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>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Mel Fisher was a chicken farmer
in Indiana before he moved
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to California and opened one of
the country's first dive shops.
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He went on to become one of
the greatest treasure hunters
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of all time.
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The website bearing his
name calls him "a legend"
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and "the world's
greatest treasure hunter."
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And that's
because in the mid-1980s
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after 16 years of searching,
he and his team discovered
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the wreck of the
Nuestra Seņora de Atocha,
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a Spanish treasure ship
that sank off the Florida Keys
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in 1622.
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Fisher recovered 40
tons of gold and silver--
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114,000 Spanish silver coins--
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and a laundry list
of other valuables,
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valued at nearly
half a billion dollars!
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What a find!
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And the Bible compares
hidden treasure to wisdom:
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"My son, if you receive my
words, and...incline your ear
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"to wisdom, and apply your
heart to understanding; ...
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"if you seek her as
silver, and search for her
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"as for hidden treasures;
then you will understand
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the fear of the Lord, and
find the knowledge of God."
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That's in Proverbs, chapter 2.
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And the person
who wrote those words
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knew a thing or
two about wisdom.
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His name was Solomon,
and he went on to quote
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the famous words that
his father David had written
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in Psalm 111, verse 10:
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"The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom."
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And then he continues this
thought throughout Proverbs:
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"For wisdom is better
than rubies, and all the things
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one may desire cannot
be compared with her."
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We're continuing
our ongoing series
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"Great Characters of the Bible"
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looking at the
wisest man who ever lived.
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But Solomon's great
wisdom didn't prevent him
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from utterly squandering the
opportunities God had given him.
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From great wisdom
to marrying 700 women
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and keeping 300
mistresses is quite the leap.
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We want to explore how
Solomon made that leap.
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Now, he was royalty, royal born.
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His destiny was to be
king, but not just any king.
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He'd be the king
of God's own people.
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He'd be Israel's third king.
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The first king was Saul,
whose reign as Israel's monarch
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ended catastrophically.
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Second king was David,
whose reign began in triumph,
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but was impacted
by poor decisions.
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Late in life, David abdicated,
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and his son Solomon
ascended the throne.
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The testimony of Scripture is
that "Solomon the son of David
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"was strengthened in his
kingdom, and the Lord his God
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was with him and
exalted him exceedingly."
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Israel flourished under Solomon.
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The Bible says, "Judah and
Israel were many, as the sand
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"which is by the sea in
multitude, eating and drinking,
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"and making merry. And
Judah and Israel dwelt safely,
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"every man under [the]
vine and under his fig tree,
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from Dan even to Beersheba,
all the days of Solomon."
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In his dying charge
to Solomon, David said,
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"I go the way of all the
earth; be strong, therefore,
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"and prove yourself a
man. And keep the charge
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"of the Lord your
God: to walk in His ways,
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"to keep His statutes, His
commandments, His judgments,
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"and His testimonies, as it
is written in the law of Moses,
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"that you may
prosper in all that you do
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and [where] you turn."
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And Solomon followed his
father's counsel--for a time.
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He was a man with
both wealth and wisdom.
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He had 40,000 stalls
of horses for his chariots
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and 12,000 horsemen.
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He had 10,000 people
working for him at his palace.
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His drinking vessels
were made of pure gold.
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He had silver,
ivory, apes, and peacocks.
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The Bible says he made silver
to be as abundant as stones
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in Jerusalem, and
cedar trees were as plentiful
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as sycamore trees.
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He wrote 3,000
proverbs and 1,005 psalms.
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He excelled as a
judge and as a philosopher.
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His understanding of
the deep mysteries of life
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and natural history were
unmatched by any before him.
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Young Solomon needed
all the wisdom he could get.
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His own brother Adonijah
tried to take the throne,
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and eventually Solomon
had no choice but to...
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deal with that situation.
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It was his responsibility
to build a magnificent temple
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while ruling a thriving nation.
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It would have been a
daunting job for anyone.
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The young king
asked God for help.
