1st Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods" .... 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord" ...
This passage of scripture teaches us of the sad fall of one of Israel's greatest kings, who had plummeted from the pinnacle of greatness to bow reverently before gods of wood and stone, because his mind became puffed up and exalted on account of the rare wisdom given him by God. At the beginning of his tenure as king, he is seen kneeling humbly before the great God of heaven, imploring His wisdom, grace, and mercies upon His people, and God responds in the affirmative by filling the sanctuary with smoke, a symbol of both His presence and approval. And for a while Solomon was content to be led of God, who blessed him tremendously with knowledge, understanding, and judgment, in so much that many kings and queens from distant lands as far away as Africa, came to hear of his world-renowned wisdom. Let's read:
1st Kings 10:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. 2 And" ... "she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, 5 "There was no more spirit in her. 6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7 "And, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
But after a morning of great promise, Solomon began to gradually let go of the arm of omnipotence, and he began to trust to his own wisdom and power, and to depend less and less upon God, who gave him all that he had in the first place. Solomon began traveling on the road named polygamy, in which a multiplicity of wives and concubines formed his harem, and many of these were not God-fearing women, but were idolaters who came with the excess and corresponding baggage of idolatrous beliefs and practices, which the king was now moved and encouraged to participate in, through his so-called love for them. And as he drifted further and further away from God, he stooped so low as to be found kneeling before graven images, and stood by helplessly as young children were sacrificed to Milcolm and Ashtoreth, the gods of the Ammonites and the Zidonians respectively.
What is really ironical in all of this, is that Solomon is most often referred to as "The wise man", causing us to wonder what will be the lot of a fool, in contrast. Whenever we take our eyes off of God, to focus on ourselves and our achievements, it's just a matter of time that we will be made the sport of circumstances, because one of the most important truths we may ever learn, is that no created being, whether it be the angels in heaven, or man upon the earth, was ever made to operate independently of God, neither did God create us and set us in motion, leaving us to run on automatic. As with motor cars, there is also a reverse gear which is engaged in the human experience, when we choose to go it alone, without God's input, advice, or counsel.
In our own experiences, it's therefore imperative that we do not ever lose sight of our total dependence on God. The financial, material, and spiritual blessings which we enjoy are not the result of our business model, or our in-depth study and analysis of markets and hedge funds, but rather the power of God working within us, to will and to do of His good pleasure. This sacred truth is stated in scripture with the hope that poor mortals will not take the glory or the credit to themselves, but that we may humbly acknowledge God's providence and mercy in providing every good and perfect gift to us. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 8:10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God" .... 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
Whatever might be our achievements and accomplishments, whatever might be our wealth and material possessions, let us always remember that everything we have and are comes from God, and as such we should always live in humble acknowledgement of this sacred truth, that without God, we can do nothing. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which affirms this fact, and it is the will of God that it be now incorporated into our daily experiences, for God is everything to us, and everything to us should be God. Let's read:
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!