Was Solomon Saved - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **Was Solomon Saved?** ^top A common question that arises once someone becomes familiar with King Solomon, King David's son, in the Bible is whether or not he was saved. Solomon is famous for his great wisdom and majesty. However, he was also known for his great sin in marrying many foreign wives and erecting many altars to false gods for them, which, of course, greatly angered God toward him: > 1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, [and] Hittites; > 2 Of the nations [concerning] which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: [for] surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon cleaved unto these in love. > 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. > 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father. > 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. > 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as [did] David his father. > 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. > 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. > 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, > 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. (1 Kings 11:1-10) Many have concluded that Solomon was a genuinely good king who was saved, even though he fell so greatly into sin as he grew old. Of course, in that case he would have been grieved by his sin and eventually repented. And others believe that, sadly, his immense rebellion indicates he was never truly saved after all. As we look into the Bible this is not a meaningless question. Ultimately, whether Solomon was saved or not is God's business. But it's nevertheless good to look into what God says about Solomon because salvation is something we must take *extremely* seriously. If we are not saved through the Lord Jesus Christ we are subject to eternal death, we will be forever thrust into outer darkness away from God. But in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, if we are saved, we will truly enjoy life eternal with the almighty God. It is thus an *infinitely* greater matter than anything else we might regard in our personal lives. And, since Solomon is set forth as so great an example of wisdom before us, yet he fell into such grievous sin that we can't help but wonder what became of him in the end. Did he finally become a complete reprobate, ultimately cut off from God? It is quite sobering just to consider that someone of such great stature in Scripture might not have even been saved. One question that must be put to rest immediately is whether or not Solomon was initially saved but then somehow *lost* his salvation later in life. Even this very question reveals a complete misunderstanding, a full-on error, of what salvation is. When we become saved, it means that Christ has paid for our sins, the Holy Spirit has taken residency within us so that we have become a *new creation* in Christ. Eternal life is thus something that we possess *now* as a true believer if we have become saved. It does not mean that we have somehow become sinless on this side of the grave, but it does mean that we turn away from sin more and more in our life, we cannot continue on in it without it becoming a heavy burden to our conscience knowing that we are living in rebellion against God. Sadly, like King David when he committed adultery and even murder, even a true believer can become complacent or even self-deceived for a time until God deals with it in our hearts through chastisements, through His Word, if we do not turn away from it. So there is zero possibility that Solomon was originally saved but then somehow lost that salvation later. To believe and teach that is an utterly false gospel that you want to stay far away from because it finds its basis for salvation in the sinner's efforts to persevere rather than the action of God in creating us anew, in making us born again to persevere through His Word and by His Spirit. It is falsely based upon our works, not upon Christ's ongoing work in us despite our failures. Do not even countenance such a possibility as it is not the Gospel of the Bible. Yes, there are verses that *seem* to indicate we can lose our salvation if we focus upon them in isolation from other verses. King David pleaded with God not to take His Holy Spirit from him. Another verse admonishes us to make our calling and election sure. But we must understand there is a living dynamic in our relationship with God. We must indeed prayerfully test ourselves whether or not we are truly in the faith for our own benefit so that we do not delude ourselves into a false peace if we aren't truly saved after all. And that's exactly the case for those who believe they could lose their salvation, their foundation is built upon their own works and they will never find Christ that way. The big question is whether or not we are actually saved to begin with, whether we have been born from above. Christ must find us, He must cause us to fall before Him just as we are in our filthy sin, and to plead with Him to cleanse us and to give us the desire to be increasingly obedient to His Word and so on. If there are any further questions on this matter, see [Jesus Saves HIS People](Jesus%20Saves%20HIS%20People%20(Pt%201).md) for many biblical references So that leaves us with only 2 possibilities: either Solomon was saved and he fell into great sin as a believer, or he was never saved and his sin was finally the evidence of this. True, if Solomon was saved, we know that he nevertheless fell into such serious sin in his life as a believer that we might question whether he actually did become saved after all -- but that yes, in the end he would have felt terribly remorseful and conflicted by all of his sin so that he had to turn away from it. On the other hand, if Solomon was never actually saved to begin