LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF YOUR ELDERS

PROCLAMATION

“Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime.  ‘How would you advise me to answer these people?’ he asked. … But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.”  1 Kings 12:6-8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. (1 Kings 11:42-43)  When Jeroboam, Solomon’s son who had rebelled against him in his old age and then fled to Egypt, heard that Rehoboam was king he returned to Israel. (1 Kings 12:2-4)  Jeroboam asked King Rehoboam to lighten the burden which Solomon had placed on him and said that he would serve him.  Rehoboam told him the go away for three days and then return, to allow him to consider his request.  Then he consulted the elders of Israel and rejected their advice.  He decided to follow the advice of the young men that he grew up with.  This eventually caused him to lose the support of the people (1 Kings 12:16-17) and led to the division of Israel with only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin supporting Rehoboam.  Jeroboam became king of the ten northern tribes, and he built shrines and two golden calves to be their gods and led them to worship idols. (1 Kings 12:28-33)

APPLICATION

All too often the young ignore, reject, and do not follow the advice of their elders.  They feel that they know better and that their elders are “old fashioned”, uninformed, and out of touch with reality.  If they listen to any advice it is usually that which comes from their friends and peers.  Rejecting good advice usually results in bad outcomes.  Only after they mess up and get into trouble do the young realize that their elders, their father and mother, really did know what was best for them. (Proverbs 5:12-14 and 30:17)  Listen to the advice of your elders for with age and experience comes some wisdom.

DON'T BE A FOOLISH OLD MAN

PROCLAMATION

“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to The Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”  1 Kings 11:4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

For as wise as King Solomon was as a young man, his wisdom began to fail him as an old man, or maybe it was just his weakness for women.  Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom were from foreign nations which The Lord God had told the Israelites not to marry. (1 Kings 11:1-3)  Solomon did evil in the sight of The Lord and worshiped the idol gods of his wives. (1 Kings 11:5-8)  He would still go through the motions of worshiping The Lord God, but he was not fully and completely into it.

APPLICATION

It does not matter how wise, or smart, or educated, or intelligent we are, if we cannot control our behavior.  The uncontrolled worldly sinful lust has caused many great men, and also many average men, to fall and to lose their influence.  There are countless examples of men who did a lot of good as leaders, but they are now remembered for their shameful downfall.  As we age and get older, we should also get wiser and benefit from our years of experience.  Some of us get so caught up in ourselves and our desires, and we make even bigger mistakes in our old age.  The dictionary defines foolish as “lacking in sense, judgment, or discretion.”  There is a saying, “There is no fool like and old fool.”  As the number of days in front of us gets much smaller than the number of days behind us, let us reflect on our past and see where The Lord God has brought us from and all that He has brought us through.  Let us thank Him and praise Him for all that He has done, let us draw closer to Him in our old age instead of drifting away from Him and making foolish mistakes.

BLESSED BEYOND IMAGINATION

PROCLAMATION

“King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.  The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.”  1 Kings 10:23-24 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

King Solomon was the wisest man in the world, and he was also the richest man in the world.  When the Queen of Sheba, who was rich in her own right, heard of King Solomon’s wealth and wisdom she did not believe what she heard.  She went to Jerusalem to see for herself and to test Solomon’s wisdom. (1 Kings 10:1)  After she talked with Solomon and saw his palace, his officials, his servants, and the feast that was prepared to feed them, she was overwhelmed and said that his wisdom and wealth far exceeded the report that she had heard. (1 Kings 10:2-7)  There was no throne like King Solomon’s throne. (1 Kings 10:18-20)  His wealth was greater than anyone could even imagine, and he was clearly the wisest man in the world.  Remember, Solomon did not ask God for wealth and riches, he asked for discernment so that he could do a good job judging God’s people. (1 Kings 3:9)  All of this was a blessing to him because God was pleased with his heart and his desire to do a good work. (1 Kings 3:10-13)

APPLICATION

We may not have Solomon’s wealth or wisdom, but we can be abundantly blessed.  Jesus, The Christ said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)  Not only a physical life but a spiritual life and an eternal life.  Additionally, we can have an abundance of grace, spiritual blessings, joy, and happiness.  We are already blessed in more ways than we can count, and this abundance is on top of that.  If our prayer requests are for things that will give God glory, they will be granted (John 15:7-8) and then we too will be abundantly blessed.  If you only want to be rich in money, then you are really very poor. 

