David Is Amazing, again

"for David my servant's sake" (1 Kings 11:13)

This last chapter of Solomon's life, the Lord is comparing the son to the father. Now, without the JST (Joseph Smith Translation) it would appear that the Lord is holding up David on a pedestal, a high place that Solomon was just unable to reach. But, the JST makes it clear that David also transgressed in the Lord's sight, and also broke the commandments, for a time. Why is there a difference in the two translations? Remember, this is a Jewish text, with the interests of Judah being chosen. The Southern Kingdom claims their rights through the accomplishments of David, as well as that the messiah is supposed to come from his line. Without the importance of David, we wouldn't even have a book of Ruth, a story about David's ancestry. So, the JST lowers David a little, but there is still a great distance between David and his son Solomon.

So, quick summery: in his old age Solomon gives into his gentile wives (women that Israelite men were not supposed to marry) and builds alters to other gods, and even starts to worship Ashtoreth and Milcom, "and his wives turned away his heart" (1 Kings 11: 3).But, to be clear, the Lord did not blame Solomon's wives, they were not part of the covenant, He blamed Solomon. Besides being angry because Solomon did not keep the commandments, the Lord was upset because Solomon's "heart was not perfect with the LORD his God," "went not fully after the LORD," "his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice," "because that they have forsaken me" (1 Kings 11:4,6,9,33). These are words of physical and emotional abandonment. The Lord did more for Solomon than He did for David. David got military victory. Solomon got riches and wealth, endowed with wisdom from on high, got to build the temple that David so desired for the Lord, and even had two "appearances" from the Lord. David only heard the voice of God through the prophets Samuel and Nathan. Above all, making a covenant with the Lord is making a relationship, one we promise never to abandon.

Also, when the Lord told Solomon that the kingdom was to be taken from him, but not during his lifetime for the sake of David, and only 10 kingdoms of the 12 would be taken, for David's sake, and be given to Jeroboam, "Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam" (1 Kings 11:40). That is exactly what King Saul tried to do to David, when he found out that the kingdom was to be taken away from his household. But David, when usurpers like his son Absalom came around, David tried not to kill them, just defeat them. And those ones weren't even sanctioned by God.

I guess what I'm trying to get at here is, even though David sinned greatly, why is the Lord having such mercy towards Solomon for 'David's sake'? Even though the JST doesn't let David off the hook, it also gives us the verification of David that we all knew to be true: "and he repented not as did David his father, that I may forgive him" (JST 1 Kings 11:33, click on footnote c). David repented. His heart was turned away, but it turned it right back. He went after the Lord fully, with whole body and mind and spirit. We have the psalms, we have his acts recorded in Samuel-that man repented harder than I think that I have ever done. Yes, David sinned with serious consequences, but he repented. And even more beautifully, God forgave.

We have no record of Solomon repenting, or even trying to, just seeking to kill his rival Jeroboam. But the JST makes it clear that if Solomon had repented with full heart, the Lord would have forgiven him.

Maybe the Lord loved David because even when he made a mistake, even when the consequences were heavy, even when he was rebuked, David turned to the Lord and repented. Repentance, it's not easy, but it's something I can do. We can all do it. We can all come to Christ, like David did. Oh, how the Lord loves the man who repentant, who turns fully to their Father, seeking the covenant to bind themselves to Him forever, and Him to us!