First Baptist Church Litchfield
chapel 3/12
  • Sovereign One
  • They will see God (Matthew 5:8)
  • Carry It On Philippians 1:8
  • Your Love
  • His Mercy Is More

  • God created all that is. Therefore, all that is is His (Genesis 1-2).

    Adam and Eve wanted to be their own; Rebellion in their hearts was sown (Genesis 3:1-3).

    Judgment to the snake God spoke, And hope in Adam’s heart awoke (Genesis 3:9; 14-19).

    So, “mother of the living,” he named his wife, For her seed is the source of life (Genesis 3:20-24).

    People never did do good, but God saved Noah at the flood (Genesis 6-9)

    Land, Seed, and Blessing God promised to Abram, and the nations, also would be blessed in him (Genesis 12: 2-3; 15:5-6)

    From Egypt God His People saved, and at Sinai, the Law He gave (Exodus 7-14; 20:1-3)

    Then by God’s power the land they took, but then, their good God they forsook (Joshua 11:23; 21:43-45; 1 Samuel 8:7-8)

    God raised up David as their King, God’s rich mercy, he did sing (1 Samuel 17:49; 2 Samuel 22:50-51)

    David’s Sons Forsook the Lord and Did not Keep His Holy Word 1 Kings 11:4

    The Slippery Slope of Apostasy (1 Kings 11:1-8)

    Solomon, despite his great wisdom and the favor of God, turned away from the Lord through his marriages with foreign women and their idolatrous practices, leading to his downfall.

    Forsaking the Lord leads to spiritual decline and heartache, but keeping your heart loyal to Him secures your faith and eternity.

    Solomon's Shift from Devotion (1 Kings 11:4)

    There was a time when Solomon was the model of faith for his people. The bible says when Solomon was a young boy, that
    1 Kings 3:3 ESV
    3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.
    The Lord loved Solomon and,
    1 Kings 3:5 ESV
    5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”
    Solomon could’ve asked for health, wealth, and prosperity for himself. Instead Solomon prays,
    1 Kings 3:7–9 ESV
    7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore 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?”
    Solomon said to God,
    “Make me wise, make me wise Let me see through this world's lies There are so many paths to follow And I don't want to compromise Make me wise, make me wise So I'm pleasing in Your sight Lord, I want to bring You glory So I'm asking You to make me wise” Sovereign Grace Music
    And the Bible says,
    1 Kings 3:10 ESV
    10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
    So, God made him the wisest man on earth. Aside from the Lord Jesus Christ, there has been none wiser than Solomon. Furthermore, God gave Solomon all the things he could’ve asked for, but didn’t: health, wealth, power, prosperity, and prestige. So, Solomon flourished, and because he flourished, Israel flourished under his wise rule.
    But, as we read in our text this morning, something happened to Solomon’s faith.
    1 Kings 11:4 ESV
    4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
    Somewhere between Solomon’s prayer as a young boy to his old age, Solomon’s devotion to God shifted away from God toward false gods. How did this happen?

    Solomon shifted away from God’s word.

    God made rules for the kings of Israel to follow. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, Moses told the people four laws concerning the king.

    Limited Wealth:

    The text states the king "must not acquire vast quantities of silver and gold". This restriction aimed to prevent the king from becoming too powerful or focused on material possessions, potentially leading to corruption or neglect of the people's needs.

    No Excessive Horses:

    The king is also forbidden from "acquiring more and more horses" or "sending the people back to Egypt with a view to increasing his cavalry". This restriction likely stemmed from the belief that reliance on military strength, especially from foreign sources, could lead to dependence on other nations and a weakening of their faith in God.

    Limited Wives:

    The text also says, "Nor must he keep on acquiring more and more wives, for that could lead his heart astray". This restriction is likely intended to prevent the king from being swayed by the influence of multiple wives, potentially leading to political instability or religious compromise.

    Importance of the Law:

    The king is commanded to write a copy of the Law on a scroll and to read it daily, ensuring he remains grounded in God's teachings and does not become arrogant or deviate from the commandments.
    The Bible tells us that Solomon did not follow God’s word. He became the wealthiest king who has ever lived. He amassed large amount of horses for his military and he made treaties with all the nations around him. And with those treaties, Solomon married many foreign women. The writer of 1 Kings explains,
    1 Kings 11:1–3 CSB
    1 King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women 2 from the nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn your heart away to follow their gods.” To these women Solomon was deeply attached in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred who were concubines, and they turned his heart away.
    1 Kings 11:4 ESV
    4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
    Solomon gradually shifted away from the Lord by not staying aligned with God’s truth. Not staying aligned with God’s truth caused him to lose his first love. He neglected to read His Bible. He also lost sight of a daily commitment to the Lord. we do not just follow Jesus on Sundays. Jesus is Lord of every day. We must be in our Bibles every day of the week, praying, and seeking the Lord’s will. When you put your Bible away, your prays begin to stray, and your heart grows cold to Jesus. Which goes to show that being the wisest person on earth does not make you the most faithful person to God. You must,
    Matthew 22:37 ESV
    37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
    Loving the Lord faithfully requires single minded heart united loyal love and devotion to Jesus everyday. If you don’t do it everyday, your heart is inclined to love something other than God. This is called idolatry.
    All who forsake the Word fall into idolatry.
    John Calvin (French Reformer)

