
froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13.
O that in later years Solomon had heeded these wonderful words
of wisdom! O that he who had declared, “The lips of the wise
disperse knowledge” (Proverbs 15:7), and who had himself taught
the kings of the earth to render to the King of kings the praise they
desired to give to an earthly ruler, had never with a “froward mouth,”
in “pride and arrogancy,” taken to himself the glory due to God
alone!
Chapter 2—The Temple and Its Dedication [35]
The long-cherished plan of David to erect a temple to the Lord,
Solomon wisely carried out. For seven years Jerusalem was filled
with busy workers engaged in leveling the chosen site, in building
vast retaining walls, in laying broad foundations,—“great stones,
costly stones, and hewed stones,”—in shaping the heavy timbers
brought from the Lebanon forests, and in erecting the magnificent
sanctuary. 1 Kings 5:17.
Simultaneously with the preparation of wood and stone, to which
task many thousands were bending their energies, the manufacture
of the furnishings for the temple was steadily progressing under
the leadership of Hiram of Tyre, “a cunning man, endued with
understanding, … skillful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in
iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and
in crimson.” 2 Chronicles 2:13, 14.
Thus as the building on Mount Moriah was noiselessly upreared [36]
with “stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there
was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house,
while it was in building,” the beautiful fittings were perfected according
to the patterns committed by David to his son, “all the vessels
that were for the house of God.” 1 Kings 6:7; 2 Chronicles 4:19.
These included the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, the candlestick
and lamps, with the vessels and instruments connected with
the ministrations of the priests in the holy place, all “of gold, and that
perfect gold.” 2 Chronicles 4:21. The brazen furniture,—the altar of
burnt offering, the great laver supported by twelve oxen, the lavers
of smaller size, with many other vessels,—“in the plain of Jordan
did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and
Zeredathah.” 2 Chronicles 4:17. These furnishings were provided in
abundance, that there should be no lack.
Of surpassing beauty and unrivaled splendor was the palatial
building which Solomon and his associates erected for God and His
worship. Garnished with precious stones, surrounded by spacious
21
22 Prophets and Kings
courts with magnificent approaches, and lined with carved cedar and
burnished gold, the temple structure, with its broidered hangings and
rich furnishings, was a fit emblem of the living church of God on
earth, which through the ages has been building in accordance with
the divine pattern, with materials that have been likened to “gold,
silver, precious stones,” “polished after the similitude of a palace.”
1 Corinthians 3:12; Psalm 144:12. Of this spiritual temple Christ
is “the chief Cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” Ephesians 2:20,
21.
[37] At last the temple planned by King David, and built by Solomon
his son, was completed. “All that came into Solomon’s heart to
make in the house of the Lord,” he had “prosperously effected.” 2
Chronicles 7:11. And now, in order that the palace crowning the
heights of Mount Moriah might indeed be, as David had so much
desired, a dwelling place “not for man, but for the Lord God” (1
Chronicles 29:1), there remained the solemn ceremony of formally
dedicating it to Jehovah and His worship.
The spot on which the temple was built had long been regarded
as a consecrated place. It was here that Abraham, the father of
the faithful, had revealed his willingness to sacrifice his only son
in obedience to the command of Jehovah. Here God had renewed
with Abraham the covenant of blessing, which included the glorious
Messianic promise to the human race of deliverance through the
sacrifice of the Son of the Most High. See Genesis 22:9, 16-18. Here
it was that when David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to
stay the avenging sword of the destroying angel, God had answered
him by fire from heaven. See 1 Chronicles 21. And now once more
the worshipers of Jehovah were here to meet their God and renew
their vows of allegiance to Him.
The time chosen for the dedication was a most favorable one—
the seventh month, when the people from every part of the kingdom
were accustomed to assemble at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of
Tabernacles. This feast was preeminently an occasion of rejoicing.
The labors of the harvest being ended and the toils of the new year not
yet begun, the people were free from care and could give themselves
up to the sacred, joyous influences of the hour.
[38] At the appointed time the hosts of Israel, with richly clad repTemple
and Its Dedication 23
resentatives from many foreign nations, assembled in the temple
courts. The scene was one of unusual splendor. Solomon, with the
elders of Israel and the most influential men among the people, had
returned from another part of the city, whence they had brought the
ark of the testament. From the sanctuary on the heights of Gibeon
had been transferred the ancient “tabernacle of the congregation,
and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle” (2 Chronicles
5:5); and these cherished reminders of the earlier experiences of
the children of Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness and
their conquest of Canaan, now found a permanent home in the splendid
building that had been erected to take the place of the portable
structure.
