King Solomon: The Wise Fool and God’s Mercy Aforethought

In Sunday’s reading of I Kings we heard that Solomon after he had become king of Israel prayed to God asking for wisdom to rule the people.  God was pleased with his selfless request and granted it, along with the things he did not ask for like wealth and honor.  Solomon went on to build the great Temple at Jerusalem and write the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and manyof the Proverbs. Yet, by the time we reach Chapter 11 Solomon has 1,000 wives and concubines, many of whom were pagan, and he followed them down the grand highway of idolatry; even building a high alter to Molech to whom children were sacrificed. God had given Solomon everything a human being would need to live the best life possible and yet he turned against his gift-giver. What does this story tell us? 

First, we learn that wisdom alone will not stop us from making bad decisions. The philosopher Plato thought that if a person was educated (paideia), they would not make poor choices. He posited ignorance as the culprit for evil acts. Yet human nature has proven him wrong for knowledge is inert; it is the driving force of human free-will that enables good and evil action, and this free-will exists in a fallen state that trends toward what we often want (desires/passions).  And is it not true that what we want is not always what is best for us?

Second, it tells us that we must guard against loving anyone or anything above God.  The young Solomon put God in 1st place, but the old Solomon placed him in 1,001st place.  Whatever love Solomon had for God in the beginning had vanished under the rubble of his personal desires, effectively trashing his relationship with God.

Third, we learn here that sin does not occur in a vacuum.  With all his wisdom Solomon disobeyed God, but the impact of his disobedience reached far and wide.  Not only did his free-will lead to spiritual and temporal ruin, but as the leader of the Chosen People his conduct led to the ruination of all Israel.  In setting a royal standard that idolatry was OKAY, he opened the way for the people to abandon God as well; and the majority did. If the great King Solomon can, then we can too! 

Fourth, it shows us God’s mercy aforethought. God’s dealing with Solomon is perhaps one of the greatest examples of what God’s mercy aforethought looks like.  Think about it for a moment. God knew Solomon would abandon him in the future, but he still blessed him in the present.  Let’s look at it from a human perspective.  Would you renew your vows of marriage today if you knew that in three months your spouse would begin a sexual affair? Would you give your child money today, if you knew they would spend it on drugs tomorrow?  Would you hire someone today who you knew would steal from you in the future? Not likely, yet this is an example of God’s mercy; he does not give us today (e.g. punishment) what we have already earned in the future.

I must say here that when I reached this point in my article, I was unsettled.  I needed to step away because the idea of God’s mercy, which we know is based upon his love for us, is so profound.  It sounds strange, but I began to feel sorry for him and it gave new insight into the verse, “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” God grieves.  And he grieves because of us, and yet in his mercy he shows compassion and love in the present, though he knows our future actions.

Perhaps this is why St. Cyprian of Carthage warned against labeling a person as holy during their lifetime, when they are still capable of grave sin against God.