THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRYING TO DECEIVE GOD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, and Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go, disguise yourself, so you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there — the one who told me I would be king over this people. Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy." So Jeroboam's wife did what he said and went to Ahijah's house in Shiloh.

Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. But the Lord had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else."

So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back.’

'Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel — slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!' “

“As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.”

"The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now. And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the Lord to anger by making Asherah poles. And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit."

Then Jeroboam's wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.

The other events of Jeroboam's reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his fathers. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

1 Kings 13:33-34, 14:1-20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

For the last few chapters of 1st Kings, we have seen the evil, sinful ways of King Jeroboam…the one God had chosen to lead the Northern Kingdom. And even after God showed mercy to Jeroboam in the last chapter, healing and restoring his shriveled hand after he tried to have the man of God seized, we read where Jeroboam “did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people”. He consecrated “anyone who wanted to become a priest” for the high places and this became “the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth”.

As Chapter 14 opens, we find Jeroboam’s son, Abijah, fall ill and Jeroboam wanting to find out would happen to him. You get a sense that Jeroboam might have been afraid that God was punishing his son for his evil ways…for the way he had deceived God by making it appear he was remorseful for his sin when he really wasn’t.

And so, this king who was so good at deception decided to use it again to approach a known prophet of God…a prophet named Ahijah who had brought God’s message to Jeroboam that he would be king. We read where Jeroboam had his wife disguise herself so she wouldn’t be recognized as his wife as she traveled to Shiloh to see Ahijah. Jeroboam had planned his ruse carefully, even down to the detail about the gift she should take the prophet. For he had her take “ten loaves of bread…, some cakes and a jar of honey” to Ahijah to find out what would happen to their son.

Jeroboam thought he was so sly. But he failed to know one important truth.

God cannot be deceived.

For while Jeroboam’s wife was on her way to meet Ahijah who had lost his sight because of his age, the Lord spoke to Ahijah saying:

“Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else."

And so the gig was up even before Jeroboam’s wife arrived. What a surprise it must have been to her as “Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door” and said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam.” Imagine what she must have felt.

Imagine how we must feel as well as God exposes our attempts to get away with sinful behavior. It seems like we have an inclination to try and get away with things…even though we know well that God sees through to the very inclinations of our heart. And when we’re exposed, we’re let feeling guilty and shamed…as we should be for our actions.

It would be far easier to just not try and deceive God in the first place.

I’m sure this is what Jeroboam’s wife must have been thinking as Ahijah continued speaking to her saying:

“Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back. Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel — slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’ “

And Ahijah continued:

“As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good. The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now. And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the Lord to anger by making Asherah poles. And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit."

One word. Wow!

Indeed, Ahijah was sent with bad news but one couldn’t argue that Jeroboam had not earned God’s wrath. His wicked leadership had led his people down the road of sin and disobedience which now turned into a road to destruction…with disaster promised…with a cutting off promised…and with an incineration promised. No one in Jeroboam’s house…in the house of Israel would find a proper burial. In God’s eyes, they didn’t deserve one.

But there was one who would get a proper interment…Jeroboam’s sick son who would die as soon as Jeroboam’s wife set foot in Tirzah…a prophecy that sadly came true and “all Israel mourned” as they buried him.

In all, Jeroboam ruled for twenty-two years before turning the throne over to his son Nadab who had the omen of God’s promise hanging over him…that a king would be raised up to “cut off the family of Jeroboam”. The throne was not to remain his line for long.

Friends, is there not a very clear message for us in today’s passage.

First, we should never try to get away with sin, thinking in some way we can trick God into turning the other way and not seeing what we do. Any effort such as this is not even worth trying as you will fail and fail miserably. Just ask Jeroboam and his wife.

Second, God does not take kindly to anyone who tries to deceive Him. Note the judgment rained down on Jeroboam, his people and his throne. Don’t think for a second that God can’t bring wrath down upon us as well.

In the end, it’s far easier to live above board…seeking God’s will and way in everything we do to ensure we aren’t doing anything outside of His expectations for us. That way when He looks into our hearts, all He sees is what he wants to see…obedient hearts centered on righteousness and holiness…centered on living a life that only draws His favor.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king. Their father asked them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken. So he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it and rode after the man of God.

He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" "I am," he replied.

So the prophet said to him, "Come home with me and eat."

The man of God said, "I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. I have been told by the word of the Lord: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.' "

The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the Lord says: 'You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.' "

When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. Some people who passed by saw the body thrown down there, with the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived.

When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard of it, he said, "It is the man of God who defied the word of the Lord. The Lord has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the Lord had warned him."

The prophet said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me," and they did so. Then he went out and found the body thrown down on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had neither eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him. Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him and said, "Oh, my brother!"

After burying him, he said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true."

1 Kings 13:11-32

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the early part of 1st Kings, Chapter 13, we witnessed the many ways that the power in the word of God was revealed as the man of God from Judah followed the Lord’s call to Bethel and a meeting with the evil Jeroboam, king of the Northern part of the Divided Kingdom.

We saw where the man of God stood firm on God’s word and would not waver, even after Jeroboam tried to persuade him to dine with him while offering a reward. You’ll recall he told the king:

“Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.' "

And with that, the man made good on his word and took another road, not returning by the way he had come to Bethel.

This is where we pick up with the second part of 1st Kings which on the surface seems similar but ends up much different…all because a man of God let his guard down.

For as the man of God was on his way, we read about a “certain old prophet living in Bethel” who received a testimony from his sons who “told him all that the man of God had done there that day” as well as what the man “had said to the king”. After hearing this, the old prophet asked, “Which way did he go?"

And so “his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken” and the old prophet had his sons saddle his donkey which he used to ride “after the man of God”. Scripture tells us he “found him sitting under an oak tree” and asked, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" to which the man of God replies, "I am."

Having found the man he sought, the old prophet asked him, “Come home with me and eat" only to meet the same resistance that Jeroboam received as the man of God said:

“I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. I have been told by the word of the Lord: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.' "

Up to this point, the man of God was doing just what God expected…following the word of the Lord to the letter. But see what the old prophet does next. For he concocts a lie and says to the man of God, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' " And we read where the man of God fell into the deceit and returned with the old prophet where he “ate and drank in his house”…a mistake that we will see cost him his life.

For as the man of God was sitting and dining at the house of the old prophet, we read where “the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who proclaimed to the man of God:

“This is what the Lord says: 'You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.' "

So when “the man of God had finished eating and drinking”, the old prophet “who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him”. And “as he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it”. This was simply amazing but just another indicator of a divine act. For why didn’t the donkey flee the scene, afraid that the lion would kill him next? And why didn’t the lion strike down the donkey with the same ease that he killed the man who rode him? It was only the will of God over the entire matter…a God who had everything in order just the way He wanted it.

We read that as the man lay dead along the road, “some people…passed by” and “saw the body…with the lion standing beside the body”. Amazed, they “went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived” and when the old prophet received the news, he said:

“It is the man of God who defied the word of the Lord. The Lord has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the Lord had warned him."

And with that, the prophet again had his sons to saddle his donkey, only this time he was going to the man of God to retrieve his dead body, not lie to him to gain his confidence and cause him to fail and fall. As the old prophet “found the body thrown down on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it”, he “picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him”. Scripture tells us the old prophet “laid the body in his own tomb” as the people “mourned over him and then gave his sons the following instructions:

"When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true."

The word of God had come to be as the man of God was far from his homeland Judah when he died…fallen and broken...all for a moment of disobedience caused by a greater trust in man than the One who made him.

Indeed, there’s a stern warning for us as well in this scripture passage. Because we can’t ever take man’s word at face value, especially where it directly contradicts the word of God. Note that the man of God never once turned to God to validate whether the words of the old prophet were true. If he had, God would have exposed the lie and the man of God would have preserved his good standing. But the moment the man of God let his guard down, Satan was right there to step in and bring him into evil and sin. It only took a momentary lapse but that’s all Satan needs to get the people of God away from the Father’s will.

And so we need to remember this as we walk through each and every day the Lord blesses us with. We need to know the word of God so we can’t be deceived by another and then we need to validate anything that someone tells us that is contradictory to God’s word by turning to God directly and seeking truth from the One who is Truth…the One who created Truth.

For He will never lead us astray…not now…not ever. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE POWER IN THE WORD OF GOD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

By the word of the Lord, a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. He cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord:

"O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.' "

That same day the man of God gave a sign:

"This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out."

When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.

Then the king said to the man of God, "Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored." So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king's hand was restored and became as it was before.

The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift."

But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.' "

So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

1 Kings 13:1-10

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the Promised Land divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, we saw Jeroboam successfully keep the people in the north from returning to Judah to worship by having two golden calves fashioned and placed at Dan and Bethel. The people believed their king who convinced them that worshiping the calves was acceptable.

We also read where Jeroboam constructed shrines in high places for worship, sacrificed to the golden calves at Bethel, and appointed priests from a variety of people, not the Levites as God had instructed Moses when He delivered the law.

Clearly, God wasn’t going to tolerate such actions. Something was going to happen…and as we enter Chapter 13, we see that something did.

For we read where “a man of God came from Judah to Bethel”…”by the word of the Lord”. In other words, God had commanded the man to go and do what He willed him to do.

And as the man did this, he went to Jeroboam who “was standing by the altar to make an offering” and cried out “against the altar by the word of the Lord” saying:

"O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: 'A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.' "

The man of God prophecy about what to come had to be harrowing for Jeroboam and all who heard it. But his words were concerning something well yet to come. So how serious would Jeroboam really take the words of the prophet?

It’s for this reason that the man of God’s prophecy was followed up by a sign on the same day. Scripture tells us he proclaimed:

"This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out."

Well, King Jeroboam was fed up with this old man who had disrupted his sacrificing and “cried out against the altar at Bethel”. But when Jeroboam “stretched out his hand from the altar” and ordered the man to be seized, we read where “the hand he stretched out…shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back”. And at the same moment, the sign the man of God predicted came to be as “the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out”. The “word of the Lord” had come alive.

Imagine King Jeroboam’s state of mind at this moment. His outstretched hand shriveled and his sacrificial altar split in two with the ashes dumped out…a visual demonstration of God not accepting the offerings presented. If the fear of the Lord wasn’t in him before now, it surely was now.

Back to the scriptures where we find Jeroboam pleading with the man of God and asking him to “intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored." Did Jeroboam deserve God’s mercy and pardon? Given his actions, God didn’t have to restore him at all. But as “the man of God interceded with the Lord”, we see where “the king's hand was restored and became as it was before”, restored by the awesome power of the true God…not the golden calves he had honored before.

