It's been 2000 years since
the glorious light of the cross
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illuminated a world veiled in
darkness and confusion about the
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character of God. And
still today the greatest need of
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mankind is a revelation of God's
love as revealed in the life of
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Christ. Amazing Facts presents
the Everlasting Gospel with
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Pastor Doug Batchelor coming
to you each week from Sacramento
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Central Church in sunny
California. Discover hidden
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treasures in God's word today.
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Today we'll have the final
installment, part V, of Solomon
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and deal with the world's wisest
fool. We had some interruptions
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because of the holidays and
travel but I think this is a
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very important series. Up to
this point as we've followed the
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history of Solomon we've
seen many examples where he is a
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type of Christ. And he's the son
of David of course. He built up
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the house of the Lord. He was
in great glory and riches and
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wisdom. In many ways he's an
echo as much as you could have
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humanly of someone who was
like Christ in many ways. He was
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dedicated to the Lord. He loved
the Lord. And up to this point
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as we track the history of
Solomon, we see that from the
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time that he takes the throne
and there was a life and death
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battle right then, but secure
in the throne he continued to go
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up. He built up the temple,
built up his house, became a
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witness to all nations. We
had two Sabbaths where we talked
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about the pinnacle, the zenith,
of the kingdom. And then the
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gentiles flowed unto him, the
wealth of the gentiles flowed
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to him. They came to him seeking
for witness. He was a light to
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the whole world. Everything was
good, good, very good and today
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it's not so good. Something
happens and he just sort of
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falls off the other side. And
it's not pleasant to talk about
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but it presents a very important
warning for us. How even a
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person who is blessed with
every single earthly advantage
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when we begin to trust in
ourselves without the wisdom of
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God's Spirit, worldly wisdom can
make you a fool. You know the
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Bible says the wisdom of men
is foolishness to God. And as
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Solomon began to trust in
himself, something started to
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happen and he drifted away. Now
you remember last week we talked
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about the Queen of Sheba and
how she came and the wealth was
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flowing into Solomon. There's
a very interesting passage that
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happens. After this experience
with the Queen of Sheba, he's
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sort of on top of the world.
That becomes the tipping point.
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Now as we prepare to talk about
the fall and the sin of Solomon,
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I want to remind you that he
is still in history considered a
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good king. He had 25 or 30 years
of faithfulness before this big
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backsliding experience.
And he did backslide big time.
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But don't forget his father
David had some backsliding of
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his own and he'll be in the
kingdom. So we need to look at
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what happened and how Solomon
fell. I don't know how far I
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want you to take this next point
but it struck me as interesting.
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I thought that you might also
find it interesting. The number
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666, when you mention that
number, I saw y'all look up.
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I just mentioned it. Oh, you
woke right up. I mean I've seen
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that before. I'll never forget
the time I was checking out of
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a store and the tally of the
goods I bought came up to $6.66.
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And I remember the cashier, she
said oh look at that 666. And I
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I said, do you know what it
means? She said no but it's bad.
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That's all she knew. And
I've got a friend and his phone
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number is something 666 and I
said does that make you nervous?
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He said, no, people remember it.
But you know, and if you go to
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some event where the seats are
numbered and you have to choose
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between sitting in seat 666 or
seat 667, you'll probably move
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over one. Just because we're all
that superstitious and we wonder
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what does it mean. Well there
are three times in the Bible you
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find the number 666. Revelation,
of course, 13. Then you've got
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another example where you find
666 in the book of Ezra where it
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says when the children of Israel
came back from the captivity
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there were the descendants of
a man by the name of Adonichem.
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That's where you get the word
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Adoni is a name
for God Adonichem
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means the Lord has arisen.
Six hundred and sixty-six people
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came back with his group.
And then the third time is
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immediately after the visit of
Sheba, in the story of Solomon.
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By the way, you find it two
times. You find it in I Kings
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and you find it in II Chronicles
9:13. It says the weight of gold
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that came to Solomon yearly, not
just one time, yearly, was 666
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talents of gold. Now I don't
think that's a coincidence.
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I'm not sure exactly what it
means but I don't believe there
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are any coincidences in God's
word. Isn't it interesting.
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Solomon's life goes like this.
You get to the Queen of Sheba,
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top of the mountain and then
it says 666 and it goes down.
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Do you think that's a
coincidence? I thought that was
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worthy of mention. Six, six,
six is also what you call an
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abundant number. That's what
it means where it says that it
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is the sum of one plus two
plus three up to 36. But it's a
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triangular number because 36
is 12 + 12 + 12. Now 12 is an
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interesting biblical number.
It represents the church. Three
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times the same number equals
36 that leads to that abundant
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number you add up the sum of
that you get 666. Also there's
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360 days in the Jewish year
which I thought was interesting.
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Six, six, six is the sum of the
square of the first seven prime
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numbers. Y'all remember the
prime numbers? The first seven
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prime numbers are 2, 3, 5,
7, 11, 13, 17. It is the sum of
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those first seven prime numbers
squared. The square of 2 plus
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plus the square of 3, plus the
square of 5, plus the square of
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7, plus the square of 17 on up
the first seven prime numbers is
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666. And I even saw a graph one
time where you get boxes in a
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row. The Babylonians had done
something where they took boxes
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of 36 and it came to 666
of course. So it was sort of a
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mystic number that represented
man. It represents the kingdom
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of man trusting in man and
that's why it's also identified
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with the beast. It's salvation
by works, trusting in earthly
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wisdom. We remember the seventh
day to remember God as creator.
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What day was man made? The sixth
day. So it represents the number
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of man. Anyway just thought
I'd mention that, 666 talents of
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gold and he starts going down
hill after that is mentioned.
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Now what ends up happening to
Solomon is predicted by Moses.
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Turn in your Bibles please
to Deuteronomy 17. There's a
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prophetic warning given for the
very things that he fell into.
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Good counsel for us. Today we're
going to be talking about how to
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avoid backsliding and if you
have backslidden, how to repent.
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Deuteronomy 17 verse 14: When
you come to the land. By the way
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if you circle or underline in
your Bible I'd like to give you
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a couple places you might
underline here. When you come
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to the land which the Lord
your God is giving you and you
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possess it and you dwell in
it and you say I will set a king
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over me like the other nations
around me. Park for just a
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second right there. You might
underline, I will set a king
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over me like the other nations.
Were they supposed to have a
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king like the other nations? You
remember when they first went
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to Samuel and said we want a
king like the other nations and
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it broke Samuel's heart. And God
said, it's broken my heart more
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than it's broken your
heart. They haven't rejected you
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Samuel, they've rejected me.
It was God's plan that they were
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a theocracy, not a monarchy.
They were to be led by the Lord.
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The high priest or the judge in
Israel or the prophet was to be
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the spokesman. He didn't design
that they were to have a king
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like other nations. They were
to be a nation of priests led by
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the Lord. That's what God
said. So when they said we want
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another king like the other
nations, God said you don't know
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what you're asking for. Oh, we
want a king. You're going to be
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sorry. Now God didn't use all
that sarcasm in his voice that I
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just had but that's pretty much
what he told them. And they said
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no, no, we want a king. We
want a god we can see. See other
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nations, they worshipped their
kings as gods. Alexander the
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Great said he was a god.
The Cesar's said they were god.
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The kings of Medo and Persia
were worshipped as gods. And God
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was very reluctant to give them
a king that would be treated
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that way. So first thing God
predicted is that you're going
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to end up asking for a king. It
happened. He said if you do it,
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make sure he's one of your
brethren. You shall not have an
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alien king over you. They
finally did when they had Herod
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the Great. He wasn't a pure Jew.
He's to be one of your relatives
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You're not to pick a king who is
not one of your brothers. Then
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he goes on and says, He shall
not multiply horses to himself.
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Notice that, underline multiply
horses. Nor cause the people to
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return to Egypt to multiply
horses. Specifically he says
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don't even go to Egypt to
multiply horses. Because they
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had these fields there by the
river, a lot of horses that were
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bred and trained in Egypt.
The best horses. You've heard of
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Arabian horses. They really came
from Egypt to start with. For as
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much as the Lord has said unto
you henceforth you are not to
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return to go to Egypt anymore.
Neither shall he multiply wives
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to himself. Underline there
multiply wives. That his heart
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turn not away. You multiply
wives, they will turn your heart
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away. This was written by Moses
hundreds of years before Solomon
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but it is really a history of
exactly what happened to Solomon
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exactly. Neither shall he
greatly multiply to himself
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silver and gold for himself.
That's what Solomon did.
