Take your Bibles with me and turn to 1 Kings 10. 1 Kings 10.

A few years ago, I went with my family to Monticello outside of Charlotteville, Virginia. Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson - and in its time it was considered the nicest home in the whole united states.

It's a beautiful house. So famous you probably have a copy of it in your pocket. It had features like a large porch, an automatic clock, and elevators for bringing stuff up from the basement kitchen.

But do you know what my biggest takeaway was as I looked at that famous house? It was small. When you think about the actual area that Thomas Jefferson lived in. I mean, some of you have a bigger house than that.

People have always been fascinated by "the lifestyles of the rich and famous." I remember a show with that title that was on TV when I was a kid. Some of you younger people might remember a show called just "cribs." (Kind of a downgrade.) Same idea.

President Trump used that fascination to turn himself into a celebrity and a one word brand long before he was president. He sold this opulent lifestyle.

And what I want you to know is that none of this comes close to what Solomon had. Let's read all of chapter 10 together.

[!bible] 1 Kings 10:1-29 - KJV

1. And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
4. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5. And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
6. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
12. And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13. And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
14. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold.
15. Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
16. And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.
17. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
18. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.
19. The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.
20. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
21. And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
22. For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
23. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
24. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
25. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
26. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
27. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
28. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
29. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.

I want to preach tonight about all King Solomon had, and all king Solomon lost.

All Solomon Had

If you remember, God came to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted - almost like a genie's wish kind of thing. God gave Solomon a blank check.

And Solomon asked for wisdom. God decided that because He asked for wisdom that he would get wisdom, but also that he would get everything he didn't ask for. Solomon would become one of the greatest men who ever lived.

When you read this chapter, its easy to get lost in these ancient numbers. So let me put this in perspective for you. Solomon's annual gold income here would be worth about $1.5 Billion dollars.

That's not his countries GDP. That is his personal income. That's not net worth. He didn't own a company stock holders thought was worth billions. That's income. Actual cash on hand.

The queen of Sheba's gift here - that alone is about $260 million dollars.

What do people dream about having? Solomon had it.

He had fame.

Verse 1 tells us:

[!bible] 1 Kings 10:1 - KJV

1. And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD...

This woman - the queen of Sheba - who scholars think either lived in Ethiopia or Saudi Arabia, came to visit Solomon because she heard rumors about him.

This is pre-internet. There is no x. There is no instagram. There isn't even CNN or the New York Times.

Which probably means in his time Solomon was the most famous man in the whole world.

So famous that people just had to come and see for themselves.

In the 1800s they had these things called "World's Fairs" where people would travel around the world for the chance to see the great things they had only heard about. Solomon is like a living Worlds Fair.

Verse 24 tells us

[!bible] 1 Kings 10:24 - KJV 24. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

He was the most famous man on earth.

So he had fame. What else do people dream about?

He had riches

Oh boy, did Solomon have riches. When the queen of Sheba came to visit him, everything was impressive. There was no cheap china. The servants were dressed like kings. The cups were made out of solid gold.

Remember Solomon's house - it was called "the forests of Lebanon" because it had so many pillars made out of trees from Lebanon.

When the queen of Sheba saw how wealthy Solomon was, it took her breath away. This is a woman who is wealthy enough to bring a gift - a gift of over 250 million dollars worth of gold - and what Solomon had took her breath away.

Talk about lifestyles of the rich and famous. That was Solomon.

Solomon was so rich that silver was considered worthless in Jerusalem. Kids played with silver like our kids play with the rocks from the garden.

He was so rich that he made 500 different pure gold shields just for decoration in his house that cost about 90 million dollars. Imagine having 90 million dollars in just home decor.

I mean, in all likelihood, Solomon was the richest man who ever lived.

And do you know what - he was so rich, he got bored. He started just covering stuff in gold. He made an elaborate throne out of ivory - actual elephants tusks - and then that wasn't enough - it was covered in pure gold.

He started collecting zoo animals. Peacocks and apes from far away. I mean, he started acting like an NBA star or a bond villain or something.

But he didn't just have riches and fame - what else do people dream about?

He had smarts

Solomon was renown for his wisdom. The queen of Sheba didn't just come to see his stuff, she came to ask him tough questions.

Over and over in this chapter she mentions his wisdom. Solomon wasn't just rich and famous - he was an intellectual - the intellectual in all the world.

We read Kant or Nietzsche - they would have read Solomon. We read Dickens or Keats or other literary works - they would have read Solomon.

Read Ecclesiastes sometime. Solomon was breathing different philosophical air than the rest of us. He was an absolute genius and everyone knew it.

If there was a Nobel prize for science or literature then - Solomon would have one it every year, and in every category.

He was famous, rich, intelligent. What else do people dream about?

He was politically powerful

Solomon ruled over an empire. His marriages to all of these foreign women speak to political alliances. His business dealings spanned multiple continents. He controlled military weaponry flow around the world.

Solomon was a man with immense power. He made it to the top of the pyramid. He won king of the island. He was the top dog.

I mean in verse 26 it tells us Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. That would be like having all the nuclear weapons and f-22s today. Solomon was powerful.

What is something else people dream about?

He had romance

Turn to chapter 11. Look at the first three verses:

[!bible] 1 Kings 11:1-3 - 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.

I cannot even imagine this. 700 wives. 300 concubines. Can you imagine the hair in the bathtub? Can you imagine the arguments over the thermostat?

