Which direction will you go?
The Wisest Fool
Machelle McDowell
June 27, 2024
One of Solomon’s most famous requests: “Give me the gift of a listening heart.” God blessed Solomon with all the wisdom in the world. He had the gift of a listening heart until his heart hardened against the voice of God and quickened to the voice of his wives and concubines.
How can the wisest man who ever lived end up being the most foolish?
“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.”…Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30
Solomon had a weakness that overcame him. His desire for beautiful women brought him to ruin. Not only did he drown in women but he sank to a an all time low when he began to worship their false gods. Many of these women reflected political alliances…but with them they brought their false gods!
Proverbs 27:15 speaks of a a continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike… I am not condoning Solomon’s behavior but trying to empathize what he may have experienced that led to his downfall: it points to 4 words!
Happy Wife, Happy Life
Now….let’s envision a day in the life of Solomon. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines! What are the odds that his life is a garden of love that he speaks of in chapter 4 of the Song of Solomon?
I certainly don’t want to justify his behavior toward the end of his reign but I can only imagine the constant whining of his wives as they approached him day in and day out to build pagan altars. And, once he gave in to one request it became a snowball effect! How could he say, “Yes” to one and not the other.
He was surrounded by beautiful women, riches, and every type of pleasure a person could want…but lost his first love, God!
Solomon finds himself caught up in the very act that God warned him of early on! His downfall and that of Israel, for he began worshiping the false gods of other nations introduced into his life through the Pagan women he continued to acquire and God condemned him of it. (I Kings 11:1-9).
God warned Solomon clearly (twice), I Kings 11:10 “He should not go after other gods, but he did not keep what the Lord commanded.” His reprimand was huge!
God said, “I will surely tear the kingdom from you.” There is no Biblical record that Solomon ever repented of his sin.
Solomon bankrupt it all! He spiraled spiritually! And the dynasty crashed. Within a year of his death the land was divided into two kingdoms.
Throughout Solomon’s reign there was peace and unity in the land. God promised him many blessings if only he remained faithful. But, his wisdom turned to folly and cost him the kingdom. Economically under Solomon’s leadership Israel reached its greatest point as a nation but fell to its lowest point spiritually.
Is it worth it? “It doesn’t profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul.” What are you willing to give up to save your soul?
How many false gods/idols are you harboring? What is consuming you and keeping you from hearing God’s heart? Living for Christ is far better than living for the things of the world.
Take aways from the life of King Solomon:
Pray for discernment
Choose God’s glory; not your own
Put God first- Always
Don’t ignore God’s warnings
Repent daily
Steer clear of materialism
Guard you heart against idolatry
Guard your heart against lust
Your not as wise as you think you are