In our last study, we saw how God had warned the Israelites that if they were to ever have a king, that that king had to be careful not to multiply to himself horses, wives and riches. Every single one of those warnings was disregarded by Solomon. He thought himself wise beyond the counsel of God and did not pay heed to His instruction.

Solomon was sowing wicked and evil seed. And he was about to reap to that extent.

• 1 Kings 11:9-10
  9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
• God’s wrath was stirred up. Rightly so. God was the author of that wisdom that Solomon had, yet Solomon did not turn around to give God back all the glory. He despised the spiritual blessing and used it for his own selfish purposes and desires.
• This was never God’s desire. Solomon had asked God for wisdom so that he would know how to judge the people. Instead, he used that wisdom for his own vanity, pride and lusts.

Look at what he detailed as to what he did with that wisdom:

• Ecclesiastes 2:4-9
  4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
• He built, he planted, he made so many exquisite things. He gathered so much gold and different peculiar treasures. He multiplied to himself servants and great possessions.
• This was all against the will of God! Yet at the end, Solomon writes that his wisdom remained with him.
• Even though the gift that God gave him was misused, God did not immediately take it away from him. He still had that wisdom given from heaven.

Even then, Solomon continues.

• Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
  10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
• Everything that his eyes desired, whatever he laid his eyes upon, he was able to obtain it. He was totally and utterly given up to the lusts and desires of his heart.

But eventually, Solomon would come to his senses.

• Ecclesiastes 2:17-18
  17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
• The wisdom that he had helped him to think about the future and also make him to despise his present. He hated his life. He came to the conclusion that everything is just vanity.
• After he would pass away, all that he had accomplished and all that he owned would just be passed on to the next man after him.
• Life eventually caught up to him and he realized that there was nothing in this world that could satisfy him. Remember, this is coming from the man who had hundreds of wives and concubines. He had silver and gold like common stones and pebbles. He had everything that one could ever desire, and yet he was not satisfied.
• He had gone beyond what God had ever intended for any man to reach.

What was it that made Solomon to come to his senses? Did he just wake up one day and decide to return to God?

• 1 Kings 11:14
  And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.
• As a result of his transgression, the Lord’s anger was stirred up against him and God would remove the fear of God from the surrounding nations. As a result, they would come and attack the Israelites. It began with Hadad, the Edomite.
• 1 Kings 11:23, 25
  23 And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: 25 And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
• God would also stir up another adversary – Rezon the son of Eliadah.
• 1 Kings 11:26
  And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
• And God would even stir up Jeroboam to lift up his hand against him. He was one of the servants of Solomon.
• 1 Kings 11:11-12
  11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
• Finally, God would give the clear judgment message to Solomon. The kingdom would be divided into two because of his sin. However, for the sake of David, there would be left a remnant to his lineage.
• The judgment of God was falling on Solomon, and slowly, bit by bit, he was coming to his senses.

We are so unmindful of the many blessings that the Lord bestows upon us. Because of the faithfulness of Solomon at the beginning, the fear of the Lord fell on the surrounding nations and they did not come and bother him. It was because of God that there was peace in the land.

• But Solomon took it for granted and took all the honour and praise and glory to himself. He overlooked the fact that it was because of God and His presence in his life when he was faithful that all the blessings rested on him and the Israelite nation.
• And so God now stirred up all the surrounding nations to get his attention, to try to shake him awake from his spiritual slumber and the danger of his apostasy.
• And so often God does that for us as well. In our all our backslidings, He sees that we are in a lost condition. And so in love He sends trouble. He sends calamities. He sends something to shake us awake and make us aware of the danger that we are in.
• And often it is only then that we have our eyes opened. When disaster strikes, then we pause and we take time to look up to heaven and back to God.

All of God’s judgment on Solomon because of his pride and vain glory had a positive effect. It finally worked repentance in his heart.

• Ecclesiastes 5:8
  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
• He was speaking of himself. He had perverted judgment and justice in the land. But God had opened his eyes to help him to see that not only was he lost but it was affecting the nation as a whole. He had gone from a loving and just ruler to not being a fair judge. He was oppressing the poor.
• Ecclesiastes 9:3
  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
• He admitted openly that his heart was full of evil and that resulted in his actions going down an evil path as well. He had madness and folly in his heart. And it was obvious by what he had done as well. Multiplying to himself wives and riches and horses. And he knew that it only led to one path – death.
• Ecclesiastes 8:11-13
  11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
• This totally lined up with Solomon’s experience. Of course it all did. But he had been living in sin and the sentence of divine judgment did not fall immediately on him. And so for a while it made him to fall deeper into apostasy.
• But Solomon’s own experience was a reminder to us that it will not be well with the wicked. Even though judgment from God is delayed, surely it will come one day. Though the wicked seem to prosper more but for a short time, we are reminded that it will only be well with them that fear God.

