Solomon

The Temple Solomon Built

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Solomon Built the Temple
 
Book of 1 Kings 5
 
 
One of the most important things we need to complete any building project successfully is to be committed to it.
 
We can accept the fact that King Solomon had little if any construction skills, but he now had great wisdom in all things.
 
What Solomon had was a humble spirit and he sought the Lord for His help.
 
The next thing that is needed is preparation.
 
Site preparation must be properly taken care of, and it begins with following the Word of God.

Then you must own the property you are building upon.

David first bought the threshing floor of Araunah:

2Sa_24:18  And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa_24:21  And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
2Sa_24:24  And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Then David bought the entire area around the threshing floor.

1Ch 21:24  And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. 
1Ch 21:25  So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 

There should be no doubt who the Temple Mount belongs to.
 
Remember it was God who gave the dimensions and the details of this Temple to David mphasizing a solid foundation.
 
Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
 
King Solomon needed to be obedient to the Lord just as we all should be today!
 
This new Temple was to be a House of the Lord for the Lord’s people to worship Him.
 
This had been a dream of his father David for many years, and Solomon was committed to seeing it succeed.
 
Solomon’s most important task was to seek the Lord!
 
1Ki 5:2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
1Ki 5:3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
1Ki 5:4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
 
King Hiram and King David had been great friends, and his son Huram wanted the same relationship with King Solomon.
 
In fact, this King Hiram had told his own son about the great God of Israel even though he was pagan and worshipped his own gods.
 
We should understand that God would not allow David to build this Temple of Worship because it would have sent the wrong message.
 
It would be like religions such as the Muslim who are forced to seek Mohammed and can never leave that religion with the threat of death if they do.
 
There is no personal relationship because there is no Allah.
 
Just as important, because David was protecting the cause of Israel in great battles with the enemies that surrounded Israel and he certainly did not have time to make such a commitment as Solomon was saying to Huram.
 
Israel was at peace all the time of King Solomon and he maintained a strong military presence in the regions.
 
To David God said: 22:8 But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
 
This king of Tyre understood these things Solomon was saying.
 
When the Lord forbids us to do something He is serious about it!
 
King David had made this entire area to be at peace because of his conquest.
 
We could say that Israel was the honcho nation during the time of King Solomon.
 
Solomon said he had no adversaries nor was there any occurrence of rebellion to his rule.
 
In fact, the nation of Israel was very prosperous in the days of King Solomon.
 
We know that David spent time training Solomon.
 
It was Solomon who wrote the Book of Proverbs so we can see what he wrote about his father.
 
Pro 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Pro 4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
Pro 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Pro 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
 
David did everything in his power to smooth the way of Solomon.
 
David drew up the plans for the Temple according to the plans God had given to him:
 
1Ch 28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
1Ch 28:12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:
 
David gave Solomon the funds to build the Temple:
 
1Ch 28:14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:
 
David told Solomon that the plans for the Temple came from Jehovah:
 
1Ch 28:19 All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.
 
And again, David encouraged his son:
 
1Ch 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
 
We can see that Solomon was a good student!
 
Solomon began to understand what his father was saying.
 
1Ki 5:5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.
1Ki 5:6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.
 
Solomon was committed to building the Temple his father David desired.
 
Solomon sought to honor the Lord by building a house of worship for the people of Israel.
 
If we do not learn anything else, we need to know that there needs to be a place to worship the Lord!
 
There needs to be set times so we can all gather together to encourage one another.
 
We will need to deal with this lost world.
 
Solomon renewed the relationship between Israel and Tyre which was Phoenicia and Solomon sought to establish a trade agreement between the two nations, and he did.
 
Solomon sought workers with skills that Israel did not know at this time.
 
Notice Solomon did not open the borders of Israel to just anybody, but Israel had a need for skilled laborers.
 
This should be a lesson for our nation.
 
Solomon knew he had no excuse to delay this work for the Lord and Israel.
 
When God calls us for a task it is time to say yes and get busy!
 
We need to yield to the call of God without hesitation.
 
