Scripture Helps
2 Samuel 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 6–9; 11
King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, who became pregnant. David tried to cover his sin and eventually arranged for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle. The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his wicked deeds. Nathan explained that the consequences of David’s actions would affect David, his family, and the entire kingdom. As King David neared death, he declared his son Solomon as heir to the throne. The Lord blessed Solomon to be a wise and prosperous ruler. Solomon built a temple and dedicated it to the Lord. Jehovah accepted the temple and appeared to Solomon. Solomon disobeyed the Lord’s commandments by marrying many wives outside the covenant. He turned his heart away from the Lord by setting up and worshipping the false gods of some of his wives.
Resources
Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.
Background and Context
What do we know about the consequences of David’s sins?
President James E. Faust taught: “History is full of examples of men who were gifted and able but who, in a moment of weakness, threw away their promising lives. King David is a tragic example. As a youth he was handsome, brave, and full of faith. He slew the frightening giant, Goliath. He became king. He had everything a man could desire. Yet when he saw Bathsheba, he wanted her even though she was another man’s wife. He had her husband, Uriah the Hittite, sent to the front of the hottest battle so that he would be killed. Uriah died in battle, and David married Bathsheba. As a consequence of this evil deed, David lost his spiritual inheritance. For all the good David accomplished, much of it was negated because he allowed himself to succumb to a serious personal flaw.”
David eventually recognized the seriousness of his sins and felt sincere anguish and desire for forgiveness. Yet his actions yielded serious consequences that affected him and his children. Although David had “fallen from his exaltation” because he had planned Uriah’s death, the Lord promised David that his soul would not be left in hell (spirit prison).
Who was Nathan?
Nathan was a prophet who lived during the reign of King David. As Samuel had previously done with King Saul, Nathan spoke to the king on behalf of the Lord. The Bible does not provide details about Nathan’s prophetic calling, background, or death. He is mentioned in the book of Chronicles as a historian and prophet with his own record called “the book of Nathan the prophet,” which is now lost.
What happened to the baby of Bathsheba and David?
The baby conceived when David committed adultery with Bathsheba was born “very sick” and died seven days after birth. Nathan had told David, “Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.” This pronouncement has sometimes troubled Bible readers. Though the author of 2 Samuel stated that “the Lord struck the child” with an illness, we can trust that God watches over and loves all of His children. It is also important to keep in mind that infants who die are saved in the celestial kingdom and are not held accountable for their parents’ actions.
What is the book of 1 Kings?
The book of 1 Kings provides an account of the death of David, the reign of his son Solomon, and the decline and division of the Kingdom of Israel. It also recounts the ministry of the prophet Elijah among the northern ten tribes of Israel.
Originally, 1 and 2 Kings were a single book. The division into two books occurred when the Bible was translated into Greek. The book of 1 Kings begins with the death of King David (around 968 BC) and concludes with the reign of Ahaziah over the Northern Kingdom of Israel (around 852 BC). This book is rich in history and doctrine and, along with 2 Kings, provides background and context for much of the writings of the Old Testament prophets.
The book of 1 Kings can be organized into three sections:
-
Chapters 1–11: The reign of Solomon, including the building and dedication of the house of the Lord. Despite his wisdom, Solomon turned away from the Lord and worshipped the false gods of his non-Israelite wives.
-
Chapters 12–16: The division of the kingdom into the Northern Kingdom of Israel under Jeroboam and the Southern Kingdom of Judah under Rehoboam. Both kingdoms followed patterns of idol worship.
-
Chapters 17–22: The ministry of the prophet Elijah in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
How did the Lord use David as an example for other kings?
Throughout the biblical record, David is portrayed as a righteous king and loyal to Jehovah. However, there are instances when the Joseph Smith Translation seems to emphasize that not everything David did was righteous. This would certainly be true of his actions with Bathsheba and Uriah. The Joseph Smith Translation of 1 Kings 3:14 reads, “And if thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes, and my commandments, then I will lengthen thy days, and thou shalt not walk in unrighteousness, as did thy father David.” The portrayal of David in scripture and the Joseph Smith Translation helps us see that the Lord used David as an example of what future kings should and should not do.
What was significant about Solomon’s temple?
Like the tabernacle that the Israelites built in the wilderness, the temple of Solomon was the house of the Lord. It was made of the finest materials. Regarding Solomon’s temple, Elder James E. Talmage taught:
“Soon after Solomon’s accession to the throne he set about the labor [of building a temple]. He laid the foundation in the fourth year of his reign, and the building was completed within seven years and a half. The erection of the Temple of Solomon was an epoch-making event, not alone in the history of Israel but in that of the world.
“… In architecture and construction, in design and costliness, it is known as one of the most remarkable buildings in history.”
An illustration of Solomon’s temple
How did Solomon’s temple differ from the tabernacle in the wilderness?