In bringing to the temple the sacred ark containing the two tables
of stone on which were written by the finger of God the precepts
of the Decalogue, Solomon had followed the example of his father
David. Every six paces he sacrificed. With singing and with music
and with great ceremony, “the priests brought in the ark of the
covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house,
into the most holy place.” Verse 7. As they came out of the inner
sanctuary, they took the positions assigned them. The singers—
Levites arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and
harps—stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred
and twenty priests sounding with trumpets. See Verse 12.
“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one,
to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; [39]
and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals
and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is
good; for His mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled
with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not
stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord
had filled the house of God.” Verses 13, 14.
Realizing the significance of this cloud, Solomon declared: “The
Lord hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. But I have
built an house of habitation for Thee, and a place for Thy dwelling
forever.” 2 Chronicles 6:1, 2.
“The Lord reigneth;
Let the people tremble:
24 Prophets and Kings
He sitteth between the cherubims;
Let the earth be moved.
“The Lord is great in Zion;
And He is high above all the people.
Let them praise Thy great and terrible name;
For it is holy….
“Exalt ye the Lord our God,
And worship at His footstool;
For He is holy.”
Psalm 99:1-5.
“In the midst of the court” of the temple had been erected “a
brazen scaffold,” or platform, “five cubits long, and five cubits broad,
and three cubits high.” Upon this Solomon stood and with uplifted
hands blessed the vast multitude before him. “And all the congregation
of Israel stood.” 2 Chronicles 6:13, 3.
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” Solomon exclaimed, “who
[40] hath with His hands fulfilled that which He spake with His mouth to
my father David, saying, … I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name
might be there.” Verses 4-6.
Solomon then knelt upon the platform, and in the hearing of all
the people offered the dedicatory prayer. Lifting his hands toward
heaven, while the congregation were bowed with their faces to the
ground, the king pleaded: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God like
Thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and
showest mercy unto Thy servants, that walk before Thee with all
their heart.”
“Will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold,
heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much
less this house which I have built? Have respect therefore to the
prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God,
to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which Thy servant prayeth
before Thee: that Thine eyes may be open upon this house day and
night, upon the place whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldest
put Thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant
prayeth toward this place. Hearken therefore unto the supplications
of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, which they shall make
Temple and Its Dedication 25
toward this place: hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, even from
heaven; and when Thou hearest, forgive….
“If Thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy,
because they have sinned against Thee; and shall return and confess
Thy name, and pray and make supplication before Thee in this house;
then hear Thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of Thy people
Israel, and bring them again unto the land which Thou gavest to
them and to their fathers.
“When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because [41]
they have sinned against Thee; yet if they pray toward this place,
and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin, when Thou dost
afflict them; then hear Thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy
servants, and of Thy people Israel, when Thou hast taught them the
good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land,
which Thou hast given unto Thy people for an inheritance.
“If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be
blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege
them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness
there be: then what prayer or what supplication soever shall
be made of any man, or of all Thy people Israel, when everyone
shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his
hands in his house: then hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling place,
and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways,
whose heart Thou knowest; … that they may fear Thee, to walk in
Thy ways, so long as they live in the land which Thou gavest unto
our fathers.
“Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of Thy people
Israel, but is come from a far country for Thy great name’s sake,
and Thy mighty hand, and Thy stretched-out arm; if they come and
pray in this house; then hear Thou from the heavens, even from
Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth
to Thee for; that all people of the earth may know Thy name, and
fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and may know that this house
which I have built is called by Thy name.
“If Thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way [42]
that Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Thee toward this
city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for
26 Prophets and Kings
Thy name; then hear Thou from the heavens their prayer and their
supplication, and maintain their cause.
“If they sin against Thee, (for there is no man which sinneth
not,) and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before
their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far
off or near; yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they
are carried captive, and turn and pray unto Thee in the land of their
captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have
dealt wickedly; if they return to Thee with all their heart and with
all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried
them captives, and pray toward their land, which Thou gavest unto
their fathers, and toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward
the house which I have built for Thy name: then hear Thou from
the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, their prayer and their
supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Thy people
which have sinned against Thee.
