[126]The question is, Did Solomon receive the approval of the Lord?  If so, the great Messiah must come through his line.  If not, then he could not come through Solomon.  This question is answered by the Scriptures, as follows:  “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods:  and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father....  And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods:  but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.  Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.  Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake:  but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.  Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen,”—­1 Kings 11:4,9-13.

[127]After Solomon’s death the nation of Israel was divided.  The last three kings of Solomon’s line to rule over Israel were Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) and Zedekiah.  Zedekiah became a wicked ruler and of him it is recorded:  “And thou, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God:  Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same:  exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.  I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it [to] him.” (Ezekiel 21:25-27) This shows a complete overthrowing of the line of Solomon and definitely settles the proposition that Messiah could not be counted through the line of Solomon, but must be some other way.  Seemingly God’s promise to bring the mighty deliverer through the line of David had failed, because of Solomon’s failure.  But not so.  David had another son, whom the Lord used.  Solomon’s line had been exalted.  Now this line must be abased, and the lower line must be exalted.

[128]The obscure line of David was his son Nathan.  Mary the mother of Jesus was a direct descendant of Nathan of the house of David.

[129]Jeremiah prophesied concerning the coming of Messiah, as follows:  “Behold the day is coming, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a king shall reign and prosper....  In his day Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is the name that Jehovah proclaimeth him, Our Righteousness.”—­Jeremiah 23:5,6, Young.