Solomon Becomes A Man of Wisdom

Transcript

GRS 2-89
11/18/2007
Solomon Becomes a Man of Wisdom
1 Kings 3
Gil Rugh

We are in First Kings Chapter 3 together, First Kings and the third Chapter. Major events in Israel’s history, we have the transition of the kingdom from David to David’s son Solomon. He has firmly solidified his control over the kingdom. He has eliminated his enemies and potential enemies and so now we are ready to move into his reign which will really carry us through Chapter 11 of First Kings. Solomon is the third king of Israel. Saul, David, Solomon, the only three to rule over United Kingdom, the united nation, the nation Israel and each one ruled for 40 years interestingly. Saul reigned for 40 years, David reigned for 40 years, and Solomon will reign for 40 years.

Let’s look at few verses that note those times for us. You have to go to the New Testament for Saul, Acts Chapter 13. Acts Chapter 13, the Apostle Paul is on his first missionary journey and he is reiterating something of Israel’s history. We’re interested in verse 21 of Acts 13. Then they ask for a king and God have gave them Saul the son Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin for 40 years, so clearly we are told that Saul’s reign lasted 40 years.

Come back to First Kings and look at Chapter 2, something that we just recently looked at and verse 11, the days that David reigned over Israel were 40 years, so both Saul and David, the scriptures tell us reigned for 40 years and then turn over to Chapter 11 the end of Solomon’s reign. First Kings Chapter 11 and look at verse 42, thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was 40 years. So simply a point of interest that each of the three kings who reigned over the United Kingdom, all tribes, 12 tribes united under his authority each reigned 40 years.

Some dates to enable you to get an idea of where we are in the time. Saul’s reign was from 1050 B.C. to 1010 B.C., so 1050 to 1010 that was his 40 years of reign. David reigned from 1010 to 970, 1010 years before Christ and 970 years before Christ and then Solomon reigned from 970 to 930 B.C. So you have some idea of the period of time that we are talking about, so we usually talk about David a thousand years before Christ because he reigned from 1010 years to 970 years before Christ. Saul’s 40 years preceded that, Solomon’s 40 years follow that, and you get some idea. The kingdom will divide under Solomon’s son, Rehoboam when he assumes the throne upon the death of his father in 930 B.C. and then we’ll have a divided kingdom, northern 10 tribes, southern 2 tribes, down to 722 B.C. In 722 B.C. Assyria will carry the northern 10 tribes into captivity and then in 586 B.C. Judah, Benjamin will be put into captivity under the Babylonians, so something of the timeline of Israel here.

Solomon was probably about 20 year of age when he assumes the throne from his father David and we get this – turn over to First Kings Chapter 14, First Kings 14, is how we come to this identification. Verse 21, now Rehoboam, the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king and he reigned 17 years. Now Rehoboam was the son of Solomon, he was 41 years old when he assumed the throne from his father Solomon. His mother we are told there in verse 21, the end of last statement, his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

Now if Solomon had Rehoboam when he was 19 he would have been about 60, Solomon would have been 60 when he died and his son reigned. Solomon is going to have other children but Rehoboam is the first by this woman that we know nothing else about. We’ll see the daughter of Pharaoh becoming his wife after he assumes the role of king. This was evidently a marriage arranged by Solomon by his father David before he assumed the throne. So that’s where we get the timeline, Solomon was probably about 20 and would have reigned for 40 years and died when he was 60 because upon his death his first born son who is 41 assumes the reign. So it’s not exactly identified for us but that gives us some idea of timing here.

Solomon is famous for his wisdom. Now with that will come wealth and fame but it is the wisdom of Solomon that is his most unique characteristics and so come back to Chapter 3 because this tells us about the wisdom of Solomon, how he acquired his wisdom and demonstration of that wisdom and there will be other evidences of it though his reign and something of his splendor that goes with that. The chapter opens up by talking about Solomon’s marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh. Now keep in mind he already has a wife but this is now within the frame of his kingly reign, this is the -- we'll see something about this political alliance in a moment. Then also in these opening verses talk about the worship of Solomon which will lead the way to God giving him the wisdom that will make him so unique.

