1 Kings 9:4-5 (NIV)
"As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'
When I studied the words above this morning I sensed God highlighting in bright yellow marker the phrase, “walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness,” and realized this is my command for the day. These are the words I am to base my actions on this day. When these moments occur I pay attention. God know what lies ahead for me this day. When I allow Him a moment, and make the effort to seek His word for me He never fails.
These words were meant for Solomon the day God spoke them to his heart. God knew what lie ahead and He was encouraging David’s son to keep on the path laid before him. Looking back, we can see how vital it would be that Solomon stay close to God, “walking before Him in integrity of heart and uprightness.” I wonder what lies ahead for me today that these very words were whispered into my heart. Can you relate?
Read 1 Kings 9-11 here
Listen to 1 Kings 9-11 here
1 comment:
We seem to see a case of “affluenza” here.
1. Decline seems to result from, or at least follow, Solomon’s shift of focus from serving God to maximizing/enjoying the wealth God blessed him with. In other words, he seems more interested in the blessing God gives than the reason God gives him the blessing.
This is not the only time we see this. On a broader level we are warned about focusing on blessings, rather than their source and purpose, in Deuteronomy 8:7-20. The same dynamic (elevating material wealth over God & His ways) underlies the book of Amos. We recently saw a manifestation of it in 2 Samuel 11, when David diverted his attention from the work God called him to do and trouble followed.
2. Other people are hurt by Solomon’s focus shift. 1 Kings 11:26-40 sets the stage for a schism within God’s people that will result in war between them and a weakening of the parties both sides of the Schism. We see that dynamic (3d parties being hurt by sin) elsewhere in scripture, most recently in the folks hurt by David’s sin w/ Bathsheba. Another example of the “collateral damage” that resulted from Abraham’s mistaken attempt to get ahead of God’s schedule with Hagar. (Genesis 16, 21). Indeed, we’re can see the results of that misstep today in the fighting between modern day Israel and Hamas.
3. The bottom line: Solomon decayed when he lost his focus on serving God, and the rot hurt 3d parties. Everyone would have been better off if Solomon had kept hi focus on serving God.
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