1 Kings 11 (Read: 11:1-13)

 

This morning we come to the end of the reign of Solomon.

 

In fact the end of chapter 11 marks his death.

1 Kings 11:41-43 “Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.”

 

Only if those words would have been found at the end of chapter 10, Instead of at the end of chapter 11.

 

For Solomon had seemed to run the race so well.

• He started in purity…

• He sought out God…

• He built the temple…

• He prayed fervently and encouraged his people…

• He shined his light to the ends of the earth…

 

But that is not how Solomon is remembered.

 

When we started our study of Solomon over 2 months ago,

I told you that Solomon was “THE KING WHO GOT DISTRACTED”

 

Despite the warnings of God to finish well, Solomon did just the opposite

 

Some scholars over the years have debated

If Solomon even finished the race at all. (that he was lost)

 

Solomon had plenty of fruit to suggest genuine salvation.

Solomon didn’t lose his salvation, Solomon lost his effectiveness

 

Instead of finishing strong as a torch burning bright for God, Solomon limped to the finish with nothing but a smoldering wick.

 

He blew it, and he paid dearly for it.

 

THIS MORNING WE EXAMINE

How a life that seemingly has it all together

Can so quickly fall into disrepute,

And hopefully we will learn how to avoid the problem of Solomon.

 

 

3 main points, as we cover this entire chapter.

#1 REBELLION

1 Kings 11:1-8

 

No doubt, as we read those first 8 verses,

It left many thinking, “Could we even be talking about the same guy?”

 

Solomon was a rock…

Solomon had a heart for God…

Surely this could not be the same Solomon.

BUT I’M AFRAID IT IS.

 

You see, there is no one in this life that is immune from temptation.

There is no one in this life that is above falling into sin.

 

I don’t care how strong a Christian you think you are…

You are capable of falling into sin if you do not guard yourself against it.

 

Before we dive into this text,

Allow me to give you an illustration of that very fact.

 

TURN TO: 1 Corinthians 10:1-12

 

READ (1-4)

The people Paul refers to had walked with God.

 

This was not some ignorant people,

These were people who knew God, and should have known better.

They were the last people in the world that you expected to fall into sin.

 

READ (5)

 

But the point is that even these “BEST OF THE BEST”

Somehow succumbed to temptation and fell away from God.

 

READ (6-10)

 

They fell into Idolatry, Immorality, Ingratitude, Insurrection

 

READ (11-12)

 

Paul makes it clear, that if it happened to them, it can happen to you.

So you had better not be arrogant to think you are above it,

Or you become an easy target for Satan.

 

READ (13)

 

No one is above temptation…

No one is beyond falling into sin…

 

EVEN SOLOMON

 

In these first 8 verses,

I want to show you how it happened in his life.

 

It wasn’t overnight.

It started small, and eventually got out of control.

 

3 steps here that led this man of God into full blown idolatry.

1) PERSISTENTLY DEAF (1-2)

 

It is no secret to us that “Solomon loved many foreign women.”

We have heard that all our lives.

 

But as you just noticed, there was a problem with that.

 

God had given a command:

(2) “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.”

 

That was a clear warning from God against a potent temptation.

 

Look, God knows that we are flesh.

Psalms 103:14 “For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”

 

God wasn’t naïve.

He knew His people would be tempted to associate

With the foreign women of the promised land.

 

But God also knew that was dangerous.

Those women did not know God, or love God,

And it was a temptation that God’s people did not need.

 

So God was blatantly specific that His people should

Stay away from the foreigners who had no relationship with Him.

 

Exodus 34:12-16 “Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. “But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim — for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God — otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.”

 

Deuteronomy 7:1-4 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. “Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. “For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you.”

 

God gave a strong ordinance.

THE MARRIAGE BED IS NOT A MISSION FIELD

 

The command is clear, but:

(2) “Solomon held fast to these in love.”

 

HE PERSISTENTLY TURNED A DEAF EAR TO WHAT GOD HAD TO SAY.

He knew the command, he just didn’t like the command,

And so he ignored it.

 

It is dangerous to turn a deaf ear to God.

Not just in marriage, but in any command.

 

God’s commands are for your own good.

He gives them to protect you from sin.

 

And there are some things that God says to stay away from.

It is too strong a temptation.

 

But Solomon did not listen.

He was persistently deaf

 

That is how he started, but look at what eventually happened.

 

2) PARTIALLY DEVOTED (3-6)

 

This is what began to happen in Solomon’s life.

He loved these foreign women.

 

To be exact: “seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines”

Sin never says enough.

Sin demands more, and Solomon fell into it.

 

So much so that it hindered his walk with God.

 

In fact, 4 times it says it.

(3) “his wives turned his heart away.”

(4) “his wives turned his heart away after other gods;”

(4) “his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God.”

(6) “Solomon…did not follow the LORD fully”

 

Because Solomon persisted in sin, his faithfulness to God dwindled.

AND SO WILL YOURS AND MINE

Solomon started with a persistently deaf ear,

And it escalated into a partial devotion towards God.

