The FaithFul of God

The FaithFul of God

Do You Want To Start Personal Life Change: Devotional

Studies In The Book Of Proverbs?

How Did Solomon Ruin His Life?

Lesson

4

Part 3

Number three. God’s word must be your guarded treasure.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20
18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom,
that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which
 is before the priests the Levites:
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of
his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the
words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn
not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the
end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in
the midst of Israel.
Verse 19 says,
And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that
he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and
these statutes, to do them:
Think about this. The Bible, should go with us were we go every day.
God wants us to guard the scriptures and have it be a part of our life.
The fourth point of God’s pathway, reading the word must become your personal habit. “And he shall
read it.” You must immersed in the scriptures. We’re not talking about during Wednesday’s and Sunday’s.
Reading the word must become your personal habit. “And he shall read it.”
The Fifth point of God’s pathway, how to pursue Him and His wisdom. Nurturing your soul must become a
lifelong habit. It was a daily reading but look what verse 19 says. “All the days of his life.” Now pause, let me
ask you, do you hunger for the word of God as much as you are reminded in the morning that you want breakfast, or
coffee, or tea? Or at lunchtime, when you get up and didn’t have breakfast, your stomach is growling and you’re
looking for something to eat? Or you’re famished at dinner and the only thing on your mind is where am I going to
eat? I don’t want to miss the meal. Did you know, the Bible says that we’re supposed to hunger after the pure milk
of the word until we grow enough, that we feast on the meat of God’s word. Number five, nurturing your soul must
become a lifelong habit. Number four, it must become reading the word as a personal habit, that cultivates a
lifelong habit.
Now, look at number six, spiritual growth takes up your time. It’s not instantaneous. Verse 19 says, it continues,
“that he may learn to fear the LORD his God,” Whoa. Look at this, God says, Solomon, you ruined your life because
you didn’t obey my word and select friends God’s way. Because you did not commit to seeking God’s path of wisdom.
You didn’t realize spiritual growth takes time. It’s not instantaneous. It takes time to read the Bible. It takes
time to mark the scriptures. It takes time to memorize the scriptures. Are you committed lifelong, personally, to
long-term growth? That’s God’s pathway.
Do you remember what Joseph said? Not only did he say no and flee, but before he fled, he looked at Potiphar’s wife
and he said, how can I do this evil and sin against what? God. I am seeing Joseph right there. I was seeing Solomon
supposed to copy this. I was seeing David as he did copy it and it came out in all those psalms he did. Do you know
what I think of when I think of Potiphar’s wife and Joseph’s statement to her? Joseph said, how can I do this evil
and sin against God? Potiphar’s wife went, God? There’s nobody else in this room. There’s nobody else in this house.
Who are you talking about?
What’s the fear of God? God’s watching all the time. Proverbs reminds us of that. That’s God’s path of wisdom, to
say, Lord, I’m wanting to go your way and you’re watching. You saved me. You redeemed me. You bought me at a price.
You’ve given me your wisdom. I want to start redeeming my time for eternity.
Number six, spiritual growth takes up your time and it’s not instantaneous.
Number seven. God wants your obedience, not just going through the motions. Now, what does verse 19 say? “And be
careful to observe…” look at the next word, “all the words of this law and these statutes.” The King copied all
of those words down so he would know how God wanted him to select his friends. So that, he would heed God’s path
of wisdom. Specifically, Solomon would know that he’s not supposed to multiply horses, not multiply wives, and
not multiply wealth. Now you say, wait a minute. I thought Solomon inherited the biggest fortune ever passed on
from his dad, David. Yeah, but what did David do with his wealth? Remember David had done this, David had heeded
God’s path of wisdom, that’s why he writes the 19th Psalm and talks about the law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. He says, it’s sweeter than honey in my mouth. I love it. I long for the word of God. He
had done this exercise. He had copied his own copy. It shows up in all of his Psalms. It shows up in all of his
dealings with people. David followed God’s path of wisdom. Solomon didn’t. He just went through the motions
and was not careful to observe all the words of this law and these statues.
Number eight, God expects you to choose humility. Deuteronomy 17:20, “that his heart may not be lifted above
his brethren.” Now, while Solomon was to do this path of wisdom look what he would have bumped into. These are
the top 10 key themes of the book of Proverbs. Remember what chapter 1, we read this, chapter 1 says, I’ll put
my Spirit on you. That’s salvation. Proverbs talks about the Holy Spirit saving people. The King was supposed to
be reminded of God’s salvation, of being a servant, of having selected the right friends, but look at this, so
that he would submit to God and not be proud. Now, back to number eight, God expects you to choose humility.
What is humility? That your “heart may not be lifted up above your brethren.” God wants us not thinking more
highly of ourselves than we ought to think.
Number nine, God expects your submission. Deuteronomy 17:20 says, continuing this verse it says, “that he may not
turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left.” What the Lord is saying is I want you to submit
to me. I want you to say speak Lord, your servant hears. By the way, what is servant hood? It’s being willing to
have someone tell you what to do. Do you know what most people say? I’m not going to have anybody tell me what to
do. Most people react angrily at being told, go over there, do this, wear that, come at this time, whatever.
We don’t like rules and we don’t like to be bossed around, but what did God say? Jesus said to his disciples.
Who’s the greatest among you? The one who’s the greatest, what? Servant. Now let’s just talk for a minute about
that word servant because in the New Testament, the word that is translated most often servant, is literally
