10:1-11:13 - ‘King Solomon
was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth’
(23). It sounds impressive - until you look more closely at Solomon’s
life! What else does God’s Word tell us about him? - ‘His heart was not
fully devoted to the Lord his God… Solomon did evil in the eyes of the
Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely… His heart had turned away
from the Lord… Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command’ (11:4,6,9-10).
When everything seems to be going well, God invites us to look beneath
the surface, to look a little deeper. Great words had been spoken about
Solomon (10:9). Now, everything had gone sour. Solomon had lost the
place. This can happen to any of us. We can lose our way. Read the story
of Solomon as a warning: Don’t let this happen to you! Stay close to God.
11:14-12:24
- Life can be a very slippery slope. You can go downhill very quickly -
if you’re not careful! Solomon let things slide - and he was never the
same again. He fell - and he never got back up again. After he died,
there was ‘rebellion’ - and it lasted for a long time (12:9). It was
bedlam. Chaos reigned. The people couldn’t agree among themselves.
Everybody was pointing the finger at somebody else. What did God have to
say about all this? - ‘Do not go up to fight against your brothers…’
(12:24). God’s Word seems so simple. We’re the ones who make everything
so complicated - when we’re looking out for ourselves, when we’re
forgetting to listen for God’s Word. We need to stop giving off - ‘This
is what I think’. We need to start listening. What are others saying? What is the Lord saying?
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