The Bible explains this request to Huram from Solomon better in Second Chronicles:
 
2Ch 2:4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
2Ch 2:5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
2Ch 2:6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?
2Ch 2:7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
2Ch 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
2Ch 2:9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
2Ch 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
2Ch 2:11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.
 
We must realize that God cannot be contained in any nation but that God is bigger than our little world but He is also small enough to come into our hearts.
 
God has a purpose for each of us and God is still building upon His Church!
 
King Hiram agreed with Solomon and a pact was made between the two nations.
 
*1Ki 5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire.
1Ki 5:11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
 
We see that Hiram gave this timber to Solomon and Solomon provided the food to feed these men while the work was taking place.
 
We can better understand that Solomon asked for cedar trees, fir trees which means cypress, and other timber that was long-lasting.
 
Solomon also needed an architect.
 
Hiram was glad to provide the things that Solomon requested.
 
We should not be confused the Phoenicians were Pagans.
 
These cities existed before Israel came into the Promised Land in most cases they worshipped Baal.
 
Baal means lord but he is identified with the false god Molech where children were sacrificed on his blazing arms.
 
Baal was also known as the Sun god and there are Pyramids and High places all around the world where Baal the Sun god was worshipped along with the Moon god, and they are still worshipped today under different names.
 
This is the reason most of these nations no longer exist today.
 
Hiram’s servants would cut the timber from the forest in Lebanon. Transport it to the Mediterranean Sea, form it into rafts, and guide it through the waters to the Sea Port of Joppa.
 
Tyre was over fifty miles from Joppa and Joppa was around thirty miles from Jerusalem.
 
This was no easy task we know because we have the problems our own military had in the Mediterranian Sea.

The Phoenicians were the masters of the sea in that day.
 
2Ch 2:8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
2Ch 2:9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
2Ch 2:10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
 
Both men kept their agreements, and Solomon paid the wages of all these workers to make it worth their while.
 
Our lesson here is that we must do everything we can to seek peace and preserve peace throughout society without compromising the Word of God.
 
We need to make peace in our homes.
We need to make peace in our schools.
We need to make peace in our workplaces.
We need to treat everyone fair as we know our Lord Jesus did.
We should have peace in our Churches, we have the same Word of God. We do not need opinions, likes, dislikes, complaints, or murmurers among our members. Again, we have the same Word of God.
We should have peace in our government whose goal should be to take care of its people and protect our nation.
 
The word peace is used 429 times in the KJV Bible so peace is important to God, but may not always be possible.
 
Rom_12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
 
There were also workers with stone at this same time.
 
1Ki 5:18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
 
This stone cutting was started before the death of King David, and it was time consuming.
 
David also began gathering many of the supplies needed for the Temple.
 
1Ch 22:2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
1Ch 22:3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;
1Ch 22:4 Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
1Ch 22:5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
 
The Splendor of what is called Solomon’s Temple began to come to life.
 
Work began in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign.
 
We can see this was a major undertaking with the tools that were available on that day.
 
In fact, many of those large stones and the cutting of them is not really understood today how they were able to do such things with just manual labor.
 
These stones were cut, squared, shaped, and dressed to fit together perfectly without mortar.
 
Our lesson is no matter what we do for the Lord, do it right while also making a contribution to society.
  
*1Ki 6:12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
1Ki 6:13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
1Ki 6:14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
 
It had been four hundred and eighty years since a group of slaves led by Moses, had left Egypt searching for the land promised to Abraham.
 
This would have been around 966 BC, so the Hebrews left Egypt around 1446 BC.
 
All the materials were assembled in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount without the use of construction hand tools axes and hammers and such tool made of iron.
 
1Ki 6:7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
 
1Ki 6:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
 
Then God gave Solomon a challenge and a promise.
 
It appears to me as I read this that the stonework was first completed and then the Temple was covered with lumber and this lumber was gold plated.
 
1Ki 6:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
 
In the end, God said this was a worldly sanctuary and cannot compare to our Heavenly sanctuary.
 