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He went to Gibeon, the home
of the tabernacle that had been
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built in the wilderness,
and sacrificed to God.
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"At Gibeon the Lord appeared
to Solomon in a dream by night;
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and God said, 'Ask!
What shall I give you?'"
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How incredible would it be
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to be able to
choose anything you want,
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to have God say, "You name
it"? What would you ask for?
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Wealth? Long life? Good health?
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Solomon wasn't
thinking about any of that.
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He answered, "O Lord my God,
You have made your servant king
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"instead of my father
David, but I am a little child;
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I do not know how
to go out or come in."
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Solomon was never so rich
or so wise or so truly great
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as when he confessed,
"I'm but a little child;
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I know not how to
go out or come in."
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He realized his
complete dependence upon God.
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And then he said,
"Therefore give to Your servant
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"an understanding
heart to judge Your people,
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"that I may discern
between good and evil.
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For who is able to judge
this great people of Yours?"
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Solomon demonstrated humility
and a desire to honor God.
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And God answered his
prayer in a miraculous way.
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He said, "Behold, I've
done according to your words;
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"see, I have given you a
wise and understanding heart,
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"so that there has not
been anyone like you before you,
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nor shall any like
you arise after you."
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And then God promised
everything he didn't ask for:
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riches, honor, fame, and
protection from his enemies.
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You see, God wanted to
bless this young king so that
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the world could see the results
of following God faithfully.
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He concluded his conversation
with King Solomon by saying,
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"And if thou
wilt walk in my ways,
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"[and] keep my
statutes and my commandments,
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as thy father David did walk,
then I will lengthen thy days."
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Solomon had been
set up for success.
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God couldn't have
given him anymore.
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He couldn't fail, could he?
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But there was that word, "if."
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That one little word
made all the difference.
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"If you keep my
statutes and my commandments."
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So would he?
Would Solomon do that?
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We'll find out in just a moment.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
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>>Announcer: The
subject of the temple
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is given a great deal
of importance in Scripture.
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When will the temple be rebuilt,
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and what can the
ancient temple teach us today?
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Find out in today's free
offer, "Rebuilding the Temple."
00:07:59.51\00:08:02.61
To receive this free resource,
00:08:02.64\00:08:03.95
call 800-253-3000
00:08:03.98\00:08:06.65
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:06.68\00:08:10.12
Understand what the
Bible teaches about the temple
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and its role in salvation.
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Call 800-253-3000
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or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:08:17.36\00:08:19.96
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
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God appeared to Solomon in a
dream and promised to give him
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anything he wanted.
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Solomon asked for wisdom,
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and God answered
his prayer in a big way.
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Gracious words
poured out of his mouth
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like rivers of pure water.
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His judgments
were incredibly wise.
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Two women
disputing about which of them
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was the mother of a certain
infant child were shocked
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when Solomon gave the
command to divide the child
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with a sword and give
both women half the child each.
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He knew that the real mother
would rather give up the child
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than allow the child to die.
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And Solomon's belief
proved to be absolutely correct.
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Even the queen of
Sheba heard about Solomon
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and traveled a far
distance to see him.
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The Bible says, "Solomon
answered all her questions;
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"there was nothing so
difficult for the king
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that he could not
explain it to her."
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She was so impressed that "there
was no more spirit in her."
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As the queen was
leaving, she said,
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"Blessed be the Lord your
God, who delighted in you!...
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He made you king, to do
justice and righteousness."
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This kind of witness was
exactly what God had in mind.
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He wanted the world to
see the evils of idol worship
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and the beauty of God worship.
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He wanted Israel to be a
lighthouse in a sea of darkness.
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Solomon was being used by
God to reveal the goodness
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and power of God to the world.
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As wealthy as he was,
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Solomon realized
riches weren't the answer
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to all of life's problems.
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He wrote, "Do not
overwork to be rich....
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"For riches certainly
make themselves wings;
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they fly away like
an eagle toward heaven."
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That's in Proverbs 23.
