Solomon The Dedication Of The Temple

June 14, 2015 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Dedication Of The Temple

1 Kings 8:1-9:28; 2 Chronicles 5:1-7:22

Focus On: 1 Kings 8:3-6, 10, 11, 18-20, 22, 23, 33, 34, 46-51, 63, 66

In our last lesson we saw part of the construction of the Temple and it’s furnishings.

It took seven years from start to finish in the construction of the Temple, not for the lack of skills but only because of the lack of modern machinery.

And as brother Buddy can attest to, it would have taken a great skill to assemble material that was custom made and processed in so many different places.

This glorious Temple built under the direction of King Solomon had as one of it’s purposes to be a witness to the world in that day.

Since God will not live in temples made by hands but only in temples that He constructs Himself, we that are saved have this same purpose, to be a witness of the glory of God to this world we live in!

So now it was time to “dedicate” this marvelous Temple.

To “dedicate” this Temple meant “to set it apart for God’s use”!

It was not just the building itself that was dedicated for God’s use. It was the building, all the furniture, all the vessels, all the altars, and all the tools that were a part of this glorious Temple.

Another word for this “dedication” would be “sanctification”.

The Temple of Solomon could only be dedicated one time.

The Temple of Solomon could never be perfect.

We know that God will not live in man made structures but He will live in a “Born Again” child of God and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to take that dedicated child of God on to perfection!

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

These temples that are made by the hands of God are built upon our own “Faith”!

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So let’s see the dedication process for the Temple of Solomon and relate what we see to each Christian.

*****1Ki 8:3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
1Ki 8:4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.

We must realize that this entire Temple complex and all the things associated with it were designed to house the Ark of the Covenant.

It was the Ark that was the symbol of God’s presence and without the presence of God, this Temple would be just a building and of no use for the work of God!

King David had made the mistake of moving the Ark in his own way the first time and not obeying the Word of God and it had caused the death of a good man, Solomon was not about to make that same mistake.

God had said the Ark could only be moved one way.

Num 3:30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
Num 3:31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
Num 3:32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.

The movement of the Ark had to coincide with the proper time.

This was not only the time of the Feast of the Tabernacles but it also fell a Jubilee year and the fulfillment of the words of Moses!

Deu 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
Deu 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

It was in Jerusalem where God chose to have the Temple that was built by Solomon.

It was also the time of the Jubilee that is considered the acceptable year of the Lord:

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

We know that Jesus Christ also used this same passage when He began His ministry.

So the purpose of the Temple was:

1) To provide a fixed place for all the Nation of Israel to worship.

2) To provide a central place where all the tribes of Israel could assemble at the time of the three feast as directed by God to preserve the unity of Israel.

This was the place to meet Jehovah.

This was the place to offer sacrifices, the blood atonement, the propitiation.

This was the place to meet the Priests, the intermediary between Jehovah and the people.

This was the place to meet Jehovah at the right time which was, daily, weekly, monthly, and especially yearly at the annual feast.

This was the place to learn how to approach God in the proper way.

3) This was the place that was to be a type of the buildings that God would build.

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

And as many as believed Word Of God showed up.

*****1Ki 8:5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
1Ki 8:6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
1Ki 8:7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

We need to remember that this entire Temple complex was designed to house the Ark of the Covenant and only then to become a house of prayer!

Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Isa 56:8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

The Temple was never to be just for the people of Israel but for all people. The Temple was never to be just some royal chapel nor become some tourist attraction.

It Jesus who showed God’s wrath at what was taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem as He trained the disciples.

Mar 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
Mar 11:16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
Mar 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

To the Church, the Ark emphasizes the “Person” of Jesus Christ just as the “Mercy Seat” portrayed by the Cross, emphasizes the “Purpose” of Jesus Christ!

The Cherubim on the Mercy Seat faced each other as a sign they observed the mysteries of God’s Grace.

1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The Cherubim in the Holy of Holies faced the Holy Place where the congregation were, as a sign that they also observed the ministry of God’s people.

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

Once put in the Most Holy Place, the staves were withdrawn enough to guide the High Priests but not far enough to be seen by the congregation.

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

*****1Ki 8:8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
1Ki 8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
1Ki 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

Originally the Ark had contained not only the stone tablets but also the “golden pot that held manna” and also “Aaron’s rod” that had budded but these had been removed leaving only the two stones.

Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

The Ark has since disappeared and may never be found again!

Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and “there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament”: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

This Ark was originally called the Ark of the Testament:

Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon “the ark of the testimony”, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

It was then that God showed up!

This is the same Cloud of Glory that had filled the Tabernacle when it had been completed.

This cloud was the symbol of the divine presence of the Lord and a symbol of God’s acceptance of the Temple as a place of worship.

Exo 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Exo 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Just as Moses had been awestruck by this obvious sign of the presence of God, so it was with all of Israel this day of the Temple dedication.

*****1Ki 8:11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

The glory of the Lord is known as the “shekinah”.

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Today in our churches it is that presence of the Holy Spirit!

Jo 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And in another parallel it is God’s presence in each believer.

Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Solomon spent a great price in building the first Temple but God paid an even greater price for the living temples He builds with the blood of His Son Jesus!

And so the Temple became a place where the divine glory of God is revealed to His people and just as Solomon establish his royal residence in sight of this Temple, the Lord Jesus will one day establish His residence in the New Jerusalem and become our Temple.

Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

It was not Solomon that had caused this to happen as much as it was his father King David.

*****1Ki 8:18 And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.
1Ki 8:19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.
1Ki 8:20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

On this day of dedication Solomon acted as King and High Priest in other words a royal priest, a priest that sat on a throne!

Solomon had rule over the civil power.

Solomon had rule over the priestly power.

Solomon had rule over the religious power all the days of his life.

Solomon was given a tremendous responsibility and Solomon failed!

BUT, on this day of dedication Solomon made the nation of Israel aware that God will always keep His promises!

God in His “Goodness” and His “Grace” had made a covenant with David concerning his family and this House of God.

What God speaks with His mouth, God accomplishes with His hands.

1Ki 8:15 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,

What God promised to David, God fulfilled through Solomon.

But we must not believe that God did these things to glorify Solomon nor his father David.

God did these thing in honor of His own name Jehovah!

We can see the title LORD mentioned 14 times in this prayer of Solomon.

Solomon was very careful to give God the glory for what he had accomplished.

When we come together to worship we must remember why we came to the House of God for it must be to worship God, by the Holy Spirit and through His Son Jesus.

We must give God the glory for what He has done in our lives and even if God only saves us He has done much more than what we deserved!

We must also certainly never forget that when God makes promises, God uses people to fulfill those promises during this time of God’s “Grace”!

Solomon rejoiced in his being the son of promise to his father David but the true Son of Promise is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Solomon began his prayer of dedication while standing but Solomon just as soon went to his knees.

*****1Ki 8:22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:

Our prayers are not to be a request only thing!

It is by Prayer that we have fellowship with the Lord.

It is by prayer that we have communion with God.

And it is by prayer that we are identified with God.

True prayer is a soul that knows who his true Father is and pours out his heart in loving devotion!

*****1Ki 8:23 And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:

There may be many religions in our world but there is only One Jehovah God.

Sure He is the God of Israel but He is also the God of joy of all those that believe but also the God of wrath to all those that do not believe!

There are many in our world that think they can loose their salvation but that could only happen if we did not have an Intercessor who is dedicated to keeping us saved!

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

The Lord Jesus is not just preparing us a place in our new home but He is also saving us to the uttermost so we can get there!

Heb 7:24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Even when we make a sinful mistake, and we all do, it is our Intercessor who restores us to fellowship when that fellowship is broken.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

No, there is no other god like unto the LORD!

Mic 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Mic 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

All these things are just as true for the nation of Israel!

*****1Ki 8:33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
1Ki 8:34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.

If we need a time piece to know where we are in Biblical fulfillment, then we need only to look toward Israel!

Israel has been restored as a nation and as small and as vulnerable as they are, Israel stands firmly and boldly before the world.

This is a sign to the “Born Again” Christian that we are also to stand boldly before the world!

Solomon recognized that Jehovah God rules all His creation and has complete provincial control of all nature and all of Heaven.

Solomon realized that prayer changes things!

If prayer could not change the outcome of things God would not teach us to pray!

The hope of Israel is the ultimate restoration of all things under the Messiah!

Mic 5:4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

The hope of the Church is the Rapture!

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The Rapture has not taken place and God is not through with Israel but these things get closer with every passing day.

Most all remaining prophesy concerns Israel as the Church could be removed at any moment!

*****1Ki 8:45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
1Ki 8:46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
1Ki 8:47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
1Ki 8:48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

What is the truth of repentance?

To repent is to “bethink”, which is to recall to the mind.

Repentance is a complete change of mind followed with a complete change of direction!

Repentance is not just saying I’m sorry!

And how are we to love the Lord?

Moses taught the children of Israel with these words:

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Jesus taught the disciples:

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

God said the way to get restored after wickedness Israel would have to return to the Lord with all their heart and all their soul, even if they were in the land of their enemies!

This is a picture of the “Grace of God” and God tells the Church to do the very same thing!

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament!

And all these things come about when we pray.

*****1Ki 8:49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
1Ki 8:50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
1Ki 8:51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:

How do we know that God will hear our prayers?

1st) Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

If we have not repented then we can be sure God will not hear our prayer!

2nd) If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive our sins.

If we have confessed our sins we can be sure that God is listening to our prayers.

The truth is that God will answer every prayer that reaches into Heaven!

And, God will always provide the things that meets His will for our lives!

What is the will of God?

Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Being able to get our prayers answered is the will of God!

Being filled with knowledge and understanding of God, we will have the wisdom of God’s will for our lives.

Walking worthy of the Lord Jesus is being in the will of God!

We can know that our prayers will be answered if we belong to God!

Not one Word out of the mouth of God will ever fail!

*****1Ki 8:54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
1Ki 8:55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
1Ki 8:56 Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

God had promised David that the reign of King Solomon would be a time of peace for the nation of Israel!