I don't even know 1000 women. Solomon had that many ongoing romantic partners.

And he was a romantic - so much so that he wrote the Song of Solomon.

Solomon had romantic fulfillment beyond imagination. He had sexual exploits that would make Hugh Hefner blush.

I mean - can't you see all that Solomon had? He had absolutely everything this world is after.

[!bible] 1 John 2:15-16 - KJV 15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Solomon had everything his flesh could want - he could do whatever he chose, everything his eyes could see - if he saw it, he could afford it, and every position of power and pride he could possibly achieve.

And yet there are three things about Solomon's stuff I want you to understand:

First, I want you to understand that...

1. It wasn't enough.

1 wife wasn't enough. 10 wives weren't enough. 300 million in gold wasn't enough. Having an ivory throne wasn't enough. Because it is never enough.

This world will never satisfy you. God has put a hole in our soul that all of Solomon's gold and all the women and all of the prestige and all of the accomplishment in the whole world cannot fill.

I'll never forget listening to Jim Carey give an interview once as a teenager. Jim Carey was the King in the late 90s. He was HUGE. He want from living in a van and cleaning floors with his family at night as a teenager to the king of Holywood.

And at the peak of his fame he said this "I wish everyone could have everything they always wanted, so they could know it doesn't make you happy."

If fame could satisfy us - there would be no psychiatrists in hollywood. If money could satisfy us - then surely that would be the happiest town on earth. Surely there would be no overdoses there - no divorces - no rehabs.

Listen, if having literally everything available in this world didn't satisfy Solomon - it won't satisfy you either.

But I want you to notice something else about all that Solomon had, not only was it not enough...

2. It led him into sin.

First Timothy 6:10 gives us a strong warning...

[!bible] 1 Timothy 6:10 - KJV 10. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

That verse isn't saying that all evil comes from money. What it is teaching us is that if we love money - that love for money will lead us into all kinds of other sins.

And there is no greater example of that in the Bible than King Solomon. God blessed him with unbelievable blessings - and then those blessings became his god.

You know, Solomon knew the Bible. I have no doubt about it. And he knew that the law told him not to take foreign wives. He knew he wasn't to gather chariots and horses. These were specifically forbidden.

Yet he did it anyway - why? I think it started with his love of money.

• Solomon had it all - and all wasn't enough.
• Solomon had it all - and all of it led him into sin.

But there is a sadder thing Solomon had it all, and...

3. It led him away from God.

We stopped reading at verse 3 of chapter 11. Lets read down to verse 10:

[!bible] 1 Kings 11:4-10 - KJV 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. 7. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 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.

We've talked about all Solomon had. I want to finish tonight by talking about

All Solomon Lost

Solomon's start was so amazing. I don't think you could pick anyone who started stronger than him. God appeared to him, he had peace, he had prosperity like no one had ever known before.

And what did he do with it? He disobeyed God. He accumulated stuff he was commanded not to. He took foreign wives all Israel was commanded not to marry.

But it didn't end there. These verses tell us that he built altars for the false gods of his wives.

Listen - he did what Ahab did. But he probably did it worse. He built altars for Chemosh and Baal - he built places right next to the temple of God for the human sacrifice of children!

And it didn't stop there - because the Bible tells us that Solomon himself left God and worshiped these idols. Solomon, the wisest and most blessed man who ever lived, worshiped pagan gods. He became an apostate.

Think about all Solomon lost here:

• He lost his legacy - his kingdom is divided.
• He lost his wisdom - he made foolish choices.
• He lost his peace - God raised up enemies.
• Most sadly, He lost his relationship with God.

Listen to me tonight - this can happen to you. The things you're chasing - the promotion, the bigger house, the better lifestyle, the relationship, the recognition - they can become your god. And when they do, they don't satisfy you - they destroy you.

I'm not saying God doesn't want to bless you. He does. But when the blessings become more important than the One who blesses, you're in dangerous territory.

I think it's interesting that it says that his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

We just studied David for months - was David perfect? Far from it. David was a sinner. But do you know what? David was a responsive sinner. A repentant sinner. A sinner that kept coming back to God.

Solomon wasn't. And so this is so sad.

The difference wasn't that David never fell - the difference was that David always came back. When Nathan confronted him, David repented. When he realized his sin, he wrote Psalm 51. David's heart was always oriented toward God, even when his actions weren't.

But Solomon's heart was turned away. He chose his stuff over his Savior. He chose his comfort over his Creator. He chose his wealth over his worship.

Don't make Solomon's mistake.

You see, the real tragedy of Solomon isn't that he had everything and lost it all. The real tragedy is that he had God and chose everything else instead.

Tonight, God is calling you back to what really matters. Not the stuff you can accumulate, but the relationship you can have with Him. Not the temporary pleasures this world offers, but the eternal joy that comes from walking with your Creator.

Maybe you've been chasing the same things Solomon chased. Maybe success has become your god. Maybe money has become your master. Maybe relationships have become your religion.

It's not too late. Unlike Solomon, you can still turn back. You can still choose God over gold. You can still choose the Creator over the creation.

Don't wait until you're old like Solomon was. Don't wait until your heart is completely turned away. Come back to God tonight.

Because at the end of the day, you can have all that Solomon had - fame, riches, power, pleasure - and still lose your soul. But if you have God, you have everything that truly matters.

The choice is yours. What will it be - all that Solomon had, or all that God offers?

Let's pray.