Solomon; From Glory To Shame - Frank Brancato

I made a statement just a moment ago.

When I said in the 40 years that King Solomon was on the throne,

what was it that happened in his life that led to his shame?

Solomon didn't wake up one day and then all of a sudden find

himself in a shameful condition, he didn't wake up one day and on

all of a sudden find that his heart was different than it was

the day before, there was a progression and a downward slope

as it were in the heart of the wisest man that ever lived.

You know, when we look at this man's life, we see so many ups

and downs, but more UPS, we find him living in a time and raining

on the throne over all Israel. That was in a time of Peace,

everything was set into motion that would be perfect for him to

be the king that he needed to be.

He didn't have to fight against the Philistines, he didn't have

to fight against those that were the enemies of God's people.

He didn't have folks like Saul was to King David looking to

kill. Kill him and take his life.

But King Solomon in all of his glory found himself on a

downward slope that ended in shame.

You know, in the third chapter of the book of First Kings the

Bible, First of all, pictures, and the reason I mention this is

because in the Bible, the Bible says that King Solomon had many

wives. In fact, the scripture says he

had 700 wives and he had 300 concubines.

Now, a concubine was a secondary wife.

They didn't have the same legal Rights to land and possessions,

and whatnot. But they were also considered as

a spouse of an individual. So, when the Bible says, that

King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, no doubt, we can

deduce to say this, that Solomon had a thousand wives where he

was married to a thousand different women or thereabouts.

But you know, of all the ones that Solomon was married to the

Bible describes in First Kings chapter 3.

1 Kings 3 · chapter mention

The one that is deemed to be his favorite, it was the daughter of

pharaoh. You remember?

Also, in the book of Song of Solomon, she is the heroine in

the Song of Solomon. In fact, in chapter 1 of Song of

Solomon, we have there, the words that are written basically

coming from her standpoint delivered, the King Solomon.

And then in verse 8, down through the rest of the chapter

we find that is the response of Solomon to those Words of this

woman. She is the one that is described

in the Bible or describes herself in the King James

version as black and comely. Now she was an Egyptian woman

and no doubt she was dark. The King James version says,

black other translations say dark.

I looked up that word and that word means Dusky.

And that's interesting to me because Dusky to me is a bad

thing. I remember I remember was seeing

people that are deprived of oxygen, they turn.

This gray color and they get Dusky, and that's the word that

I understand, is Dusky, but no, and that's not attractive at

all, but no doubt that's not what's being meant there in the

book of Song of Solomon for. She says that she is as black as

Solomon's curtains. And so she's picturing herself

in a beautiful way, Solomon, had it all.

And in Our Minds Eye we can reflect back now and picture.

This is a man, probably around the age of Of 20 and he's going

to find that something's going to happen to him.

That is magnificent. How many times, or how many

people in the Bible? Can say that God spoke to them

or came to them directly and yet in gibeon, that's exactly what

happens. And you remember when the Lord

comes to Solomon, Solomon is a young man now and he's on the

throne. He is to be the king.

And the only thing he could think of is how magnificent a

position that it is. And the only thing he can think

about is how unworthy that he is to be in such a position and

have such a task that is before him, you remember that we

studied that the Lord asked Solomon.

A question. He says, what is it that I might

give you? What is it that you request of

me? Now, interestingly, I think it's

important that we remember that God is not saying as some

commentators would say, God is not saying ask whatever,

question that, You want, ask whatever favor that I might give

you ask whatever it is and you will have it carte, blanche,

whatever it is. That you ask nowhere in the

Bible, does it say that though? Some commentators deduce that.

What's being said, is, is he's just simply asking him a

question. He never says, and I will give

you everything you asked for. He just says, what is it that

you ask of me that I might do for you?

And Solomon began with words of praise.

And he said you showed great kindness you showed great mercy

and that's what that word means and that passage Mercy.