Joshua had seen the same thing as Solomon was seeing.

Jos 23:14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

And if all the good things will always come true, then all the bad things will certainly be true when we ignore the Word of God!

Jos 23:15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

But what is the pure truth of God?

When we become part of the family of God, He will never leave us or forsake us!

1Sa 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

God will simply not ever do anything that goes against His own nature!

Why?

*****1Ki 8:57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
1Ki 8:58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
1Ki 8:59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
1Ki 8:60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.

If we will just walk in the ways of God’s Word.

If we will just keep the two “royal commandments” of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we will just study the Word of God we will be able to know how God deals with sin.

And all the world will know that the LORD, He is God!

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

There is no other way to be in the family of God except by Jesus Christ!

If we walk in His ways, then all the world will know that the LORD, He is God!

Not Allah, not Confucius, not Buddha, not any other false thing!

*****1Ki 8:61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
1Ki 8:62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.
1Ki 8:63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.

The pure truth of the Lord is that He provides the needs that we require daily.

With the nation of Israel observing his actions, Solomon had prayed directly to the Lord.

Solomon was dedicating the new Temple to the Lord.

Now Solomon was asking the entire nation of Israel to rededicate themselves to the Lord.

It was a time of national revival and we need this in America today!

We need to let our hearts be as perfect as humanly possible with the Lord.

We need to walk in the statutes of the Lord, the “royal law” of Jesus Christ.

We need to keep all the commandments of God and see that no man-made laws are written that go against the statutes of God.

And We Must Then Sacrifice Ourselves To The Lord!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We can see that a godly national leader can have a tremendous impact on the any nation.

We must dedicate ourselves to the Lord!

We must dedicate our places of worship to the Lord!

We must dedicate our Nation to the Lord!

*****1Ki 8:66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

A nation that knows Jehovah God will truly be blessed and they will know it!

A nation that knows the Lord will also be a blessing to it’s leaders.

1Pe 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Today we find America is even more divided than it was at the time of the Civil War!

AND, it is not because of States Rights as it was in those days though that is a major part of it.

It is not because of slavery because slavery does not exist in that form today in America even though it is still in much of the world.

America is divided because we do not follow the statutes and the commandments of God!

America is divided because our national leaders do not accept the Word of God as the basic tool for humanity!

America is divided because God’s people have allowed Satan’s worldly system to dominate over the truth of God!

Solomon dismissed Israel to go back home hoping they would return to the ways of God.

Our leader has dismissed America in all things, because he has exalted himself above not only the office that he holds but he has exalted himself above God!

We “may” get one more opportunity to use our vote to change things but if we fail once again we may never have that same opportunity again!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Solomon God’s Man Of Wisdom

May 31, 2015June 1, 2015 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Solomon God’s Man Of Wisdom

1 Kings 3:4-15, 28; 4:29-34

Bible history tells us that Solomon was the third King of Israel and his father was David the second king.

Solomon was born of Bathsheba after David and Bathsheba became husband and wife.

David had many wives and therefore he had many sons and daughters but this was never God’s design.

God said a marriage was to be between one man and one woman to avoid sin!

1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Solomon was probably still a teenager when he was given the throne of Israel by his father David!

1Ki 1:17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

Solomon reigned for 40 years but the first half of his reign was much brighter than the last half because Solomon was led into idolatry by his many non-believing wives.

During the time of King Saul and King David, Israel had fought many wars but for the first time under King Solomon, Israel knew peace.

It was Solomon who built the first and the most beautiful Temple in Jerusalem!

Solomon not only had great influence over Israel but Solomon had great influence over the entire world in his day.

It was the kingdom of Solomon that set the pattern that many kings throughout the world would follow for many centuries to come, after him.

Solomon was a great king and Israel had many kings but it is the throne of David that has been remembered above all other kings, throughout all these years!

And as we continue our studies in the Bible we must remember that we are to always be working on our walk with God on this Earth and part of that learning is using the Old Testament as our guideline and as an example of how God dealt with sin.

So let’s begin:

*****1Ki 3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

Gibeon was a city sitting on a hill located about 8 miles from Jerusalem.

When Joshua had taken Canaan Land as directed by the Lord, the Tabernacle had been set up in Shiloh. The Tabernacle remained in Shiloh all the period of the Judges until the Ark fell into the hands of the Philistine and Shiloh was destroyed but we can see that God had even allowed that to happen for certain reasons.

Jer 7:12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it “for the wickedness of my people Israel”.

We should also realize though Shiloh was the oldest place of worship for Israel, but God’s favor is not tied down to any certain location for worship.

The Tabernacle had been relocated to Gibeon but the recovered Ark was still located in Jerusalem in a Tabernacle that David had built for it until the Temple was to be built.

2Sa 6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

Notice also that it is this Tabernacle of David that is in prophecy and not the Tabernacle of Moses.

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

We can see that King David, Solomon’s father, made his offerings to the Lord in this place.

But God had said that it would be at the Tabernacle of the Congregation, where He would meet with the children of Israel.

