Solomon, is the ultimate example of a beautiful young man who built his youth with gold, silver and precious stones. And, in his senior years Solomon became the epitome of a man destroying many lives with his wood, hay, and straw.
In his youth SOLOMON LOVED THE LORD, AND LIVED ACCORDING TO THE STATUTES THAT HIS FATHER DAVID OBEYED.. (1 Kings 3:3a) He desired God's wisdom above all to rule a great people. And God gave it to him, and made him the wisest, richest, and greatest king that ever existed. Here is how it happened: THE LORD APPEARED TO SOLOMON ONE NIGHT IN A DREAM AND TOLD HIM, "ASK ME FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT AND I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU." SO SOLOMON SAID: "YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED ABUNDANT GRACIOUS LOVE TO YOUR SERVANT DAVID, MY FATHER, AS HE LIVED IN YOUR PRESENCE TRUTHFULLY, AND UPRIGHTLY IN HIS HEART. IN ADDITION, YOU HAVE KEPT ON SHOWING THIS ABUNDANT GRACIOUS LOVE BY GIVING HIM A SON TO SIT ON HIS THRONE TODAY. NOW, LORD MY GOD, YOU HAVE SET ME AS KING TO REPLACE MY FATHER DAVID, BUT I'M STILL YOUNG. I DON'T HAVE ANY LEADERSHIP SKILLS. YOUR SERVANT LIVES IN THE MIDST OF YOUR PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN, A GREAT PEOPLE THAT IS TOO NUMEROUS TO BE COUNTED. SO GIVE YOUR SERVANT AN UNDERSTANDING MIND TO GOVERN YOUR PEOPLE, SO I CAN DISCERN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. OTHERWISE, HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO GOVERN THIS GREAT PEOPLE OF YOURS?"
THE LORD WAS PLEASED THAT SOLOMON HAD ASKED FOR THIS, SO GOD TOLD HIM: "BECAUSE YOU ASKED FOR THIS... YOU'VE ASKED FOR DISCERNMENT SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW TO GOVERN, LOOK HOW I'M GOING TO DO PRECISELY WHAT YOU ASKED. I'M GIVING YOU A WISE AND DISCERNING MIND, SO THAT THERE WILL HAVE BEEN NO ONE LIKE YOU BEFORE YOU AND NO ONE WILL ARISE AFTER YOU LIKE YOU. I'M ALSO GIVING YOU WHAT YOU HAVEN'T REQUESTED: BOTH RICHES AND HONOR, SO THAT NO OTHER KING WILL BE COMPARABLE TO YOU DURING YOUR LIFETIME." (1 Kings 3:5-14 ISV
Tragically, in his later years of mad folly Solomon destroyed his life and his nation. Why? For sexual sin and false gods in his senior years. Tragic years of wood, hay, and stubble - torched in the fire. How many men are doing the same thing with porn today? This is how Solomon did that: BUT KING SOLOMON MARRIED MANY FOREIGN WOMEN BESIDES THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH: WOMEN FROM MOAB, AMMON, EDOM, AND SIDONIA, ALONG WITH HITTITE WOMEN, TOO, ALL OF THEM FROM NATIONS THAT THE LORD HAD ORDERED THE ISRAELIS, "YOU ARE NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH THEM AND THEY ARE NOT TO ASSOCIATE WITH YOU, BECAUSE THEY WILL MOST CERTAINLY TURN YOUR AFFECTIONS AWAY TO FOLLOW THEIR GOD'S." SOLOMON BECAME DEEPLY ATTACHED TO THEM BY FALLING IN LOVE. HE HAD 700 PRINCESS WIVES AND 300 MISTRESSES WHO TURNED HIS HEART AWAY FROM THE LORD, BECAUSE AS SOLOMON GREW OLDER, HIS WIVES TURNED HIS AFFECTIONS AWAY AFTER OTHER GODS, AND HIS HEART WAS NOTFULLY AS DEVOTED TO THE LORD HIS GOD AS HIS FATHER DAVID'S HEART HAD BEEN. SOLOMON PURSUED ASTARTE, THE SIDONIAN GODDESS, AND MILCOM, THAT DETESTABLE AMMONITE IDOL. SOLOMON PRACTICED WHAT THE LORD CONSIDERED TO BE EVIL BY NOT FULLY FOLLOWING THE LORD AS HIS FATHER DAVID. LATER, SOLOMON EVEN CONSTRUCTED A HIGH PLACE ON THE MOUNTAIN EAST OFJERUSALEM THAT WAS DEDICATED TO CHEMOSH, THAT DETESTABLE MOABITE IDOL, AND TO MOLECH, THE DETESTABLE AMMONITE IDOL. SOLOMON DID ALL THIS FOR ALL OF HIS FOREIGN WIVES, WHO BURNED INCENSE AND SACRIFICED TOTHEIR GODS. THE LORD BECAME ANGRY AT SOLOMON BECAUSE HIS HEART WANDERED AWAY FROM THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, WHO HAD APPEARED TO HIM TWICE AND WARNED HIM ABOUT THIS SO HE WOULD NOT PURSUE OTHER GODS. ( 1 Kings 11:1-10a ISV)
Yet, in Solomon's epiphany he came back to the fear of God before he died. Solomon understood God's Righteous Judgement. Solomon's last writings state: "NOW, ALL HAS BEEN HEARD; HERE IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS THE DUTY OF ALL MANKIND. FOR GOD WILL BRING EVERY DEED INTO JUDGEMENT, INCLUDING EVERY HIDDEN THING, WHETHER IT IS GOOD OR EVIL." (Ecclesiastes 12:13,4 NIV)
THIS WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE DAY WHEN GOD JUDGES PEOPLE'S SECRETS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, AS MY GOSPEL DECLARES. States Paul. (Rom. 2:16) With this in mind, here is Paul's prayer for us believers: .. THAT YOU MAY LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE LORD, AND PLEASE HIM IN EVERY WAY: BEARING FRUIT IN EVERY GOOD WORK, GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. (Col. 1:10 NIV) May we be ready, in that great day, to stand before Him. Our Merciful Master, will be sitting on His bema seat. SO.. OUR GOAL IS TO BE PLEASING TO HIM. FOR ALL OF US MUST APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF THE MESSIAH, SO THAT EACH OF US MAY RECEIVE WHAT HE DESERVES FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE IN THE BODY, WHETHER GOOD OR WORTHLESS. (2 Cor. 5:9c,10 ISV)
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