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Keep in mind David had lots of
silver and gold but he put it in
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the treasury of the Lord for the
temple of the Lord. He didn't
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put it for himself. Now these
were warnings that Moses gave
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and when the kingdom reached
it's pinnacle during the reign
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of Solomon, Solomon after
it said 666 and after the visit
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of the Queen of Sheba it recites
that all these things started to
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take him down. But some people
say I don't have to worry about
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having too much money because
you can still be rich and trust
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the Lord. Or they might say,
well you know I've been married
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and I've been divorced and
I've been married and I've been
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divorced but you know you can
still have a good relationship
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with the Lord. Or they might say
you know I've got a big house
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and it's got a safe full of guns
I've got my own arsenal. I've
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got my horses and my chariots
and you can have that and be a
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Christian and still be saved.
But when you start putting your
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trust in these things and you
start wandering from the thus
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saith the Lord, you're going
to go down. You can't. God is
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merciful, it's true, but you
can't walk near the edge that
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long without tripping and
something's going to happen.
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And that's what Solomon was
doing. He was trying to have as
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much of the world as he could
have and trust in the things of
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the world and still have a
relationship with God because
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he said after all I'm the wisest
man who ever lived. But he ended
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up becoming the wisest fool
in the world because he didn't
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listen to what the Bible said.
So now let's look at how the
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history was fulfilled. You go
to I Kings chapter 10 verse 28.
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We see he started to trust in
earthly armor. And Solomon had
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horses imported from Egypt
and Keveh. The kings merchants
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bought them in Keveh. He began
to do the very thing Moses said
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don't do. He sent his merchants
down there. Of course they had
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interstates going from Solomon's
kingdom to all the major
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kingdoms and caravans going back
and forth and ships going back
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and forth. And he said, you know
I want the best horses in the
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world and the best trained
chariot horses are the horses
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of Egypt. And the reason they
wanted those is because that was
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back then like a nuclear weapon.
I've been to Egypt and I've seen
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the chariots there. They've
excavated even the chariot of
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Tutankhamun. You've probably
seen Ben Hur before. And they
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had these chariots and they
would put almost like knives on
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the chariot wheels and
these Egyptian horses were like
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Clydesdales. They weren't quite
like the Arabian horses today.
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They were a little more
fleet and skittish and they'd go
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charging through battle. Have
any of you ever been up close
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next to a Clydesdale? I knew
you'd say yes, raise your hand.
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I have too. And I remember one
time three or four kids trying
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to put a bridle on a Clydesdale
and he lifted up his head and he
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lifted them all off the ground.
I mean, they are monsters.
00:14:02.36\00:14:05.59
And you put a chariot behind
one of those and you go charging
00:14:05.62\00:14:08.82
through ground troops. It
just mows them down. And so
00:14:08.85\00:14:13.20
whichever king had chariots.
You notice in the battle when
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Barak and Deborah went
against Sisera and his forces,
00:14:17.27\00:14:19.74
it made a big deal
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about the iron chariots. And
they would put this armor on the
00:14:20.99\00:14:25.65
horses and they were like
tanks. And so it was trusting in
00:14:25.68\00:14:30.36
earthly strength. Trusting
in the weapons of the world.
00:14:30.40\00:14:34.64
Now we do need weapons as
Christians but what kind of
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weapons? The armor of God. And
Solomon began to trust in the
00:14:38.88\00:14:43.48
armor of man. I mean when David
went against Goliath. Solomon
00:14:43.51\00:14:47.69
knew David. Oh yeah, that was
Dad. He went up against this man
00:14:47.73\00:14:51.88
who would talk about all
his earthly armor and his father
00:14:51.91\00:14:55.32
brought him down with a rock
and trust in the Lord. And God
00:14:55.36\00:14:59.07
was trying to remind his kings,
I am your weapon. He wasn't
00:14:59.11\00:15:02.75
against having horses. He wasn't
against having chariots. He said
00:15:02.79\00:15:05.82
don't put your trust in those
things. Solomon began to do that
00:15:05.86\00:15:08.86
I've been to Israel and up
by Megiddo they've got the...
00:15:09.76\00:15:13.52
excavated the stables of
Solomon. Some of you maybe have
00:15:13.56\00:15:17.25
heard about this or you've been
there. It's a common stop in the
00:15:17.29\00:15:20.69
trips when you go through the
land of Israel. They just found
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rows and rows and he treated
his horses good. You know it
00:15:24.57\00:15:28.31
doesn't tell of any major battle
of Solomon. I think it's okay to
00:15:28.35\00:15:34.28
have some weapons as a
prevention. Maybe that's what
00:15:34.31\00:15:36.65
he was after. But he started
putting his trust in it. I mean
00:15:36.69\00:15:39.75
we've got nuclear weapons still,
we've knocked off 90 percent of
00:15:39.79\00:15:43.12
them, but both the Soviet and
the U.S., we still have nuclear
00:15:43.16\00:15:46.70
weapons even though they've been
greatly reduced. And we say it's
00:15:46.74\00:15:50.43
a deterrent. Well that's what he
was thinking. You know, if I can
00:15:50.47\00:15:54.58
have enough of these chariots
and horses, but God said don't
00:15:54.61\00:15:58.27
go down to Egypt. He started
buying them from the enemy.
00:15:58.31\00:16:03.40
Don't put your trust in these.
God was to be their trust.
00:16:03.43\00:16:08.45
This was our scripture reading.
Thus says the Lord, let not the
00:16:08.49\00:16:12.32
wise man glory in his wisdom.
Let not the mighty man glory in
00:16:12.35\00:16:16.25
his might nor let the rich man
glory in his riches. But let him
00:16:16.28\00:16:20.20
who glories glory in this, that
he understands and knows me,
00:16:20.24\00:16:23.87
that I am the Lord exercising
loving kindness, judgment and
00:16:23.90\00:16:27.44
righteousness in the earth. For
in these things I delight says
00:16:27.47\00:16:32.68
the Lord. Well then it also said
Solomon had been warned by Moses
00:16:32.72\00:16:37.64
not to multiply silver and gold.
You read in II Chronicles 1:15,
00:16:37.67\00:16:42.83
he began to trust in earthly
riches. Also the king made gold
00:16:42.86\00:16:47.99
and silver as common in
Jerusalem as stones and he made
00:16:48.02\00:16:52.28
the cedars as abundant as
the sycamores that are in the
00:16:52.32\00:16:56.85
lowlands. This represented
wealth. The cedar and the logs
00:16:56.89\00:17:01.35
were used for the exotic homes.
It always talks about, David
00:17:01.39\00:17:05.43
said I dwell in a house of cedar
Solomon built a cedar house
00:17:05.46\00:17:08.97
and lived in it. Cedar was
considered the timber for the
00:17:09.01\00:17:12.45
fine wood for the palaces. So it
was silver and gold and earthly
00:17:12.49\00:17:18.35
homes. Is your trust in the bank
account and the house? Is that
00:17:18.39\00:17:23.11
where your security is. We're
finding out in this country that
00:17:23.14\00:17:27.83
people can lose their bank
account and their house over
00:17:27.86\00:17:30.62
night. So did Solomon fall from
Moses' counsel in that area?
00:17:30.66\00:17:35.80
Exactly. It says your kings
shall not multiply silver and
00:17:35.83\00:17:40.90
gold and that's exactly what he
did. Paul says, I Timothy 6:17:
00:17:40.94\00:17:45.48
Command those who are rich
in this present age not to be
00:17:45.51\00:17:50.01
haughty or to trust in uncertain
riches. We've learned how
00:17:50.05\00:17:55.35
uncertain they are. But in the
living God who gives us richly
00:17:55.39\00:18:00.27
all things to enjoy. You know
God is good and he's not against
00:18:00.31\00:18:04.30
our having some riches. He just
says don't trust in those things
00:18:04.34\00:18:10.03
and I also want to remind you
that Jesus did say, it's harder
00:18:10.07\00:18:15.73
for a rich man to enter
the kingdom than for a camel to
00:18:15.76\00:18:17.96
go through the eye of a needle.
Because we have a tendency when
00:18:18.00\00:18:21.97
we think about security, instead
of looking up, we look at the
00:18:22.01\00:18:25.95
bank statement and that
security needs to come from God.
