The Lord Which Had Appeared Unto Him Twice

     1 Kings 11:9-10

     "And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded."

     The Bible makes specific mention of the fact that Solomon was rebelling against the God "which had appeared unto him twice..." To Solomon, God was not some far away idea, He wasn't the "man upstairs". God has revealed Himself up Solomon in a way that few have ever experienced.

     Throughout the Bible we see this same occurrence though. Abraham talked and walked with a pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, and yet he went directly against what God had commanded him. Jonah heard God's voice and did exactly the opposite of the command he received. Adam and Eve walked in the garden with God on a daily basis and yet they fell.

     It's easy to wish that God would just literally speak to us, then we would know and of course we would obey! However history proves this is not the case. If we fail in obeying the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit and the commands of God's Word, the Bible, then we would also fail if God spoke audibly to us.

     Why? Because we are sinners, fallen humans with a flesh that wars for mastery. And anytime we operate in that flesh, we will fail in keeping God's commands no matter where that command comes from.

     Our only hope is abiding in Him, daily, moment by moment. The only hope is to live Him above everything else.

     God may have not spoken to you audibly, but He does speak to you. Do you listen and obey? If not, what stops you? What action can you take today to remedy the problem?

The Source of Sin

1 Kings 11:2-3

"Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart."

If we as Christians could remove just one sin from our lives, which would we choose? Of course it would be different for everyone since we all have different struggles. But is there not a common strain that runs through each and every manifestation of sin in our hearts?

Let's look back to the first sin, when Satan fell. What was it that caused him to reject the One True God and rebel? Pride. "I will be like the Most High."

Let's look back to our parents in the Garden of Eden. What brought about their fall from perfection? Pride. "You will be like God, knowing good and evil."

What caused Solomon, the wisest person to every live, to stumble? Was it lust? No. It was pride.

God said do not intermingle with these ungodly nations. Solomon said by his actions, "I know better than God does. God is wrong. I am right."

And that is when he fell.

Is there any pride in my life? Seek it out and do all in the power of the Holy Spirit to root it out and destroy it.

All the Earth Sought His Wisdom

1 Kings 10:24

"And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart."

Jesus' command to His followers was to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19) As believers it is our duty to go and seeking the lost in an active, purposeful manner.

While fulfilling this command of Christ of going to others, we must be careful not to overlook those who come to us. There is a longing in every lost soul for the peace and love that can only come from God. If the lost sinner sees what they seek in the life of a Christian, it is only natural that they will be drawn to that Christian, seeking an abatement of their thirst.

Is there wisdom, love and peace in my heart that is heavenly and worth the time of others to seek? Do I recognize seekers in my life? How do I respond to those who place demands on my time?

The Source

1 Kings 10:9
      "Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice."

 

      Solomon's wealth and wisdom did not cause the Queen of Sheba to glorify and praise Solomon. Rather, she realized the source of Solomon's greatness. The praise was given to its rightful owner - God, the source of every good thing and all wisdom.
      What is praiseworthy in my life? Good character does not happen automatically or naturally. Neither does virtue or morals. All these things have a Source.
      The question is, do I realize the Source and direct praise back to Him? It would've been very tempting for Solomon, if the Queen had not recognized the Source and praised the man instead, to merely accept the praise as his due, his ego inflated and God forgotten in the background.
      When doing good, our calling is to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. Good must never be done for praise of man, because that will end up being your only reward. And what a vain and fleeing reward it is in comparison to bringing praise, honor and glory to God.
What is my attitude to praise? Do I give God the glory when other praise me?

Hard Questions

1 Kings 10:1

"And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions."

The only way to know if something is real is to test it, repeatedly. In the airline industry, planes are pushed to their limits, far beyond what they will most likely encounter in real life. If they fail the test, they are scrapped. If they pass the test, the are deemed airworthy.

Could those planes get by with easier testing? Perhaps, but the only way you would know is if they failed during regular service after the easier test. You would not want to fly in a plane that couldn't withstand a storm even if you didn't plan on encountering a storm.

So it is with our faith. It is useless unless tested to the limit. Not only is it useless to us as Christians, it is useless to the rest of the world we are called to impact. It was Solomon's relationship with God that was the source of his wisdom and wealth. This is what the Queen of Sheba wanted to test - was this real?

Can my faith withstand hard questions? Do I know why I believe what I believe and can I express that? If you do not test it, you will not know until it fails.

Choose

1 Kings 9:9

"And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshiped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil."

God is not ambiguous. He makes His commands very plain and obvious. He also make plain and obvious His promises. You never have to wonder about the consequences of an action you are pondering.

The choice throughout the Bible is: life or death, God's way or man's way, light or dark. Just as God said to Israel as they left the wilderness and were about to enter the promised land, He repeats now to Israel under a wise king - choose you this day who you will serve.

Who will you serve? Decide today.

There Is No Man Who Does Not Sin

1 Kings 8:46

"If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;"

There is no one who does not sin. The Bible is consistent and always reliable. Through His teachings, Jesus reiterates the truths of the Old Testament, applying them to the New Testament, taking the truths of the law and showing how they tie into the law of grace.

This truth, that all men are fallen sinners, is fundamental to the Gospel message. If we have not sinned then Christ died in vain for there was nothing from which to save us. If only some sinned, then the message of the Gospel is not for the whole world as is indicated many times in the Bible.

Sin entered the world through the first Adam and had passed to all his descendants. Then the final Adam came to take the punishment for our sins once and for all.

Romans 5:12,14

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:...But not as the offence, so also isthe free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."

Have I realized my sinful state? Have I realized the gift of salvation offered to me?

The Dwelling Place of Immanuel

1 Kings 8:27

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?"

