Christ Triumphant: Satan Arranges Overpowering Temptations, June 2

Those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. Ecclesiastes 6:2, NRSV.

The life of Solomon is full of warning, not only to youth but to those of mature years, and to the aged, those who are descending the hill of life and facing the western sun. We see and hear of unsteadiness in youth, the young wavering between right and wrong and the current of evil passions proving too strong for them. But we do not look for unsteadiness and unfaithfulness in those of mature years; we expect the character to be established, the principles to be firmly rooted. In many cases this is so, but there are exceptions, as with Solomon.... When his strength should have been the firmest, he was found the weakest of men....

We need to inquire at every step, “Is this the way of the Lord?” As long as life shall last, there is need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. There is inward corruption; there are outward temptations, and wherever the work of God shall be advanced, Satan plans to arrange circumstances so that temptation shall come with overpowering force upon the soul....

Many have closed their eyes to danger and have gone on in their own way, infatuated, deluded by Satan until they fall under his temptations. Then they abandon themselves to despair. This was the history of Solomon. But even for him there was help. He truly repented of his course of sin and found help. Let none venture into sin as he did, in the hope that they too may recover themselves. Sin can be indulged only at the peril of infinite loss. But none who have fallen need give themselves up to despair....

The misapplication of noble talents in Solomon's case should be a warning to all. Goodness alone is true greatness. Everyone will transmit a heritage of good or of evil. On the southern eminence of the Mount of Olives were the memorial stones of Solomon's apostasy.... Josiah, the youthful reformer, in his religious zeal destroyed these images of Ashtoreth and Chemosh and Moloch, but the broken fragments and masses of ruins remained opposite Mount Moriah, where stood the temple of God. As strangers in after generations asked, “What mean these ruins confronting the temple of the Lord?” they were answered, “There is Solomon's Mount of Offense, where he built altars for idol worship to please his heathen wives.”—Letter 8b, 1891.