MERCY IN THE MIDST OF MISERY

MERCY IN THE MIDST OF MISERY
I KINGS 11:1-13

DAVID – DEAD
MANTLE – PASSED
APPOINTMENT – CERTIFIED
ANOINTING – VERIFIED
ASSIGNMENT – IDENTIFIED
ENEMY – VILLIFIED
OPPOSITION – ELIMINATED
OPPORTUNITY – EMBRACED/TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF
QUEEN - VISITED/OFFERED UP ACCOLADES
IN THE WORDS OF I KINGS 2:46 THE KINGDOM WAS ESTABLISHED/FIRMLY IN SOLOMON’S HANDS.
THE RECORD WILL REFLECT THAT SOLOMON HAD A:
GREAT START IN LIFE
GREAT FATHER (DAVID)
MADE A GREAT REQUEST (WISDOM)
UNDERTOOK A GREAT PROJECT (TEMPLE)
GREAT PRAYER LIFE
WROTE GREAT BOOKS, PROVERBS, AND WORDS OF WISDOM
YET NONE OF THIS SERVED AS INSULATION AGAINST TRIBULATION, BECAUSE TROUBLE WILL FIND ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN. I KINGS 11, WE READ THAT DESPITE THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE SOLOMON, HE BLEW IT WHEN HE BEGAN TO COMPROMISE HIS WISDOM, HIS WALK, AND HIS WORSHIP.
HE COMPROMISED HIS WISDOM WHEN HE ALIGNED HIMSELF WITH THE WORNG PEOPLE AND THE WORNG THINGS. I KINGS 11:1 – SOLOMON LOVED FOREIGN WOMEN. WOMEN WHO TURNED HIS HEART FROM GOD. CAN I TELL SOMEBODY THIS MORNING THAT WHENEVER YOU LOVE/ALLOW FOREIGN/STRANGE TANGIBLES (WHO/WHAT) TO TURN YOUR HEART FROM GOD – DISASTER AWAITS YOU.
SAMSON – DELILAH
SOLOMON – MANY FOREIGN WOMEN
YOU – CAR, CHILDREN, WALMART, TARGET, NEIMAN MARCUS, NORDSTORM, ANYTHING YOU PUT BEFORE GOD (FOREIGN/STRANGE) AND HAS THE CAPABILITY TO TURN YOUR HEART AWAY FROM GOD.
THE PROBLEM WITH SOLOMON LOVING FOREIGN WOMEN AND GIVING HIS HEART TO THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE WILL OF GOD, IS THAT GOD INSTRUCTED THE C.O.I “YOU MUST NOT MARRY THEM, BECAUSE THEY WILL TURN YOUR HEART TO THEIR GODS.”
WAS NOT RACIAL
WAS NOT CULTURAL
IT WAS SPIRITUAL
OFTEN TIME GOD WARNS US/INSTRUCTS US TO AVOID ATTACHING/ALIGNING OURSELVES WITH FOREIGN AND STRANGE SUBSTANCE BECAUSE THERE ARE SPIRITUAL CONSEQUNCES THAT WE CANNOT SEE, BUT HE CAN!
THINK ABOUT THE THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE/ENGAGED IN, BUT YOU DID – SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES (STORY OF WOMAN WITH A PET RACCOON . . .)
TEXT – SOLOMON 700 WIVES/300 CONCUBINES AND THEY TURNED HIS HEART FROM GOD.
HEART – SEAT OF EMOTIONS
HEART – TURNED FROM GOD – CARE/CONCERNED/LOVE/INTIMATE WITH GOD . . .
BUT NOT ONLY DID SOLOMON COMPROMISE HIS WISDOM BY ALLOWING OTHERS TO TURN HIS HEART AWAY FROM GOD, BUT VERSE 6 - HE COMPROMISED HIS WALK WITH GOD AS HE REFUSED RO FOLLOW THE LORD COMPLETELY, AS HIS FATHER DAVID HAD DONE, AND CHOSE TO FOLLOW AFTER IDOLS/FOREIGN GODS.
MATTHEW 6:24 “NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS . . .”
JOSHUA 24:15 “AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE . . .”
SOLOMON - BUILD SHRINES – PAGAN GODS
WIVES – BURN INCENSE/MAKE SACRIFICES TO THEIR GODS
SOLOMON HAD BEGUN TO FORGET, THAT YOU CAN BUILD CATHEDRALS LARGE AND VAST . . .
SOLOMON’S BEHAVIOR ANGERED GOD
WE MUST NEVER FORGET, THAT WHILE GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE . . . JEALOUS GOD/ANGRY . . .
GOD BECAME ANGRY WITH SOLOMON BECAUSE HIS HEART WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE BY OTHERS/OTHER THINGS. ANGRY BECAUSE HE HAD REVEALED HIMSELF UNTO SOLOMON ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS (CHAPTER 3 – DREAM; ASK ME FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT / CHAPTER 9 – SOLOMON COMPLETED THE TEMPLE AND WANTED THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD TO REST ON HIS WORK . . .) . . .
GOD IS NOW ANGRY AT SOLOMON BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID HE COMPROMISE HIS WISDOM, NOT ONLY HAD SOLOMON COMPROMISED HIS WALK, BUT THE TEXT INFORMS US THAT SOLOMON COMPROMISED HIS WORSHIP.
VERSE 4 – NOT ONLY HAD HIS HEART BEEN