Verse 1, Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh King of Egypt and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the lord and the wall around Jerusalem. So Solomon will be undertaking magnificent building projects and the reign of Solomon is the time of Israel’s greatest splendor. David has solidified the empire remember, defeated the enemies. There is if you will a power vacuum in the sense the immediate enemies of Israel have been defeated. The major enemies that will come on the scene, major empires are not in a position to challenge them, even Egypt is evidently in a semi decline here, somewhat of a decline, and they do not threaten Israel’s power and rule.

He marries the Pharaoh and this was common and happened down through history even closer history to ours and in countries we are related to like England and so on where you marry a member of the royal family to a member of another royal family and that forms an alliance. Now obviously this is a political marriage. It’s the most significant of Solomon’s political marriages because Egypt was the most significant country. He will form other alliances through marriage and so on, but Egypt is the most significant power that he forms such an alliance with.

Two things indicated by this marriage. Number one, Egypt had declined significantly from the power of its former days. I mean, in previous history before David comes on the scene the power is in the, Egypt would not be have looking, didn’t need an alias with Israel like this but now Egypt’s power had diminished so then more of a willing state to form an alliance through a marriage with Pharaoh’s daughter.

Secondly, Israel is recognized by Egypt as a powerful nation as a desirable ally. It’s possible that Israel was more powerful than Egypt at this time. But in anyway Israel is recognized as a power in the region. Now you understand we talk about Solomon’s power in the kingdom Israel will never have a kingdom like the Assyrian will have, like the Persians will have, like the Greeks will have, like the Romans will have. But they are a major power in this region of the world and other world powers are not coming into the picture in Israel to threaten them in these days, though a part of God’s plan for his people.

This is the only example we have of a daughter of a Pharaoh being given in marriage to the royal house of a foreign power so interesting historical note, the only record of a daughter of a Pharaoh being given in marriage to another royal family of a foreign power that usually intermarried among themselves. Incidentally this marriage was not a violation of the Old Testament law. Sometimes we jump ahead a little bit and say well Solomon here sin by bearing a foreign woman. The law forbids the Israelites to intermarry with the Canaanites.

Turn back to Deuteronomy 7, Deuteronomy 7, of course these are back in the days of Moses, roughly 500 years earlier when we get to Moses since I’ve been giving you dates, will carry us back here to days of Moses. Verse 3 of Deuteronomy 7, further more you shall not intermarry with them. Who is he talking about with them, verse 1, when the lord God brings you into the land where you are entering the position and clears away the nations, and it mentions them, the Hittites, the Gergasites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Jebusites seven nations greater than you these were the Canaanites people. Verse 3, you shall not intermarry with them. Egypt is not included in that forbidden list. So in marrying an Egyptian like this he is not violating the Mosaic Law.

Now if you turn over to First Kings 11 if you want to jump ahead we all know that Solomon is going to get in trouble because he had an eye for women. Chapter 11 opens up, King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women from the nations concerning which the lord hand said to the sons of Israel you shall not associate with them and so on. He had 700 wives, 300 concubines. So when I say that this was not a forbidden marriage later he will join in marriage alliances and enter into marriage with those who God had forbidden. But here when he marries the daughter of Pharaoh an Egyptian that is not a violation of the Mosaic Law.

All right, back in Chapter 3, verse 2, “The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the lord until those days.” The temple had not been built. Remember Jerusalem was not taken from the Jebusites until David did it and the temple would have to be built in Jerusalem. And then David was not allowed by the lord to be the builder. His son Solomon was the one that God appointed and told his father David that it would be Solomon who would build the temple. So the worship of Israel is somewhat scattered at this time and they use the high places. The high places were usually hill tops, raised areas which you could see would be a center of worship, it would be lifted up, it would symbolic as well as have other benefits.

Two problems with these places of worship, number one, they had been used by the Canaanites for their worship. The people were still sacrificing on the high places. What happened when Israel drove out the Canaanites and they didn’t have a center yet that the place God designated in Jerusalem these became the localized centers of worship. The problem was that Israel had not driven out the Canaanites as God had told them to do when they come into the land, if you remember our studies in Joshua. So now you’ve taken over the old worship sites of the people who are still there. It made it easy for Israel to being to adopt Canaanite practices and integrate their worship practices with the worship of the Canaanites, the very thing that God warned them about. And secondly the central worship center would serve to unite the nation and keep it unified. When you have all these various places the danger is that the nation will become fragmented around various worship centers.

Come back to Deuteronomy 12. I could have told you stay and leave a market in Deuteronomy but it’s easy to get to. Deuteronomy Chapter 12, notes these laws and statutes which you are to observe verse 1, in the land which the lord the God of your fathers has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. Now remember these are instructions given before Israel crosses over to go into the land. “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess server their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills and under every green tree, you tear down their alters, smash their pillars, burn their Asherim with fire, you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods, obliterate their name from that place, you shall not act like this toward the lord your God but you shall seek the lord at the place which the lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish his name there for his dwelling there you shall come”.

Now keep this is mind as a background because we’re going to find Solomon going to a high place, Gibeon for worship, but is not in violation of the will of God at that point because he hasn’t yet established the center and appointed its construction, the temple. It’s at that place that he will establish you shall bring your burnt offerings, you sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your vote of offerings, you various offerings. You shall, there also you and your households shall eat before the lords your God, rejoice and in the blessings of the lord you shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing what is right in his own eyes for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the lord your lord is giving.

When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the lord your God is giving you to inherit and it gives you rest from your enemies around so that you live in security then it shall come about that the place in which the lord your God will choose for his name to dwell there you shall bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings, you sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of and so on. So you see we’re in a transition place.

During the time of the exodus and the wilderness wonderings the tabernacle the tent structures severed as the focal point in that nomadic traveling of the nation. Now the nation is becoming settled in the land but they haven’t yet had their centralized pace of worship established by God. So Moses tells them it will be different then. Verse 8, you won’t be doing it the way you are doing it now, there will be a centralized place of worship and that will be united nation, that will be true in the coming kingdom as well when Christ establish the kingdom on earth. There will be centralized worship. All the nations of the earth will come up to Jerusalem because with the united kingdom of the Christ ruling over all there will be a center for worship for the world in those days. Until that time, that’s not God intention but for the nation, the earthly nation as his nation there was a central, was to be a centralized place of worship. Then he goes on to warn them about their worship and becoming involved in the practices of Canaan and so on.

Come back to First Kings 3, at the time of Solomon really there is two major places of worship. Remember in Second Samuel Chapter 6, David had brought the ark to Jerusalem, initially remember Uzzah reached out and touched the ark because he thought the ark was going to fall, the lord will struck him dead and David was unsettled by that so he turned it aside to a local town. Then later David brought the ark to Jerusalem. The ark is in Jerusalem but the rest of the articles associated with the tabernacle are located in Gibeon and we have to look at a map, little north and west of Jerusalem you would have the town of Gibeon and that’s where the rest of the items associated with the tabernacle. So you have the tabernacle located in Gibeon but you have the Ark of the Covenant located in Jerusalem. Without the temple yet being built the high places become a focus so verse 2 says the people were sill sacrificing on the high places because there was no house built for the name of the lord until those days.

Now Solomon loved the lord walking in the statutes of his father David except he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. This is not good. It presents its own danger. But Solomon is not rebut for this at this time. He went to Gibeon to sacrifice there for that was the great high place, why? That’s where the tabernacle is saved for the Ark of the Covenant. So it’s the major center of worship and it has been set up on a high place. So this becomes a prime center of worship so Solomon goes there for his sacrifice.

