PRAISE BE TO THE LORD TODAY

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In Christ, Mark

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When Hiram, king of Tyre, heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon because he had always been on friendly terms with David.

Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when He said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for My name.'”

"So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians."

When Hiram heard Solomon's message, he was greatly pleased and said, "Praise be to the Lord today for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation."

So Hiram sent word to Solomon:

"I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and pine logs. My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the sea and I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household."

In this way, Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as He had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon and the two of them made a treaty.

1 Kings 5:1-12

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

In 1 Kings, chapter 4, we studied how God made good on His promise to grant Solomon - the David’s son and the new king of Israel - wisdom, riches, and honor, elevating him above all other kings.

As we see in the first twelve verses of chapter 5, another blessing from God to Solomon is revealed…the blessing of peace. We know this from Solomon’s own words as he sent the following message to “Hiram, king of Tyre”, who had sent envoys to Solomon because “he had always been on friendly terms with David”:

“You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when He said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for My name.'“

Indeed, peace had come on Solomon and his kingdom who experienced “rest on every side” and it was in this time of solitude…a time when there was no adversary or disaster…that God’s desire for Israel’s king to build His holy temple could be fulfilled.

And so we read where Solomon gave Hiram, Tyre’s king, the following direction:

"…give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians."

Well, when Solomon’s message reached Hiram, we see where it was well received. For the scriptures tell us that Hiram was “greatly pleased” and exclaimed this:

“Praise be to the Lord today, for He has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation."

And with that, Hiram sent the following reply to Solomon, sealing their deal:

"I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and pine logs. My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the sea and I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household."

And this is exactly what happened.

Hiram upheld his end of the bargain, keeping “Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted. For his part, Solomon “gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil”, supplies he provided “year after year”. This led to “peaceful relations” existing between Tyre and Israel after the two kings “made a treaty”, largely because the Lord had given “Solomon wisdom just as He had promised”.

At this point, we can see where the nation of Israel was indeed experiencing good times…times which were praiseworthy because of all that God was doing in blessing His people and their king.

My friends, we have just as much reason to praise today as they had nearly 3,000 years ago. For no matter what we might be going through…no matter how difficult our circumstances might become…we know that God is always working things out for our good (Romans 8:28). All we need to do is continue to trust Him with a steadfast faith while seeking His guidance for our lives for when we do, we will find ourselves gain His wisdom, just as Solomon did…wisdom to help us manage good and bad times…wisdom to find solutions when we’re in the midst of complex issues…wisdom that always turns us toward our Lord - and Him alone – for help when its needed, never leaning on our strength or understanding instead (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Every moment gives us an opportunity to reflect on just how good God is as we count the blessings He has provided. When we take advantage of these moments, I believe our words can echo those of King Hiram in today’s passage:

“Praise be to the Lord today.”

Let’s forever give thanks to the One through which all blessings flow (James 1:17).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

ALWAYS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. And these were his chief officials:

Azariah, son of Zadok—the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries; Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud-recorder; Benaiah, son of Jehoiada—commander in chief;

Zadok and Abiathar-priests; Azariah, son of Nathan—in charge of the district officers;

Zabud, son of Nathan—a priest and personal adviser to the king; Ahishar—in charge of the palace; Adoniram, son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.

Solomon also had twelve district governors over all Israel who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year. These are their names:

Ben-Hur—in the hill country of Ephraim; Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan; Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher were his Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath, daughter of Solomon; Baana, son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam; Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his as well as the district of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars; Ahinadab, son of Iddo—in Mahanaim; Ahimaaz—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath, daughter of Solomon; Baana, son of Hushai—in Asher and in Aloth; Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah—in Issachar; Shimei, son of Ela—in Benjamin; Geber, son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the country of Og, king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.

The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank, and they were happy. And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon's subjects all his life.

Solomon's daily provisions were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle, and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl. For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. During Solomon's lifetime, Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.

Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses and twelve thousand horses. The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king's table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.

They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.

He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world who had heard of his wisdom.

1 Kings 4

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

Going back to 1 Kings, chapter 3, you may remember this from the scriptures:

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this (a discerning heart). 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. Vv.10-13

Here, we see that there was little doubt that Solomon had won over the Lord by asking for wisdom when he could have asked for anything else. We read where he didn’t seek long life or wealth or even the fatal downfall of his enemies. No, he simply wanted wisdom so to lead his people the right way…a people who really belonged to God.

And so we see that the Lord not only granted Solomon what he wished for but assured him that He would receive far more than that. For God vowed to bestow riches and honor on Israel’s new king…so much so that he would have no equal among other kings. Such would be the blessing God would provide and in chapter 4, we see in our passage today how God delivered on His promise.

For in our passage for today, we read about all of Solomon’s chief officials and district governors, learning just how much the Lord had blessed the new king of Israel. Here’s a summation of those blessings:

1. “Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon's subjects all his life…. For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.”

Solomon’s kingdom was vast with all territory granted to him by God. And as a byproduct from the great esteem he fostered with the countries he ruled, Solomon was well cared for by his subjects who all brought him tribute.

2. “The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore…”

A powerful kingdom isn’t only about land mass. It’s also about people and the Lord made certain that Solomon would have plenty populating his population…as many as sands on the seashore.

3. “…they ate, they drank and they were happy…. During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.”

Here we read where Solomon wasn’t the only one blessed by God. His people were as well for they were happy and safe with plenty to eat and drink. Life was good for them as they shared in the Lord’s bountiful blessings.

4. “Solomon's daily provisions were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle, and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl...Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses and twelve thousand horses. The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king's table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking….They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses…God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations…He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world who had heard of his wisdom.”

The scriptures show us that Solomon was not only was made wiser than his contemporaries but he was also give abundant riches and honor…all because God had assured he would have it. We’re reminded here that the Lord never breaks His promises.

Given this, think about how many times God has kept His promises while blessing you in your own life. I know He has given me more than I deserve, over and over again.

For He promised to never leave me nor forsake me and I remember well how He never stopped pursuing me, even when I wasn’t giving my attention to Him. Indeed, there was never a time when He wasn’t walking alongside and on that day when I decided to submit my life to Him, He wasn’t hard to find for He was right there, like the father who was watching for his prodigal son to return (Luke 15:11-32).

After placing my faith and trust in Him, He showed Himself to be my Refuge and very present help in times of trouble (psalm 46:1)…a mighty Stronghold who watched over me and kept me safe from harm. He also proved He was the Light who leads people out of darkness after infidelity happened in my first marriage, helping me navigate through the feelings of betrayal, hurt, and pain.

Finally, I walk in hope every day because He promised me that I won’t perish but have everlasting life once I believed in His Son Jesus as my Savior…the Lamb of God who came and took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). It was this Jesus who then vowed to be with me until the end of the age and He has while I work every day to answer His call to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

Friends, we serve a Lord who is good all the time, ever faithful to promises that He always keeps.

Can I get a witness?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

USING THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.”

During the night, this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I, your servant, was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son — and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."

The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours."

But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine."

And so they argued before the king.

The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'"

Then the king said, "Bring me a sword."

So they brought a sword for the king. He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other."

The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"

But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."

When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

1 Kings 3:16-28

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

As 1 Kings, chapter 3 opened, we saw the Lord offer Solomon the opportunity to choose anything that he wanted and in response to that request, Solomon only asked for a discerning heart so he could rule the people wisely.

Well, you’ll remember that God granted Solomon’s wish, granting him the legitimate kind of discernment…the kind that comes from Him and Him alone. Given this, the wisdom of Solomon wasn’t from himself but rather from the Lord who provided it to him and as we see in today’s scripture passage, it didn’t take very long before Solomon got to put God’s gift to the test.  

