Solomon's Fall

    Solomon was a wonderful king. The wisest of all the rulers of the earth, he had a very close walk with God for many years. He judged wisely, built a magnificent temple for people to worship and serve the Lord in, he wrote over a thousand proverbs (many included in the Book of Proverbs), and Solomon really loved the Lord (1 Kings 3:3).
    But then in his later years, things went wrong. He married multiple wives, and they convinced him to start worshipping their pantheons of false gods. Worshipping and building temples for idols this way and that, Solomon totally turned away from the true God. He fell, and it was a long, long, long fall.
    Personally, I think Solomon eventually turned back to the Lord later in life. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, he recounts times where he sought fulfillment in construction projects, knowledge, and endless pursuits of fun; this could easily be an account of the years he spent in idolatry, looking for purpose in life without considering the Lord. But at the end of it all, he resigns with the conclusion that true fulfillment comes with taking heed to the true God, that it's "the whole duty of man" to "fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13; NKJ).
    If Solomon really did turn back to the Lord and repent, then the situation wasn't a complete tragedy. But still, the way that such a wise man fell away from the Lord is sobering. Solomon had a very strong spiritual walk before he slipped; plus, as king of Israel, it's doubtless that he was doing serious praying for guidance in leading the nation. Solomon was ultra-righteous, and if he could slip up in idolatry (or anything that would divert someone from their walk with God), anyone could. Temptations and distractions are frighteningly powerful and destructive.
    But yet, even when someone has fallen back, there's incredible hope and relief from the Lord; His grace is vast, "forgiving all iniquity" (Psalm 103:3), and God is so merciful that He not only forgives us when we ask His forgiveness, but He also helps us repent from the things that made us fall. He offers redemption and restoration in Christ, reaching down to us so we can come back to Him, even when we've fallen; even like Solomon did.
    Now that's amazing grace. Isn't it wonderful to notice these kind of redemption stories in the Bible that we see in our own lives as well?