Contact With Worldly Wise Men Paved Way for Ruin—Solomon prepared the way for his own ruin when he sought for wise men from other nations to build the temple. God had been the educator of His people, and He designed that they should stand in His wisdom, and with His imparted talents should be second to none. If they had the clean hands, the pure heart, and the noble, sanctified purpose, the Lord would communicate to them His grace. But Solomon looked to man instead of God, and he found his supposed strength to be weakness. He brought to Jerusalem the leaven of the evil influences which were perpetuated in polygamy and idolatry (The General Conference Bulletin, February 25, 1895).{2BC 1029.4}

Kontakt med verdslige kloge mænd baner vej for ruin. - Salomon beredte vejen for sin egen ruin, da han opsøgte kloge mænd fra andre folkeslag til at opbygge templet. Gud har været Sit folks opdrager, og Han udtænkte at de skulle stå i Hans klogskab, og med Hans tildelte talenter skulle de ikke stå næst efter nogen. Hvis de havde rene hænder, det rene hjerte, og ædel, helliggjort fortsæt, ville bibringe dem Hans nåde Men Salomon så på mennesker i stedet for på Gud, og han fandt at hans formode styrke var svaghed. Han bragte de onde indflydelsers surdej til Jerusalem som blev foreviget i flerkoneri og afgudsdyrkelse (GCB Feb. 25, 1895).