Much wisdom can be imparted from Solomon’s demise. The King’s penchant for many wives and concubines set in motion the united Israelite monarchy’s destruction. Inevitably, a violation of the Ten Commandments brought forth the fracture.
The First Book of Kings reports that: “Solomon grew old [and] his wives swayed his heart after gods of others, and his heart was not as perfect with the Lord, his God, as [had been] the heart of his father David. Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the god of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord, and did not wholeheartedly follow the Lord as his father David had done.” 1 Kings 11:4-6. It is also reported that he built high places for these gods upon which his wives burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
As a result of the King’s behavior, the Lord came to Solomon and said “since this happened to you, and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees that I have commanded you, I shall surely tear away the kingship from you and give it to your servant. In your days, however, I will not do it, because of your father David; from the hand of your son will I tear it away. Only I shall not tear away the entire kingdom from him; one tribe shall I give to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.” 1 Kings 11:11-1.
The Ten Commandments, when delivered from Mt. Sinai to the Children of Israel and written in stone, contained no punishments. Rather, both the Torah and other scripture illustrate the gravity of any particular violation. Additionally, the Children of Israel, in adopting monarchical rule, added a wrinkle into the Ten Commandments. A King’s relationship with the God of Israel , included special provisions. A monarch’s commitment to the Lord impacted the country’s fate. Thus, in the above-quoted passage from First Kings, we learn how the Lord exacted punishment for idolatry; the penalty was severe. Idolatry’s price was a break up of the the united monarchy.
The punishment’s nature, however, is disconcerting: “why are future generations punished for Solomon’s actions?” One argument is that the human ego fondness towards legacy is strong. The thought of future generations being damaged may be unbearable to an individual.
Another argument is that Solomon’s age and perceived vulnerability lessened the punishment against him. Was he not capable of withstanding a punishment?
Finally, there are those who have advanced the notion that in light of all of the good that Solomon did that his punishment was diminished. Solomon was viewed as a righteous individual who fell.
Does punishing future generations speak to something more? Does it really speak to a reality? Is there a deeper truth?
The reality is that often a parent’s bad decision or action does impact their progeny. Even if a parent is punished, the children suffer from the collateral damage.
While generational harm is one of the realities, there is the inverse true as well. Children often enjoy the benefits as a result of their parent’s good will. They gain advantage based upon their parent’s good deeds. In this section, David, Solomon’s father, had such good standing with the Lord that his son avoided a harsher fate. Thus, it is not uncommon that one parent’s righeousness creates generations of “good will.”
Be well!!
Please like, follow, share or comment
The Ten Commandments Project 