Tag Archives: moral decline

Solomon: From Riches to Rags

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It all started so well. A good looking and humble guy.

The first book of Kings describes King Solomon as a godly man. He “loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father.”

And if that wasn’t clear enough, when asked by the Lord what his desire was, his response was to ask for wisdom to rule Israel. He humbly admitted that he was “but a little child.” He confessed that he was not adequate on his own to govern God’s people.

What a start.

Dependence

Leadership in God’s kingdom must fundamentally be about dependence on the Lord to gift and guide. Those who lead must be built to lead and then they must be directed. That building of leadership qualities and guidance are from Jesus Christ.

Though a leader may not be born, all that he has has been given by the Lord. His abilities. His material wealth. His opportunities. So, whether a leader becomes a leader after the hard work of study and practice or was a leader since birth, it all comes from the Lord.

It was said of Solomon:

And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.

1 Kings 10:24 (ESV)

God had put into his mind all the wisdom he had. It all came from the Lord.

Therefore, the acknowledging of God’s gifting and help are essential to a good leader. Because God expects him to acknowledge God’s gifts to him.

…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…

Ephesians 5:20 (ESV)

And, it is by God’s guidance that the leader leads. God has given scripture (special revelation) and a world of wisdom (general revelation).

The good leader is dependent on the Lord for His guidance by His Holy Spirit enlightening the Words of scripture. He studies to know God’s Word as the kings of old were commanded:

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.”

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (ESV)

God’s leaders need to be immersed in God’s Word. That is a tall order and an order that Solomon seemed to understand.

And God’s leaders must also be wise to God’s “general” revelation. God has set in course rules of nature that may be studied and applied to act wisely in this life. That which is not clearly contained in His Word may yet be His means of directing a leader in wisdom.

Being a good engineer is founded upon studying God’s established physical universe. Working with the minds of men depends on understanding both the spiritual and physical complexities of his brain. So, the good leader studies God’s world to know with wisdom how to respond to the needs of his stake-holders.

Solomon astounded the people by his wisdom, in one case shocking his attendants by suggesting a baby be cut in half to determine who the correct mother was. He did not know how to do that by God’s law but by the Holy Spirit enlightening him to the events playing out before him.

All Good Things…

But the typical happened. And, it is a lesson for leaders everywhere.

Scripture says Solomon was wiser than anyone around. He was an exceptional leader and blessings of a material nature clearly followed him. Everything he touched, it seems, turned to gold.

And yet, he did what so many leaders do after starting well.

After building a beautiful temple for the worship of the Lord, at God’s direction, Solomon was turned. In his arrogance and power he married any woman he wished and used his subjects for his own ends.

The law expressly forbid marrying women not of Israel. Not out of spite or arrogance but because, as scripture explains, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” [1 Kings 11:2b]

And, he had a boatload of them. 700 wives and 300 concubines. Good grief.

Solomon also made a house…for Pharaoh’s daughter whom he had taken in marriage.
All these were made of costly stones…

And, scripture says they turned him away to other gods. After building a magnificent sanctuary for the worship of the one true God, he built places of worship [high places] for several other gods. Abomidable gods it says.

Art Thou the Man?

Are you going to be turned?

After being given opportunity to lead and being overwhelmed by the responsibility, were you humbled? Did you see it as a gift from the Lord to be given that great privilege of leading? Did you fall on your face before the Lord asking Him for wisdom to lead?

Great start.

Now, consider how far you can fall.

God was gracious to Solomon in leaving him in charge until he died (with rough spots along the way). But the Lord explained that Solomon’s legacy would be in rags. After such a great start, the Lord is said to be angry with Solomon.

Solomon’s legacy was the split of God’s people (Israel and Judah). They followed separate leaders and Israel especially followed Solomon’s example. The northern tribes (Israel) chose their own place of worship and ended up falling to conquerors (sooner than Judah).

It was a disappointing end for a thrilling start.

To Africa on a Lark by the Editor of Pearls and Swine Site

Kelly Dehnert, Editor of Pearls and Swine, has written a book about his family’s life in Africa as missionaries. The book provides helpful insights to engaging other cultures.

