And when these things begin to come to pass,
then look up, and lift up your heads;
for your redemption draweth nigh.
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March 20, 2008:Traditions | Just a few more weary days and then... I'll fly away... And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. |
| December 29, 2007:New Year's 2008 | ||
| November 3, 2007:How To Be Successful in Christian Ministry | ||
| October 23, 2007:Salmon |
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| Benefits of Talking with God William H. Haller |
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This week's lesson may run a little shorter than normal. I didn't make the best use of what time I had available this week and with other responsibilities and needing to work part of Saturday, I ended up a bit short of time and length.
Last week brought us an encounter with David, and we now move forward to Solomon's time. This lesson will deal with the dream that Solomon had as a young child about to start his rule of Israel.
In 1 Kings 2, we have a record of the death of Solomon's father, David. Solomon's reign of 40 years is recorded starting in verse 12. He is the third king of Israel, the reigns of Saul and David also lasting 40 years. Only one other king (Jehoash) is listed as reigning for that long. All others were shorter terms.
There was a brief attempt to usurp the throne by Adonijah in David's old age, where he set himself up as king without David knowing it. Solomon was a late teenager or possibly 20 at the time he was affirmed to be king of Israel by David and took over the throne. Adonijah requested the wives of David of Solomon, and Solomon was so offended at that and perceived the threat that it entailed to his kingdom, that he had Adonijah put to death.
Moving on to chapter 3, Solomon makes alliances with Egypt and takes Pharoah's daughter as a wife. It is stated at this point that he loved the Lord and walked in the statutes of David his father, but sacrificed to God at high places instead of solely at the tabernacle. After a particularly large sacrifice of 1,000 burnt offerings (the type of which isn't stated, but could have been bulls, lambs, goats, or rams) he has the dream which is the subject of this lesson.
In this dream, God asks Solomon what God should give to him. He asks for wisdom to govern the people well. God is pleased that he has asked for this, and grants it, along with a wide selection of the things he could have asked for but did not. Most of these are conditional on his continuing to walk in the path of God.
Solomon has gotten a lot of credit over the years for what he asked for. I'm not out to rain on his parade, but I would like to make some observations. He was very young, and thus was in good health. What teenager thinks of asking for a long life when their life looks limitless before them and they are strong and healthy? Solomon's father had died of old age, but there is no indication that others around him were sick and in need of a touch from the Lord.
He was king of Israel. He had been brought up as the son of a king. He wasn't suffering from a lack of goods, food, or material things that might have tempted him to ask for such things. Earlier in the 2nd chapter (1 Kings 2:26), it is noted that Solomon had 4,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, 12,000 horsemen, and probably 1,400 chariots (Using the values for 2 Chr. 9:25 for the number of stalls as this is probably a copying error in the ancient manuscripts). Dake's estimates of the present day cost of the sacrifice mentioned above ranges from 20,000 to 325,000 1963 US$ depending on what was offered. With inflation, it would probably be quite a bit higher in value today - at least at retail, even if the farmers and ranchers wouldn't get that much benefit. The royal table probably directly fed 30,000 or so people, judging from the daily provision listed in 1 Kings 2:22-23 (worth over 6 million $USD per year).
There were no wars going on, and he had just allied himself to one of the most powerful nations in the world at that time (Egypt), so he probably didn't have any foreign problems to deal with (at least it says that the region around him was at peace in 1 Kings 2:24). The alliance had given him the first of many wives (what would later amount to 700 wives and 300 concubines), so he wasn't worried about who would be his wife. He had dealt with his brother who had tried to take over in David's old age. In short, he had it good when God asked the question in the dream.
It doesn't say he hesitated in the answer, but probably the thing that was weighing on his mind most heavily was how do I fill dad's shoes and govern this mass of people. He probably asked for the first thing that came into his mind, showing, in the dream, where his true concerns and worries were - his feelings of inadequacy to the task of governing. This was probably especially true after having to deal with the plots and subplots of Adonijah.
The key thing that I want you to bring out of this is that although Solomon's request seems to be very high minded, it was probably for the one thing that he didn't have. All his other needs were probably well covered. We shouldn't hesitate to ask God for other things that are just as important and applicable to our lives when we talk with God. For many of us, salvation for loved ones or friends may be at the top of the list. For others, health issues (whether our own or someone we are related to or know of) would rank at the top of the list. For others, finances are in disarray and that is the top of the request list. Others need a job, need a helper, need to get away on vacation but can't find the time, or any of a host of other things that are at the top of their lists. Every situation is different, but there is something (or perhaps many things) that is (are) at the top of each of lists of requests that we would make to God.