CONDITIONAL BLESSINGS

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord appeared to him a second time … The Lord said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer … I have consecrated this temple … and My heart will always be there … if you walk before Me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness …’”  1 Kings 9:2-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When King Solomon had finished building the temple of The Lord and his palace, The Lord God appeared to him a second time. (1 Kings 9:1-2)  He was pleased with Solomon’s efforts and said that His eyes and His heart would always be there.  He would watch and watch over His chosen people.  Then He made a conditional covenant with Solomon which was dependent upon his behavior.  The Lord God spelled out what would happen if Solomon was faithful and obedient. (1 Kings 9:4-5)  He wanted Solomon to obey Him and to walk before Him “faithfully with integrity of heart”, to be sincere and righteous.  He also spelled out what would happen to Israel if King Solomon or his descendants turned away from The Lord God and worshiped other gods. (1 Kings 9:6-9)

APPLICATION

We receive a lot of blessing from The Lord God, many more than we can count.  However, there are some blessings from The Lord which are conditional blessings.  These blessings will only be received when we fulfill the specified condition which is required of us.  They can be referred to as “If … then …” blessings.  There are several conditional blessings presented in The Bible.  My favorite one is: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

KING SOLOMON BLESSES THE PEOPLE OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“May The Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us nor forsake us.  May He turn our hearts to Him, to walk in obedience to Him and keep the commands, decrees and laws He gave our ancestors.”  1 Kings 8:57-58 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After all of the work on the temple was finished, King Solomon had all of the things that his father David had dedicated, the silver and gold and all the furnishings, brought into the temple. (1 Kings 7:51)  Then he summoned all of the elders of Israel to Jerusalem.  When they had arrived, he had to priests to bring the ark of The Lord and the tent and all of its furnishings to the temple. (1 Kings 8:1-5)  When the priests withdrew from the temple, a cloud filled the temple of The Lord. (1 Kings 8:10-11)  Then Solomon prayed for the people, (1 Kings 8:12-21) and he prayed a prayer of dedication for the temple. (1 Kings 8:22-53)  Solomon then pronounced a blessing upon the people of God, (1 Kings 8:54-61) after which he observed a festival with all of Israel and the celebration lasted fourteen days. (1 Kings 8:65)

APPLICATION

We all need to understand that we need God’s help to walk in His way.  It is by His grace and mercy that we make it through each day.  Solomon’s request that “The Lord God be with us as He was with our ancestors” was a great blessing for us because we need God’s help.  Only He can turn our hearts from our worldly appetites to walking His way and doing His will.  Only He change our hearts.  He can harden our hearts, as He did with Pharaoh, (Exodus 7:13, 9:12, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10, and 14:8) or He can turn us over to our reprobate minds, (Romans 1:28) or He can give us a new heart and spirit. (Ezekiel 11:19)  That is why we should pray, as David prayed, that He will create within us a clean heart and a right spirit which is focused in Him. (Psalm 51:10)

THE TWO PILLARS OF THE TEMPLE

PROCLAMATION

“He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple.  The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.”  1 Kings 7:21 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When the temple was completed, King Solomon sent for Hiram, the artisan, who was a skilled worker in brass.  Hiram cast the two large pillars at the front of the porch of the temple in brass. (1 Kings 7:13-22)  He also cast the capitals at the top of each pillar in brass.  When Hiram had finished, Solomon named the two pillars Jachin and Boaz.  Jakin (Jachin) means “God shall establish” and Boaz means “in it is strength.”  The concepts of strength and beauty are part of the temple sanctuary. (Psalm 96:6)

APPLICATION

There is beauty in the worship of The Lord, and there is strength in the salvation of His people.  These two concepts should be part of the spiritual life of all believers.  It is His power and strength that saves us and delivers us from the penalty of sin.  The Bible teaches us to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2, and Psalm 96:9)  Our bodies are also temples and we are also beautifully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)  It is by His strength that we are able to accomplish things. (Psalm 78:4)  It is The Lord God who gives strength to His people. (Psalm 29:11)  We should praise The Lord God for who He is and for what He has done.

THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD GOD

PROCLAMATION

“The Word of The Lord came to Solomon: ‘As for this temple you are building, if you follow My decrees, observe My laws and keep all of My commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.  And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel.’”  1 Kings 6:11-13 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

It was during the fourth year of his reign as king, that Solomon began to build the temple of The Lord. (1 Kings 6:1)  The Lord God let King Solomon know that building this temple for The Lord did not excuse him from following, observing, keeping, and obeying laws of God.  The temple was built in relative quiet and silence, as if working on it was a religious exercise, there was no hammering, sawing, or chiseling done at the site of the temple. (1 Kings 6:7)  The entire inner sanctuary was overlaid with gold. (1 Kings 6:19-22)  It took them seven years to complete building the temple. (1 Kings 6:38) 

APPLICATION

This temple, which King David wanted to build, (2 Samuel 7:2 and 7:12-13) that King Solomon built was to be the resting place for the arc of the covenant of The Lord. (1 Kings 6:19)  It was not intended to be a house for The Lord God to live in.  The Holy Spirit of God is omni-present, He is everywhere all at the same time.  The body of each believer is a temple of God and The Holy Spirit of God dwells within each of us. (John 14:17 and 1 Corinthians 3:16)  We should be very careful regarding how we treat God’s temple. 

