Power corrupts. This truth is so easy to see in the life of Solomon. He knew ... for God gave him wisdom above everyone else. And he still turned to worship other gods.
He had so much. So much wealth. So many women. So many servants. So much wisdom. And so much power. He would be envied like none other if he lived today.
I am young (-ish) and stupid. When I was younger I was even stupider. The sad part is you only know you are stupid, and were stupid, because you have moved on in your life and can look back at how stupid you really were.
The reason for this is like the frog in the well.
The frog looks up and sees "the entire sky". Of course it is just a tiny piece of what God's sky really is, but he doesn't know that. After a while he hops up closer to the top of the well. Looking up he is amazed that the sky has become larger and so much more detail! He sees branches of trees, yet still no whole tree. And for the first time he sees the moon close to the edge of the well.
Now he must know all that there is to know! Of course, it is still just a tiny piece of what God's sky really is.
Those that have gone before have a duty to call back down the well to let us know what we have waiting for us. And those heading up should listen and heed the words of the God fearing men in front of us. We should not listen the silly frogs at our side telling us how smart we are. And imagining that the tiny hole above our heads is all there is to know.
Peter was so sure he would stand by Jesus. Just a few hours before this the disciples were in a dispute of who of them was the greatest. Then soon after ... none could be found and Peter was screaming out “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.”
When times are good it is so easy to be full of pride. God is watching over our steps and we start to imagine that we are far more that we truly are. “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Solomon fell away from God after being surrounded by wealth, women, and power. His son fell away from wisdom after being surrounded by fools who stroked his ego. And Peter fell away from Christ when he was confronted with what it really means to follow him. Christ wasn't the man about to crush Rome. For He came to suffer and die.
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