Knowledge is not enough. We can know the right action and yet fail to follow through. We face resistance from the world, our fleshly desires, and our enemy, the devil. As we consider the kings of the Old Testament, a king who had the greatest trajectory to lead his nation was Solomon. Solomon was selected to be king by his father David who was a man after God’s own heart.

God appeared to Solomon in a dream and God said to him, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5). In humility, Solomon did not ask for himself, but he asked God for an understanding heart to judge God’s people so he could discern between good and evil. Solomon ruled the nation with wisdom and discernment and these were the glory days of Israel as they enjoyed peace and prosperity. Solomon’s fame spread far and wide as he wrote over three thousand proverbs and over one thousand songs.

Solomon had the great honor and privilege to build a temple for God. As the ark of God was brought into the temple, Solomon gave a prayer of dedication. Solomon concluded his prayer with a challenge of commitment to the people:

Your hearts therefore shall be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day. (1 Kings 8:61)

God then appeared to Solomon a second time and gave him a promise and a warning:

As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and honesty, acting in accordance with everything that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not be deprived of a man on the throne of Israel.’ (1 Kings 9:3-4)

This was a conditional promise – if Solomon followed God then God would bless him. Solomon’s life demonstrated that It’s not enough to know what to do, we must do what we know. Tragically we read these words near the end of his life:

For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of his father David had been. (1 Kings 11:4)

One of the greatest disparities in life is between knowing and doing. Solomon had an auspicious start and he composed many proverbs on wisdom, yet his heart was led astray. Knowledge is not a guarantee of right behavior. At the end of his life he composed this sober warning:

The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Rick Higgins

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark