Like any nation with a new identity change, Israel suffers substantial growing pains after David takes the crown of the common country. King David did not remedy many of his own family's faults and sinful activities, and his failure to raise his children to lead godly lives was repeated several years later, although under a different shape. By the time King Solomon dies, his actions have led to a serious decline in moral standards and Israel falls back into the rut of sinful choices. God continues to send prophets to try to call Israel to repentance, but to no avail. God finally begins to prepare Israel for the proverbial spanking that is coming, while trying to convince his chosen nation that it will truly harm them more than it will harm them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although Solomon had a wise and insightful heart, he certainly made his share of mistakes. He married 700 wives and had 300 additional concubines. Unfortunately, his lustful desires led him to care more about his wives and their gods than pleasing his own God. If Solomon truly was the “Master,” it is possible that he finally realized the error of his ways when he wrote the final verses of Ecclesiastes 12:1, 12:13b. Regardless, the damage was already done because since he built the Temple, he then built areas of worship for foreign gods (1 Kings 11:7-8). The people of Israel would have seen this and might have hypothesized that Solomon would have changed his mind about the existence of Yahweh, or at least about the more powerful gods. It didn't stop there. Jeroboam went so far as to have golden calves made and placed in the centers of worship in the northern territory. To make matters worse, he declared them to be symbols of Yahweh, as well as being the common symbol of Baal. Although some of the later leaders of the Davidic line were God-fearing men, they were more afraid of the people and never attempted to tear down false altars or destroy idols. They knew that worshiping false gods and idols was wrong, but they feared that the people would revolt over the destruction of their favorite temples. As a result, the worship of the old gods became commonplace, the practice of prostitution at shrines became acceptable, and child sacrifices were even practiced by one of the kings. Worse still, the separation between the rich and the poor. Soon, the rich found ways to exploit the rest of society instead of caring for the poor as the Mosaic law commanded them to do. God certainly could not tolerate this kind of behavior, so he sent his prophets again. Elijah did extraordinary things that turned people away from the worship of Baal and toward the worship of God. Elijah trained and mentored his replacement – ​​a wealthy farmer named Elisha. After receiving the mantle of Elijah (a sign of calling), Elisha turned his back on his previous profession and responded to his calling with unwavering faith. Elisha asked for a double dose of Elijah's spirit and received it. God endowed Elisha with a ministry that was not limited to turning people away from Baal and Asherah. Elisha also attacked corruption and abuse of the poor and oppressed. Early in his ministry, he performed at least 18 recorded miracles to help the sick and oppressed. He purified water, helped a widow pay her debts, resurrected the dead, neutralized poisoned food, multiplied food to feed a starving crowd, healed the.