You know, sometimes we look at the word mercy as receiving

something from someone you didn't deserve now.

No doubt anything that comes from God, man does not deserve.

But this word mercy just means kindness.

He said you showed my father kindness and you put him on the

throne and he said and then you explode my father kindness by

extending me the throne to And then he says this.

He says, how is it that I could rain or I could be in a throne

of so vast, the people so great. A number that cannot be even

numbered so many people that are so great, your people.

He said, all I ask is for an understanding and Discerning

heart that I might better be able to perform my duties.

That I might better be able to determine what is right and what

is wrong that I might be able to sit down with someone on a

matter that I might be able to understand what it is that I

must do. Do in raining over the kingdom

and in satisfying disputes or whatever.

It is another words. King Solomon is a young man, and

this man realizes with his humility, I am not up for the

charge. I am not up for the task.

I need your help. Give me the understanding and

the wisdom to be able to be the king that you want me to be.

You know, I remember when I was 20, I knew everything.

I really did. We all do?

You know fact it's interesting to me and no shot.

Hey, you just got married and I'm not talking about you. but

it's interesting to me when people just get married in their

young man, they've got it all figured out They've got all the

answers, they know all about the family, but there's something

that happens in our life that causes us to have some

knowledge, some wisdom, and some understanding about matters like

that, it's called years, it's called gray hair, it's called

wrinkles. Those warm apps that are on our

face. Tina and I in it.

Now we are older than we ever have been but we are not old

folks yet, but we're not young people.

I guess we're somewhere in between.

No, we don't know, all the answers, but she and I have

laughed about all the things that we thought we once knew.

Like that song that says, I know so much more now than back.

When I knew it all, and that's a fact.

How many people though are 20 years old and placed in a

position of Honor like King Solomon and be so humble in his

heart and have such humility in his heart.

That the only thing he could say is I'm not worthy.

I'm not worthy of it all. I want you to do.

He says to God is give me the tools.

Give me the wisdom. Give me the understanding.

Give me the knowledge. Give me what I need so that I

can sit on this throne and do what you want me to do.

What an amazing heart. And you know the Bible says that

God responds back to Solomon and he is so pleased because he

responds to Solomon. And he says because you have not

asked me for richest because you didn't ask me for Honor because

you didn't ask me for all of those things that you could have

in this world because you didn't ask me that I would remove your

enemies. You know, incident.

Let's take a little side note there.

Do you remember when David before he was King and he's

having a Conversation with his best friend, his best friend in

the whole world. Jonathan, and you remember when

Jonathan says to David, he says this.

Now, David reigned during a time of War, David had enemies

everywhere enemies against God's people personally against him

and against God's people and against the throne and even

against God. So he lived in a different time.

But do you remember what Solomon is very best friend in the whole

world said to him. He said, One day, God is going

to remove all of your enemies from you and when he does, all I

ask of you is that you would extend to me the same kindness

that God has extended to you. And if I'm dead, if I'm out of

the picture, then all I would ask is that you would extend the

same kindness to my family and David says, I will we all know

the story. It was extended to mephibosheth

his son and so forth. If God, bestowed, the same thing

to David, maybe it would be natural for Solomon to say the

same thing. Because the things that Solomon

does not ask for are not in themself bad.

How do we know that if these things that God says, you didn't

ask me for riches. You didn't ask me for Honor.

You didn't ask me that I remove your enemies and you didn't ask

me for a long life. You know how we know that,

that's not bad, that those things aren't bad things to

have. Because God gives him those

things too. And if it was bad God would have

never done that. That's not the point.

The point was, God was impressed by the fact that this young man

didn't ask for those things he didn't ask for those things,

which would have been selfish. He just asked for an

understanding heart that he might show wisdom in the world

and God said, because you have asked of that I am so pleased

with that. I'm going to Grant you wisdom

and understanding and you're going to have wisdom that far.