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Reminds me of a
recent news story that said,
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"Research shows money stress
can make people up to 20 times
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more likely to
make a suicide attempt."
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Getting life out of
balance causes long-term harm,
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and Solomon knew that.
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He wrote, "A soft
answer turns away wrath,
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but a harsh
word stirs up anger."
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Proverbs 15, verse 1.
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"Anxiety in the heart
of man causes depression,
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but a good word makes it glad."
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Proverbs 12:25.
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"He who guards his
mouth preserves his life,
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but he who opens wide his
lips shall have destruction."
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Proverbs 13:3.
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Wisdom. If you haven't
read Proverbs in a while,
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you want to read
it. Powerful book.
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There are 31 chapters
in the book of Proverbs.
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Read one chapter
a day for a month,
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and you'll have taken
on board a lot of wisdom.
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As well as the book of Proverbs,
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Solomon also wrote Ecclesiastes,
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which speaks to
the purpose of life.
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At times it appears to
be a little melancholy,
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but that's the point, really.
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It's the story of
Solomon's search for meaning,
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a search that was long and
difficult. In Ecclesiastes,
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Solomon wrote of the futility
that consumes so much of life.
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"Vanity of vanities,
all is vanity," he said.
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"What profit has a man from
all his labor in which he toils
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"under the sun? One
generation passes away,
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and another generation comes."
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You find that in
Ecclesiastes, chapter 1.
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And there's that
question: purpose.
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What's the true purpose of life?
00:11:47.70\00:11:50.41
And how can we find
meaning in our existence?
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A lot of people
have wrestled with that.
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Maybe you have.
Solomon knew life is short,
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that when he died, the planet
would go right on turning.
00:12:01.72\00:12:06.49
He wrote, "I communed
with my heart, saying,
00:12:06.52\00:12:08.76
"'Look, I have attained
greatness, and have gained
00:12:08.79\00:12:11.03
"more wisdom than all who were
before me in Jerusalem.' ...
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I perceived that this...
is grasping for the wind."
00:12:14.00\00:12:17.70
Just like you can't hold the
wind, you can't make time stop
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or hold on to the
things of the world.
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So, maybe Solomon should
have all the fun he wanted.
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He dedicated
himself to pleasure,
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only to realize that
an all-consuming pursuit
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of a good time
actually diminishes a person.
00:12:33.88\00:12:38.19
So he decided to see
if doing great things
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would bring him satisfaction.
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He planted vineyards and fruit
orchards and built water pools.
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He built parks and
acquired more servants.
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He wrote, "Whatever my
eyes desired I did not keep
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"from them. I did not withhold
my heart from any pleasure....
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"Then I looked on all the
works that my hands had done...;
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"and indeed all was vanity
and grasping for the wind.
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There was no
profit under the sun."
00:13:04.91\00:13:08.22
So Solomon
contemplates death. He wrote,
00:13:08.25\00:13:10.92
"So I said in my heart,
'As it happens to the fool,
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"it also happens to me.' ...
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And how does a wise
man die? As the fool!"
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Notice the shift in emphasis.
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In Proverbs, Solomon
couldn't say enough about God.
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In Ecclesiastes, it's different.
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He's gradually
taken his eyes off God.
00:13:27.24\00:13:30.51
Inspiration allows us to
go on this intriguing journey
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with him. The
same man who wrote that
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"pride goes
before...a fall" in Proverbs 16
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shifted his focus
and plunged into sin.
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Solomon knew what God
had said about marriage:
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"Neither shall he
multiply wives to himself,
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"that his heart turn
not away: neither shall he
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greatly multiply to
himself silver and gold."
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That's in Deuteronomy 17.
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But that didn't stop him.
00:14:00.10\00:14:03.00
Initially, Solomon
married Pharaoh's daughter.
00:14:03.04\00:14:05.71
Looking on, you might
think it wasn't a bad decision.
00:14:05.74\00:14:08.98
There'd be peace
between Israel and Egypt.
00:14:09.01\00:14:11.85
Solomon's heathen wife was
converted and united with him
00:14:11.88\00:14:15.18
in worship of the true God.
