1Ki 11:4 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.

The Israelites were often warned against marriage with the heathen. Solomon did not take heed to the warnings; he married pagan wives, built pagan altars for them, and likely participated in pagan worship himself (v.1-8). How could the wisest king become such a fool? What can we learn from the fall of Solomon? 1. Take Heed Lest We Fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). If the wisest king could miss it, anyone can miss it. We can never be too such about our salvation. It is not about how well we start but how well we finish it. We can all start well but end up like Solomon. The apostle Peter warns: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). 2. Control Our Passions. Our Lord warns: “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41b). Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines because of his own sexual lust. What does it tell us? It tells us that the lustful eyes are never satisfied: If one wife is not enough to satisfy a man, then 1,000 wives will not be enough. Solomon should have read his own writings and take heed: “Hell and Destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Proverbs 27:20) 3. Bad Company Corrupts Good Character (1 Corinthians 15:33). We will become like those we choose to be close to. Solomon was not immune from the influence of those he chose to spend his time with. He chose wives from among those who worshipped idols. Why? Perhaps, for political reasons. Still, he could make friends with those nations without having to marry their women. The most likely reason was his own lust: “Solomon clave unto these in love” (v.2b). Solomon loved foreign women (v.1). Choose wisely those who will be our friends. Pay attention to what faithful friends have to say when our behaviour troubles them. Their comments and criticisms may taste bitter but they are good for our souls. False friends encourage us to do wrong: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). 4. Age Gracefully. Age did not make Solomon wiser. He seemed to be wiser in his youth. It was a different story when he became old: “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods” (v.4). Age and experience do not automatically make us godlier and wiser. It did not make Noah and Lot wiser (Genesis 9:20-21; 19:30-38). There are many foolish old men and women; they become victims of con men and women. Some mess up their lives and their children’s lives. Age gracefully; don’t become a fool. “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine” (Titus 2:2, 3, ESV). 5. It’s Not What We Know But How We Apply Our Knowledge. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon repeatedly warned his son about the strange women. He did not apply those lessons to himself. Paul wrote: “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?” (Romans 2:21). It is possible that the person who preaches about love is unloving, the teacher who teaches about stealing, sole, and the preacher who preaches about adultery is committing adultery. Every one of those folks knows what is wrong with those things but yet, they are guilty of committing them. Are we one of them? Solomon was a wise fool. Let us take heed lest we fall into the same foolishness.