The Mistakes of Kings - A series. King Solomon

The wisest man that ever lived. Generations later we are still enjoying the life lessons from his proverbs. Solomon was a man that was favored; initially because of his father King David, then by the act of worship that moved the hand of God to give him a blank cheque.

'There in the front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the LORD's presence and sacrificed 1000 burnt offerings on it. That night God appeared to Solomon and said, ''What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!'' (2 Chron 1:6, 7 NLT)

Solomon was promised wisdom, riches, honor, long life and protection. He became richer and wiser than any other king of the earth. Kings from every nation of the world came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God given him.

He started well...very well. He had the legacy of his father - a man after God's heart, he had God's blank cheque, he was God's beloved - Jedidiah, he had the honor to build the Temple for God. He had everything a person could ever want. Yet...he ended life in sorrow. What happened?

He sinned against God. There was no war, the Temple was completed, there was peace in the land. Maybe he had too much time on his hands - I don't know. He disobeyed God. 

He started marrying those that God had expressly  commanded the people of Israel not to marry. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. That definitely gave him something to do with his time! And they turned his heart away from God.

Not only was his heart turned, he built pagan altars and worshiped them! What happened to the beautiful Temple?

Towards the end of his life, the peace he had been enjoying was taken away from him - he had two adversaries that made his life hell. He became sceptical about his wisdom, his wealth and life in general. He died knowing that the Kingdom had already been torn from him, if not for the sake of his father David, none of his descendants would have remained on the throne.

A leader who forgets the One that put him in the position of power will soon fall.

A leader who lets the lust of the flesh rule his heart instead of the love and fear of God will lose their leadership position.

No leader is mightier or greater than God.