Solomon's Example of Failing to Apply Wisdom - How Could the Wisest Man in History Be So Foolish

Solomon is the best example in Scripture of failing to apply wisdom. It’s absolutely astounding that Solomon was worse in every respect after receiving wisdom, which is why he demonstrates the failure of not applying wisdom that’s been given. The question is how could the wisest man in history be so foolish?

We have been looking at Solomon from two completely opposing perspectives. First, we looked at him as an example of obtaining wisdom. Then we started looking at him as an example of failing to apply wisdom, which is to say an example of foolishness. So we’ve looked at him as an example of wisdom and foolishness.

In Deuteronomy 17 God told Israel’s kings not to multiply horses, wives, or wealth because they could put their trust in these instead of trusting God. And kings were not to cause the people to return to Egypt, b/c it’s a picture of the world and when God delivers us from something we aren’t to return to it. After God gave Solomon wisdom, he violated all these commands.

Solomon’s worst sin was idolatry. The man who built the temple for the LORD stated building high places to the worst idols in the Old Testament.

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Sermon Lessons: Solomon's Example of Failing to Apply Wisdom - How Could the Wisest Man in History Be So Foolish?

0:00 Solomon’s foolishness was produced by:

5:00 Lesson 1: Years of ____________________ .

27:19 Lesson 2: ____________________ .

39:00 Lesson 3: Letting blessings become “__________________.”

Family Worship Guide

Day 1: Read 1 Kings 8:1-8 and discuss: how do you think the wisest man in history came to act so foolishly? Describe the steps in Solomon’s compromise in these eight verses. How did the compromise take place. Why is compromising so dangerous? What are some of the things we can think while compromising? What don’t people expect while compromising? What are some compromises you have committed, and are there any in your life currently that need to be removed?

Day 2: Read 1 Kings 11:4, 6, 1 Samuel 15:15 and discuss: how could Solomon justify his compromise? In other words, what might he have told himself? How did Saul justify his disobedience? How do we justify our disobedience? What might we tell ourselves when we disobey?

Day 3: Read Ecclesiastes, Hebrews 13:5, and discuss: what happened with the bronze serpent? How did it come into existence, and then what did the Israelites do with it years later? What are some blessings that we can misuse, or in other words, allow our relationships to them to become sinful? How can we prevent our relationships to these blessings from becoming sinful? How did Solomon let his relationship to the blessings in his life become sinful?