Has anyone that has ever lived in days gone by and anyone that

will ever live in the future, you're going to be the wisest

man in the world. And because you didn't ask for

this, I'm going to Grant you riches to, you're going to be

the wealthiest man in the world. You're going to have honor among

men. I'm going to grant you that too.

But there was one thing though that and these are Promises by

the way, wisdom riches and honor.

These are things that God promises to Solomon and it

appears to me that he is promising, these things to him

unconditionally what was the condition of receiving riches

and honor and all of that. The fact that his heart was not

arrogant enough and self-serving enough to ask for those things,

he asked for wisdom. God says, you're going to have

it and I'm going to give you Riches and honor and all of

that. But there was one thing that was

one thing that had a condition attached to it.

God said, and if you keep my statutes if you keep the

Commandments, if you keep the things that I extended down to

your father, King David that he kept all the days of his life.

If you do that, then I will lengthen, thy days, I will add

years to your life. You know, what's interesting?

What's interesting to me is, I've actually thought That David

a man that was one of the four men that were handsome and

built. Well, that's described in the

Bible, we picture a strong man. We picture a handsome, man.

We picture a man that looked I would imagine athletic he was

built well. But you remember what happened

to David? I've always, I've always been

interested in the fact that in days of Bible times.

When people live for a long long time, that all of a sudden we

pictured David as a decrepit old man.

That is in his bedchamber as it were and he is so frail.

He is so sickly. He is so weak that he is unable

to regulate his own body temperature.

So abishag, the young beautiful Maiden is brought to him and she

is Is there for the purpose of helping him to stay warm?

So the Bible pictures, this great one.

David as a decrepit old sickly man at 70.

So when God says to Solomon, I'm going to lengthen your days.

If you keep my statutes, if you keep my Commandments and all of

that, we can picture a man that may be lived.

I don't know, 80 90 100, maybe more.

What's interesting is, we're just jump ahead really quick,

and then we'll get back Solomon died at the age of 60.

I'm going to tell you something, folks.

When God makes a promise that's conditional.

If you don't keep that condition, you will not get the

promise. I think shot he was talking

about. I think I think he was that he's

working on a sermon on God's promises and it's true God keeps

the promise he will never turn his back on a promise.

Absolutely but when a promise is attached to a condition then God

is not obligated to give you that promise that he has said I

will give you if you don't keep the condition.

Solomon died at the age of 60 because he didn't keep the

statutes, his heart was turned. But I'll tell you something else

though. His heart was turned over a long

period of time. Why do we always say, to our

young people to make good choices?

Why do we always say when we see someone is just on the fringes

and they're drifting ever? So slightly.

Why is it that we reach out and pull them back in?

Why is it that when they come to us and they say, but Dad or Mom

or whatever. It's not that big a thing.

It's not that bad. It's okay and itself but we,

that that are supposed to have more wisdom than they and

hopefully, we do look to that and we see what's down at the

other end of the road, we see a Pearl.

Russian and so there may be things in life that are not

necessarily wrong in themself at that moment, but they lead to

something that is unwise, they lead, the something that is bad,

they lead to our shame. Those are things.

We have to turn our foot from the path and go in an opposite

direction. Solomon now is a man of great

wisdom, he was given now, no doubt we've mentioned this to in

the past Solomon had to have the wisdom of Of a great man to ask

God, for more wisdom at the age of 20, he had to have been a

guy. He had to have been a man that

had regular knowledge like you and I have but maybe knowledge

that surpassed any other 20 year old.

But the knowledge and the wisdom he was about to get was

Supernatural, wisdom that far surpassed anyone that had ever

lived at any time. But notice this.

What is wisdom? Is wisdom something that's got

us by the back of the neck. That's going to make us make the

right choices. No wisdom is a tool.

Wisdom is a tool that all of us have to put into practice.

If we don't put wisdom into practice, it's like keeping a

tool in the barn or in the shed. It's doing it's no good at all.

