Let’s talk about some people!

1. Let’s talk about some people! • Never seem to be satisfied. • Somewhat Greedy. • Unable to deny themselves. • Always looking for the next event or item that will make them happy.

2. I believe there is a person in scripture that captures this problem and can truly help us.

3. Guess Who ? • The son of a king. • He was also a king. • He ruled Israel for 40 years. • He built a great Temple. • 1 Kings 3:12 • I have given you a wise and discerning • heart, there has been no one like you • before you, nor shall one like you arise • after you.

4. Who is it ? King Solomon

5. Let’s look at the scripture when God appeared to Solomon in a dream.

6. 1 Kings 3:4-14 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. [5] In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you." [6] Then Solomon said, "Thou hast shown great lovingkindness to Thy servant David my father, according as he walked before Thee in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward Thee; and Thou hast reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. [7] "And now, O Lord my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. [8] "And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people who cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. [9] "So give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?" [10] And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. [11] And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, [12] behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. [13] "And I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. [14] "And if you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days."

7. Let’s look at a popular story showing Solomon’s wisdom.

8. 1 Kings 3:16-28 Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. [17] And the one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. [18] "And it happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. [19] "And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it. [20] "So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. [21] "And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne." [22] Then the other woman said, "No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son." But the first woman said, "No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son." Thus they spoke before the king. [23] Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.' " [24] And the king said, "Get me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. [25] And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." [26] Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him." But the other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!" [27] Then the king answered and said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother." [28] When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

9. Let’s look at one more story showing Solomon’s wisdom.

10. 1 Kings 10:1-9 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions. [2] So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. [3] And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her. [4] When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, [5] the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. [6] Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. [7] "Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.

11. Some of Solomon’s accomplishments. • There was no one wiser before him or after him. • He built the great Temple. 1 Kings 4:26 And Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 1 Kings 4:32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. • He wrote 3 books of the old testament. • He basically had all the money, all the gold and silver, • all the women, all the land, and was well respected by • all his people and all others.

13. The fall of Solomon.

14. 1 Kings 11:1-13 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, [2] from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, neither shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love. [3] And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. [4] For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. [5] For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. [6] And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done. [7] Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. [8] Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. [9] Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, [10] and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. [11] So the Lord said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. [12] "Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. [13] "However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

15. The book of Ecclesiastes is where I think Solomon really brings a true message that can teach us an important lesson. The word Ecclesiastes means “Preacher” Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, is basically giving us his sermon and using his wisdom with great insight into many events that he has contemplated in his life. Solomon uses the term “Vanity” and “all that’s under the Sun”. Let’s look at the end of Solomon’s sermon

16. Remember everything we want to do on earth to make us happy, Solomon did.

17. Eccles. 12:13-14 fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. [14] For God will bring every act to judgment, Everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: