The Failings Of Man And The Triumphs With God
Lesson Eight: by turtle

To love your enemies can be either the greatest joy in life or the worse mistake. I sometimes think it
can be a mistake based on the fact your enemy knows your weakness and your strengths. They know
your Achilles heel. The Achilles heal is that one place you are weak. It is the one thing that can harm
you if injured. It is that one weakness that if known will destroy you. It is that one thing that makes
or breaks you if exposed.

Solomon a wise king to the fact many came to hear his wisdom. Yet his weakness was women. In
fact he knew a pretty face when he seen one. He desired women and not just women from his own
tribe but from many tribes. Solomon had 800 women. That is a great weakness. However look at
what is said in scripture concerning this weakness.

1 Kings 11:1-6 KJV
(1)  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of
the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
(2)  Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to
them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:
Solomon clave unto these in love.
(3)  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives
turned away his heart.
(4)  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other
gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
(5)  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the
abomination of the Ammonites.
(6)  And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David
his father.

Though women might be blamed, Solomon still had a choice after all he had spoken with God
personally, he knew God was real.

1 Kings 3:3-15 KJV
(3)  And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and
burnt incense in high places.
(4)  And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt
offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
(5)  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall
give thee.
(6)  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according
as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and
thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is
this day.
(7)  And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I
am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
(8)  And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot
be numbered nor counted for multitude.
(9)  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern
between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
(10)  And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
(11)  And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long
life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for
thyself understanding to discern judgment;
(12)  Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding
heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
(13)  And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that
there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
(14)  And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father
David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
(15)  And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before
the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings,
and made a feast to all his servants.

Solomon had dream, yet God had spoken to him. A vision of God or a vision from God might seem
like a dream. The reality might not be there at the present. Solomon was told he be granted wisdom
to rule. However if he wanted long life he would have to obey God. How many rulers make good
decisions but can not obey God.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. If all have sinned then you know
then how big our own mistakes are. If we can recognize our own failures we can see the victory God
has in our life. Because of Solomon fame some positive things happened, the nation of Israel fame
spread. It spread so much that people came around the world to ask Solomon questions. Yet even so
this would also be his downfall, because he did not obey God concerning women and because of this
a great queen called Sheba would see all the riches of the land and take this knowledge back to her
people. The great temple of the Lord that Solomon built would one day be destroyed because of this
knowledge. With ever consequence there is a reaction. Was Solomon corrected by God. Yes,
however we do not know Solomon’s response.

1 Kings 11:9-13 KJV
(9)  And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of
Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
(10)  And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he
kept not that which the LORD commanded.
(11)  Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not
kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom
from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
(12)  Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of
the hand of thy son.
(13)  Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my
servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

Are you guilty like Solomon of disobedience? God desires us to repent. He desires us to come to
repentance. If we are going to have victory with God we have to come to repentance. David when he
sinned with Bathsheba came to repentance and was forgiven though he fast consequences for his
actions. If we want victory we got to deal with chastisement. However chastisement should come
from God when it is sin against God. Sin against someone should come from our government if it law
breaking. And sin against one another that is not law breaking needs addressing for repentance and
forgiveness. If you want true victory in Christ repentance is needed.

Joel 2:12-13 KJV
(12)  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting,
and with weeping, and with mourning:
(13)  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is
gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.


Romans 5:8-11 KJV
(8)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(9)  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
(10)  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more,
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
(11)  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now
received the atonement.


Romans 5:20-21 KJV
(20)  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound:
(21)  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our hope can only come through the sacrifice of Christ death and resurrection on the cross. Our hope
is because of the love of God for us. Christ was the redemption for our sins. He came so we might
know the love of God and through belief in Jesus we can have victory over sin and death.


1 Corinthians 15:55-58 KJV
(55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
(56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
(57)  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(58)  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.


Final Note:

Last week was the last lesson in this series. It seems like odd place to stop. However the point is you
make your choice to have victory with God through life or to fail. Victory with God is not about
money or clothes, or wealth. It is about knowing Jesus Christ as Lord. Living daily honoring Him. No
matter where you find yourself in life you have a choice to serve or not to serve God. Choose wisely
today. Christ is Lord.