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The Blue Letter Bible

Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for 1 Kings 11:4-6

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"WHEN GOD SPEAKS, YOU BETTER LISTEN."
I. THIS IS THE RECORD.
1KI 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, [that] his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father.
1KI 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
1KI 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as [did] David his father.
1KI 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
1KI 11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
II. THIS IS THE COMMANDMENT AND WARNING FROM GOD.
DEU 17:14 When you have come unto the land which the LORD thy God gives to you, and you shall possess it, and are dwelling in it, and you say, we want to set a king over us, like all the nations that are around us.
DEU 17:15 You shall only set the king over you that the LORD thy God shall choose: He must be one of your brothers, you may not set a stranger over you.
DEU 17:16 He shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
DEU 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
A. The commandment is that the king shall not multiply wives to himself, the reason for the commandment is that the wives will turn his heart away from the Lord.
B. We see that Solomon broke the commandment and what God said would happen, did indeed happen.
1. Sometimes people get strange ideas that the scriptures somehow do not apply to them.
2. That they have a special case that exempts them from the necessity to obey the scriptures.
3. This is Satan's deception, it is Satan's lie.
a. Sometimes people even think that God has told them that they are free to go contrary to the written word of God.
b. This is where Satan transforms himself into an angel of light that he might deceive.
c. I can assure you that God will never tell you that you are free to do something that is contrary to His written word.
d. Paul wrote to the Galatians and repeated twice:
GAL 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
GAL 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed.
III. THE STORY OF SOLOMON IS LIKE SO MANY OTHER STORIES IN THE BIBLE OF A MAN WHO STARTED WELL, HE HAD EVERY BLESSING AND EVERY ADVANTAGE FROM THE LORD.
A. When Solomon came to the throne in the place of his father David, the kingdom was at peace.
1. David had subdued the nations around them and they were paying tribute to Israel.
2. The kingdom was prosperous.
B. God gave to Solomon wisdom above all that had preceded him.
C. He had all of the ingredients necessary for a long, happy, prosperous reign.
D. God had, in the law, given the future kings three prohibitions.
1. Do not go back to Egypt to horse trade.
2. Do not multiply wives.
3. Do not multiply silver and gold.
4. Solomon broke all three.
E. The effect of any or all of these things is to get your eyes off of the Lord and diverted to other interests.
1. It would be very easy to put your horses first. They take a lot of care, and are an expense.
2. Many wives could turn your heart from the Lord.
3. The amassing of wealth can become an opiate. You no longer are just interested in getting by, but you can now afford many things that can take your heart away from the Lord.
F. The danger then is seeking to find your satisfaction and contentment in these other things.
IV. HAVING FORSAKEN GOD, SOLOMON GAVE HIMSELF OVER TO TRY TO FILL THE VOID IN HIS HEART WITH OTHER THINGS. IN ECCLESIASTES HE SPEAKS OF HIS QUEST FOR INNER FULFILLMENT IN THE THINGS OF THE WORLD.
A. His conclusion was that all the works of man under the sun lead only to emptiness and frustration.
1. That which is crooked cannot be made straight.
2. Lust is like a bottomless pit it can never be filled. It is impossible to even count the number of things that man wants.
B. He first sought to find meaning in wisdom. He concluded:
1. In much wisdom is much grief.
2. The increase of knowledge brings an increase of sorrow.
C. He next turned to partying. Conclusion:
1. It is shallow.
2. Laughter is madness.
3. Partying, what good comes from it?
D. He turned to great construction projects. Built houses, planted vineyards, made gardens and orchards with all kinds of fruit. Made reservoirs to water the gardens and orchards.
E. He began to amass things. Servants, great possessions, many cattle, silver, gold, expensive jewelry, choirs and orchestras.
F. Whatever my eyes desired, I kept not from them, I did not hold my heart back from any joy. I rejoiced in my wealth, but that was all I got from it. Just a little rejoicing.
G. Because when I looked at everything, it was all empty and frustrating, no profit under the sun.
H. What can anybody do more than I have done?
I. Conclusion
a. Wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness, but the same event happens to the wise man as happens to the fool, they both die, so what good has all my wisdom done for me?
b. I hated all of the things that I had amassed because I will have to leave it to those who come after me, and maybe they will waste it foolishly.
c. Life is a waste, there is nothing of real worth or value, everything leads to emptiness and frustration.
V. I CANNOT HELP BUT WONDER HOW DIFFERENT A VIEW OF LIFE SOLOMON WOULD HAVE HAD IF HE HAS SPENT HIS LIFE PURSUING GOD RATHER THAT PLEASURE AND WEALTH.
A. If he had stayed the course in worshipping God rather than turning to the gods of this world the gods of his many wives.
1. In his earlier life when he was following the Lord he wrote.
PRO 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, makes you rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
2. If he had only paid attention when God spoke, his life could have been so different.
3. What is true with Solomon is also true with you and me. Obey the commandments of God and your life will be rich and full, for only God can fill the void in the human heart.
4. The Greeks used to say, "The dice of the gods are loaded." They were saying if you go against the gods it is impossible to win. If you are trying to go against the word of God, you are destined to lose.
5. God said what He meant, and He meant what He said, and He who is so much wiser than Solomon knew what would happen to a king who would multiply wives.
6. As wise as Solomon was, he was a fool to think that he could disobey the commandment and not reap the consequences.
7. I am amazed at what dumb things smart men do.
8. To reject the truth of God leaves you wide open to believe the most preposterous lies.
9. Paul spoke of those who did not have a love for the truth, that God would give them a strong delusion that they would believe a lie rather than the truth, that they might be damned.
10. Speaking also of those who believed in evolution he said: "Professing themselves to be wise they became fools as they worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator."
11. God spoke of the ultimate decay of a culture that embraced the evolutionary theory.
ROM 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
ROM 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men doing that which is unthinkable, and receiving in themselves the result of their error which was fitting.
ROM 1:28 And even as they did not want to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate minds, to do those things which are not proper.
ROM 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
ROM 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
ROM 1:31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
ROM 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Tell me that God does not speak the truth.
Sermon Notes for 1 Kings 10:9 ← Prior Section
Sermon Notes for 1 Kings 13:7 Next Section →
Sermon Notes for 2 Samuel 3:39 ← Prior Book
Sermon Notes for 2 Kings 2:14 Next Book →
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