Foundations Week 20, Day 5

Scripture Read: 1 Kings 11; 12
Title: The Demise of Solomon
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H.E.A.R. Entry
(H) Highlight verse:  "So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not follow the LORD as David his father had done."  1 Kings 11:6

(E) Explain:  Unfortunately Solomon’s story doesn’t end on a positive note.  God gave him great wealth and wisdom, and He blessed him in making the vision of his father’s dream a reality.  However, the Bible tells us that Solomon turned away from the Lord.  In I Kings 11 we see that Solomon had a weakness and his weakness was women.  He loved many foreign women and he intermarried which was something the Lord explicitly had forbidden.  The reason God didn’t want his people intermarrying was not because he was racist but because he is a jealous God and will take the back seat to no one.  He knew these women would turn his attention from Him and Solomon would easily be swayed into following after their foreign gods.  Solomon had 700 wives, princesses and 300 concubines.  I am a poor mathematician but I do know that this is a lot of women.  1 Kings 11:3 says, “his wives turned his heart after other gods.”  This was Solomon’s downfall.
 
This Lord was furious and in his loving grace and kindness warned Solomon to not follow after these foreign gods.  Solomon did not heed this warning so God told him he would divide the kingdom (after he passed).  Unfortunately we do not have any detailed record that shows that Solomon ever repented of his sin and went back to God.  We can only speculate by reading Ecclesiastes that Solomon may have possibly come to his senses towards the end of his life.  The writer exclaims throughout the book that having everything means nothing if you don’t have God.  The book of Ecclesiastes closes like this, “The end of the matter, all has been heard.  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing whether good or evil.”  This is the only hope we have that Solomon came to his senses at the end of his life.

(A) Application: :  The one thing we can learn from this sad ending to the life of Solomon is that we are to keep our eyes on Jesus.  There are so many things in this world vying for our attention, affection and devotion and they are all attractive and compelling.  God wants us to keep our eyes on him.  Whenever we allow our worship turn from God to something else displeases God.  May your legacy be this, “(Insert your name) was a man/woman who loved the Lord, walked with the Lord and finished the race with the Lord.”

(R) Respond: LORD, may I always keep my eyes on you so that I may finish the race strong and leave a legacy that shows that I was a man who was completely dedicated to you.