Obviously in a spirit of gratitude but more so to show he had elevated himself back into God’s good graces, Jeroboam asked the man of God to, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift." But we read where the man of God refused saying:

"Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.' "

And with that, the man left and “took another road”, not returning “by the way he had come to Bethel”.

This passage is a blessed exposition of the power found in the word of God. Let’s look at some of those powers:

1. The word of God has the power of to lead and guide.

Note at the beginning of our passage we read where “a man of God came from Judah to Bethel”…”by the word of the Lord”.

In other words, God, by His word, had told the man to go from Judah to Bethel where He wanted the man to confront Jeroboam. And the man…being a man of God…obeyed God’s word.

As we walk through this Christian walk day-by-day, we should walk with the assurance that the word of God will always lead us where God wants us to go and to do what He wants us to do.

2. The word of God has the power to proclaim.

As the man of God reached Bethel, he confronted Jeroboam by announcing a prophecy and sign, crying out “against the altar by the word of the Lord”…a word that contained the power used by the man of God to proclaim.

As we follow the Lord, we often come on times when we need to speak on behalf of the Lord…to proclaim His word to others. And during those times, we need to always remember this passage and know that God grants us the power to proclaim through His word.

3. The word of God has the power of prediction.

As the man of God proclaimed, we saw the power of God revealed in the predictions he spoke forth.

The first prediction involved a future king, Josiah, who was yet to come. But the power in the word of God had to send fear into the hearts of those who were worshiping falsely. For the prophecy said the future king would “sacrifice the priests of the high places” who had made offerings on the altar…their human bones burned there.

And just in case the people didn’t fully respect the power in the word of God that brings prediction, the man of God declared that the altar would be “split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out” and that’s exactly what happened.

Friends, God’s word is truth and don’t think for a minute that it lacks an ounce of power to do what it says it will do. This is why it’s so critical for us to remain obedient to it…to what it calls us to do and to how it calls us to live.

4. The word of God has the power of consequence.

As Jeroboam tried to have the man of God taken into custody, he found that his outstretched had shriveled to where it was unusable anymore. And it was at that moment where the altar of Bethel split and spilled its ashes out. All this by the power found in the word of God as spoken by the man of God.

Friends, when we decide to obstinately disobey God we better be ready for the consequence that will follow…consequence spelled out in the word of God…and consequence brought about through the power found in the word of God.

Jeroboam had to find out the hard way.

Will we make the same mistake?

5. The word of God has the power to forgive and restore.

There’s little doubt that Jeroboam deserved what had happened to him. He had blatantly worshiped falsely and led his people to do likewise. He had broken more than just a few of God’s commands and decrees. God could have just left him with a shriveled hand as a sign to him and others about what can happen when you cross God vice comply.

But what we saw happen showed us yet another side of the power found in God’s word. For as Jeroboam pleaded for the man of God to intercede with the Lord, praying that his hand be restored, something amazing happened. God answered the prayer and Jeroboam’s hand was restored and “became as it was before”.

In this, we see the word of God bring the power of forgiveness and restoral…mercy and grace. And the good news is that this power is displayed billions of times over a day...each and every day to sinners like Jeroboam…to sinners like you and I.

6. The word of God has the power to instruct.

As our passage closes, we see Jeroboam wishing to feed and reward the man of God but the man refusing him. Why? Because the word of the Lord had commanded him to “not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came” and so the man did just that.

Without the power of instruction gained through the word of God, the man would have been left to his own devices as to what to do and how to act. But he didn’t need worry about his decision because God had made it for him…all through the power of His word to instruct.

Friends, this is the very beauty and essence of writing these devotionals daily…because each and every day, I get to experience the power of the word of God and share it with you, the readers. And in doing so, we all gain so much…a power that leads and guides…a power that helps us proclaim…a power that allows us to predict and prophecy…a power that corrects us with consequence when we need it…a power that forgives and restores when we seek it…and finally a power that instructs us…teaching us how to live lives full of righteousness and holiness all while being in obedience to God’s word…a word that contains a power like no other because it comes from God Himself.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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FOLLOWING THE RIGHT SHEPHERD

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.

Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam."

After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.

Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

1 Kings 12:25-33

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In researching for a message I was going to deliver at my parent’s church in Pennsylvania, I read about the importance of a shepherd to his sheep.

For sheep inherently can’t navigate from point to point safely without being guided. And when you couple this with the fact that sheep always stick together in a flock, you can see how they can easily become lost or fall into danger unsupervised. In fact, there are more than a few accounts of entire flocks of sheep falling to their death as one sheep walked off the edge of a cliff and was followed by his fellow flock members.

Indeed, the way a flock is led is critical to the well being of the flock.

As we draw a parallel to people and their spiritual well being, we can see how critical it is for human flocks (congregations) to have the right “shepherd” (pastor) to lead and guide them in the right way. And we can affirm this, as we should affirm all things, by looking at the scriptures. Recall these words of Jesus:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." John 10:1-18

Jesus’ words are just as important to us today as they were then. For ultimately, we are to be led by Him first and foremost and not rely fully on any man. It’s the only way we can be fully sure we are led by the proper and good shepherd…and able to “have life and have it to the full”.

Before Jesus, you’ll recall this proclamation by David:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.”

“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.”

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

David knew His shepherd and it was the Lord. He knew that with the Lord he would always be cared for and would not be in want. He knew that he had a Provider and Protector who would led him to green pastures and beside still waters…who would walk with him always, even in the midst of his enemies…even through the shadow of the valley of death…and thus he could walk in comfort and without fear. And David knew he had a Guide who would always place him on the path of righteousness so that goodness and love could indeed follow him all the “days of his life” so he could “dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.