with, then we know that his sin finally and sadly led to his eternal destruction. Turning to the Bible, we find that King Solomon started out fairly well in asking God for wisdom to rule over His people rather than for personal riches, honor, victory over his enemies or for a long life. We read in 2 Chronicles 1:1, 7-12: > 1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God *was* with him, and magnified him exceedingly. > . . . > 7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. > 8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shown great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. > 9 Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. > 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, *that is so* great? > 11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, 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 knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: > 12 Wisdom and knowledge [is] granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that *have been* before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. While this is a great beginning, it's interesting to note that Solomon had actually worshiped at the high place in Gibeon where Moses' tabernacle was set up, rather than before the ark in Jerusalem that truly represented the Presence of God. In that same chapter, verses 3-6 of that same chapter read: > 3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that *was* at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. > 4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to *the place which* David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. > 5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it. > 6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which *was* at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it. We might normally skim over this information thinking it's not very important. But seeing God has put this in the Bible we must recognize that this was a high place. On the spiritual level, David is a figure of Christ, so the tent that he pitched for the ark in Jerusalem represents the true, eternal, spiritual tabernacle of God into which we come when we become saved ([Acts 15:16](Acts%2015.md#^16), [17](Acts%2015.md#^17); [Heb 8:2](Hebrews%208.md#^2), [9:11](Hebrews%209.md#^11)). That is where God Is. Whereas the original tabernacle of Moses that was pitched in the high place at Gibeon sans the altar, along with the sacrificial altar there, represents the high places where God is actually not directly Present. It could have perhaps represented the Law of God with Moses' tabernacle and the altar there, but we cannot truly approach unto God through the Law. And that's where Solomon and the congregation had worshiped. However, a parallel chapter gives us more insight into this. 1 Kings 3:2-15 reads: > 2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. > 3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. > 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that *was* the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. > 5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. > 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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. > 7 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. > 8 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. > 9 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? > 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. > 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; > 12 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, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. > 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. > 14 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. > 15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, *it was* a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Here God emphasizes that worship was indeed regularly offered in this great high place at Gibeon before the temple was built. Yet, interestingly, once Solomon awoke from his dream in which he had asked God for understanding, he indeed stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD in Jerusalem and worshiped there. And so we read that God indeed gave Solomon great wisdom and majesty according to His Word. And we see the various great works that Solomon did including building the temple in Jerusalem: > *And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.* (1 Kings 4:29) > > *And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.* (1 Kings 4:34) > > *And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.* (1 Kings 5:12) > > *So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; [even] the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.* (1 Kings 7:51) > > *And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions . . . . And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceeds the fame which I heard.* (1 Kings 10:1, 6-7) > > *So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.* (1 Kings 10:23-24) > > *And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him [such] royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.* (1 Chronicles 29:25) > > *And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God [was] with him, and magnified him exceedingly.* (2 Chronicles 1:1) Now, before Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, King David charged him with a promise and a warning: > *And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.