Now let me turn over to Second Chronicles Chapter 1, that’s the parallel account to what we’re reading here Second Chronicles Chapter 1, you might, I don’t know if we’ll come back here, you can leave a maker if you like. Second Chronicles 1, the chapter opens up Solomon son of David established himself securely over his kingdom. The lord his God was with him and exalted him greatly. Solomon spoke to all Israel to the commanders of thousands of hundreds, judges, to every leader in Israel, the heads of the household. Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place which was at Gibeon for God’s tent a meeting was there which Moses the servant of the lord had made in the wilderness.

However, David had brought the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem, there is no temple but he brought he Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem because he knew from God’s revelation this was to be the place where the temple was to be built. But all he had done there is make a tent for it, a temporary residence. So you see Solomon now is taking all the leaders of Israel with him to Gibeon where the tabernacle was located which makes that the prime place of worship, not the only place of worship because Israel is worshiping at various high places but the prime place because that’s where the tabernacle is that had been established under Moses.

Come back to First Kings 3. We are told that Solomon loved the lord verse 3, and was walking in his statutes. When he went to Gibeon to sacrifice there verse 4, Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. I mean, that was in a time of great devotion on Solomon’s part, he takes all the leaders of Israel and here we are now at the beginning of his reign, he wants them all to have to their focus on the God of Israel and he offers a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. This would have been quite you know you have the altar there from the tabernacle. You are going to a thousand animals to be offered as a burnt offering to the lord to honor the lord and worship him and have all the leaders bow in worship before the God of Israel and the lord honors Solomon at Gibeon. That’s why I did this background.

Solomon is not out of the will of the lord here. And at Gibeon the lord appeared to Solomon in his dream at night and God said God said ask what you wish me to give you. Here, the God of Israel says to Solomon what would you like from me. I mean, what an opportunity and we’re well familiar with this setting. Ask me what you wish me to give you. What’s your greatest desire? What is the desire of your heart? Now here is Solomon a young man now has entered into a kingdom and God has said tell me what is your greatest desire.

Solomon’s response shows something of his godly character, begins by acknowledging God’s loving kindness, his covenant love, he has said to David, the father of Solomon then Solomon said you have shown great loving kindness to your servant David my father. According as he walked before you in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward you and you have reserved for this great loving kindness that you have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day. You’ve added loving kindness to loving kindness. Your covenant faithfulness has been multiplied. You showed to it my father David and you’ve added to that loving kindness by giving him a son to sit on his throne, the throne of David today, that son of course being Solomon himself.

You note where Solomon begins to give God all the credit, all the honor, all the glory for what has taken place, God is the center of attention here. It was your blessings, your covenant faithfulness, your loving kindness to my father David and now to me because you have provided me as his son to come to the throne. And Solomon next acknowledges his own humility now oh, lord my God, verse 7, “You have made your servant king in the place of my father David yet I am but a little child, I do not know how to go out or come in, your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted”.

There is true humility on Solomon’s part. We saw some firm actions in Chapter 2 dealing with those who needed to come under judgment but Solomon is a man of great humility and you see that balance. In Chapter 2 that firmness of character to do what is right that will include the executing of several individuals but he is a man of great humility before the lord. When he says I am but a little child in verse 7, he is indicating I have now real experience, I come to the throne, but I am young and inexperienced person. I might think well he has been in the household of David for 20 or so years. He has had a lot of experience but Solomon doesn’t come with that of self confidence. I am the little child, I approach this without really knowing what needs to done and how it should be done and this foundational for his request.

Note verse 8, your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen. The emphasis is on the lord. I am but a servant of yours and these are your people and you have chosen them. I mean, I am a slave and I am being entrusted with the responsibility of your people, they are not my people. I am their king but I haven’t lost perspective, I am your slave and these are your people and you have chosen them. So I have an awesome and fearful responsibility to care as God’s slave for his people that he has chose for himself.