So given the words from the Old and New Testaments, we see the importance of following the right Shepherd.

Question: Are you following the right Shepherd in your life?

For much is at stake if we choose to follow someone else. Point in case is found in our scripture today.

For as the kingdom divided, Jeroboam gained control of the majority of the kingdom of Israel.

As he “fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there” and followed by building up Peniel, we read where Jeroboam began to have some concerns about keeping the people he had jurisdiction over from moving to the tribe of Judah and reverting “revert to the house of David”.

For the people, would desire to go to the “temple of the Lord in Jerusalem” and “offer sacrifices” while “again (giving) their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah”. And if that happened, Jeroboam felt they would then try to kill him and “return to King Rehoboam”.

So “after seeking advice”, Jeroboam came up with a plan. He “made two golden calves” and then said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." He set up one idol in Bethel and the other in Dan, places where the people could worship conveniently without having to travel to Jerusalem.

So did the people fall for the plan, suggested to them by a false shepherd?

They did and scripture tells us that their decision “became a sin” as the “people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there”. Jeroboam had won over the Israelites in his kingdom and went on to build “shrines on high places” while appointing “priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites”.

We read where Jeroboam also “instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month” making it appear “like the festival held in Judah” and “offered sacrifices on the altar…in Bethel…sacrificing to the calves he had made”.

Jeroboam had slyly made himself the shepherd of most of the people of Israel and they all fell into his trickery. And they did so because they didn’t truly know the good Shepherd…the Lord who would have exposed Jeroboam for who he truly was and led His people back to His care and worship.

Friends, there are still plenty of Jeroboams around our world today…ready to lead any flock down the wrong path and to their demise if followed. This is why we need to be proactive for the cause of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in everything we do…helping everyone we encounter find and/or stay connected to the right Shepherd.

Are you doing your part today?

For the good Shepherd is watching you as He is the rest of His flock.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE DANGER OF NOT LISTENING TO YOUR ELDERS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

As for the other events of Solomon's reign — all he did and the wisdom he displayed—are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon? Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you."

Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days and then come back to me." So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked.

They replied, "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants."

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?"

The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.' "

Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions." So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

"What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!" So the Israelites went home. But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.

When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin — a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men — to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.

But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 'This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.' " So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.

1 Kings 11:41-43, 12:1-24

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Chapter 11 closes, we see the end of an era in Israel’s history as Solomon dies. Despite his shortcomings later in his life, one can’t forget the good things Solomon did and as we read the scriptures, we are blessed with the words of his wisdom, written and shared.

Scripture tells us that Solomon’s son Rehoboam ascended to the throne to succeed his father and, as God had promised, the kingdom would soon be taken from him.

How did that take place?

Let’s look at our passage.

For as Rehoboam “went to Shechem…for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king”, Jeroboam “heard this” and “returned from Egypt”. Then the “whole assembly of Israel” sent for Jeroboam and together they went to Rehoboam and said, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you."

Obviously not ready to make an immediate decision, Rehoboam tells the group, “Go away for three days and then come back to me" and that’s what the people did.

So what did Rehoboam do with the three days?

Scripture tells us he first “consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime” asking them, “How would you advise me to answer these people?"

Rehoboam’s actions made sense. If you weren’t sure how to handle a matter, go to the people who had the experience because you could rely on their wisdom and guidance.

The elders answered Rehoboam’s question saying, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants."

So the elders were in agreement with the people. They were enduring hardship and Rehoboam had the power and opportunity to do something about it, bringing the people relief while gaining their trust and confidence.

So how did Rehoboam handle the words of the elders?

We read where he chose to reject their advice and instead turn to a group of young men who “had grown up with him and were serving him”. And as he had asked the elders prior, he now asked the young men, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?"

Not surprisingly, the young men answered quite differently than the elders, advising Rehoboam to “Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.' "

In other words, Rehoboam was to tell the people that if they thought they had it rough under Solomon, they hadn’t seen anything yet and would wish they were still under Solomon’s oppression.

So Rehoboam made his decision. He would reject the wise counsel of the elders in exchange for the flippant reply offered by his young allies.

And so “three days later” when “Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam”, they were met with the following harsh words:

“My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions."

How did this go over with the Israelites?

Not well.

For seeing that the king had no intention to listen to them, Israel said to him, "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!"

And with that, “the Israelites went home” and seceded from any relations with Rehoboam who essentially now only ruled over Judah, retreating to “the house of David” after all Israel stoned his chief of forced labor, Adoniram. Once in Jerusalem, Rehoboam “mustered the whole house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin — a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men — to make war against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom”.

It looked like a civil war was about to break out in the Promised Land but we see where the “word of God” entered in and “came to Shemaiah” in the following message:

"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 'This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.' "

And with that, Rehoboam and his army “obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered”. The kingdom had become divided...an action that fulfilled the “word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam”.

I know that this all worked out in accordance with the Lord’s will but I couldn’t help but focus in on Rehoboam’s unwillingness to accept the guidance and wisdom of his elders who were trying to point him in the right direction. For how often do we see this played out each and every day in life today? For way too long now, young people have disregarded the wise counsel of those with an immense amount of life experience, instead shunning their advice in favor of either their own inclinations or the adverse influence of those who were equally misguided.

