Were Solomon’s 1,000 Wives and Concubines OK With God?

Because King Soloman is thought of as a man of God, some say his accumulation of 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines must have been approved by God. That’s not so. For those who would be king over God’s people, God said the multiplying of wives was against His will (Deuteronomy 17: 15, 17).

However, God did allow it to happen with Soloman. That was no different than what He allows us— freedom of choice. But as we know, choices do have consequences. For disobeying God’s edict, the consequences were negative. For example, Solomon’s wives eventually persuaded him to follow foreign gods (1 kings 11: 4). Also, part of Solomon’s kingdom was taken from him (1 Kings 11: 11).

We all know that God loves to turn what’s bad into good for His people (Genesis 50: 20; Romans 8: 28). So He turned Soloman’s disobedience into a lesson for us; that is, one will be held accountable for disobeying God. Furthermore, at the end of Soloman’s life, God knew that Soloman would return to the faith and the wisdom he was blessed with at the beginning of his reign. God would then be able inspire Soloman to write his last book: Ecclesiastes.

In it, we learn that there is no such thing as lasting fulfilment when one lives out of God’s will. Any such pleasure is only temporary, to the point of being worthless. Soloman writes this about his female companions: “I collected . . . the pleasures of men—many concubines” (Ecclesiastes 2:8). He went on to say about them, his other acquisitions, and all manner of activities: “Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (vs. 11).

God didn’t approve of Solomon’s harem. He won’t endorse anything that goes against His will.  But, freedom-loving as He is, He will allow us to pursue our choices, good or bad.

However, He doesn’t leave us without counsel. Like any good parent, He dispenses from His love and wisdom, guidance to help us make the right choices. That’s why, through Soloman, we’re given this advice. “Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

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