Good Start But Bad Finish

I Kings 3:5-12; 11:1-10

It’s always good to have a strong start in things, whether it is a race or a project.  However, what is more important is having a good finish.  One can start off a race at a good speed, but if you stumble and fall along the way, you will finish way back, or perhaps not even at all.  One can start a project doing fine, but get distracted, do a sloppy job, or lose interest, and the project is a failure.  This is especially true in life.  We can start out doing great with grand plans, and then get sidetracked with problems and sins, and life ends with disappointment.  This is particularly tragic when it happens in our spiritual life.  We have all heard of King Solomon, the son and heir of King David.  He is said to be the wisest king in history, and one of the wealthiest, as well.  As we read our Scripture passage today, we’ll see how he started out blessed by God, and then we’ll see what caused a tragic ending to his reign.

When King David died, his son Solomon inherited the throne.  Shortly after coming to the throne, God appeared to him in a dream, and asked Solomon what he would like to be given.  What would you say if God came to you and promised to give you anything that you would ask for?  Wealth and riches?  Fame?  Power?  Solomon took the responsibilities of being king very seriously, and he knew that at his young age (probably in his early 20’s) he was inexperienced.  To have wealth and fame wasn’t as important to him right then as having wisdom to rule the people properly, so he asked the Lord for an understanding heart, for wisdom (vs. 3:9).

Solomon saw his succession to the throne of his father David as evidence of God’s faithfulness to His promises (vs. 3:6), yet he was humble and knew his need for God’s wisdom to effectively rule.  God was pleased that Solomon didn’t ask for personal benefits, such as wealth or power over his enemies.  Asking for wisdom is always the best choice to make.  God encourages us to ask for wisdom from Him (James 1:5).

Solomon started his reign out on the right path with God.  However, he did not stay on that good path.  Within a few years he started heading down the wrong way, and as we read a few chapters later in the Book of Kings, his reign and life ended as a tragic disappointment in the eyes of God.

The first mistake Solomon made was to take many pagan women as his wives.  God had strictly commanded His people not to intermarry with pagan unbelievers, yet Solomon did not obey.  Solomon’s love for his wives led him to abandon his loyalty for the Lord, and he began to worship other gods.  He started the downward spiral that future kings would follow in their worship of pagan gods (vs. 11:1-6).  What is even worse is that Solomon erected many of the altars to these pagan gods and abominations right within sight of the Temple that he had built for the one true God, Yahweh.  Solomon had absolutely no excuse for doing what he did, as he had God’s Laws clearly written in the Books of Moses, and twice God had appeared to him in earlier years.

God has given strict commands throughout Scripture against a believer ever marrying an unbeliever.  Solomon’s choice of marrying pagan women led to their drawing him away from worshipping only Yahweh.  God will not tolerate compromise with other religions.  Believers need to stand against pressure to compromise our faith, and what we know to be true.

Compromise begins when we ignore God’s instructions, and follow the world’s practices.  When we start loving people, activities, or things more than we love God, we start on the downward path, just as Solomon did.  Compromise is a hidden danger, a hidden spiritual landmine.  It caused Solomon to drift from the Lord, so that after a few years he was sacrificing to pagan gods.  Don’t give Satan a toe-hold, which is what compromise does.

Solomon was different from his father, David.  Both had sinned in their lives more than once.  However, David truly confessed and repented of his sins, and made efforts to repair the breach with God.  Solomon never did, and he fell deeper and deeper into sin.  Solomon started out good, but ended so tragically with God.  As we go through our life, let us make sure that we do our utmost to end well, and not like Solomon.