Salt & Light Blog

1 Kings 14:1-20 God is not a Vending Machine

9/30/2015

1 Kings 14:1-20
Jeroboam had an opportunity to change his ways and turn to The Lord, but he refused to do that. 1 Kings 13:33-34 reads,
“After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.”
In Jeroboam’s false religion, any one Jeroboam chose could be a priest. There was nothing special about them. They didn’t have to be Levite as The Lord required. They didn’t have to be anything, except willing to please the king. And this was a grave sin. It affected not only Jeroboam but Israel and Jeroboam’s family and his descendants.
Jeroboam’s son Abijah became sick. His father was worried for him. He needed help. Did he turn to his priests? Did he turn to The Lord? Nope. He turned to Ahijah, the prophet who God had used to tell him the Lord was giving him Israel. Jeroboam told his wife get a disguise and go to go to the prophet to find out what would happen to their son. And so she did. Verses 4-6 read,
“Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age.5 And the Lord said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.”
When she came, she pretended to be another woman. 6 But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you.”
Why did Jeroboam and his wife decide they had to lie at all to inquire of a prophet? They obviously didn’t have much respect for the Lord. They treated Him like a Magic 8 Ball.
The Lord had some words for Jeroboam. First He told him his sins. Verses 7-9 read,
“Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9 but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back,”
God gave Jeroboam an amazing gift, and he didn’t acknowledge Him in it. He took that gift and instead of leading Israel to pursue The Lord, he led them away from Him. And like the Lord promised David that he would always have a descendent on the throne, he promised Jeroboam that his descendants would be cut off.
“therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11 Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it.”’ 12 Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. 14 Moreover, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. And henceforth, 15 the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin.”
That is a ton of bad news to hear at one time. Right in the middle of everything was the news that when she walked into her house, her son would die. Her son who was the only one in Jeroboam’s family or household that pleased The Lord. He was dying, but his death would save him from the horrors his relatives would suffer. That news was surrounded by more bad news. I can’t guess how this wife and mother dealt with it. Jeroboam had brought death to his household and so would his wife. Jeroboam had brought a terrible curse to his house and a dreadful curse to Israel.
Jeroboam’s wife returned home, knowing that her arrival would mean the death of her child and that she would have to pass this terrible prophecy on to her husband. Jeroboam reigned for a total of 22 years and when he died his son Nadad reigned.
The Lord is not a crazy 8 ball, a vending machine, or Santa Claus. We can’t pick and choose when we will call Him Lord and when we will ignore Him or turn to our idols. So many of us turn to Him in bad times, but ignore Him in the good times. Ecclesiastes 7:14 reads,
“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.”

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1 Kings 13 God NEVER Goes against His Own Word.

9/29/2015

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1 Kings 13
We don’t live in a bubble. Obedience and sin both have consequences and repercussions. In this chapter the only names we know are Jeroboam’s and Josiah’s. The other names are lost to everyone but The Lord Himself, all because one man lied and another disobeyed God.
Jeroboam who had just made up his own religion which looked close enough to Judaism to please the people was about to make offerings on his new altar. Just as he was getting ready to begin a man of God showed up. The Lord had called this unnamed prophet out of Judah to confront Jeroboam and stop him before he went too far. The bravery of the man of God probably surprised the king because rather than deride Jeroboam or even speak to him, the prophet cried out to the altar, an inanimate object built by Jeroboam for Jeroboam. Verses 2-3 read,

“And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’”

God tried to tell Jeroboam that his false religion would be defiled and he ought to stop. Josiah would fulfil this prophecy 300 years later. (2 Kings 23:15-20). Jeroboam got angry at the man’s words. He pointed at the man and ordered his men to arrest him. And there were immediate consequences. He had the choice to listen to the Lord and repent, but instead his arrogance got in the way. Verses 4-5 describe it,
“And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.”
The sign the Lord promised was direct and instantaneous and Jeroboam was frozen by the sudden shriveling of his hand paralyzed in mid-air. Jeroboam had the charm that many psychopaths have. He quickly acknowledged the prophet’s power and asked him to fix his hand. The man of God could have said, “Ha! See there! I was right and you were wrong, live with it buddy!” But he didn’t. He was a man of God and so responded by asking the Lord what He wanted. God had him heal Jeroboam’s shriveled hand. Jeroboam who just moments before had ordered the man to be seized now invited him to his home, rest up, and be rewarded. Verses 8-10 read,

“And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.”

