Solomon's Throne

Gen 49:9  Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Gen 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 

1 Kings 10:16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, each containing over fifteen pounds of gold.

17 He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, each containing nearly four pounds of gold. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 Then the king made a huge ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.

19 The throne had six steps and a rounded back. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with the figure of a lion standing on each side of the throne.

20 Solomon made twelve other lion figures, one standing on each end of each of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it. (NLT)

Just a note about the steps. Six steps, the number of man, a man's throne. In the vision of Ezekiel's temple there were seven steps for the entry, the number of perfection and completion. No other throne yet in the world could compare to Solomon's throne, but Solomon was not perfect.

Solomon had it all and he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes; A rich man's view of life.

Eccl 1:2  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Eccl 2:11  Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Eccl 5:10  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Eccl 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.
Eccl 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Isaiah saw another throne in a vision and the Lord was upon it.

Isa 6:1  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Isa 6:2  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
Isa 6:3  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Solomon was a sinner but the Lord Jesus Christ is Holy, being one with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts, the LORD of the angels and the Lord of the people of God. All worship, honor and praise him. Solomon will kneel before him.

Phil 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Phil 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Phil 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Kings who will not believe in him or pray to him now, will bow before the king and judge of all souls at judgement day. Let us honor him now and be with him forever. All glory to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Let us worship him in spirit and in truth.

Cabul

1 Kings 9:10 Now at the end of the twenty years during which Solomon built the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace,

11 Solomon gave twenty towns in the land of Galilee to King Hiram of Tyre as payment for all the cedar and cypress lumber and gold he had furnished for the construction of the buildings.

12 Hiram came from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him, but he was not at all pleased with them.

13 "What kind of towns are these, my brother?" he asked. "These towns are worthless!" So Hiram called that area Cabul -- "worthless" -- as it is still known today.

14 Hiram had sent Solomon nine thousand pounds of gold. (NLT)

Hiram was not pleased with the gift from Solomon of twenty towns. King Hiram of Tyre called them  "Cabel". Good for nothing, worthless, dirty. The land of Israel was an inheritance given by God through the covenant of Abraham and lastly through a covenant with David.

2 Sam 7:13  He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Solomon may have made a shrewd deal by giving the towns to his friend King Hiram of Tyre, who did so much in supplying building materials, craftsmen and gold for building the temple. Hiram was given twenty cities, but the land was still belonging to Israel. How much income would there be from these cities?

My thoughts go to our nation and the territories that are owned by the native Indians. A lot of money is being generated in these tribes by gambling casinos. What do casinos have to do with Indians? In my eyes they are spiritually "Cabul" worthless and a shame to the heritage and traditions of the tribes. But, they are a big money maker for them and for the gambling industry, a way to get around the laws of the States. Greed is the motive. Spiritually Hiram could have an affect on the twenty cities for good or for greed. How about the great debt our nation is generating? Foreign nations are buying our land as investments. Some are making cities inhabited by the people of their countries, but some are bringing jobs. People who hate America are taking over cities. Our land may be forfeited by our indebtedness, especially if we continue as a nation to turn from God.

Solomon was at his beginning of great increase for all his people. They worshiped God in their lovely temple and God blessed them. Our nation was like this too, but we like Israel eventually turned from God and lost all the blessings. A Remnant stayed faithful, we are to be faithful too. America will be good and great only if it's people are good and love God. Idolatry has destroyed many nations. Pray for our nation, people of God and pray for our leaders before they will consider God's people as worthless in their eyes. God is greater look to Him and be faithful. We belong to another kingdom and we are the blessed of God.

Refusing the truth

Luke 22:66  And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,
Luke 22:67  Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
Luke 22:68  And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.
Luke 22:69  Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
Luke 22:70  Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.
Luke 22:71  And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

These religious leaders should have known who Jesus was, but they did not believe in him. You cannot talk to unbelief. Jesus often spoke in parables because of peoples unbelief. Those who could hear could understand them, but those of unbelief had no understanding.

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

A parable was a story illustrating a spiritual truth. Those who do not believe only hear a story, but those with spiritual ears to hear God's message, they hear his truth. Faith opens up our spiritual seeing and hearing. Unbelief cannot see and because of chosen unbelief they will not inherit eternal life. The spiritual leaders would not believe when given the plain truth. We are to hear and believe the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Some have purposefully chosen to not believe.  Do not waste too much time arguing with them.

Wisdom

 

 

1 Kings 4:29 God gave Solomon great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge too vast to be measured.

30 In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt.

31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Calcol, and Darda -- the sons of Mahol. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations.

32 He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs.

33 He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

34 And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon. (NLT)

 

The first mention of wisdom speaks of a spirit of wisdom.

 

Exo 28:2  And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:3  And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

 

Wisdom comes from God.

James 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.