“The temple was built after the model of the tabernacle, the dimensions of each part being exactly double. …
“The furniture of the temple was similar to but not identical with that of the tabernacle. In the Holy of Holies stood the old Mosaic ark with the mercy seat; but the cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat were new. They were larger in size; their wings touched in the middle and reached each wall of the Holy of Holies. They were also different in posture. In the Holy Place all was new. The altar of incense was made of cedarwood overlaid with gold. Instead of one golden candlestick and one table of shewbread there were ten, five on each side. In the outer court stood the brazen altar of the same pattern as that of the tabernacle, but enormously larger.”
To learn about the symbolic objects found in both the tabernacle in the wilderness and Solomon’s temple, see “Exodus 35–40. What was the purpose of the tabernacle?”
What were the pillars of the temple?
Two large, freestanding bronze pillars stood on either side of the entrance to the temple. The pillar on the right was inscribed with the name Jachin, which can mean “he will establish” or “he establishes.” The pillar on the left was inscribed with the name Boaz, which can mean “by (his) strength” or “in strength.” These pillars may have represented a gate through which one passed from an earthly to a holy space.
What was the molten sea on the back of 12 oxen?
Solomon’s temple had 10 bronze lavers along with a large molten sea, which was a bronze basin. These were used to provide water for ritual cleansing. The basin rested on the backs of 12 bronze oxen, with three facing each of the cardinal directions. Today, baptismal fonts in houses of the Lord similarly rest upon the backs of 12 oxen sculptures that represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Oxen can also represent the strength and power of Jesus Christ.
What does it mean that the Lord would put His name upon the temple?
After seven years, the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was completed. Solomon gathered many Israelites to participate in the dedication of the temple. After they placed the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, the glory of the Lord appeared as a cloud that filled the temple. Following Solomon’s dedication of the temple, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.”
Regarding the Lord’s promise that He would “put [His] name there for ever,” President Dallin H. Oaks explained:
“The Old Testament contains scores of references to the name of the Lord in a context where it clearly means the authority of the Lord. Most of these references have to do with the temple. …
“… After the temple was dedicated, the Lord appeared to Solomon and told him that He had hallowed the temple ‘to put my name there for ever’ [1 Kings 9:3; 2 Chronicles 7:16].
“Similarly, in modern revelations the Lord refers to temples as houses built ‘unto my holy name’ [Doctrine and Covenants 124:39; 105:33; 109:2–5]. …
“All of these references to ancient and modern temples as houses for ‘the name’ of the Lord obviously involve something far more significant than a mere inscription of his sacred name on the structure. The scriptures speak of the Lord’s putting his name in a temple because he gives authority for his name to be used in the sacred ordinances of that house. That is the meaning of the Prophet’s reference to the Lord’s putting his name upon his people in that holy house.”
Solomon Dedicates the Temple at Jerusalem, by Jacques Joseph Tissot
Why was it wrong for Solomon to marry foreign wives?
When Solomon married “many strange women,” he violated the Lord’s commandment to not marry outside of the covenant. The Hebrew word translated as strange in the King James Version of the Bible means “foreign.” Many of these marriages were likely motivated by political and economic factors. While some of Solomon’s marriages were authorized by the Lord, many were not. The marriages that were not authorized by the Lord were “abominable before [Him].” Solomon’s decision to marry outside of the covenant tragically led to him turning his heart away from God.
How was Ahijah’s prophecy fulfilled?
The prophet Ahijah tore his new coat into 12 pieces and gave 10 of them to Jeroboam. He then prophesied that the Lord would take the kingdom of Israel from Solomon and give ten of the twelve tribes of Israel to Jeroboam. Following the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king over all of Israel. Rehoboam increased the people’s burdens, which prompted the ten northern tribes to rebel against him. They made Jeroboam their king, which fulfilled the words of the prophet Ahijah.
This revolt divided the kingdom in two: the Northern Kingdom, called Israel, and the Southern Kingdom, called Judah. The Lord promised Jeroboam that He would be with him if Jeroboam kept the commandments during his reign. Unfortunately, Jeroboam did not keep the commandments and led his people into idolatry. He and all his house were eventually destroyed from the earth. In subsequent generations, the kings of Israel who did evil were often measured against the poor standard set by Jeroboam.
Learn More
David and Bathsheba
-
James E. Faust, “It Can’t Happen to Me,” Ensign, May 2002, 46–48
-
Frank F. Judd Jr., “What We Can Learn from King David’s Fall,” Ensign, Oct. 2018, 54–57
Solomon’s temple
-
James E. Talmage, “A History of Temples,” Ensign, Oct. 2010, 53–59
Solomon’s fall
-
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Journey to Higher Ground,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 16–19
Media
Videos
Images
Nathan Rebukes David, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Solomon Named to Succeed David, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Solomon’s Wisdom, by Severino Baraldi
The Dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem Built by King Solomon, by William Brassey Hole