the word in English – slave. What word is that? Doulos. The New Testament translators, when they came to the Greek
word doulos, which meant slave, that’s all it meant no doubt, it’s always in literature, doulas, slave. When
they were translating the Bible slavery, just like today, was a very bad topic, controversial, and looked
down upon.
No one could ever think that God wants to call us slaves, but that is what he said. A slave is someone who
is willing to do what they’re told to do. A slave has no rights. A slave doesn’t own anything. A slave doesn’t
have anything to look forward to, except a lifetime of doing what someone else tells them to do. When we got
saved, God owns us, and we become his doulos. Plural douloi, servants. Except the servant could pick who they
served. A slave had no choice. They just responded in obedience. God’s expects our submission.
We’re his slaves. And we’re not supposed to turn from his commandment to the right or to the left.
The final element from God’s pathway in Deuteronomy 17 is, God wants to bless you and offers you a spiritual
heritage. Here was the promise to the king “that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children
in the midst of Israel.” Look up, what’s God saying? God’s saying, if you will heed my path of wisdom, it’s
going to cause you to have longevity, prosperity, success.
What does Joshua 1:8 and 9 say?
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy
way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed:
for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate
in it day and night, that you may observe to do” what is acceptable in the Lord sight.
Then what does it say? He will prosper you and all that you will do. Fear not, He said, I’m going to
bless you in every way. If this book of the law that you follow, God’s path of wisdom, if you respond
and submit, if you are submissive. If you have a singular focus. If you are self-controlled by the Spirit.
If you see all of life as a stewardship, that you don’t own it, that your money and time belongs to God.
If you’re hardworking and studious. If you’re sober-minded, you have a godly mind and speak wisely,
you’ll show that you belong to God.
There are stark contrasts that the scripture gives us between David and Solomon. Let me just give
these to you in God’s word the Bible. Two old men sat down and wrote the summary of their lives. One was a father,
the other his son. Both wrote under the inspiration of God’s Spirit. Both had suffered through many afflictions.
Both knew the Lord in an unusual way. For one, Solomon, he looked back almost bitterly at the end of his life. He
looked back and he perhaps too late realized that the only way to live and the best way to die was to reflect on
God’s plans in the first place. His name was Solomon, the summary of his life, a book called Ecclesiastes. The
book of Ecclesiastes, these could be called the lessons of what happens to you when you neglect a lifestyle of
fearing God as described in the book of Proverbs. Solomon found out after his restless pursuit of all the world
had to offer, that nothing but God satisfies. In fact, the message of Ecclesiastes is nothing satisfies, but God.
What about the other one? David invested his life with God. The other man at the end of
his life looks back and sees a lifelong growth and experiencing God. His name was David. The father of Solomon.
David ended well. Feared no evil because he remembered his creator. His summary is still the best-known song in
the world. Do you know what one of David’s writings? Everybody in Christendom knows the 23rd Psalm.
1(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for
thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head
with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the
house of the LORD for ever.
As a youth,
David remembered his creator. In Acts 13:22 God wrote David’s epitaph. He said, he is the man after my own heart,
who serves my purpose.
Acts 13:22
“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony,
and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
There’s a warning for all of us. Difficult, hard, and evil days are ahead. That’s what Solomon
wrote in Ecclesiastes 12.
1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh,
when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the
grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up
at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree
shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long
home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain,
or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and
sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from
one shepherd.
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness
of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty
of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
I remind you, we have a choice. Don’t ruin your life like Solomon.
Each day we’re choosing a pathway, God wants us to walk in wisdom.
That’s why I asked you, why should we memorize Proverbs 3:5 and 6?
Here’s the reason why,
Proverbs 3:5 and 6 have some important elements.
The first word is trust.
What that word means in Hebrew, if you did a word study on it is, to lie helplessly face down.
So, God wants us to come to Him submissively and in humility. Trust, just fall before the Lord helplessly and
humbly. Then it says, lean not on yourself. Do you know what that means? The word lean means, not to incline,
but actually to be held up by. If I lean against this wall far enough, I can’t stand up without the wall holding
me up. Do you know what Proverbs 3:5 and 6 says? Only be able to go through life, held up by God, as we fall
submissively before Him. Then verse 6 says,” in all your ways acknowledge him.” That means knowing God, seeking
God, pursuing His wisdom, and seeing that living for Him is what life is about. Then it says, God will direct
your paths.
The last reminder, that’s how Solomon ruined his life. What is that? How did the world’s smartest and
richest man ruin his life? He didn’t select his friends God’s way. Are you committed to not marrying an unbeliever?
Solomon married an unbeliever and ruined his life? Are you going to heed God’s path of wisdom?
Father, thank you. Thank you for the truth from your word, that we can all embrace and learn
from, but it must start by us humbly coming, submissively before you. Trusting you helplessly, apart from your
grace we can’t live this way. You gave Solomon grace and he foolishly didn’t heed your law, your word, your truth,
and didn’t follow your pathway. We want to. In the precious name of Jesus and for your glory, we pray. All God’s
people said, amen.

God bless you.

“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
Do You Want To Start Personal Life Change: Devotional
Scroll to top