Solomon reminds me of my youth, that happy day whence first I heard, like that old song, Gloria in excelsis deo. The temple had not yet been built, but the wonder of it all lay before me, and I had no other choice, for it was marvelous beyond my comprehension, I had to ask for wisdom. I found that it was not natural to me, and that I could not do every task, not right or fit for every work, I had to ask for help. Solomon, when given the choice of anything, wisely ask for the thing he cannot make or buy, the wisdom of God. He also finds himself insufficient to the task of the temple and trades in things that benefit his work and another kingdom. Some of his business dealings later will be wanting for their disobedience to God's law, and where it is always right is where we do good, if thine enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirst give him drink. If my enemy wants weapons so he calls me his friend then I should shrewdly as a serpent realize that we are unequally yoked to this, if I am to find myself in Christ and he not. Yet like a dove I should offer him know harm and trade in the things that are just and fair. I do not want another to starve, but I would rather not arm them against someone else and then later myself.
It is in the very nature of man to worship, but in a fallen nature, he will worship things, God incorrectly, money, intellect, violence, the stars and even angels. It is good to build the temple, to make everything point to the mercy seat, to know that even the angels worship and refuse to be worshiped. Only the fallen will accept what does not belong to them, only the perverted will worship the things that were made. It is important for Solomon to build this temple, to make the word of the Lord be heard again. The site of the temple was long ago decided upon, from eternity, but this is the threshing floor that his father bought, this is Mt. Moriah, where Isaac was replaced by a ram. God has put His name here. They dedicate the temple and the Shekinah fills it, God's fire accept the sacrifice. I am attaching this link because this holds the prayer of the king who asked for wisdom and it can teach us how or what to pray. Always remembering not my will but Yours be done. How freeing is that, how independent of the expectations and desires of this world and it's systems, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in prosperity or in suffering, the same want, to thine be the glory and the honor.
Unfortunately Solomon's story does not end there, nor flow forth in the embodiment of such a prayer, the whole of his grand life is not a sweet smelling savor. What is it to know but not do? Read the law of kings, and you will see a pattern prevalent as much today as then.
- He was unequally yoked in marriages, and the law of kings spoke against the acquiring of many wives.
- He was unequally yoked in alliances, which did not cause so much influence to the good as much as his own demise. Moses wrote against returning to Egypt long before, yet Solomon worked with them to deal arms to the Syrians.
- He was not to acquire much gold or silver to himself, but he appears to trust his own self better in these questions. Solomon did not lack in learning, ignorance could not be claimed. He saw the ways of Egypt and embraced them as good method, forced labor and ill dealings, but like all false religions and politics, the end doth justify for them the means.
- He amassed more chariots and horses then needed and though he was blessed with peace and prosperity, he sold the next generations to war. He raised the tax most heavily for all these things and for the vanities of his many princes.
In the end, he discounted the words of God, and traded the covenant of his father for a half hearted reign. He separated a world to himself and a world to the religion of God, having access to the temple, but so split in his ways, his desires, that in the end, as he said, "all is vanity." He leaves us in the state of compromise.
Solomon passes away and then Rehoboam takes over, with the desire to rule by force and entitlement. He threatens a load that will make his pinky look like his father's thigh. He threatens slave labor at the end of more than whips, but even scorpions. This fulfills the words of Moses and also the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 8.
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[c] 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,[d] 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20: 25-28
This is also the time of Jeroboam, the rise of a northern kingdom, split off from Judah. It is in "rebellion" to the Davidic rule, but God does not allow Rehoboam to draw it back together. He is not fit for such a task, and no matter how difficult the road has been made by Jeroboam to the temple, those who worship in truth, leave the apostasy of Jeroboam. No matter where we are, where we came from, Jesus insists that He is the way. Jeroboam puts up an idol in place of true religion. The stand off between him and Abijah is a beautiful picture of the stand that we, who have been called from sin, must make while crying out to God.
Asa is mentioned in 1 Kings 15. He was more like David than the others up until this point. Going out into battle his father was apt to carry the name of the Lord, but at home there was a great need of reform. He tore down the foreign altars and high places, in the books of the kings it says he also removed the state sanctioned male prostitutes. He not only stands up for God publicly, but also addresses the religious infidelity of his own house, standing up to his mother, who has lead the people in ways like a Jezebel. Asa truly starts out strong but then goes to the world rather than God, and it could be an error of omission, but the greater error, the grotesque sin, is that he sees himself above correction. He jails the one who warns him, refuses to seek God in his sickness, and has not tried to reconcile with his brother privately. Sad end to a promising start.
Suppose one of you wants to bring a charge against another believer. Should you take it to ungodly people to be judged? Why not take it to the Lord’s people? 2 Or don’t you know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? Since this is true, aren’t you able to judge small cases? 3 Don’t you know that we will judge angels? Then we should be able to judge the things of this life even more! 4 So suppose you disagree with one another in matters like this. Who do you ask to decide which of you is right? Do you ask people who live in a way the church disapproves of? Of course not! 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that no one among you is wise enough to judge matters between believers? 6 Instead, one believer goes to court against another. And this happens in front of unbelievers! 1 Corinthians 6: 1-6
Jehoshaphat comes out against the idolatries in the land, fortifies himself against those outside the gate, but strengthens the people within the gate, arming them with their history and the word of God. He has done so well, but now he will reach north, and the hand of grace, of peace should ever be extended, we should meet at the White Horse Inn, but never to be married. This is leaven in the dough, and how can you remove it, it must be thrown away. Rather than implore his cousins to the mercies of God, begging them, convincing them away from God's wrath, he invites the yeast into his own lump. They marry into a most evil line.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.