00:18:25.98\00:18:30.29
You know the Bible talks about
people who lost everything in
00:18:30.33\00:18:34.38
one day like Job. But Job kept
trusting the Lord. He got it all
00:18:34.42\00:18:39.94
back. And the Lord can feed
a nation in the wilderness with
00:18:39.98\00:18:45.47
nothing. God knows how to
provide doesn't he? He knows
00:18:45.50\00:18:48.20
how to open the windows and
pour out a blessing. God can
00:18:48.23\00:18:50.86
take care of us. And I think you
need to be prudent. You know as
00:18:50.90\00:18:53.89
a Christian he wants us to be
responsible. He wants us to be
00:18:53.93\00:18:56.76
frugal. I like that Methodists
principle of you ought to try
00:18:56.80\00:19:00.45
and earn all you can. Don't be
lazy. You ought to save all you
00:19:00.49\00:19:04.30
can and you ought to give all
you can. The Bible has a lot to
00:19:04.34\00:19:08.12
say about being practical
and responsible with earthly
00:19:08.15\00:19:13.25
blessings, but don't put your
trust in those things. Now I
00:19:13.29\00:19:18.32
don't want to take that too far.
It seems like good material for
00:19:18.36\00:19:21.41
another sermon. Then God
also warned him, he shall not
00:19:21.44\00:19:28.07
multiply wives to himself. Now
Solomon, he had an Achilles heel
00:19:28.11\00:19:34.05
in this area. First of all David
was his father and David was a
00:19:34.08\00:19:38.61
romantic. Solomon was something
of a romantic. The most romantic
00:19:38.65\00:19:43.15
book in the Bible was written
by Solomon. What's it called?
00:19:43.18\00:19:45.77
Song of Solomon. It's a
beautiful inspired love story
00:19:45.80\00:19:49.93
that tells about the love of
Christ for his church and it's
00:19:49.97\00:19:55.65
written in a poem that was to
be sung at a wedding. The Song
00:19:55.69\00:19:59.64
of Solomon has got a lot of
prophetic information. I don't
00:19:59.68\00:20:03.56
have enough time to go into it,
but it's something that Solomon
00:20:03.60\00:20:06.70
wrote. Matter of fact, it talks
about the Shunammite. Many times
00:20:06.73\00:20:10.05
in the Song of Solomon, it talks
about the Shunammite. And some
00:20:10.09\00:20:13.08
Bible scholars have speculated,
and I'm a little romantic myself
00:20:13.12\00:20:18.86
and I think maybe it's true that
David had a young lady named
00:20:18.90\00:20:24.07
Abishag that took care of him,
a virgin in his last sickness,
00:20:24.10\00:20:28.63
and he never slept with her. Her
name was Abishag and sought for
00:20:28.66\00:20:32.37
one of the most beautiful women
in the kingdom when they found
00:20:32.40\00:20:36.02
her. And her job was just to
keep David warm because he had
00:20:36.05\00:20:39.60
congestive heart failure and he
was constantly shaking and cold.
00:20:39.64\00:20:43.95
And it is possible that Solomon
fell in love with her and that
00:20:43.98\00:20:49.13
he married Abishag. So you find
this beautiful story about the
00:20:49.17\00:20:53.59
Shunammite and that could
be what it's talking about. But
00:20:53.63\00:20:59.21
that weakness he had for
pretty girls became his downfall
00:20:59.24\00:21:04.85
because he began to multiply
wives. Now in the beginning God
00:21:04.89\00:21:10.99
made one wife for one man.
That's his plan. The Bible told
00:21:11.03\00:21:16.40
Adam and Eve to be fruitful
and multiply. God wanted Adam to
00:21:16.44\00:21:21.78
multiply with Eve, not
to multiply Eves. There's a
00:21:21.81\00:21:29.41
difference. And evidently
somewhere along the way some
00:21:29.45\00:21:32.90
man, matter of fact, even before
the flood you find out about
00:21:32.94\00:21:35.86
this man, I think his name was
Lamech, one of the sons of Cain.
00:21:35.89\00:21:39.04
There was also a son of Seth
named Lamech, but this is the
bad one. He said to
00:21:39.07\00:21:43.04
his wives. That tells you right
there they started practicing
00:21:43.08\00:21:47.61
polygamy way back even before
the time of the flood. And he
00:21:47.65\00:21:51.18
said well you know I'm supposed
to be fruitful and multiply.
00:21:51.22\00:21:54.66
The more wives I have, I mean
after all, one buck, many does,
00:21:54.70\00:21:58.13
one bull, many cows, that must
be God's plan. They were all
00:21:58.16\00:22:01.07
shepherds back then and
they started thinking that way.
00:22:01.10\00:22:03.94
And especially a king. If you
can afford them why not? Helps
00:22:03.98\00:22:07.58
you multiply. We're doing what
God said. You can rationalize
00:22:07.62\00:22:11.91
almost anything, right? Another
thing a king wanted, he wanted
00:22:11.94\00:22:17.38
to make sure to guarantee the
monarchy, guarantee the dynasty.
00:22:17.42\00:22:21.93
If you had plenty of royal seed
the better the chance if someone
00:22:21.97\00:22:26.45
tried to annihilate them
one would survive because that
00:22:26.48\00:22:29.23
happened several times even
before Solomon. Remember they
00:22:29.27\00:22:31.95
tried to annihilate all of the
descendants of Gideon. And after
00:22:31.99\00:22:37.49
Solomon Athaliah tried
to annihilate all of the
00:22:37.52\00:22:40.02
descendants of David and Joash
survived, you remember? So he
00:22:40.06\00:22:44.12
thought the more I have the
better my odds. And then when
00:22:44.15\00:22:48.14
you're picking king you know you
can pick the best of the litter.
00:22:48.18\00:22:50.71
Solomon was not the oldest but
David looked at him and God said
00:22:50.74\00:22:53.24
that's the best one. So he
multiplied wives. They also did
00:22:53.27\00:22:57.85
this because it created
international alliances for
00:22:57.88\00:23:02.49
trade, for peace. They used
to do this in Europe. All the
00:23:02.53\00:23:06.08
different monarchs would
intermarry trying to weld
00:23:06.11\00:23:08.49
together the old Roman Empire.
It says they'll not cleave one
00:23:08.53\00:23:11.82
to another. So he had
plenty of wives. The Bible says,
00:23:11.85\00:23:18.08
I Kings 11 verse 3, he had
700 wives (princesses) and 300
00:23:18.11\00:23:24.27
concubines. That's a grand total
of how much, quick. A thousand!?
00:23:24.31\00:23:28.43
How many men will admit you're
married and you've got your
00:23:28.46\00:23:35.19
hands full making one happy.
Can you imagine a thousand?
00:23:35.23\00:23:43.88
He probably had about 500
therapists, too. I remember
00:23:43.92\00:23:52.50
hearing one kid read this before
and he said, Why did Solomon
00:23:52.54\00:23:55.54
have 700 wives and
300 porcupines? (Laughter)
00:23:55.57\00:24:00.78
Concubines, they're just sort of
you know breeders and you might
00:24:00.82\00:24:05.15
be thinking I don't that I'd
want to be. Can you imagine all
00:24:05.18\00:24:09.03
the weddings he had to have to
keep up with all the wives that
00:24:09.07\00:24:13.05
he multiplied. But you might
think I wouldn't want to be part
00:24:13.09\00:24:17.07
of Solomon's harem. Keep in mind
back in Bible times they did not
00:24:17.10\00:24:21.05
have social security and if a
woman did not get married then
00:24:21.08\00:24:26.35
her future sustenance was really
in question. But if you were a
00:24:26.38\00:24:30.74
woman who married Solomon, even
if you didn't get much personal
00:24:30.78\00:24:36.05
attention, you were guaranteed
that you would be taken care of.
00:24:36.09\00:24:39.87
You would be clothed. You would
have the best food, the best
00:24:39.91\00:24:42.85
clothing, the best house. Your
children would have the best
00:24:42.89\00:24:46.34
education and they would have
their college funds paid for
00:24:46.38\00:24:49.90
the rest of their lives. So even
though you didn't get much of
00:24:49.94\00:24:53.88
your husband's personal time, it
meant security for these wives.
00:24:53.92\00:24:57.83
I'm just trying to give you
perspective of what was going
00:24:57.86\00:24:59.93
on back then. A lot of men died
off in battle, especially during
00:24:59.97\00:25:03.98
the days of David, and you can
read where it says, in that day
00:25:04.02\00:25:08.50
seven women will take hold of
one man. That's Isaiah chapter 4
00:25:08.53\00:25:12.83
verse 1. Saying we'll eat our
own bread, we'll wear our own
00:25:12.87\00:25:16.34
apparel, only let us be called
by thy name to take away our
00:25:16.37\00:25:19.99
reproach. And so they were
looking for the security of a
00:25:20.03\00:25:23.58
name. You could say I'm married
to Solomon along with 999 other
00:25:23.62\00:25:27.71
girls, but I'm married
to Solomon. It gave you some
00:25:27.74\00:25:30.84
status back then in the kingdom.
