Avoiding Solomon’s Slippery Slope (I Kings 11:1-41)
Disobedience has many biting consequences. No one’s life gives us a clearer picture of this principle than Solomon’s slippery decline.
Perhaps the fall of Solomon is one of the most distressing stories in the history of mankind. Here was a man who started out well but finished shamefully as recorded in I Kings 10 and 11.
At the conclusion of Solomon’s reign as king his relationship with God waxes and wanes as he compromises with his wealth, his wives and his relationship with God. "Now the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice." We find God saying to Solomon, "I will tear the kingdom away from you" (1Kg 11:9-11). In consequence, the kingdom became divided into two kingdoms, Solomon’s house retaining the smallest one.
Illustration: Disappointment is always a surpise. Best to make preparation to mitigate against it.
Early in my career as a doctor I went to see a patient who was coming out of anesthesia. Far off church chimes sounded. “I must be in heaven,” the woman murmured. Then she saw me. “No, I can’t be,” she said. “There’s Dr. Campbell.”
Lenore Campbell, M.D., in Medical Economics
The first sign of the deterioration, decline and self-destruction that signals disobedience is a loss of one’s intimate relationship with the Lord.
Regardless of how strong you think your walk with God might be, anyone, like Solomon, may let it slip by not paying sufficient attention to God’s word daily. A wholehearted devotion to God is necessary, and we cannot divide our loyalties between God and other things.
The following are the ways that Solomon gave in to the slippery slope of temptation and experienced the destruction, disaster and displeasure of God:
1. Solomon at first resisted the pressure of his 1000 wives to worship idols but eventually moved to toleration, rationalization, identification with sin and eventual compromise.
"Now it came about when Solomon was old that his wives turned his heart away from God and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been." (2 Kings 4:4) Before we allow pressure to overwhelm us we must counter-act it by overcoming evil with good and not simply co-existing with its influence, presence or philosophies in our mind.
2. Solomon tried to accumulate things that gradually became his delight instead of God, His word and His will. Avoid thinking that you can stock up on other things that will become your security, satisfaction and source of success instead of the Lord. Solomon spent his life hoarding the following:
(1) Gold and silver
Solomon accumulated enormous quantities of gold, and his kingdom had so much silver that it was counted as common as stones (1Kg 10:14-21,27).
(2) Thousands of horses
Solomon’s stock and trade in horses from Egypt was huge (1Kg 10:26,28-29).
(3) A thousand wives
Solomon had 700 wives. These were daughters of foreign kings. He also had 300 concubines (1Kg 11:1-3).
God anticipated the future desire of the nation to have a king. This law was to apply to every king, including Solomon. You will find it in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.
"The king shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses..."
"Neither shall he multiply wives for himself lest his heart turn away..."
"Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself..."
"When the king sits on the throne... he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll... And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life... carefully observing all the words of this law... that he may not turn aside from the commandment"
3. Solomon neglected his responsibility to meditate and obey the word of God on a daily basis. The king was required to make a copy of the above verse and be careful to obey it in all ways. When Solomon stopped reading the law of God he gradually replaced his own thinking, priorities and perspectives with that of God’s word, His will and His ways. When we neglect our time in God’s word and our time in prayer on the essentials of His attributes, His will and His principles we allow our minds to be filled with fleshly interests. Eventually, Solomon did the opposite of what he must do to receive God’s blessings, favor and protection. Jesus said, "He who is not for me is against me." In these last days we too "must pay closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away" (Heb 2:1-3).
4. Solomon overlooked the fact that disobedience to God brings terrible consequences. As a result of Solomon’s idolatrous ways, his kingdom was diminished and divided and his legacy ruined. The Lord sent more than twelve nations against Solomon and all of his successes crumbled under the weight of opposition and the terrible ravages of war. "Then the Lord raised up Hadad the Edomite , to be an enemy of Solomon." (I Kgs 11:14)"God also raised up Rezon to be an enemy against Solomon. Rezon was Israel’s bitter enemy for the rest of Solomon’s reign and he made trouble." (I Kgs 11:23,24)God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in the proper time. (I Pet 5:5,6)
5. Solomon’s major points of disobedience included:
If you want to know what anger the Lord most, consider the following mistakes of Solomon: Some of these are listed found in I Kings 11.