“Now, my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and
let Thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into Thy resting place, Thou, and
the ark of Thy strength: let Thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed
with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God,
turn not away the face of Thine anointed: remember the mercies of
David Thy servant.” Verses 14-42.
[43] As Solomon ended his prayer, “fire came down from heaven, and
[44]
[45]
consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices.” The priests could
not enter the temple because “the glory of the Lord had filled the
Lord’s house.” “When all the children of Israel saw … the glory of
the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to
the ground upon the pavement, and worshiped, and praised the Lord,
saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.”
Then king and people offered sacrifices before the Lord. “So the
king and all the people dedicated the house of God.” 2 Chronicles
7:1-5. For seven days the multitudes from every part of the kingdom,
from the borders “of Hamath unto the river of Egypt,” “a very great
congregation,” kept a joyous feast. The week following was spent by
the happy throng in observing the Feast of Tabernacles. At the close
of the season of reconsecration and rejoicing the people returned to
their homes, “glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord
Temple and Its Dedication 27
had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people.”
Verses 8, 10.
The king had done everything within his power to encourage the
people to give themselves wholly to God and His service, and to
magnify His holy name. And now once more, as at Gibeon early
in his reign, Israel’s ruler was given evidence of divine acceptance
and blessing. In a night vision the Lord appeared to him with the
message: “I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to
Myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be
no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send [46]
pestilence among My people; if My people, which are called by
My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and
will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now Mine eyes shall
be open, and Mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this
place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My
name may be there forever: and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be
there perpetually.” Verses 12-16.
Had Israel remained true to God, this glorious building would
have stood forever, a perpetual sign of God’s especial favor to His
chosen people. “The sons of the stranger,” God declared, “that
join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name
of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone that keepeth the Sabbath
from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even them will I
bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of
prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted
upon Mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer
for all people.” Isaiah 56:6, 7.
In connection with these assurances of acceptance, the Lord
made very plain the path of duty before the king. “As for thee,”
He declared, “if thou wilt walk before Me, as David thy father
walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and
shalt observe My statutes and My judgments; then will I establish
the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with
David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler
in Israel.” 2 Chronicles 7:17, 18.
Had Solomon continued to serve the Lord in humility, his entire [47]
reign would have exerted a powerful influence for good over the
28 Prophets and Kings
surrounding nations, nations that had been so favorably impressed
by the reign of David his father and by the wise words and the
magnificent works of the earlier years of his own reign. Foreseeing
the terrible temptations that attend prosperity and worldly honor,
God warned Solomon against the evil of apostasy and foretold the
awful results of sin. Even the beautiful temple that had just been
dedicated, He declared, would become “a proverb and a byword
among all nations” should the Israelites forsake “the Lord God of
their fathers” and persist in idolatry. Verses 20, 22.
Strengthened in heart and greatly cheered by the message from
heaven that his prayer in behalf of Israel had been heard, Solomon
now entered upon the most glorious period of his reign, when “all the
kings of the earth” began to seek his presence, “to hear his wisdom,
that God had put in his heart.” 2 Chronicles 9:23. Many came to see
the manner of his government and to receive instruction regarding
the conduct of difficult affairs.
As these people visited Solomon, he taught them of God as the
Creator of all things, and they returned to their homes with clearer
conceptions of the God of Israel and of His love for the human race.
In the works of nature they now beheld an expression of His love
and a revelation of His character; and many were led to worship
Him as their God.
The humility of Solomon at the time he began to bear the burdens
[48] of state, when he acknowledged before God, “I am but a little child”
(1 Kings 3:7), his marked love of God, his profound reverence for
things divine, his distrust of self, and his exaltation of the infinite
Creator of all—all these traits of character, so worthy of emulation,
were revealed during the services connected with the completion
of the temple, when during his dedicatory prayer he knelt in the
humble position of a petitioner. Christ’s followers today should
guard against the tendency to lose the spirit of reverence and godly
fear. The Scriptures teach men how they should approach their
Maker—with humility and awe, through faith in a divine Mediator.
The psalmist has declared:
“The Lord is a great God,
And a great King above all gods….
Temple and Its Dedication 29
O come, let us worship and bow down:
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
Psalm 95:3-6.