So when he says I am but a little child there is genuine humility here. Solomon begins his reign with an understanding. This is an awesome responsivity to be entrusted with care of the people that belong to the living God. He has chosen them for himself. So all of that leads, remember the question, the opportunity God gave to Solomon in a dream he appears to him in a dream and this conversation goes on verse 5, ask what you wish me to give you. So here you have the request in verse 9 with that as a background. So give your servant an understand heart to judge your people, to discern between good and evil for how is able to judge this great people of yours.

Here we have that same emphasis. Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people to discern between good and evil for who is able to judge this great people of yours but how will be able to do this without your wisdom. I am your slave, I have to your will, and these are your people. How will I know what to do with them, how to judge between good, and evil for them? This is too great a task for just a mere mortal man. I need divine wisdom and that request greatly pleases the lord verse 10, it was pleasing in the sight of the lord that Solomon had asked this thing. He didn’t ask to be smarter than others, more powerful, richer any of these things. All these things will be given to him. He simply asks for the wisdom to lead God’s people the way God would have them led, to judge them, to make the right decisions for them that would be pleasing to the God to whom these people belong. And with that God is going to give him wisdom beyond any other person on the earth at that time. And riches and fame and power but I’ll come back to the humble request that he has asked form God.

God response in verses 10 to 14 he gives him far more. God said to him because you have asked these thing, have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies but you have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice. He didn’t come with selfish request. He came with a request that is focused on being able to do what is best for the people, my people entrusted to your care. Behold I have done according to your words. Behold I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall anyone arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked; riches and honor, so there will be not among the kings like you all your days. Remedy, have more wisdom than anyone before or after you and you’re going to have more wealth and riches than anyone who is contemporary with you.

And if you walk in My ways keeping, My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked then I will prolong your days. There is a condition on that one. There will be failure as you are aware. Then Solomon woke and behold with the dream and he came to Jerusalem and sat before the Ark of the Covenant of the lord and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings and made a feast for all his savants. What happens, Solomon leaves the worship center at Gibeon where the tabernacle is where he has offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar, he returns to Jerusalem after God has spoken to him in the dream and he comes before the Ark of the Covenant that his father David brought to Jerusalem and placed it in the tent there he offers more sacrifices to honor the lord so he beings his reign with these great displays of worship and now we are ready.

So what we pick up within verse 16 and really which his down through verse 28 or our initial displays of Solomon’s wisdom. Now we’ll come to these and we will see the Queen of Sheba to come and the wisdom of Solomon will be unfolded but here you have an initial act and it’s an interesting one, why you would pick this but here is a display and the practical matters that confront Solomon. Two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before. You think there be an issue here in light of the Mosaic Law and so on but that doesn’t become the case, not dealt with on that level. These things we say well, they are two harlots, they are guilty of whoredom in Israel, and maybe they ought to be put to death but that issue is not brought up. Now here Solomon wisdom we’ll come down to the basic issues of the kind of conflicts that characterized everyday life.

And what happened these two harlots each had born a child about the same time they are living together evidently practicing their harlotry and anyway these children would have been as a result of their practices, their profession and they come with a disagreement. During the night they didn’t have separate curbs in there, one of the women had rolled over and smothered her baby. We’re aware of the account verse 18, middle of the verse, we were together there was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house, this woman’s son died in the night because she lay on it. So she rose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside meanwhile your servant slipped and laid him in her bosom and put her dead son in my bosom. So here were both had these new born babies, we’re sleeping she rode over smothered her child so she while I was sleeping too my living baby and replaced it with her dead child.

And so verse 21, when I rose I found the child with me dead but when I carefully examined him it wasn’t my son at all. And then verse 22, the other woman said no, the living one is my son, the dead one is yours. So you have this disagreement. Amazing that these two women of this character with this position in Israel could get a hearing with Solomon and you think now these kind of cases would be handled way out here but some of these practices as we’ve referred to earlier we saw with David still carried out in some of those countries over there where the king does present himself and people can come and bring their disagreements or request before him and that was going on here. Well, he is involved in the everyday activities. So how is Solomon to know, they come and want a resolution. The one woman has brought a charge against the other.