That's hard for us to comprehend
00:25:30.88\00:25:35.14
friends, I know. But that became
his downfall. These other things
00:25:35.17\00:25:38.96
he did before were all a problem
but this is where it tells us it
00:25:39.00\00:25:42.76
took a turn down. I Kings 11
verse 1: But King Solomon loved
00:25:42.79\00:25:49.07
many foreign women as well as
the daughter of Pharaoh, first
00:25:49.11\00:25:54.76
wife, queen number one, was the
daughter of Pharaoh. He needed
00:25:54.79\00:25:59.79
to give her that priority just
like Ahasuerus had many wives,
00:25:59.83\00:26:04.80
Esther ended up becoming
the number one wife, the queen.
00:26:04.83\00:26:09.11
You could only have one
queen. Women of the Moabites who
00:26:09.14\00:26:13.35
worshipped a different god and
the Ammonites who worshipped a
00:26:13.39\00:26:16.42
different god and the Edomites
who worshipped a different god
00:26:16.46\00:26:19.25
the Zidonians who worshipped a
different god and the Hittites.
00:26:19.29\00:26:22.22
They were supposed to destroy
that nation when they came in.
00:26:22.26\00:26:25.24
And from the nations whom the
Lord had said to the children of
00:26:25.28\00:26:29.03
Israel you shall not intermarry
with them nor shall they with
00:26:29.06\00:26:34.70
you. Surely they will turn your
heart away after their gods.
00:26:34.73\00:26:40.77
Solomon clung to these in love.
You know, you become like who
00:26:40.81\00:26:46.16
you love. That's a law of life.
That's why it's so important
00:26:46.19\00:26:50.26
for us to love the Lord. You
become like the one you love.
00:26:50.30\00:26:55.33
And, I've said this many times
before but there are always
00:26:55.36\00:26:58.98
people listening for the first
time. I just want to go on the
00:26:59.01\00:27:02.47
record and say it again. The
Bible says as Christians we've
00:27:02.50\00:27:06.60
got very clear guidelines not
to be unequally yoked together.
00:27:06.63\00:27:11.00
And people will frequently write
me and they reprove me and they
00:27:11.04\00:27:15.24
chastise me and they say Pastor
Doug, you shouldn't be so strict
00:27:15.27\00:27:19.44
on this point. I was married
to someone and they were a
00:27:19.47\00:27:21.96
Christian and they just treated
me terrible. Then I found a
00:27:22.00\00:27:25.12
person in the worldly work place
but they're such a gentleman.
00:27:25.15\00:27:28.24
They're Christians in their
heart, so we got married and
00:27:28.27\00:27:30.48
they're so nice to me. So what?
That doesn't justify it. Is your
00:27:30.52\00:27:35.22
happiness the criteria for life
or is obeying God's word the
00:27:35.26\00:27:40.22
criteria. We don't live to be
happy. We live to glorify him.
00:27:40.26\00:27:44.86
Our job is to obey God and if
God says don't do it, don't get
00:27:44.89\00:27:49.46
married at all. If you
don't think you can pick a good
00:27:49.49\00:27:52.75
Christian then don't pick
anybody. But I know somebody,
00:27:52.79\00:27:55.98
they married a nonbeliever and
then they brought them to the
00:27:56.02\00:27:58.68
Lord. God is merciful, praise
God. That sometimes happens.
00:27:58.72\00:28:02.94
That still does not justify
it. We are given very clear
00:28:02.97\00:28:07.12
guidance and you know the day
used to be in our church manual
00:28:07.16\00:28:12.29
along with the manual of every
Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian
00:28:12.33\00:28:17.43
minister. Those ministers
were told you will not conduct a
00:28:17.46\00:28:20.82
marriage between a member
of your church and a member of
00:28:20.86\00:28:24.15
another church or no church.
Even the Catholics believe that.
00:28:24.19\00:28:28.05
It's such a clear teaching
in the Bible. It goes way back
00:28:28.08\00:28:31.96
before Solomon. You shall
not take wives of unbelievers
00:28:31.99\00:28:37.29
because they will draw your
heart away. And he thought, I'm
00:28:37.33\00:28:42.37
too smart for that. Solomon
should have known the strongest
00:28:42.40\00:28:46.22
man in the world, Samson.
Did he get in trouble on that?
00:28:46.25\00:28:49.69
It doesn't matter how strong
you are, it doesn't matter how
00:28:49.72\00:28:52.94
smart you are. His own father
got in trouble in that area.
00:28:52.98\00:28:56.83
Seek you first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness. Even
00:28:56.86\00:29:00.58
in your earthly relationships
as close as marriage should not
00:29:00.61\00:29:04.77
take precedent over your love
for God and obeying him. Now I
00:29:04.81\00:29:08.90
don't know exactly what was said
but they started to work on him.
00:29:08.94\00:29:14.03
These daughters of pagan kings
that he married are sort of
00:29:14.06\00:29:19.32
synonymous with the daughters
of Babylon that drew the heart
00:29:19.36\00:29:24.59
of the king away and as
goes the king so go the people.
00:29:24.62\00:29:26.99
You'll often find in a church as
goes the pastor so go the people
00:29:27.03\00:29:31.76
You follow it and see if I'm not
right. Look at the history of
00:29:31.80\00:29:35.41
Israel. When the king started
to compromise the whole nation
00:29:35.45\00:29:39.64
started to compromise. That's
why he's a king. He's a leader.
00:29:39.67\00:29:45.96
He said be faithful to the Lord.
Nehemiah chapter 13. You didn't
00:29:45.99\00:29:50.79
know I was going to go there.
Nehemiah 13:26, listen to what
00:29:50.82\00:29:55.59
this prophet says on
the subject. Speaking to the
00:29:55.62\00:29:59.69
children of Israel when they
began to intermarry with the
00:29:59.73\00:30:03.57
surrounding nations, Did not
Solomon, king of Israel, sin by
00:30:03.60\00:30:07.26
these things. Yet among the
nations there was no king like
00:30:07.29\00:30:10.63
him who was beloved of his God
and God made him king over all
00:30:10.67\00:30:15.60
Israel. Nevertheless, even him
did outlandish women cause to
00:30:15.64\00:30:19.74
sin. I don't know exactly what
he means by outlandish women
00:30:19.77\00:30:23.86
but we know they were pagans.
Maybe outlandish also meant that
00:30:23.89\00:30:28.29
they were haughty and pushy
and they began to manipulate the
00:30:28.33\00:30:32.70
king. You notice it also
happened it says, but king
00:30:32.73\00:30:36.25
Solomon, when he was old...
Did you catch that? So it was so
00:30:36.29\00:30:42.04
when Solomon was old... I'm back
in I Kings 11, when he was old
00:30:42.07\00:30:47.75
his wives turned away his heart.
You know his resolve, he started
00:30:47.79\00:30:53.44
getting tired of arguing with
them and standing up and they
00:30:53.47\00:30:57.29
said you know Solomon, they
called him some endearing term.
00:30:57.33\00:31:00.84
You know you've got your temple
and I miss my homeland and we
00:31:00.88\00:31:04.41
grew up worshipping this god and
can't I worship your God and my
00:31:04.44\00:31:07.94
home god because it really
bothers my family that I don't
00:31:07.97\00:31:10.20
get to worship the Ashtoreth and
Dagon and these other gods of Ra
00:31:10.24\00:31:14.02
and Egypt and can't I have just
one little idol. It's just not
00:31:14.06\00:31:17.62
fair. And he says, Ah all right.
Just make a little one you know.
00:31:17.66\00:31:21.19
And so they make a little one.
And so she's got one, can't I
00:31:21.22\00:31:24.54
have one. All right, all right,
you can have one. And I want
00:31:24.57\00:31:27.56
one. And pretty soon they all
started making their idols and
00:31:27.60\00:31:31.13
he began to accommodate them and
he lost his backbone. You know
00:31:31.16\00:31:35.49
men are to be the priest leaders
in their families and you're to
00:31:35.53\00:31:39.85
also say we're going to follow
the Lord. And sometimes you've
00:31:39.89\00:31:44.03
got to stand up in your family
and have some backbone and say
00:31:44.06\00:31:47.56
we're going to seek first God's
kingdom. I believe women should
00:31:47.59\00:31:51.04
do it but I believe especially
men in the family should do it.