Both in public and in private worship it is our privilege to bow on
our knees before God when we offer our petitions to Him. Jesus, our
example, “kneeled down, and prayed.” Luke 22:41. Of His disciples
it is recorded that they, too, “kneeled down, and prayed.” Acts 9:40.
Paul declared, “I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” Ephesians 3:14. In confessing before God the sins of Israel,
Ezra knelt. See Ezra 9:5. Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three
times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.” Daniel
6:10.
True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite
greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the
Unseen, every heart should be deeply impressed. The hour and
place of prayer are sacred, because God is there. And as reverence [49]
is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it
will be deepened. “Holy and reverend is His name,” the psalmist
declares. Psalm 111:9. Angels, when they speak that name, veil
their faces. With what reverence, then, should we, who are fallen
and sinful, take it upon our lips!
Well would it be for old and young to ponder those words of
Scripture that show how the place marked by God’s special presence
should be regarded. “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet,” He
commanded Moses at the burning bush, “for the place whereon thou
standest is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5. Jacob, after beholding the
vision of the angel, exclaimed, “The Lord is in this place; and I knew
it not…. This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate
of heaven.” Genesis 28:16, 17.
In that which was said during the dedicatory services, Solomon
had sought to remove from the minds of those present the superstitions
in regard to the Creator, that had beclouded the minds of
the heathen. The God of heaven is not, like the gods of the heathen,
confined to temples made with hands; yet He would meet with
His people by His Spirit when they should assemble at the house
dedicated to His worship.
30 Prophets and Kings
Centuries later Paul taught the same truth in the words: “God
that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of
heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is
worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing
He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; … that they should
[50] seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him,
though He be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and
move, and have our being.” Acts 17:24-28.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord;
And the people whom He hath chosen for His own
inheritance.
The Lord looketh from heaven;
He beholdeth all the sons of men.
From the place of His habitation
He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”
“The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens;
And His kingdom ruleth over all.”
“Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:
Who is so great a God as our God?
Thou art the God that doest wonders:
Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.”
Psalm 33:12-14; 103:19;
Psalm 77:13, 14.
Although God dwells not in temples made with hands, yet He
honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has
promised that when they come together to seek Him, to acknowledge
their sins, and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by
His Spirit. But those who assemble to worship Him should put away
every evil thing. Unless they worship Him in spirit and truth and
in the beauty of holiness, their coming together will be of no avail.
Of such the Lord declares, “This people draweth nigh unto Me with
their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far
from Me.” Matthew 15:8, 9. Those who worship God must worship
Him “in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship
Him.” John 4:23.
Temple and Its Dedication 31
“The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence
before Him.” Habakkuk 2:20.
[51] Chapter 3—Pride of Prosperity
While Solomon exalted the law of heaven, God was with him,
and wisdom was given him to rule over Israel with impartiality and
mercy. At first, as wealth and worldly honor came to him, he remained
humble, and great was the extent of his influence. “Solomon
reigned over all kingdoms from the river [Euphrates] unto the land
of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt.” “He … had peace
on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely,
every man under his vine and under his fig tree, … all the days of
Solomon.” 1 Kings 4:21, 24, 25.
But after a morning of great promise his life was darkened by
apostasy. History records the melancholy fact that he who had
been called Jedidiah,—“Beloved of the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:25,
margin),—he who had been honored by God with tokens of divine
favor so remarkable that his wisdom and uprightness gained for him
world-wide fame, he who had led others to ascribe honor to the God
[52] of Israel, turned from the worship of Jehovah to bow before the idols
of the heathen.
Hundreds of years before Solomon came to the throne, the Lord,
foreseeing the perils that would beset those who might be chosen as
rulers of Israel, gave Moses instruction for their guidance. Directions
were given that he who should sit on the throne of Israel should
“write him a copy” of the statutes of Jehovah “in a book out of that
which is before the priests the Levites.” “It shall be with him,” the
Lord said, “and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he
may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law
and these statutes, to do them: that his heart be not lifted up above
his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to
the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his
days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.”
Deuteronomy 17:18-20.
In connection with this instruction the Lord particularly cautioned
the one who might be anointed king not to “multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly
multiply to himself silver and gold.” Verse 17.
