Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, gave us treasured knowledge and proverbs to last a lifetime. But he didn’t abide by any of them. Jesus, however, embodied all the wisdom of God and overcame what Solomon could not.
Today's Bible verse is Matthew 12:42, from the King James Version.
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Speaker 1: Let us pray for she came from the ends of
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Speaker 1: the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold,
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Speaker 1: someone greater than Solomon is here Matthew twelve forty two.
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Speaker 1: Dear God, we know that the kings and queens of
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Speaker 1: old traveled far to hear Solomon's wisdom. But something greater
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Speaker 1: than Solomon is here. We come before you, acknowledging that Jesus,
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Speaker 1: the true wisdom of God, is in our midst. Father,
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Speaker 1: we thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus Christ,
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Speaker 1: who embodies wisdom and truth. Far is surpassing the wisdom
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Speaker 1: of Solomon. We ask for the grace to seek him diligently,
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Speaker 1: to listen to his teachings, and to apply his wisdom
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Speaker 1: to our lives. Grant us a spirit of discernment and
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Speaker 1: wisdom so we can understand your will and live according
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Speaker 1: to your ways. In Jesus's name, we pray, Amen, Thank
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Speaker 1: you for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for
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Speaker 1: another episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
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Speaker 2: Stars blanketed the dark expanse of night twinkling above King
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Speaker 2: Solomon's roof. The night was warm, and Solomon lay on
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Speaker 2: his bed, looking out at the heavens and wondering if
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Speaker 2: he had what it took to be king. His father,
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Speaker 2: David was a truly great king. He was a skilled warrior,
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Speaker 2: a talented poet, and fiercely devoted to God. How could
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Speaker 2: Solomon ever live up to the greatness of David. Solomon
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Speaker 2: felt the weight of the crown. His eyes grew heavy,
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Speaker 2: and he soon fell into a deep sleep. Solomon awoke
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Speaker 2: to a vision. It was as if the glory of
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Speaker 2: the stars had descended upon him and wrapped him in
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Speaker 2: a divine whirlwind. He heard a voice from the life
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Speaker 2: might ask.
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Speaker 3: For whatever you want, and I will give it to you.
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Speaker 2: Solomon knew it was the voice of God himself. He
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Speaker 2: held out his hands and looked upward. Lord, you have
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Speaker 2: shown kindness to my father David. He was a faithful man,
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Speaker 2: righteous and upright, and now here.
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Speaker 4: I am here to sit on this throne.
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Speaker 2: But I am only a child. I don't know how
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Speaker 2: to lead a nation. These are your people, Lord, and
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Speaker 2: I fear that I cannot lead them. Solomon looked down
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Speaker 2: and clenched his fist. Please, Lord, give me wisdom, give
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Speaker 2: me a discerning heart to govern your people and understand
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Speaker 2: right from wrong. They are your people, Lord, so help
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Speaker 2: me lead them. A warm and gentle rush blew through
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Speaker 2: the skies, and the dancing lights surrounded Solomon in brilliance.
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Speaker 2: His voice was like the sound of a thousand rushing waters.
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Speaker 3: Since you have asked for wisdom and not for long
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Speaker 3: life for wealth, nor did you ask for the death
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Speaker 3: of your enemies.
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Speaker 1: I will do what you have asked, give you a.
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Speaker 3: Wise and discerning heart, so much so that they will
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Speaker 3: never have been any one like you, nor will there
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Speaker 3: ever be. And I will adorn you with riches and
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Speaker 3: honor so that there will be none like you in
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Speaker 3: all the nations.
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Speaker 2: God's blessing was a rush of comfort to Solomon.
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Speaker 1: But the Lord was not finished.
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Speaker 3: And if you walk in obedience to me, like your
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Speaker 3: father David, I will give you a long, vibrant life.
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Speaker 2: Solomon closed his eyes and then awoke in his bed.
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Speaker 5: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Jesus Podcast.