 

A proverb of Solomon

 

Prov 3:13  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Prov 3:14  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Prov 3:15  She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Prov 3:16  Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Prov 3:17  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Prov 3:18  She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Prov 3:19  The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Prov 3:20  By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
Prov 3:21  My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Prov 3:22  So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

The clever twisted wisdom of the devil is evil and for evil purposes. There are many laws now that are ungodly.

 

What are we to do with the wiles of the devil?

 

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

The Spirit of God your Father is wisdom, the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit. God speaks through you who are his own.

Solomon anointed king

King David had several wives and concubines by which he had son's and daughters. Because of his sin with Bathsheba, having her husband killed in battle to cover his sin with her, his family was troubled with sin. Absalom had tried to steal the kingdom from David, taking David's concubines to himself and causing a civil war splitting northern Israel from Judah. General Joab killed Absalom against King David's command. Israel and Judah were reunited but now Joab  and Abiathar the priest, had supported the oldest son of David Adonijah in a power grab. King David was very old and unaware of what was happening. Nathan the prophet approached Bathsheba and Bathsheba went to king David to have him declare her son Solomon as king instead of Adonijah.

1 Ki 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.
1 Ki 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:
1 Ki 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.
1 Ki 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.
1 Ki 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.
1 Ki 1:37  As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

Solomon's half brother Adonijah had grabbed the horns of the altar begging for mercy, as the custom was to kill the rivals of a king. Solomon gave his half brother mercy but with a condition, he was not to seek power to be king again. Later Adonijah approached Bathsheba with a request, that she would ask Solomon to give to him the virgin wife of King David. The virgin kept old king David warm and had comforted him. When Bathsheba asked King Solomon to grant his request, Solomon considered this a power grab. Taking a wife of David would give him political power. Solomon had Adonijah killed for this transgression.

The old testament was showing us how the law works. No one could keep all the law and even one transgression would result in death. Solomon was given wisdom from God, the wisest of men. He too would become a law breaker having too many foreign wives. He made shrines to their gods and worshiped at them. Even the wisest of men will sin. We need a savior to give us mercy and grace. Our nation needs righteous leaders and laws until each person comes to Jesus to be given grace and a new heart. The law shows to us sin and the result is death. Jesus came with God's mercy and grace becoming our substitute, dying in our place, to give us eternal life. Jesus became the eternal wisest and most righteous king to sit on the throne of David  and to sit at the right hand of God the Father forever.

David's census

2 Sam 24:9  And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
2 Sam 24:10  And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
2 Sam 24:11  For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
2 Sam 24:12  Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
2 Sam 24:13  So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
2 Sam 24:14  And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
2 Sam 24:15  So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
2 Sam 24:16  And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
2 Sam 24:17  And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
2 Sam 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.
2 Sam 24:19  And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
2 Sam 24:20  And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
2 Sam 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.
2 Sam 24:22  And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
2 Sam 24:23  All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
2 Sam 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.
2 Sam 24:25  And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

What was wrong about David taking a census of the men of fighting age?  This was not far from what Jesus said.


Luke 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Luke 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

He was putting his trust in numbers. He was convicted of sin. What is not of faith is sin. What of a church leader who numbers his congregation as an indication of his success? Success and victory are the LORD's doing. We really must be sensitive to sin in our lives. The spirit of God is easily offended by the pride of man. David knew after he had taken the census that he had sinned. Being under the law, he would have to face God's punishment. The death angel killed 70,000 men in three days of pestilence (plague.) The death angel stopped at the threshing floor of Aeaunah. (Ornan) where David was told to build an altar. David paid for the land, for he could not make an offering that cost him nothing. This altar would be the place where Solomon's temple was to be built in Jerusalem.

2 Chr 3:1  Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Four Giants

2 Sam 21: 15 Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted.

16 Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants ; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him.

17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his rescue and killed the Philistine. After that, David's men declared, "You are not going out to battle again! Why should we risk snuffing out the light of Israel?"

18 After this, there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants.

19 In still another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver's beam!

20 In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot -- a descendant of the giants --

21 defied and taunted Israel. But he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David's brother Shimea.

22 These four Philistines were descended from the giants of Gath, but they were killed by David and his warriors. (NLT)

 

We remember the story of how David defeated the giant "Goliath" with a rock from his sling. David spoke words of faith to the giant.

 

1 Sam 17:26  And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

 

 Who can come against the Living God? David by faith was able to defeat Goliath. Later in this story David fought against four brothers of Goliath with other mighty men of God. David was about to be killed by one of the Giants as he was exhausted from battle, "But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his rescue and killed the Philistine." A man of God may become exhausted from battle and this shows how that if we surround  ourselves with others of faith that they will step in to help defeat the giant for us.

 

Who are the mighty men around us? Are they not the disciples of Jesus Christ? Men and women armed with the sword of faith, the word of God. When giants of discouragement, illness, tragedy, and want enter the life, these who are faithful speak words of faith and they pray connecting with the commander of the LORD's army. Through prayer every power from satan must flee for God is greater than all we must face in the battles of this life.