1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:06,279 Speaker 1: Let us pray. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon. Forasmuch 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: as this is done of THEE, and thou hast not 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded Thee, 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: I will surely rend the kingdom from THEE and will 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: give it to thy servant first Kings. Eleven eleven, Heavenly Father, 6 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: with every new breath that I take, and as I 7 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: watch you bring goodness and increase into my life, help 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: me not to forget that apart from you and your presence, 9 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: there is no true life. I will not forget that 10 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: it is in You that I live, I breathe, and 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: I have my being. So when temptations and the pleasures 12 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: of this world try to lure me from your path 13 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: of godliness, I will hold fast and combat the lie 14 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: that life is better without you. I will reject the 15 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: many I that will try to divide me from your divinity. 16 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: Like Solomon in his latter years, I will speak to 17 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 1: my mind and heart and command it to remember the 18 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: God of your youth, the God who has always been there, guiding, loving, 19 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: protecting me on the way to my design destiny. I 20 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: confess that my future is secure as long as I 21 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: secure myself in your ways. God, Thank you for preserving 22 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 1: me and protecting me and drifting away from my spiritual foundation. 23 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: You Lord in Jesus name, Amen. Listening to these daily 24 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the 25 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year, brought 26 00:01:51,800 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: to you by Bible in a Year dot com. 27 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 2: Solomon's fall from God. In our last story, the Temple 28 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: of God was finally built. David's dream to see God's 29 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 2: home amongst the people of Israel had finally been fulfilled 30 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 2: through his son Solomon. King Solomon dedicated the temple to God, 31 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: and a new age of peace fell upon the Hebrews 32 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 2: for the first time in their history. In this story, 33 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: Solomon meets the Queen of Sheba and slowly begins to 34 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: fall from God. Solomon will seek to fill a hole 35 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 2: in his heart with women as his final years bring 36 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 2: war to the land of Israel. Inspired by the books 37 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 2: of First Kings and Second. 38 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 3: Chronicles, Hi, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode 39 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 3: of the Bible in a Year podcast. In our lastep, 40 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 3: we heard how Solomon built the Temple for the Lord, 41 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 3: a glorious temple Israel was in a time of unprecedented 42 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 3: prosperity and peace, and the people gathered to worship God 43 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 3: in this magnificent temple that Solomon had built, the place 44 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 3: where God's presence would dwell among them. But as we 45 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 3: will hear today, as Solomon's fame grew, bringing wise men 46 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 3: and royals from far and wide to seek his council, 47 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,839 Speaker 3: he became distracted by things other than God. It would 48 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 3: spell the end of peace for Israel and mar his 49 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 3: legacy forever. So let's listen now to today's reading from 50 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 3: God's Word. 51 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 2: Under the rule of Solomon, Israel became the crown jewel 52 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 2: of the Eastern world. Kings and queens of all nations 53 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 2: would visit Israel to marvel at Solomon's temple, libraries, architecture, gardens, 54 00:03:54,680 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 2: and fields. Solomon's fames spread across the deserts, forests, and ranges. 55 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: Wise men and women would travel far and wide to 56 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 2: seek his counsel. He was the heralded philosopher king, and 57 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: all adored his kind and wise nature. One day a 58 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 2: caravan emerged from the south. A sea of camels, jewels, spices, 59 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: and gold paraded into the city streets. At the top 60 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 2: of her carriage, pulled by prized camels, the Queen of 61 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 2: Sheba sat lounging in the mild Israeli sun. She had 62 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 2: heard of Solomon's great wisdom and sought to ask him 63 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 2: questions of ethics, politics, philosophy, and theology. Solomon watched as 64 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: the Queen's caravan filled Jerusalem like a golden river. He 65 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 2: beckoned her into his palace, and the two spoke of 66 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: deep things among his gardens. The queen had profound questions 67 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 2: and challenging problems that needed solving. However, nothing was too 68 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 2: hard for the king. Gently and kindly, Solomon walked the 69 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 2: queen through every issue. She was amazed at his wisdom. 