Maybe you can relate…either being an elder who was rejected by someone younger or being younger and having rejected the counsel of an elder who was trying to point you in the right direction.

I know I can on both counts…having things all figured out as a young person and feeling like I didn’t need to listen to my parents and then experiencing how that felt on the receiving end as my children grew into adulthood and decided they didn’t want to listen to me.

Through it all, I do believe that the Lord teaches us important lessons about the importance of heeding and respecting the advice of the experienced. Rehoboam would definitely been much better off if he had…and we will be as well if we learn from his mistake. For as we witnessed in this passage…there is a danger in not listening to your elders.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE LORD GIVETH...AND THE LORD CAN TAKETH AWAY

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom. Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking men from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.

Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh's own children.

While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me go, that I may return to my own country."

"What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?" Pharaoh asked.

"Nothing," Hadad replied, "but do let me go!"

And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. He gathered men around him and became the leader of a band of rebels when David destroyed the forces of Zobah ; the rebels went to Damascus, where they settled and took control. Rezon was Israel's adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel.

Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon's officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.

Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.

About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon's father, did.

" 'But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes. I will take the kingdom from his son's hands and give you ten tribes. I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. I will humble David's descendants because of this, but not forever.' "

Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon's death.

1 Kings 11:14-40

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Chapter 11 opened, we saw the start of Solomon’s downfall, done in by the adverse influence of the foreign women he married…women who turned him toward their gods and in doing so, turning him to a sin that saw him fall out of God’s favor. You’ll recall that God promised to take away the kingdom…not from Solomon…but from his son, leaving but one tribe for the son to rule for the sake of David and Jerusalem. (1 Kings 11:11-13)

And so as the chapter continues, we see the Lord bring consequence on Solomon and set in motion the acts that will soon lead to the divided kingdom.

First, we read about two adversaries raised up by the Lord: Hadad the Edomite and Rezon, son of Eliada.

Scripture tells us that Hadad was from the “royal line of Edom” who had been attacked by Joab, David’s army commander, earlier during battle. We’re told that Joab “struck down all the men in Edom” except for some Edomite officials who fled with a young boy to Egypt via Midian and Paran. That young boy was Hadad,

Once in Egypt, Hadad was treated well by Pharoah who gave him a house and land, provided him with food and “gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage”. From that marriage, a “son named Genubath” was born and was “brought up in the royal palace”, while living “with Pharaoh's own children”.

As Hadad grew older, word came to him in Egypt about the deaths of David and Joab and so Hadad went to Pharoah and asked him to “Let me go, that I may return to my own country."

Pharoah, seemingly surprised by the request replied, “What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?" To which, Hadad said, “Nothing” before asking Pharoah to honor his request which he did.

The second adversary, Rezon son of Eliada,”had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah”, and “gathered men around him”, becoming “the leader of a band of rebels when David destroyed the forces of Zobah”. We read where “the rebels went to Damascus, where they settled and took control” and from that point on, “Rezon was Israel's adversary” and was “hostile toward Israel”…for “as long as Solomon lived”.

Those two adversaries would probably have been enough to afflict Solomon for the remainder of his reign but as we see, God wasn’t finished. For “Jeroboam son of Nebat” and “one of Solomon’s officials”, also “rebelled against the king”.

Scripture tells us that “Solomon had built the supporting terraces and…filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David”. With Jeroboam being “a man of standing” with a reputation for good work, Solomon placed him “in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph”.

One day as “Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem”, he encountered “Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh…on the way”. Ahijah, “wearing a new cloak”, took it and “tore it into twelve pieces” before saying to Jeroboam:

“Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes. But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molech the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David, Solomon's father, did. But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who observed my commands and statutes. I will take the kingdom from his son's hands and give you ten tribes. I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. I will humble David's descendants because of this, but not forever.' "

So essentially, God gave Jeroboam most of what he had promised Solomon and his sons, and then sealed the deal with the same promise given prior. As long as Jeroboam did whatever the Lord commanded, walked in His ways and did what was right by keeping His statutes and commands, then God would be with Jeroboam and would help him “build…a dynasty as enduring as the one (the Lord) built for David”. With this, Israel would be given to Jeroboam and the Lord promised to “humble David's descendants…but not forever."

And so the consequence was put into action. Jeroboam would soon rule over the 10 tribes of Israel once the kingdom divided and David’s descendants…Solomon and his sons to follow…would be humbled.

We read where Solomon then tried to kill Jeroboam only to find his attempts fruitless. For “Jeroboam fled to Egypt” where he took refuge under “Shishak the king” and remained “until Solomon's death”.

Is this not a sad story?

One who had it all in Solomon about to lose it all. But that’s what happens sometimes when we turn from the One who provides us every good and perfect gift from above. Just as easily as He imparted His gifts and blessings upon us, He can remove them if we don’t continuously honor Him with the way we live, use what He has granted us to His glory and show ourselves worthy of His continued provision.

Question: How well are you honoring God with the way you are living? Are you repaying His goodness with faithful loyalty and service to His will and way? Are you properly using the gifts He has bestowed upon you to help you answer His call to action and ministry?

Friends, these are all questions we need to be continuously asking ourselves. For the Lord will continue to rain down talents and gifts with accompanying opportunities to use them if we are focused daily on carrying out His expectations.

But if we have decided to do our own thing…to live our lives as we choose to live them and in doing so following what we want to follow, despite what God expects, then we can expect to suffer the same end as Solomon, throwing away everything and being left with little or nothing.

Friends, we can’t afford to have history repeat itself...can we?