The Lord gave him this directive for several reasons. Jeroboam was charming and persuasive enough to make 10 tribes of Israel turn away from the Lord and begin the false worship Samaria became famous for. He also didn’t want the man to be in any way indebted to Jeroboam. Also serving God does not come with pay. (Matthew 10:7-9). And God does not want us muddying up our beliefs by discussing His pearls with unappreciative pigs. 2 John 1:7-11 reads,

“For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

As the man of God was on his way he was feeling pretty good about himself. Maybe he was feeling a little prideful crediting his goodness with God’s greatness. So the man of God was headed home and an old prophet who lived in Bethel heard about everything that had happened from his sons. He really wanted to talk to this man so he saddled up his donkey and headed to find the man of God. Verses 14-17 read,

“And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 And he said, “I may not return with you, or go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place, 17 for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’”

The man of God knew what God had said. He repeated it to the old prophet without a problem but the old prophet perhaps was offended that God wouldn’t want him to talk with him, he was after all a prophet. But he was a prophet who had decided to stay in Bethel, who for whatever reason was not chosen to go speak to Jeroboam. God had to call a man to make the journey form Judah to Bethel instead of using a prophet in the same place as Jeroboam. Verses 18-19 read,

“And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.”

Where was the man’s faith? He had just uttered prophecy, with a sign and had seen the sign come to be immediately, he had witnessed God shrivel a man’s hand and heal a man’s hand. Did he really think The Lord would have said one thing to him and another to someone else? God doesn’t give people disparate messages. That was his clue that the old prophet was also a false prophet. But he believed the old prophet, whose words sound so much like the serpent’s in the garden of Eden, “Did God really say…”
God reacted quickly. He had the old prophet deliver a message to the man. Verses 20-22 read,
“And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21 And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the command that the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’”

Both men had to acknowledge their sin. The old prophet had lied and that lie had led to a horrible punishment. The man of God had figured that he could eat with a prophet, God must not have meant what he said. Now he was going to be punished. When he died, his body would not be laid with his fathers, he would be forgotten in his family history. Proper burial was important to Israel. One wanted to be buried at least in his home town and certainly with his ancestors. Jacob said, “Bury me with my fathers.” (Genesis 49:29-30). The punishment the man faced was one most Israelites and Judahites would dread.
Just as swiftly as everything else had happened, this prophecy came to be very quickly and even more horribly than the man could have imagined. The old prophet saddled his donkey for the man and sent him on his way. Verses 24-25 describe what happened next.

“And as he went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. 25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the road and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.”
The two animals just stood there next to the body and people saw this incredible sight and talked about it but couldn’t do anything about it. So of course word reached the old prophet. He was very upset, he was deeply convicted about tempting the man away from his way home. If he had not lied, if he had stayed away or perhaps chosen to walk part of the way with the man, it wouldn’t have happened.
So he saddled a donkey and went to find the man’s body. It was there just like everyone had described. He put it on his donkey and brought it back home where he buried the man in his tomb. He was profoundly sorry. His punishment was worse than the man’s, he had to live with the consequences. So he mourned and repented. Verses 31-32 read,

“And he laid the body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” 31 And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.”

He also saw that God’s word was real and true. He knew that the prophecy about Josiah would come to pass and if he were buried as Jeroboam’s priest or prophet, his bones would be desecrated. He ensured he would not be burned with the rest by having his body buried so closely with the man that they would be indistinguishable when both were bone and dust. He made sure the tomb was inscribed, not with his name or position but with the man’s title. In his longing to preserve dignity in death he took on the punishment of being forgotten in death. (2 Kings 23-17-18).

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1 Kings 12:25-33 Beware False Prophets, the Spirit of the Antichrist is Rampant.

9/28/2015

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Matthew 7:13-14 on photo of Garden Trellis by Donna Campbell

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14

1 Kings 12:25-33
Not everything that looks like worship is worship of The One True Living God. Not everything that looks like Christianity is of Jesus our Christ. People can, even with good intentions, twist, misinterpret, or misunderstand scripture and make something out of it that is not there. Some people just flagrantly make up their own system of worship, rules, or rituals either for their own gain or out of misguided notions of “good.” Be careful! Looking and sounding Christian doesn’t make it Christian. If it does not proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, then it is not from God but from the enemy. (1 John 4:3).
King Jeroboam had a predicament. Israel needed to worship God, but to do that they had to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem which was in Judah. He knew when the people went there, they would want to reunite with Judah under the Davidic king and abandon and kill him. So he had a plan. Verses 28-30 read,

“So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.”

Although clearly not the worship God had prescribed it looked and sounded like it could be godly. People didn’t question, people didn’t look to scripture, people didn’t remember that the golden calf Aaron had made was an idol and had caused war within Israel leading to the deaths of 3,000 people. (Exodus 32). Israel simply accepted Jeroboam’s word and it looked enough like their religion to seem okay. We are told to question. We are told to test what is being fed to us. 1 John 4:1-6 reads,
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

But Jeroboam didn’t stop with the sin of the golden calves in place of The Temple. Verses 31-33 read,
“He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 33 He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings.”

