The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-28
Studies in Old Testament History.


was spiritually buoyant at sixty. At
this writing there is, over in England.
an urgent call being made on the veter-
an Gladstone, now past eighty-s six, to
take again the helm of state; his clear
vision, his strong moral purpose. his
mental and physical vigor, appear to be
yet needed for the guidance of the bet
ter England. But poor Solomon began
to grow old at forty-fve. He gradually
sunk into state of decreptitude. He
began to die before his time. Length
OF days and pleasures forevermore are
not the natural fruitage of folly like
Solomon's.
1t was natural enough that the worn
out king should come under the sway of
his young and cajoling foreign wives.
1t was natural for them to flatter and
dupe the doting king; for them to Sc
cure favor for their idolatries in Jerusa-
lem; for them to secure approval at their
old homes as missionaries of their child.
hoods religion.
What is it that Solomon was by his
idolatrous wives induced to do?
He became weakly tolerant of the
Baal-Ashtoreth worship. This worship
was, in its general form. d very ancient
worship. Baal. or Bel, was the name of
the chief male deity of the East before
Abraham's day. Ashtoreth, the persona
6cation of the feminine principle in
nature, was Baal's companion deity in
the far East. Baal was, in different
countries, varied both in name and in
character. He became Milkhart in
Ph@nicia; he became Milcom and Mo-
lech among the Ammonites; he became
Chemosh among the Moabites; the same
deity, we are told. was changed into
Hercules by the Greeks. The wor
ship of his deity varied in different
countries; but it was prevailingly a
worship of Precipitation; the imagined
anger of the idol especially 10 the char
acter of Molech, was supposed to re-
quire the sacrifice of human life, particu
larly innocent child life, for its appeasal.
The companion Ashtoreth-worship was
also varied 10 different nations. In the
ancient East the goddess was named
Istar; in Ph4oicia it was Ashtoreth; in
Egypt it was Isis; in the tribes neigh
boring on Israel it was Astarte; in
Greece it was Aphrodite and Venus
The worship of this goddess was chiefly
in groves; and prevailingly character
lied by indecency and profigacy. To
this dual worship a dedication of Power
and Sensuality, Solomon in his lapsed
state became at least tolerant
We are not told that he himself became
an idolator. He probably did not de-
base his mind to that extent. Neither
is it probable that the worst forms of
the Baal -Astarte worship were attempt
ed in Solomon's day in or near Jerusa-
lem. The worst form of Molech- orship
surely was not permitted near Jerusa-
lem until the days of Ahab.
What Solomon did, and the extent of
his offending. appears to be this: He
built for his foreign wives on the south
ern spur OF the Mount OF Olives many
altared pagan temple, with contiguous
grove. in order that his idol-loving wives
might, under royal favor, still practice
their inherited idolatries. The southern
peak of the Mount of Olives. in remem.
brance of this dissertation, is called the
Mount of Offence" to this day.
Solomon's object. SO far as there could
have been sane object in this recreance
to Israels ideal. seems to have been a
dream of making Israel world nation,
equally tolerant of all religions. He
must have half-believed that the distinc-
ton between right and wrong. between
morality and immortality, was merely
conventional. Only such spiritual OBJ
tuseness can account for the fact that
after he had built the temple to Jehovah
in Jerusalem, he insulted the Israelitish
temple worshipers by erecting, on the
hill above them and within their very
sight when in the temple-courts, affairs
dedicated to heather and immoral sac.
rifces.
2. The Penalty FOreshadOwed,
VS.. 9-13.
10 real sense, yet of course not 10 the
literal sense. God was angry with Solo
mon because, after having twice received
such vital direction by the One spirit,
ne nov, with dull atheism, turned to
ehervating idolatry. against which the
entire mission OF Israel was protest.
1t is a natural reason for severe judg
ment on Solomon that he who had afore
time sought the sway Of the Infinite
Spirit was now guided by the teasing
batteries of ignorant. idol loving girls.
The penalty which came upon Israel
the now historic penalty.-was inevi-
table. We can see how it would be in
America. Suppose we had instead of
President. despot at Washington;
despot who should now use his author
itY to reinstate the corrupt form OF
Mormonism at Washington and build for
it temple; despot who should also. in
leniency to the former slave owners, re-
establish slavery, and make a slave
market an institution Of his government.
IL such an uncomfortable thing should