Can you?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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DAMNATION OR RESTORATION?

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter — Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord's command. So the Lord said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

1 Kings 11:1-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Chapter 10 of 1st Kings, one thing was very clear. Solomon had it made. Everything was going his way and he was fully experiencing the fulfillment of God’s promise to him…to give him honor and riches greater than any other king.

Yes, life was as good as it could get for Solomon. And all he needed to do was remain faithful to God…carrying out His will, doing what He commanded and following His laws and decrees. Surely, a man of such great wisdom like Solomon would be smart enough to not ruin a good thing.

Yet…that’s not what happened because despite all of Solomon’s wealth, power and esteem, there was one problem that he had…a problem that no wealth or human power could defeat.

You see…King Solomon was a sinner like anyone else and could fall like anyone else as well if he chose to turn from God in his life…just as God had warned would happen if Solomon or any of his successor sons chose to do so.

As Chapter 11 opens, we see where an inherent weakness is revealed in Israel’s mighty king.

For Solomon “loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter”. Scripture tells us he loved Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian and Hittite women...all of which were from “nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites”, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods”. Surely Solomon knew about this but still chose to do what he wanted to do. Perhaps, he allowed his power and fame to get to his head, feeling he had latitude to do anything, even if the Lord forbade it.

Whatever the reason, Solomon didn’t heed the Lord’s expectation and instead “held fast” to the prohibited women in love, marrying seven hundred of them while also keeping “three hundred concubines”. And as expected, those foreign wives led Solomon astray and “turned his heart after other gods” as he got old. This resulted in a sad state for who was once a man so highly esteemed by the Lord. For Scripture tells us that Solomon’s heart was “not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been”. This was displayed as Solomon decided to follow “Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites”…actions that were “evil in the eyes of the Lord” as Solomon failed to “follow the Lord completely”. Indeed, Solomon had fallen…done in by the adverse influence of those he chose to associate himself with.

And it wasn’t enough that Solomon worshiped these false gods but he also “built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites” as well as doing the “same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods”.

Obviously, God was not going to put up with this and as this passage closes we see Him enter in.

For we read where the “Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord…who had appeared to him twice”. And since Solomon decided to do what God had forbidden him to do, failing to keep His commands, the Lord said to Solomon:

"Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

Yes…Solomon had it all going for him but allowed sin and temptation to do him in. For far worse than knowing he had behaved in a way that would eventually result in his son losing the kingdom, Solomon had to live with the fact that he had let the Lord down, failing to remain faithful and obedient.

And friends, the same thing can happen to us if we’re not careful.

So the lesson learned here is four fold.

First, be careful about who you associate with. This was the first misstep taken by Solomon. Associating with the foreign wives introduced their sinful ways into his life and, as he sought to please them, he did so by worshiping their gods, despite God telling him not to do so.

And this led to the second lesson.

Association leads to assimilation.

As Solomon associated with the foreign wives, he began to follow their gods, worshiping them and building worship places to them. And in doing so, Solomon began to become integrated and assimilated into the sinful behavior of his wives. Sin became more attractive than obedience.

And that led to lesson three.

Assimilation leads to transformation.

For Solomon changed as he first associated with and then became assimilated into the sinful worship practices of the women he married, becoming more faithful and loyal to their gods than the only true God…the God who had given him everything and brought him to fame and power.

And this led to the fourth and final lesson for us.

Transformation can lead to damnation.

Solomon’s sinful changes led to God’s consternation and judgment. It’s not as if Solomon hadn’t warned Solomon because he had. Indeed, Solomon knew exactly what consequences awaited if he or his sons who would follow ever decided to turn away from the Lord and His expectations.

And yet, Solomon allowed himself to fall prey to sin…and throw away everything he had accomplished in life.

Friends, God is speaking to us through this message today.

He is asking us to check who we’re associating with and to be careful to not allow ourselves to be assimilated into another’s sinful nature. For sinful assimilation is just a first step toward sinful transformation and God’s damnation will not be far behind if we allow transformation to take place.

So where are you in your life? Are you in the midst of sinful degradation, spiraling away from the Lord?

If so, there is still hope and good news for you.

For you can choose right now to repent…to turn from sin and back to the Lord in your life. And your reassociation with Him will lead to reassimilation which in turn will lead to a renewed spiritual transformation…a transformation that will move you from damnation to restoration and back onto the path of salvation.

So which will it be?

Restoration or damnation?

I don’t know about you…but I’m choosing restoration any day.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WHEN GOD'S WORD COMES TRUE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built these two buildings - the temple of the Lord and the royal palace - King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and pine and gold he wanted. But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. "What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?" he asked. And he called them the Land of Cabul, a name they have to this day. Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold.

Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord's temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon's wife. And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon, Baalath, and Tadmor in the desert, within his land, as well as all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses - whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

All the people left from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these peoples were not Israelites), that is, their descendants remaining in the land, whom the Israelites could not exterminate - these Solomon conscripted for his slave labor force, as it is to this day. But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers. They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon's projects - 550 officials supervising the men who did the work.

After Pharaoh's daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the supporting terraces.

Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.

King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. And Hiram sent his men - sailors who knew the sea - to serve in the fleet with Solomon's men. They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan - with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones - she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness."

And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

(Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones. The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land.

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's days. The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift - articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue - the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

1 Kings 9:10-28, 10:1-29

_______________________________________________

So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

1 Kings 3:11-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“I will give you what you have not asked for…both riches and honor…so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.”

