Pride and greed entered into Solomon’s life, even in the midst of all the wisdom and knowledge God had given him.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
Solomon’s Warnings
Warning 1
And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. (1 Chronicles 28:9)
Warning 2
When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all 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 in the Law of Moses. (1 Kings 2:1-3)
Warning 3
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 3:14)
Warning 4
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 9:4,5)
And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, 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 17:18-20)
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. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 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 3:7-9)
Behold, I now do according to your word. 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. (1 Kings 3:12-13)
3 blessings from God
Wisdom
Wealth
Honor
Wisdom
Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God’s people and to distinguish right from wrong.
Solomon’s provision for one day was 30 cors of fine flour and 60 cors of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. (1 Kings 4:22,23)
King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. (1 Kings 5:13-14)
The Jewish tribes considered the whole system to be a humiliating form of extortion.
– Warren Wiersbe
Wealth
Solomon took God’s blessing of great wealth and turned into fuel for his pride and greed.
“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine.” (Leviticus 25:23)
Take away lessons:
- Remember that everything we have is from the Lord
- Learn to be content in your position in Christ
- Thank God that He will be faithful, even when we are faithless