Well, Solomon doesn’t know whose baby is whose; I mean he probably doesn’t even who the fathers are. You note there is no fathers in the picture because these are children born of harlotry, who know who is the father his. So there is no fathers to come and be involved, yeah, recognize this is my son, now we just have these two women, what do you do? Verse 23, the king said, the one says this is my son who was living; your son is the dead one. The other says no, the dead one is your son, the living one is my son. The king said I’ll settle it, give me a sword. They brought a sword before the king, verse 25, the king said split the living child in two, I’ll give you each half. Well so one woman says if that’s the only way to resolve it all right that would be fair. The other woman says no, no, keep the child alive give him to her. And then Solomon say verse 27, give the first woman the living child by no means kill him she is his mother.

When all of Israel heard of the judgment which the king headed down they feared the king for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. So this seaming small dealing with insignificant people women, and note this women who are of different status in Israel but harlots in Israel but word spread so the wisdom of Solomon and his ability to cut through and resolve these issues, remember what he had asked verse 9, given your servant an understanding how to judge your people to discern between good and evil so I can make these decisions. Doesn’t just deal with kingly decision, you know, you call the top level but the people of Israel discerned in fear. A fear in the sense of respecting him and recognizing he will be able to make the kind of decisions to decide between right and wrong. They recognize God has given him a wisdom that will enable him to administer justice and judgment to the nation, a simple chapter but foundational to Solomon’s reign.

I want to walk through a few observations that I made on the events of this chapter. First and very important and it’s one that’s consistent though the Old and New Testament. Love for God is evidenced in an obedient walk. Look at verse 3, Solomon loved the lord walking in his statutes. Solomon loved the lord waking in the statutes of his father David which would have been the word of God has given by David. This principle that loving the lord is not some kind of feeling or emotion in our hearts and minds but it is the action of obedience. Now it is not say that emotion never accompanies that but it is to say that is a byproduct but the foundational issue is that true love for the lord is evidenced by obedience to his statutes, to his word.

Turn over to John 14 in the New Testament and of course the Jews having their background in the Old Testament you could grasps the importance of this. This is Jesus’ last night with his disciples. Remember they’ve had their dinner together their meal and now he is given them instructions which will culminate with him going to the garden where he will arrested and subsequently crucified and he is telling them about the Holy Spirit that will be given to them as another comforter, John 14:16 but noted what has preceded that verse 15, “If you love me you will keep my commandments”. Look down in verse 21, “He who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” Verse 23, “If anyone loves me he will keep my word.” Verse 24, “He who does not love me does not keep my words.” Sometimes even to this day we have people profess to be believers, and we say you can’t see my hearts, in my heart I love the lord, what does that mean. I mean, what does the mean?

It’s some kind of a feeling, some kind of emotion. He didn’t who loves me, the one who keeps my word. The one who does not love me does not keep my words, does not obey me. If you love me you’ll keep my commandments, you’ll do what I say. He is not talking about Mosaic Law here; he is talking about the commandments he has given. So, true love involves obedience to the lord. And again I am not saying there is no place for emotions and feelings in our love but that’s not what determines our love. Jesus doesn’t, here on our last night he doesn’t become an emotional time together where we’re all going to just steer our feeling and head it all out, I just want men to know how much you mean to me and leaving and you know, let’s get down to what it is here, in real love this is going be tested. Pressure is coming but you know what, if you love me you keep my commandments, you’ll obey me, you’ll keep my word. And those who don’t love me don’t keep my words, that’s it.

Oh, I love the lord I am not walking in obedience but know in my heart I love him. Wait a minute, what do you mean? That’s a meaningless statement. Oh, I love the love the lord I am not walking in obedience but in my heart I love him. You realize you’re talking nonsense. Jesus said if you live you keep his word and those who don’t love him don’t keep his word. So if you’re saying you are not obeying him don’t say you love him. You can’t do both. So I love the lord I manifest, I want to do everything he said. I don’t want to have partial obedience I want to have complete obedience. It doesn’t say we ought to keep those feeling in our hearts; don’t let your feelings in your heart grow cool. No, you want just to love him and that means be obedient that’s the same in the Old Testament.

