The Lord speaks to Solomon three times that we know of during his lifetime. If you follow those three announcements, you receive a good sense of the trajectory of Solomon's life. The first time God appears to Solomon, in chapter 3, he offers him the gift of whatever he asks, and Solomon asks for wisdom. The second time, in chapter 9, after the building of the temple, God appears again to Solomon, instructing him to walk with faithfulness and integrity, as David had done, and clearly warning him of what will happen if he falls away.

God does give Solomon the privilege of building the temple, one of the greatest buildings in the ancient world. The description of its splendor and the spectacle of its dedication occupy four long chapters. But in the very end there is an ominous sign portending future problems. God warns of a time to come when a disobedient Israel will suffer God's judgment, and the temple will be a heap of rubble (9:6-9). The road to that disaster begins already in Solomon's reign.

By the time we get to chapter 11, we already have the sense that Solomon's faith and commitment are falling apart. The main issue at this point is Solomon's numerous wives—700 wives and 300 concubines. It's unlikely that Solomon married so many women purely on the basis of lust. Certainly fewer than 100 would have sufficed had that been his motivation. Remember that marriage in the ancient world (and in some cases still in our own) was a tool for political alliances, and it appears that this was one of Solomon's chief concerns. He was an empire-builder.

If the number of wives wasn't bad enough, the fact that they came from foreign nations and carried their idol gods with them sealed Solomon's fate. Solomon even built altars and temples to these foreign gods right in the vicinity of Jerusalem: "So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord ; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done" (1 Kings 11:6).

It is interesting that God's judgment did not fall directly on Solomon, even though he directly accused Solomon of failing to keeping his commandments and decrees. God graciously withheld his judgment on Solomon "for the sake of David your father." Rather, that judgment would fall on Solomon's descendants: "I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates" (v. 11).

From that point on trouble began to brew in Solomon's empire, and the text makes clear that it was the Lord himself who stirred it up: "Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite." The story goes on to describe foreign intrigue and palace rebellion focused on Solomon's decidedly unwise son Rehoboam. Solomon's glorious kingdom had become a mess.

At the root of Solomon's sin was a divided heart, which is often the source of our sinful actions too. Solomon retained a certain commitment to the Lord, but he also developed a loyalty to his many wives and their gods. God will not countenance split loyalty, and true faith cannot thrive in that kind of half-hearted atmosphere. In Jesus' own words, "No one can serve two masters." (Matt. 6:24). Still, we try. If we examine our lives, we will likely discover that our biggest sins were preceded by a divided heart.