00:14:15.22\00:14:17.62
But Solomon's problem
was that once he started,
00:14:17.65\00:14:20.32
he didn't know when to stop.
00:14:20.36\00:14:21.96
He became a serial marrier,
maybe thinking he could convert
00:14:21.99\00:14:25.63
his wives to
faith in the true God.
00:14:25.66\00:14:28.06
But what actually happened was
that he trusted less and less
00:14:28.10\00:14:31.83
in divine guidance and
more and more in himself.
00:14:31.87\00:14:36.57
Here's something we
can learn from Solomon.
00:14:37.54\00:14:40.54
When you're fabulously
wealthy or extremely wise,
00:14:40.58\00:14:43.51
when you're a brilliant
person, there's a real danger
00:14:43.55\00:14:47.08
of trusting in yourself
more than you trust in God.
00:14:47.12\00:14:50.69
Of course, that's backward.
00:14:50.72\00:14:51.99
If it was God who
gave you what you have,
00:14:52.02\00:14:54.39
it would make sense to
continue to rely on God.
00:14:54.42\00:14:57.73
Happens all the time, though,
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.09
success leading a person away
from a humble reliance upon God.
00:14:59.13\00:15:04.23
It doesn't have to be that way,
00:15:04.27\00:15:06.13
but wealth can and does
lead some people away from God.
00:15:06.17\00:15:10.24
You'll find people with a high
IQ whose intellectual acuity
00:15:10.27\00:15:13.68
leads them to feel that
they know more than God.
00:15:13.71\00:15:16.51
It can be a trap. And
Solomon got caught in it.
00:15:16.54\00:15:21.72
So how bad did it get?
00:15:21.75\00:15:23.82
"For it came to
pass, when Solomon was old,
00:15:23.85\00:15:26.35
"that his wives turned
away his heart after other gods:
00:15:26.39\00:15:30.96
"and his heart was not
perfect for the Lord his God,
00:15:30.99\00:15:33.56
"as was the heart
of David his father.
00:15:33.60\00:15:36.60
"For Solomon went
after Ashtoreth the goddess
00:15:36.63\00:15:40.14
"of the Zidonians, and
after Milcom the abomination
00:15:40.17\00:15:43.94
"of the Ammonites.
00:15:43.97\00:15:45.21
"And Solomon did evil
in the sight of the Lord,
00:15:45.24\00:15:48.31
and went not fully after the
Lord, as did David his father."
00:15:48.34\00:15:54.22
That pagan worship
was darkly immoral.
00:15:54.25\00:15:59.05
Solomon sank a long way
into sin. His terrible treatment
00:15:59.09\00:16:03.32
of his subjects was directly
responsible for Israel dividing
00:16:03.36\00:16:07.23
into two kingdoms. You'll
remember the people complained
00:16:07.23\00:16:10.00
to Rehoboam that, "Your
father made our yoke heavy;
00:16:10.03\00:16:13.90
"now therefore,
lighten the burdensome service
00:16:13.94\00:16:16.34
"of your father, and his
heavy yoke which he put on us,
00:16:16.37\00:16:19.71
and we will serve you."
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.18
The complaints Rehoboam didn't
take seriously were complaints
00:16:22.21\00:16:25.81
about his father Solomon,
00:16:25.85\00:16:29.18
the man who'd been
granted immense wisdom,
00:16:29.22\00:16:32.29
who'd seen the glory of
God fill the new temple,
00:16:32.32\00:16:34.86
one of the most
beautiful structures ever built,
00:16:34.89\00:16:38.33
who saw fire
come down from heaven,
00:16:38.36\00:16:40.83
whose fame filled the earth.
00:16:40.86\00:16:43.97
That man ended up mixing
with the heathen until he became
00:16:44.00\00:16:48.20
like them. He gave himself
to idolatry and debauchery.
00:16:48.24\00:16:53.11
It's like he got to the high
point of greatness, got dizzy,
00:16:53.14\00:16:58.01
and lost his balance.