These were God’s words to Solomon as he appeared to him for the first time in 1st Kings, Chapter 3. And as we study the scriptures that pick up after the dedication of the temple, we see first-hand how God’s words came true in Solomon’s life.

For Solomon’s kingdom grew from his rebuilding of Gezer to his building up of “Lower Beth Horon, Baalath, and Tadmor in the desert” as well as “all his store cities and the towns for his chariots and for his horses”. Our passage tells us that whatever Solomon “desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory, he ruled”.

And everywhere that Solomon went and conquered, he enlisted “all the people left from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites”…those who weren’t Israelites…and used them as his “conscripted for his slave labor force” to build places like the supporting terraces, built for Solomon’s daughter after she had come to him from “the city of David”.

As for the Israelites, scripture tells us that “Solomon did not make slaves” of them but instead appointed them as “his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers” as well as “the chief officials in charge of Solomon's projects”…the “550 officials supervising the men who did the work”.

But Solomon’s expanding power was not limited to land. For we read that he “also built ships at Ezion Geber…on the shore of the Red Sea”, staffing his ships with Hiram’s men who were “sailors who knew the sea” and served “in the fleet with Solomon's men”. Using the sea routes, Solomon’s fleet “sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold” which was delivered to Solomon and added to his riches.

All of this expansion and Solomon’s reputation as a wise ruler spread and reached “the queen of Sheba” who visited him after hearing about his fame and “his relation to the name of the Lord”. Scripture tells us that she came to “test him with hard questions” as she arrived in “Jerusalem with a very great caravan - with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones”.

Once in Jerusalem, Sheba “came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind” and he “answered all her questions” with “nothing…too hard for (him) to explain to her”. His wisdom as well as his possessions which included the “palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord” overwhelmed Sheba and led her to exclaim:

"The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness."

And with that, she gave Solomon “120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices…more than would ever be given again…, and precious stones. In return, Solomon gave her “all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty” after which Sheba “left and returned with her retinue to her own country”.

And Solomon’s wealth only grew larger.

For we read where Hiram's ships continued to bring “gold from Ophir” as well as great cargoes of precious stones and almugwood which was used to “make supports for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians”. And the “weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents” which didn’t include “the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land”. And scripture tells us that “once every three years when the fleet returned, it came “carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons”.

Further, the “whole world sought audience with Solomon” to hear his wisdom that “God had put in his heart and “year after year, everyone who came brought a gift - articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. We read where “Solomon accumulated chariots and horses…fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem”. Solomon's horses were “imported from Egypt and from Kue” and he also exported the same to “all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans”.

Solomon also made silver “as common in Jerusalem as stones” and cedar “as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills”.

And so what did this add up to?

Our passage tells us that “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth”. God’s word had come true because God is true to His word.

So what do we have to gain from this expository breakdown of God’s blessings upon Solomon?

A reminder that God richly blesses us as well as we experience how His word comes true in our own lives.

Take a few moments to reflect on this.

For God’s word assures us that He is with us.

“…the Lord God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

For God’s word assures us of His protection.

“…the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” 1 Thessalonians 3:3

For God’s word assures us of His provision.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” James 1:17

For God’s word assures us of His guidance.

“I guide you in the ways of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.” Proverbs 4:11

And God’s word assures of His love and offer of salvation through His Son, our Savior, Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

I could write forever about this subject but the point has been made. God’s word is truth because He is truth. And as we walk through our lives in His service, we should do so with the confidence and assurance that His word provides…and experience the richness of His goodness and blessings…just as Solomon did.

Amen.

PS: Take a moment to post and share testimony about how God’s word became truth in your life. I’ll look forward to reading your stories.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com

GOD'S REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' “

"But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them — that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.' "

1 Kings 9:4-9

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Chapter 9 of 1st Kings opened, we saw where God answered Solomon’s prayers from Chapter 8 during the dedication of the temple after appearing to him. You’ll recall that God told Solomon that he had “heard the prayer and plea…made before (Him)”, “consecrated (the) temple which (Solomon)…built, by putting (God’s) Name there forever” and would always have His eyes and heart in the temple.

God followed these words with others…intended to ensure Solomon knew that there were conditions that needed followed in order to ensure all God promised would remain in place. These conditions would not only ensure that God would sustain His promises but also serve as requirements for Solomon’s success as well as those sons who would lead after.

Let’s take a look at the specific requirements God gives Solomon because they are equally applicable to you and I today.

1. Integrity.

“As for you…walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness…” (verse 4)

God expected Solomon (and He still expects us as well) to walk before Him in integrity and uprightness. In other words, God expects His people to exercise honesty, adhering to His expectations and will and way. And not just some of the time but all of the time…so we might be found walking and living in a way that is unwavering, incorruptible and conscientiously scrupulous.

2. Action.

"As for you…do all I command…” (verse 4)

Note that word “do”…a word spoken by God…a word that called Solomon and us to take action…to do all that He commanded. And note that second word, “all” for it’s an absolute. In other words, all is a word that is all encompassing. There are to be no exceptions because God gave none. He expects His commands to be followed…for us to do what He tells us to do. And we can only do that when we are proactively seeking Him and then carrying out His expectations…and doing so with the utmost integrity and uprightness.