The feast Jeroboam instituted was a perversion of The Feast of Tabernacles, a feast that required the Temple which Israel no longer had access to. It was a celebratory feast of thanksgiving and fellowship and very prominent in proper worship of The Lord. Solomon had dedicated the Temple during The Feast of the Tabernacles and Jeroboam needed what he did to look godly in order to lead the people away from The Lord and to him and his new system. Jeroboam was not only king of Israel, but he set himself up as high priest of his new religion and appointed non-Levite priests who would not question or inquire of The Lord for the truth.
His actions are a shadow of the coming antichrist. Jeroboam seemed like a good king to the people of Israel. He made them believe that their lives under God’s appointed king Solomon had been terrible. He had made them think Solomon’s yoke had been heavy. (1 Kings 12:4). But the fact was that the prosperity in Israel had been great. (1 Kings 10:21). And even the forced labor of building the Temple and palace had not been drawn from Israelites. (1 Kings 9:22). Jeroboam lied to the people with a silk tongue and the people believed his lies because he spoke to their vanity.
Consider this, Jeroboam was king of the Northern Kingdom, ten tribes of Israel. Revelation 13:1-2 describe the antichrist, the beast this way,

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.”

The antichrist empowered by Satan will rule ten nations. This is not the only similarity. Jeroboam made a new festival to replace The Feast of the Tabernacles, he changed the date by a month.
Daniel 7:23-25 describe him like this,

“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.”

The people didn’t have to fall for Jeroboam’s lies and so sin right along with him. They could have prayed. They could have asked the prophets to inquire of God. (There were prophets in the Northern kingdom, tomorrow we’ll read about one of them.) The prophets could have spoken up. The Levites could have spoken up. The people could have checked the scriptures with the help of the Levites to see that Jeroboam was distorting God and creating an idol.
But they didn’t. They would pay for their sin of deliberant ignorance. Be careful there are false teachers, false prophets, and false religions. They sound good, but are corrupt. They seem like they lead to Truth, but they are lies which lead to death. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:13-23.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

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1 King 12:1-24 God Can Work Good, Even When You're Fool

9/27/2015

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1 Kings 12:1-24
Let’s get a quick recap of what happened yesterday. Because Solomon had turned to idols to please his 700 wives and 300 concubines God had raised up enemies against him and decided the kingdom, except for one tribe would be ripped away from his son after Solomon’s death. The person chosen to lead the rebellion and reign over Israel was Jeroboam an Ephramite who worked for Solomon and was in charge of the forced laborers of his own tribe of Joseph. After Solomon found out about his plan to take the kingdom, he tried to have Jeroboam killed. But Jeroboam escaped to Egypt until Solomon died.

When you think about Solomon chances are one of the first things you think about is his wisdom. But his son Rehoboam wasn’t wise at all. He proved it very early in his administration. Jeroboam led a group of men in representing Israel who came to Rehoboam with a request. They said, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” (Verse 4). Rehoboam’s response sounded wise. He said, “Come back in three days, I have to think about it.” His next move seemed wise too. He went to the old men who had advised Solomon his father and asked what he should do. They said, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” (Verse 7). Rehoboam didn’t like what he heard and so like many of us do in that situation, he turned to the people who would give him the answer he was looking for. He turned to his friends and asked their opinion. People tend to be friends with like-minded people. Rehoboam was a fool and so were his friends. They answered him and said, “Tell them if you think my father was hard on you, just wait. My little finger is bigger than my father’s thighs! You think his yoke was heavy, mine will be heavier. He disciplined you with whips, I’ll discipline you with scorpions!”
Well Rehoboam liked his friends’ advice. So when it was time to answer Jeroboam and the people, he answered just the way his friends had told him to answer. Verse 15-16 reads,
“So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.”
16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents.”

Rehoboam had the chance to make a wise choice, but he rejected the wisdom he asked for. His foolishness resulted in ten tribes walking away from him. Judah stayed with their King, and the tribe of Benjamin sided with Judah. Just like God had said. Verses 17-20 read,
“But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20 And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.”

Rohoboam was not happy about this turn of events. His foolishness had led to a rebellion which would hurt him financially, and injure his credibility. Forever his legacy would be that he lost the kingdom. So he decided to fight. He gathered the troops. Between Judah and Benjamin there were 180,000 warriors ready to fight Israel. But God said, whoa! Stop! I did not sanction a civil war. I don’t want you fighting your own country men, brothers. Go home. This situation is from me. So they listened to him and went home without fighting.
Sometimes what looks wrong to us is what God has worked out and has a purpose. We may not be able to see the reasons, but God’s thinking isn’t ours. He sees the whole picture. He is the Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end. He had taken ten tribes away from the Davidic line to discipline and punish them. He gave Benjamin the crown in Saul, then gave Judah the crown in David and his descendants. He has his reasons, and He will be merciful to whom he will be merciful. (Romans 9:14-18). Sometimes it may look and feel like the people who should be punished are not being punished. Sometimes it may seem like He is letting the wrong people have the good stuff.
Revelation 22:11-13 reads,
“Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

A split kingdom looked like the wrong thing. Fighting to reunite the kingdom seemed right. But God said, He had arranged for the kingdom to be divided and didn’t want the fight.
If you are facing circumstances you do not understand, remember The Lord does understand them. He is the beginning and the end so He knows how it turns out. You can trust in His wisdom, even when you made stupid mistakes that resulted in a bad situation, like Rehoboam. You can have faith that He allowed the situations and circumstances even the ones that you caused.