Exo 29:42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
Exo 29:43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

The Tabernacle of the Congregation was located at Gibeon, the same place where God made the Sun and the Moon to stand still for a whole day.

Jos 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
Jos 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Jos 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

BUT, Gibeon was also the great high place of worship for the Canaanite nations!

God had commanded all the “High Places” of the Canaanites to be destroyed or He would destroy them.

Lev 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

It seems since Gibeon was the highest of all the high places and this is where the Tabernacle of Moses was now located and also the place of the original “Brazen Altar”.

We can be sure God was not pleased with this thing!

God is very pleased when we worship Him but He will never be pleased if go into a Mosque or any other place set aside for false gods and then worship Him in that same place where worship to some false god also takes place.

That would be like saying Jehovah was just a god among many other gods which is not true!

There are no gods other than Jehovah!

We see that Solomon went to this place because the Tabernacle of the congregation had been set there.

2Ch 1:3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
2Ch 1:4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
2Ch 1:5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

It was on this altar that Solomon did offer 1000 burnt offerings because it was important for the nation of Israel to see that the new king worshiped the Lord just as his father had.

It was also at this place where Solomon met with all the government, all the military, and all the people of Israel.

2Ch 1:2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.
2Ch 1:3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

SO, It was this place in Gibeon where Solomon gave his inauguration speech and God decided to also make Himself known to Solomon to show His approval but also to test Solomon.

Remember we will never have a testimony until we have been tested by God Himself!

*****1Ki 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

God came to Solomon in a dream and this is not so unusual and in fact may increase as we approach the last days.

Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Solomon had the opportunity to ask anything that he desired of God at this time in his early life!

This was a special time for Solomon but remember God is no respecter of persons and God still offers this same request to every believer!

Joh 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Joh 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

To be quiet honest our response should be similar to that of Solomon.

Nothing is as important as the wisdom of God!

*****1Ki 3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
1Ki 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
1Ki 3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
1Ki 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

It is always in our best interest to choose God’s given wisdom!

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

If we begin with the Word of God, then we will prosper in this life.

Now does not mean carnal riches but to prosper in spiritual things will bring eternal riches and also joy in this life!

Notice that Solomon viewed his succession to the throne of Israel as a fulfillment of God’s promises to his father David.

God always keeps His promises!

Unlike teenagers of today, Solomon admitted that he was not qualified to be king!

In fact most people today will qualify them on selves in most every situation!

Remember Solomon was royalty and had attended the best schools and had even been schooled by Nathan.

Nathan was a true prophet of God to Israel and to King David.

2Ch 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

2Sa 12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
2Sa 12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

As Gamaliel was to the Apostle Paul, so was Nathan to Solomon all the days of his youth.

Solomon realized that he was nothing without God!

Solomon humbled himself before God and was not lifted up with pride in his royalty at least in his early days.

The boundaries of Israel at this time approached the fulfillment of Scripture and Israel was the greatest of nations at the time of Solomon.

Deu 11:23 Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
Deu 11:24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

King David had left his son a mighty nation but also a rich nation.

So, Solomon’s prayer was brief and to the point.

When we come before God we need to be brief and to the point in our request as God has already promised to meet our needs!

Solomon knew that compared to his nation, he was but a very small person!

Wouldn’t it be nice if our own government felt this way today instead of exalting itself above the people?

What else was important in this prayer of Solomon? Solomon had faith that God would provide the wisdom needed to lead Israel into the future.

This is the prayer that every national leader should pray but it takes “Faith”!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What is the proof of this?

*****1Ki 3:10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

What pleases God the most in our prayers?

When we pray seeking the will of God for our lives and the wisdom and the understanding to be a part of God’s will and not just pray for carnal things to consume on ourselves.

Pro 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

This is the prayer that pleases God!

So how did God respond?

*****1Ki 3:11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
1Ki 3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

What is wisdom?

First and foremost real wisdom begins with a reverent fear of God!

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

What is the truth that guides our world?

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: “but fools despise wisdom and instruction”.

The world is led by foolish men who have rejected the wisdom of God!

1) Many believe that wisdom is simply the art of how to succeed in this life.

It does not take long growing up in our world to see that there is an order of worldliness in our world and if you cannot be a part of it then you will be just pushed aside and walked over.

This is even more prevalent today as immorality is pushed onto people who know the truth of immorality!

Most people believe that success and happiness can only come by finding a place to fit into this evil world.

This is the world of Satan!

This is the world that Satan used to tempt to the Lord.

Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

BUT, What does God say?

Pro 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Pro 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

2) There are also many who seek wisdom by a philosophical study of the essence of life.

Philosophy is the love of wisdom but today this usually only means searching for a reason things are the way they are.

Things are the way they are because of the influence of Satan!

Philosophy should be based on facts and truth but today a few ignorant men have changed philosophy into a search to explain things without acknowledging the truth of God!

For instance evolution is not based on facts.

Climate change has been happening for 6000 years with very little influence from man.

SO, Philosophy has become a false religion of the mind!

God says this:

1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

We see that both of these groups are only fools who reject the truth of God!

3) The true essence of wisdom then can only be spiritual!

Life is more than just living by man-made rules!