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Speaker 5: I'm Ethan from pray dot Com, your guide through this
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Speaker 5: journey through the Bible's most iconic stories. If you enjoyed
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Speaker 5: the Bible and the hope of Jesus to be spread
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Speaker 5: world wide. We've been exploring the highs and lows of
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Speaker 5: the Bible's most famous heroes, ultimately showcasing how their stories
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Speaker 5: foreshadow the greatest hero of all, Jesus. So far, we've
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Speaker 5: learned how Jesus is the greater Adam, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samson, Boez,
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Speaker 5: and David. To day we look deeper into the life
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Speaker 5: of Solomon. When he first became king of Israel. God
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Speaker 5: asked him what he desired most. The son of David
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Speaker 5: could have asked for anything. He could have asked for riches,
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Speaker 5: military might, or perfect health. But Solomon knew what he
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Speaker 5: needed to carry out God's mission for him, wisdom. God
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Speaker 5: responded with an abundance of favor. He didn't just make
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Speaker 5: Solomon wise, he made him the wisest man ever. Solomon
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Speaker 5: became famous among kings and queens of different nations. Under
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Speaker 5: the wise rule of Solomon, Israel was brought into an
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Speaker 5: unprecedented era of wealth and prosperity. He broke treaties and
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Speaker 5: alliances with other nations, but his greatest accomplishment was building
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Speaker 5: the Temple of the Lord. He fulfilled the desire of
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Speaker 5: his father David and created a place of worship for
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Speaker 5: all of Israel to connect with God. Solomon's first few
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Speaker 5: years as king were successful on nearly every level. Nearly
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Speaker 5: Solomon to broker treaties with smaller kingdoms, accumulated many wives
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Speaker 5: from foreign nations. Each came with different ideologies, different religions,
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Speaker 5: and pagan practices. Not only this, but Solomon was tortured
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Speaker 5: with an insatiable curiosity. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon
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Speaker 5: recounts his experiment with joy. He sought out every pleasure
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Speaker 5: one could have under the sun to see if it
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Speaker 5: would give him true satisfaction and joy, but it always
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Speaker 5: left him empty. Unfortunately, Solomon compromised one too many times,
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Speaker 5: and his heart descended into darkness. He began as a
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Speaker 5: philosopher king over a united Israel, but ended as a
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Speaker 5: conflicted chief over a divided kingdom. Let's enter back into
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Speaker 5: Solomon's story and see just how far he fell from
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Speaker 5: favor with God.
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Speaker 2: The full moon was set high over the hill country
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Speaker 2: of Israel. The late night mists slithered through the forest
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Speaker 2: like a serpent. Torches were placed on the trees. Leading
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Speaker 2: up the hill. Under a wooded glen was a totem
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Speaker 2: of Astith carved from a tree. The moonlight shone on
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Speaker 2: the idol's provocative features. Ashtith was the goddess of the Sidonians.
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Speaker 2: Her followers worshiped her through lewd orgies and prostitution. Among
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Speaker 2: a throng of naked worshippers was Solomon, dancing and howling
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Speaker 2: to the moon with his Sidonian wives. His promises to
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Speaker 2: God were but a distant memory, drowned under drunkenness and debauchery. Tragically,
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Speaker 2: the mount dedicated to Ashtarith was not the only place
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Speaker 2: of worship Solomon had made on the peak. Opposite to
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Speaker 2: them was a far more sinister space, set on a
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Speaker 2: cursed hill, set an idol directed to Molech, the detestable
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Speaker 2: god of the Ammonites. Molech worship was abominable in the
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Speaker 2: eyes of the Lord, for on the altars of Chimultion Molech,
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Speaker 2: newborn children were offered as sacrifices. The blood of infants
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Speaker 2: cried out from the corrupted mountain, and God's wrath was
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Speaker 2: kindled against Solomon for allowing it to happen. As Solomon
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Speaker 2: descended the hill of Asherah, the Lord came to him again.
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Speaker 2: This time it was not a war, embrace of blessing
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Speaker 2: and favor. God's judgment burned heart against Solomon.
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Speaker 3: Did I not command you to keep my covenance?
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Speaker 2: The Lord's anger was palpable, nearly shaking the ground under
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Speaker 2: Solomon's feet.
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Speaker 3: I will tear your kingdom away from you and your counsel.
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Speaker 2: God's decree was short and to the point.
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Speaker 3: For the sake of your father, David, I will not
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Speaker 3: do it in your lifetime. No, your son will struggle
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Speaker 3: as king and the nation will be divided. But for
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Speaker 3: David's sake, the one after my heart, I will spare
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Speaker 3: you the tribe of Judah.
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Speaker 2: God's presence left soul, and he was left alone in
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Speaker 2: the misty, cold forest.
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Speaker 5: Solomon's fall is not only a tragedy, it's a warning.
