Heroes: Solomon – The Cunning King

Heroes: Life Lessons from Faith Champions

Part 9 – Solomon – The Cunning King

1 Kings 3:5-28; Ecclesiastes 1-2

Where do people search for happiness?

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”

    says the Teacher.

“Utterly meaningless!

    Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:2

5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 1 Kings 3:5.

7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:7-9

Lesson #1 – When given the chance to ask God for anything, pray specifically for and !

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 46:47-49

Lesson #2 – When I pray for wisdom and discernment, it God!

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 1 Kings 3:10-15

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,

    those who gain understanding, Proverbs 3:13

6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 1 Kings 10:6-7

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.”… 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. Ecclesiastes 2:1,3

Lesson #3 – I will never find significance and meaning in anything .

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards… 7 …I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces… 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me…10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun… 17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:4–11, 17

Lesson #4 – causes me to veer far from God resulting in despair.

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women… 2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them… 1 Kings 11:1-2

4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, 1 Kings 11:4

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24

How can I find meaning and happiness in life?

• Pray for and !
• Please God by seeking the wisdom He offers in His Word.
• Stop searching for significance and meaning .
• Stay near to God by striving to honor and obey Him in every area of life.