spiritual history of Solomon, and this without either extenuating his guilt or, as is more commonly the case,

exaggerating his sin. As Holy Scripture puts it, when Solomon was old, and less able to resist influences

around, he so far yielded to his foreign wives as to build altars for their worship. This in the Scriptural and

real sense was already to "go after Ashtoreth and Milcom" (1 Kings 11:5). But the sacred text does n ot state

that Solomon personally "served them;"160 nor is there any reason for supposing that he either relinquished

the service of Jehovah, or personally took part in heathen rites. To have built altars to "the abominations of

the Gentiles,"  161 and to have tolerated, if not encouraged, the idolatrous rites openly enacted there by his

wives, implied great public guilt.

In the language of Scripture, "Solomon's heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God;" he "did evil in the

sight of Jehovah, and went not fully after Jehovah." His sin was the more inexcusable, that he had in this

respect the irreproachable example of David. Besides, even closer allegiance to the LORD might have been

expected from Solomon than from David, since he had been privileged to build the Temple, and had on two

occasions received personal communication from the Lord, whereas God had never appeared to David, but

only employed prophets as intermediaries to make known His good pleasure.

It need scarcely be said, that public sin such as that of Solomon would soon bring down judgment. As

preparatory to it we regard that solemn warning, when the LORD a second time appeared in vision to

Solomon (1 Kings 9:4-9). This being misunderstood or neglected, the actual announcement of judgment

followed, probably through Ahijah. The terms of the sentence were terribly explicit. Solomon's kingdom

would be rent from him, and given to his servant. Yet even so Divine mercy would accord a twofold

limitation-the event foretold should not happen in the days of Solomon himself, and when it took place the

kingdom should not be wholly taken away, but partially remain in his line. And this for the sake of David -

that is, not from partiality for him, nor on account of any supposed superabundant merit, but because of

God's promise to David (2 Samuel 7:14-16), and for God's own glory, since He had made choice of Jerusalem

as the place where He would forever reveal His Name (1 Kings 9:3).

But although execution of the judgment was stayed, indications of its reality and nearness soon appeared.

Once more we mark a succession of natural and intelligible causes, of which the final outcome was the

fulfillment of the Divine prediction. It will be remembered that, of the two great wars in which David was

involved after his accession, the most formidable was that against the hostile combination of tribes along

the eastern boundary of his kingdom.  162

The distance, the character of the country, the habits of the enemy - the alliance of so many nationalities,

their determination, and the stubborn resistance which they offered, made this a really great war. We know

that the armies of David, under the leadership of Joab and Abishai, were victorious at all points (2 Samuel 8;

10; 1 Chronicles 19.). But, although the enemy may have been subdued and even crushed for a time, it was,

in the nature of things, impossible wholly to remove the elements of resistance. In the far southeast, terrible,

almost savage, vengeance had been taken on Edom (1 Chronicles 18:12).

From the slaughter of t he people a trusty band of Edomites had rescued one of the youthful royal princes,

Hadad163 (or Adad), and brought him ultimately to Egypt, where he met a hospitable reception from the then

reigning Pharaoh - probably the predecessor of Solomon's father-in-law. If Pharaoh had at first been

influenced by political motives in keeping near him one who might become a source of trouble to the

growing Israelitish power, the young prince of Edom soon enlisted the sympathy and affection of his host (1

Kings 11:14-19). He married the sister of Tahpenes,164 the Gevirah, or queen dominant (principal) of

Pharaoh's harem; and their child was acknowledged and brought up among the royal princes of Egypt.

When tidings of the death of David and afterwards of Joab reached Hadad, he insisted on returning to

Edom, even against the friendly remonstrances of Pharaoh, who by this time would rather have seen him

enjoying his peaceful retreat in Egypt than entering upon difficult and dangerous enterprises. But, although

Hadad returned to his own country in the beginning of Solomon's reign, it was only towards its close - when