70 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: She had not realized just how knowledgeable the king truly was, 71 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: nor did she expect the riches of Israel to be 72 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 2: so vast and immaculate. She watched the way Solomon's servants 73 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: worked diligently and with joy. She awed at the warship 74 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 2: in the temple, and she could not understand the depth 75 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: of Solomon's kindness despite his riches. I had heard much 76 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 2: about your country and its achievements, the queen said, However, 77 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 2: it has exceeded my wildest dreams. A smile came across 78 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 2: her face. How happy your people must be to live here, 79 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 2: and how happy your officials must be to learn under you. 80 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 2: Praise your God for what has happened here. Then she 81 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 2: gave Solomon a gift of nine thousand pounds of gold, 82 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 2: along with spices and precious jewels. After saying goodbyes, the 83 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 2: queen departed, determined to bring similar wisdom and joy to 84 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 2: her land. Solomon was gifted with great wisdom and riches, 85 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 2: yet even his intellect and wealth could not protect him 86 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 2: from the darkness within his own heart. Solomon slowly began 87 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 2: to search for meaning in things other than God. His 88 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 2: heart often wandered aimlessly, seeking satisfaction and carnal activities. Solomon 89 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 2: had a love for foreign women. What started as marriages 90 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 2: to form alliances quickly turned into a sick addition to 91 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 2: new women and new pleasures. Besides his first wife from Egypt, 92 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 2: Solomon married women from Moab, amman Edom, Sidon, and Hittite. 93 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 2: He immersed himself in the strange sexual practices of other cultures. 94 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: Soon his mind began to wander into the dark recesses 95 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 2: of other religions. This is why the Lord had strictly 96 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 2: warned the people of Israel to not marry those with 97 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 2: other gods. Solomon was reaping the terrible consequences of his 98 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 2: Actionslomon amassed a harem of seven hundred wives and three 99 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 2: hundred concubines, Continually wanting to satisfy himself with new women, 100 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 2: he began to forget what it meant to love faithfully. 101 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 2: Solomon's heart began to fall from God. Solomon had built 102 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 2: the Temple of God for this. He would be remembered 103 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 2: forever for his faithfulness. However, his union with many different 104 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: cultures and nations also led him to build shrines and 105 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 2: altars to false gods. With each passing year, Solomon would 106 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 2: give a peace of his soul over to a new God. 107 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,679 Speaker 2: This caused a deep anger in God, he had gently 108 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 2: warned Solomon many times. However, his heart was corrupted, just 109 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: as his ancestors in the wilderness. God's wrath burned against Solomon, 110 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 2: and he decided to divide his kingdom among his descendants. 111 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 2: As Solomon engaged in his sexual idle worship, rebels and 112 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 2: adversaries began to emerge from the depths of Israel, giving 113 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 2: Solomon and his first taste of war. Rebellion from the 114 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 2: east and south began to emerge, and Solomon was finally 115 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 2: called to war. His era of peace had been interrupted 116 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 2: by doubt, bloodshed, and conflict. This was a representation of 117 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 2: Solomon's heart. For the last years of Solomon's life, he 118 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 2: warred against rebellion and felt no peace. For forty years 119 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 2: Solomon ruled over Israel. He brought the nation into an 120 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 2: unprecedented era of peace. His heart to worship God reflected 121 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 2: his father's, and his wisdom gave him more riches than 122 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 2: he could ever have imagined. However, the last few years 123 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 2: of his rule was marked with woe. Towards the end 124 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 2: of his life, Solomon's writings became contemplative and sorrowful. He 125 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: reflected on the meaningless pursuit of knowledge, riches, and success. 126 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 2: As his eyes began to dim and his bones grew brittle, 127 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 2: Solomon finally came to the understanding that there is no 128 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 2: meaning in life apart from God's presence. With his dying breath, 129 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 2: he praised God and his son Ria Boam took his 130 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 2: place as king. 131 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 3: As we begin today's passage, Solomon has become a man 132 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 3: of great renown, not only in Israel, but all around 133 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 3: the world. Word of his wisdom and kindness spread far 134 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 3: and wide to kings and queens and sages from distant lands, 135 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 3: just as God had promised him. Solomon's wisdom was matched 136 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 3: by no one, but his wealth and prosperity was also 137 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 3: without equal. It was an opportunity for Israel to be 138 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,319 Speaker 3: a shining witness to the rest of the world. As 139 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 3: when the Queen of Sheba came to see Solomon, she 