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Speaker 5: None of us are immune the corruption. Even with all
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Speaker 5: the world's wisdom, wealth and fame, Solomon sought pleasure in
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Speaker 5: other gods. If the son of King David himself was
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Speaker 5: susceptible to idolatry, then so are we. The second you
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Speaker 5: think you're safe from sin, you become vulnerable. It takes
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Speaker 5: more than wisdom to resist temptation. Philippians chapter four reminds
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Speaker 5: us that a piece that surpasses understanding is what guards
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Speaker 5: our hearts and minds. For all his wisdom, Solomon lacked
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Speaker 5: the discipline and conviction to stay the course. At the
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Speaker 5: end of his life, he wrote a profoundly philosophical and
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Speaker 5: nihilistic book called Ecclesiastes. His prose in that book reflected
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Speaker 5: his regret for squandering his relationship with God in pursuit
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Speaker 5: of pleasure and riches. Listen to Solomon's voice in this
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Speaker 5: retelling of Ecclesiastes chapter two, when he recounts the vanity
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Speaker 5: of pleasure.
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Speaker 2: So I said to myself, Come now, I shall test
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Speaker 2: thee with the sweetness of pleasure. Indulge thyself. But lo,
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Speaker 2: and behold, this too was as empty as the air
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Speaker 2: of laughter. I declared, tis madness.
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Speaker 1: And of pleasure? What value does it truly home?
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Speaker 2: In the depths of my heart? I sought to uplift
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Speaker 2: my spirit with wine, my heart, playing the role of
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Speaker 2: a wise shepherd, and to seize upon folly, that I
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Speaker 2: might discern the goodness for mankind to pursue beneath the
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Speaker 2: heavens in the short lived days of their existence. Great
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Speaker 2: were the works that I crafted with these hands. I
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Speaker 2: erected grand structures and sowed vineyards of plenty for my
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Speaker 2: own delight. I cultivated gardens and verdant parks within which
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Speaker 2: I nestled all manners of fruit bearing trees. From my
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Speaker 2: forest of thriving timber. I constructed reservoirs to quench their thirst.
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Speaker 4: I employed servants of both genders, and those born under
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Speaker 4: my roof were also enlisted into my service. I am
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Speaker 4: asked significant wealth in herds and flocks, surpassing any king that.
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Speaker 2: Came before me. In Jerusalem, silver and gold were gathered
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Speaker 2: in abundance, along with the treasures of kings and provenances.
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Speaker 1: I secured the services of.
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Speaker 2: Talented minstrels, men and women both, and the company of
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Speaker 2: many consorts, which were the joy of mankind. Thus I
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Speaker 2: attained greatness, surpassing all who came before me in Jerusalem.
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Speaker 2: Yet my wisdom remained ever constant. Every desire that my
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Speaker 2: eyes yearned for I did not deny them. I refrained
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Speaker 2: my heart from no joy, For in all my labor
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Speaker 2: my heart found contentment, and this was the fruit of
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Speaker 2: my toils.
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Speaker 6: However, upon reflection all that my hands had crafted and
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Speaker 6: the energy I expended in the process, I realized everything
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Speaker 6: was as hollow as the wind of futile.
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Speaker 2: Pursuit vanity under the sun. There was no true prophet
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Speaker 2: to be had.
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Speaker 5: What good is wisdom? If we're disconnected from the heart
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Speaker 5: of God, It takes more than philosophy and ideology to
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Speaker 5: experience true satisfaction. We're meant to connect with the people
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Speaker 5: around us, and most importantly, with our God. This is
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Speaker 5: why we look to Jesus, whose teachings were more than
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Speaker 5: philosophical prose, but the words of God himself, connecting our
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Speaker 5: hearts to his. Under the teachings and leadership of Jesus,
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Speaker 5: we are led into joy, satisfaction, and peace that surpasses
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Speaker 5: all understanding. Listen now to the comforting words of Jesus
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Speaker 5: and compare them to the nihilistic wanderings of Solomon. Jesus
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Speaker 5: on top of a mountain connected people to the Lord
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Speaker 5: instead of leading them astray.
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Speaker 2: Jesus was high on the mount looking down at the
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Speaker 2: crowd with unwavering love and compassion. As Jesus spoke, some
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Speaker 2: followers interjected, Teacher, please show us how to pray, to
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Speaker 2: which Jesus responded, Address God as our father, acknowledging his holiness.