At some point in time, with some of the decisions that Solomon

had to make. He had to take the tool that God

gave him. That was what he needed and put

it away in the tool shed and make a poor choice.

God never. Or takes away our freedom of

choice. He never does.

He gives us the tools though. He gives us his word that we

might understand what it is that he wants us to do, and then when

we ask God for wisdom, he gives it not grudgingly, not a little

bit, not holding back. The Bible says he gives it to us

liberally. But we have to use the tool that

he gave us Solomon, all of a sudden.

Right now, I don't know how many how much time went by from the

time that he performed sacrifices and Thanksgiving to

God for the things that God promised him right here.

And now and the time that to harlots come to him over one

baby. You remember what Solomon does?

He sets into motion a wise decision to harlots come.

We all know the story one, baby. They're all.

They're both saying. It's my baby and so on there.

No testimony from anyone that Solomon could have referred to

there were no witnesses. There was no one that knew the

case, there was no one. That was there that saw the

birth of the two babies that are in question.

There was no one no one to consult.

He had to make a choice and he does, he said bring me a sword

and I will divide the baby in half and I will give each of you

a half. You know, Solomon really wasn't

going to do that Solomon was putting them to the test.

Because of his wisdom, he knew that the real mother would rise

up. And she did she said no, no, no

give the child to her. Another words give the child to

my rival. It was better in her eyes to

have her child go. And be with someone that is her

rival that wants her baby. And she would feel the feeling

of Detachment from her own child.

That's better than seeing her own child dead.

You know, if the other woman said, fine Cut him in half.

She was more concerned of misery loves company.

If I can't have my child, she's not having hers either.

What the Bible says about that. the Bible says, and all Israel.

All Israel heard of the Judgment, which the king had

judged and they feared the king for.

They saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.

And the Bible says in chapter 4, that the King King Solomon was

King over all Israel. And furthermore, down in verse

29, it says, and God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding

exceeding, much and largeness of heart.

Even at the sand, that is on the seashore and saw Solomon's

wisdom excelled, the wisdom of all the children of the East

Country, and all the wisdom of the of Egypt.

You know this word these two words, wisdom and understanding

here. Understanding is talking about

knowledge. So Solomon had greater knowledge

than anyone. Wisdom wisdom is something that

we do. That's the ability to use the

knowledge that we have. You know, people came far, far

away to hear the wisdom of Solomon when it talks about

that, he exceeded all those in Egypt, it's talking about those

that were known for geometry. Those that were known for

arithmetic, those that were known for astronomy, those that

were known for medicine. This was a man that far

surpassed all of those. And when it talks about those

that are in the East, it's referring to all those.

That were the edomites, the ones that were known for their

wisdom. He had wisdom that was far

greater in the Bible says, in verse 34 of chapter 4 and there

came all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon from all Kings

of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

You know his great wisdom led to his greatest work.

We find that his building projects now were underway and

the building projects of Solomon lasted for about 20 years, the

building of the temple was about seven years and and the 13 years

to build the king's Palace or the King's house.

And so that was the building projects, but his great wisdom,

led to his great work. His greatest work, wasn't

building the Temple, and you remember in the sixth chapter,

Getting in verse 11, where the scripture says and the word of

the Lord came to Solomon saying, I want to make this point

though. It says the word of the Lord

came to Solomon and not the Lord.

The Lord comes to Solomon on two different occasions.

One is found in chapter 3 in gibeon that was directly and

also we find it later on in chapter 9 directly here.

No doubt it was someone that was maybe a profit maybe even

Nathan. We remember the story of Nathan

and how Nathan fit in the Kingdom as well.

But the word comes to Solomon and he says concerning this

house, which Thou Art in building.

If here's conditions again, if thou Wilt walk in my statutes

and execute my judgments and keep all my Commandments to walk

in them, then will I perform my word with thee?