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1 Kings 10 & 11 Solomon Thought He Could Serve God and Lust

9/26/2015

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My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12

My apologies, as I could not format the text as I normally do. I have done my best to go back and put in hyperlinks and format, but it is not formatting properly.
1 Kings 10 & 11
Solomon had it really good. He was a king, wiser than any one before or after him. He was so rich and had made Jerusalem so rich that the city considered silver as worthless as rocks. (10:22 & 27). His wisdom and prosperity had made him famous. So famous that the queen of Sheba made a 6 month 1400 mile journey with her entourage so that she could see for herself what she had heard about Solomon’s wealth, wisdom, and houses. And this wealthy queen was impressed. Verse 5 describes her has “having no breath in her” when she saw everything. Chapter 10 verses 6-10 read,
“And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. 8 Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” 10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
Most of chapter 10 is devoted to describing how rich Solomon was. God had been very good to him. He was so rich that every cup, plate and utensil in his kitchen was pure gold. Verses 18-20 describe his throne.
“The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the throne had a round top, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, 20 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom”
Verses 23-25 describe his wealth and wisdom.
“Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 25 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.”
But as Jesus said in Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money”
Solomon had been a servant of God, but he came to love some things more than he loved The Lord. He enjoyed his wealth and he enjoyed the women that his fame brought him. Chapter 11 verses 1-3 read,
“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.”
Solomon had been a good servant to The Lord, but he started with one little compromise, he married an Egyptian, the Pharaoh’s daughter. He assumed he was strong enough to keep following the Lord. But Solomon didn’t love the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength. He enjoyed his opulent lifestyle and he loved women. He couldn’t possibly do more than have occasional sex with each of the 1,000 women, 300 who didn’t have the title do make them wives and had to live as sex slaves to the licentious king. The women turned his heart from the Lord to various gods of their countries. Solomon was wise, but not wise enough to overcome his lust and obey the commandment not to intermarry with worshippers of false gods. Even today we have that commandment to keep us seeking God first. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 reads,
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.”
Verses 4-8 describe what Solomon did for his wives.
“For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.”
But the Lord was not going to let Solomon get away with such evil. He had been extraordinarily good to Solomon and even all his amazing experiences knowing God were not enough to keep him from pleasing his wives and chasing idols.
Do you imagine your past closeness to the Lord, your great deeds, or the good things He has given you are good enough to keep you when you take your eyes off Jesus and put them on money, stature, romance, or fleshly desires? Do you tell yourself the lie that you are a strong enough Christian that you can handle the sinful lifestyle being dangled in front of you and still love the Lord with all your heart, strength, soul, and mind? If you do that, remember that God will do something about it, because He disciplines those He loves. (Proverbs 3:11-12). Perhaps Solomon should have reread some of his writings. Verses 9-13 read,
“And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12 Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”
So the Lord raised up some adversaries for Solomon. Hadad the one Edomite male that had escaped being killed when David had conquered Edom had grown up and decided that now that David was dead it was the perfect time to get revenge. Rezon, an escaped servant of Hadadezer king of Zobah who was once the leader of a group of bandits and then became king of Syria hated Israel. The final person on this list of rivals was Jeroboam, who was actually a trusted person in Solomon’s administration in charge of the workforce from the tribe of Joseph until one day he ran into Ahijah a prophet, who had a message from the Lord for him. Verses 31-33 in The Message read,
“Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten of these pieces for yourself; this is by order of the God of Israel: See what I’m doing—I’m ripping the kingdom out of Solomon’s hands and giving you ten of the tribes. In honor of my servant David and out of respect for Jerusalem, the city I especially chose, he will get one tribe. And here’s the reason: He faithlessly abandoned me and went off worshiping Ashtoreth goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh god of the Moabites, and Molech god of the Ammonites. He hasn’t lived the way I have shown him, hasn’t done what I have wanted, and hasn’t followed directions or obeyed orders as his father David did.”
The Lord said He wouldn’t do it while Solomon lived but when he died and his son Rehoboam ruled then God would take it away from him leaving him only with the tribe of Judah. Solomon heard about Jeroboam’s plan to take the kingdom and tried to have him killed, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt until Solomon died. When Solomon died Rehoboam ruled.
This is where the narrative pauses for a “to be continued.” But we know of course that the kingdom split into the Northern and Southern kingdoms, and that David’s descendants ruled Judah.
Sometimes we can have it too good. Sometimes we can let God’s blessings become more important to us than God. Or we can be so confident in our “goodness” or position with God that we let the little sins come in and before we know it we’re serving money or sex or fame or power.