[To Africa On a Lark] is extremely readable, with an easy to follow flow. The stories are quite engaging…The overall theme of cross-cultural adjustment, with the “razor” image, comes through clearly. I hope that many will read, enjoy, and benefit from your engaging string of accounts.

J. Nelson Jennings, PhD – Editor, Global Missiology – English

What others say about the book:

Leadership: Solomon’s Slide

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We see in the story of King Solomon typical leadership.

Solomon began as a King of Israel with a spiritual fervor to serve the Lord and His people. He built the Temple to God’s specs and outfitted it in great splendor. He proceeded to give honor and praise to Yahweh in special speeches, prayers, and offerings. [1 Kings 8]

When Solomon finished, he threw a party for all who were there. After the major-league blast, the writer of 1st Kings says, “On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.” [1 Kings 8:66]

Solomon had shown great wisdom as he began to reign in Israel following his father, David’s death. Rather than seeking wealth or fame, he asked his Lord, “Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” [1 Kings 3:9]

God did indeed give Solomon wisdom.

Immediately the story of a prostitute is told to illustrate his wisdom. The prostitute had stolen the baby of another prostitute when hers died. The fight between the two women became a “he said, she said,” situation. But, Solomon, having wisdom from God, figures out who the true mother is through a rather clever ploy of discerning which woman had true compassion for the live child.

When God gave Solomon wisdom, he also gave him a promise: “If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” [1  Kings 3:14]

For a period of time he ruled well, walking in the ways of Yahweh.

Solomon’s story illustrates a common process of Christian leadership—leadership that is humble and seeks the good of those they serve and the blessings that follow. Idealism pervades those early days of building an organization. Even secular business management experts see it and write great tomes of analysis on leadership that is other-serving and its benefits to all involved [see “Good To Great“].

The Warning

But, of course, the promise in 1 Kings 3:14 came with an implied warning. If you don’t follow me, I won’t bless you. If you pursue other gods (like money, fame, glory), you do not have these promised blessings.

In the pages that follow Solomon gains great riches and honor and he slips into moral destruction. He pursues more and more wives who served other gods. And in the abundance of his wives, he begins to turn his attention away from Yahweh—Who created him, made him ruler, and blessed him with great wisdom and wealth.

Unfortunately, the growth of an organization, church, or corporation is like 700 wives leading the founder to worship the gods of mammon and power. In order to hold on to the wealth, power, or fame, the temptation to take control through intimidation, deceitfulness, and manipulation overcomes the leader.

The leader may begin with a heart to serve God and others. Honest updates from the mission field. Transparent financial dealings. Family-like workplace. But, then more is needed. More attention. More power. More honor.

The leadership of the organization with whom we served took this trajectory. Though in the beginning (over 40 years ago) the founders of our organization sought to be a witness of a redemptive God, they have come to their last days exhibiting arrogance, control, and image-building. They are more concerned about propping up their image as extraordinary people rather than seeking God’s glory.

Their updates are often full of exaggerations and the marketing of the mission is at times downright deceitful. One brochure had a picture of two “orphaned” women on the front. Even after being confronted that in fact the two women were not orphans, the CEO simply shrugged it off. When promoting their educational ministry to a granting institution, radical changes were made in the classrooms to make it appear they were doing much more than they really were. Children who were present for the unfolding were disgusted by the deceit in addition to the principal of the school.

Call to Humility

Several chapters later in 1st Kings, Solomon’s servant, Jereboam is given a promise by God that he will rule 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel following Solomon’s death. Despite Solomon’s idolatry, God does not cut him off from his position of power immediately. Rather, it would only be after his death that the kingdom would be divided. Though God’s blessings would continue for Solomon, Israel would no longer have a son of David ruling the entire nation…a great blow to Solomon.

Rather than humbling himself before God, turning from his idol worship and hunger for power, Solomon seeks to kill Jereboam. He seeks to control his losses at any cost. The long-term consequences of Solomon’s failure to lead under God’s rule were experienced for centuries to come [see the rest of Kings].

Typical.