King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom (1 Kings 10:23) ... King Solomon loved many foreign wives (1 Kings 11:1) ... Solomon ... did not wholly follow the Lord (v.6) ... his heart had turned away from the Lord (v.9).
15 short verses describe the falling away of King Solomon! There is a word of wisdom tucked away in here:
The wisdom needed to rule a kingdom does not equal the wisdom to rule one's self.
Success in the world is not equal to success before God. In fact, it was Solomon's success in the world (gold, horses, wives, alliances) that led to Solomon's fall. In chasing after the world, Solomon lost the Lord.
Mark 8:36 - For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Answer: Nothing.