Which I spake unto David thy, father, and I will dwell among

the children of Israel and will not forsake, my people.

So, Solomon built the house, House and finished it.

The last verse of the chapter says that it took seven years in

building it. And then in chapter 7 and verse

1, it says, but Solomon was building his own house, 13

years, and he finished all of his house.

You know, there was a time at the Feast of the dedication of

the Temple. That Solomon still appeared to

have the proper kind of heart. That he refers back as he

standing before the whole congregation.

And he refers back to his father, David.

And he says about David. He says that David, My Father,

David wanted to build the temple, and he talks about how

God praised David in his desire to build the temple.

Even though it wasn't going to be David himself, it was going

to be your son, you know, sometimes in the Bible when it

talks about a son, it's referring Loosely or generically

to me, could even be a grandson, it could be someone.

That was your son in the faith that we Find about in the New

Testament scriptures. But this right here, what

Solomon is saying is Solomon says, as a God had promised to

my father David, it wouldn't be him directly though.

Praising him for his desire to build the house.

He said it would be from his loins.

Meaning, it would be his own flesh and blood.

It would be his own son, and it would be Solomon.

And Solomon would be the one who Not only would sit on the throne

but build the temple. Bible says that Solomon stood

before the altar of the Lord and the presence of all the

congregation of Israel and he spread forth, his hands toward

heaven and he said, Lord God of Israel, there's no God like unto

thee in Heaven above or on Earth beneath who keep his Covenant

and I get this. There's no one in the world.

And when he talks about God's here in a multiple sense or a

plurality here, he's not saying that there is more than one

acceptable. God, he is saying that there are

many people in the world. That recognized Idol gods.

And what he's doing is, he's praising God to this degree.

He says there's no one that even professes to be a god.

There's no one that's ever even recognized as a god.

There's no God in heaven, there's no God beneath, there's

no God on Earth, there's no God, anywhere, that's like you.

Because you keep your promises. You keep your Covenants.

Get this and your mercy to your servants that walk before thee

with all their heart. Isn't that today too.

Who's an old preacher one-time. Preached, a sermon called will

God keep a promise. He will keep a promise at the

fact. To all those that walk after him

with all their heart. You know, we looked at the life

of King David for a long time. And, you know, the Bible Praises

David and God. Praises David, and God says to

Solomon, he makes comparisons to Solomon.

He says, I want you to walk after me, like, your father,

David did with all your heart and I want you to do it.

Like David did, who did it with all of his heart?

Now, wait a minute. We look at the life of David and

we find that he had sin in his life.

He committed a horrible act, he committed, an act of adultery,

tried to hide, it was guilty of lying and then murder He passed

down that judgment to. And yet, God looks at his life

as a man that walked after him with all of his heart.

You know, that tells me that there's a difference between

someone whose heart has changed and turns their back on the

Lord. And someone that just makes a

mistake and falls down, needs to get back up.

I tells me there's a big difference because I'm going to

tell you something, folks. They were something about the

life of King Solomon. There was something about his

heart that God didn't, like there was something about his

life. There was something about his

judgments. There was something about his

heart that changed in God's eyes.

And yet, we don't read about specific sins that he committed

like what David did. That's a difference, folks.

And I'm going to tell you something else, too. when Jesus

gave the parable, When he gave the parable of those that were

to people, when they came to Jesus, and one was guilty of a

tremendous amount of sin. When Jesus looked at these two

debtors he said who's going to love me more?

The one that had sinned or the one that didn't have as much

sometimes our service becomes better and greater because of

our mistakes. I am grateful that all of the

dumb choices that I made as a young man, I'm thankful that I

don't have long-term ramifications about those

things. I'm grateful sometimes we do but

we can learn about those things and learn from our past and be

better than we've ever been. And serve God more because we

appreciate the fact that in his loving tender Mercy, he extended

our life to the point that we were able to get our life in

proper order, and he gave us the time to do it, and it causes us

to be grateful, he causes us to be thankful.

