4-11. Luxury, Wine, Idolatrous Women, Defeat Solomon—Solomon, under all his honors, walked wisely and firmly in the counsels of God for a considerable time; but he was overcome at length by temptations that came through his prosperity. He had lived luxuriously from his youth. His appetite had been gratified with the most delicate and expensive dainties. The effects of this luxurious living, and the free use of wine, finally clouded his intellect, and caused him to depart from God. He entered into rash and sinful marriage relations with idolatrous women (The Health Reformer, April, 1878).
(2BC 1033.1)
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9-12 (2 Kings 14:21). Solomon′s Influence on His Children—It was this prophecy of impending ruin that had awakened the apostate king as from a dream, and had led him to repent, and to seek to stay, so far as possible, the terrible tide of evil that during the later years of his reign had been rising high and still higher. But at the time of his repentance, only a few years of life remained to him, and he could not hope to avert the consequences of long years of wrong-doing. His course of evil had set in operation influences that afterward he could never fully control.
(2BC 1033.2)
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Especially was this the case in the training of the children born to him through marriage with idolatrous women. Rehoboam, the son whom Solomon chose to be his successor, had received from his mother, an Ammonitess, a stamp of character that led him to look upon sin as desirable. At times he endeavored to serve God, and was granted a measure of prosperity; but he was not steadfast, and at last he yielded to the influences for evil that had surrounded him from infancy (The Review and Herald, July 3, 1913).
(2BC 1033.3)
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25-33. Danger in Manifesting Jeroboam′s Spirit—Men today are in danger of manifesting the same spirit that Jeroboam manifested, and of doing a work similar in character to the work that he did. His plans, put into operation, led the children of Israel away from God into idolatry, and they performed and permitted terrible evils. The Judge of all the earth will lay to the charge of Jeroboam the awful results of his course. And to the charge of those who follow his example will be laid the results of their wrong course (Letter 113, 1903).
(2BC 1033.4)
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11-19. God Alone Can Countermand His Orders—The man of God had been fearless in delivering his message of rebuke. He had not hesitated to denounce the king′s false system of worship. And he had refused Jeroboam′s invitation, even though promised a reward. But he allowed himself to be over-persuaded by the one who claimed to have a message from heaven.
(2BC 1033.5)
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When the Lord gives a man a command such as He gave this messenger, He Himself must countermand the order. Upon those who turn from the voice of God to listen to counter orders, the threatened evil will come. Because this messenger obeyed false orders, God permitted him to be destroyed (Manuscript 1, 1912).
(2BC 1033.6)
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31. Jezebel Versus the Spirit of God—How few realize the power of an unconsecrated woman. I was carried back to the time of Ahab. God would have been with Ahab if he had walked in the counsel of heaven. But Ahab did not do this. He married a woman given to idolatry. Jezebel had more power over the king than God had. She led him into idolatry, and with him the people (Manuscript 29, 1911).
(2BC 1033.8)
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The influence of Jezebel over Ahab was greater than the influence of the Spirit of God, however powerful and convincing the evidence from heaven (Manuscript 19, 1906).
(2BC 1033.9)
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1. Elijah Took the Key of Heaven—Before he [Ahab] could recover from his astonishment or frame a reply, Elijah disappeared, taking with him the key of heaven....
(2BC 1033.10)
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