GOOD INTENTIONS

PROCLAMATION

“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.’”  1 Kings 5:5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

In response to a message that he received from envoys of Hiram king of Tyre, who was a friend of King David, King Solomon said, 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.  But now The Lord my God has given me rest on every side from wars and I intend to build a temple for the Name of The Lord my God. (1 Kings 5:1-5)  King Solomon verbalized his good intentions and then immediately began taking actions to implement them.

APPLICATION

All too often we do not follow through with our thoughtful good intentions.  We get side-tracked and our good intentions never come to fruition.  We do not act upon them and the delay leads to a failure to accomplish them.  It is not good enough for us to think good thoughts if we never put them into actions and transform them from thoughts to reality.  And on the other side of the coin, there are the times when we say or do the right thing, but our intentions and motives are less than honorable.  The world sees our actions and behavior, but The Lord God also see our hearts and knows our thoughts. (Psalm 44:21 and 94:11)  In this case our thoughts reflect who we really are. (Proverbs 23:7)  We need to pray for God to help us to act on our good intentions, and to create within us a clean heart, mind, and spirit to eliminate sinful thoughts. (Psalm 51:10)  We don’t want to end up on that proverbial road to hell that is paved with good intentions.

WISDOM IS A GIFT FROM GOD

PROCLAMATION

“Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people … He was wiser than anyone else … and his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.”  2 Kings 4:30-31 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When The Lord God asked Solomon what he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment so that he could make the right decisions for the people of Israel. (1 Kings 3:5-9)  The Lord God granted his request and gave him much more than he asked for including fame and fortune. (1 Kings 3:11-13)  God gave Solomon great insight and a breath of understanding that was as immeasurable as the grains of sand on the seashore. (1 Kings 4:29)  He was wiser than all of the wise men of his day. (1 Kings 4:31)  He spoke on a vast multitude of topics and people came from the surrounding countries and from all over the world to hear him share his words of wisdom. (1 Kings 4:32-34)

APPLICATION

Solomon was the wisest man ever.  He got his wisdom because he asked The Lord God for it.  We may not be as wise as Solomon was, but if we want wisdom, we can also get it, if we pray and ask The Lord God for it. (James 1:5)  Wisdom is a gift from God. (Proverbs 2:6)  It is better to get wisdom than silver and gold. (Proverbs 16:16)  The fear and love of God is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)  Happy is the man who gets wisdom. (Proverbs 3:13)  We seek and get a lot of things in life, and with all of our getting, we should get wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 4:7)

SOLOMON ASKED GOD FOR WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT

PROCLAMATION

“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?”  1 Kings 3:9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After he had dealt with the men that his father David had warned him about and was secure in the position as king, (1 Kings 2:46) Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, his most powerful neighbor, and married his daughter. (1 Kings 3:1)  He walked in the ways of The Lord as his father had told him.  One night The Lord God appeared to him in a vision and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. (1 Kings 3:5)  Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment.  His request pleased The Lord God and He told him that He would give him what he asked for and much more.  Thus, Solomon became the wisest man ever, in addition to becoming wealthy and honorable. (1 Kings 3:11-13)

APPLICATION

The way that we speak to God today is through prayer.  However, we should be very careful with respect to the things that we pray and ask The Lord God to give to us.  He hears and answers the prayers of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:8 and 15:29)  The sincere prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. (James 5:16)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)  He told His disciples that everyone who asks will receive, (Luke 11:10) we just need to make sure that what we ask for will give God glory.  We will not receive that which is asked for with the wrong motives. (James 4:3)  We should not ask for anything bad to befall a child of God and we should not be selfish with our prayer requests.   Remember, Job was blessed with twice as much as he had only after he prayed for his friends. (Job 42:10)  There is power in prayer.

CUT OFF THAT WHICH TIES US TO A SINFUL PAST OR PERSON

PROCLAMATION

“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 peace-time as if in battle … Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his grey head go down to the grave in peace.”  1 Kings 2:5-6 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

As King David was about to die, (1 Kings 2:1-2) he gave his son King Solomon some good advice. (1 Kings 2:2-9)  First he told him to be strong and be a man, (1 Kings 2:2) and he told him to obey The Lord God. (2:3)  Then David reminded him that Joab killed Absalom, Abner, and Amasa.  He told him to be kind to the sons of Barzillai who stood by him and helped him when he fled from Absalom. (1 Kings 2:7)  Finally, he reminded Solomon that one of his men, Shimei, had cursed him. (1 Kings 2:8-9)  David told Solomon that he was a man of wisdom and in his own way he needed to deal with Joab and Shimei for the wrongs they had done.  Solomon separated himself from both men and eventually had both of them killed.

