The history of Solomon is an example of a man who had every blessing a person could want. As king of Israel for 40 years, he had power and fame. He had wealth beyond imagination. He had a discerning heart full of wisdom and understanding, making him wiser than the wisest men. He was a writer and composer, a scientist and a philosopher. He even penned Scripture, giving us the books of wisdom and poetry known as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
He had many accomplishments and building projects to his credit, but first and foremost, he constructed the temple in Jerusalem, fulfilling the lifelong dream of his father, David. When Solomon inaugurated the temple, God visited His people and graced them with His tangible presence, filling the temple with His glory so that the priests were unable to stand. Fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices that Solomon offered. And God wonderfully answered Solomon’s prayer, promising Solomon that His eyes would always be on Jerusalem, and on the House that Solomon had built in His Name, to answer the prayers of God’s children, and to heal their land.
What a rich example of the blessing and favor of God upon a man!
But there is more to the story of Solomon, for in his final days something is recorded that is both shocking and disturbing. Something we all must pay attention to. Please read the following account slowly and carefully.
“But King Solomon loved many foreign women… from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded.” (I Kings 11:1-10)
However well Solomon may have started out, and however well he may have lived for most of his life, Solomon did not finish well. He did not end his life on a good note. He ended poorly. He did not just make some mistakes towards the end of his life – he utterly, completely, and totally failed. He became an idol worshipper and a builder of idol temples.
May I say that all the accomplishments and blessings of a lifetime are worthless if you do not finish well. Running well is important, but finishing well is even more important. We can run poorly, walk, stumble, crawl, go in circles or make mistakes our whole life; but if we find the right path and finish well, that’s all that matters in the end. Paul refers to it as “finishing the race with joy” (Acts 20:24).
I have stated before, and I repeat: the majority of Christians today are not on track to finish well. They do not run well. In fact, they do not run or advance at all. They sit just inside the Narrow Gate, rejoicing in a future hope and a future salvation, relaxed and comfortable in the knowledge that they have passed through the Gate, so all is well. They are not walking the Path of Christ-centered spiritual growth and maturity. They are content to look backwards to what God was doing in their life twenty, thirty or forty years ago; to what God told them then, what God showed them then. They are nostalgic for the “good old days,” but have no present truth, no fresh clear vision that compels them to keep moving forward, no motivation or incentive to finish well – to finish with joy, to go out with a bang, to be full of fire right up until they take their final breath.
I don’t know when I will live my last day on earth. Neither do you. And I don’t know about you, but I do not want to get old and content and spiritually lazy, and take my relationship with God for granted like Solomon. The wisest, richest, most blessed man who ever lived ended up worshipping idols in his old age. Where will you be? Where will I be? Will we stay on the Path, or be distracted from the goal? I don’t want to spend my whole life teaching and praying and proclaiming the Kingdom of God, only to come to the end of my life and fall flat on my face the way Solomon did. Christ in us is better than that.
If you are middle-aged, or advanced in years, do not listen to the voices in your head telling you that you are no good, finished, all used up, no longer useful, no longer needed. That is a lie. Now, more than ever before, the Body of Christ needs your experience. Your insight. Your wisdom. Your counsel. Your perspective. And if nothing else, the Body of Christ needs your prayers and intercessions. You have a purpose to fulfill. Fulfill it. Finish well.
Do not be like so many others who fritter away the remaining years of their life on useless activities, pointless novels, or endless rounds of golf. If you are retired then enjoy the fruit of your labor, but don’t let down your guard. Don’t take a vacation from your spiritual stewardship. Don’t let your golden years be tarnished through carelessness and complacency. Don’t be like Solomon, the wise old fool, who had everything a man could ask for, but forgot about God in his old age.
No one is perfect. I do not believe that God expects sinless perfection from His people. We will make mistakes in spite of every good intention, and God’s grace is big enough to take our imperfections and impurities into account.
The point of this writing is not to examine God’s forgiveness (which is great), but to look at Solomon’s failure, make note of it, learn from it, and tuck it away for that time in our life when old age approaches – to ensure that we are not lulled to sleep, thinking that because we have walked with God for so many years, we can afford to become complacent.
And this word is also for those who are still young. Take advantage of the strength and passion of your youth. Follow hard after God and lay a good foundation for your later years. Don’t say you’ll do whatever you please now, and later on you’ll get serious. It seldom works out to be that way. Get committed now. Run well. Keep your eye on the goal.