With these warnings Solomon was familiar, and for a time he
heeded them. His greatest desire was to live and rule in accordance
with the statutes given at Sinai. His manner of conducting the affairs
of the kingdom was in striking contrast with the customs of the
nations of his time—nations who feared not God and whose rulers
trampled underfoot His holy law.
In seeking to strengthen his relations with the powerful kingdom [53]
lying to the southward of Israel, Solomon ventured upon forbidden
ground. Satan knew the results that would attend obedience; and
during the earlier years of Solomon’s reign—years glorious because
of the wisdom, the beneficence, and the uprightness of the king—
he sought to bring in influences that would insidiously undermine
Solomon’s loyalty to principle and cause him to separate from God.
That the enemy was successful in this effort, we know from the
record: “Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and
took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the City of David.” 1
Kings 3:1.
From a human point of view, this marriage, though contrary
to the teachings of God’s law, seemed to prove a blessing; for
Solomon’s heathen wife was converted and united with him in the
worship of the true God. Furthermore, Pharaoh rendered signal
service to Israel by taking Gezer, slaying “the Canaanites that dwelt
in the city,” and giving it “for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s
wife.” 1 Kings 9:16. This city Solomon rebuilt and thus apparently
greatly strengthened his kingdom along the Mediterranean seacoast.
But in forming an alliance with a heathen nation, and sealing the
compact by marriage with an idolatrous princess, Solomon rashly
disregarded the wise provision that God had made for maintaining
the purity of His people. The hope that his Egyptian wife might be
converted was but a feeble excuse for the sin.
For a time God in His compassionate mercy overruled this terrible
mistake; and the king, by a wise course, could have checked at [54]
least in a large measure the evil forces that his imprudence had set in
operation. But Solomon had begun to lose sight of the Source of his
power and glory. As inclination gained the ascendancy over reason,
self-confidence increased, and he sought to carry out the Lord’s
34 Prophets and Kings
purpose in his own way. He reasoned that political and commercial
alliances with the surrounding nations would bring these nations to a
knowledge of the true God; and he entered into unholy alliance with
nation after nation. Often these alliances were sealed by marriages
with heathen princesses. The commands of Jehovah were set aside
for the customs of surrounding peoples.
Solomon flattered himself that his wisdom and the power of
his example would lead his wives from idolatry to the worship of
the true God, and also that the alliances thus formed would draw
the nations round about into close touch with Israel. Vain hope!
Solomon’s mistake in regarding himself as strong enough to resist
the influence of heathen associates was fatal. And fatal, too, the
deception that led him to hope that notwithstanding a disregard of
God’s law on his part, others might be led to revere and obey its
sacred precepts.
The king’s alliances and commercial relations with heathen nations
brought him renown, honor, and the riches of this world. He
was enabled to bring gold from Ophir and silver from Tarshish in
great abundance. “The king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as
plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees
that are in the vale for abundance.” 2 Chronicles 1:15. Wealth, with
[55] all its attendant temptations, came in Solomon’s day to an increasingly
large number of people; but the fine gold of character was
dimmed and marred.
So gradual was Solomon’s apostasy that before he was aware of
it, he had wandered far from God. Almost imperceptibly he began
to trust less and less in divine guidance and blessing, and to put
confidence in his own strength. Little by little he withheld from
God that unswerving obedience which was to make Israel a peculiar
people, and he conformed more and more closely to the customs
of the surrounding nations. Yielding to the temptations incident
to his success and his honored position, he forgot the Source of
his prosperity. An ambition to excel all other nations in power and
grandeur led him to pervert for selfish purposes the heavenly gifts
hitherto employed for the glory of God. The money which should
have been held in sacred trust for the benefit of the worthy poor and
for the extension of principles of holy living throughout the world,
was selfishly absorbed in ambitious projects.
Pride of Prosperity 35
Engrossed in an overmastering desire to surpass other nations in
outward display, the king overlooked the need of acquiring beauty
and perfection of character. In seeking to glorify himself before
the world, he sold his honor and integrity. The enormous revenues
acquired through commerce with many lands were supplemented
by heavy taxes. Thus pride, ambition, prodigality, and indulgence
bore fruit in cruelty and exaction. The conscientious, considerate
spirit that had marked his dealings with the people during the early
part of his reign, was now changed. From the wisest and most [56]
merciful of rulers, he degenerated into a tyrant. Once the compassionate,
God-fearing guardian of the people, he became oppressive
and despotic. Tax after tax was levied upon the people, that means
might be forthcoming to support the luxurious court.
