From the Elder's Pen "The Anger Of Jehovah" 08/18/02 Past/Future Articles

 No more tragic statement can be found to describe Solomon’s relationship to God in the closing days of his life than, “The Lord was angry with Solomon.”  It is a revelation of the anger of God, which we do well to ponder.  The reasons for it are found in the story of Solomon in the eleventh chapter of First Kings.  In this chapter we have the account of Solomon’s degeneracy and doom.  The nature of this great man had a strong, evil side.  His commercial enterprises led him into alliance with surrounding nations, and following Oriental custom, he allowed his heart to go after strange women.  The wrong thus began to invade higher realms, and he built temples for these women.  Inevitable there followed the demoralization of king and people, until at last, “Jehovah was angry with Solomon.”
 It is indeed a tragedy that the man who had built the Temple and in priestly dignity had presided over its dedication, crying to God for his abiding presence, should, seduced by the lower side of his nature, turn from his loyalty to Jehovah and break the covenant.  One of the most promising characters in the Bible and the wisest mere man that ever lived had no more stability of character and intelligence of mind that to go awhoring after other gods.
 The anger of Jehovah was not merely passive.  “Jehovah raised up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite” (v. 14).  “God raised up another adversary unto him, Rezon the son of Eliada” (v. 23) “And Jeroboam...he also lifted up his hand against the king” (v. 26).  All this was Divine judgement, and yet it was but the natural outworking of the evil heart which had possessed the king.  David had learned that one cannot sin and get by without repentance.  Now the lesson was to be learned again.  The kingdom was to be rent for the hand of Solomon, and though it was not done until after his death because of his father’s sake, it was accomplished because the “Lord was angry with Solomon.”  His was a life of promise, but it ended in failure and gloom, because his heart was turned from loyalty to God, in response to the seductions of his sensual nature.
 The whole story of King Solomon is full of the most solemn value.  May we be careful to maintain loyalty to Jehovah and not be led away from him through our sensual desires.  The sinner will receive his due and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. - copied