00:31:51.08\00:31:54.50
And Solomon for a while he
did it. But when he was old his
00:31:54.53\00:32:00.17
backbone got some osteoporosis
and he began to bend and he
00:32:00.21\00:32:05.78
began to accommodate them and it
got so bad that he allowed his
00:32:05.82\00:32:10.62
pagan wives to put up idols in
the temple of the Lord. And it
00:32:10.65\00:32:14.48
started with... He probably
thought everything was fine for
00:32:14.52\00:32:18.40
years and he was able to keep
the nation focused on Jehovah
00:32:18.44\00:32:22.29
for years. But they began
to wear him down. He started
00:32:22.32\00:32:29.13
shifting his love. You know I
thought it was interesting that
00:32:29.17\00:32:33.93
when Solomon began his kingdom
it only two times says Solomon
00:32:33.97\00:32:38.64
loved anything. You read in
I Kings 3 and Solomon loved the
00:32:38.68\00:32:43.09
Lord walking in the statutes of
his father David. When he loved
00:32:43.12\00:32:47.46
the Lord supremely the nation
went towards God. But then you
00:32:47.50\00:32:52.02
get to chapter 11, it says King
Solomon loved many foreign women
00:32:52.05\00:32:56.79
He began to shift his love away
from God as the priority and
00:32:56.82\00:33:01.00
little by little he started
thinking about making his harem
00:33:01.03\00:33:04.91
happy instead of making his
heavenly Father happy and things
00:33:04.94\00:33:08.68
began to turn. You know why
the flood came and destroyed the
00:33:08.72\00:33:13.85
world? The sons of God, Genesis
chapter 6 verse 3 saw the
00:33:13.89\00:33:18.95
daughters of men that they were
fair. Now in case you don't know
00:33:18.99\00:33:22.81
the sons of God were the
descendants of Seth that still
00:33:22.84\00:33:26.11
worshipped God. The daughters
of men were the daughters of the
00:33:26.15\00:33:29.98
Cainites from the descendants
of Cain that had turned their
00:33:30.01\00:33:33.29
back on God. They were of the
world. And as long as there was
00:33:33.32\00:33:36.72
a distinction the sons of God
were true to God. But as they
00:33:36.75\00:33:40.12
went to the market place
and they had to come into the
00:33:40.15\00:33:42.23
valleys and shop every now and
then, they would buy stuff from
00:33:42.27\00:33:45.56
the descendants of Cain and they
said boy Cain's got some good
00:33:45.60\00:33:49.58
looking granddaughters and great
granddaughters. You know what,
00:33:49.62\00:33:53.57
we'll marry them and
we'll teach them about God.
00:33:53.60\00:33:56.98
But instead they married the
daughters of Cain, the daughters
00:33:57.02\00:34:01.31
of men, and they began to
compromise. You know what the
00:34:01.34\00:34:04.26
result was? Instead of the sons
of God lifting the daughters of
00:34:04.30\00:34:08.77
men up to the worship of Jehovah
the majority of them drew them
00:34:08.81\00:34:13.77
down. What's easier to fall up
or to fall down? Any of you ever
00:34:13.81\00:34:18.94
fall up before? So the natural
tendency if you take a wrong
00:34:18.98\00:34:23.89
step is to go down. I recognize
there are exceptions and I
00:34:23.93\00:34:27.74
praise God. I know people I
could cite they made a mistake
00:34:27.78\00:34:31.02
they married someone out of the
faith and by the grace of God
00:34:31.05\00:34:33.94
they prayed them in over the
years. Those same people will
00:34:33.97\00:34:37.78
generally say it was a mistake
and we suffered for years with
00:34:37.82\00:34:41.60
split worship in our home.
After the sons of God saw the
00:34:41.63\00:34:46.66
daughters of men and began
to marry them, it says then the
00:34:46.70\00:34:50.94
thoughts of men's hearts were
only evil continually and God
00:34:50.98\00:34:55.19
was grieved that he made
man and he sent a flood and
00:34:55.22\00:34:58.17
destroyed the world. When that
peculiar distinction was lost
00:34:58.21\00:35:03.00
destruction came. Wickedness
came and then destruction came.
00:35:03.04\00:35:07.73
That's what happened in Sodom.
Lot went down there and what
00:35:07.77\00:35:11.35
happened? His daughters started
to marry the boys in Sodom and
00:35:11.38\00:35:14.70
he couldn't get them out could
he? Remember not only did he
00:35:14.74\00:35:17.86
take his two unmarried daughters
he tried to get his other
00:35:17.90\00:35:20.62
daughters and he went to his
sons-in-law and said flee from
00:35:20.66\00:35:24.03
the wrath to come. And they
mocked him. He lost them because
00:35:24.07\00:35:27.40
they compromised in their
marriages. It's very important.
00:35:27.44\00:35:30.70
I think I've said enough. Well
maybe. I think I've got a couple
00:35:30.74\00:35:35.81
more points on this. Now don't
think for a minute that during
00:35:35.85\00:35:40.66
this time Solomon ever said
I no longer believe in Jehovah.
00:35:40.70\00:35:45.13
What got him in trouble was
he tried to accommodate both.
00:35:45.16\00:35:49.22
He said I'm going to keep
worshipping Jehovah but you know
00:35:49.26\00:35:53.29
we need to be loving and
respectful of other people's
00:35:53.32\00:35:56.51
views. We need to make
compromises. We need to be
00:35:56.55\00:35:59.67
tolerant. Have you ever heard
that word before. We need to be
00:35:59.71\00:36:03.37
loving and tolerant. And so, you
know, if people want to set up
00:36:03.40\00:36:07.03
an idle to the god of
Egypt or the god, Dagon, of the
00:36:07.06\00:36:13.79
Philistines or Ashtoreth or one
of these other nations, you know
00:36:13.83\00:36:18.04
they need to be free to do that.
Well in their country Israel
00:36:18.08\00:36:22.32
would let them do it but not in
the Holy Land. At first it was
00:36:22.35\00:36:25.48
just in their country. And he'd
tell his wives, look if you want
00:36:25.51\00:36:28.04
to worship your God, you've
got to go back to Egypt. You can
00:36:28.07\00:36:31.86
worship your god, but in Israel
we don't worship Ra. Pretty soon
00:36:31.90\00:36:34.98
his wife said you know that's
a long trip. Can I just have a
00:36:35.02\00:36:39.06
little idol? I'll just keep it
in my bedroom. All right don't
00:36:39.10\00:36:43.51
say anything. And pretty soon
she said can I have one in the
00:36:43.54\00:36:47.92
hall. I'd like other people
to know. I don't want to be
00:36:47.95\00:36:49.50
ashamed of what I believe. All
right, all right. This constant
00:36:49.54\00:36:53.03
nagging happened here. You know
Solomon wrote about nagging?
00:36:53.06\00:36:56.52
Solomon had a lot to say
about marriage. He talks about
00:36:56.55\00:37:03.11
contentious wives. I can't help
but believe, friends, and I'll
00:37:03.15\00:37:05.90
probably catch it for this and
some of you might like me less
00:37:05.94\00:37:10.20
but it's in the Bible so take
it up with God. Proverbs 21:19:
00:37:10.24\00:37:14.47
He said, better to dwell
in the wilderness than with a
00:37:14.50\00:37:18.66
contentious and angry
woman. Proverbs 27:15 and 16: A
00:37:18.70\00:37:22.79
continual dripping, this was
what was happening, on a very
00:37:22.83\00:37:26.54
rainy day and a contentious
woman are alike. Whoever
00:37:26.57\00:37:30.58
restrains her restrains the wind
and grasps oil in his right hand
00:37:30.62\00:37:33.98
Did you ever try and shovel
wind? Did you ever try and take
00:37:34.01\00:37:38.17
a handful of oil? And so what
Solomon was going through during
00:37:38.20\00:37:42.33
this time is just
this relentless badgering
00:37:42.36\00:37:45.60
of a thousand wives, most of
them pagans, until it started
00:37:45.64\00:37:50.25
out by letting them maybe wear
just a little amulet to their
00:37:50.28\00:37:54.29
god and then they put up a
little statuette figurine on the
00:37:54.32\00:37:57.94
dashboard in their chariot. And
then he let them put one up in
00:37:57.97\00:38:01.38
their bedroom and then pretty
soon, you keep reading, it says
00:38:01.41\00:38:05.74
they set them up in the temple
of God. Once you let the camel
00:38:05.78\00:38:09.82
get his nose in the tent. And
that's what happened. Little by
00:38:09.85\00:38:13.86
little. It didn't happen
overnight. Does that dynamic
00:38:13.89\00:38:15.91
still happen with the church
today? Now I also want to hasten
00:38:15.95\00:38:20.66
to add, not only does Solomon
write about wives that were
00:38:20.69\00:38:25.33
nagging and contending with him
Solomon has more to say about a
00:38:25.37\00:38:27.99
glorious wife than any other
Bible writer. You read what he
00:38:28.02\00:38:32.84
writes in Proverbs 31 about this
beautiful, ideal wife that he
00:38:32.88\00:38:36.57
describes. This is really a
picture of the church. I wish I
00:38:36.61\00:38:39.77
had time to read that whole
chapter. I don't know if that
00:38:39.81\00:38:42.59
was one that he was married
to or if that is the one that he
00:38:42.62\00:38:46.37
kept hoping for, but he's the
one that wrote that. And so you
00:38:46.40\00:38:49.77
know that's one of the best
descriptions of that beautiful
00:38:49.80\00:38:52.73
wife that I personally think
is sort of an allegory of the
00:38:52.77\00:38:57.25
church that he writes about.