* (1 Chronicles 28:9) Then after Solomon built the temple we find that God appeared to Solomon again and declared a similar promise and warning. In 1 Kings 9:1-9 we read: > 1 And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, > 2 That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. > 3 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. > 4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, *and* wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: > 5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. > 6 *But* if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments *and* my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: > 7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: > 8 And at this house, *which* is high, every one that passes by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why has the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? > 9 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshiped them, and served them: therefore has the LORD brought upon them all this evil. The parallel to this is 2 Chronicles 7:11-22: > 11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. > 12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. > 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; > 14 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. > 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer *that is made* in this place. > 16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. > 17 And as for thee, 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; > 18 Then will I stablish 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. > 19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; > 20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it *to be* a proverb and a byword among all nations. > 21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passes by it; so that he shall say, Why has the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house? > 22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshiped them, and served them: therefore has he brought all this evil upon them. Alas, as we saw previously in 1 Kings 11, things took a dark turn in Solomon's life as he got older. Verses 1-13 read: > 1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, *and* Hittites; > 2 Of the nations *concerning* which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: *for* surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. > 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. > 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, *that* his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as *was* the heart of David his father. > 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. > 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as *did* David his father. > 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that *is* before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. > 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. > 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, > 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. > 11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. > 12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: *but* I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. > 13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; *but* will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. It would be good to read [the entire chapter](1%20Kings%2011.md) to get the full picture here. This is all super-grievous sin on Solomon's part. It is certainly sin that you'd never expect from someone who is a true child of God, at least on an ongoing basis, much like the sin of David in committing adultery and murder for which he deeply repented. In fact, the path that Solomon took was in contradiction to God's law for kings' behavior in Deuteronomy 17:14,17: > *When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that [are] about me; . . . . Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.* Moreover, for the remainder of 1 Kings 11 it appears that Solomon indeed continued on this path so that God raised up enemies for the remainder of his reign to oppose him and to divide of the kingdom. At least we don't read anything there that would indicate he repented, then Solomon passed away: > *And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, [are] they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel [was] forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.* (1 Kings 11:41-43) So, in this one chapter we read about all of the rebellion of Solomon and how God raised up adversaries to Solomon and prepared to divide the kingdom. Then Solomon died and that's that, God did divide the kingdom under his son Rehoboam. There are those who conclude that God's judgment was upon Solomon to such an extent that the kingdom was removed from Solomon's line so that he wasn't the true earthly progenitor of Christ. That is, they would say that Solomon's line ended because of his sin. But that's not really true, as we will see. But it certainly looks dismal. In fact, if we search for mentions of Solomon in the New Testament, there isn't a lot there compared to what we might expect of someone who was so famed with wisdom. He is completely absent from Hebrews 11, for example, which lists some of the heroes of faith. Even when speaking about Solomon having built the temple, God seems quite curt: > *Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus (Joshua) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house.* (Acts 7:44-47) That's it, just a brief barely-mention. Here are the remainder of the New Testament verses that refer to Solomon, just 6 others: > *And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Urias; And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;* (Matthew 1:6-7) > > *And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.* (Matthew 6:29) > > *The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.* (Matthew 12:42) > > *The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.* (Luke 11:31) > > *Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.