Solomon now is as we read in our text is at the height of

prosperity here again, here again.

The Lord is going to give him some conditions, no doubt, the

Lord can see. And, you know, the Lord is the

only one that can judge a man's heart.

How many times have we said that?

How many times have we said? In?

Somebody says that they're sorry about this, or they're sorry

about that. Or sometimes somebody does

something, they behave a certain way and it is true that

sometimes we want to judge their motives.

We want to judge there. Our hearts and we might get it

right? But really we took a guess at it

because the only God knows the heart of man.

Now in the eyes of the people, in the eyes of Israel, Solomon

is in a beautiful position, he's a great example, in the eyes of

the people But God warns him again.

And this is the second time that God Appears to him and speaks to

him directly. And it says this, if thou Wilt

walk, before me as thy, father, David had walked in Integrity of

heart. And in uprightness to do,

according to all that, I have commanded thee and will keep my

statutes and my judgments. Then I will establish the Throne

of the on my of thy kingdom upon Israel forever.

As I promised of David thy Father saying there shall not

fail thee. A man upon the throne of Israel.

There's going to be a successor but there's the condition.

Again you've got to keep the condition and he's warning to

he's warning Solomon again but notice the very next verse God

says this. But if you shall at all, he

didn't say, if you completely he didn't say, if you 100% he says,

if you at all At all turn from following me, you or your

children and will not keep my Commandments and my statutes,

which I have set before you but go and serve other gods and

worship them if you do that, not only full-blown.

But if you do it at all, if you turn your back on me at all and

you go back to serving other gods in any way, shape, or form.

Then I will cut off Israel out of the land, which I have given

them. And this house, which I have

hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight?

And Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.

It's going to be the butt of every joke.

If you do that, you know, I think that this verse here is

referring to the specific, Babylonian captivity, Second,

Kings, 24 and 25. We will get there eventually but

that's what that's referring to. But God continues also he says

when people walk by and see wait a minute, why has God done this?

It's going to be common knowledge.

And they're going to say this because they forsook the Lord

their God who brought forth their fathers out of the land of

Egypt and taken hold upon other gods and worship them and serve

them. Therefore hath the Lord brought

upon them, all this evil. Then the Bible says, remember we

studied about high Ram, the king of Tyre and tie and this King

helped Solomon, this King helps Solomon.

This King supplied him with the Why's that he needed with the

gold that he needed with the timber that he needed with the

trees that he needed with all the things that he needed, you

know? I think there's a picture here

of a loan scenario. He's loaning these things to him

and then in a future time or further time when he would have

abundance in the Kingdom, he would be able to pay back and

great in a great way. But the Bible says he doesn't do

that, he gives him 20 cities. He gives him 20 cities.

Of Galilee in the land of Galilee, you know, that sounds

like a great thing when it be great to get 20 cities.

But then Hiram goes and looks at the cities and he sees it as

Barren land as worthless land. You know, First Kings doesn't

say this, but in second chronicles it does, it says that

that high Ram, basically turned the land back, he didn't take

the land. He said, it is worthless in

essence. That word means cable is what he

called it, and it means dry and Sandy.

It also, So means sterile it was useless to him.

Some Scholars say that maybe this is a picture of the

stinginess in the heart of King Solomon.

You know, the other day I was talking to Terry and I asked him

how many guys he has working And Terry has a lot of usually, as a

lot of men working for him. He said about 25, I think he

said, I want you to picture this.

What if you had so many guys working for you?

You want to talk about a man that has it all at his

fingertips at his disposal. You had talked about having so

many guys. What if you had so many men that

it took 550 supervisors to oversee them now that to crew

That's a big outfit. These were the men.

Now, all the children of Israel, none of them were slaves or

enslaved to it. There were others from foreign

lands that were in bondage, but not the children of Israel.