1. Misplaced love (v.1, see Matt. 10:37).
Love is good only when its objects are good.
2. Evil companions (v.2, see 1 Co 15:33).
Close ties should not be made with those who follow evil.
3. Seeking status and prestige (v.3, see Matt 19:30).
What we acquire in excess of need, is but for folly and pride.
4. Compromise (v.4, see Matt 12:30).
If only halfway devoted to God, we are at enmity with him.
5. Idolatry (v.5, see Col 3:5).
Where idolatry is the practice, covetousness is the principle.
6. Rebellion (v.6, see Php 3:16-17).
The example of good parents and mentors is not to be scorned.
7. Entanglement in sin (v.7, see 2 Pe 2:20-22).
A sin willfully repeated becomes a snare without escape.
8. Serving many masters (v.8, see Matt 6:24).
The one who serves God can serve no other master.
9. Ingratitude (v.9, see 1 Th 5:18).
Once blessed, give thanks; twice blessed, give your all. All these are various forms of one fault, namely disobedience. There were many ways in which "Solomon did not observe what the Lord had commanded." (v.10). courtesy of Ron Graham’s www.simplybible.org
Illustration: River of Disappointment
Sir Alexander Mackenzie is a Canadian hero. An early fur trader and explorer, he accomplished a magnificent feat when he led an expedition across Canada from Fort Chippewyan on Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean. His incredible journey was completed in 1793, 11 years before Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition to the west. Mackenzie’s earlier attempt in 1789, however, had been a major disappointment. His explorers had set out in an effort to find a water route to the Pacific. The valiant group followed a mighty river (now named the Mackenzie) with high hopes, paddling furiously amid great danger. Unfortunately, it didn’t empty into the Pacific, but into the Arctic Ocean. In his diary, Mackenzie called it the “River of Disappointment.”
Our Daily Bread, July 1, 1990
6. Failure to follow the Lord fully. "Thus, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father David had done." (I Kgs 11:6) Unwillingness to be wholehearted in our obedience, trust and love for the Lord eventually leads to self-destructive practices. Many people feel they can be neutral toward God. There is a general assumption in some peoples’ minds that says, "As long as I am not hurting anybody, then I am all right."
"Jesus said, "Anyone who isn’t helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me." Ask the Lord to help you always press onward and upward for the call of Christ Jesus by serving Him with all your heart, soul, strength and mind out of a love that comes from a choice to reciprocate His love for you. To do otherwise is a recipe for experiencing the opposition of God. NO one wins against God. Escape the corruption that is in the world by loving the world and putting away the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. (I John 2:15,16)
Quote: The only thing that good men must do for evil to triumph is to avoid doing anything.
It is impossible to be neutral toward the Savior, the Spirit and our service. Anyone who is not actively following Christ and His will has chosen to rebel against God. Realize, like Solomon eventually did, there are severe and lasting consequences for disobedience. Before you fall on to the slippery slope of self-destruction, pro-actively seek the Lord, His will and His service so you can continue to contribute to the expansion of His kingdom and His righteousness as your greatest priority in life. (Matt 6:33,34)
Any person who tries to remain neutral in the struggle between good and evil eventually succumbs to indifference and lethargy. Choose to serve the Lord instead of falling into the trap that Solomon did. To choose to fail to follow Christ is deciding to be on Satan’s team.
Conclusion: Famous People who did not finish well
Alexander the Great conquered Persia, but broke down and wept because his troops were too exhausted to push on to India.
Hugo Grotius, the father of modern international law, said at the last, “I have accomplished nothing worthwhile in my life.”
John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the U.S.—not a Lincoln, perhaps, but a decent leader—wrote in his diary: “My life has been spent in vain and idle aspirations, and in ceaseless rejected prayers that something would be the result of my existence beneficial to my species.”
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote words that continue to delight and enrich our lives, and yet what did he write for his epitaph? “Here lies one who meant well, who tried a little, and failed much.”
Cecil Rhodes opened up Africa and established an empire, but what were his dying words? “So little done, so much to do.”
Christianity Today, September 6, 1985, Donald McCullough,