00:16:58.05\00:16:59.78
So how could he
possibly find his way back?
00:17:00.78\00:17:04.52
The good news is that he did.
00:17:04.55\00:17:07.82
And we'll see
that in just a moment.
00:17:07.86\00:17:10.83
¤[music swells and ends]¤¤
00:17:10.86\00:17:17.83
>>Announcer: The subject of
the temple is given a great deal
00:17:19.77\00:17:22.47
of importance in Scripture.
00:17:22.50\00:17:24.14
When will the temple be rebuilt,
00:17:24.17\00:17:25.64
and what can the
ancient temple teach us today?
00:17:25.67\00:17:28.38
Find out in today's free
offer, "Rebuilding the Temple."
00:17:28.41\00:17:31.51
To receive this free resource,
00:17:31.55\00:17:32.91
call 800-253-3000
00:17:32.95\00:17:35.55
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:17:35.58\00:17:39.02
Understand what the
Bible teaches about the temple
00:17:39.05\00:17:41.82
and its role in salvation.
00:17:41.86\00:17:43.63
Call 800-253-3000
00:17:43.66\00:17:46.26
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:17:46.29\00:17:48.83
>>John Bradshaw: It's one
of the most challenging books
00:17:50.30\00:17:52.37
in the Bible. Why do
hard challenges come?
00:17:52.40\00:17:55.80
Why does God allow
difficulty and distress?
00:17:55.84\00:17:58.84
And what's going
on behind the scenes
00:17:58.87\00:18:00.91
in a world filled
with suffering and sorrow?
00:18:00.94\00:18:03.81
Our ongoing series
"Great Characters of the Bible"
00:18:03.85\00:18:06.61
continues with a
look at the life of Job,
00:18:06.65\00:18:09.35
a man described by God
as "perfect and upright,"
00:18:09.38\00:18:12.55
yet afflicted by a
devastating illness.
00:18:12.59\00:18:15.32
Some of the most
difficult questions people have
00:18:15.36\00:18:17.96
deal with the God
who permits suffering.
00:18:17.99\00:18:20.56
Yet the Bible presents
logical, accessible answers
00:18:20.60\00:18:23.60
that make sense and grow
your faith in the God of heaven.
00:18:23.63\00:18:27.84
Struggling to find answers,
00:18:27.87\00:18:29.77
his integrity
attacked by his friends
00:18:29.80\00:18:31.74
and questioned by
his wife, Job's journey
00:18:31.77\00:18:34.54
into the depths of anguish
provides answers for everyone
00:18:34.58\00:18:38.05
and presents a clear
picture of the character of God.
00:18:38.08\00:18:41.48
Don't miss "Great
Characters of the Bible: Job,"
00:18:41.52\00:18:45.55
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:18:45.59\00:18:48.36
>>John Bradshaw: If ever there
was someone who lost his way,
00:18:50.99\00:18:54.20
it was King Solomon.
00:18:54.20\00:18:55.93
Set on the throne
of his father David,
00:18:55.96\00:18:58.50
Solomon was blessed by
God in ways never again seen.
00:18:58.53\00:19:03.51
But he lost sight of
God's purpose for him.
00:19:03.54\00:19:06.94
He lost sight of God.
00:19:06.98\00:19:09.34
"King Solomon loved many
foreign women...from the nations
00:19:09.38\00:19:13.45
"of whom the Lord had
said to the children of Israel,
00:19:13.48\00:19:16.02
"'You shall not intermarry
with them, nor they with you.
00:19:16.05\00:19:20.66
"Surely they will turn away
your hearts after their gods.'
00:19:20.69\00:19:24.29
"...And he had seven
hundred wives, princesses,
00:19:24.33\00:19:27.86
"and three hundred concubines;
00:19:27.93\00:19:30.13
and his wives
turned away his heart."
00:19:30.17\00:19:33.50
You wonder how
that could happen.