Immanuel - God is with us. God took on the form of man and dwelt among us. He was tempted like us, He suffered hunger and thirst, weariness, emotions and pain. In every way that we are tempted so was He, yet without ever sinning.

Consider and understand the mystery of God, Creator, Lord of all things, humbling Himself to dwell with you and I. Heaven and earth cannot contain Him, yet He makes His abode with His children. Not only with us, but within us.

The temple Solomon built was considered so holy and sacred, how much more should we see our poor, sin-defiled bodies as holy and sacred. Not due to any effort on our part but wholly because of the presence of the living God.

Be still and know that God dwells with you.

He Hears Your Heart

1 Kings 8:39

"Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)"

In Solomon's prayer he repeats the request that God "hear and forgive". The first thing we notice is that God's ear is open to those who desire to be with with Him. The second thing we notice is that He is ready and willing to forgive if we are willing to ask.

We know that God hears the prayers of those seeking forgiveness in humility.

Isaiah 57:15

"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

But the most beautiful part of this verse is the final parenthesis - "(for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)"

So often I find it hard to express my true heart. There is so much love and gratitude, or so much hurt and pain, or so much joy, or so much frustration, I cannot find the words at times. But God hears my heart, He understands my heart. Sometimes there is such a conglomeration of feelings after I have fallen in sin - regret, self loathing, self pity, sorrow, shame, etc. God hears it all, the Spirit intercedes with groanings that cannot be uttered.

Are there emotions in my heart that I have trouble expressing to God right now? Can I ask God to search me and know me and being me His peace that passes all my understanding?

Fall

1 Kings 8:23-24

"And he said, LORD God of Israel,there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day."

My future is safe in God's past faithfulness. What He has promised He will fulfill, and He has the record to prove it. Every true child of God bears record of God's faithfulness and trustworthiness. Every child of the devil sees God's faithfulness everyday of their life as He stays His hand of judgment, sparing their life one more day, giving one more chance to repent.

The game we played as children, where one stand behind another and promises to catch them when they fall backwards, is a striking example. If our friend has let us fall in the past, will we trust him in the present or the future? No, our self preservation will kick in, our foot instinctively goes back to catch us, our arms prepared to stop the fall. But if we truly trust our Friend, and we know that He has been "catching" others for the past 10,000 years, that no sparrow has fallen without His notice, and are not we of much more value than sparrows, does not reason demand our trust of such a Friend?

Am I convinced in my deepest being of God's faithfulness? Do I trust Him, by my actions to take care of me no matter what? Fall, let Him catch you.

My Temple

1 Kings 8:11

"So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD."

This verse ought to serve as a great encouragement to all of God's children. Solomon was by no means a perfect person, neither were the laborers who built this temple. And yet God was pleased to dwell in this imperfect temple that they offered sacrificially to Him.

We cannot understand the depth and breadth of God's holiness. Nor can we understand the true depth and breadth of our own personal depravity. Yet God is pleased to not only dwell when you, but within you.

Solomon's temple was no doubt beyond magnificent, but does anyone honestly think that God, Creator of the mountains, the oceans, the sun and stars, and the very trees, stones, and gold used to build the temple was impressed with the offering? We know God sees the heart of man, knowing the thoughts and intents. This is what is pleasing to Him - obedience is better than sacrifice. God sees the heart of true worshipers who gladly, willingly offer everything they have and are to Him, and that is what pleases Him.

Have you surrendered your life and body to God as a temple for His dwelling place? Does the fact that as a Christian you are God's temple affect the way you live today? In what specific ways?

The House of God

1 Kings 6:38

"And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it."

Can you imagine the splendor of the temple that Solomon built?

So much in the Bible is concerned with giving and sacrifice. Solomon gave seven years of his life, vast amounts of resources, not to mention all the people putting in thousands and thousands of man hours to accomplish this astounding task. Why? To build a house for God, the Creator of the universe?

The very concept is silly. God needs no house, no gift, no man. He is all powerful, all knowing, there is nothing we could ever give or offer that He doesn't already possess. So why would someone spend seven years on a temple?

The answer is love. Worship is an expression of love, and the building the temple was an act of worship that enabled others to worship in this glorious temple for years to come.

Many cathedrals and churches of old were made for the same reason - to demonstrate God's glory and as an act of love, devotion and worship.

Today, we as Christians are God's holy temple. Just like Solomon, we can show our love through worship as we use the temple of God to bring Him glory and bring others to worship and adore Him.

Do I recognize everyday my position as God's temple? Do I see my body as holy, set apart for worship?

Magnetic Wisdom

1 Kings 4:34

"And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom."

God's wisdom has a magnetic affect on those who do not have it. As previously stated, it is a heavenly thing, not of this world, which is an automatic draw to humans. But beyond that, God's wisdom also works. It betters the lives of those who will faithfully apply it.

Many however are forgetful hearers, listening to wisdom but failing to follow through and act on that wisdom.

Am I daily seeking God's wisdom? Am I letting His wisdom show through in my life by action on it? Is it attracting others, opening a door to witness? If not, why not?

Uncommon Wisdom

1 Kings 3:28

"And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment."

Wisdom has never been a common trait. And today more than ever, seeing someone with a wise and discerning attitude is abnormal. The reason behind this is obvious: wisdom is supernatural.

Wisdom that comes from man is fleshly and ultimately selfish. Wisdom that comes from the Creator of wisdom Himself goes beyond human comprehension. This is the reason it provoked fear, reverence and respect from Solomon's people. They realized that this wasn't Solomon's wisdom, but rather wisdom from a Higher Power.

Where do I seek wisdom? In the selfish words of man? Or from the Creator of wisdom Who promises it liberally to all who ask in faith?