APPLICATION

Some people are in our life for a season, and others are there for a reason.  Once a bad person has shown their true nature, we do not have to continue to deal with them.  After a relationship with a snake has ended, it is time to sever all ties with their past sinful ways.  That which The Lord God has brought us out of, we should not be trying to reconnect with.  We can be civil and speak if necessary, but we should not seek to maintain or repeat an unhealthy relationship.  Some ties just need to be cut off.  We need to pray, and to pray for them, and then move on.

WANTING IT AND PROCLAIMING IT DOES NOT MAKE IT A REALITY

PROCLAMATION

“Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, ‘I will be king.’  So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.”  1 Kings 1:5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Adonijah was King David’s oldest living son at that time and he exalted himself and declared that he would be king because David was old and infirmed. (1 Kings 1:1-2)  With the assistance of Joab, the commander of the army, and Abiathar, the priest, Adonijah attempted to usurp the throne just as his half-brother Absalom had done. (2 Samuel 15:1)  He had a feast prepared and invited all of the king’s sons, except Solomon, and all of the royal officials, except Nathan the prophet. (1 Kings 1:9-10)  King David had no knowledge of Adonijah actions.  Nathan and Bathsheba informed him of such and reminded him of his oath that Solomon would succeed him as king. (1 Kings 1:11-14)  Then David made his son Solomon king over all of Israel and Judah. (1 Kings 1:29-35)

APPLICATION

Everything that we want is not meant for us to have.  Just because we “name it and claim it” does not make it ours.  Everything, or position, that we want for ourselves does not always fit in with the will of God.  “For whosoever exalted himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)  Sometimes we need to let others exalt us and not do it ourselves.  “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.  But God is the judge; He putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (psalm 75:6-7)

WHEN THE LEADER SINS THE PEOPLE SUFFER

PROCLAMATION

“David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to The Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done.  Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of Your servant.  I have done a very foolish thing.’ …  He said to The Lord, ‘I have sinned;  I, the shepherd, have done wrong.  These are but sheep.  What have they done?  Let Your hand fall on me and my family.’”  2 Samuel 24:10-17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

David commits a sin by taking a census and putting his trust in the size of his army instead of trusting in The Lord.  He confesses his sin and asks for God’s mercy.  David was given the opportunity to choose the punishment for his sin. (2 Samuel 24:11-14)  Each of the three punishments that he had to select from was also going to affect the people of Israel.  He could not make a choice, so The Lord chose for him and sent a plague over Israel which killed a large number of people. (2 Samuel 24:15)  Then David prayed that The Lord would punish him and his family and not the innocent people of Israel. (2 Samuel 24:17)

APPLICATION

Sometimes when we sin, we also hurt others.  Our punishment for our sins can also cause them pain. (2 Samuel 24:17)   Some of the bad times which we endure are the punishment for the sins of our grandparents. (Numbers 14:18)  We need to pray for ourselves and for others because our sins may be the cause of their suffering.

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP

PROCLAMATION

“The Spirit of The Lord spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.  The God of Israel spoke, The Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, a brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’”  2 Samuel 23:2-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the last words of David which were inspired by The Lord God. (2 Samuel 23:1)  Here David acknowledges God, The Father, The God of Israel; of God, The Son, The Rock of Israel; and of God, The Holy Spirit, The Spirit of The Lord; and Their influence on his life and on words written in the psalms which he wrote.  He states that leaders, those who rule over people, must be just and righteous, and they must rule in the fear and admonition of God.  That kind of leader would be appreciated by the people as a beautiful morning is appreciated after the darkness of night.  They would also be fruitful and productive as the earth produces new grass when the sun shines after the rains.  Leaders are to be a blessing to those who are under them.

APPLICATION

We need to pray for our political, religious, and local leaders as some of them seem not to know The Word of God.  They seem more concerned with maintaining their positions than they are with benefiting the people whom they serve.  If you are in a position of leadership, if you lead, guide, direct, teach, or influence people, make sure that you do so in a manner which is consistent with The Word of God.  We need to be just and righteous with those whose lives we influence.  We can also lead others by example with the life that we live.  If we mislead a child of God or cause one of them to stumble and fall into sin, The Lord God will not be pleased with us. (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42, and Luke 17:2)  Lead and live by The Word of God.