Solomon's Law-Breaking: Deuteronomy's Rules Broken

King Solomon is a well-known biblical figure, famed for his wisdom and for building the Temple in Jerusalem. However, he is also known for his many wives and his accumulation of wealth. In fact, in the book of Deuteronomy, there are rules laid out for kings, and it is clear that Solomon broke at least four of these rules, or laws. These laws are laid out in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and include instructions such as not acquiring lots of horses, not taking many wives, and not accumulating large amounts of silver and gold.

Solomon had many wives, including foreign women

King Solomon is a biblical figure known for his wisdom, wealth, and power. However, he is also infamous for his many wives, including foreign women, which went against the laws outlined in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 17:17 states: "He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray." Despite this warning, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were foreign women from nations such as Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and the Hittite Empire.

The foreign wives brought their culture and gods with them, and Solomon accommodated their worship, allowing them to burn incense and make sacrifices to their deities. This led to the pollution of the worship of God, with archaeological evidence showing a mix of holy and profane elements.

Solomon's first wife was the daughter of Pharaoh, an Egyptian and a foreigner. This symbolised that the Messiah's bride was not limited to the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

By marrying foreign women, Solomon disobeyed God's command in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, which instructed the Israelites not to intermarry with other nations, as it would turn their hearts away from God towards foreign gods.

Solomon's numerous marriages and his accommodation of his wives' worship ultimately led to his downfall, as God turned away from him due to his idolatry.

He did not follow God's instructions for kings of Israel

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God gives instructions for the kings of Israel. These instructions include a set of prohibitive stipulations and a set of imperative stipulations. However, King Solomon failed to follow these instructions and broke at least six of the stipulations.

Firstly, Solomon acquired many horses and returned to Egypt for horses, going against God's instruction in Deuteronomy 17:16, which states that the king should not "acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them".

Secondly, Solomon took many wives, including Pharaoh's daughter and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and the Hittite Empire. This broke the rule in Deuteronomy 17:17, which says that the king "must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray". By marrying foreign women, Solomon also ignored the warning in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, which states that the Israelites should not intermarry with people from other nations because they will "turn your hearts after their gods".

Thirdly, Solomon accumulated large amounts of silver and gold, breaking the rule in Deuteronomy 17:17, which prohibits the king from gathering large amounts of wealth.

Fourthly, it is unclear whether Solomon wrote a copy of the Torah for himself, as instructed in Deuteronomy 17:18-19.

In addition to these breaches of God's instructions, Solomon also broke other laws. For example, he accommodated the worship of his foreign wives, allowing them to burn incense and make sacrifices to their gods. This led to the worship of God becoming polluted.

As a result of Solomon's disobedience, God rejected him and brought antagonists into his life as punishment. Ultimately, Solomon's actions led to the division of the nation of Israel and civil war between the tribes.

He did not remain devoted to God

King Solomon is a complex figure in the Bible, known for his wisdom, wealth and power, but also for his eventual downfall.

The Deuteronomistic Historians present a positive image of Solomon in 1 Kings, describing him as pious, wise and wealthy. However, the book of Deuteronomy offers a contrasting view, suggesting that Solomon was an "uncovenantal king" who broke several stipulations set out for monarchs in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

One of the most significant ways in which Solomon failed to remain devoted to God was by acquiring many wives, including foreign women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and the Hittite empire, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh. This is seen as a direct violation of Deuteronomy 7:3-4 and 17:17, which warn against intermarrying with foreigners and taking multiple wives, respectively. By choosing to marry these women, Solomon allowed foreign gods to be worshipped in Israel, which polluted the worship of Yahweh.

Solomon also accumulated vast amounts of gold and silver, horses and chariots, which can be seen as a violation of Deuteronomy 17:16-17. While some argue that his wealth was not accumulated through his own actions but was a blessing from God, it still led to his kingdom being ripped apart and divided into two royal lines.

In addition to these actions, Solomon's building projects and use of forced labour are also seen as parallels to the rule of Pharaoh, the enemy of God and Israel.

As a result of these actions, God rejected Solomon, and his kingdom ultimately split into two, with his successor, Rehoboam, facing opposition and resistance from the people.