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1 Kings 9 Jesus and The Promises of The Temple of God

9/25/2015

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And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:22-23

1 Kings 9

It is truly an amazing feat that Solomon built God such a magnificent house. As long as Solomon’s Temple stood it was known by his name. For all of the things Solomon did during his reign, he is best remembered for The First Temple. It stood for 400 years until destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. 70 years later Ezra and Nehemiah, understanding how important the Temple was to Israel built the Second Temple which was eventually modified by Herod and then destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.

Solomon was a good king and God honored him as Solomon honored The Lord. It is really something that The Lord appeared to Solomon, but off the chain that He would appear to him twice. The promise He gave Solomon was very special and good, but it was better for us. Verses 1-3 read,

“As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king's house and all that Solomon desired to build, 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”

What an amazing promise! Believer, do you know that it applies to you too? Read it again and remember that you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16).

“I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house (You) …, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.” What name did He put there? His, Jesus Christ! His eyes (His attention) and His heart (His love and will) will be there for All time. Romans 10:13 reads,

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

But The Lord had more to say to Solomon. He reiterated what He had told David and Solomon before. God is wonderful like continuously reminding us of His Word and His will. Verses 4-7 read,

“And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, 5 then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6 But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

While God kept His word, David and Solomon’s descendants did not keep theirs. Many of Israel’s and Judah’s kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. The Davidic line ended earthly rule with Zedikiah. It is impossible for man to keep the Law of Moses perfectly. That is why we need Jesus. (Galatians 3:10-14). Jesus was not a plan B, He was the plan from the beginning. (2 Timothy 1:8-10). Jesus the King of Kings and Son of God who was born a direct descendent of David was on the throne from the beginning. (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38).

The Lord continued His promise in verses 8-9,

“And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them.’”

Many of the Davidic Line, the King’s after Solomon who ruled Judah did evil in the sight of God and so this promise was kept.

Jesus predicted it as well, Mark 13:1-2 reads,

“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Because of Jesus, by 70 A.D. the Temple had outlived its purpose and it was destroyed by the Romans. Jesus transcends the need of an earthly house of God. When He showed His zealous love for The Father and The Temple by ordering the money changers and sellers out of it, He was asked for a sign to prove He had authority to do such a thing and call God His Father. He answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19). Today we understand He was talking about His crucifixion and resurrection, just as His disciples remembered His words after His resurrection. (John 2:18-22).

The Temple could lay in ruins because it was a temporary shadow of a heavenly truth. You and I are the Temple of God today. And when we reside in the eternity of New Jerusalem we will be in the presence of God in a way we can only imagine and practice here and now. There will be no Temple in New Jerusalem, Jesus Himself, The Lord God Almighty will be there and He will be the Temple! Revelation 21:9-21 give a sunning and beautiful description of New Jerusalem, but verses 22-27 top that description with the best part.

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

Solomon did many good and great things during his reign. He built a great Temple and God promised him wonderful things. God kept every promise, even when men did not. His promises were so much more than Solomon in all his wisdom could ever grasp. Believer, do not forget who you are, who dwells in you and with you, and where you will dwell in eternity.

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1 Kings 8 The Temple Made a Way for God to Dwell with Men

9/24/2015

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John 14:6-7 on photo of clouds over The Mississippi Rover by Donna Campbell

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

1 Kings 8

Finally Solomon had finished building the Temple and it was ready for its purpose. That purpose was to make a way for The Lord to dwell with men. Only one thing had to be done to finalize it, and that was to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy of Holies. It was a big occasion and Solomon did it just as The Lord deserved it to be done. Verses 1-5 read,

“Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.”

This was as festive and serious as any occasion could be. The sacrificing of the sheep and oxen was for the cleansing of sin, for peace, fellowship, and thanksgiving. It prepared Israel for The Lord. It made it possible for them to draw near to The Lord as The Ark made its way from the Tabernacle to the Temple. Our sin has separated us from God (Isaiah 59:1-3). So Solomon, the priests and the entire assembly atoned for their sins and made the sacrifices necessary for that atonement.

When the priests placed the Ark in the holy place, God gave them the sign of His presence. Verses 10-11 read,

“And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”

Today, we are the Temple of God, and before He indwells us with His Word and therefore His presence, He cleanses us of all our sin, once and for all. It is not by the blood of sheep and oxen but the blood of Jesus Christ. The Temple, the altar, and the sacrifices were all shadows of Jesus and precursors to the Glory of our Savior. Hebrews 9:23-36 reads,

“Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

And we do not need a cloud thick with God’s glory to tell us that God is with us. We have The Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14). And He manifests in gifts and a change of character. (Galatians 5:22-23). 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 reads,

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

Solomon couldn’t help but express his gratitude. Verses 21-22 read,

“Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Then Solomon prayed. Verses 27-30 are a portion of that prayer.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, 29 that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”

God didn’t need the Temple, He didn’t require man. The Temple was for Israel’s benefit, not His. Stephen said the same thing in his speech to the High Priest and council, when he was seized. Acts 7:44-51 reads,

“Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.”

