The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1: 1-7, NIV.
Heavenly Father and Lord of our lives, please stay with us as we learn from Your Word how to live our lives wisely. In the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to our youth! I believe that we can all look and learn from the life of Solomon. I also believe that the sooner we learn the lessons that his life could teach us, the safer we are going to be.
The Words of our Scripture for today were written by the wisest man who ever lived! Before you refute that fact, let us hear it from the mouth of God Himself – the Source of all wisdom, “I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be” (1 Kings 3: 12). If God says He was, He should know!
Nevertheless, as we observe the life of Solomon, that does not seem to be the case, does it? His life seems so convoluted, so filled with things (9: 14-29), and significant others, that you wonder what was going on in his brain! “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray” (1 Kings 11: 1-3)! It seems that Solomon just went about collecting things and people, until he completely lost control!
Knowing is not enough! It is what we do with the knowledge that we have, that makes us truly wise! Unless the wisdom is applied, as it was intended, we can do more harm than good. When Solomon asked God for wisdom, it was because he was feeling inadequate to lead God’s people. And he began using his wisdom to do just that, “When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice” (see 3: 16-28). But he obviously forgot why he was given this wisdom, and just began to fill his coffers, literally, to a fault!
Sin corrodes wisdom. Sin, if allowed, will eat away, and destroy wisdom. It happened to the wisest man who ever lived! “Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them (his one thousand lovers) in love. . . and his wives led him astray.” Whatever you love more than God can eventually separate you from Him. “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (11: 4). That was not senility, it is called sin! Years of sin, had eventually accomplished its destructive work. No wonder Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. . .” (Matthew 6: 24a, b).
My dear young friends (and older ones), God is more willing to give us His Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin, than we are willing to ask Him (Luke 11: 13)! We need to not only have wisdom. We need the Holy Spirit of God to help us apply this wisdom. God loves us and desires to help us. May we be as willing to ask for His help – it is only a prayer away!