The book Ecclesiastes was obviously written after Solomon had gone through his whole experience. From the wisdom that was given to him, then to him going into apostasy, but finally God being able to capture his attention and give him the strength to turn it all around in full repentance.

• He could write this counsel because it was his experience.
• The wisest man that ever lived. To have understood and seen and experience so much. But yet at the end of the day he would declare that everything was vanity. Everything in this world was useless.
• Ecclesiastes 1:2
  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Apart from calling everything vanity, what is some of the counsel that Solomon leaves for us today?

• Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
  13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
• This was the conclusion to the whole book. Solomon’s conclusion is that the most important thing is to fear God and to keep His commandments.
• There is nothing more important than that. If we could grasp that and make that the priority of our lives, we would see blessings come down in abundance from our heavenly Father. We would see our lives much different and a great blessing. We would find satisfaction and contentment in our lives. And we would understand more clearly God’s will for us in each of our lives.
• In all his backslidings, God never took the wisdom away from Solomon that He gave at the very beginning. And the wisest man could clearly conclude what was most important. We need to pay close attention to this.

But what else does Solomon counsel us to follow today?

• Ecclesiastes 12:1
  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.
• He has a word for those that are still in their youth. We need to make it a point to remember our Creator during this time.
• If we would build a strong foundation in our young years rather than follow the trend of this world, we are giving ourselves the very best chance for success in this life. We need to commit to God in our youth. This is the best time to give Him our lives. He will lead us on a path of no regrets, no remorse, no sleepless nights.

How to remember God in the days of our youth?

• Luke 10:27
  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
• We got to love the Lord with all our hearts. And in order to do that, we have to spend time with Him in His word.
• Yes, we have to read His word. Something that many young people struggle with, and even older folks. We are just not a reading generation. But this is where we must put forth the earnest effort.
• Isaiah 33:6
  And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.
• The wisdom and knowledge that only heaven can give, that is what gives us the stability in our lives. And that knowledge is found in the word of God.
• Talent and human wisdom can only take us so far. But it is the fear of the Lord that we have to regard as most precious. This must be our high aim and most earnest desire. Everything else must come secondary to this.
• Deuteronomy 4:5-6
  5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
• But it’s not just knowing. It is also asking God to help us to be willing to do it and then asking for His strength to help us to do it. This is the true wisdom. It’s not just about being the wisest person to ever live. But the wisdom is found in the keeping of God’s statutes and judgments.
• This is what makes a nation great. And this is what makes a man and woman great. Not how much riches he or she possess. It’s not how many allies and connections you have. It is not the size of your army. But it is our willingness to do what God says.

If you have strayed like Solomon and found wasting away your time and your talents, it’s not too late to come back to the Lord. God is always ready to pardon and always ready to forgive.

• Isaiah 55:7
  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
• Hosea 14:1, 4
  1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
• Though Solomon had walked in his own way for so long, God was still willing to forgive and to heal his backsliding. Though he would have much to regret because of his wasted years living in transgression to God’s laws, God still gave him the wisdom to write in the book of Ecclesiastes to warn those would come after to not follow in his footsteps.
• And the greatness that he had in his life while in transgression, he could have been even greater if he had added God to it.
• When Solomon asked for wisdom and for God’s Spirit, God gave that to him and so much more. And that is what happens when we put God first. He gives us His most precious gift of His Spirit, but then He is willing to add even more to it. Just like how God added to Solomon what he didn’t ask for – riches and honour.

In closing, Solomon’s words are so precious for us who live today.

Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

• There is nothing wrong to pursue wisdom. Knowledge is power. To live an ignorant life is sometimes a very dangerous life. But successful people in the world focus on wisdom.
• Yet God warns us that we can destroy much of the good that we have in our lives if we sin against God. If we just walk outside of the boundaries of what God has outlined in His word for us. And even if we have the wisdom of heaven, it will do us no good if we are not willing to follow it.

Ecclesiastes 10:1
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

Solomon repeats the thought again. He knows because he is speaking of his own experience. No matter how much wisdom and honour we might have, if we allow just a small thing like a dead fly to taint that good smell, it will affect our whole life.

Solomon allowed much more than just a small dead fly to taint his life. He went against much of what God had warned and counselled him of. And instead of being the wisest and most glorious and honourable king that Israel would ever have in its history, because of his folly he would be the last king to rule of the whole nation.

Friends, God desires still to pour out His blessings on all of us today. Physical, mental and spiritual blessings are all within reach if we would ask. But to be faithful is what will give a sweet fragrance and influence of our lives upon others. No matter what talent you might have, let us make sure that it becomes a blessing and not a curse on others because of our faithfulness to God.