1 Kings 4

WEEK  8                                        1 Kings 4

MONDAY  Reflections

The opulence* of Solomon is astounding. However, in the middle of all of this, I see problems. Do you see them?

First, there were many in Judah and Israel, and they were eating, drinking, and making merry. Sounds like the nation was doing a lot of pleasure-seeking. If you're only seeking pleasure, you're not seeking God.

 

Second, Solomon gathered large numbers of chariots and horses. God commanded the kings of Israel not to do this, and now Solomon has done it (Deuteronomy 17:16).

 

What we see later is Solomon disobeying God by gathering large amounts of treasure for himself and his family (Deuteronomy 17:17). Solomon had previously done well when he asked God for wisdom and when he built the temple for God, but he is now living in disobedience to God.

 

 

*great wealth or luxuriousness

1Ki 4:1-34
(1)  So king Solomon was king over all Israel.
(2)  And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
(3)  Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.
(4)  And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
(5)  And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend:
(6)  And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.
(7)  And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
(8)  And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
(9)  The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan:
(10)  The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:
(11)  The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
(12)  Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:
(13)  The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
(14)  Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:
(15)  Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
(16)  Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:
(17)  Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
(18)  Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
(19)  Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.
(20)  Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
(21)  And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
(22)  And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
(23)  Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
(24)  For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
(25)  And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
(26)  And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
(27)  And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
(28)  Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
(29)  And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
(30)  And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
(31)  For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
(32)  And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
(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.
(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.

Jeremiah 44

WEEK  7                                            Jeremiah 44

SATURDAY  Reflections

The argument was that when they offered sacrifices to a female deity, everything was fine; it's only when they stopped (implying God needed the help) did bad things happen. This looks back to when kings obedient to God came along and forbade other sacrifices. Yes, they claim they tried to live right, but that is when everything went wrong. They concluded that they should keep their vows to the god of heaven because things were better when they did. 

The truth was that the women were secretly still offering worship to other gods. The men knew their wives were doing this, but turned a blind eye, thinking that by allowing this, they were helping God. Yes, they tried to appear as if they were living as God commanded, but in reality, they weren't worshiping the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. They used the same name, but the god they worshipped needed help from other gods. They may have called this god God, but they weren't worshipping the Almighty God. Therefore, gave them over to be conquered because of their disobedience, despite their outward obedience, because in truth they weren't worshipping Him.

 

Jer 44:1-30
(1)  The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
(2)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
(3)  Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.
(4)  Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
(5)  But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.
(6)  Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
(7)  Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;
(8)  In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
(9)  Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
(10)  They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
(11)  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.
(12)  And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
(13)  For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:
(14)  So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
(15)  Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
(16)  As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.
(17)  But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
(18)  But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
(19)  And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
(20)  Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,
(21)  The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?
(22)  So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
(23)  Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.
(24)  Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
(25)  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
(26)  Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.
(27)  Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
(28)  Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
(29)  And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
(30)  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

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Song of Solomon 8

WEEK   7                                  Song of Solomon 8

FRIDAY  Reflections

How powerful is love? According to verse 7 "Water cannot put it out; no flood can drown it. But if any tried to buy love with their wealth, contempt is all they would get" (Good News Translation). If this is the power of human love, and it is, how much more is the love of God? 

Son 8:1-14
(1)  O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.
(2)  I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
(3)  His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
(4)  I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.
(5)  Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
(6)  Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
(7)  Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
(8)  We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
(9)  If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
(10)  I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
(11)  Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
(12)  My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
(13)  Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
(14)  Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

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Matthew 7

WEEK 7                                             Matthew 7

THURSDAY  Reflections

Matthew 7 ends the Sermon on the Mount with the parable of the wise and foolish builders. This parable compares the security promised for those who hear and obey Christ to the utter destruction which comes to those who hear but don't obey. As the chapter ends, Matthew comments on the amazement the crowd had toward Jesus’ doctrine and authority. However, one wonders how many of these were like the foolish builder and would end up with lives utterly destroyed because they heard but didn't listen. The end of the chapter makes it clear, we can't just hear but we have to obey also. 

The first of two things I can't leave unsaid while examining this chapter is the often quoted verse, "Judge not." This isn't a command about never correcting anyone, for later in this chapter Jesus tells his followers to examine the lives of teachers and make sure they aren't false. What do we do when we examine someone's life? We are judging. The difference is our attitude. The one that Jesus is condemning is the person who judges, without looking at their own life, or I might say with an attitude of superiority. The idea is that we need to first and foremost deal with our own life and know that God is the ultimate judge.

The other thing I want to look at, though there is far more in this chapter, is what has been called the Golden Rule. Most of us have heard "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" or "treat others like you want to be treated." However, I want to look at something I have noticed for the first time, though other commentators did notice it, and that is the beginning of verse 12 starts off with a conjunction. This verse looks back on what has come before. We obey the golden rule because of the understanding of Divine judgment (verses 1-6) and divine goodness (verses 7-11). To say it another way, we live out the golden rule because we realize who God is.

 

Mat 7:1-29
(1)  Judge not, that ye be not judged.
(2)  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
(3)  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
(4)  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
(5)  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
(6)  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
(7)  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
(8)  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
(9)  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
(10)  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
(11)  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(12)  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
(13)  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
(14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(15)  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
(16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
(17)  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
(18)  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
(19)  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
(20)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
(21)  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
(25)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
(26)  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
(27)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
(28)  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
(29)  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

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Psalm 72

WEEK  7                                          Psalms 72

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

This psalm is a prayer in music for David's son, Solomon. The prayer is that he will be a good and righteous ruler. A godly parent’s prayer is their child turns out good, if not great, in God's eyes.

 

The key to being a good ruler as I see it in this psalm is dealing with the poor, the needy, and stopping the oppressors. Those who are poor and needy have special needs and should be given a hand up. As for oppressors, they come in many forms, some do attack the wealthy, but it is far easier to attack those without money or resources to defend themselves. This vulnerability is why good rulers defend the poor because without good rulers they have no recourse.

 

People can argue over the right way to help the poor but no one with any Judeo-Christian background can say the poor and needy don't deserve help. Yes, I do understand that some people have chosen to live poor and refuse to work. Some, possibly many, however, have deeper issues that can't be resolved by just giving away food or telling them to get a job. However, there is a need. Leaders need to remember the poor are their concern.   

Psa 72:1-20
(1)  A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
(2)  He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
(3)  The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
(4)  He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
(5)  They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
(6)  He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
(7)  In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
(8)  He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
(9)  They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
(10)  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
(11)  Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
(12)  For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
(13)  He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
(14)  He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
(15)  And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.
(16)  There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
(17)  His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
(18)  Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
(19)  And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
(20)  The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

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