Life is more than being rewarded for some action you may have or may not have completed.

BUT, Wisdom has it’s foundation in only one place!

Pro 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Pro 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Pro 2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

True wisdom involves observation!

True wisdom involves instruction!

BUT, True wisdom begins with “Faith” in our Lord and our Savior!

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

God granted Solomon his request and the Word of God says that Solomon was given a wise and understanding heart that He has not given to any human since that time.

These things of wisdom are only useful, if we are going to be around for awhile so God also said these things:

*****1Ki 3:14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
1Ki 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

People are always seeking ways to live a long and happy life and there is truly only one way to do this!

If we walk the Christian walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, God will lengthen our days!

Solomon would go on to attain great riches but David his father had already made Solomon a very rich man.

Solomon would go on to increase the size of his army and their military equipment but David his father had made Israel a safe place to live.

Solomon’s future days depended on his own walk with the Lord just as are the days of each of us!

When Solomon awoke from his dream he was already wiser and he realized to honor God, he needed to get as close to God as possible and he went to the Tabernacle of David where the Ark of the Covenant was housed and not some high place where anyone could go seeking there own god.

Solomon realized it was more important to present his offerings at the place where the Temple would soon be built.

Jerusalem is certainly the place that God has chosen for the nation of Israel just as the New Jerusalem is the place God has chosen for the Body of Christ!

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

SO, the wisdom of Solomon began to be seen by his people, Israel.

*****1Ki 3:28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

What are the facts?

Every nation will follow and will submit to leaders who are guided by the wisdom of God!

Why?

The wisdom of God can be made clear by chosen men if they are in agreement with the written Word of God!

Today we have the complete Word of God so we do not need any special revelation from God, or some dream, to know what God desires from each of us. God has written it all down for us!

AND, the wisdom of God is only a great benefit if we put it into action in our own lives!

Applying wisdom to our life demonstrates our understanding of the Word of God!

In the life of Solomon we can see proof that God does exactly what He says He will do.

What had God promised King David?

1Ch 22:9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
1Ch 22:10 He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

So, Solomon became the wisest of all men.

*****1Ki 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

We see that the wisdom of Solomon came from Elohim, our Creator.

God’s power is His ability to accomplish His purpose for every individual that is born into this earth!

God does not allow anything we humans do to interfere with His will for all creation!

God can do and will do what is needed to be done in any and in every circumstance!

Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; “but with God all things are possible”.

There is absolutely nothing that God cannot do!

There is only One other mentioned in the Bible who was wiser than Solomon and it was the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, “a greater than Solomon is here”.

Because it is only the Lord Jesus who has the entire wisdom of God!

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

God not only gave Solomon high powers of the mind but he also gave Solomon a great capacity to receive knowledge as well as communicate that knowledge to others.

We may not ever have the wisdom of Solomon while we are on this earth but God will still freely share His wisdom with us if we just ask.

Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

God will always give us the wisdom we need for the work He has given us to do!

And one day when we finally get back home God will share with us all His wisdom!

1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

BUT, Even this wisdom is useless unless we use it to be in God’s will.

The “heart” as used in this verse refers to the intellect of Solomon.

Not only was the wisdom of Solomon vast in in quantity but also in quality!

We may see a pile of sand as just particles until we see that we do not have a number to give the quantity of sand even in one desert or on one beach. We can look into just a handful of that same sand and see that no two grains of sand are exactly alike, in size, in shape, or in color and our minds just cannot see how this could be true but Solomon could give an answer to all these things.

There was no doubt that the wisdom of Solomon exceeded that of any other human being!

*****1Ki 4:30 And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

Wisdom alone can make a man foolish but God had given Solomon the wisdom of how to apply knowledge.

Solomon knew how to do things!

The children of the east are always described as being wise and full of wisdom but they did not know how to get things done and in most cases chose war as an act to convey their own wisdom.

We can see that this still holds true today for the nations that are east of Israel.

The wisdom of Egypt was in arts and sciences and they were renown for this wisdom which was one of the reasons that they despised the Greeks in the time of Alexander who boasted of their own wisdom but the wisdom to apply the arts and sciences to all the things of this world was known only by Solomon.

The Bible says that Moses possessed the wisdom of Egypt which aided him in moving the children of Israel to the Promised Land of Canaan.

Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

The wisdom of Solomon much exceeded the wisdom of Moses because Solomon knew why things work as they do.

Israel is still a world leader in many of these things of applying wisdom to knowledge and much of the world still hates them even for these things!

The Bible says that Solomon was wiser than all men!

*****1Ki 4:31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Graphite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

Ethan was wise enough to have written written one the Psalms that are preserved throughout eternity.

Psa 89:1 Maschil of Ethan the Graphite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Heman was also wise enough to have his Holy Ghost inspired words preserved throughout eternity but the wisdom of Solomon was far superior to that of Heman.

Psa 88:1 A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Graphite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

The sons of Mahol, Chalcol and Darda were also renown in Israel for their wisdom but their own wisdom was far surpassed by that of Solomon.

We see that Solomon was given a great opportunity to spread the Word of God because he certainly knew the truth of God but Solomon!

