Let Your Light So Shine Before Men
Yet again we read of Solomon’s wisdom in today’s passage. The Queen of Sheba comes and fawns over his great intelligence. I get the feeling Solomon liked this fawning as the Bible tells us that he gave Sheba anything she asked for. There is a legend that Solomon had relations with Sheba and he gave her the Ark of the Covenant. It is said that he had a child by her as well. There is a place in Ethiopia, allegedly Sheba’s home, which claims to have the ark to this day. Of course, only the high priest can go into the presence of the Ark so there is no way to verify this claim.
I get the sense that Solomon was a real sucker for the ladies. What I can’t figure out is how an allegedly smart man can have 700 wives and 300 concubines. I know we joke about such things but really, how can this be a good idea? It’s not, and as we read today it turns Solomon from God. These women are his down fall.
God allowed Solomon to maintain control of all of Israel while he was alive due to the faithfulness of David. Yes David sinned but then all men have sinned. David never, however, worshiped other gods. David was faithful to God even though he was a sinner. The kingdom will be wrenched from Solomon’s son. The line of Solomon will retain Judah, but the other tribes Israel will have a different king; this becomes a divided kingdom due to unfaithfulness.
Guys, I think there is yet another warning here for us. Is God our only god; are you faithful to Him? You know, the Queen of Sheba was blown away by the life Solomon lived. It would be easy for anyone who looked at the wealth and joy that Solomon had and desire that for one’s self. That should be true for us as Christians. We are children of the King of the universe. He has blessed us beyond belief. The wealth of joy and peace that are our inheritance should be apparent to the lost and they should desire what we have.
When, however, the source of those blessings are taken for granted and the things of this world become idols, the blessings themselves become diminished and we lose the fullness of joy and peace He intends for us to have. When we lose those we have nothing the world needs let alone wants. Our life is to be a beacon of hope to those who don’t know our Lord and Savior. Is that light shining in your life as you walk with Him or have you walked away from him and dimmed that light?
Brothers, please don’t crave the lesser part. Don’t let your hearts be turned away by the empty promises of a lost and dying world. Never allow anything to draw your eyes away from Jesus. Never allow anything to dim His light in you. It is too precious to throw away for baubles!
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
(Originally posted 4/19/10)
Love God’s Way
As I meditated about today’s reading I was struck again by Solomon’s prayer reaffirming God’s promise that if the people will obey God they will be blessed. God keeps saying this as we’ve seen over the past few days. He said it from day one really but the past few days have been about Solomon and in each reading we hear God say the same thing. In his prayer to God at the dedication of the Temple, Solomon repeats this concept of blessing from obedience.
I know what happens, Solomon disobeys God and trouble will come because of it. God just keeps warning and warning and warning and even those that seem to start out with the best of intentions fail in the end. The Bible tells us to love others as our selves, but the down fall of David, and as we will see Solomon, is due to their “love” of women. How can this be? It can be because we are talking about two different kinds of love; if one of them can indeed be called love.
Love for others as for yourself is, in one sense self-sacrificial, and in another sense self-fulfilling. I’m finding that as I focus more on others, and truly loving them, that I am happier, more content, and peaceful. When I focus on myself I am resentful, angry, and unhappy. It seems that when I focus on myself my vision for joy is too narrow and leaves me unfulfilled. When I focus on others my vision for joy is enlarged and I start to sense the fullness of joy Christ came to give me.
When David and Solomon “love” women are they really “loving” them? I don’t think so. I think they are viewing women as objects suitable to the quenching of their own self-centered carnal desires. They are not loving people but things. To love people is to put their needs first, not your own. That is not evident in the approach these men take toward women. Theirs is a puny, filthy rag they incorrectly call love. The only way it can come even close to being confused for love is if they acknowledge that their love is of self; love of personal carnal pleasure.
What happens when one practices this kind of love? One walks away from God. This kind of “love” is contrary to God’s intention. When our practices are contrary to God’s intentions we can, and should expect unhappiness and trouble. That is what Solomon will find and that is what you and I will find in our life. God is warning us. Obey my commandments. Love others as yourself. Really love so you will remain faithful to Me and experience the joy I have for you.
Brothers, is your wife someone you love by putting their needs before yours? Is your wife simply an object for quenching your own self-centered carnal desires? If you love her the first way I know you are happy. If you “love” her the second way I know you are miserable.