The funny thing is, this whole story is often recounted as Solomon's prayer. The title of the lesson in the quarterly is even "God Answers Prayer". But this isn't a prayer. This is an instance where God stopped by the mind of Solomon to chat with Him. Solomon didn't initiate the conversation, God did. He just dropped in for a chat. He was happy with the sacrifice that Solomon had made, and wanted to do something in return. He asked what He could do, and Solomon's mind worked around all the anxious thoughts he was having and formulated the response that he gave. God was happy, because it showed his mind wasn't as fully set on a lot of other things that would be character flaws - money, power, strength, long rule, et cetera. His mind was instead worrying about God's work in his ruling God's people.
God was happy yet again, and granted him not only the gift of wisdom, but also many of the other things he could have asked for.
Here are a few thoughts about how we can benefit from this scripture. First, be going about God's business and doing the best job you can. Just as your employer looks at your work and rewards hard work, God will look down from heaven and reward hard work. Some of that reward will be given in heaven, but some may well be available today. Give some thought to what is important to you. If God comes to you in a dream tonight and says - "Hey, I've been real pleased with how you have been doing lately! What can I do for you today?" be ready with an answer.
The second thing is this. In Luke 12, Jesus tells his followers not to sweat the little things that may seem overwhelmingly large at the moment. Let's read Luke 12:22-34 - the whole chapter is good, but this is the key thing that relates to today's lesson. God knows that we have need of a lot of basic things - food, drink, clothing, shelter, et cetera, and He says that if He has taken care of all of the creatures of the field and the birds in the air, He will provide those to His children as well. Sometimes our pride gets in the way of accepting His gifts, but that doesn't change the fact that He will provide. It may be through our employment that He meets the need. It may be through the charity of others that He meets the need. But we need to put away our fears and concentrate on God's work and let Him sweat the details. We need to have faith and doubt not so that there is no hinderance to His working in our lives.
The third thing is this. The offer that God made to Solomon had no restrictions on it. He didn't present a menu of choices for Solomon to choose from. This wasn't an instance of you can have what is behind door number 1, 2, or 3. The gifts have already been prepared and you get to chose one of them. He gave Solomon a wide open opportunity to ask anything He wanted and God was prepared to make it happen. Now God was very pleased with what Solomon chose, and we've already covered some of the reasons why he made the choice he made, but that doesn't mean that He wouldn't have gotten anything else he asked for should he have selected that. God has issued the same promises to us all through the New Testament over and over again - Ask and you shall receive, Seek and ye shall find, Knock and the door will be opened... (Mt. 7:7), Nothing shall be impossible (Mt. 17:20), All things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive (Mt. 21:21-22), All things are possible to him that believeth (Mk 9:23), Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you (Jn. 15:7, 16). If we are followers of Him and have accepted Christ into our hearts and are trying to let Him be king in our lives, we have every reason to expect that God will fill those same promises He made to us in the New Testament. These are Christ's words - they aren't the words of some Saint or normal folk. I believe that Christ meant what He said there, just as much as when He laid out His plan of salvation. If we believe that, how is it we doubt the other?
We need to always be cognizant of why God chooses to bless us. Simply that the Father will be glorified in the Son and that Christianity will be spread. That is the work that we are to be doing. God can grant any request we make, but I feel that when we pray along the lines that further God's work, we are more likely to see the heavens opened for us. Why were Jesus' prayers so successful and His ministry so successful? He answers Himself that He did what He saw the Father doing... (John 5:17 and ff) But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.... Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Jesus prayers were very rarely for Himself, but for those around Him and for His Father's work. We will be responsible for giving an account to God one day for how we use every gift that God gives us in the name of Jesus. If we have consumed the gift upon ourselves, we will have to own up to that. How much better to be able to point to the work that was done in Jesus name to further the work of God and bring glory to God. I firmly believe that God grants some of our wishes to test us to see if we will stay true to Him.
The last thing is we need to take time to talk with God. We need to praise Him, we need to utter our prayer requests, we need to thank Him for all He has done for us, yes. But we also need to talk and listen to what He is telling us. There needs to be a back and forth between God and us. Otherwise, how will we ever hear if He chooses to ask "What can I do for you today?"
The best prayers that we make and the best attempts that we make to further God's work can't change the hearts of men who don't want to come to a knowledge of Christ.
All of Solomon's governing wisely, all of his wealth, all of his power ended up being for naught. The women, weapons, and wealth ended up being his downfall. All of the things he already had undermined him even in light of what God gave him. There is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but when they begin to occupy a place in our hearts where God should instead be, and become objects of lust, covetousness, and greed then they become stumbling blocks. After Solomon's time as King, Israel splits into two countries. Of the kings of Israel after Solomon, none are listed as righteous, while many of the kings of Judah are named as righteous. Little of his wisdom was passed on and the people suffered for it. How much of our wisdom are we passing on and how much does the next generation have to learn on its own?