For we read that “two prostitutes came…and stood before him” with a dilemma. Each took turns stating their side of the case.

The first said:

“My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. During the night, this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son — and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."

After the first prostitute finished framing her accusation, the second responded:

“No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours!”

And the other then retorted, saying:

“No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine."

And so the scriptures tell us they “argued before the king”, each standing by their side of the story.

Well, obviously one of the women was lying.

Either the child did belong to the first prostitute and was stolen by the second prostitute after she accidentally killed her own child.

Or the first prostitute’s child died and she claimed the second woman’s as her own.

How would Solomon determine who was telling the truth?

We see that he used his gift from God for only a man granted special wisdom and discernment could respond to this matter as Solomon did. For after restating the basic tenets of the argument, Solomon asked for a sword before giving the following order:

“Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other."

Whoa!

That had to get everyone’s attention in a hurry.

Was the new king of Israel really going to have a young baby cut in half? Even more so, was the Lord approving of this?

Well, the very unorthodox and shocking command had its intended outcome. For as we go back to the scriptures, we read where the first prostitute, the one who we read was “filled with compassion for her son”, cried out:

"Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"

Meanwhile, the second prostitute, the one who had been accused of killing her own son and then swapping him with the other woman’s live baby, proclaimed:

“Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"

And with that, the case was solved.

For the true mother…the first prostitute…was willing to see her son live even if she had to give him up to the other woman. Such was the depth of her love for him…a love that could only come from his real mother.

But the second prostitute…the one who had stolen the child because she had accidentally killed her own...had no true love for the baby because he wasn’t truly hers. Thus, it was easy for her to want to see him killed so neither woman could have him.

Given how things played out, we see where Solomon “gave his ruling” saying:

“Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."

And with that, justice was served . We read where “all Israel heard the verdict” and “held the king in awe because they saw that he had wisdom from God”…all because had used the gift that the Lord had given him.

Friends, like Israel’s king in this passage, we all have gifts that the Lord has been imparted on us. Some of us, like Solomon, recognize those gifts and maximize their use in a way that seeks to glorify God and make a difference in the lives of others…like he did with the first prostitute and her child. But unfortunately, there are others who either never try and realize their gifts or maybe worse yet, realize them but choose not to use them. Either instance is equally wrong and has to be totally unacceptable to God…the One who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift from above (James 1:17).

With this, where do you stand today? Have you identified the gifts God has granted, always seeking to use them to His honor and the good of others?

Or are you squandering all the good He wishes for you to do in His name, turning your back on the talents He has bestowed upon you to make a difference in His kingdom here on earth?

Trust that the Lord knows which side each of us are on and if we have any wisdom at all, it should tell us not to end up on the wrong side of God.

Not now…not ever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK FOR?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places because a temple had not yet been built for the name of the Lord. Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want Me to give you."

Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to Your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to You and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.”

"Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give Your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?"

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 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. And if you walk in My ways and obey My statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

1 Kings 3:1-15

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

Picture this scene.

You have left your childhood years…graduating from school, whether high school or high school followed by college…and now you have entered the world ready to begin your career. You get established, having a job and a place to call home…maybe even having a family. You have what you need to get by and life is more than manageable for you.

Then one night, after you crawl in bed to sleep, the Lord speaks to you saying:

“Ask for whatever you want Me to give you.”

Wow! How amazing would that be as God offers to give you anything you want. You immediately try and grasp this…that the Maker of all things has given you the opportunity to ask for whatever you like.

If this scenario played out for you, what would you ask for?

Well, in our scripture passage today from the opening verses of 1 Kings, chapter 3, we see where it actually happens to Solomon, Israel’s new king.

The scriptures tell us that he (Solomon) had made an “alliance with Pharaoh”, the king of Egypt” which included ,marrying his daughter and bringing her “to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem”. All was well in Solomon’s kingdom as he “showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David” with the exception of “sacrifices that were taking place “at the high places”…places where the Canaanites had once conducted pagan worship. We learn that these places were used only “because a temple had not yet been built for the name of the Lord”.