3. Obedience.

"As for you…observe my decrees and laws…” (verse 4)

Depending on what translation you read, you’ll find the word “observe” replaced by “obey” or “keep” or variations on those two words. Regardless which word is used, the intent remains the same. God expects all His people…Solomon…the people of Israel…and us to be obedient to His decrees and laws. That’s why He put them in place…so that they might be obeyed and conformed to without exception as they draw us to a place of integrity, uprightness and proactive service.

So God gave three clear requirements…integrity, action and obedience.

What was Solomon to gain by adhering to those requirements? What will we have to gain by doing likewise?

Let’s go back to the scriptures.

For God said this:

"As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' “ (verses 4-5)

God offered a classic if/then statement to Solomon. If Solomon walked before Him in integrity of heart and uprightness as his father had and do all He commanded and observed His decrees and laws, then God would establish Solomon’s royal throne over Israel forever.

In other words, Solomon and his descendants would find eternal success if they only conformed to God’s requirements.

But what if they didn’t?

Well, then they wouldn’t find success but instead fall into failure.

Here again is the word of God:

"But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them — that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.' " (verses 6-9)

Again, another if/ten statement from God. For if Solomon or his sons would turn away from Him, choose to not obey His commands and decrees and go off to serve and worship other gods, then God would cut off Israel from the land He gave them…the promised land…and would reject His consecrated temple. The once beloved Israel would now be disgraced…a byword and object of ridicule among all people who when asking why all this has happened would be told, “Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them — that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.”

And with that, God had clearly laid out the ground rules for Solomon. If he and his successors wanted to succeed, then they only need exercise integrity and uprightness while doing all He commanded and following His decrees and laws obediently.

So too is it with us.

For as we walk through life and look for how we can be successful, we only need look to the One who makes that success possible…the One through which every good and perfect gift comes (James 1:17)…the One who requires us to show integrity as we do what He wants us to do while obediently following His decrees and laws.

Because if we choose to not do this…

Well, let’s say it would be far better for us to learn from the mistakes of Israel and just obey. For God expects nothing less and that’s all the more reason any of us need.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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ANSWERED PRAYERS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, the Lord appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. The Lord said to him:

"I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

1 Kings 9:1-3

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The temple construction was complete and it was properly dedicated by Solomon and the people of Israel who culminated the event with a fourteen day celebration after which all the people returned home with joyful, glad hearts focused on all the good things God had done.

As Chapter 9 opens, we find Solomon in this time, after he had “finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace”…after “he had achieved all he had desired to do”. It was a time of relative quiet and solitude compared to the busy preparation and execution of the dedication ceremony and the joyous nature of the 14 day festival.

But as we see in our scripture, Solomon was not alone. In fact, he was never really alone…and neither are we at any time in our life either. Because the Lord was with Solomon…just as He is with us.

So in the framework of that presence of God, we read where the Lord appeared to Solomon and scripture makes it a point to remind us that this wasn’t the first time this happened.

You’ll recall that Solomon was visited by God in a dream at Gibeon and in that meeting, God gave Solomon one single command:

“Ask for whatever you want me to give you” . (1 Kings 3:5)

God had opened up the options for Solomon to ask for anything he wanted. And do you remember what Solomon asked for?

He asked for a “discerning heart” to oven God’s people and “distinguish between right and wrong”. (1 Kings 3:9)

And God answered that prayer, giving Solomon a “wise, discerning heart” (1 Kings 3:12), as well as “riches and honor” so that in Solomon’s lifetime he would have “no equal among kings”. (1 Kings 3:13)

So what would happen in the second meeting between Solomon and the Lord?

We see where once again, God responds to Solomon’s request and fulfills it, except this time the response comes in the form of answered prayer.

Let’s look at how God’s words validated this in verse 3.

1. God heard Solomon’s prayer and plea.

"I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me…”

Going back to Chapter 8, you’ll remember that Solomon asked God to hear either his pleas or the pleas of his people twelve times. In one of these, Solomon asked the Lord to “hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying in Your presence this day…”

And so when the Lord tells Solomon, “I have heard the prayer and plea you made before me…”, He is essentially saying, “I have answered your prayer”.

2. The Lord committed His eyes and heart to the temple…always.

“I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

Back to Chapter 8. Right after Solomon asks that the Lord hear his prayer and plea, he hopes that the Lord’s eyes would be opened toward the temple night and day…toward the place that the Lord had said “My Name shall be there”. (1 Kings 8:29)

And so how did the Lord respond to that hope?

By vowing that His eyes and heart would always be in the temple…the temple built by Solomon which He consecrated…the temple that had been dedicated to His Name which would always be there…just as His eyes and heart would be.

So two hopes and prayers of Solomon. Two responses by God, honoring Solomon’s requests.

Indeed, God does answer prayers.

Friends, does this scripture not validate what we should already know…that we serve a God who listens and responds to our requests in accordance with His will?

Yet, how often do we feel forsaken…like we serve a God who just ignores us? We want God to act as soon as we have an issue…like He is a fast-food God who is only there to take our orders and fill them in short order. And when He doesn’t seem to act as expeditiously as we like, then we have a tendency to just give up. In the worse cases, people will completely abandon God in their life and stop praying period, adopting the attitude that prayer doesn’t work because God isn’t listening.

Today’s passage should serve to renew our hope in the Lord and His handling of our petitions. For God does answer prayers. He did back in Solomon’s day and He’s still doing it today. We need only remain patience and trust that God will work His good at the appointed time. Because He and He alone knows what is best...both now and in the future.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com