In the end, Solomon wasn’t as wise as we thought. He threw away his most valuable possession: his friendship with God. If you and I, for all our other shortcomings, can keep our relationship with the Lord strong now, and all the way to the end, we will be in a much better place than Solomon was in his last days – a wise old fool who fell away from the truth.
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Disturbing in one way, reflecting on Solomon, but encouraging in another, for me that is; to remember this story always and never be complacent. I believe that as the Lord continues to reveal the depths of His love and grace in greater ways in our lives, that as our cup is over flowing with joy, we will or should have the desire to share that same love and joy with others; which should help us keep our focus on Christ, others and His direction for us.And we should always remind ourselves of the One who should be controlling our thoughts,every day.
Loved this!!!
Amen Chip! Good word brother!
No you do not hear this part of Solomon’s life. I certainly will keep this in mind as I approach a new decade in my life in age. How sad when I read this but yes, it could be anyone of us. I know of a few who think because they are older they are finished as far as being useful for the Lord.
I am finding the older I get the more I could be doing and I pray I never slide from that as I become more mature in the Lord there are so many things to do for the Kingdom of God. Good word, and I will always keep Solomon in mind and how foolish for such a supposedly wise man to throw his relationship away with the Lord. We are so blessed and how easily we can turn to our carnal fleshly ways. Thank you for sharing those thoughts Chip….something to always keep in mind.
So if Solomon’s 700 wives had been from the tribes of Israel and his three hundred concubines had also been Hebrew, all would have been good?
Perhaps the catalyst for Solomon’s downfall was his addiction to porn — manifested in his ability to fulfill whatever fantasy, whatever fetish with 1,000 different women.
Amen! This is what I have been saying for years. Now I have a Biblical example to illustrate it (thanks). This could well be the story of the entire Church in America. The one that started out so well, so strong; evangelizing the earth only to fall into apostasy and apathy in the end.
Praise our Lord!
I was thinking bout this some time ago.
Wondering why the end of Soloman’s life was not taught as a warning.
I also thank our Father, He had you mention about
being retired and taking a vacation from our Spiritual Stewartship.
When in fact my Spiritual Stewartship is the very reason we are vacationing out West.
The Lord gave me a vivid dream some 6 years ago. And 3 years ago a Prophecy was given over me as well. I had no idea that the Prophecy would be the fulfilling of that Dream in my retirement. To minister out West. Till I got out west. (I wanted to go to Florida) Thank God The Holy Spirit gave me the warning of Soloman before now. And Chip’s teaching stands as a confirmation to me in more ways than one! 🙂
Thank you for your diligence, insight, and pastoral leadership outside the walls, Brother Chip. This is a great reminder for all of us, especially those in ministry. I used to belong to a church with a pastor whose life ended much like Solomon’s, the fruit of his own unbridled lust. His preaching that began several decades earlier as meaty and nutritious meals based on the Word of God ended as watery soup based only on inclusive enticements. I am humbly grateful that God delivered me long before the lasting damage was done, but I know many who stayed and now have the scars, disillusionment, and bitterness to show for it. What a sad legacy that man, like Solomon, left for the church! Heavenly Father, help us not to forget Matthew 24:24.
Okay, so he did not finish strong. What does that mean? Does it indicate his place in heaven? Does it indicate whether or not he is living eternally? According to him (and God’s word), everything under the sun is meaningless. So, maybe Solomon was thinking that since everything in life is meaningless in the end, except for God, that it was okay to fulfill his sexual desires, since that seems to have been his greatest desire, and since it is ultimately meaningless. So, I get the point of finish strong, but if you don’t, what does that mean in the end? And how do you measure who is finishing strong and who is not? This is completely subjective to each individual.
Your findings of Solomon’s finish in life is quite interesting, but I am struggling trying to find the point in it. Yes, I want to finish strong, and who doesn’t? But if I happen not to, what does that mean? We will have struggles in our lives until our last breath. Do you think that if Solomon struggled with laziness in his last days, that we would be writing this? Or do you think we discuss this because it was about desire for women, and in our society, this is considered worse than laziness? I mean, I know that it took him away from the Lord and to other “gods”, but doesn’t that happen to all of us?
