Solomon sinned later in his life and from that time the handwriting was on the wall. Israel became the two warring nations of Israel and Judah. Little by little the power and grandeur of the original kingdom were eroded until Israel was carried off captive by the Assyrians and Judah by the Babylonians.

The Babylonians broke down the wall and set fire to Jerusalem, including the Temple of God. The glorious conquering nation was reduced to a handful of poor people who finally, in direct defiance of the Word of the Lord to them, fled from Jerusalem to Egypt, taking the Prophet Jeremiah with them.

Majestic Israel, the most powerful nation of the world, was brought down to a pitiful handful of poor, disobedient people, living in Egypt, worshiping the "queen of heaven." The Book of Lamentations reveals the depths to which the Lord brought down His disobedient children.

This is what can happen to any of us, no matter how blessed we are, if we do not obey the Word of God. It is going to happen to America very soon if the Christians do not turn from their fleshly ways and begin to keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles.

After seventy years in Babylon God stirred up Cyrus the Great, the king of Persia, to encourage the rebuilding of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. A number of the families that had been led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon obeyed Cyrus, leaving the comforts of Babylon to return to the ruins of the Temple, a broken-down wall, and a desolated city surrounded by enemies.

What a contrast between the kingdom of Solomon, and Jerusalem when the exiles returned to rebuild the Temple, the wall, and the city! What a discouraging task! The elders wept when they remembered the original Temple.

So it is with us prodigals when we come to ourselves and decide to return to our Father's house.

But all is not lost! If God permits us to regain what was forfeited, it now becomes our own. We appreciate the value of the gifts that once had been given to us so freely. We have struggled and fought over every inch of territory, taking it back from the enemy. Now it is ours and, depending on what the particular treasure is, if it has died and been raised in Christ, it is ours for eternity.

Sometimes we are in the condition of Nehemiah. We are living in luxury. But then God makes us aware His work, His Church, is in great need.

We feel badly about this and go to prayer. Then we know what we are to do. But it involves leaving our comfortable situation and setting out to rebuild, under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions, that which has been lost.

We now are in the valley of decision. This is a genuine crisis. If we turn back to our luxurious living we will find that eventually we have lost everything. If we choose to give up that which is familiar and pleasant so God's house may be built, we gain an inheritance in God and His people of infinitely greater value than the approval of a worldly king.

To be continued.