00:19:34.50\00:19:36.30
God spoke to Solomon, twice--
00:19:36.34\00:19:39.34
once in a dream at the
beginning of his reign as king
00:19:39.37\00:19:42.64
and then after the temple
dedication when He urged him
00:19:42.68\00:19:45.31
to be faithful.
00:19:45.35\00:19:46.78
Solomon turned from
God after God blessed him
00:19:46.82\00:19:50.59
with anything a
person could possibly want.
00:19:50.62\00:19:54.26
It's hard to imagine.
00:19:54.29\00:19:56.29
Or is it?
00:19:57.29\00:19:58.83
You might not be
Solomon, but God has blessed you
00:19:58.86\00:20:01.70
in huge ways, and in
spite of that, we often choose
00:20:01.73\00:20:05.60
not to look to God,
but to trust in ourselves,
00:20:05.63\00:20:08.50
to choose sin
instead of righteousness.
00:20:08.54\00:20:12.31
When you do that,
God honors your choice.
00:20:12.34\00:20:15.44
He knows things
will get tough for you.
00:20:15.48\00:20:17.65
But He hopes you'll
learn from your mistakes
00:20:17.68\00:20:20.22
and turn back to Him.
00:20:20.25\00:20:22.02
Solomon found his
way back to faith in God.
00:20:23.02\00:20:27.66
And that's good news for
anyone disconnected from God,
00:20:27.69\00:20:31.29
anyone who's living
without reference to God.
00:20:31.33\00:20:34.00
There's a way back.
Solomon found that way.
00:20:34.00\00:20:38.70
And if you need to find
the way back, you can, too.
00:20:38.73\00:20:42.90
Solomon wrote a
book of the Bible
00:20:42.94\00:20:44.34
that doesn't get talked
about too terribly much:
00:20:44.37\00:20:47.51
the Song of Solomon.
00:20:47.54\00:20:49.94
It's a book that
serves two purposes.
00:20:49.98\00:20:52.41
On the one hand it's
a full-on love story,
00:20:52.45\00:20:55.15
the story of Solomon
and one of his wives,
00:20:55.18\00:20:57.19
more than likely
written early in his reign
00:20:57.22\00:20:59.82
when Israel was flourishing.
00:20:59.85\00:21:02.06
The woman in question was a
Shulamite woman, a country girl.
00:21:02.09\00:21:05.96
So this wasn't a
marriage that was entered into
00:21:05.99\00:21:08.26
for political expediency.
00:21:08.30\00:21:11.07
And it's been said, and
I think very accurately,
00:21:11.10\00:21:13.07
that Song of
Solomon also illustrates
00:21:13.10\00:21:15.17
the love between Christ
and the church, His people.
00:21:15.20\00:21:19.41
"Who is this coming
up from the wilderness,
00:21:19.44\00:21:21.18
leaning upon her
beloved?" Chapter 8, verse 5.
00:21:21.21\00:21:24.28
"Who is she who looks forth as
the morning, fair as the moon,
00:21:24.31\00:21:27.48
clear as the sun, awesome
as an army with banners?"
00:21:27.52\00:21:31.12
Song of Solomon 6:10.
00:21:31.15\00:21:33.39
The book makes clear
that Solomon knew something
00:21:33.42\00:21:36.12
about love, and had
experienced the love of God.
00:21:36.16\00:21:41.60
Ecclesiastes is sort of
the record of Solomon's life
00:21:41.63\00:21:44.90
without being
surrendered to God.
00:21:44.93\00:21:47.34
And it's unique among books of
the Bible in that it resolves.
00:21:47.37\00:21:53.07
It comes to a summary
statement right at the very end.
00:21:53.11\00:21:57.21
After 12 chapters of
"vanity, vanity, all is vanity,"
00:21:57.25\00:22:00.88
Solomon figures it out.
00:22:00.92\00:22:03.15
And he tells us the sum total
of what he learned; that is,
00:22:03.18\00:22:07.09
that is what he
learned the hard way.