It was at this point that Solomon “went to Gibeon” to worship the Lord, offering “a thousand burnt offerings on that altar” and once there, we read where “the Lord appeared to (him) during the night in a dream” and said:

“Ask for whatever you want Me to give you."

So what did Solomon ask for?

Well, before we get his answer, we see him giving the Lord honor and praise saying:

“You have shown great kindness to Your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to You and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.”

Here, we find Solomon acknowledging not only the blessings the Lord had bestowed on his father during his rule but also that he (Solomon) was on the throne only because it was God’s will for him to be there. In other words, we see Solomon’s humility coming through…a humility that was clearly conveying, “It isn’t about me Lord but about You.”

Going back to the scriptures, we see where Solomon follows praise with the following prelude which led into him asking for what he wanted:

"Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.”

We know that Solomon was young when he assumed the throne (it’s estimated he was between 12 and 20) and in David’s final charge to him, you’ll remember he included the exhortation for Solomon to be a man…to show a maturity beyond his youth. And that’s just what he does as he gets to responding to God’s request to give him anything.

For given the chance to get whatever he wanted from the Lord, Solomon simply asked for a “discerning heart” which he could use to “govern (God’s) people and to distinguish between right and wrong”. He then seals this request by essentially saying, “Who can govern Your people without Your guidance?”

Friends, this same principle applies to us today for we can’t hope to have a proper discerning heart…a heart that does what is right and leads people in the right ways…unless we first seek and then follow the Lord’s wisdom in our lives. Solomon realized it and we need to do likewise because there’s little doubt that God favors those who seek Him. We see this in our passage as “the Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for (wisdom)”. He didn’t go after material gain or powerful stature but for something that would benefit the people he was governing…the people he was anointed and appointed to lead.

In return, God rewarded him well beyond what he asked for, saying:

“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. And if you walk in My ways and obey My statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

Solomon didn’t ask for material or status gain…not for riches or personal glory…but he received it anyways, not because he wanted it but rather because the Lord wished to bless him with it. Indeed, our God honors a humble, obedient servant.

And so it was with Solomon. For as he awoke from his dream, his legacy was about to begin, a legacy already established by the Lord he served. It was reason for worship and celebration which is exactly what happened after Solomon returned to Jerusalem. God had blessed him greatly…and in turn, Solomon intentionally sought to praise and glorify Him.

My brothers and sisters, we see the clear value of humbleness in this scripture passage and how the Lord values an attitude of selflessness which seeks the Father’s wisdom and guidance. Further, we should note that Solomon’s willingness to carry out the will of his God was a foreshadowing of what would be seen later in Jesus who consistently exercised these same principles during His life.

As Christians who are supposed to model the life of Christ, let us reflect humility and a submission to the Lord’s desires in our own life so that all can get a glimpse of the One who came to save them…the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

DISCOVERING STABILITY

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In Christ, Mark

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"Now you yourself know what Joab, son of Zeruiah, did to me — what he did to the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner, son of Ner, and Amasa, son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.“

"But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.”

"And remember, you have with you Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: 'I will not put you to death by the sword.' But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood."

Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David and his rule was firmly established.

Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother. Bathsheba asked him, "Do you come peacefully?"

He answered, "Yes, peacefully." Then he added, "I have something to say to you."

"You may say it," she replied.

"As you know," he said, "the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me."

"You may make it," she said.

So he continued, "Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife."

"Very well," Bathsheba replied, "I will speak to the king for you."

When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother and she sat down at his right hand.

"I have one small request to make of you," she said. "Do not refuse me."

The king replied, "Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you."

So she said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah."

King Solomon answered his mother, "Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him — after all, he is my older brother — yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab, son of Zeruiah!"

Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! And now, as surely as the Lord lives — he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised—Adonijah shall be put to death today!"

