1 Reis 10

1 Reis 10

Morris - This is an amazing testimony, but there is no reason to doubt it. Some nations may have ruled larger geographical areas at this time, but Solomon was greater in wisdom and wealth than any. For this period of history (about 1000 B.C.), very little extra-Biblical data is available from archaeology or any other sources. The Danger of Finishing Badly By Rev. Peter Grainger Scripture: 1 Kings 3, 10:23–11:13, especially 11:11 Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Introduction: News bulletins which report on marathons usually show two pictures: the beginning of the race with the huge mass of runners “taking off” and the end of the race with the winners breaking the tape at the finish. What we fail to see is the important part of the race: the middle. Many of those who started so well and so cheerfully struggle to keep going. Some limp home long after the first runners have finished and gone home. Others fail to finish at all. I want to look at a striking and sad example from the Bible of someone who started well but finished badly. That person was one of Israel’s greatest kings: Solomon. 1. Divine Favors (1 Ki 3:5–10). Right at the beginning of his reign, the Lord met with Solomon in a dream and the Lord granted him a remarkable favor. Wisely Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kin. 3:10). Because of this wise choice, the Lord not only granted Solomon wisdom but also wealth beyond that of any other king, which gave to Solomon an international fame far beyond Israel’s borders. No one could have a better start in life and more God-given privileges, gifts, and possessions than Solomon. Yet none of it prevented him from ending his reign in disaster and incurring the Lord’s anger and condemnation and judgment. Indeed, it was because of all these privileges that the Lord judged Solomon all the more severely and held him accountable. Application: If you are a Christian, you are the privileged recipient of divine favors. God has shown His love and grace to you, blessing you with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). But none of these things in themselves will ensure our future prosperity as a church or that as individuals we will finish the course well. The story of Solomon and the subsequent history of Israel is a solemn warning against any such complacency. 2. Divided Loyalties (1 Kin. 11:1–13). After describing the glory of Solomon in chapter 10, the writer of 1 Kings begins the next chapter with a note of contrast: “King Solomon loved many foreign women” (1 Kin. 11:1). The ensuing verses describe the huge number of wives and concubines that Solomon acquired. While polygamy is not specifically condemned in the Law of Moses, it is rarely practiced and almost always leads to disaster—illustrated not least by the lives of the patriarchs—the consequences of which we still live with even today. Most of these women were chosen from royal families of other nations so as to forge political alliances. While Solomon’s reign did enjoy peace, this decision was utterly condemned by the Lord for religious (and not racial) reasons. Verse 4 tells “his wives turned his heart after other gods …” Solomon had a heart problem. Application: Do you have a heart problem that’s affecting your running? The best remedy is to start with a healthy heart and keep it that way. And a healthy heart is always and can only be one that is fully devoted to the Lord your God. The first and great commandment is to love Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. And any other love which dilutes that love or even displaces it will affect your running and lead to spiritual disaster. 3. Disastrous Consequences (1 Kin. 11:9–13). To all outward appearances, Solomon’s policy seemed to work well as evidenced by Israel’s increasing influence in the region. Everything in Solomon’s life and kingdom seemed to be fine. Everyone in Israel was very happy—except for one person, the only person whose opinion really counted in the final analysis. The Lord became angry with Solomon. The Lord diagnosed his heart-problem and the consequence was that Solomon’s glorious reign would be followed by disaster (v. 11). Application: Each one of us is fully accountable to the Lord for the choices we make, who we love and His commands that we either keep or disobey. Every day and every choice we make affects our future and whether we will finish well or badly. Old age will usually reveal the truth, how you have been running, and the real state of your heart. May we continue the race faithfully, and finish this year the way we want to finish the race of life: in obedience to our Saviour, Jesus Christ. ILLUSTRATION - When the Olympic Games were held in St. Louis in 1904, there was an unusual entry in the Marathon. A small Cuban mail carrier named Felix Caracal announced one day to his fellow postal workers he was going to travel to the States and win the Marathon for Cuba. He was without money or backing, yet he quit his job and began begging on the streets of Havana, seeking traveling funds. Somehow he collected enough money, took a boat to New Orleans, and promptly lost his money in a dice game. He hitched rides to St. Louis where he arrived hungry and in rags. Members of the American team befriended him and gave him some food and a place to sleep. He had no running clothes and no running shoes, only heavy street shoes. Nevertheless, he cut off his pants above the knees and there he was at the starting line, street shoes and all. It was a sweltering day; the heat and humidity were oppressive. One by one, many of the other runners collapsed. Felix, however, being from Cuba, thought nothing of the blistering conditions. With only two miles to go, Felix had a huge lead. He was running alongside an orchard and he spotted some apples and stopped to eat some of them. They were green, and soon he was stricken with severe stomach cramps. He lost the lead, though he did come in fourth, doubled-over with pain. Of the thirty-one starters that day, only fourteen finished, and Felix was fourth among them. 1 Kings 10:24 All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. which God: 1Ki 3:9,12,28 Pr 2:6 Da 1:17 2:21,23 5:11 Jas 1:5 SOURCE OF SOLOMON'S WISDOM - A DIVINE GIFT All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart - The implication is that Solomon could still speak wise sayings. The problem was he was not living wisely before God. J