Heb 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
 
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
 
Any place of worship today simply means God is identifying with His people so it becomes a House of God.
 
God is certainly “gracious” but this does not mean it is a light thing to come into the presence of the Lord.
 
We should be reverent in the House of God and God will show up.
 
Today the body of each believer becomes the House of God and we are to honor the name of the Lord who dwells within us at all times and not just while we are in His House of worship.
 
Those large stones teach us of a solid foundation which is in Christ Jesus.
 
If our lives are not built upon Jesus Christ we are doomed to destruction.
 
Without Jesus Christ, we are separated from God and doomed!
 
Without God, there is no hope, not in this world or the next!
 
We should also understand that just being in a Church building is not enough. God only looks upon those with a pure heart as we saw in last week’s lesson.
 
A wicked person entering a church building is still a person with a wicked heart and will remain that way until they claim the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their old life.
 
Many today do not want to repent but maintain their sinful ways and sin is according to the Word of God and not public opinion.
 
God created us to have fellowship with Him, but He cannot look upon sin and, in His wisdom, He sent the Lord Jesus to pay our sin debt and if we accept this fact then God will deal with us His own children!
 
God gave us free will to decide this on our own!
 
Amen

What Legacy Will You Leave Behind

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

David’s Last Days

Book of 1 Chronicles Chapter 29

Most of us are just ordinary people, but even as insignificant as we are in this world, we will leave behind a legacy, either a good one or a bad one.

We may be remembered only by friends and family, but to some of those we may be important to them.

So, we should ask ourselves what kind of legacy will we leave behind?

As long as we are alive, we can improve our legacy!

After we have been in the family of God for many years, we hope our past life will be forgotten just as the Lord has forgotten it.

So, again, what contribution have we made since our salvation?

We know that the Lord called all His brothers and His sisters into the Church, to begin working for His glory.

This is a much greater task than what David encouraged his son Solomon to do.

Our job is to take the Gospel to the entire world so, did we contribute to this work, we can ask ourselves?

The Lord called His entire Church, individually and collectively, to take part in this ministry!

This may not mean much to the world but it will certainly mean much in the realm of Heaven!

The Lord God our Creator builds much greater temples than the one Solomon built!

Every Temple built by the Lord is for the Lord because it is for the worship of the Living God!

This worship extends outside to the telling of the world “How Great Is Our God”!

Many people have forgotten the purpose of our gathering together.

We gather for the worship of our Creator and our Savior and all other things are secondary to this!

We should love the opportunity and the privilege to gather in the name of the Lord, and to be a part of the continuation of His ministry!

David told Solomon:

*1Ch 29:3 Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,

Our greatest goal should be to undertake a work for the glory of our Savior!

I admit my failure to do so but I am still working on it, to get better at it.

Many are called to specific things for the Lord, but all of us are called to be obedient to the Word of God that teaches us how to be a witness for the Lord.

Many will say, well the I have not heard the Holy Spirit speak to me but the Holy Spirit speaks loudly and boldly to us in the Word of God!

We may not have great riches to give to the House of God, but God would rather have Living Sacrifices than great riches!

Riches maybe of gold and silver but we are God’s jewels!

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.

David set his affection to the house of his God and his God is Jehovah, who came down from Heaven and took upon Himself the Body of Jesus Christ just so He could save a useless beggar like me!

On David’s death bed, he was still encouraging the nation of Israel to get closer to the Lord.

We can never get too close to the Lord!

It was time for Israel to build a house where the Lord God of all this world would come down to visit with His people!

It was a great sum of riches that King David had accumulated for this work yet, it would not be enough so, all the leaders of the twelve tribes were to share their own riches.

They would have no riches if were not for King David!

We should understand that until King David, Israel had no riches.

It was by the economy of King David that these men had accumulated their riches.

They were not to forget the blessings that God had shared with them.

We seem to forget that it is by the blessing of the Lord that we are blessed with what we have, and He only expects us to give back ten percent of those blessings.

