The Love of God That Waited for Solomon

This sermon connects the parable of the prodigal son with Solomon's confession, shedding light on God's unchanging love and on human emptiness. When the prodigal son had lost everything and fallen into a wretched state, the father waited for him and welcomed him with open arms. Unlike worldly friends, who turn their backs once the money is gone, the father's love continues without condition. Through this heart of the father, believers come to realize that God is always waiting for those who return.

On the strength of the wisdom and riches God gave him, Solomon chased the world's power and idols and drew away from God. He forgot that his position and wealth came from God, and fell into the pride of regarding himself as equal to God. As a result, amid wars to keep his power and spiritual emptiness, he lost his peace, and in the end he confessed that his life was vanity of vanities. The sermon emphasizes that Solomon's regret is a warning to believers that they must hold on to God's grace rather than the things of the world.

Human wisdom and effort cannot make the crooked road of life straight or find eternal peace. Only Jesus Christ opens that way, and believers must not fall into spiritual laziness but must remain in Christ and fight. The sermon warns believers not to rely on material things or wisdom and not to leave God, and presents repenting and returning to the Father's arms as the only answer. It raises the question of how believers must live so as not to repeat Solomon's regret.