So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

To Abiathar the priest, the king said, "Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die but I will not put you to death now because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father's hardships."

So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, "Go, strike him down!"

So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, "The king says, 'Come out!'"

But he answered, "No, I will die here."

Benaiah reported to the king, "This is how Joab answered me."

Then the king commanded Benaiah, "Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father's house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them — Abner, son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa, son of Jether, commander of Judah's army—were better men and more upright than he. May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord's peace forever."

So Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, went up and struck down Joab and killed him and he was buried on his own land in the desert. The king put Benaiah, son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab's position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there but do not go anywhere else. The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head."

Shimei answered the king, "What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said." And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

But three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran off to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, "Your slaves are in Gath." At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, the king summoned Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, 'On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die?’ At that time you said to me, 'What you say is good. I will obey.' Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?"

The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. But King Solomon will be blessed and David's throne will remain secure before the Lord forever."

Then the king gave the order to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him.

The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon's hands.

1 Kings 2:5-46

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

As chapter 2 of 1st Kings opened, we found David close to death and giving his son Solomon, Israel’s new king, a special charge which included things he needed to do in order to have a prosperous reign. Following this, as we see at the start of today’s passage, we find David pivot to some closing instructions…instructions that would take care of unfinished business which revolved around dealing with those who could possibly cause instability during his rule.

The first person David warned about was Joab. You may remember that Joab did try and do David a little good when he attempted to get David to see the wrong in taking a census of his fighting men but beyond that, he had a history of defying the king, murdering when he saw fit and even participating in Adonijah’s treasonous attempt to take the throne from his father.

David highlights the bad side of Joab as he tells Solomon how he killed two of his commanders, Abner and Amasa, “shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle” and “staining the belt around his waist and sandals on his feet” with their blood. David exhorted Solomon to deal with Joab “according to (his) wisdom” but encouraged him not to allow Joab to “go down to the grave in peace.“

The second person David warned Solomon about was Shimei who you’ll recall cursed David as he fled Jerusalem after the threat of another of his sons, Absalom. Later, Shimei asked for David’s forgiveness and mercy at the Jordan as David was returning to Jerusalem following Absalom’s death and David took an oath “by the Lord” to not harm him. However, now that he was about to die, he told Solomon to “not consider him innocent” but rather bring him “down to the grave in blood”.

So happened to Joab and Shimei after David’s death?

Well, let’s look at Joab first.

We see in our passage where his fate was tied to Adonijah, who Joab had decided to side with against David. After his father passed away, Adonijah reentered the scene and went to Bathsheba, requesting to marry Abishag, the young Shunammite virgin who had laid with David to keep him warm after he had gotten older. The scriptures tell us that Bathsheba took this request to Solomon who immediately sensed that Adonijah was up to no good. For you see there was a cultural rule that would have given Adonijah claim to the throne if he married a member of the king’s harem. And so under the surface, Adonijah had not given up trying to become king by whatever means possible.

In other words, he had evil intentions and you’ll remember that Solomon had told him earlier that this would lead to his death after he pardoned Adonijah before for scheming against him (1 Kings 1:52-53). Given this, we see Solomon give this verdict:

"May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! And now, as surely as the Lord lives — he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised — Adonijah shall be put to death today!"

And with that, Solomon “gave orders to Benaiah” and “he struck down” and killed Adonijah.

Well, this news traveled fast and found its way to Joab who then “fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar”. When Solomon was told of Joab’s whereabouts, he gave Benaiah the following order:

"Go, strike him down!"

So Benaiah entered the tent where the altar was and told Joab to come out but he refused saying:

“No, I will die here."

And so Benaiah took the news to Solomon and inquired about what the king wanted him to do. Again, we find Israel’s new king issue a verdict:

"Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father's house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them — Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army—were better men and more upright than he. May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord's peace forever."

