Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
August 10 - August 24, 2024
relat...
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young age in Solom...
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Two prostitutes come to Solomon with a difficult case. There are no witnesses, and it will require great wisdom to discern the truth.
HARLOTS CAME TO THE KING
In Israel, the
king was the ultimate “judge” of the land, and Solomon made himself available to all types of people within his kingdom.
THE ONE SAYS . . . AND THE OTHER SAYS
The difficulty of this case was there were no witnesses to corroborate one woman’s story over the other.
neither prostitute would have been considered a r...
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DIVIDE THE LIVING CHI...
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In ordering his servants to cut the child in two, Solomon knew the liar would not object, while the real mother would never permit such a horrible fate.
FEARED THE KING
Israel was in awe of Solomon and willing to submit to his rule because o...
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A wise person lives life skillfully because he has discernment and can distinguish between good and evil. A person can be a mathematical genius or a scholar and still be considered a fool if he does not understand the truths of Scripture. A person can be a smart fool but not a wise atheist.
Wisdom comes only from God, and it is a gift He gives to those who ask for it.
Wisdom is seen in having the mind of Christ
When a person is wise, he sees a situation as Christ would see it.
God is eager to bestow wisdom on us, and that wisdom is found in the pages of Scripture.
In contrast, David’s love for God grew stronger and deeper the longer he walked in obedience.
The difference is that David repented of his sinful behaviors, while Solomon continued to excuse them. For all his wisdom, Solomon would not prove to be faithful to God.
When we obey God, we give Him the opportunity to demonstrate His faithfulness, powe...
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if we persist in ignoring His Word, our hearts will grow cold toward God.
The temple would serve to remind the king and his people of the serious state of their sin and God’s forgiveness and grace.
Along with the activities of worship, the very structure of the temple was intended to prepare the people to recognize the true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who would take away the sin of the world.
The relative quiet of this process would have been consistent with the sacredness of the undertaking.
The use of the same words here implied that Solomon’s temple was the legitimate successor to the tabernacle.
Solomon spares no expense in building and furnishing the temple to the Lord. He has much of the interior of the structure overlaid with pure gold.
This image was reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. The palm tree represented “tree of life . . . in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 2:9). All of the details in the temple signified the magnificence of God’s nature and His uncommon glory.
Apparently, Solomon scheduled the dedication of the temple to coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles held in the seventh month, when there would be a general assembly of the people in Jerusalem. That was also a Jubilee year, so it was especially appropriate.
He recognized this darkness was the manifestation of the Lord’s presence among His people and affirmed he had built the temple so the Lord could dwell there.
God would appear to Solomon and declare the necessity of obedience for the establishment of Solomon’s throne.
In this prayer, he affirmed no god could compare to Israel’s God, asked the Lord for His continued presence and protection, and listed seven typical Israelite prayers that would require the Lord’s response.
He far transcended containment by anything in creation.
The bronze altar could not accommodate such a number of sacrifices, so Solomon consecrated the middle courtyard and then likely set up a series of auxiliary altars there.
God again appears to Solomon to tell the king his prayers have been heard. But this visit comes with a stern warning.
He was saying that Jerusalem and the temple mount would be His earthly throne as long as the earth remained.
These symbolized the Lord’s constant attention toward and deep affection for Israel.
The Lord reiterated to Solomon the importance of obedience to the Mosaic statutes in order to experience the blessings of the Davidic covenant.
Although the heavens themselves could not contain God (see 1 Kings 8:27), the temple reminded the people that He was always in their midst.
Furthermore, the shedding of blood informed the Israelites of the cost of their sins:
God honors all these sacrifices when they are done in true worship:
Even though God approved of the temple, he reminded Solomon that faithfulness to Him was the requirement for his presence—not the temple building itself.
As believers in Christ, we can become so wrapped up in doing the things we think will honor God that we fail to live in obedience to His true commands.
they were careful to follow
the letter of the Law but completely missed God’s intent for givi...
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Although God’s love is unconditional, the blessings He bestows on us will often be conditional and based on our faithfulness to adhere to His Word.
“A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”
Solomon began his reign on a high note.
Solomon had continued to walk in obedience to God by taking up the task to build the temple.
But this act of disobedience laid the foundation for future acts of rule-breaking, and those acts of rule-breaking led to his downfall.
