Part 2 | When Wisdom Wanders – What Happens When You Stop Listening to Yahweh
INTRODUCTION
Solomon didn’t wake up one day and say, “I want to worship idols.”
It was subtle.
A slow drift.
A thousand tiny compromises that led the wisest man on earth to become one of the most spiritually confused.
And in the book of Ecclesiastes, we see the unraveling.
Not of a fool—but of someone who once walked in Yahweh’s presence.
Someone who let go of reverence, and began to reason without the Spirit.
Ecclesiastes shows us what happens when wisdom wanders—when we use the gifts of God without fear of God, and try to understand life apart from the One who gives it.
He Had Wisdom… But He Walked Away
“And Shlomo did evil in the eyes of יהוה, and did not follow יהוה completely, like his father Dawiḏ.”
— Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 11:6, TSR2009
Solomon had everything.
Divine wisdom
Peace on all sides
The favor of Yahweh
The Temple itself
But he began to serve other mighty ones. He married women Yahweh warned him about. He built altars to abominations. He stopped guarding his heart, and as a result, he lost his clarity.
This is what we see in Ecclesiastes:
A man who still sounds wise
A man who still asks deep questions
But a man who is now disconnected from the Spirit of Truth
His conclusions are no longer pure.
His perspective is warped.
He says “wisdom is vanity”—but that is not the voice of Yahweh. It is the voice of a man who no longer hears Him.
Make it stand out
The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon', oil on canvas painting by Edward Poynter, 1890
Wisdom Without Yahweh Is Dangerous
“Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight!”
— Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 5:21
Solomon wasn’t just wise—he was gifted by Yahweh.
But the moment he stopped walking in obedience, that gift became a snare.
Because wisdom without submission becomes pride.
And pride blinds us.
“Professing to be wise, they became fools.” — Romiyim (Romans) 1:22
This is the danger:
You can be intelligent, successful, even theologically sound…
And still be spiritually dead if you’re not walking in the fear of Yahweh.
Solomon stopped listening.
He used his mind without his Maker.
And it led him to build altars to Molech, Ashtoreth, and Chemosh—gods of child sacrifice and sun worship.
The Warning for Us Today
We are living in an age where wisdom has wandered again.
Preachers quote Scripture but deny obedience.
Churches talk about “truth” but reject Torah.
Christians say “Jesus is Lord,” but don’t walk as He walked.
This is Solomon’s spirit at work—knowing Yahweh once, but trading truth for mixture.
Ecclesiastes is not a celebration of depth.
It is a record of descent.
A wake-up call for a Church that thinks it can be wise while living like the world.
ROOTED IN THE WORD
“The fear of יהוה is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Set-apart One is understanding.”
— Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 9:10, TSR2009
“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool so that he might become wise.”
— Qorintiyim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 3:18, TSR2009
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary matters of the world, and not according to Messiah.”
— Qolasim (Colossians) 2:8, TSR2009
GRACE METHOD Reflection for When Wisdom Wanders…
G – Grounded in Scripture
Read 1 Kings 11, Proverbs 9:10, Ecclesiastes 2, and Romans 1:22.
Solomon’s downfall was not a lack of wisdom, but a lack of reverence. “The fear of Yahweh (YHWH) is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10), yet Solomon chose idols over obedience. Romans 1:22 warns of those who claim to be wise but become fools—exchanging truth for lies. Wisdom apart from Yahweh leads to ruin.
R – Reflecting on Context
Solomon’s fall came not from ignorance, but from a heart that refused to stay faithful. Though once wise, he compromised. Wisdom without Yahweh is not a gift—it is a danger. It becomes arrogance, deception, and decay.
A – Applying to Your Life
Have I trusted in my own wisdom? Have I studied the Bible but ignored the Spirit? Am I drifting from the fear of Yahweh? Ask yourself—am I obeying, or am I merely observing truth from afar?
C – Communing with God
Abba, let me never stray. Teach me to love You more than knowledge. Give me wisdom with reverence. Guard my heart from compromise and keep my feet walking in Your truth.
E – Exalting God
I praise You, Yahweh, for wisdom that is pure and from above. Thank You for correcting what has wandered. You are the One I trust—above all understanding, above all reasoning, above all earthly wisdom.
PERSONAL DECLARATION
I will not walk in worldly wisdom.
I will not follow the voice of a fallen king.
I will cling to the wisdom of Yahweh, rooted in obedience and truth.
Let my mind be renewed. Let my heart be clean.
I will follow Yahushua, and no other voice shall lead me.
In Yahushua’s Name, Amein.
SHARE YOUR FAITH
This is a call for every believer who’s felt confused, discouraged, or disillusioned.
Share this post with someone who needs to be reminded:
Wisdom begins with fear of Yahweh—and He is calling us home.
