The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 222

2. He encouraged immorality and cruelty. For it must never be forgotten what the "abominations'' of these Semitic divinities were like. The idolatry of the East alwiiys involved impw·ity; hence its powerful hold on a nation like the Jews, for whom the worship of" silver and gold, the works of men's hands," could have had but little charm. Its "vile affections" (Rom. i 26) were ite chief attrao- \ions. And Solomon, who knew what the wor8hip of Baal and Ashtoreth meant, who knew how unclean were their rites, and what painful and shameful sacrifices Molech and Chemosh demanded of their votaries, nevertheless gave the word, and presently the hills about Jerusalem were crowned with chapels of devils. 3. He dishonoured the one true God. For if "Polytheism is not exclusive,'' Monotheism, in the very nature of things, is and must be. Its basis 'its fundamental conception, is that there are not "gods many and lords many. " its keynote is the Shema Israel (Deut. vi 4), "the Lord our God is one Lord." It proclaims a "jealous God" who will not give His glory to another, nor His praise to graven images (Isa. rlii 8). But Solomon robbed Him of His rights; of the exclusive sovereignty and the undivided authority which belonged to Him alone. By building idol altars he claimed homage for idol deities ; before the eyes of the Lord's people, he thrust rivals and pretende1·s on to the Lord's throne, and degraded " the uncoITUptible God into an image made like to co1Tuptible ma.n." (Rom. i. 23). 4. He defied the Holy One of Israel. For these altars of lust and cruelty were not built in a comer. They did not shrink from the light ae in a past age ; they were not frequented by pagani. They rose "on the hill that is before Jerusalem;" they fronted the altar of Jehovah ; their priests were visible to the priests in the temple court ; their smoke ascended to the sky along with the smoke of the daily sacrifice. If insult had been designed, it could hardly have been more open or obtrusive. II. And by WBOSE permission, at whose bidding were these shrines of infamy erected ? They were built by- 1. The wisest of men. In science (eh. iv. 33), in philosophy (ib. vers. 29-32), in self-knowledge (see Homiletics, pp. 78, 79). Cf. eh. iii. 12, 28. 2. The most favoured and enlightened of men. The Lord " appeared unto him twice " (ver. 9). His was "abundance of revelations" (cf. 2 Cor. xii. 7). To him it was said, "Ask what I shall give thee" (eh. iii 5). This was Jedidiah. "There was no king like Solomon, who was beloved of hie God, yet even him did outlandish women cause to sin'' (N eh. xiii 26). 3 The builder of the temple. To him had been granted the high honour which was denied to pious David. He had "found a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob" (Psa. cxxxii 5). The golden altar, the brazen altar; he had planned a.nd reared them both. And now he builds altars to "horrors " (see note on eh. xv. 13). " He that burneth incense, he blessed an idol" (lea, lxvi. 3, Heb.) 4. l'he teacher of the Ohwrch. He wae "that deep eea of wisdom which God ordained to send forth rivers and fountains of all Divine and human knowledge to all nations, to all ages; " he was " one of those select secretaries whose hand it pleased the Almighty to employ in three pieces of the Divine monuments of sacred Scriptures'' (Bp. Hall). He is fallen, but his writings stand. He still preaches to others, though himself a castaway. There have been authors whose pestilent writings go on corrupting and destroying souls for a.gee after they have ceased to speak. But Solomon's ie in some respects a sadder case than theirs. His writings have taught and blessed the world for nigh three thousand yea.re after he himself fell into " utter wretchlessness of most unclean living." 5. .A man who warned others. It is only when we study his fall in the light of his prayer and proverbs, with their many admonitions, that we realize how great a wreck he became and how appalling ie the lesson of his fall " S_ince the first man, A.dam, the world bath not yielded either so great an example of W1Bdom or eo fearful an example of aposta.ey, ae Solomon" (Hall). III. But WBEN wae it, let us now aek, that Solomon fell into thi.s dee,dly sin? A.t IJB, XI, 1-18,] THE J'IBBT BOOK OF KINGS.