#CHURCHTALK 11: King Solomon: When Wisdom Fails

Musing at the great wisdom of Solomon that attracted Kings and queens from far and near country, I paused to look deeper.

I read in between the lines and on giving attention to details, I discovered that wisdom is not enough.

I asked myself what happens when wisdom fails. Is there something that accompanies wisdom that we don't know, or do we know and neglect it?

The life of King Solomon is a lesson to learn from. The Holy Scriptures recorded that Solomon was given wisdom, knowledge and understanding that was greater than that of anyone who lived before and after him.

Yet, King Solomon lost alot that people with ordinary or common wisdom couldn't lose.

Solomon lost the true map to the heart of God, for he loved strange women and they made him to become an idolater  to the extent that he forgot the God of his father David that brought him the fame and fortune he enjoyed.

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But, could he have done those things if there was a Samuel or a Nathan by his side? I think not.

King Saul had prophet Samuel who served as a check and balance in his life. Saul listened and had great respect for Samuel and it helped him to know when to do things and when not to, no matter how good they were to be done.

He was always listening to what Samuel heard from God and it checkmated his life.

How about King David? Yes, David did a great evil; yet he is the first man in history to be called a man after God's heart. Abraham was called a friend of God, but David's consistency in seeking and pleasing God in everything earned him greater endearment to God in a deeper friendship.

Such endearment and friendship with God was not seen in any other until Jesus. David achieved this feat because he was obedient to God's laws and had a prophet by his side called Nathan.

Little wonder Nathan was able to tell him his errors after David had killed Uriah, and Nathan played a role in making Solomon (the son born by Uriah's wife whom David took) become the next king after David, despite the efforts his brothers made to take over after David their father.

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Solomon never had a teaching priest or prophet that he listened to. Maybe he was feeling too big and telling himself that he had enough wisdom, knowledge and understanding so anyone's advice was not necessary.

Solomon could have thought himself overly superior to all men because of his fame and blessings.

King Solomon later became a preacher and an instructor after his mistakes.

Had Solomon any instructor, the mistakes may not have been as grave as they were such that he ended up writing in the first chapter and the second verse of the book of Ecclesiastis, saying "Vanity of vanities says the preacher, all is vanity". Or, maybe they had to be so grave so that he could have been able to draw that all-important lesson for our benefit, thousands of years after his death.

Hello great talent! Thou anointed child of God, Thou blessed child of God; who is your teaching priest?

Do you have someone that God uses to talk to you? Is there someone whom you pay attention to their rebukes and corrections? Did you know that the book of proverbs made us to know that in the multitude of counsellors there is safety?

Who is your teacher and mentor? Don't let your endowment deceive you to believe that you don't need counsellors like Nathan and Samuel. You do need them, because as endowed as you are, you lack experience.

Jacob succeeded in supplanting his brother Esau because he had his mother as his instructor. You may say the advice was not good as a man, but God used that advice to bring good out of evil.

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Prince Amnon (one of David's other sons) lost all because he had a bad team of counsellors and he sinned against himself, the family, and God. And of course, the wages of sin is death; and he died.

Choose your counselors right. Avoid bad counsel. It doesn't matter who it is coming from.

Finally, You need Jesus Christ in your life. When you have Him in your life, He will give you the spirit of good counsel, who will dwell in you and guide you aright.

Human wisdom is not enough and profits a little; but godly wisdom, through counsel profits alot.


Lilian Uchechi Eze is a Nutritionist-Dietitian in Lagos, Nigeria. She is a teacher, writer and content developer at The Paul Anunaso Blog, and can be reached at lilian.thepaulanunasoblog@gmail.com