God wants you to be happy. Love the way He intended!
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
(Originally posted 4/18/10)
Obey in God’s Strength
Today we read of the building of the Temple. It reminds me of the description of the Tabernacle in Moses’ day. We are given a great deal of information on the elegance, quality and care that went into its construction. We see in the richness of its details and the attention given to that detail the awe and respect Solomon has for God.
Why in the middle of this are we given this quote?
1 Kings 6:11-13 ESV
“Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
We’ve heard this kind of reminder from God before. What struck me is that this is a repeat of what God said to Solomon in yesterday’s reading. If you remember, Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom to rule his people and know the difference between right and wrong. This pleased God and He granted his request along with riches and honor to boot. Having blessed Solomon He says this:
1 Kings 3:14 ESV
“And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
Why does God keep reminding Solomon to walk in His statutes? I am constantly reminding my daughter to do any number of things and that she shouldn’t do other things. Why? Because I know she tends to get wrapped up in herself and what she is doing and she forgets these very things. I reminder her because I love her and the things I’m telling her to do or not do are for her own good. By not obeying me she is hurting herself.
Same thing with Solomon, if he doesn’t obey God he will be hurting himself. Since God loves him, He’d rather Solomon obey. God knows Solomon is going to mess up. He knows this for two reasons: 1) He’s human and 2) God knows the future. You know God reminds you and me to follow His statutes as well. How? He reminds us by telling us the story of David and Solomon and other “heroes” of the Bible. You do realize that there is only one hero in the Bible who doesn’t sin right? Jesus is the only hero really worthy of the title.
At any rate, He reminds us with His Word. He reminds us with the prodding of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. He reminds us through the encouragement and correction of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. God loves you and He doesn’t want you to hurt yourself. Yes we live under a new covenant but remember that Jesus said:
Matthew 5:17-19 ESV
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
We do not live under a relaxed standard but a heightened standard. Do you remember Jesus speaking about adultery and saying if we lust after a woman we have committed adultery with her in our hearts (Matthew 5:27-28)? Do you remember him saying in the same passage that to hold anger in your heart toward someone is the same as having committed murder (Matthew 5:21-22)? The point about Jesus coming isn’t that God abandoned His standard of holiness. He has not. The point is that having accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and with the Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart you now have the ability to obey his statutes where you once could not.
Yes, you have grace! You also have strength to obey! We lean on grace a great deal but we need to start using the strength God gave us! I don’t exercise much and my body has been showing the consequences for some time now. I keep telling myself I need to exercise but I just can’t seem to make myself do it. That’s unfortunate. If I don’t exercise the quality of my life will suffer. I suspect, or at least hope, the Lord will keep me alive here on Earth for a little while longer, but if I don’t start exercising I won’t be living at the level I could and He intended.
Fellas, let’s exercise our physical and spiritual selves so we can live at the level God intended. It is hard work, but the work is worthwhile. Use the strength He gave you to live as He intended!
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
(Originally posted 4/17/10)
True Wisdom
In reading today’s passage I was struck by the description of Solomon’s wisdom.
1 Kings 4:29-34 ESV
“29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.”
David is dead. The reign of Solomon has begun and it is well begun at that. His father David prepared for his ascension to the throne materially, philosophically, and spiritually. God came to Solomon and asked him what he would like and Solomon answered that he would like wisdom with which to rule the people of Israel. This showed that, at the beginning, Solomon’s heart was in the right place. This is what God cares about most my friends – the heart. It does not matter what you say. It doesn’t even matter what you do. The condition of your heart is what matters. You can do and say the right thing for the wrong reasons and it will carry no favor with God. If you stumble though your heart is in the right condition, however, He will not hold it against you if you sincerely ask for forgiveness. Look how, in 2 Chronicles, God responded to Solomon’s request.
2 Chronicles 1:11-12 ESV
“God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.”
We know from Scripture that the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord. We know that in this context the word fear means great awe and respect for God. To desire wisdom is to desire a right relationship with God. In the verse above we see played out what Jesus said about God meeting our material needs:
Matthew 6:31-33 ESV
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
In seeking wisdom Solomon was seeking God which resulted in the rest being added to him. Solomon started on the right foot. He is the author of the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and many of the Proverbs and Psalms. His knowledge of God is great and yet the seeds of his future wandering from God have already been sown. In 1 Kings 3 we were told of Solomon’s prayer as well, along with one detail that was missing in the 2 Chronicles version.
