Topical Bible: Heart: Change of Solomon

◄ Heart: Change of Solomon ►

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The heart of Solomon, the third king of Israel and son of David, is a profound study in the complexities of human devotion and the consequences of spiritual decline. Solomon's reign began with a heart fully devoted to God, marked by wisdom and understanding, but it tragically ended with a heart turned away from the Lord due to idolatry and disobedience.

Early Devotion and Wisdom

Solomon's early years as king were characterized by a sincere devotion to God. When God appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, Solomon famously asked for wisdom to govern the people of Israel. Pleased with this request, God granted him unparalleled wisdom and understanding, as well as wealth and honor (1 Kings 3:5-14). Solomon's heart at this time was aligned with God's purposes, and he demonstrated this through his leadership and the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, a monumental task that fulfilled his father David's vision (1 Kings 6:1-38).

The Turning of Solomon's Heart

Despite his auspicious beginnings, Solomon's heart began to change as he grew older. The Bible records that Solomon loved many foreign women, including the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. These marriages were contrary to God's command that the Israelites should not intermarry with these nations, as they would turn their hearts after other gods (1 Kings 11:1-2).

Indeed, Solomon's many wives led him astray. "For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been" (1 Kings 11:4). Solomon's heart, once a vessel of divine wisdom, became divided and compromised, leading him to build high places for the gods of his wives, such as Ashtoreth, Milcom, and Chemosh (1 Kings 11:5-8).

Consequences of a Divided Heart

The change in Solomon's heart had significant consequences for both his reign and the future of Israel. The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from Him, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice (1 Kings 11:9). As a result, God declared that He would tear the kingdom away from Solomon's son, leaving only one tribe for the sake of David and Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:11-13).

Solomon's divided heart serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of compromising one's devotion to God. His account illustrates the biblical principle that the heart is the wellspring of life and must be guarded diligently (Proverbs 4:23). Solomon's failure to heed this wisdom led to the division of the kingdom and set a precedent for future generations.

Legacy and Reflection

The change of Solomon's heart is a poignant reminder of the importance of maintaining a steadfast devotion to God. Despite his wisdom and achievements, Solomon's legacy is marred by his spiritual decline. His life underscores the biblical truth that a heart divided by idolatry and disobedience cannot stand firm in the ways of the Lord. Solomon's account invites believers to reflect on their own hearts, ensuring that they remain fully devoted to God, free from the entanglements of worldly distractions and false allegiances.

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1 Kings 3:11,12
And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment;
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Library

What Happened to Solomon
... The change that led to the disaster was in Solomon ... These influences Solomon withstood
for a long time. His heart held true to God; but these influences kept on ...
/.../naylor/heart talks/talk twenty-seven what happened to.htm

Note F. --Chap. xviii the Whole Heart
... Hear Solomon in his temple prayer (1 Kings 8:48): "If ... the Prophets about the new
time, the great change that can ... xxiv.7 : "I will give them an heart to know Me ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/murray/the two covenants/note f chap xviii the whole.htm

The Fall of Solomon
... charge against him is that 'his heart was not ... silence, and to have wrought no softening
nor change. ... Solomon was threatened before the prophet spoke to Jeroboam ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the fall of solomon.htm

The Great Change
... One cause for this great change is the sense of ... as important as the greatest prayer
that Solomon ever offered ... God is answering my prayers, my heart says, "What ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 42 1896/the great change.htm

A Penitent Heart, the Best New Year's Gift
... grace in the soul; there must be a change in heart ... Had you now a heart to turn from
your sins ... Solomon, who had experience of all other pleasures, yet saith of ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/a penitent heart the best.htm

The Great Gain of Godliness
... have their country's truest prosperity at heart may well ... of either, and their employment
by Solomon was a ... novelty was characteristic of the change coming over ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the great gain of godliness.htm

The Mandrakes Give a Smell, and at Our Gates are all Manner of ...
Song of Songs of Solomon. ... must feel the wedge, the hammer and the fire before they
will change their form, and so must it be with a heart that resembles ...
/.../guyon/song of songs of solomon/13 the mandrakes give a.htm

About the Prefigured Change of the Israelitic Kingdom and ...
... to be passed by in silence, concerning the change of things ... my horn is exalted in
my God." Her heart is truly ... one Church; and in the Proverbs of Solomon it is ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 4 about the prefigured change.htm

Of the Incomparable Love which the Mother of God, Our Blessed Lady ...
... as the church considers; she had then no change nor delay ... therefore her love, as
a true Solomon, reigned peaceably ... The virginity of her heart and body was more ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter viii of the incomparable.htm

The Fact of the Redeemer's Return was Typified in the Lives of ...
... at this point of Joseph's life there was a dramatic change. ... to Christ at His First
Advent, Solomon looked forward ... termed a "man after God's own heart." He was ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/4 the fact of the.htm