00:22:07.12\00:22:09.12
Hundreds of wives,
massive building projects,
00:22:09.16\00:22:12.16
foreign diplomacy,
international trade,
00:22:12.19\00:22:15.10
great wealth, great
resentment from his people,
00:22:15.13\00:22:19.27
and that desperate feeling
you experience in your heart
00:22:19.30\00:22:22.64
when you realize you have
squandered the opportunities
00:22:22.67\00:22:25.17
God has given you.
00:22:25.21\00:22:27.24
I sense that right now there's
someone feeling that way.
00:22:27.28\00:22:30.41
"I was raised to know better."
"I had every opportunity."
00:22:30.45\00:22:33.75
"I knew right from wrong,
00:22:33.78\00:22:35.48
yet here I am about as far
from God as a person can get."
00:22:35.52\00:22:40.46
Well, if that's
you, that was Solomon.
00:22:40.49\00:22:44.19
And yet God reached Solomon
and helped him find his way back
00:22:44.23\00:22:48.00
to spiritual
security and safety.
00:22:48.03\00:22:51.10
And you can
find that place, too.
00:22:51.13\00:22:53.57
Here's what
Solomon finally realized.
00:22:53.60\00:22:57.21
The last chapter of
Ecclesiastes starts like this:
00:22:57.24\00:23:00.91
"Remember now your Creator
in the days of your youth,
00:23:00.94\00:23:04.18
"before the difficult days
come, and the years draw near
00:23:04.21\00:23:07.15
when you say, 'I have
no pleasure in them.'"
00:23:07.18\00:23:09.88
Interesting, isn't it? That's
a message to young people.
00:23:09.92\00:23:12.85
Remember your
Creator when you're young,
00:23:12.89\00:23:14.42
before life's
challenges really hit you,
00:23:14.46\00:23:16.99
before you get older
and less enthusiastic
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.36
about even life itself.
00:23:19.39\00:23:22.20
He contemplates death again:
00:23:22.23\00:23:24.10
"Then the dust will
return to the earth as it was,
00:23:24.13\00:23:26.60
and the spirit will
return to God who gave it."
00:23:26.63\00:23:29.27
He says, "Vanity of
vanities, ...all is vanity."
00:23:29.30\00:23:32.47
And then he brings
it all to a crescendo.
00:23:32.51\00:23:35.74
Here it is. This is Solomon,
after realizing there is
00:23:35.78\00:23:38.68
only one thing in the
world that can give any person
00:23:38.71\00:23:42.88
real, lasting peace.
00:23:42.92\00:23:45.49
Solomon said, "Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter:
00:23:46.49\00:23:51.16
"Fear God, and
keep His commandments:
00:23:51.19\00:23:54.10
"for this is the
whole duty of man.
00:23:54.10\00:23:57.13
"For God shall bring
every work into judgment,
00:23:57.17\00:24:00.24
"with every secret
thing, whether it be good,
00:24:00.27\00:24:03.34
or whether it be evil."
00:24:03.37\00:24:05.54
There it is, the last
two verses of Ecclesiastes,
00:24:05.57\00:24:10.28
chapter 12, verses 13 and 14.
00:24:10.31\00:24:14.95
This from a man who'd
lived life on his own terms,
00:24:14.98\00:24:19.22
who'd become so
enamored with the world,
00:24:19.25\00:24:21.09
so enchanted by what his
wealth and wisdom could acquire,
00:24:21.12\00:24:25.16
that he forgot God.
00:24:25.19\00:24:28.00
And when God's Spirit
was able to break through
00:24:28.03\00:24:29.93
his hard and jaded
heart, he saw it clearly.
00:24:29.96\00:24:35.60
The whole point of being
on this earth is to serve God.
00:24:36.60\00:24:39.81
One day soon God will
weigh every human being
00:24:39.84\00:24:43.28
in the balances.
00:24:43.31\00:24:44.81
The sinner's hope is
in trusting in Jesus,
00:24:44.85\00:24:48.12
in claiming His righteousness.
00:24:48.15\00:24:50.32
And then as Jesus lives His
life in you, you "fear God"--
00:24:50.35\00:24:53.92
that's serve God--and
you "keep His commandments."
