A wicked leader

Prov 12:17  He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. 

1 Kings 14:21 Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman.

22 During Rehoboam's reign, the people of Judah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, arousing his anger with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors.

23 They built pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

24 There were even shrine prostitutes throughout the land. The people imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.

25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam's reign, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem.

26 He ransacked the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace and stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.

Think about this now. A wicked king will allow every evil and the nation will be plundered of it's wealth, need I say more?

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We are not of them, we serve God and He is our strength.

Isa 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

The word of God is our weapon and Jesus is our commander and savior.

John 17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
John 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
John 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 17:18  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

There will be persecution; count it as joy.

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:

 for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

We are to pray.

Psa 122:6  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

1 Tim 2:1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1 Tim 2:2  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1 Tim 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1 Tim 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Tim 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

The battle is the LORD's and we are victorious in him.

Phil 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Phil 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Phil 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Phil 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The lie that brought death

(Read  1 Kings 13)

Following the death of Solomon a wicked young king Rehoboam was cruel to Israel resulting in dividing Israel from Judah. Israel brought Jeroboam to be their king. He set up two places for the false worship of golden calves. He placed these calf idols at the southern and northern ends of Israel -- in Bethel and in Dan, to keep the people from going to Judah where the temple was, in Jerusalem. The LORD sent a man of God to Israel to prophesy against the false places of worship. He was told to not stay, to not eat or drink and to return home a different way. An old prophet in Israel rode on his donkey to talk to the Man of God from Judah.

1 Kings 13:14 he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree.The old prophet asked him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?""Yes," he replied, "I am."

15 Then he said to the man of God, "Come home with me and eat some food."

16 "No, I cannot," he replied. "I am not allowed to eat any food or drink any water here in this place.

17 For the LORD gave me this command: 'You must not eat any food or drink any water while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.'"

18 But the old prophet answered, "I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this message from the LORD: 'Bring him home with you, and give him food to eat and water to drink.'" But the old man was lying to him.

19 So they went back together, and the man of God ate some food and drank some water at the prophet's home.

20 Then while they were sitting at the table, a message from the LORD came to the old prophet.

21 He cried out to the man of God from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: You have defied the LORD's message and have disobeyed the command the LORD your God gave you.

22 You came back to this place and ate food and drank water where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors."

23 Now after the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet saddled his own donkey for him,

24 and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.

25 People came by and saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived.

26 When the old prophet heard the report, he said, "It is the man of God who disobeyed the LORD's command. The LORD has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him." (NLT)

Satan may use even a prophet to get to you so be careful who you listen to. If you know that God has given you something to do, then do not allow anyone to hinder you, you are accountable to God. The old prophet was sorry that he had lied and he was used in the man of God's place to deliver a message to Israel. The man of God from Judah was buried in the old prophets grave.

30 He laid the body in his own grave, crying out in grief, "Oh, my brother!"

31 Afterward the prophet said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.

We may say things to change a person's plans, but  we must be careful that we are not interfering with God's purpose for the one we speak too. Another person's calling may not sound right to us, but it is not for us, so be still.

Another example of interfering was Peter who tried to keep the Lord from going to the cross. Jesus replied to him:

Mat 16:23  ... Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Just before this Peter had been commended because he heard from God. We may hear from God, but not everything we say and do is from God. Walk carefully in these last days. Be a blessing and not a hindrance to someone. Do not interfere with God's purpose for them.

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.