God Bless,
Randy
Perhaps if one were to view our walk in Christ as a walk of faithfulness /fidelity and not just a steadfast belief in him, then the warning of Solomon’s end stands as is. Simply this: that Solomon failed to walk faithfully with God until his dying day, he allowed himself to be led astray from fidelity towards God. Primarily, it seems, due to his disobedience in one area of his life – that of taking foreign wives. The lesson is clear – walk faithfully in God’s teaching, instructions, counsel, and commandments (Torch – law) ALL the days of your life. Finish well.
Thanks for being faithful Chip
Good to hear a different perspective. It’s too easy to pick apart the failures of either biblical characters or contemporaries and then somehow use that to set a standard.
Chip, I would respectively question your statement “May I say that all the accomplishments and blessings of a lifetime are worthless if you do not finish well.” How does John the Baptist then fare? Despite his last days doubts as to Jesus being both “suffering Lamb” and “conquering King” Jesus still affirms him as the greatest to arise, born of woman.
Personally, I trust in how He sees me, rather than in anything I may see that I have accomplished. Blessings
A little moment of despair or doubt on the part of John the Baptist (or anyone) is not the same thing as Solomon rejecting the Lord and worshiping idols. There is no comparison between the two. My statement conveys the essence of Mark 8:36: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
Good point Chip.
Maybe the rich young ruler would have been a better example. The question for him remains, did he after living a devout, committed life, in the end reject eternal life, or did Jesus set a standard for Him, He knew he couldn’t attain?
If that’s the case it sets for us the same standard. Perfection. (Matt 5:48) So be it Solomon, John the Baptist, the rich young ruler or you and I, our hope is in His life being lived in us, not in anything we do. I’ve always believed that is of core value to you. God bless.
well I have thought about this before and it always sadden me. I’m will be 74 this year and I’ve been up down and around. Have learned so much from you. But one thing I have learned the hard way. when god says DO NOT that’s what he means. Sad to say our country does not listen to his instructions. Keep up the good word ].
I WILL NEVER SEES TO BE AMAZED AT OUR FATHERS TIMING. I AM 26 YEARS OLD.IN A 76 YEAR OLD BODY. I HAVE JUST SIGNED UP FOR A CREATIVE WRITING COURSE. WHILE AWAITING THE DELIVERY OF SCHOOL MATERIALS I HAD BEGUN TO DOUBT THAT THIS WAS GOD ORDAINED. THAT I WAS BEING THE OLD FOOL TO THINK THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WHETHER I DO OR DO NOT – I HAVEN’T GIVEN UP AND I WILL STILL TRY TO MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE I WEEP TO SEE THE STATE THAT ORGANIZED RELIGION FINDS ITSELF IN. BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT IS THAT PEOPLE MY AGE DO NOT GIVE UP – DO NOT BECOME COMPLACENT – THAT THEY REMEMBER THAT WHAT AND HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES TODAY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE DAY WE FIRST BEGUN. DON’T GIVE UP THE GOOD FIGHT BY RESTING ON OUR LAURELS OR JUST PLAIN SELF PITY. THE FIGHT GOES ON THILL THE LAST KNELL OF THE BELL.
THANK YOU FOR THIS TIMELY REMINDER. JOHN
I believe God never fully removed the vail from Solomon’s eyes. Oh, he could see better than most (and not as well as others). When we are fully surrendered and the vail fully removed (with all its crust and every last spec) we can not finish any other way than the way our Father has purpose for us to finish. Once you eyes have seen the Glory there is no way to ever again unsee. It is (beyond this world) impossible. Solomon does not loose His salvation, however, how sad that he really never saw the Kingdom of Heaven and its eternal glory on Earth. God is taking us back to the Garden. The Kingdom of Heaven is here. Jesus came, not to make bad men or women good (that happens instantly the moment we see Him) but to make dead men and women alive. ETERNALLY ALIVE.
I wonder if Solomon’s last breath was a “Oh God forgive me” one??
We never know who will be in heaven and it is only natural to hope these amazing Biblical
“chosen ones” make it to the Kingdom since they did so much for Him during parts of their life. We weren’t there so who really knows??
Judas, Jesus’ accuser, even had remorse at the end as we hear he killed himself………..perhaps he too made it into God’s forgiving arms…….long shot, but we
won’t know until we make it there. (if we make it there—–God help us)
IN SPIRITUAL LIFE, COMPLACENCY IS THE CONDITION THAT CATCHES UP WITH A PERSON WHO HAS CEASED (OR PARTIALLY CEASED) TO FOCUS HIS/HER ATTENTION ON THINGS ABOVE ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE STARTS OFF BRILLIANTLY.
MANY THANKS TO BOTHER BROGDEN FOR THIS REMINDER USING ‘WISE’ KING SOLOMON AS AN EXAMPLE. IN FACT COMPLACENCY HAS BROUGHT DISASTER TO MANY ‘GREAT’ CONTEMPORARY PRESIDENTS SUCH MUBARAK, GADDAFI, CEASESCU AND KAUNDA. THE PROBLEM, IT APPEARS, IS THAT PEOPLE THINK BEING POPULAR IS SYNONYMOUS WITH BEING IRREPLACIBLE.
I’m in 29 years serving the Lord and I’m thanking Him that never in my life with Him had I turned my back from Him. Thank You, Lord for making me faithful in serving You and thank You, too for the strength that I’m able to overcome persecutions and trials that I faced since I got Born Again., in l982 and have just turned 68 now.God is really so good. I’ll serve the Lord up to the end. Glory to Him!
All I can say is that thank you very much for bringing us daily of an inspirational words from the word of God. There is part of this article which I read that I, myself used to say this ” I will just get serious with the Lord later.” But thank God, He did not allow me to go farther away from Him. Most of your articles I share it with my family members. So this article will be absolutely shared with them also to remind them to always examine their spiritual life in the Lord.
Complacency is an evil veiled in deceit. Those of us who want to finish “strong” need to have our guard up, our armor on and ready to do spiritual battle whenever the trumpet sounds regardless of age. The Spirit in a person knows no age limits.
Thank you Chip for this reminder! Last year we studied the story of DEMAS, a disciple of Paul, who was brilliant in sharing and discipling others in their identity and the Grace and Love of God. Demas deserted the faith and returned to his luxurious life as he had known before giving his life to the Lord. History showed that with all his knowing and understanding of the TRUTH, he returned home and ended up becoming a pagan priest in the temple. I was so saddened by his story and that of Solomon. I trust in our Father’ love and grace to keep me, lest I too fall away from such AMAZING GRACE AND LIFE!! I pray for my brethren that we will all keep our garments pure and untainted from this world and keep our hearts hidden in the ARMS OF HUMILITY, lest pride puffs us up to believe that could not happen to us. CHRIST ALONE KEEPS US!!
Thanks for this sober warning. To hear Chip’s Decoding the Bible series and now this article both have an urgent undertone to remain steadfast and rooted in Truth and watchful.
We can only imagine what the ultimate fate of a person like Solomon was when he chose to or let himself wander away from putting God first and made other ‘gods’ part of his life. We do know that the Lord was angry with him. Did Solomon repent before he died? We are not told. If he didn’t would that mean he lost his salvation?
Chip, can you help us understand the ultimate consequence (what it means for our salvation) if we have mixed our belief in God, including his mercy in saving sinners, with thinking and behaving like the world, which we are all guilty of in some ways?
I wouldn’t want to speculate about the “ultimate consequence” because there is a way of thinking that says so long as I eventually go to heaven when I die, who cares? I’ll do the best I can but if I come up short oh well (as reflected in some of the comments on this page). All I can tell you is we are warned to be faithful, count the cost, do God’s will, walk worthy, and produce fruit. The consequence for not doing so are clear, but the ultimate fate is up to the Lord. There is a case to be made that many will say, “Lord, Lord” yet will be shut out of the Kingdom. Interpret that however you wish, I don’t want to be in that group.
Thank you… I have not even started to walk well with the Lord and I have already voices in my head tell me that “I’m not good at anything, it’s all over, I am finished,it is too late for me, I’m exhausted, all used up, no more useful nor necessary to nothing…” I’m doing everything I can for not to listen to them…
You are walking well enough, Sandrine. You’re being too hard on yourself.
Thank you very much Chip for your encouragement. I do not know why I always feel that time flies too fast, that I walk to slowly, that I am not moving fast enough, and that I do not what it I would have to.. but thank you really for this encouragement.
Folllowing Jesus and wanting his will for your life is a day today decision for all of us.Just because a person wants to do the will of Jesus today doesn’t mean that person will want to do the will of Jesus tommorrow!