140 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 3: was impressed by his great mind and by the wealth 141 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 3: that she saw in his country. She even seemed to 142 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 3: praise God for what he had done for Israel, But 143 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 3: in reality she wasn't interested as much in the giver 144 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 3: of blessings as she was in the blessings and all 145 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 3: the benefits themselves. Though she had a chance to turn 146 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 3: to God, the One True God, and honor him, what 147 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 3: she really wanted in the end were the riches. Unfortunately, 148 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 3: it wasn't just the Queen of Sheba who missed the 149 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 3: point of things. As his fame and influence grew, Solomon's 150 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 3: attentions turned away from God and then came the gratifying 151 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 3: of the flesh. Like so many before him, Solomon's appetite 152 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 3: for sexual pleasure clouded his vision, and being a man 153 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 3: of such power and influence, he was able to take 154 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 3: many wives for himself. As he would later write in Ecclesiastes, 155 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 3: Solomon denied himself nothing he desired. That is a recipe 156 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:49,199 Speaker 3: for disaster. He married women from many different countries, women 157 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 3: who worshiped other gods. Taking wives from other nations was 158 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 3: against God's will, and in First Kings eleven, verse two, 159 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 3: we hear why you shall not enter into marriage with them, 160 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 3: neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn 161 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 3: away your heart after their gods. But Solomon, for all 162 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 3: of his wisdom, ignored God's command, and sure enough his 163 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 3: heart became divided. He took more than seven hundred wives 164 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 3: and three hundred concubines, and each of these unions chipped 165 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,679 Speaker 3: away at his relationship with the Lord and his ability 166 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 3: to lead. Despite multiple warnings from God, Solomon allowed himself 167 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 3: to be corrupted by lust, and eventually God's anger could 168 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 3: be held back no more. The peace that Israel had 169 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 3: experienced was shattered as wars broke out once more. Not 170 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:46,079 Speaker 3: only that, but Solomon's own peace was destroyed and sorrow 171 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 3: filled his heart. For much of his latter years. Because 172 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 3: of his persistent sin, God would split the kingdom intwo, 173 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 3: but this would not happen until his son Raya Boam 174 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 3: became king. It is the tragic result of sin and unfaithfulness, 175 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 3: and it is a powerful reminder that what Israel needed, 176 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 3: what we all need, is a king that was not 177 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 3: just wise, but one who is perfectly good and pure. 178 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 3: And there is only one king who is above all kings. 179 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 3: He would one day rise from the House of David 180 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 3: as Savior and Lord and give us the power to 181 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 3: defeat sin. Jesus is the king of kings and the 182 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 3: Lord of lords. Solomon came to understand at the end 183 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 3: of his life what his father knew, that there is 184 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 3: nothing that compares to being in God's presence. Solomon repented 185 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 3: and praised God once more before he went to his 186 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 3: final rest and the kingdom passed into the hands of 187 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 3: his son Raaboam. Would the new king model the wisdom 188 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 3: of his father, or was Israel headed for more pain. 189 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 3: We'll find out the next time. Dear God, we remember 190 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 3: the words of the hymn which says, prone to wander, Lord, 191 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 3: I feel it prone to leave the God I love 192 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 3: we are all prone to leave the God that we love, 193 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 3: just like Solomon. We want to wander. But God, we 194 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 3: ask you to move in our hearts to sanctify and 195 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 3: purify us, and by your grace and because of your forgiveness, 196 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:26,439 Speaker 3: that we would live holy and godly lives. Help us 197 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 3: to keep our eyes on you and to worship you 198 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 3: and you only. May you be our King and our Lord, 199 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 3: forever and ever. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's 200 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 3: Bible and a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. 201 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 3: Download thepray dot com app and make sure that prayer 202 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 3: and Bible reading is a priority in your life. If 203 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 3: you enjoyed this podcast, let someone else know, share it 204 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 3: with someone you love, and let's get the word of 205 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 3: God out to many, many people. And if you want 206 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 3: more resources as to how you can learn and live 207 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 3: the Christian life, be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. 208 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 3: That's Jack Graham dot org.