David wanted these elders to realize that giving to the construction of the Temple would be the greatest work these leaders would ever undertake!

1Ch 22:14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.

David had given all his treasures to the building of the Temple.

If we figure the weight of a talent was around ninety-five pounds, a hundred thousand talents would weigh four thousand seven hundred and fifty tons of gold.

A talent of gold was double the weight of silver so a talent of silver was about forty-five pounds.

The silver that David gave had a weight of twenty-two thousand and five hundred tons.

We can only imagine what the values of just these two valuable metals would be worth today.

After hearing this, the chiefs of the tribes and the princes of the tribes and the captains of military in those tribes with the rulers of the king’s work, gave willingly.

*1Ch 29:6 Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly,

David challenged the national leaders to personally dedicate themselves to the Lord.

We need to challenge our own national leaders today to personally dedicate themselves to the Lord.

We need to do the same in America today!

We must stand up for Jesus and there will be a great turmoil, but until we do this, we certainly cannot claim to be Christian nation.

Remember it was Obama who said he would make sure that America would not be a Christian nation ever again, and it is he who is pulling the strings today, but he does not know the power of God or the Lord Jesus Christ and this battle is His and not ours but we must have a part in it.

If we cannot make a personal re-dedication to the Lord, we do not deserve Him!

We must be willing to consecrate our relationship with the Lord!

So much wealth was given to build the Temple that a treasurer had to be appointed to watch over it.

We should understand that the work of the Lord is enormous, and we as God’s children must give and give willingly to this work of reaching lost souls.

Far too much of God’s resources are used for elaborate buildings and many other things, other than reaching souls for Christ.

The Church has two jobs.

Reaching souls for Christ, and making disciples so they can reach souls for Christ.

Many so-called churches have forgotten the mission the Lord Jesus has given us to do!

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

The people of Israel rejoiced that there would be a “House of Prayer” built in Jerusalem.

*1Ch 29:9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

It takes a perfect heart to serve the Lord and God is working on us every day to clean our hearts up to be good servants.

People must be reached with the “Gospel of salvation”!

The people of this world are suffering and only the Lord can help them!

The people of the world need the Word of God to become a part of them.

There has never been another such man as King David, who has a legacy of giving to the Lord as he did, except the Lord Jesus Christ who gave up the riches of Heaven to come to this earth to die on a wooden cross to save the people of this earth from a place called Hell!

On a day near his death, King David stood before a massive crowd of national leaders overflowed with joy with the generosity of those who were seeking a relationship with the Lord.

King David realized just how blessed Israel was to have Jehovah as her God.

The House of Prayer that was to be built for the Lord was also to be for the presentation of God’s Word and God’s worship.

Our Lord deserves to be worshiped!

Worship must include adoration.
Worship must include thanksgiving.
Worship must include confession.
Worship must include supplication.
Worship must include intercession.
Worship must include petition, a deliverance from evil.

Now we do not need a building to appear before the Lord, but if you are a child of God you will want to join with the many others who truly want to worship the Lord!

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

The Lord God Jehovah is the God of all true believers and there are no other gods, but those of the mind of the non-believers!

*1Ch 29:10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
1Ch 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

Keeping in mind that the word Israel means “the people of God”, then Jehovah is certainly the God of all His people and He is our Father for ever and ever.

That word “blessed” means that our Lord is the Living picture of Holiness!

He is the Father of all true believers in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ!

He will be our Father forever and ever with a life that has no ending!

Another thing we see is, just like most of us here today, the closer we get to going home the more we like to talk about it.

It is our Lord God who controls all things because all things belong to Him!

He possesses all power and all greatness.
He possesses all glory, all majesty, and all splendors.
He possesses all that is in Heaven and on Earth.
He possesses all greatness.
He is truly exalted above all!

There are many of these things He will share with us if we love Him!

*1Ch 29:12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
1Ch 29:13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

We must clearly understand that any wealth and any honor that comes to us in this world, came by the hands Jehovah God!

Our Lord God is the source of all things good that comes to us in this world!