He did not follow the Law of Moses

The Law of Moses, also called the Mosaic Law, refers to the law said to have been revealed to Moses by God. The term primarily refers to the Torah or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The Law of Moses or the Torah of Moses is a biblical term first found in the Book of Joshua, where Joshua writes the Hebrew words "Torat Moshe" on an altar of stones at Mount Ebal.

In the biblical narrative, King Solomon is portrayed as a ruler who broke several laws and commandments outlined in the Law of Moses or Torah. Here are some ways in which Solomon did not follow the Law of Moses:

• Acquisition of Many Horses: Solomon acquired a large number of horses, as mentioned in 1 Kings 10:25-29. This went against the instruction in Deuteronomy 17:16, which states that the king should not "multiply horses for himself" and should not cause the people to return to Egypt to acquire more horses.
• Marrying Foreign Women: Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter and his acquisition of many foreign wives and concubines (1 Kings 11:1-2) contradicted the command in Deuteronomy 7:1-5, which instructed the people not to enter into alliances with the Canaanites and other nations. By marrying Hittite women, Solomon broke this law.
• Accumulation of Wealth: According to 1 Kings 10:14-22, Solomon amassed a significant amount of gold, silver, and other forms of wealth. This went against the law in Deuteronomy 17:17, which cautioned against the king "greatly increasing silver and gold for himself."
• Idolatry and Syncretism: By accommodating the worship practices of his foreign wives, Solomon allowed the people to pollute the worship of God. This syncretism is evident in archaeological findings that mention "YHWH and his wife, Asherah." This mixture of holy and profane practices is a violation of the Law of Moses, which calls for pure and exclusive devotion to God.
• Failure to Follow God's Instructions: In 1 Kings 11, it is noted that Solomon's heart turned away from the Lord. This indicates a failure to follow the first and most important commandment in the Law of Moses, which is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
• Oppressing the People: Through heavy taxation and conscription of labor, Solomon and his successor, Rehoboam, burdened the people to expand their wealth and power (1 Kings 12). This led to resistance from the people and ultimately resulted in the split of Israel into two kingdoms.

These actions by Solomon demonstrate his departure from the laws and commandments outlined in the Law of Moses, also known as the Torah.

He was responsible for the division of the nation of Israel

King Solomon was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah, and the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament describe him as the penultimate ruler of all Twelve Tribes of Israel. After his death, his son Rehoboam inherited the kingdom, but his rule was rejected by the northern Israelites, who instead chose Jeroboam as their king. This led to the division of the kingdom into the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south.

There were several factors that led to this division, and ultimately, they can be traced back to Solomon. Firstly, the heavy financial and labour burdens imposed during his reign strained the kingdom. Secondly, and more importantly, Solomon's actions and policies directly contributed to the schism. He is said to have broken several laws stipulated in Deuteronomy for kings, including acquiring many horses, returning to Egypt for horses, acquiring many wives, and collecting large amounts of gold and silver through heavy taxation and conscription of labour.

One of the most significant factors was his marriage to Pharaoh's daughter, which is considered the event that undermined his rule and led to the kingdom's division. This marriage symbolised that Messiah's bride was not limited to the direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Additionally, it brought Egyptian influence into the kingdom, with Solomon forcing resident Canaanites to build his vast empire, similar to how Pharaoh forced Hebrew residents to make bricks and perform labour. Solomon's acquisition of horses and chariots from Egypt further strengthened these parallels with Pharaoh.

Furthermore, his foreign wives brought their culture and gods with them, leading to idolatry in the kingdom. Solomon allowed the worship of deities like Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech, which polluted the worship of Yahweh. This idolatry was in direct violation of Deuteronomy's instructions to tear down idols and worship houses.

As a result of these actions, Solomon incurred divine anger and retribution. God punished him by removing most of the tribes of Israel from his rule, leading to the division of the kingdom after his death. Thus, while there were underlying tensions within the Jewish kingdom, it was Solomon's rule and his breaking of the laws of Deuteronomy that ultimately led to the nation's division.

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