1 Kings 3:1 ESV
“Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.”
This bit of information is provided before we are told of Solomon’s prayer for wisdom. This does not necessarily mean that he took an Egyptian wife prior to his request for wisdom, but it kind of makes sense to me that he did. There is a difference between human wisdom and divine wisdom. In human wisdom a marriage alliance makes sense as it was a method for securing peace. In divine wisdom a marriage alliance does not make sense since you are relying on your own efforts and wisdom for protection rather than on God.
Much of the wisdom for which Solomon is praised seems to be human wisdom; knowledge of how the world works and the best way to do this, that, or the other. Still, his proverbs and psalms show that he understood divine wisdom; that is the need to trust and obey God. It appears to me that Solomon had both and yet, as we will see, he eventually wandered from God. The cause of this separation stems from his foreign wives and their false gods and religious practices. To keep peace in his house he allowed them to practice their dead religions. This is a toxin that poisoned Israel and Solomon himself.
Here is my point, you can have wisdom, you can know God, but unless you consciously decide to obey Him you are in real danger. God asks you to obey Him not for His own good but for your own good. When will we get that through our thick heads? As Paul reminds us:
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 ESV
“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
God even tells Solomon that obedience is true wisdom.
1 Kings 3:14 ESV
“And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
All of God’s promises come with that caveat – “If you will walk in my ways”. It is the “will” to act in wisdom that is essential. You can know what to do but if you don’t do it wisdom is meaningless. Be wise my brothers, obey God.
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
(Originally posted 5/31/11)
Rocky Soil
In today’s reading you will notice that Solomon married a daughter of Pharaoh the king of Egypt. This was a marriage alliance; a marriage designed to ensure peace between neighboring peoples. If you know your history, you know that marriage alliances continued through the 19th century in Europe, mostly in a sometimes futile attempt to avoid war.
Unfortunately for Solomon he married a number of women from other nations who brought their man-made gods along with them. Solomon starts out with a good relationship with God as we read today. Solomon is already wise enough to ask God for wisdom to govern and discern good and evil. This pleases God and Solomon goes on to build God’s temple. I’m afraid, however, that in future readings we will discover that Solomon wanders away from God through the influence of these women. The seeds of a fall can be sown even in the midst of a good beginning.
I watched “Billy: The Early Years of Billy Graham” this evening with my wife. It was the first time I had heard of Charles Templeton. Evidently Charles was a big evangelist when Billy was just starting out. He was holding revivals for crowds of 40,000. Many thought he would be another D. L. Moody or Billy Sunday. Charles brought Billy along with him and the two of them toured America and Europe holding revivals. The two became very good friends.
Charles accepted Christ at a young age and quickly planted a church in Toronto Canada. Unfortunately Charles did not have a much of an ecclesiastical education and after years of evangelizing he began to question his faith. The movie portrays this slide as beginning with the viewing of film showing the destruction of WWII and the German death camps. His slide is depicted with the typical kind of misguided questions we hear from those who choose not to believe. For example: “If there is a God, how can he allow such atrocities and suffering?”
I found myself talking back to the TV answering those moronic questions. They seem so profound to the lost and so idiotic to those that understand the truth of God and human nature. It is so typical for the lost to lay all the wicked man does at God’s feet and claim all the good for themselves; and they call us hypocrites! The point is Templeton’s fall was sown at the beginning. If you remember the parable of the sower, Jesus actually explains this phenomenon.
Matthew 13:20-21 ESV
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
Now you might argue that questioning the Word of God is not the same as tribulation and persecution on account of that word but I would beg to differ. God’s word is a powerful thing and Templeton struggled against it. He gave up his church and walked away from many dear friends. He passed away in 2001 but if you could ask him I suspect he might agree that he went through a bit of tribulation on account of the word.
What I’m suggesting here is that Charles would have been better off studying the word and being discipled first before going off to evangelize. He had no root in himself and he fell away. What a horrible tragedy. Billy Graham was saved and he went off to a Bible school in Florida and then on to Wheaton College. It was clear that the seed of Christ was planted firmly in good soil and he yielded fruit a hundredfold.