The people began to complain. The respect and admiration they
had once cherished for their king was changed into disaffection and
abhorrence.
As a safeguard against dependence on the arm of flesh, the Lord
had warned those who should rule over Israel not to multiply horses
to themselves. But in utter disregard of this command, “Solomon
had horses brought out of Egypt.” “And they brought unto Solomon
horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.” “Solomon gathered together
chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in
the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.” 2 Chronicles
1:16; 9:28; 1 Kings 10:26.
More and more the king came to regard luxury, self-indulgence,
and the favor of the world as indications of greatness. Beautiful and
attractive women were brought from Egypt, Phoenicia, Edom, and
Moab, and from many other places. These women were numbered
by hundreds. Their religion was idol worship, and they had been
taught to practice cruel and degrading rites. Infatuated with their
beauty, the king neglected his duties to God and to his kingdom.
His wives exerted a strong influence over him and gradually
prevailed on him to unite with them in their worship. Solomon had
disregarded the instruction that God had given to serve as a barrier
against apostasy, and now he gave himself up to the worship of the [57]
false gods. “It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives
turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect
36 Prophets and Kings
with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For
Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and
after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.” 1 Kings 11:4, 5.
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 efficiency 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
[58] departed so far from purity as 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 character,
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
Pride of Prosperity 37
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
progressed steadily. How could it be otherwise when their king had
united his interests with satanic agencies? Through these agencies
the enemy worked to confuse the minds of the Israelites in regard to
true and false worship, and they became an easy prey. Commerce
with other nations brought them into intimate contact with those who
had no love for God, and their own love for Him was greatly lessened.
Their keen sense of the high, holy character of God was deadened.
Refusing to follow in the path of obedience, they transferred their [59]
allegiance to the enemy of righteousness. It came to be a common
practice to intermarry with idolaters, and the Israelites rapidly lost
their abhorrence of idol worship. Polygamy was countenanced.
Idolatrous mothers brought their children up to observe heathen
rites. In the lives of some, the pure religious service instituted by
God was replaced by idolatry of the darkest hue.
Christians are to keep themselves distinct and separate from the
world, its spirit, and its influences. God is fully able to keep us in the
world, but we are not to be of the world. His love is not uncertain
and fluctuating. Ever He watches over His children with a care that
is measureless. But He requires undivided allegiance. “No man can
serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24.
Solomon was endued with wonderful wisdom, but the world
drew him away from God. Men today are no stronger than he; they
are as prone to yield to the influences that caused his downfall. As
God warned Solomon of his danger, so today He warns His children
not to imperil their souls by affinity with the world. “Come out from
among them,” He pleads, “and be ye separate, … and touch not the
unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you,
and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2
Corinthians 6:17, 18.
In the midst of prosperity lurks danger. Throughout the ages,
riches and honor have ever been attended with peril to humility
and spirituality. It is not the empty cup that we have difficulty in [60]
carrying; it is the cup full to the brim that must be carefully balanced.
38 Prophets and Kings
Affliction and adversity may cause sorrow, but it is prosperity that
is most dangerous to spiritual life. Unless the human subject is
in constant submission to the will of God, unless he is sanctified
by the truth, prosperity will surely arouse the natural inclination to
presumption.
In the valley of humiliation, where men depend on God to teach
them and to guide their every step, there is comparative safety. But
the men who stand, as it were, on a lofty pinnacle, and who, because
of their position, are supposed to possess great wisdom—these are
in gravest peril. Unless such men make God their dependence, they
will surely fall.
Whenever pride and ambition are indulged, the life is marred, for
pride, feeling no need, closes the heart against the infinite blessings
of Heaven. He who makes self-glorification his aim will find himself
destitute of the grace of God, through whose efficiency the truest
riches and the most satisfying joys are won. But he who gives all
and does all for Christ will know the fulfillment of the promise,
“The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow
with it.” Proverbs 10:22. With the gentle touch of grace the Saviour
banishes from the soul unrest and unholy ambition, changing enmity
to love and unbelief to confidence. When He speaks to the soul,
saying, “Follow Me,” the spell of the world’s enchantment is broken.
At the sound of His voice the spirit of greed and ambition flees from
the heart, and men arise, emancipated, to follow Him.