And with that, Benaiah “went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried on his own land in the desert”. Solomon then appointed the trustworthy Benaiah as the new commander of the Israelite army.

With this, Joab and Adonijah were eliminated and out of the way. They would no longer pose a threat to Solomon and Israel’s throne. And so we find Solomon turning his attention to one more adversary mentioned by David, the man named Shimei “the Benjamite from Bahurim”.  

Would he experience the same fate as Adonijah and Joab before him?

The scriptures show us that he did but not immediately for Solomon first gave him an opportunity to show himself as trustworthy, giving him the following edict:

"Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there but do not go anywhere else. The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head."

In other words, Shimei’s fate was in his own hands. All he had to do is obey the king and he would live a long life in Jerusalem. He did this for three years but then something happened that challenged his integrity. For we read where “two of (his) slaves ran off to Achish” and after Shimei was informed of their escape, he decided to “saddle his donkey and travel to Achish at Gath” where he found his slaves and brought them back.

Well, the news of Shimei’s trip to Gath made it back to Solomon who summoned him. Once there, he (Solomon) said the following:

“Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, 'On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die?’ At that time you said to me, 'What you say is good. I will obey.' Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

“You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. But King Solomon will be blessed and David's throne will remain secure before the Lord forever."

And with that, Solomon “gave the order to Benaiah” and he “went out, …struck Shimei down and killed him”.

Another potential adversary was gone.

As we look at the remainder of this scripture passage, we see where Solomon took a few other actions, replacing Abiathar, who had conspired with Adonijah, with Zadok and showing “kindness to the sons of Barzillai” who stood by David when he fled from Absalom and thus gained access to eat at Solomon’s table. The latter was the last things Solomon needed to do to carry out his father David’s wishes

And so 1 Kings, chapter 2 ends with Solomon having tied up all the loose ends from his father’s reign and now he was now ready to write his own chapter of royal leadership over Israel as the kingdom was firmly established under his rule...a rule he could only hope would be as prosperous as his father’s during his 40 year reign.

Solomon had followed the wise counsel of his father who was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) and found his way to steadiness and security within his kingship and kingdom. Today, we will do the same if we first seek and then carry out the Lord’s will, submitting to His constant guidance and doing what He desires. For just as Solomon received instruction from his father as to how he could find stability in his rule so too will our Father in Heaven show us the way to stability in our own lives.

In the Proverbs, we find Solomon share these words…words we need to be put into practice every single day:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. 3:5-6

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com

CHARGED

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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"I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep His promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'“

1 Kings 2:1-4

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

In the first chapter of 1st Kings, we read about the formal anointing of Solomon as the new king of Israel. In his later years and nearing the end of his life, you’ll remember how David appointed Solomon after another son, Adonijah, attempted to steal the kingship away.

With this in place, we see where David provides special guidance to King Solomon in the opening four verses of chapter 2, giving him a charge with specific instructions before he went “the way of all the earth” (code for dying). Here are the precise things that David called Solomon to do:

1. “Be strong.”

David knew all too well that being king was a real challenge after having to overcome countless adversaries which included his own sons. Before Adonijah, you’ll recall there was Absalom who conspired against David, causing him to flee Jerusalem for fear of his life.

There was little doubt that Solomon would face adversity himself while on the throne and so David exhorted him to “be strong” as he ruled over Israel.

2. “Show yourself a man.”

It’s estimated that Solomon was around 20 years old when he was made king and so David’s words were meant to encourage his successor to lead as if he were a man and not a youth. Any perceived vulnerability would open a window of opportunity for an opponent and so David knew it would be important for Solomon to lead with maturity if he was going to be successful.

3. “Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do.”

There was no gray area here…no room for Solomon to wonder what he should do as king for David lets him know that ruling properly meant seeking and doing “what the Lord” required.

First, Solomon was to walk in the Lord’s ways. This meant that Solomon was to surrender himself to the will of God which would ensure he went where the Lord wanted him to go and so to do what the Lord wanted him to do.