So little by little he began to
00:38:57.29\00:39:01.93
compromise and it started to
take him down. Now God had given
00:39:01.96\00:39:06.37
the antidote for this apostasy.
He never needed to fall in this
00:39:06.41\00:39:10.66
area. Would you like to avoid
backsliding? Not just in this
00:39:10.70\00:39:14.92
area but any area whether
it's the multiplying horses,
00:39:14.95\00:39:18.38
trusting in earthly protection.
Is it you alarm system or your
00:39:18.42\00:39:23.63
Sonitrol your trusting in? Is it
your bank account? Is it in your
00:39:23.66\00:39:29.26
relationships on earth? What are
we really to trust in? It's in
00:39:29.29\00:39:34.86
God. Here's the antidote.
Deuteronomy 17. Moses said,
00:39:34.89\00:39:39.17
verse 19 speaking of when a king
sat on the throne. He was to
00:39:39.21\00:39:44.64
read from the word of God daily
and it shall be with him and he
00:39:44.67\00:39:49.24
shall read it all the days of
his life that he might learn to
00:39:49.27\00:39:53.42
fear the Lord his God and be
careful to observe all the words
00:39:53.45\00:39:57.32
of this law and these statutes
that his heart may not be lifted
00:39:57.35\00:40:01.19
up above his brethren that
he may not turn aside from the
00:40:01.22\00:40:04.76
commandment to the right hand
or to the left that he might
00:40:04.80\00:40:08.27
prolong his days in his kingdom
and his children in the midst of
00:40:08.31\00:40:12.43
Israel. Moses had said if the
king wants to be blessed, if the
00:40:12.47\00:40:16.68
king wants to prosper here's
what he needs to do. Read the
00:40:16.71\00:40:21.50
word not weekly, every day, he
was to have a scribe. I believe
00:40:21.53\00:40:25.70
King David in his court for
a while every day had somebody
00:40:25.73\00:40:29.05
reading the books of Moses
to him. He probably didn't read
00:40:29.09\00:40:32.19
through the whole thing every
day but he would have time every
00:40:32.23\00:40:36.06
day where he was reminded of the
word of God. Maybe in one month
00:40:36.10\00:40:38.95
he would have gone through it
all. The scribe would take a few
00:40:38.99\00:40:41.42
minutes every day and read
it to him and it kept him on the
00:40:41.45\00:40:44.27
right track. And I have a funny
feeling that when he fell with
00:40:44.31\00:40:47.53
Bathsheba he'd started to slip
off on his Bible reading scribe.
00:40:47.57\00:40:50.76
How else could you justify
what was going on? Adultery and
00:40:50.79\00:40:54.52
murder. I think that David had
slipped. He got busy with wars
00:40:54.56\00:40:57.58
and had been out of town and had
been busy. Tell the scribe I'm
00:40:57.62\00:41:01.25
tired today. I don't want him to
read to me today. You remember
00:41:01.29\00:41:07.00
when they brought the scroll
of Moses into Josiah, the young
00:41:07.03\00:41:12.67
king and they read it to him and
there was a great revival in the
00:41:12.71\00:41:16.02
kingdom because they were
reading the word of God to the
00:41:16.05\00:41:19.24
king. It brought a revival to
the whole kingdom. Solomon was
00:41:19.28\00:41:23.95
that in reverse. He neglected it
and he fell. So do you have to
00:41:23.98\00:41:28.32
be a king of a nation in order
for this to be an antidote for
00:41:28.35\00:41:32.06
apostasy? Reading the word of
God. Thy word I have hid in my
00:41:32.09\00:41:36.02
heart that I might not sin. I've
been especially talking about
00:41:36.06\00:41:39.94
this the first of the year. It's
a good time to have a revival
00:41:39.97\00:41:44.55
in your personal Bible reading
program. So that's the antidote.
00:41:44.59\00:41:49.14
God had told Solomon
when he first installed him
00:41:49.17\00:41:54.58
II Chronicles 7:17: As for you,
if you walk before me as your
00:41:54.62\00:42:00.77
father David walked and
do according to all that I
00:42:00.80\00:42:03.90
have commanded you and if
you keep my statutes and my
00:42:03.93\00:42:07.18
judgments, then I... God
says you do this... then I will
00:42:07.21\00:42:10.52
establish the throne of your
kingdom as I covenanted with
00:42:10.56\00:42:13.96
David your father saying it
shall not fail, you shall not
00:42:14.00\00:42:17.55
fail to have a man as a ruler
in Israel. But if you turn away
00:42:17.59\00:42:21.11
and forsake my statutes
and my commandments that I set
00:42:21.14\00:42:23.75
before you and you go and serve
other gods and worship them
00:42:23.79\00:42:27.34
then I will uproot them from my
land that I have given them and
00:42:27.37\00:42:30.89
this house that I
have sanctified for my name
00:42:30.92\00:42:33.00
I will cast out of my sight and
make it a proverb and a byword
00:42:33.04\00:42:37.78
among all the nations. Did that
happen? Solomon slipped away.
00:42:37.82\00:42:42.24
Did he lose the kingdom. After
the death of Solomon, 10 of the
00:42:42.28\00:42:46.30
tribes slipped off and there was
another kingdom and the kingdom
00:42:46.34\00:42:50.33
of northern Israel fought for
years among a kaleidoscope of
00:42:50.36\00:42:55.08
other minor kings. Sons of David
were still given the tribe of
00:42:55.11\00:42:59.75
Judah, mostly Levi and Benjamin,
but principally became the tribe
00:42:59.78\00:43:04.39
of Judah. By the way that's
where you get the word Jews.
00:43:04.42\00:43:07.88
Not all Hebrews are Jews. Jews
were supposed to be from the
00:43:07.92\00:43:12.19
tribe of Judah. We often use
that word generically. But he
00:43:12.23\00:43:17.09
slipped away. Now praise God
he came back. We talked a little
00:43:17.12\00:43:21.95
bit about the Song of Solomon.
We talked about Proverbs.
00:43:21.98\00:43:25.39
Go with me now to the book of
Ecclesiastes chapter 2. If you
00:43:25.43\00:43:29.66
want to hear in Solomon's own
words what happened you can read
00:43:29.69\00:43:34.70
about it. It wasn't just the
wives. Ecclesiastes 2 verse 1:
00:43:34.74\00:43:40.97
I said in my heart, come now
I will test you with mirth (with
00:43:41.00\00:43:47.20
pleasure, with joy, party).
Therefore enjoy pleasure but
00:43:47.23\00:43:50.87
surely this also was a vanity. I
said of laughter, it is madness.
00:43:50.91\00:43:55.04
And of mirth, what does it
accomplish? I searched in my
00:43:55.07\00:43:58.84
heart to know how to gratify my
flesh. Don't live for the flesh.
00:43:58.88\00:44:03.19
If you live for the flesh you
cannot be alive in the spirit.
