“Then the LORD raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the royal line in Edom.” (1 Kings 11:14)

         There was a divine protection and blessing guarding the reign of Solomon in his early years.  God placed a hedge around him and thwarted foes before Solomon even new they existed.  It was only after the Lord’s protection was removed that Solomon began to realize how many fires God quenched for the kingdom while they were still sparks.  When Solomon’s heart turned to idols, he learned a painful lesson about what it is like to run a nation when enemies are raised up against you.

         We all have tiny kingdoms to run.  Our families, our homes, our spheres of influence are all micro kingdoms.  Do not take for granted the blessings of the Lord and His divine help in guarding you from the unseen adversaries.  Your successes and prosperity are from His hand, and His protection helps you even when you don’t see the enemies.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 9-14; Psalm 37; Proverbs 6 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Now the weight of gold which came into Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, besides that from the traders and the wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country.” (1 Kings 10:14-15)

Annually, Solomon received over 1.5 billion dollars worth of gold… at a minimum, somewhere in the vicinity of 22 tons.  It is a staggering amount of wealth.  That kind of money would make it possible for him to perform a grand experiment and answer an alluring question: “If you had a seemingly infinite amount of money, could you buy happiness?”

Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s research paper on what money can buy.  The answer?

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

The temptation for those of us without an endless supply of wealth is to believe that more money would improve us, but Solomon learned the truth.  Money cannot feed what the heart yearns for.  You need God, and no amount of gold can replace Him.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 9-14; Psalm 37; Proverbs 6 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.” (1 Kings 10:1)

This great eastern queen is given quadruple mention in the Scriptures.  Here in Kings, again in Chronicles, and then twice in the New Testament – both Mark and Luke make mention of her story.

She traveled some three thousand miles in search of true wisdom.  Specifically, the wisdom of Solomon “concerning the name of the LORD”.  She didn’t just seek earthly wisdom, but to understand the truth of God, and was willing to take a long and dangerous journey to attain it.

In light of the queen of Sheba, we must ask ourselves how seriously we search out the wisdom of the ages.  What do we do to hunger and thirst after righteousness and receive the blessing of finding it?  We are all responsible to be seekers of God, and in an age of information at our fingertips, we are without excuse when we fail to seek Him.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 9-14; Psalm 37; Proverbs 6 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Now three times in a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to the LORD, burning incense with them on the altar which was before the LORD.” (1 Kings 9:25)

After Solomon built the temple, he used it, too.  The erection of the temple was the beginning of service to the LORD, not the end of it.  It is a great mistake of humanity to confuse singular great acts of devotion as a replacement for the lifetime of regular commitment and worship of God.

Baptism may be the entrance into the kingdom, but it is not the end of our service to the King.  Baptism makes us into holy temples for the Lord, but as Romans 12:1 says, we must then present those bodies as holy, living sacrifices to God.  Becoming God’s temple is the beginning, but then we must find ways to regularly live our lives as sacrifices for King Jesus.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 9-14; Psalm 37; Proverbs 6

This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27)

A god who thought like you, lived like you, and needed you would not be worth worshipping.  All the idols of our hearts (wealth, popularity, pride, sexuality, gluttony, etc.) are inferior to us.  Don’t worship inferior gods!

Worship the one true and living God who is too big to be contained by the heavens because He made them.  Worship the God who is wiser than you, instead of the gods which you construct in your own mind.

You cannot be saved by a lesser god, only the Greater One.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 1:9)

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 2-8; Psalm 36; Proverbs 5

This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.” (1 Kings 2:7)

It had been many years since God had made the promise to remove the house of Eli from the priesthood.  During that time, Samuel had judged Israel, Saul had reigned as king for forty years, and David had reigned for forty years.  By the time Solomon became king and dismissed Abiathar, fulfilling God’s promise, it had likely been over a hundred years.

God does what He says – but He also does it on His timetable, not ours.  Patience, faith, and trust are essential for the Christian.  He tells us what will happen, but just not when.

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope;” (Psalm 130:5)

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 2-8; Psalm 36; Proverbs 5 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart… he plans wickedness upon his bed; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not despise evil.” (Psalm 36:1,4)

Before the sin, there is the plotting.  The dangerous world of addictive sin always involves the whispering allure of the sin into our heart.

“You’ll never be complete without me.”

“No one will know.”

“You deserve it.  You deserve to feel the way only I can make you.”

The whispering of our own personal poison drives deep into the heart, and the plotting to bring it to fruition begins.

Beware the whisper.  True joy is never found in the darkness.

“…each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.  Then the lust, when it is conceived, bears sin: and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 2-8; Psalm 36; Proverbs 5 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“I am going the way of all the earth.  Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.  Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn.” (1 Kings 2:2-3)

These were David’s final words of wisdom for his son, Solomon, before he died… a father exhorting his son to be a strong man for the sake of his family and his country.

Biblical manhood is nothing like the picture of masculinity that our culture portrays today.  Being manly has nothing to do with drinking beer, partying, acting like a fool, and objectifying women.

Real men follow God.  They act with courage and strength to do the right thing even when it is hard.  They sacrifice for their loved ones and for causes which are greater than themselves.  They serve with dignity and self-control.

We need more men – real men.  This foolish and destructive image we have given our youth today is making us soft and sinful.

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 1 Kings 2-8; Psalm 36; Proverbs 5

This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision

“Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me… say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’ ” (Psalm 35:1,3)

Our souls need to be reminded of God’s strength and His role as our deliverer.  That is at least one reason that God has provided us with memorials.  The Lord’s Supper weekly reminds the church of Jesus as our Savior (see 1 Cor 11:26 and Acts 20:7), and the gathering of Christians encourages us to remain steadfast in His love (see Heb 10:24-25).  The constant reading of the Scriptures provides us with repeated reminders of our place in the mind of God to stir up our minds (see 2 Pet 3:1), and the many stories and examples of men and women saved by God’s deliverance surround us (see Heb 12:1).

These stories, letters, fellowship, and memorial acts speak to our souls a constant reminder:

“I am your salvation”

May we never forget.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

This Week’s Reading: 2 Samuel 20-24; 1 Kings 1; Psalm 35; Proverbs 4 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament.  Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon.  If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision