Part 8: Crucial Lessons From King Solomon's Life Series

Great Prayers of the Old Testament

Part 8: Crucial Lessons from King Solomon's Life

1 Kings 3:1-9, 1 Kings 11:1-13;

Ecclesiastes 12:1, 9-11, 13-14; 1 John 4:19

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared November 18, 2024)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to 1 Kings 3, as we begin to study one of the most important prayers we can ever pray. Shortly after he became king, David's son Solomon prayed to the LORD for wisdom, and he teaches us to pray for wisdom. But in order to understand King Solomon's prayer, first we need to know more about his life.

*Romans 8:28 tells us that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." This Scripture is always true. It was even true after the dark sin that preceded the marriage of David and Bathsheba. One consequence of their sin was the death of their firstborn son after only 7 days. But 2 Samuel 12:24 says, "Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him." (Thank God, He loves us too! As John 3:16 says, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.")

*The LORD loved Solomon, but Solomon wasn't David's only son. And Bathsheba wasn't David's only wife. He had many wives. We don't know how many, because only eight of them are named in the Bible -- "only eight". David had many children from his wives, including 19 sons named in the Bible. He also had more sons from his concubines.

*There was bound to be a fierce competition for who would follow King David. In 1 Kings 1, David was very near death, and the son of another wife decided that he would be king. His name was Adonijah, and he was able to talk key leaders into supporting him, leaders like Joab the general and Abiathar the priest.

*It looked like Adonijah had a good chance of pulling it off. But Solomon's mother and Nathan the prophet got to King David just in time, and David made sure that Solomon was crowned king. That happened mainly because the LORD also wanted Solomon to be the new king. Then in 1 Kings 2 David died after giving Solomon some godly advice and practical directions. But the new king needed more wisdom, and he prayed for it here in 1 Kings 3. Please think about these things as we read 1 Kings 3:1-9.

MESSAGE:

*In today's Scripture, King Solomon shows us some of the most important prayer lessons we can ever learn.

1. THE FIRST LESSON IS: WE MUST BEWARE OF BACKSLIDING.

*God's Word points us to this truth in vs. 1 where "Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall all around Jerusalem."

*Church: There is no doubt that King Solomon was saved by God's grace through faith in the promise of the future Messiah. In Proverbs 3:5-6, Solomon urged us to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." There should be no doubt that Solomon trusted in the LORD.

*There is also no doubt that Solomon was one of the wisest men who ever lived. And vs. 3 here tells us that "Solomon loved the LORD." But God's Word never sugarcoats the flaws of His followers. And Solomon's biggest flaw was his marriage to foreign wives. William MacDonald explained that: "Solomon married the daughter of the Pharaoh who was then in power in Egypt." J. Vernon McGee explained that Solomon's marriage formed an alliance with Egypt.

*Now, this marriage may not have been a giant step away from the LORD, because this bride may have converted to Judaism. But this first step backwards shows us that Solomon was at least partially trusting in political alliances, rather than fully trusting in the LORD. And this way, Solomon linked himself with many foreign powers, but he alienated himself from the LORD." So, this marriage to the Egyptian was the first of many steps away from the LORD. And these marriages to idol worshiping wives may have been politically expedient, but they were spiritual disasters, forbidden by God's law.

*From this point on, Solomon's harem grew until it contained hundreds of foreign women. J. Vernon McGee noted that Solomon prayed for wisdom after he married Pharaoh's daughter. -- And we could only wish that he had prayed before the marriage. (1)