They were workers, in fact, the children of Israel though that

they were Men of War. There was times when they had to

work and labor and the labor force was so great.

It took five hundred and fifty men to oversee it Remember, the

time that the Queen of Sheba comes to Solomon?

You know, when you're a certain kind of person you know a lot of

times we look to athletes as those that are famous. and you

hear about, And you could take a person that's not known at all

and you can make them, you can have him do something or be

known for something. He becomes famous to some

degree. Well, the fame of Solomon spread

so much that the Queen of Sheba. One day, she decides to come to

Solomon. Now, she heard many great things

about Solomon. She heard about his wisdom, she

heard about his knowledge. She heard about the fact that he

is exceeded all those in Egypt, even those that were Masters in

medicine. And she comes to him with

riddles and questions. She's testing King Solomon.

And the Bible says that he answered every single thing that

she had inquired, every single thing that she threw down.

He had a perfect answer for and when he was finished, the Bible

says that she looked at him and she says this, I heard it was

great. As I paraphrase.

I heard that you were all this wise, I heard all of that but it

was nothing compared to what I've seen with my own eyes and

and heard with my own ears. And here's the point.

Remember how we talked about how, when we do good things?

I loved our brothers prayer today, did you hear what he said

about those that are in Arkansas?

May they have an opportunity. May they have a platform, may

they have an opportunity to do good in the community.

May, they have an opportunity to assist in Aid.

Someone else even though they need the aid themself to, but

they reach out and they do that, who gets the praise.

God gets the Ace God gets the glory.

Do you remember years ago, Bruce Roebuck held a meeting over at

Brundage and he was talking about, actually it was an

Arkansas around the place of Mountain Home.

I think that he was living there at the time and somebody was in

need in the world, something happened.

I think the the wife died and the husband had all these kids

and he had to care for the kids and he had to do all that, but

he had to work so he was he couldn't work.

It care for them word, got out. It got on the News and the

Salvation Army with their vests on came and they came to their

aid in that wonderful. But Bruce's point was When it

was all said and done. The Salvation Army got the

credit. They got the glory. but when we

wear the banner of Christ, As demonstrated by our life.

And we help those that are in need.

We do that, which is good and right.

It's God, that gets the praise. And he gets the glory.

You know what the Queen of Sheba said. when all of that was said,

When she recognized how wise he was.

She finally says it had to come from God.

She recognized that what he had had to come from God.

Moving on quickly, there were three things, this is the our

final points. There were three things

according to Deuteronomy chapter, 17, that a king was not

to do. and, you know, Solomon, we talked about what happened

during the 40 Years of his Reign that caused his dissent And you

know, really what he does is he is guilty of all three things

that Deuteronomy chapter 17 says that a king was not to do one,

Deuteronomy 17 · chapter mention

he was not to use the office for the position of being a king to

a mass or increase wealth unto himself.

That was number one, he was not to do that.

Did he do that? Certainly did, you know, we

talked about millionaires today, signing bonuses than a player, a

baseball player or football player It's common to say that

somebody signed and got a 20 million dollar bonus.

It's common, we're not impressed with that at all in this day and

time. Listen to what Solomon was

getting in ancient Bible times in verse 14 of chapter 10, it

says that the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year

was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold.

You know what that is you late that out that that's first of

all, the weight of it that 25 tons of gold You know how much

25 tons of gold according to if they're right according to

modern-day estimators that would have been about 20 million

dollars in one year's time. That's the gold that came to the

king twenty million dollars. He was not to use the position

of being a king to amass wealth or increased wealth unto himself

Deuteronomy 17. Second thing Deuteronomy 17 says

that a king was not to use the position of being a King to

multiply horses unto himself. He did that fourteen hundred of

them. You know.

He talked about the hilly Rocky terrains and so forth.

He didn't need all those chariots.

What good is the Chariot in the Hills?