The Temple gave people a way to connect with God, a way to pray to Him, repent for sin, and be forgiven of sin. We do not need the Temple, the altar or the Ark. The Ark held the Law of Moses, it was the Mercy Seat, and the footstool of God. (1 Chronicles 28:2). We have Jesus, We have been given The Holy Spirit. We are the Temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Jesus is our Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat was the place where the high priest sprinkled the blood for the propitiation of sin. Romans 3:24-25 reads,

“and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins”

Solomon then gave a benediction to the people. A benediction is a good word, a blessing, and often a prophetic truth spoken in worship of the Lord. Verses 56-61,

“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us,58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers.59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

God was with Israel through the Temple. He is with us through Jesus Christ. He has given us rest. Every word of Solomon’s benediction is true for us because of the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Hebrews 4:9-13 reads,

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave us the Great Commission and a promise. Matthew 28:18-20 reads,

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The purpose of The Temple was so that God could dwell with man. It was a foretaste of Emmanuel, God With Us, Jesus. God Himself, the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit are in us and we are in Him. We are indelibly united with Him. John 14:18-21 reads,

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

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1 Kings 7 What Can I Learn from Solomon's House and God's Temple

9/23/2015

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1 Corinthians 3:16-17 on Photo of Donna & Richie by Lani Campbell

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

1 Kings 7

I have to admit, I read this chapter and I wanted to pass it by as useless, even more so than a “begat list.” I could not see what a description of Solomon’s palace or the furnishings of The Temple could possibly teach me. And so I prayed, “Reveal yourself to me Lord. Reveal yourself in your word, please.”

After Solomon finished building the temple, he turned his attention to building his palace, his home, and the buildings that would make up his home. Solomon had a zeal for finery. He had made the Temple a majestic place and his home and palace were almost as majestic. He spared no expense on it. The buildings were huge, they were made of the best materials, they were beautiful, and they were made to be enjoyed. Verses 6-12 in The Message describe some of the buildings.

“He built a colonnaded courtyard seventy-five feet long and forty-five wide. It had a roofed porch at the front with ample eaves.

7 He built a court room, the Hall of Justice, where he would decide judicial matters, and paneled it with cedar.

8 He built his personal residence behind the Hall on a similar plan. Solomon also built another one just like it for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

9-12 No expense was spared—everything here, inside and out, from foundation to roof was constructed using high-quality stone, accurately cut and shaped and polished. The foundation stones were huge, ranging in size from twelve to fifteen feet, and of the very best quality. The finest stone was used above the foundation, shaped to size and trimmed with cedar. The courtyard was enclosed with a wall made of three layers of stone and topped with cedar timbers, just like the one in the porch of The Temple of God.”

God is not a mediocre god. He is Great, Perfect, and Awesome. He is lavish in all He does. Nothing He is, is halfway, only okay, or just alright. He is our All in All. Solomon built his home not for the temporary, but for an entire life, a life to be lived with joy, with worship, and with zeal. Our God is a God of joy. Psalm 16:11 says,

“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

His houses were gorgeous but The Temple of the Lord was going to be exquisite. Solomon brought a man Hiram from Tyre to oversee all the work on the Temple. This was not the king who had delivered the timber, but a man considered to be full of wisdom and understanding the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali whose father had been a bronze worker. (Verses 13-14).

Every wall and pillar was decorated with intricate bronze work. Two pillars are described in verses 17-20.

“There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. 18 Likewise he made pomegranates in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. 19 Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were two hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital.”

The Tabernacle, the Temple and everything in it and about it has always represented Jesus Christ and the Salvation that can only come from Him. Solomon made additions to the Temple that the Tabernacle didn’t have and couldn’t accommodate. One of those improvements was the sea of cast metal. A large bronze pool where the priests could wash and perform cleansing rituals to replace the bronze laver that Moses had built for the Tabernacle. The laver had been big enough only to wash the priests’ hands and feet. But the sea was huge, fifteen feet across, seven and a half feet tall, and forty-five feet around and held about 11,500 gallons of water. It sat on top of twelve bronze oxen and was shaped like a cup.

What did it mean? It was certainly not only for washing feet and hands. It is a representation of the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was drowned. It is an illustration of The Holy Spirit, the rebirth of a soul, the cleansing transformation of Salvation. It is a picture of Jesus Christ, His redemptive blood, poured out for us. Solomon was not only a king, like his father David, he was a prophet.

But for the Vestibule and the Holy of Holies the work was even more superb. Solomon didn’t simply put the furnishings from the Tabernacle into the Temple, he made everything except the Ark and Mercy Seat new. Verses 48-50 read,

“So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: the golden altar, the golden table for the bread of the Presence, 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner sanctuary; the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold; and the sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple.”