Let me, once again be clear brothers, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus will never lose any that are given into his hand. The Bible also tells us that one can even preach the Word and still not be one of His. It all comes down to where the seed is planted. Where is your seed planted? Are the seeds of your fall already planted around you? If so, pull them up by the roots. Toss them into the fire! Let the seed of Jesus Christ be planted in good soil and allow not a single weed to sprout. Be diligent and allow no unclean influence into your house, your mind, your life!
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
(Originally posted 4/16/10)
Clean House
Welcome to 1 Kings. In tomorrow’s reading, David passes away. Later in Kings we will hear about other kings of Israel; but first we will hear about Solomon.
Struggles for power are nothing new. We in America have a pretty tame succession of the Chief Executive every four to eight years; at least there isn’t blood involved. Even with us, however, we have a symbolic bloodletting. Before the President is out of office there are shifts in alliances and struggles to be positioned for advancement or at least continuity with the successor. Folks have to figure out who they think will win or who to support based on the goodies they believe they can secure. When a new President comes most of the former staff must go.
With the latest change of succession here in America, not only were people sent packing but so were policies, presidential findings, and even international commitments. For those close to executive power, change in leadership can be deadly to ones career if not life; depending on when and where you live. As David’s life, and thus his reign, coming to an end a lot of jockeying is going on. In David’s day, succession was not hereditary or elective. The king chose his successor. In this case, God had already chosen Solomon, but Adonijah had other ideas. He played politics, built a coalition and hoped to present Israel and David with a fait accompli. He acted as though he was king attempting to insinuate that as the oldest son he was entitled to the throne.
Nathan, the priest, knew that God had appointed Solomon and that if Adonijah took the throne Solomon and probably Bathsheba would be killed. Remember that it was the adultery of David that led to the eventual civil war and death of Absalom, Adonijah’s older brother. Even if revenge isn’t a motive the fact that Solomon could be the focus of a rebellion against Adonijah’s reign would be enough to warrant Solomon’s death.
Adonijah and his advisers like Joab and the high priest Abiathar were not the clever politicians they thought they were. They thought they had it all figured out but they had miscalculated. The succession was decided by David, not by popular vote or hereditary succession of the oldest son. Nathan was a better politician. He knew where the real power lay and his plan was based on using that power to crown God’s choice. Bathsheba, with the help of Nathan, convince David to anoint Solomon king.
Suddenly the shoe is on the other foot. It is the other camp that is now in mortal danger. Adonijah is rightly fearful for his life but Solomon says that as long as Adonijah refrains from “wickedness”, as defined by the king, he will be safe. Later Adonijah asks Bathsheba to intercede for him with Solomon to allow him to marry Abishag. Abishag was the young woman who took care of David on his death bed. She had become part of his harem or household even though he had never had marital relations with her.
Bathsheba doesn’t seem to see the problem with this request but Solomon does. A king’s harem was an important part of succession. The king’s women were the king’s women and only the king could have them. Remember when Absalom overthrew David for a time, part of his strategy was to have relations with the king’s concubines and thereby establish the fact that he was king. Adonijah’s request was not some love sick fawning for a pretty girl. He was beginning a plan for claiming the throne. Solomon the wise, saw this immediately and put an end to it.
What I see in the various stories within 1 Kings is a Solomon who gives his adversaries grace on the one hand and enough rope on the other. Adonijah, Joab, and Abiathar were a cabal. The attempt to marry a member of the former king’s harem was actually a claim on the throne itself. Solomon was not going to let Adonijah’s schemes to take form as his father David had allowed Absalom’s. The first whiff of a plot and it was off with their heads, so to speak.
Solomon solidified his reign by quickly dispatching those that might participate in removing him. No one ever accused Solomon of being a patsy. That which could undermine his safety was ruthlessly destroyed.
How about you? How do you deal with the things of this toxic world that can undermine your safety. Do you allow channels on your TV that can lead you astray? Do you allow yourself to explore things on the internet that can lead you to porn? Is there a substance or item that pulls your focus away from God; drugs, alcohol, sports, money? Be like Solomon and ruthlessly cast it from your house. Do not allow it time to take hold and take you down. You don’t need to let small things get big before you tackle them. Why expend the energy? Why run the risk? It doesn’t make sense. Do not be like David and suffer the inevitable negative consequences of letting things fester. Be like Solomon, safe and secure!
Have a blessed day!
Your brother and servant in Christ,
Bill
Dying to self, living to serve!
(Originally posted 4/15/10)