00:24:53.96\00:24:57.73
The rebellious Solomons of
the world can be transformed
00:24:57.76\00:25:00.83
and live a completely new life.
00:25:00.86\00:25:02.93
Solomon's long up-and-down
journey ultimately brought him
00:25:02.96\00:25:05.90
to a place of repentance.
00:25:05.93\00:25:08.24
Solomon couldn't
have made it any clearer.
00:25:08.27\00:25:10.81
Houses, land, a prestigious
job, your possessions,
00:25:10.84\00:25:15.14
they're not bad, but none of it
can give you lasting happiness.
00:25:15.18\00:25:20.22
Faith in God can and
will. A surrender to God will.
00:25:20.25\00:25:26.86
So let me ask you:
What is it you want, really?
00:25:27.99\00:25:32.33
¤[soft music]¤
00:25:32.36\00:25:33.40
You want more than what
this life offers on earth.
00:25:33.43\00:25:35.93
We are here today
and gone tomorrow.
00:25:35.96\00:25:38.83
James said that life is
like "a vapor that appears
00:25:38.87\00:25:41.20
for a [moment] and
then vanishes away."
00:25:41.24\00:25:44.31
But life in God
stretches on forever.
00:25:44.34\00:25:49.44
How fulfilled are you, really?
00:25:49.48\00:25:52.58
If you don't have
Christ, I can tell you
00:25:52.61\00:25:54.92
that you're not as fulfilled
as God wants you to be.
00:25:54.95\00:25:58.52
If you can only see
as far into the future
00:25:58.55\00:26:00.46
as your last day on
earth, that's not very far.
00:26:00.49\00:26:04.93
God wants you to look
forward to an eternal future.
00:26:04.96\00:26:09.30
And if God can gift that
to Solomon after his highs
00:26:09.33\00:26:13.10
and his, and his desperate lows,
00:26:13.13\00:26:15.97
God can give eternal
life to you. He wants to.
00:26:16.00\00:26:20.71
The only thing preventing
eternal life from being yours
00:26:20.74\00:26:24.75
is your own
unwillingness to receive it.
00:26:24.78\00:26:28.25
Would you receive it today?
00:26:28.28\00:26:30.19
If you would, it's yours.
Eternal life, yours, right now.
00:26:30.22\00:26:37.23
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:38.23\00:26:40.16
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:40.20\00:26:43.57
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:43.60\00:26:46.80
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:46.84\00:26:51.07
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:51.11\00:26:52.54
to the address on your screen,
00:26:52.57\00:26:54.01
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:54.04\00:26:57.85
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:57.88\00:27:00.68
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:27:00.72\00:27:05.02
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:27:05.05\00:27:07.89
>>John: Let's pray together.
00:27:08.89\00:27:09.99
In fact, you might want
to pray after me. Let's pray.
00:27:10.03\00:27:12.83
¤[soft music]¤
00:27:12.86\00:27:14.10
Father in heaven, I thank You
for being willing to save me.
00:27:14.10\00:27:18.67
What You did for
Solomon, You can do for me.
00:27:18.70\00:27:22.54
I believe Jesus Christ
died on the cross for me.
00:27:22.57\00:27:27.01
I believe there's a
place in heaven for me.
00:27:27.04\00:27:29.98
I choose to
surrender my life to You.
00:27:30.01\00:27:33.25
Are you praying with me?
00:27:33.28\00:27:34.52
Take my heart. Make it Yours.
00:27:34.55\00:27:38.19
Keep me in Your arms.
00:27:38.22\00:27:40.79
And on that great day,
take me to be with You forever.
00:27:40.82\00:27:45.83
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:45.86\00:27:49.76
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:49.80\00:27:52.30
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:52.33\00:27:54.17
Until then, remember:
00:27:54.20\00:27:56.60
"Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:27:56.64\00:27:59.11
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God."
00:27:59.14\00:28:03.95
¤[dramatic theme music]¤
00:28:03.98\00:28:07.98
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.84