00:44:03.22\00:44:07.46
Solomon admits it. To gratify my
flesh with wine while guiding my
00:44:07.50\00:44:12.34
heart with wisdom (can I do
both?) and how to lay hold on
00:44:12.37\00:44:15.68
folly till I might see what was
good for the sons of men to do
00:44:15.72\00:44:18.73
under the heaven all the
days of their life. I'm going to
00:44:18.76\00:44:21.33
experiment with the world
and with the pleasures of sin
00:44:21.36\00:44:23.86
because I'm doing a test. My
life I'm going to spend a little
00:44:23.90\00:44:27.18
time do a survey for a few years
I'm going to try a little bit of
00:44:27.22\00:44:30.47
everything. How many young
people do you know that are
00:44:30.50\00:44:34.05
raised in the church and they
say, you know before I really
00:44:34.09\00:44:37.97
commit my life to ministry and
service for God, I want to find
00:44:38.00\00:44:41.65
out what's out there. You know
I'll be careful. I'm going to
00:44:41.69\00:44:45.49
use my wisdom and I can stay out
of trouble and... The greatest
00:44:45.53\00:44:48.76
part of young people by the time
they graduate either high school
00:44:48.80\00:44:52.00
or get into college, raised
in Christian homes, the largest
00:44:52.03\00:44:56.02
percentage leave the faith,
if not in the hearts, in their
00:44:56.05\00:45:00.70
practice. A small percentage
come back. It is very dangerous
00:45:00.73\00:45:04.95
to say I'll experiment with the
world to find out what's going
00:45:04.98\00:45:08.29
What's the best thing for the
sons of men to do? I've got to
00:45:08.32\00:45:11.59
try it. I mean how else am
I going to know. That's what
00:45:11.63\00:45:14.17
Solomon's saying. You're
listening to the wisest fool in
00:45:14.20\00:45:18.31
in the world. You can't embrace
fire and not be burned and
00:45:18.35\00:45:22.66
that's what he tried to do.
I made great works for myself.
00:45:22.69\00:45:26.55
I built myself houses. I'm
in verse 4 of Ecclesiastes 2.
00:45:26.58\00:45:30.36
I planted myself vineyards. I
made myself gardens and orchards
00:45:30.40\00:45:34.51
and I planted all kinds of fruit
trees in them. I made myself
00:45:34.55\00:45:37.97
water pools from which to water
the growing trees of the grove.
00:45:38.01\00:45:41.83
I acquired male and female
servants and I had servants born
00:45:41.86\00:45:45.62
in my house. Yes, I had greater
possessions and herds and flocks
00:45:45.65\00:45:48.74
than all who were with me
in Jerusalem before me. I also
00:45:48.77\00:45:53.15
gathered for myself silver and
gold and the special treasures
00:45:53.18\00:45:57.15
of the kings of the provinces
and all the gold and silver and
00:45:57.19\00:46:01.12
the tariffs that came.
I acquired male and female
00:46:01.16\00:46:04.10
singers. He had his own private
singers and orchestra. Today
00:46:04.13\00:46:08.14
it's a good stereo system. And
delights in the sons of men and
00:46:08.17\00:46:12.41
musical instruments of all kinds
So I became great and excelled
00:46:12.45\00:46:17.10
more than all who were before
me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom
00:46:17.14\00:46:21.13
remained with me. He said I
still seemed to have my wisdom
00:46:21.16\00:46:24.84
but now it has become an
earthly central type of wisdom.
00:46:24.87\00:46:28.48
He tried to satisfy himself with
the lusts of the flesh and the
00:46:28.52\00:46:32.01
lusts of the eyes and the pride
of life. And I want to reiterate
00:46:32.05\00:46:35.51
something I just read. He
got mixed up in the music of the
00:46:35.54\00:46:38.69
world and he mentions
that in two or three verses.
00:46:38.73\00:46:43.58
That became a power that started
pulling him down. I imagine, you
00:46:43.61\00:46:48.42
know, his wives not only wanted
their idols. They said, you know
00:46:48.46\00:46:52.87
I don't like the music of Israel
I sure miss the songs we used to
00:46:52.91\00:46:56.83
sing back home. Can I bring some
of my musicians? All right, all
00:46:56.87\00:47:00.53
right. Just leave me alone. Just
stop bothering me. Pretty soon
00:47:00.57\00:47:05.57
the palace and the harem were
filled with Babylonian music.
00:47:05.60\00:47:12.47
Good musicians, wrong music.
Talented. It goes on to say, I
00:47:12.50\00:47:17.85
gathered for, oh I'm sorry,
verse 10. Whatever my eyes
00:47:17.89\00:47:22.19
desired I did not keep
from them. The lust of the eyes.
00:47:22.22\00:47:26.26
I did not withhold my heart
from any pleasure for my heart
00:47:26.30\00:47:29.84
rejoiced in all my labor
and this was my reward in all my
00:47:29.88\00:47:33.88
labor. Then I looked and all
the works that my hands had done
00:47:33.91\00:47:37.69
and all the labor that I toiled
and indeed it was vanity and
00:47:37.72\00:47:42.26
grasping for wind. There was
no profit under the sun. Then I
00:47:42.29\00:47:46.33
turned myself to consider wisdom
and madness and folly for what
00:47:46.36\00:47:50.36
can one do that succeeds
the king. Solomon says I tried
00:47:50.40\00:47:53.54
everything in the world, all the
sins of the world. Only what he
00:47:53.57\00:47:57.99
has already done. Then I
saw that wisdom exceeds folly as
00:47:58.02\00:48:01.37
light exceeds darkness. The wise
man's eyes are in his head but
00:48:01.40\00:48:05.37
the fool walks in darkness yet
I myself perceive that the same
00:48:05.40\00:48:09.34
event happens to them all. The
wise, the fool, we're all dying.
00:48:09.37\00:48:13.43
Now I'm not going to read all of
Ecclesiastes but the conclusion
00:48:13.47\00:48:17.01
of the book I will read, because
this is the conclusion, this is
00:48:17.04\00:48:21.00
the final moral of what Solomon
has to say. Go to Ecclesiastes
00:48:21.04\00:48:24.97
chapter 12. You can read
verse 12. And further my son be
00:48:25.00\00:48:32.34
admonished by these of making
many books there is no end.
00:48:32.38\00:48:39.69
And Solomon didn't even know
about the internet. And much
00:48:39.73\00:48:44.69
study is a weariness to the
flesh. So you can gather wisdom,
00:48:44.73\00:48:48.78
but there is a limit to how
much wisdom a man can take in.
00:48:48.82\00:48:53.11
So, he wraps it all up. He
says I will summarize for you
00:48:53.15\00:48:57.37
everything that I've learned in
two verses now as the wisest man
00:48:57.41\00:49:02.03
who ever lived that
tried everything you can try.
00:49:02.06\00:49:04.25
People think oh I could only
be rich like Solomon, if I could
00:49:04.29\00:49:07.82
have, you know, my own harem.
There are probably men out there
00:49:07.85\00:49:11.35
that have fantasized about that.
The best music in the world, the
00:49:11.38\00:49:14.84
best food in the world, best
vineyards and houses and lands
00:49:14.88\00:49:18.97
and army and power. He had
it all. What's his conclusion?
00:49:19.00\00:49:23.06
Fear God and keep his
commandments for this is the
00:49:23.10\00:49:29.81
whole duty of man. For God will
bring every work into judgment
00:49:29.85\00:49:34.12
with every secret thing.
Solomon began to shudder about
00:49:34.16\00:49:37.90
all those things he did,
all those secret things, all the
00:49:37.93\00:49:41.69
wasted years, the folly,
the compromise with the pagan
00:49:41.73\00:49:45.27
deities. And he came to
his senses. Matter of fact,
00:49:45.31\00:49:48.78
Ecclesiastes is something
of a book where he reports his
00:49:48.82\00:49:51.90
repentance. You know, I'd
like to read for you an inspired
00:49:51.93\00:49:55.75
passage from the book Prophets
and Kings. This is page 78. I'd
00:49:55.78\00:49:59.57
invite you to read the
whole chapter. It's about the
00:49:59.60\00:50:01.60
repentance of Solomon. After
it describes his downward spiral
00:50:01.63\00:50:10.62
with the pagan wives and
multiplying the horses and the
00:50:10.65\00:50:16.26
earthly treasures and getting
off course, it says, Yet the
00:50:16.30\00:50:20.55
Lord forsook him not. Don't
forget it had something to do
00:50:20.58\00:50:24.76
with the prayers of his father.
Don't stop praying for your kids
00:50:24.79\00:50:29.42
By messages of reproof and by
severe judgments the Lord sought
00:50:29.45\00:50:34.05
to arouse the king to a
realization of the sinfulness
00:50:34.08\00:50:36.91
of his course. He removed his
protecting care and permitted
00:50:36.95\00:50:40.67
adversaries to harass him and
to weaken the kingdom. The Lord
00:50:40.71\00:50:44.40
stirred up an adversary to
Solomon, Hadad the Edomite,
00:50:44.43\00:50:46.90
and God stirred up against him
another adversary Resan, captain
00:50:46.94\00:50:50.97
over a band abhorred and
hated Israel. He reigned over
00:50:51.01\00:50:54.62
Syria. And Jeroboam, Solomon's
servant a mighty man of valor
00:50:54.66\00:50:57.98
betrayed the king and he
left. Even he lifted up his hand
00:50:58.01\00:51:01.78
against the king. So when he
began to turn away from God, to
00:51:01.82\00:51:05.54
save him God allowed trials and
adversaries to try to get him to
00:51:05.57\00:51:10.13
pray again, to see his need. At
last the Lord through a prophet
00:51:10.16\00:51:14.69
delivered a message to Solomon
with a startling message.