* (Luke 12:27) **Solomon's Line** First, we must understand that God did not *completely* rend the kingdom away from Solomon or from his progeny. He specifies this several times in 1 Kings 11: > *Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; [but] will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.* (1 Kings 11:13) > > *. . . Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon . . . (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) . . . Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: . . . And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.* (1 Kings 11:31, 32, 34, 36) God makes it clear that He left one tribe (Judah) for David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake. Now, technically, there were more tribes in the resulting nation of Judah, such as Benjamin, Levi and some others mixed in. But Judah was the main tribe of the nation. And it was for David's sake, not only in that God promised that the Messiah would come through David's line, but that David is a picture of or typifies Christ. That is, it was for Christ's sake that the kingdom of Judah was preserved through David's line. And that was the kingdom that was ruled over by Solomon's descendants. Now, it is rightly argued that Christ came through David's line from Nathan. We see this in Luke 3:23, 31 (the in-between generations are skipped for brevity): > *And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was [the son] of Heli, > . . . > Which was [the son] of Melea, which was [the son] of Menan, which was [the son] of Mattatha, which was [the son] **of Nathan**, which was [the son] of David. . . .* While Mary isn't mentioned here, this is known to be her lineage in Luke 3 while the line of Joseph is found in Matthew 1. And in Matthew 1, we find that Joseph's lineage indeed came through Solomon. Again, the in-between generations are skipped for brevity: > *The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.* > *. . .* > *And Jesse begot David the king; and David the king begot **Solomon** of her [that had been the wife] of Urias; And **Solomon** begot Roboam; and Roboam begot Abia; and Abia begot Asa;* > *. . .* > *And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.* (Matthew 1:1, 6-7, 16) So regardless of the fact that Christ came from the line of Nathan through Mary, He was nevertheless legally accounted through the lineage of Joseph, His earthly step-father. We know that Christ was born of the virgin Mary through the action of the Holy Spirit, but on a legal basis He was still accounted from the line of Joseph as a descendant of Solomon here in Matthew chapter 1. And, ultimately, it was through the line of the kingdom and tribe of Judah that Christ came ([Mt 2:6](Matthew%202.md#^6); [Heb 7:14](Hebrews%207.md#^14); [Rev 5:5](Revelation%205.md#^5)), the very tribe that God retained for the rule of Solomon's sons. **Solomon Beloved of God** Now, when we look at Solomon's actual relationship to God, whether he was actually saved as an individual -- not just how God responded to his rebellion by raising up enemies and dividing the kingdom, we must look at what the Bible specifically tells us about that. And the first verse we find is at the very birth of Solomon in 2 Samuel 12:24-25, which reads: > *And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.* Twice in this verse God emphasizes that He loved Solomon. Firstly, He very specifically says, "and the LORD loved him." And secondly, to emphasize this, God sent by the hand of Nathan to call Solomon *Jedidiah*. Why Jedidiah? Jedidiah means "Beloved of Jehovah." The first part of his name, *jadid* (beloved), is found in the following verses which relate to Christ and those who are in Him: > *[And] of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; [and the LORD] shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.* (Deuteronomy 33:12) > > *That thy beloved may be delivered; save [with] thy right hand, and hear me.* (Psalm 60:5) > > *That thy beloved may be delivered: save [with] thy right hand, and answer me.* (Psalm 108:6) > > *[It is] vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: [for] so he gives his beloved sleep.* (Psalm 127:2) > > *Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved has a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:* (Isaiah 5:1) While there is at least the possibility that 2 Samuel 12:24-25 speaks of God's love for David rather than Solomon, nevertheless, it is at the very birth of Solomon that we find this context of God's love, that cannot be disputed. However, another verse is found in Nehemiah 13:26, several centuries after Solomon was long gone. This was when the remnant of Judah were returning from captivity to Babylon and were taking stock of those who had married foreign wives during that time. It reads: > *Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.* There's no question that God highlights the sin of Solomon here, yet it says he was *beloved of his God [elohim].* And the fact that Solomon was beloved of his God is the reason for saying, "nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin" -- as to say, even with Solomon's great wisdom and being so beloved of God, yet *even he* sinned in this manner" indicating how dangerous it is to be yoked to idolatrous spouses who want nothing to do with God. And as a matter of record, this would apply to husbands and wives equally. So it is clear that God loved Solomon in spite of the fact that Solomon fell terribly into sin later in life and committed some heinous acts of rebellion, thus angering God. **Solomon a Holy Scribe of God** Another point that must be noted is that Solomon was used of God as a main scribe of Scripture. While there are many who are *quoted* in the Bible who were unsaved, such as the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus' day, many of the enemies of God and of Israel in various places and even Satan himself is quoted -- the actual scribes that God inspired to *pen* the Scriptures were believers. 