King Solomon

“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)

King Solomon (his beginning) son of King David and Bathsheba young and inexperienced (1Kings 3:7; 1 Chronicles 29:1) prayed for an understanding heart to judge God’s people, wisdom and knowledge along with the ability to discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:3,9)

“. I am about to go the way of the earth “. . . I am about to go the way of the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you might prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’” 1 Kings 2:2-4

“Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.” (1 Kings 3:3)

King Solomon (his beginning) son of King David and Bathsheba young and inexperienced (1Kings 3:7; 1 Chronicles 29:1) prayed for an understanding heart to judge God’s people, wisdom and knowledge along with the ability to discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:3,9)

“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask what I shall give you.’” “And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. . .” “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people.” 1 Kings 3:5;7;9

“Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1 Kings 3:12-14

(1 Kings 10:1-7; Ecclesiastes 2:9-10) King Solomon (his impact) Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and his songs were 1,005. He wrote Psalms 72 & 127 as well as the books of Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. (1 Kings 4:32) Solomon had the temple built in Jerusalem. It took seven years to complete. (1Kings 6:38) King Solomon had it all: wealth, power, prestige influence, knowledge, wisdom, material goods. (1 Kings 10:1-7; Ecclesiastes 2:9-10)

“. . . the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him, I have heard your prayer and your plea. . . And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever. . .” 1 Kings 9:2-5 “But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them. . .” 1 Kings 9:6-7

(1 Kings 10:1-7; Ecclesiastes 2:9-10) King Solomon (his impact) Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and his songs were 1,005. He wrote Psalms 72 & 127 as well as the books of Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. (1 Kings 4:32) Solomon had the temple built in Jerusalem. It took seven years to complete. (1Kings 6:38) King Solomon had it all: wealth, power, prestige influence, knowledge, wisdom, material goods. (1 Kings 10:1-7; Ecclesiastes 2:9-10)

“Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold annually “Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold annually. This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and traders. All kings of Arabia and various assorted governors also brought silver and gold to Solomon.” 2 Chronicles 9:13-14 The Message “King Solomon was richer and wiser than all the kings of the earth-he surpassed them all. Kings came from all over the world to be with Solomon and get in on the wisdom God had given him. Everyone brought gifts-artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, horses, and mules-parades of visitors, year after year.” 2 Chronicles 9:22-24 The Message

2 Chronicles 1:14-16 The Message “Solomon collected chariots and horses: fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses! He stabled them in the special chariot-cities as well as in Jerusalem. The king made silver and gold as common as rocks, and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. His horses were brought in from Egypt and Cilicia, specially acquired by the kings’s agents.” 2 Chronicles 1:14-16 The Message

Solomon was king over the 12 united tribes of Israel for forty years, approximately 971 B.C. to 931 B.C. (jewishencyclopedia.com) (1Kings 2:10-12; 11:42-43)

God took away the kingdom from Solomon because. . . King Solomon (his demise) God took away the kingdom from Solomon because. . . He loved many foreign women (700 wives, 300 concubines), along with the daughter of Pharaoh. . . (1 Kings 11:1-3a), and his heart was turned to other gods by his wives. (1 Kings 11:3b-8) He failed to follow and keep God’s covenant and statutes that God commanded him. (1 Kings 11:9-13; 30-36)

Lessons from the life of Solomon: WHEN GOD SPEAKS, WE NEED TO LISTEN David: 1 Kings 2:1-4; 1Chronicles 28:9-10 God: 1 Kings 6:11-13; 9: 4-7 2 Chronicles 7:17-20 Torah: Deuteronomy 17:14-20

“ When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose.” Deuteronomy 17:14-15a

“Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses. . . . And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.” Deuteronomy 17:16a-17

Concerning a copy of this law (Deuteronomy) approved by the Levitical priests: “And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:19-20)

Things that the world offer us may turn our hearts away from loving God and obeying him. Philippians 1:27 Colossians 1:10; 2:6-7 Hebrews 12:1-2

“ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:1-2

Solomon’s own warning for others, toward the end of his life. . .

“Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.” Ecclesiastes 4:13

“I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.’ But behold, this also was vanity.” Ecclesiastes 2:1

“So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem “So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was the my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and striving after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:9-11

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” Ecclesiastes 12:1

“The end of the matter; all has been heard “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.’” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

(no abundance of horses (16), wives (17), silver and Gold (17) Key verses Deuteronomy 17:14-20 (14-17) (no abundance of horses (16), wives (17), silver and Gold (17) 1 Kings 3:3 (Solomon Love the Lord, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places) Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 (and whatever my eyes desired i did not keep from them. . . all was vanity and striving after the wind. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (at the end of the matter, fear god and keep his commandments)

How did he begin, what did he achieve, how did he end Or His beginning His impact His demise then the application: so what , now what (how does that apply to us) Sanctification: You where sanctified, you are being sanctified, and you will be sanctified if solomon can fall you can fall

1. immediate and long term implications Distractions Have 1. immediate and long term implications (dull our focus, get us off track) 2. Effect others 3. Lead us in to disobedience 4. turn our hearts away from our relationship with god through Jesus