Come back to First Kings 3 that was first and major observation. The second observation, true love for God delights to give all it can in worship and service. What do we find Solomon doing verse 4, offering of thousand burnt offerings on the altar? Then what he do is a follow up on that verse 15, the last words, he offered burnt offered burnt offering, he made peace offerings and he made a feast which would be part of their worship of God. I mean can I give too much to the lord. Again well you can’t kingly ransoms but this was what Solomon could do and it’s not like well you don’t want to do enough, no I don’t want to do more than enough and that demonstrates something of this heart’s attitude and he delights to worship the lord and honor him.

Remember back his father, David back in Second Samuel 24; he got a chance to get to the site of the temple for free, # that wouldn’t express my heart, my devotion. No it’s got to be in this way, verse 24, Second Samuel 24, no but I will surely buy it from you for a price I will not offer burnt offerings to the lord my God which cost me nothing. I mean I expect my worship of the lord to be costly not because the lord needs it but because need to express that. You know it’s not just I give something to the lord here and it’s not because I give something to him that’s what matters. For David and Solomon no, it has to be at a level that it was a sacrifice worthy to express that worship of the lord.

In the New Testament Second Corinthians Chapter 9, that shows some of things the principle carries through whether you are talking about Old Testament or New Testament the attitude of believers and their behavior in Second Corinthians Chapter 9 verse 7 and verse 6 so we could read the whole things but, verse 5, when Paul is talking to the Corinthians about a gift that they are going to have, the gift given to the lord, it’s for the benefit of poverty stricken believers in Jerusalem but it’s given to the lord so he says verse 5, I’ve had some men come ahead of me to arrange before him your previously promised bountiful gift so that I would be ready as a bountiful gift not affected by covetousness. He who sows sparingly reaps sparingly. He who sows bountifully reaps bountifully.

Each of you do as you’ve purposed in your own heart. You don’t it because Paul told you to do it. You do it because in your heart you determine before the lord this is what you do. He has already told him a heart devoted to the lords gives only one way how bountifully but he doesn’t give grudgingly or be he is under compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver, one who delights to give to him. What a privilege to give to the lord and that’s the attitude that Solomon is reflected here at the very beginning of his reign. I want to give bountifully to the lord and I want to honor him in this way.

Come back to First Kings 3, in all the loving-kindness of the Lord should ever before us, everything we have is by grace. It’s by his grace that we are what we are and as Solomon could reflect on God’s loving-kindness and covenant faithfulness to his father David and now to him so we too reflect on God’s faithfulness even in the darkest times in a book called the Lamentations of Jeremiah the prophet and if you want to turn there you can otherwise I’ll read it you. Lamentations is sandwich between Jeremiah and Ezekiel and let me read you Lamentations Chapter 3 verse 22, “The lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease for his compassions never fail, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” There is a reason this is called the Lamentations of Jeremiah but in this context he doesn’t lose sight of the fact the lord’s loving kindness indeed never cease or his compassions never fail, they are new every morning great is you faithfulness. The lord is my portion says my soul therefore I have hope in him and on it goes. It is God’s graciousness.

We lose sight of that and to get up another day, oh, wait a minute you know a great God I have, what a gracious God I have, I belong to him. I wake this morning and knowing that God is my father and he tells me to ask of him and he’ll give me the desires of my heart. What do I desired, you know that I have a life on his hand and would be pleasing to him and you just never lose sigh to his grace. Come back to First Kings 3, the characteristic of Solomon these great days the early part of his reign. The fourth observation in my counting and we should bow humbly before God in light of our inadequacy in his service verses 8 and 9. Solomon was in I wouldn’t say overwhelmed but in that sense I am but a child. How would I lead God’s people do God’s work? I am your slave, your servant, and he cautious of that. How much more we should be aware of that. How many times the New Testament refer to us as the servant or slaves of Christ. We’re doing his work and we belong to him. We are not our own. We’ve been bought with a price therefore we’re to glorify God with our bodies. Whatever we do we do in the lord not is under man. Lord I can only do it in your strength. I can only do it by your ennoblement with the wisdom you give, with the understanding you give, with the strength you give. So it’s not bad to recognize we can’t do God’s work in our strength. But that doesn’t stop there. We seek our adequacy from him.

