Any husband or wife, being brutally honest, will tell you marriage isn’t easy. In fact, it’s complicated merging of two personalities into one, of facing a life full of challenges, and blending together in-laws from Mars and Venus. So why would a man want Seven Hundred wives?! Not just any man could handle this amazing feat. You can find this man in the Bible. He was a wealthy and powerful king—no surprise there huh? Believe it or not, he was known as the world’s wisest person! You know him as Israel’s third king—Solomon.
God told Solomon he could have anything he desired. Solomon chose wisdom to govern the nation. Almost immediately, Solomon’s wisdom was put to the test. It’s too bad he lost it somewhere along the way.
Early in his reign as king, Solomon married the princess of Egypt. It was a political marriage to form an alliance with Pharaoh. There were more women to come—several hundred—and more waiting in line! Solomon loved multitudes of foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter. There were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites to name a few. They were from nations which the Lord told the Israelites—“You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Solomon didn’t care; in the end he amassed seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. But not everything was sugar coated.
God’s warning proved true. Solomon’s wives “led him astray”. Long story made short; Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Solomon had all the wisdom of God at his disposal, but failed to use it. God raised up enemies to punish the nation for “his” sin. It was a depressing end to a kingship that started with such great promise and unlimited possibilities. Many believe Solomon regained his Godly wisdom then wrote Ecclesiastes.
Solomon uses 200+ verses to tell us what is useless and meaningless! Yet only 2 verses 13 and 14 to clarify everything:
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this are the whole, duty, of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
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