Solomon had the God given ability to even discern the signs of the times and this power to interpret extended to natural things as well as spiritual things.

Solomon became a great philosopher the proof is in the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Solomon became wise in his teachings, the Book of Proverbs is that proof.

Solomon became a great songwriter, the Songs of Solomon is proof of that.

And much of what Solomon said went unrecorded.

*****1Ki 4:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
1Ki 4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

God teaches us, in these things of Solomon, that common sense is a good thing.

Discretion is also a good thing along with getting a good education in all the things of God and His creation.

Intelligence also should be a trait of the Christian, so the world can see that we are not just a bunch of robots who blindly follow the Word of God.

There is a great difference in blindly following the Word of God and understanding the “Truth” of God!

God wants us to understand the full realm of His creation, so we do not fall into the traps of evolution and the traps of false science.

1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen

We can see today that even our own president says that Christians are all a bunch of Neanderthal because we do not accept what false science insist on, though the world has never been able to prove God to be wrong!

Solomon’s wisdom included being able to explain God’s creation in words that all others sought to hear!

*****1Ki 4:34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

Today there is no one place where a person can go to get answers, beyond the Word of God.

Knowledge is so vast that no one person can comprehend it all!

In fact this is a sign of the last days.

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

In fact the universities of America and much of the world have stopped teaching instructions for life and are now teaching philosophy to the point where our young people are not able cope with the world that is being left behind by this generation that is falling away from God! This is to our shame!

Ecc 8:16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
Ecc 8:17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

True wisdom begins with God!

In Solomon’s day, the entire world came to Solomon for the answers to questions that they did not understand because Solomon’s wisdom was a gift from God!

Solomon was the richest man to have ever lived by our own standards but Solomon was not the wisest man to have ever lived because that was Jesus and Jesus said this:

Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

By the end of Solomon’s life, he came to know the clear truth.

Spiritual matters and not physical matters are the most important things in this life!

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

As grand as was the life and the wisdom of Solomon was, it has all passed away!

It is still what comes after this life that has the greatest importance!

Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

King David’s Death

May 18, 2014 / Bobby Mayfield / 3 Comments

David’s Death

Text: 1 Kings 1; 2; 1 Chronicles 23-29

Death!

Death is a reality!

Death is the enemy that cannot be put off!

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

We all have an appointment with death. We do not evolve, we just grow old and die, just as our world is growing older and will also die!

But the Word of God teaches us something different than the world does.

The Word of God teaches us of the physical death of the body but not of the soul.

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Death then is the end of our physical life through the separation of the soul and the body.

Jas 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead”, so faith without works is dead also.

We know that the life of our body is in the blood but life in our soul is in the hands of the God who made us!

Physical death results from sin and “No One” is exempted from it!

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, “and death by sin”; and “so death passed upon all men”, for that all have sinned:

For the unbeliever death means eternal torment.

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

For the believer death means going home to be with Our Lord.

2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The believer is looking forward to a far better life than the one here on Earth.

Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

After a long and fruitful life, David was nearing his death and would die, but David already knew even in his day that death was not a defeat but actually a victory for he was truly a man after God’s own heart.

1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The most important thing we can know as Christians is that when we die, we will meet the Lord.

While living, we need to live for the Lord.

We can never be ready to die until we have lived for the Lord!

God has exposed to the world the life of David from a teenager throughout his years as King of Israel.

God has allowed us to see the sin in David’s life and some say how could those things happen to some one who said he loved the Lord.

But before we judge David, we need to take a hard look at our own selves.

The Bible still says:

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Before the story of David ends, God will show us how a man of God makes preparation for his own death having no fear of that death.

David teaches us some valuable lessons just before his death.

Because we do not know the time of our death, it is important to make preparations for our death as soon as possible so we can live fully prepared to die.

This begins with salvation.

*****1Ki 1:28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.
1Ki 1:29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
1Ki 1:30 Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

King David had already informed his sons and the elders of Israel that Solomon would be the next King of Israel but as he lie on his death bed he was informed that Adonijah, another son had decided himself that he should be king.

Not only that but Joab, the General of David’s army and Abiathar who shared the duties of High Priest with Zadok had taken the side of Adonijah.

Notice David was not in a panic this time as he had been with Absalom.

David knew he was redeemed.

David knew that the Lord had saved him out of all the distresses in his life and He would again.

David set things in order before he died!

David had already made all the preparations for the Temple.

David had already prepared Solomon.

David had already made obligations to the Lord.

And while he was still alive, David had to make sure these things were set in place.

We will all certainly grow old and feeble in our later years but as long as we have breath, we have an opportunity to serve the Lord in some way.

Even at the very end we can still pray, which is our greatest weapon against the evil of this world.

Besides all these things, David was still King of Israel!

David called Bathsheba and certain men he knew he could trust to him.

*****1Ki 1:31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
1Ki 1:32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

The way to stop Adonijah was to take action now and not allow this rebellion to grow. David had failed in this with Absalom.

By making Solomon king before his death, David knew that Solomon would rule at the bidding of his father.