Secondly, David told Solomon to keep the Lord’s decrees, commands, laws, and requirements. God didn’t leave room for doubt when it came to what He expected of His people. Rather, He provided clear direction through His word. For us today, we have the added benefit of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus as Savior…a Spirit that illuminates the Word of God and brings us discernment and understanding. All we need to do is be fully obedient to His instructions…just as David was calling Solomon to do.

So what was in this for Solomon? What would he have to gain by following his father’s direction and staying obedient to God?

The answer is found in this scripture passage for we see the following benefits laid out for Israel’s new king if he submitted all he did to the Lord who blessed him with the chance to reign:

1. Prosperity in everything he did…wherever he went.

2. Fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to his father, David.

That promise was as follows:

“If your descendants watch how they live and if they walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.”

Since Solomon was a descendant of David, all he needed to do was watch how he lived, allowing God to lead his life so to walk faithfully before Him with his heart and soul…and in turn the Lord would continue to ensure the one on the throne of Israel would be in David’s lineage.

And so as we close this message, we see where Solomon had been charged by his father regarding how he was to conduct his affairs as Israel’s king.

But what about us? Do we have a charge that we’re to follow in our own lives?

Well. the answer is a resounding “YES”!

For our Savior Jesus, before He ascended to sit in power over all things in Heaven and on earth, gave His followers their charge…a charge grounded in carrying on the work that He began. Here’s what He commanded:

“All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Note that the key orders here are all action items:

1. “Go.”

As Christians, we’re required to be proactive. Jesus doesn’t expect us to sit and be complacent. He expects us to get out and about to tell others about Him. There’s no other option given but to go and get to work in His name to help others find their salvation in Him.

2. “Make…disciples of all nations.”

Note how making disciples (Jesus believers) is our main goal as we go. And this disciple making is not restricted to a certain place or a certain select group. Rather, we are to go and make disciples of all nations which means we need to be ready to go anywhere the Lord calls us to go and seek anyone He leads us to. This is the essence of evangelism in the purest sense…evangelism that every believer is charged to carry out.

3. “Baptize…in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

As we work to make disciples, helping them to be saved by Jesus, we’re to facilitate them being baptized in His name as well as the name of His Father and the Holy Spirit…the Holy Trinity that is Three in One. As these new Christians are baptized, they make a public proclamation of an internal change of faith…first dying to their old selves when going under the water so to emerge washed clean and resurrected as new creations in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). While baptism in and of itself doesn’t save anyone, it does let others know that they have accepted Jesus as their Savior.

4. "Teach…them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Once the disciple accepts Jesus as Savior and experiences the symbolic spiritual death and resurrection through Jesus found in baptism, they’re prepared to learn all about their Savior. Believers are charged to teach them about Christ and everything He commanded…and this means that we need to know what He commanded to do so. This is why daily Bible reading and study is so critical as a part of our spiritual discipline as Christians. The bottom line is that we can’t even hope to teach others about Jesus if we don’t know Him ourselves.

Friends, Jesus gave it all for us, dying on the cross and willingly sacrificing everything He had in this world so He (and we) could gain access to God (His Father and ours) forever. He saved us and charged us to go to the unsaved ourselves, promising that we will never do it alone when He said:

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus doesn’t just charge His followers to go anywhere and everywhere to share the Gospel with anyone…and then leave them to it. Rather, He walks alongside us every single second of every minute of every hour of every day. He promised He would and perfectly carries out everything He says He will do.

So the question today is this:

How well are you carrying out the charge Jesus gave?

One thing is for sure…it’s not optional. Jesus made it clear that Christians are to Go and  Make disciples before Baptizing them and Teaching obedience to His commandments. .

It’s time to get busy my friends. For indeed, the harvest is plenty but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37-38) but Jesus stands ready every day to help us reap a bounty as we commit ourselves to carry our His Great Commission.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.