I have to take you back to the New Testament I mean to tell you to say in Second Corinthians but I forgot so go back to Second Corinthians. You know we think well I am not a king Solomon of course needed that but I have, I am a slave of the living God. Solomon said he was God’s servant, God’s slave. In that sense we are in the same role, the same position what was delegated to him as God’s servant was to rule Israel. What is delegated to me as God’ servant is something different but our positions are same, we are slaves of the living God and to do his will. In Second Corinthians Chapter 2, Paul talks about the ministry he had in giving off the knowledge of Christ. And he says in verse 16, “To the one we are the aroma from death to death and to another aroma from life to life.” Every time we give off the knowledge of Christ something is happening. Some people are being conformed in their lost condition, their perishing state. Other are being brought to the knowledge of the savior and to grow.

And Paul says who is adequate for these things. And you might think that’s a rhetorical meaning no one but you jump down to Chapter 3 verse 5, “Not that we are adequate in our self to consider anything as coming from our self but our adequacy is from God how also made us adequate as servants, slaves of a new convent”. I mean, that’s it we just as Solomon was called as God’s slave and appointed placed in a position too great for him. He needed what only God could prove Paul says in the same state. I mean I am God’s salve but who is adequate for what he has entrusted us to do. So first I must recognize I am not adequate in and of myself to do the work of the lord. Yet I must do his work because I am his slave. So I recognize I must draw upon his provision. He is the one who makes me adequate. We are adequate but we are not adequate in ourselves. We are made adequate. Our adequacy comes from God.

So in that sense we have the same situation and we better recognize when I begin to think I’ve been doing this a long I can do it. I never can do it; I never will be able to do it. You will never be able to do what you are called to do and appointed to do as God’s slaves in your own strength. You cannot do the work of the lord in the strength of flesh. We do the work in the strength he gives and that enables us to accomplish his will. Everything we need is provided by him. Jesus said seek he first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you in Matthew Chapter 6 verse 33. Solomon didn’t ask for riches, didn’t ask for wealth, didn’t ask for long life, didn’t ask for his enemies to crush. His focus was right. I want to pursue that which God has entrusted to me, I put my focus, seek first his kingdom those thing which are consistent with his will for us and what he has planned for us and ultimately we will be part of the kingdom he will establish. Everything else is added. I’ll focus my life as it should be and then God makes the provision necessary for me and we conclude by saying God’s provision is always sufficient.

The chapter ended while everybody recognize that God had enabled Solomon to do the task and that’s what God does for us. It doesn’t mean the world is going to recognize me but it does mean I will be able to what he has accomplished and those will recognize around me that that is, God has enabled me to do what I need to do and that’s true for everyone. So, Solomon starts out, it’s wonderful to start well but we need to finish well. There will be a breakdown there in Solomon but we have to look through, he’ll have a glorious reign nothing like it in Israel ever. There will be nothing like it until Christ himself reigns on earth but it will be a man who does not finish well but that will come at the end of the story.

Let’s pray together. Thank you lord for your grace, thank you for Solomon, thank you lord for the good beginning, thank you for our heart devoted to you, I thank you for the lesson we learned not only in the history of Israel but the reminders for us on our personal walk with you. What an honor bestowed upon us that we are your servants, your slaves, entrusted with responsibility from you how important that we do it in the strength and the adequacy that comes from you so that your work is done in your way. May we have our lives that honor you that we start well, run well and finish well for your honor and glory in Christ’s name, amen.