In this we can see that Solomon would begin as a “type” of Christ Jesus, who will rule on this Earth at the bidding of His Own Father in Heaven.

We must also consider that all these problems would have been avoided had King David been the husband of “one” wife and not had so many sons from his many wives.

But even on his death bed King David knew exactly what to do.

*****1Ki 1:33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
1Ki 1:34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

Mules were used by all the princes and Solomon would have had his own mule but there was one mule which was the state mule set aside only for the King.

There were three things that brought on the death penalty in Israel besides some of the Laws of Moses.

1) To sit on the Kings throne without permission would bring the penalty of death.
2) To handle the King’s scepter without permission would bring the penalty of death.
3) To ride on the King’s mule without permission would certainly bring the penalty of death.

All subjects, including the King’s own family were forbidden to ride on this state mule.

With Solomon riding the mule of the King for all to see, it was a public declaration that it was Solomon who had been chosen to be the next King of Israel.

This Gihon was a fountain near Jerusalem and also a very public place where many people gathered throughout the day.

From the birth of Solomon up to this time, Solomon had been educated by the prophet Nathan.

Both King Saul and King David had been anointed by the Prophet Samuel and it would be the Prophet Nathan who would anoint Solomon as the new King of Israel.

Since David had not yet died, Solomon would rule as regent to his father David.

This means he would sit on the throne as judge, ride the state mule, use the King’s scepter but his father David would still make all the governmental decisions.

When that trumpet was sounded most of Jerusalem would have heard the sound and they understood it’s significance.

The trumpet was used to signal many things in these days.

There was the call to religious service, the call to fast, the call to the different feasts, the call to war, and there was the sound of the trumpet that came only every 50 years, when slaves would be set free.

Every slave would know this sound for sure!

The people of Jerusalem knew the different sounds of the trumpet.

We should take note.

When the Trump of God sounds, at the time of the Rapture, all God’s saints will recognize that sound!

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

After this it was Solomon who sat on the throne in stead of his father David as regent.

*****1Ki 1:35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
1Ki 1:36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.

Benaiah was the son of the chief priest, Jehoiada but he had chosen to serve King David and was the commander of David’s personal body guard and one of the “Mighty Men”.

Benaiah said. “Amen”—Thus saith the Lord!

And the people agreed and said “God save King Solomon”.

King David knew his time was short and it was time to prepare Solomon to be on his own.

*****1Ki 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
1Ki 2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;

It seems that the rulers of today only concern themselves with their own time.

We will see that King David thought just as much about the future of Israel as he did in his own time!

From David’s teenage days, he had been the anointed son, he had the hero of Israel, and he had made the transition from a shepherd to a King but even with all these things and the riches he had obtained, David still knew he would die the death of man.

David understood “Creation” as it was written in the Word of God.

David was not an “evolutionist’!

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

And we know that Solomon never forgot this time with his father because he also wrote these words for us.

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Solomon also was a “Creationist.”

It is a fact, we will all reach this point in our lives and it is best to remember it is God who created us!

Our bodies of flesh will die but the spirit that God has given us will go back to Him!

It is during this life time given to us by the Lord that we need to make the decisions concerning our spirit.

Those that have not made salvation a priority while they lived, will hear these words from the Lord, when their spirit returns to the God who made them.

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, “I never knew you”: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Unless the “Rapture” comes, we will all go by the way of all the Earth!

The Apostles gave a similar message to the Corinthian church and to all believers:

1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Men of wisdom, which is given to us of God if we ask, will not be as children who are unstable and weak and not carried and tossed about with every wind of doctrine.

The Jews had a saying that goes like this: “In a place where there are no men, show thyself to be a man”! “when there are no wise men to teach you, then teach your self to be wise”!

They had the true understanding that all wisdom comes from the Lord!

This is the same message David gave to Solomon.

*****1Ki 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

Solomon was God ‘s choice to succeed his father David but Solomon could never lead this nation without God.

David also gave these words to Solomon.

1Ch 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

For Solomon to succeed as King of Israel, he would have to be strong in the Word of God.

Satan knows our weaknesses and he will exploit them if we do not remain strong in the Lord.

We must know certain things:

1) A knowledge of God will include the fact that God exists. There is no beginning with God until we first believe that He exists.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2) We must then be in constant fellowship with our Lord.

1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

3) We must have full confidence in the Lord.

Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

4) We must then be engaged in active service with Him!

Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

And David also gave Solomon a warning: “He will cast thee off forever”.

There is also a warning to the Church.

Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

A consuming fire burns until all fuel has been burnt up.

If Solomon would obey his own father then he would not have a problem with obeying the things of God.

*****1Ki 2:4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

David understood the things of the Messiah because guided by the Holy Spirit, he gave us these words.

Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Psa 89:4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

Psa 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
Psa 89:28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
Psa 89:29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

Psa 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
Psa 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psa 89:35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
Psa 89:36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Psa 89:37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

It was important for Solomon to understand all these things.

God had revealed to David, His desire to be behind the man that who sat on the throne of Israel.

Solomon could succeed if he allowed God to rule his heart as his father David had!