One of the reasons, the main reason, is so we can give back to the Church for the work of reaching out to lost souls.

Those who have been blessed with such riches should glorify the Lord for those things!

Those who have obtained honor in this world should use it in proclaiming the truth of God!

Those who have been given the strength to overcome life’s obstacles should teach those of little strength how to do the same!

We must all be thankful for the things God has shared with us.

We may not understand why some seem to be better off than others, but we must understand that the Lord is Omnipotent and He always knows what is best for each of us! Amen.

King David acknowledged that his kingdom actually belonged to the Lord.

We need to acknowledge that the United States of America also belongs to the Lord.

Everything upon this earth belongs to the Lord because He created it all!

So many laughs at these things today, but they will one day see the truth of the Word of God!

King David then thanked the Lord for enabling the people to be able to give.

One of the reasons that our government wants us all to not have money is so we will not have to give to our God!

They are so foolish; the Lord does not need our resources!

He allows us to give for His work in order to earn rewards and we earn greater rewards from giving when it hurts us financially.

Isa_55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa_55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If the swamp in Washington DC and in many states, capitols could understand this, they could do something beneficial for our nation rather than trying to destroy our nation.

Satan is in full control in America because the Church has been so weak!

This is why the Lord tells us this world is not worth saving and He will make all things new.

Heb_11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Why did King David give so generously? Because God was testing the hearts of His people!

1Ch 29:16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
1Ch 29:17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

Everything we have belongs to God and God will test us time to time to see if our hearts are still in the right place!

God gives wealth as a test to see if that person will return that wealth to Him if He ask for it back.

David knew that God test the hearts of His people from time to time.

We should understand that without a “test”, we will never have a “testimony”!

Without making a “mess” with our lives, we will never understand God’s “message”!

God does not try to hide the terrible things in the life of King David even when He knows much of this world will exploit our mistakes to use against us.

With all the things we have read about King David we could say that David was never really a child of God but we must know that not one of us are perfect.

Not one of us can stand before the Lord and say we are worthy of His love, because we know we are not.

Those that do are self-righteous and will never get to Heaven!

So again what kind of legacy will we leave behind?

When we are in our very last days, what will we tell our children and grandchildren and many of us are blessed with great grandchildren.

In a world that is going to pots, family is still the greatest blessing the Lord gives to us!

We all need to take a pad and pen and record the time each day we spend in prayer for one week.

Most of us would see that we do not spend a lot of time talking to our Heavenly Father.

I am so guilty Lord, help me to do better!

Solomon became the third King of Israel and he sat upon the throne of his father David but watch how our Scripture words this.

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.

Solomon sat upon the throne of the Lord instead of his father David.

That throne in Jerusalem is reserved for the Lord Jesus Christ and many impostors have tried to rule from that throne and the worst of all those impostors will soon attempt to sit upon that throne and the Lord Jesus Himself will boot him off!

Solomon was coronated a second time and the people celebrated with boundless joy.

Knowing all these things about King David, we should ask ourselves, how loyal are we to the Lord?

How committed are we to serving the Lord?

What kind of lives are we living?

We are all still sinners but we must realize that sin damages our legacy and also shames the name of the Lord.

The traits that we need to serve the Lord are loyalty, allegiance, commitment, dedication, and obedience!

As we go through our day, we must continually magnify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the most part David had lived a good life.

*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.

All the things about King David were recorded.

The Book of Samuel was recorded and we have his records.
The Book of Nathan the prophet of which the Holy Spirit deemed not necessary to be included in the Bible.
The Book of Gad the seer which the Holy Spirit decided was not necessary to be included in the Bible.

This does not mean those records do not exist, it only means that the Holy Spirit did not see it necessary to include those records in the Word of God though He did include bits and pieces of those books in what is the Bible today.

David clearly understood that the Lord was the only living and true God and that it was He who had appointed him to be King of Israel.

If only our leaders would realize this today!

We could make America great again!

Amen

Solomon God’s Man Of Wisdom

/ 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!