Keep the charge of the Lord your God… that you may… prosper in all that you do.1 Kings 2:3 AMP
First, a king’s dying words to his son, Solomon: “I go the way of all the earth… Keep the charge of the Lord your God… that you may… prosper.” Then a funeral, and the son’s coronation. Next, Solomon prays for “an understanding heart.” God is so pleased that He says, “I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honour” (1 Kings 3:13 AMP). What could possibly go wrong? Everything! Here’s why:
(1) Solomon put a priority on possessions. He made almost $4 billion a year – most of it from forced labour – and kept it all for himself. (2) He put a priority on pleasure. He “loved many foreign women” (See 1 Kings 11:1 AMP). Inexorably, they enticed him into worshipping their gods and building temples to honour them. What started as a king’s right to pursue pleasure, turned into an outright act of rebellion against God. (3) He put a priority on power. Listen, “Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen” (1 Kings 4:26). It’s not that God doesn’t like horses – He doesn’t want us depending on our own strength.
Read Solomon’s writings – especially the Book of Ecclesiastes. Much of what he says can be distilled into one question – “How did I ever get here?” Tragically, he went so far that he was never able to find his way back. How can you avoid that? By keeping “the charge of the Lord your God… that you may… prosper in all you do.”
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