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Speaker 2: Seek for his kingdom to be established and his will
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Speaker 2: to be fulfilled here just as it is in heaven.
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Speaker 2: Ask him to take care of our daily necessities, to
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Speaker 2: grant us forgiveness for our transgressions, and guide us to
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Speaker 2: forgive those who have wronged us. Pray for him to
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Speaker 2: lead us away from trials and save us from evil's clutches.
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Speaker 2: The prayer was concise yet profound, articulating the bond that
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Speaker 2: should exist between humanity and God. Don't allow yourself to
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Speaker 2: be burden with worry. Take a moment to observe the
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Speaker 2: birds of the sky. They don't labor a fret, yet
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Speaker 2: God provides for them. If He takes care of them,
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Speaker 2: he will certainly take care of you, for you are
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Speaker 2: even more valuable to him. No one has ever gained
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Speaker 2: an extra second of life by worrying. Don't lose sleep
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Speaker 2: over what tomorrow might bring. Each day has its concerns.
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Speaker 2: Focus on living in the present. As Jesus was speaking,
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Speaker 2: he noticed a few people exchanging glances. People tend to
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Speaker 2: scrutinize the shortcomings of others instead of examining themselves. Jesus
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Speaker 2: was aware of this, and so he issued a stern
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Speaker 2: warning to those who could hear him. Exercise caution when
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Speaker 2: judging others, because you too will be judged. Why would
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Speaker 2: you highlight the speck in another person's eye well ignoring
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Speaker 2: their hefty log in your own. His words provoked a
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Speaker 2: ripple of laughter among the listeners. Jesus grinned, before you
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Speaker 2: draw attention to others faults, confront your own. That's the
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Speaker 2: best way to serve them. Overflowing with love for the people,
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Speaker 2: Jesus viewed them through God's eyes as children needing the
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Speaker 2: care of a loving parent. Don't hesitate to ask God
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Speaker 2: for what you need. Search for him and you'll receive
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Speaker 2: an answer. Would any of you parents out here refuse
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Speaker 2: to give your child bread and instead offer him a stone?
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Speaker 2: If even you, who are flawed would never do such
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Speaker 2: a thing, how much more will God generously give to
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Speaker 2: those who seek after his favor. After a moment of silence,
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Speaker 2: Jesus rose from his seated position. As the wind swept
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Speaker 2: from behind him, His robe fluttered in the breeze. He
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Speaker 2: took a step forward and elevated his voice. He wanted
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Speaker 2: every listener to capture his next words. Do to others
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Speaker 2: what you would want to be done to you. This
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Speaker 2: principle encapsulates the essence of God's law. But remember this,
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Speaker 2: The entrance to God's kingdom is narrow. The path of
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Speaker 2: least Resistance is broad and inviting, but it's misleading. It
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Speaker 2: leads to destruction. God's true path is challenging. It demands sacrifice, endurance,
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Speaker 2: and humor amility. That's why many people will choose to
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Speaker 2: bypass it. In the end, a tree is evaluated by
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Speaker 2: its produce. A healthy, good tree yields edible fruit. A
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Speaker 2: bad tree only produces prickly thorns and toxins. Similarly, our
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Speaker 2: hearts dictate our actions. A pure heart leads to good deeds,
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Speaker 2: while a corrupt heart leads to sinful actions. Let's be clear,
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Speaker 2: verbal declarations are insufficient.
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Speaker 6: Not everyone who.
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Speaker 2: Claims to know God will enter his heavenly kingdom.
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Speaker 5: When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mound, he connected
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Speaker 5: divine wisdom with the heart of God. That's where understanding matters.
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Speaker 5: The most wisdom and discernment must be yielded to the
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Speaker 5: heart of God. Jesus, being God, gave us the proper
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Speaker 5: application of wisdom. In this way, we are certain that
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Speaker 5: Jesus is the greater Psalmon. Our next episode will take
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Speaker 5: place in the divided Kingdom of Israel, the tragic state
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Speaker 5: of the nation due to Solomon's wickedness. But amid the
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Speaker 5: corruption and evil, a singular figure was willing to take
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Speaker 5: a stand. His faith was legendary, so legendary that he
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Speaker 5: was able to call fire down from the heavens. Join
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Speaker 5: us next time to discover how Jesus is the greater Elijah.
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