The Tabernacle had been where God’s presence had rested and where the priests had performed the rites before. It was a tent, a temporary place that had done its job for over 450 years. But The Temple was better, it was meant to last. And it would, but not eternally. When Jesus came The Temple and the priestly duties were no longer necessary. In John 2:19-22 Jesus said,

“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

Jesus also foretold the destruction of The Temple. Mark 13:1-2 reads,

“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

That happened in 70 A.D. the fulfilment of the prophecy and the end of the ability to accomplish the Levitical law in order to be cleansed from one’s sins. Now it is we who are the Holy Temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

When Solomon finally completed the Temple, he brought in all treasure that David had dedicated. Verse 51 reads,

“Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.”

David wanted to build the Temple but God told him, no, he was not qualified and he had chosen Solomon for the job. Solomon was exactly the right one for it. But that didn’t mean that David didn’t prepare for the Temple. That didn’t mean he wasn’t just as excited about the mission as God was. It was God’s work and so David did his part, even when his part was not what he had hoped for.

We all have jobs assigned to us, and occasionally they are not the glorious ones we hoped for. Sometimes we are called to clean the toilet when we want to make eloquent speeches. Romans 12:4-5 reads,

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

Believer, we are The Body of Christ and the Temple of God. He made us exquisitely. Imagine if a mere man could make such a glorious Temple, how splendid the temple created by The Lord God is. That is you! You are the marvelous temple of God created with lavish endowments for His service, joy, and eternity.

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1 King’s 5-6 Solomon’s Mission was to Build the Temple and He Took it Seriously

9/22/2015

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1 Kings 5 & 6

When God has a mission for you and you take it seriously, He makes a way for you to complete it well. He provides the way and feeds your passion for it. And oh, you will have passion for the ministry, mission, or message He has for you. Some people know what it is God has purposed for them, others do not. I can assure you, He has something and probably several things for you to do. Whatever it is, the underlying commission for all of us is found in Matthew 28:18-20.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

If you do not know the specifics, you do know this. And you can do use the gifts God has given you and the things you enjoy and find many ways to carry out the Great Commission. If you ask the Lord, I can assure you He will tell you what it is He has for you.

Solomon knew it was his jobs were. One of them was the building of the Temple. It was a huge undertaking. But God had chosen Solomon for the job and He provided the way. He sent the servants of Hiram, King of Tyre to Solomon. King Hiram had loved King David and he was eager to connect with Solomon. Solomon saw it as an opportunity from The Lord. Chapter 5 Verses 3-6 read,

“You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

Hiram was thrilled to make a treaty with Solomon. It would benefit both of them. Hiram understood the intricacies of getting all that lumber from Tyre to Jerusalem, which was a massive undertaking.

It was God who directed Hiram to start talking to Solomon at that time and made it possible for Solomon to begin building the Temple, which had been his father’s dream, but would be his mission. Just because you desire a certain job, doesn’t mean that is the one God will give you. David wanted very much to build the Temple but was not qualified for the job because of the warfare he constantly had to fight. He had blood on his hands, and the Temple had to be holy.

But God had assured David and Solomon that Solomon would build His house. And build it he did. It was magnificent, just as God deserved it to be and only as Solomon could have done it. Israel had left Egypt 480 years before and Solomon had been ruling for four years when he began building the temple. Verses 2-6of Chapter 6 in The Message describe the Temple,

“The Temple that King Solomon built to God was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. There was a porch across the thirty-foot width of The Temple that extended out fifteen feet. Within The Temple he made narrow, deep-silled windows. Against the outside walls he built a supporting structure in which there were smaller rooms: The lower floor was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet, and the third floor ten and a half feet. He had projecting ledges built into the outside Temple walls to support the buttressing beams.”

Solomon took it very seriously, this wasn’t just any house, it was Holy Almighty God’s house. He didn’t let anything sully it. Verse 7 reads,

“When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.”

It was Holy and truly Extraordinary and Majestic. Verses 20-22 read,

“The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid an altar of cedar. 21 And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.”

The inner sanctuary was made to echo the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Verses 23-28 describe it.

“In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.”

The Lord honored the care Solomon took and when the Temple was completed He spoke to Solomon. Verses 11-13 read,

“Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “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. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

It took seven years to complete the Temple. Solomon made sure it was done right, the way the Lord specified.

The Lord has a job for you. He will reveal it to you if you ask and if you seek. He will make it possible for you to do it well. And He will make you prosper in the endeavor. If you don’t know what it is God has for you, ask Him. Look around and serve where you have opportunity. Use your gifts to edify the church, use your gifts to carry out the Great Commission. Chances are you will be doing what God wants you to do, and you will discover more of what He wants from you.