2 Peter 1:21 reads: > *For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.* Some argue here that the word *holy* in the phrase "holy men" only means that they were *separated or set apart for the service of God* and doesn't necessarily indicate they were saved. It is true that the word holy is used in this manner in limited circumstances, such as in 1 Corinthians 7:14: > *For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.* We also know that certain items, for example, were considered holy or set apart for the service of God that weren't of themselves holy. They were used for a holy purpose. But in most cases the word holy has a greater connotation that means much more than this. In fact, the New Testament word translated *holy* in 2 Peter 1:21 is also translated many times as *saints*, indicating those who are believers. It is also used to indicate how we should conduct ourselves according to God's Word, and for the very nature of God Himself. In fact, it is the same word near the end of the verse where it speaks of the *Holy Ghost.* 2 Peter 1:21 itself answers to this, that these holy men it speaks of are true believers: > *For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.* God does not simply call them holy men, but holy men *of God* (theos). These were men *of God* that He used to pen the Scriptures, or in some cases to be the main subjects of the Scriptures (such as Ruth and Esther). And Solomon was one of these beloved, holy men of God moved by the Holy Spirit for this purpose. So when we consider the various scribes of the Bible: Moses, Samuel, David, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Timothy, Titus, James, Peter and Jude, among perhaps a few others -- we know they were men of God who actually penned the Scriptures as they were led by God to do so. Solomon himself wrote Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and a couple of Psalms -- a fairly large portion of Scripture compared to some of the others. It is simply not plausible that Solomon was the only one out of these who was unsaved from this special inspired group of men of God. This does not in any way undermine nor negate the fact that all of the Bible is truly God's Word, written exactly as God spoke through them. **Consider the Lilies** 2 other passages we should review concerning Solomon are Matthew 6:28-29 and Luke 12:27: > *And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.* (Matthew 6:28-29) > > *Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.* (Luke 12:27) If we don't understand how the Bible is written, which is to focus on the spiritual meaning, we might wrongly conclude here that Christ is simply teaching that God arrays the lilies -- a lowly, passive flower that cannot clothe itself -- with a physical, natural beauty that far exceeds the immense glory of King Solomon. And yes, someone may argue that natural beauty is much greater than worldly majesty. But that isn't the true sense here. When we look into the Bible to see how God speaks of a lily or lilies, it always has to do with Christ Himself and with the Kingdom of God in the building of the temple. Consider: > *And the capitals that [were] upon the top of the pillars [were] of **lily** work in the porch, four cubits. ... And upon the top of the pillars [was] **lily** work: so was the work of the pillars finished.* (1 Kings 7:19, 22) > > *And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: [it was] round all about, and his height [was] five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. ... And it [was] an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, **with flowers of lilies**: it contained two thousand baths.* (1 Kings 7:23, 26) > > *I [am] the rose of Sharon, [and] the **lily** of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so [is] my love among the daughters.* (Song of Solomon 2:1-2) > > *I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the **lily**, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.* (Hosea 14:5) > > *His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, [as] sweet flowers: his lips [like] **lilies**, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.* (Song of Solomon 5:13) > > *Thy navel [is like] a round goblet, [which] lacks not liquor: thy belly [is like] an heap of wheat set about with **lilies**.* (Song of Solomon 7:2) And in a couple of instances the lilies refer to the believers who are in the garden of God that He is cultivating ([Lk 13:18](Luke%2013.md#^18), [19](Luke%2013.md#^19); [1 Cor 3:9b](1%20Corinthians%203.md#^9); [Isa 51:3](Isaiah%2051.md#^3)): > *My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his: he feeds among the **lilies**.* (Song of Solomon 2:16) > > *My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather **lilies**. I [am] my beloved's, and my beloved [is] mine: he feeds among the **lilies**.* (Song of Solomon 6:2-3) Christ is the Lily of the Valley, and in Song of Solomon we see the description of Christ associated with lilies. And *He gathers and feeds among the lilies of the garden*, representing the believers. Thus we are not surprised to find that the capitals of the temple pillars were of lily work and that the brim of the molten see was wrought with lilies of flowers. Christ and the believers are made into the spiritual temple of the LORD ([1 Cor 3:16](1%20Corinthians%203.md#^16); [2 Cor 6:16](2%20Corinthians%206.md#^16); [Eph 2:19](Ephesians%202.md#^19), [20](Ephesians%202.md#^20), [21](Ephesians%202.md#^21), [22](Ephesians%202.md#^22); [Rev 3:12](Revelation%203.md#^12), [21:22](Revelation%2021.md#^22)). So the Old Testament temple, which served as a figure of this reality, included this lily work. So when Christ says, "*Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.