Key Verse: Verse 12 – “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.”
Key Words: I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart
The life of Solomon was far from perfect. As a matter of fact, Alexander Whyte says of Solomon, “The shipwreck of Solomon is surely the most terrible tragedy in all the world.” His wives and concubines were more numerous than we care to talk about; his battle with depression and negativity can be seen on the pages of God’s Word in the book of Ecclesiastes; but in spite of all that, Solomon was the wisest of men.
If you study the life of Solomon, you will find that Solomon has the same problem that all mankind faces: he wanted the wisdom of God and the ways of the world. The two just do not mix.
It reminds me of the Sunday School teacher that told his class about the story of Lazarus and the rich man from Luke 16. The teacher highlighted the plight of Lazarus and the blatant neglect of the rich man. One was privileged in the world while the other had peace in heaven. After the teacher had shared these truths, he posed the question to his class, “Now, which would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?”
One little fellow raised his hand and replied, “I’d like to be the rich man while living and Lazarus when I die.”
Now, it just appears to me that he pretty much summed up the feelings of many who want the best of both worlds. So it was with Solomon who wanted the wisdom of God and the ways of the world.
What to do:
✞ Make a choice: God or the world. To choose both equals depression and despair.
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