Solomon "lived large". How can a man really, completely love one woman well? But Solomon has women from many nations. Seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines! David had many wives but Solomon was ridiculous. Solomon also built his house, "Forest of Lebanon", larger than his dad's house.
His wives were part of his policy of allying himself with all his neighbors. The author criticizes Solomon by quoting Exodus 34:16 and Deuteronomy 7:3. Solomon held fast for a while but later in life he was persuaded to worship with them. He was persuaded to make altars for these wives so that they might worship the gods of their nation. Unfortunately many people saw his example and followed his lead.
I suspect Solomon's gift of wisdom finally went to his head. Wisdom is not sufficient without humility. The source of wisdom is God. When we forget that we are liable to do foolish things.
Solomon's pride made him think he was different from other men. His book of Ecclesiastes gives me reason to think this is so. Because God gave his wisdom he was immune from the temptations that other men fall victim to. But Solomon got jaded. He got cynical. His power and riches gave him the ability to do things we can never imagine. Yet it was not enough to satisfy.
Only God can satisfy. And yet we want to experience everything in the world. We want to try everything under the sun, as Solomon bragged that he did.
But let us be satisfied with God. Can we do that? We should but we get tempted, don't we? Let us take a negative example from Solomon. Let us be satisfied with one wife. Let us enjoy the wife (or husband) of our youth.
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