*" (Luke 12:27), He is giving us a picture of salvation. When we become saved, we are clothed with the Robe of Christ's righteousness, we are clothed into the kingdom of God as His children, as His heirs, by no work whatsoever on our part. It is all to the glory, honor and credit of God that we are clothed in His royal garb unto eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Christ is teaching here that we cannot labor for this, we cannot carry the burden of being clothed by Christ by our own works which would only lead to failure and death. We must instead rely completely upon the grace and mercy of God for this as we humbly bow before Him. And the glory and majesty of Christ, the glory and majesty of the Kingdom of God into which we are clothed if we are saved is *infinitely* greater than all of the glory of King Solomon in this world. Some might wrongly conclude that Christ is actually teaching here that King Solomon was not saved. If he was not clothed as the lilies (that is, freely clothed with salvation, with Christ, into the majesty of God's kingdom, like Christ and the believers are clothed) by God Himself, therefore it means he was not saved. But that is not what Christ is teaching here. He is rather comparing the *infinitely greater majesty of the kingdom of God* that the believers are freely clothed into against the far lesser, yet nevertheless marvelous, worldly majesty of King Solomon that he enjoyed which was just a type or a figure of the eternal reality in Christ: > *So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.* (1 Kings 10:23-24) **Solomon and 666** A final passage we should briefly consider is 1 Kings 10:14-15 (and its parallel, 2 Chronicles 9:13), which reads: > *Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, Beside [that he had] of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.* (1 Kings 10:14-15) > > *Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold;* (2 Chronicles 9:13) There are those who relate Solomon to the Antichrist in this passage because the ominous number 666 is found here, where the 666 talents of gold came to Solomon in one year -- especially as he fell so deeply into sin in his old age much like the visible kingdom of God falls into apostasy at the end of time and relates to this number. We read about this number 666 with the mark of the beast and the number of his name in Revelation 13:16-18: > *And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of [a] man; and his number [is] **Six hundred sixty [and] six**.* If we properly understand that the mark of the beast and the number 666 represent the unsaved of the world in the kingdom of Satan, then we find that 1 Kings 10:14-15 and 2 Chronicles 9:13 actually represent salvation: "*Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold . . . .*" That is, the 666 talents of gold that came to Solomon in one year represents those who have come out of the kingdom of Satan (they are spiritually marked by the 666) and into the kingdom of Christ during the acceptable year of salvation, with the gold portraying the fact they have become saved and are now part of the spiritual temple of God as vessels of gold: > *But he knows the way that I take: [when] he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.* (Job 23:10) > > *And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.* (Zechariah 13:9) > > *But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, [and] prepared unto every good work.* (2 Timothy 2:20-21) > > *I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.* (Revelation 3:18) > > *To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;* (Isaiah 61:2) > > *To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.* (Luke 4:19) **So What About Solomon's Great Rebellion?** If all we had to go by with regard to King Solomon was 1 Kings 11, we would well conclude that Solomon was a reprobate later in life, indicating he was an unbeliever in the end who was never actually saved. But that's not all that we find in the Bible concerning him. God tells us that He *loved* Solomon, calling him *Jedidiah*, and that he was a holy (saint) man *of God* moved by the Holy Spirit to pen part of Scripture. And we saw that his line indeed continued through to Christ on a legal basis through Joseph (in parallel to the line of Nathan through Mary). Then we see Solomon's inspired writing post-repentance in Ecclesiastes, in addition to the Song of Solomon, Proverbs and a couple of Psalms. Ecclesiastes is a record of someone with great wisdom, having experienced everything in this life and finally concluding that faithfully serving God is the Way of Life -- encouraging us with the wisdom to do the same: > *Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.* (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) So Solomon finally ended with more wisdom than he began. And remember, Christ Himself is true Wisdom ([1 Cor 1:30](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^30)), the Word of God in Person ([Jn 1:14](John%201.md#^14)), even as He Himself is eternally without sin ([2 Cor 5:21](2%20Corinthians%205.md#^21)). At best Solomon was a type of Christ in his great wisdom, but he was nowhere close to being equal to Christ Himself ([Mt 12:42](Matthew%2012.md#^42)). In closing, *while this next passage ultimately speaks about Christ as a messianic prophecy*, it must be remembered that Solomon was a type or figure of Christ as the son of David who built the temple in this context: > 8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: ... > 12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. > 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. > 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. *If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:* > 15 *But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took [it] from Saul, whom I put away before thee.* > 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. > (2 Samuel 7:8, 12-16) April 28, 2025 Tags: #Solomon #library