    Solomon's Sway to Idolatry (1 Ki 11:5-6)

    Anything above God is idolatry.
    Richard Sibbes
    What he means is, whatever you love more than God is an idol. An idol is something or someone you worship instead of God. Anything or anyone you place divine honors on that is not the one true God, no matter what pretext, is idolatry. Furthermore, your idols are not necessary physical. A.W. Tozer, wisely says,
    An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.
    A. W. Tozer
    Your heart is an idol making factory. You will make an idol out of everything, everyone, or even every desire you would let your heart love. Solomon shifted his devotion away from God and which allowed his heart to love something less than God.
    In verse 5,
    1 Kings 11:5 ESV
    5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
    All of these are false gods, nonexistent and merely the deities of the women Solomon married. Both Ashtoreth (also known as Astarte or Ishtar) and Milcom (also called Molech) were false gods revered under various names across different nations. Milcom, specifically, was known for requiring child sacrifices (2 Kings 23:10). Chemosh was associated with Moab, possibly as a god of war. Ultimately, none of these were true gods, and they certainly did not merit Solomon's worship.

    Why is it not wise to worship idols?

    In short, its delusional. Idols have no power. They have no emotion, and not ability to do anything. They do not care about you or your eternity because they are lifeless. God makes this very point to his people when they turned to idols. God says,
    Isaiah 44:9–10 CSB
    9 All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure benefits no one. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame. 10 Who makes a god or casts a metal image that benefits no one?
    In Isaiah 44, essentially, God highlights the futility of creating and worshipping idols made by human hands, which cannot deliver or provide true sustenance. The passage illustrates the absurdity of worshipping a god made from the same material used for everyday needs. The Lord urges His people to recognize their delusion. There is no merit, joy, or good reason to worship anyone but the Lord God.

    What is the consequence of idolatry?

    Charles Hodge rightly says,
    Idolatry is everywhere represented in Scripture as the greatest insult the creature can offer the Creator.
    Charles Hodge (American Presbyterian Theologian)
    The Lord makes it very clear. In his first two commandments he says, you are not to worship any other gods, nor are you to make idols. They are the greatest insult to you can offer to God. Furthermore, the Lord makes it also clear, that idols have no ability to save you from his wrath.

    Solomon's Symbols of Apostasy (1 Ki 11:7-8)

    Solomon’s apostasy was so ingrained in his worship that it made itself known to those around him. Keep that in mind, LCS, whatever you worship in your heart will show itself in visible actions. From the abundance of your heart your mouth with speak. What you love and worship, your hands will serve.
    Solomon took in building high places for foreign gods, which leads to national spiritual decline.
    1 Kings 11:7–8 ESV
    7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
    He made places of worship for false gods, which led his people to worship them. Where the Kings leads the people will follow. Solomon led his people away from the Lord, and from his reign forward, Israel suffered spiritual and social decline. Not only do they worship false gods, but they begin to hurt each other, and eventually have a civil war that divides the nation into to parts. The books of 1 and 2 Kings, as well as 1 and 2 Chronicles, convey a history of wicked kings and social turmoil for Israel, and all of it began with Solomon.
    Your proper devotion to God and your actions, small or large, can contribute to their spiritual standing and those around you. Your faith in Jesus matters, not just to yourself, but to those who are in your circle.
    Solomon's failure points to our need for a perfect King. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live apart from Jesus, and he failed to worship God rightly. He devotion to God shifted and his heart was swayed by idolatry. And in doing so he led others away from the Lord.
    Thank God we have Christ! In Christ we find the one who remained faithful to God and leads us to true wisdom and righteousness. In Christ, we have his Spirit to help our hearts love his word and pray to God the Father. Jesus helps us to not shift our devotion or be swayed by idolatry.
    If you do not know Jesus, today is the day of salvation. Turn from your idolatry and trust him. He is better than Solomon. His wisdom and righteousness surpasses anything wisdom of this world. He is the one true King who leads you to the Father for all eternity through his perfect life, death, resurrection, and ascension. When you give your life to Jesus, He secures your life with the Father. He is a worthy King who is worth your worship and devotion.
  • Empowered by the Spirit, Guided by the Word
First Baptist Church Litchfield
pastorjason.fbcl@gmail.com
217-324-4232
http://www.firstbaptistlitchfield.org/
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