*****1Ch 29:23 Then Solomon sat on “the throne of the LORD” as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

We should be able to see here that Solomon was sitting on the Lord’s Throne!

The office of King of Israel never belonged to any human king but has always belonged to the Lord.

God has placed many men on His throne for many years until the day He returns to sit on His own throne.

But God also makes this promise to every believer.

Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

These things come in two parts.

Solomon had to submit to the Lord and Israel had to submit to Solomon for these things to work.

*****1Ch 29:24 And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, “submitted” themselves unto Solomon the king.

What is submission?

Submitting meant that these men would make no decisions in the government of Israel but would only follow the wishes of King Solomon.

They swore allegiance to Solomon!

This is what every believer does when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Our Savior.

We must submit to the King, King Jesus!

*****1Ch 29:25 And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

The reign of King Solomon began. King Solomon would set the standard for all kings to come both in Israel and throughout the world.

Until the time of Solomon, Israel had lived the simple life and had little contact with other nations unless threatened or attacked.

Solomon would bring Israel in contact with the world especially through Pharaoh and Hiram.

Israel would become the center of commercialism.

Israel would become rich and take part in the luxuries of this world.

Silver and gold would become as common as the rocky landscape.

Agriculture, commerce, architecture, arts and sciences, would become part of the national life.

And with all these things, worship of the One True God would take a back seat.

Peace would come but by national alliances, and by corruption and by inter-marriages that go against the Word of God.

Solomon did not know the life of the Shepherd nor the life of the Servant, and though wiser than any man that did not know God, Solomon would place himself above God.

Solomon was magnified because the Lord magnified him.

Solomon was regal and had majesty because it came from the Lord.

Solomon was illustrious because the Lord made him that way.

As the reign of Solomon began the life of King David ended.

*****1Ch 29:26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.

We do know a whole lot about Jesse the father of David.

In the life of David, his Heavenly Father took priority!

Jesse was the son of Obed, who was the son of Boaz and Ruth of the Book of Ruth.

Jesse’s entire wealth seems to have consisted of a flock of sheep and some goats.

What is the greatest thing written of Jesse in the Bible?

Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the “stem of Jesse”, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Isa 11:10 And in that day there shall be “a root of Jesse”, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

This rod was not King David.

This root was not King Solomon.

This was written of Jesus.

Mat 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
Mat 1:6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

This ensign of the people was the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.

*****1Ch 29:27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

If we just use the numbers mentioned in this verse we see the number 7.

7) Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God’s creation of all things.

3) The number 3 pictures completeness, though to a lesser degree than 7. The meaning of this number derives from the fact that it is the first of four spiritually perfect numerals (the others being 7, 10 and 12).

30) The number 30 can symbolize dedication to a particular task or calling.

The number thirty can also represent the sacrificial blood of Jesus. He was betrayed by Judas for 30 silver coins.

In 30 A.D. Jesus suffered and shed His precious blood as God’s sacrificial Lamb for the world’s sins.

40) The number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation.

The number forty can also represent a generation of man.

Jesus, just days before his crucifixion, prophesied the total destruction of Jerusalem.

Forty years after his crucifixion in 30 A.D., the mighty Roman Empire destroyed the city and burned its beloved Temple to the ground.

The Bible says:

Ecc 5:15 As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

And the Bible says this:

Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

In Ecclesiastes that One man died and had nothing for his labor.

In Revelation the other man died and was blessed.

The choices we make while we are yet alive determine whether we are blessed or go to death empty.

King David died blessed!

*****1Ch 29:28 And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.

David had lived enjoying good health, having lived as long as living was desirable.

David had lived till he saw everything that he lived for accomplished, except maybe the Temple and he knew that the building of the Temple, was in the hands of his son Solomon.

David had lived the life of a shepherd but he had also lived the life of a king with great riches.

David had lived full of honor.

Up till his time ended his warrior skills and his ability to organize was known throughout the world.

David lived knowing he had passed something special on to his son.

David died knowing that the best was yet to come!

This is the death of the believer!

*****1Ch 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
1Ch 29:30 With all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.

We may live life one moment and one day at a time but our life is broken down in “times”!

There is the time we were born.

There is the time until we could walk.

There is the time until we can leave home to be one out own.

There is the time when we can support ourselves.

The time we have a family.

The time we enjoy life or not enjoy life.

The time we grow old.

And there will be the time we die.

Our lives are broken down in “times”.

These “times” had went over David, more good than bad, and he had reached that time to die and many good men had written down the things that David had accomplished in his “times”.

Each of us have our own “times”.

If David had only been King Of Israel, he would have still been remembered but David was also a song writer and he also made many musical instruments.

If David had just done one of these things he would have been remembered here on this Earth.

We have spent may days seeing the things David did wrong but praise the Lord, God will never remember us for any of those things and nor was David in the eyes of God.

What will we be remembered for?

I want the world to know I was “forgiven”!

The world may remember us for many things.

But God will only remember the good things!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD

Taking time to read the Bible

Book of 1 Kings

Solomon The Dedication Of The Temple

Solomon God’s Man Of Wisdom

King David’s Death

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