But he amassed that to be multiplied horses unto himself

and third. And finally, and this will spend

the rest of our time on He was not to use the position of being

a king and multiply wives unto himself. 700 wives of princesses

of other kingdoms. You know what that tells me that

tells me that Solomon was more interested in increasing his

Renown than he was of any other thing, his heart had changed,

and his heart changed long before his idol-worshipping

wives, let his heart astray. He wanted to increase his

renowned, he wanted to increase all of those things, he brought

great wealth, his way multiplied horses unto himself and he

multiplied wives, too. And he had 700 wives and 300

concubines Fellas. Can you imagine that it?

Listen, it's hard. It's hard to keep one happy all

the time. A thousand of them.

A man that wanted to increase his renown.

You know, the Bible says that these were wives that served

other gods and the scripture says, in verse 5, for Solomon

went after asterisk, the goddess of the zidonians.

And after milcom, the abomination of the ammonites,

and Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not

fully after the Lord as did David his father, then did

Solomon built a high place for chemo.

Wash the abomination of Moab in the hill that is before

Jerusalem. And for Molech, the abomination

of the children of Ammon What happened is, what happened is

the evil influences of his wives, led him into idolatry and

he supported that he built. Places that they could worship

their Idol Gods. Why?

Because he chose wives for the wrong reason.

Why do you think? We spend so much time telling

our young people to date in the church?

Why do we spend so much time telling our young folks to marry

a Christian. Someone that shares our faith.

Why do we do that? You know, I'm impressed with our

young people in the Brotherhood and that's why it's so important

to go to meetings were where young people can meet other

young people and then they meet friends and then they become

long-term lifetime friends, and then they be, they date folks.

And so on, even though I'm not gonna let Taylor date till she's

married, But it's a good thing for others.

As they find people, they're going to spend the rest of your

life with But I'll tell you something, there's reasons for

that, because little by little the heart of Solomon.

Now, I want you to remember this.

He is the wisest smartest man in the world. now, if the wisest

smartest man in the world, Can have his heart turned and

changed because of his idol-worshipping wipes.

Where does that leave me and you?

where, Where's that leave us? He's wiser and smarter than

anyone. And he failed.

Bible says that the Lord was displeased with him.

One more thing about promises, I'm wrapping my sermon, he'll

close, you've been so patient and listening were almost

finished. You remember, when God gave him

the conditions of the promise, sometimes people in the world

say, God left me. Where was God, where was God

when this happened and so on, you know, God has never ever

ever. I don't care what you've been

through. God has never left your side

ever. He never has If he's not there,

it's because you left him. and, you know, when the Bible says in

the story of Samson in his life, Delila wore him down.

And finally he says well it'll be like all times before I'll

rise up and I'll shake myself it'll be like all times before

but some of the saddest words and all the Bible but he knew

not that the Lord was departed from him.

When does the Lord depart? When we depart from him.

The Lord left Solomon, because Solomon left the Lord.

You know what God says, God says, I'm going to take the

kingdom now. He was angry and I'm going to

rent it from you, but he says I'm not going to do it while

you're still living for your father's sake and there's going

to be a divided Kingdom, that's next.

At the end of this chapter, we find that Solomon dies.

Solomon dies. And then we start hearing

characters like jeroboam the son of nebat.

He was an evil King and in the northern kingdom which was ten

tribes. He would Reign Over the northern

kingdom. He was the first king on the

Northern Kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom was Judah

and Benjamin was with Judah, but the Bible just describes it as

Judah. And Solomon, son.

Also in he's evil King was real bone and he would be on that

Throne. The Divided Kingdom.

Look at the ramifications of poor choices.

God said, there's going to be a successor on the throne forever,

if you serve me and your children do the same, In his

lifetime, then even have to get to the, to the kids in his

lifetime and at the age of 60, after a 40-year Reign, he dies.

And the kingdom is divided. As the next thing we're going to

talk about is the history and the story of The Divided

Kingdom, Israel and Judah. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

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