Legacy of the King's Sin

Ecclesiastes 9:18 Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Though the king confessed his sin and wrote out for the benefit of after generations a record of his folly and repentance, he could never hope entirely to destroy the baleful influence of his wrong deeds. Emboldened by his apostasy, many continued to do evil, and evil only. And in the downward course of many of the rulers who followed him may be traced the sad influence of the prostitution of his God-given powers. {PK 84.2}