With the kingdom established and at peace, it was time for Solomon to begin Project No. 1. It was David’s lifelong desire to build an earthly dwelling for the Lord. Now his son contacted his counterpart to the north, “Hiram king of Tyre,” who had already sent him a congratulatory note on his ascension, “for […]
Read More… from February 28, 2024 — Preparing For The Temple
Ungodly wisdom is, well, ungodly; it’s the wisdom “from above” ( Jas 3:15) that we need for living. The first part of 1 Kings 4 (vv 1-19) would fall under the Human Resources department today, but the rest of the chapter introduces Divine Resources. It describes the happiness of Solomon’s people (v 20), the extent […]
Chaos is a consequence of the Fall; order is the reinsertion of the divine will into the world. Solomon’s wisdom was not only used to solve interpersonal problems, as in 1 Kings 3. Chapter 4 explains that it also gave him the ability to set up a functioning order for the expanding kingdom, now reaching […]
When moral compromise is involved, often winning half actually means losing it all. Among the Jews, prostitutes were often foreigners; hence their designation as “strange women.” To accentuate the gravity of their sin, these harlots plied their trade as a part of their devotion to some heathen idol (see Num 25:1-5; Hos 4:14). These demeaning […]
Read More… from February 23, 2024 — The Whole Truth From The Half Story
If the Lord offered you anything, what would you ask? In fact, He’s already given us everything! You would think, with the kingdom established, and Solomon soon to receive a three-fold gift from heaven, that 1 Kings 3 would be full of sunshine. Actually this is where the baleful music begins, ominously warning of trouble […]
Remember that our Lord will also take vengeance on His enemies in establishing His kingdom. The section before us, 1 Kings 2:12-46, will be as summarily dealt with as were the enemies of David. First, Adonijah made another ill-advised move to take the kingdom, not this time by gathering powerful men, but by manipulating women. […]
Saul, rejecting God’s headship, ended a decapitated corpse; David used his last days to set things right. In a typical Hebraism, we read, “So David rested with his fathers” (1 Ki 2:10). Many years ago, some Jewish high school students asked me, “Do you have to be religious Jews to go to heaven?” “Heaven?” I […]
Life’s equation is simple: All we need to do is love what God loves and hate what He hates. In 1 Kings 2:5-9, David stressed the importance of Solomon being aware of both friends and enemies around him. In spite of the thwarting of Adonijah’s attempt to snatch the throne, the kingdom’s security was still […]