00:51:14.72\00:51:18.96
Forasmuch as this is done
of thee that you have not kept
00:51:18.99\00:51:23.16
my covenant and my statutes that
I have commanded thee, I will
00:51:23.19\00:51:26.60
surely rend the kingdom from
thee and give it to your servant
00:51:26.64\00:51:31.14
Notwithstanding in thy days
I will not do it for David thy
00:51:31.17\00:51:34.71
father's sake but I'm going to
rend it out of the hand of thy
00:51:34.75\00:51:39.32
son. And he did that. Rehoboam
his son lost 10 out of 12 tribes
00:51:39.36\00:51:44.97
Awakened as from a dream by this
sentence of judgment... Solomon
00:51:45.01\00:51:50.59
because of his bad behavior
had lost the kingdom that his
00:51:50.62\00:51:53.39
Father David had worked so
hard to build up and give him.
00:51:53.43\00:51:56.13
Awakened as from a dream by the
sentence of judgment pronounced
00:51:56.17\00:52:00.87
against him and his
house, Solomon, with quickened
00:52:00.91\00:52:03.79
conscience began to see
his folly in it's true light.
00:52:03.83\00:52:06.64
Chastened in spirit with mind
and body enfeebled, he turned
00:52:06.68\00:52:11.59
weary and thirsting from earth's
broken cisterns... He tried
00:52:11.63\00:52:15.23
drinking from the pleasures of
the world that were broken and
00:52:15.27\00:52:19.40
dry... to drink once more from
the fountain of life. For him at
00:52:19.43\00:52:23.24
last the discipline of suffering
had accomplished its work.
00:52:23.27\00:52:27.32
Long he had been harassed by
the fear of utter ruin because
00:52:27.36\00:52:31.62
of the inability to turn from
folly. He had all these people
00:52:31.66\00:52:35.23
around him including his wives
pushing him off course and he
00:52:35.27\00:52:39.20
didn't know how to turn back.
God had not utterly cast him off
00:52:39.24\00:52:42.68
but he stood ready to deliver
him from a bondage more cruel
00:52:42.71\00:52:46.51
than the grave from which he
had no power to free himself.
00:52:46.54\00:52:50.30
In gratitude Solomon
acknowledged the power and the
00:52:50.34\00:52:53.16
power and the loving kindness
of one who is higher than the
00:52:53.20\00:52:56.98
highest. That's a quote from
Ecclesiastes 5:8. In penitence
00:52:57.02\00:53:00.75
he began to retrace his steps
toward the exalted plane of
00:53:00.78\00:53:04.41
purity and holiness from which
he had fallen so far. He could
00:53:04.45\00:53:08.04
never hope to escape the
blasting results of sin. Even
00:53:08.07\00:53:11.41
though you repent of you sins,
the thief on the cross repented
00:53:11.45\00:53:14.89
in the last hour like Solomon
but he didn't come off the cross
00:53:14.93\00:53:19.04
did he? Solomon couldn't reverse
all of the judgments and the
00:53:19.07\00:53:23.15
consequences. He could
never free his mind from all the
00:53:23.19\00:53:26.65
remembrance of the self
indulgent course he had been
00:53:26.68\00:53:30.07
pursuing but he would endeavor
earnestly to dissuade others
00:53:30.11\00:53:33.41
from following after folly.
That's why he wrote the book
00:53:33.45\00:53:37.01
Ecclesiastes. He would humbly
confess the error of his ways
00:53:37.05\00:53:41.29
and lift his voice in warning
both in word and in writing lest
00:53:41.32\00:53:45.53
others be irretrievably lost
because of the influence for
00:53:45.56\00:53:49.04
evil that he had set in
operation. And this, in effect,
00:53:49.07\00:53:52.49
talks about the repentance
of Solomon. The Bible has very
00:53:52.52\00:53:55.90
little to say about it
unless you read the book of
00:53:55.94\00:53:58.73
Ecclesiastes. But I'm so
thankful for the mercy of God
00:53:58.77\00:54:01.49
that even though he fell in just
about every way a person can
00:54:01.53\00:54:06.90
fall God had pity on him. But
we can learn from this story of
00:54:06.93\00:54:11.54
Solomon that even though he had
every blessing; raised in the
00:54:11.57\00:54:16.06
church, educated in the church
by Nathan the prophet, blessed
00:54:16.09\00:54:20.55
financially, blessed with
wisdom, blessed with health,
00:54:20.58\00:54:23.45
he had all these things. He then
thought that he could use his
00:54:23.48\00:54:26.80
wisdom to still take the
pleasures of the world and he
00:54:26.84\00:54:30.09
would be able to keep things
under control. But you can't do
00:54:30.12\00:54:32.99
that. You wrestle with a boa
constrictor, it's going to wrap
00:54:33.02\00:54:37.20
itself around your neck. And he
finally realized the danger of
00:54:37.23\00:54:40.99
the course he was on, turned
back to the Lord. It was the
00:54:41.03\00:54:44.72
word of God, by the way, that
got his attention. Did you catch
00:54:44.76\00:54:47.45
that? A message from God's
prophet that got his attention.
00:54:47.49\00:54:50.68
There might be some listening
today that have neglected the
00:54:50.71\00:54:53.83
messages from God's prophet and
are drifting away from the Lord.
00:54:53.87\00:54:57.74
Or being too many relationships
in the world that are becoming
00:54:57.77\00:55:01.61
primary instead of the
relationship with God that needs
00:55:01.65\00:55:04.96
to be the first thing that seek.
If we think we're safe because
00:55:05.00\00:55:08.65
hey I can tamper with the world
because I'm pretty smart and
00:55:08.69\00:55:13.16
I'll know how to stop. Solomon
couldn't stop it. Samson fell.
00:55:13.19\00:55:17.97
You can't play with sin like
that without being injured by it
00:55:18.00\00:55:22.74
and seriously damaged and
the consequences never change.
00:55:22.78\00:55:26.86
When Solomon died the kingdom
was lost. Eighty percent, no
00:55:26.90\00:55:31.28
ninety percent of the kingdom
was lost. The temple some day in
00:55:31.31\00:55:35.25
the future was destroyed and you
can trace all of this back to
00:55:35.28\00:55:39.18
the compromises that he made.
You know if anything we can
00:55:39.21\00:55:42.44
learn from the story of Solomon,
God's word never fails. You look
00:55:42.48\00:55:49.10
at what Moses said. Moses
promised the children if Israel
00:55:49.13\00:55:53.19
all of these blessings if
they obeyed him. Everything that
00:55:53.23\00:55:57.05
Moses said they'd receive,
they received during the time of
00:55:57.09\00:56:00.58
Solomon. It was all fulfilled
then. They were on top of the
00:56:00.61\00:56:04.57
world. And Moses also warned and
if the king multiplies silver
00:56:04.61\00:56:08.53
and gold and multiplies chariots
and multiplies wives and begins
00:56:08.57\00:56:12.40
trusting in the things of the
world he's going to lose it all.
00:56:12.44\00:56:16.19
It's a very simple message for
you and me. They were blessed
00:56:16.22\00:56:20.21
when they obeyed God. They were
cursed when they turned away.
00:56:20.24\00:56:23.80
God wants to bless you and
it comes from seeking first his
00:56:23.84\00:56:27.13
kingdom, from trusting in his
word, not only being a hearer
00:56:27.16\00:56:30.59
but a doer of his word. Is that
your desire; to seek first his
00:56:30.63\00:56:34.03
kingdom?
00:56:34.06\00:56:35.09
The escalation of terrorism,
global instability, crime,
00:56:35.12\00:56:40.54
violence and natural disasters
indicate our world is plummeting
00:56:40.58\00:56:43.84
toward its final hour with
destiny. Who will survive the
00:56:43.88\00:56:47.85
final events of earth's
history? Does the Bible give any
00:56:47.89\00:56:52.14
answers? Pull back the veil
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00:56:52.17\00:56:56.96
today. Join us as Amazing Facts
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