1 Kings 10:13  King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land. (NLT)

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I wonder if Solomon ever looked back on the Queen of Sheba’s visit as the peak of his reign? The second half of this chapter is about extravagance. “Enough” and “satisfaction” do not appear here or in the next chapter, which details Solomon’s sexual appetite. 

Cracks in the foundation appear. They spread to the walls. Seeds of destruction are sown. Solomon was so self-consumed that he all but forgot about God. Verse 6 is painful: 

In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done.

Verses 9-13 are devastating:

The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command. So now the Lord said to him, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.”

Solomon was exceedingly wise about everything but himself and his walk with God. The last act of his reign appears in verse 40: 

Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.

Murder was on his mind. 

After all of his wisdom was gained and recorded (verse 41), Solomon’s final reckoning in life is failure. He knew all the right answers and still failed the test. 

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I will pass the test of knowing and experiencing God.

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Our Father, I want to know you in a deepening relationship that continually shapes and reshapes my soul. I want to honor you and serve others. I want to succeed in spiritual fruitfulness. Amen.