Why did Solomon build high places for Chemosh and Molech in 1 Kings 11:7? Setting the Scene 1 Kings 11:7: “At that time on the hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon.” God’s Clear Commands Solomon Ignored • Exodus 34:12–16 — Israel must not covenant with nor adopt the gods of surrounding nations. • Deuteronomy 7:3–4 — Do not intermarry, “for they will turn your sons away from following Me.” • Deuteronomy 17:17 — A king “must not take many wives, lest his heart be led astray.” The Chain of Compromise • Unchecked Desire: 1 Kings 11:1 records Solomon “loved many foreign women.” • Divided Heart: 1 Kings 11:4 — “his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD.” • Accommodation: To keep peace and favor with his wives, he provided them visible places of worship. • Public Sin: The king’s personal drift became national stumbling; idolatry gained a foothold in Israel. Why Chemosh and Molech Specifically? • Political Alliances: Marriages to Moabite and Ammonite princesses (v. 1) carried expectations of royal patronage for their national deities. • Cultural Prestige: High places on “the hill east of Jerusalem” (Mount of Olives) demonstrated honor toward those wives’ cultures. • Spiritual Laxity: Having allowed sacrifices at the high places early in his reign (1 Kings 3:3), Solomon had already blurred boundaries on proper worship. Spiritual Dynamics at Work • Love displaced loyalty. “King Solomon loved many foreign women” precedes every mention of idolatry (11:1). • Small compromises snowball. The sin began with marriage alliances, not open idol worship. • Influence of relationships. 1 Corinthians 15:33 — “Bad company corrupts good character.” • Wisdom unused is wasted. Solomon knew God’s Law, wrote Proverbs on fidelity and fear of the LORD, yet set it aside (cf. Proverbs 4:23). Lasting Consequences • Divine Judgment: 1 Kings 11:11–13 — the kingdom would be torn away from his house. • National Inheritance of Idolatry: The high places remained until Josiah defiled them centuries later (2 Kings 23:13). • Lesson for Believers: James 1:14–15 — desire conceives sin, sin brings death; therefore guard the heart early. Key Takeaways • Solomon built the high places because he chose pleasing loved ones over obeying the Lord. • Compromise with sin often appears politically or relationally expedient but always invites God’s discipline. • Faithfulness requires guarding both affections and associations so that no rival love supplants wholehearted devotion to the Lord. |
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