Lessons from Solomon
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INTRO:
INTRO:
David built a Kingdom. He sinned and repented. He suffered much and had many victories
After marrying Bathsheba and loosing a baby, he had Solomon.
Solomon is known for his wealth, wisdom, and the wonders he built. He wrote a good portion of the Old Testament. There are many lessons we could examine but we will limit ourselves this morning to a few.
First, Solomon teaches us we should.
Fear God & Get Wisdom
Fear God & Get Wisdom
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Solomon was dedicated to wisdom.
Inspired by God to be writer of some Psalms, Proverbs Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes
The bulk of the Bible’s wisdom literature came from God through Solomon’s pen
When he built and dedicated the Temple, God made him an offer
God said He would give Solomon anything he requested and Solomon choose wisdom
And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
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.
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
Wisdom
Knowing and DOING the will of God
Living out the scriptures!
It is applying as well as knowing
We can argue over texts. We can debate it and study it and chew it and each other to peices.
BUT Living it is what is most needed!
Wisdom is living life God’s way
How do we get wisdom?
It isn’t as difficult as you might think!
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
Wisdom calls out to us!
Ask
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Search Scriptures, wisdom cries out on every page
Direct commands: DO THEM
Principles Illustrated: APPLY THEM
sometimes they are taught in parables
sometimes they are illustrated through the lives of the characters.
Teaching Giving: LEARN THEM
Believe what the Bible says
ANYTHING declared in the Bible is truth
Solomon teaches us we should fear God and get Wisdom and ....
Companions Have Great Influence
Companions Have Great Influence
It cuts both ways, they can lead us to great good or to evil
Evil companions:
Trap themselves and rob themselves of life
but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.
Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.
IN living foolishly, they bring harm and ruin on themselves
Solomon’s wives were allowed to build temples to false gods. Idolatry, which had been a problem became firmly entrenched.
For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
Solomon’s heart wavered
Surrounded by their influence, his single devotion to GOD wavered and his heart was split.
HE began to share his devotion with false gods and idols.
We will be susceptible as well
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
This is wisdom and we know the story all too well.
Psalm 1 shows the pattern
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
It starts with walking in their counsel
going on the path with them temporarily
spending time with them and seeking their advice.
You start thinking that they aren’t that different
HOWEVER: never forget the lost have a different worldview: their moral compass is calibrated opposite of ours
Then Standing in their way
More permanent
Now you are fixed with them
Our compass begins to point their way
Finally sitting in the seat of scoffers
Faith wanes and apostasy grows
We start doubting God’s word
Compromises lead to more compromises lead to apostasy.
Sadly, there are 2 outcomes:
Saved:
discipline and possible death
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
Some sins bring discipline others DEATH
John MacArthur defines it this way:
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
Such a sin could be any premeditated and unconfessed sin that causes the Lord to determine to end a believer’s life.
It isn’t a specific type of sin, but a “last straw” sin in a life going the wrong way.
If a believer begins to drift and turns from God without repentance and forsaking that sin, physical death may result as God’s judgment.
The Bible has many illustrations of this.
Lost:
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Sadly, some who leave do so because they never really were converted.
The opposite is true as well
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
With good companions comes strength!
Jesus walked with 12 disciples and 3 inner close companions.
We are created as social creatures.
That is why we are giving a church!
Here we are to
encourage each other
strengthen each other
build up each other
serve each other
Solomon teaches us we should
fear God and get Wisdom
Companions have great Influence
and..
Earthly things Cannot Satisfy
Earthly things Cannot Satisfy
Solomon had it all
Wealth
Prestige
Power
Relationships (700 wives and 300 concubines)
Many were political marriages to seal alliances
He had may sons and daughters.
I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.
I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Solomon conducted a grand experiment
He Played with everything under the sun
Ecclesiastes is the journal of that experiment
Pleasure and Amusement
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.
I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”
Wine and Food
I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.
Heart’s Whims
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 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 a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Wealth
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
All things under the sun led him to a conclusion:
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
All the world had to offer was vanity of vanities and chasing the wind
We would be wise to learn from his experiment
Fear God
Keep His Commandments
Having pursued the world and indulging his lusts, Solomon reached the finish line when he returned to where he started.
Fear God
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Solomon teaches us we should
fear God and get Wisdom
Companions have great Influence
Earthly Things Cannot Satisfy