Remember, you have His Holy Spirit within you. You are not far from God, He is within you. He knows how to ensure you hear Him.

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1 Kings 4 The Lord Delights in You and Wants to Give You Good Gifts

9/21/2015

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Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

1 Kings Chapter 4

Solomon asked for wisdom and God granted him that understanding and discernment in abundance, but He also promised Solomon riches and honor because Solomon had not been selfish and asked for those things. God loves to give us good things, when they are good for us and appreciated. To give some people the kind of fame and wealth He gave to Solomon would have destroyed them and led them further from God. But for Solomon in meant that everyone in Israel had plenty. His wisdom truly did make him a better king.

He appointed 12 officers over Israel and each month of the year one of them was responsible for putting food on the king’s table. He was very rich, his household was huge and required a lot of provision. But with the each officer being responsible only one month of each year, no one was over-taxed in the job. Verses 22-28 describe Solomon’s wealth and the huge undertaking providing for the palace was.

“Solomon's provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. 25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 27 And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon's table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.”

God gave Solomon all that wealth and the great wisdom to handle it well and the great wisdom to rule well. Solomon was a man who could handle it. He was described, even by Jesus as splendid and glorious. (Matthew 6:29). Yet, he didn’t let all that finery go to his head. He cared about the people in the palace and he cared about the people outside the palace. There was a ‘chicken in every pot’ and a fig tree in every yard. God doesn’t promise every person that kind of wealth. Many of us could not handle it properly. I know that I would waste it pretty quickly. I would be generous with it, but not a good steward. Solomon was generous but he was also a good steward. God gives us gifts by His grace according to our faith. He knows how we will use those gifts. Romans 12:3-8 reads,

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

As we exercise and grow our gifts and our provision, Our Loving Father gives us more. In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told the parable of the talents. Briefly, the story goes that a man was going on a long journey and entrusted his servants to take care of his property and his money. He gave each servant a portion of his money to care for. One received five talents (about 3.3 million dollars in today’s money), another received two talents, ($1,320,000) and the last received one talent ($660,000). He went away and when he came back after a long time he went to the servants to settle accounts. The first who had received five talents had doubled the money since immediately upon being given charge of his master’s money had begun to trade. The second also had doubled the money. The third had been afraid to lose the money, had buried it and returned the single talent to his master. The man was angry that he had entrusted his servant with his money and he had nothing from it. He said, “Dude! You could have at the very least put it in a bank and let it earn interest! You’re a dufus!” (Maybe I added the dufus part.) He took the talent from the man and gave it to the one with ten. Verse 29 of the parable reads,

“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away”

Our money and our gifts come from The Lord and He gives them to us, expecting them to be used wisely. If we can’t handle the gifts He gives, He’ll take them away and give them to the person who uses and grows them.

For instance, I was given the gift of encouragement. And so I went out of my way to use that gift well and used it often. One day I began praying that God would give me the gift of prophecy. I longed for that gift because I love to receive prophetic prayer and I longed to lift people up with the Word of The Lord as well. I began prophesying to people even when I didn’t think I had the gift. I gave them God’s messages that I knew to be true. “God loves you and wants a relationship with you. God smiles when He thinks of you.” He soon gave me the gift I asked for and sought. And soon I was prophesying more. And as time passes I continue to grow in that gift which supports the gift of encouragement in me as well. I love to prophesy as much as I love to receive prophetic words. God granted me that gift because he knew I would appreciate it, use it, and serve Him better with it.

What is it you’re lacking? What is it you want? Why do you want it? Do you want money so you can live an easy life? That is why I want it, and why I do not have it. Or do you want money so that you can build God’s kingdom and edify the body of Christ? In Matthew 7:6-8 Jesus said,

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. 7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

God will not give you what you will not appreciate, but He will gladly give you what you desire when you delight in Him. Solomon longed for wisdom and that is what he asked for. God gave it to him in abundance. Verses 29-34 describe it.

“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.”

Believer, He wants to bless you as well. He wants to give you the desires of your heart because you delight in Him and He delights in you. He adores you. He loves to give His children good gifts. (Matthew 7:9-11). Go ahead, ask Him and see what He will do.

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1 Kings 14:1-20 God is not a Vending Machine

1 Kings 13 God NEVER Goes against His Own Word.

1 Kings 12:25-33 Beware False Prophets, the Spirit of the Antichrist is Rampant.

1 King 12:1-24 God Can Work Good, Even When You're Fool

1 Kings 10 & 11 Solomon Thought He Could Serve God and Lust

1 Kings 9 Jesus and The Promises of The Temple of God

1 Kings 8 The Temple Made a Way for God to Dwell with Men

1 Kings 7 What Can I Learn from Solomon's House and God's Temple

1 King’s 5-6 Solomon’s Mission was to Build the Temple and He Took it Seriously

1 Kings 4 The Lord Delights in You and Wants to Give You Good Gifts

Donna Campbell

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