 

Look at how it ended

3) PATHETICALLY DEFIANT (7-8)

 

Now Solomon is doing for false gods,

What he previously did for the true God.

He is building places of worship.

 

(7) “Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh”

(7) “and for Molech”

(8) “Thus also he did for all his foreign wives”

 

It is easy to see that Solomon ended up in a bad way before God.

 

And people today say, “Preacher, I would never do that.”

There is no way I would ever even consider

building an altar to a false god.

 

If you had asked Solomon that same question 35 years ago,

He would have never considered it either.

 

Solomon didn’t start out building temples for foreign gods.

 

HOW DID HE START?

1 Kings 3:1-2 “Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.”

 

Remember talking about that a couple of months ago.

 

Solomon broke the command of God

To try and bring about better national security.

And the seed was planted.

 

By the end of his life he had 700 foreign wives

And had built altars for all of them.

 

Sin never starts big, but sin spreads worse than cancer.

When you dabble with what God forbids, it will eventually ensnare you.

 

This is why Paul said:

Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

In regard to the Church Paul said:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”

 

You cannot mess around with what God forbids,

It will lead you into full blown defiance against God.

 

If it happened to Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived,

It can happen to you.

 

We must learn to take every command of God serious.

 

Ephesians 5:3-12 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.”

 

Even the smallest of sins can snare you up, they must all be avoided.

 

First, rebellion Now let’s look at God’s response.

#2 REBUKE

1 Kings 11:9-13

 

We certainly cannot overemphasize that statement in verse 9.

“Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD”

 

DID GOD NOT ALREADY WARN SOLOMON?

1 Kings 9:6-7 “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

 

• Despite God’s grace to appear to him twice…

• Despite God’s explicit warning…

 

(10) “he did not observe what the LORD had commanded.”

And so look at how God responds.

(11) “So the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.”

 

Solomon had sinned himself out of useful ministry.

 

Be careful with sin and temptation,

It can easily render you disqualified before God.

 

Remember what Paul said?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

 

Paul knew he had to watch himself closely,

Or else his ministry was in danger.

 

Jude said this:

Jude 22-23 “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”

 

Notice how serious and also how dangerous sin is.

Anyone can be snared by it.

 

Listen to what Paul told the Galatians:

Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

 

We have all seen fallen preachers…

We have all seen fallen saints…

 

Certainly some of those were not saved,

But for those that were, they allowed sin to render them

Absolutely ineffective for God’s service.

 

When we don’t keep away from sin, it eventually

Disqualifies us from service and we are no longer useful to God.

 

1 Timothy 1:18-20 “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”

2 Timothy 2:20-22 “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

 

But Solomon missed that warning.

In fact, he ignored it.

 

And now, his ministry before God was about to be over.

What once was a world-wide ministry

Was about to be significantly reduced.

 

In fact, according to verses 12 & 13,

The only reason Solomon wasn’t completely removed

Was because God had such a love for David.

 

But if it weren’t for that, Solomon’s line would be history.

He dabbled in sin.

He fell to temptation.

He rendered himself useless to God.

Don’t dabble in sin.

 

The Rebellion, The Rebuke, and now let’s see how it unfolded.

#3 RETRIBUTION

1 Kings 11:14-43

 

Certainly we don’t have time to cover this all in detail,

But I do want you to see the high points.

 

I want you to notice that the God who formerly worked for Solomon

Was now working against him.

 

When Solomon’s ministry began, this is what the Bible said:

1 Kings 5:4 “But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune.”

 

But because of Solomon’s sin, that is about to drastically change.

 

In fact, the Bible says that God raised up 3 adversaries to Solomon.

 

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

 

• David and Joab kill the Edomites

• Servants escape with Hadad

• He flees to Egypt and is embraced by Pharaoh

• Actually becomes Pharaoh’s brother-in-law

But for some reason Hadad decided to return to his own country.

 

In fact look at verse 22

“Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that behold, you are seeking to go to your own country?” And he answered, “Nothing; nevertheless you must surely let me go.”

 

Hadad had no reason for returning, other than the fact

That God had summoned him to be an adversary to Solomon.

 

There is a second one.

(23) “God also raised up another adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.”

 

And he and Hadad both did evil to Israel.

 

There is a third one, and it is the big one.

(26-40) give the account of the calling of Jeroboam.

 

We will study him later.

God ripped 10 tribes away from Solomon and gave them to Jeroboam.

 

All that Solomon had amassed in splendor and glory,

God took it away.

 

Solomon represents a life that began in glory and ended in shame.

 

By the end of his life, this wise King should have been

Able to counsel the world on how to live a blessed life.

 

Instead, he only wrote a book

Warning others not to make the same mistakes that he made.

 

We call the book Ecclesiastes.

 

Here are two warnings from Solomon.

Ecclesiastes 11:9 “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.”

 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

 

Sadly, that was now all that Solomon had to offer.

He could have left glory, he left only shame.

 

 

WHAT KIND OF A LEGACY DO YOU PLAN TO LEAVE TO YOUR CHILDREN?

• A legacy like David of faithfulness and reward?

• A legacy like Solomon of failure and regret?

 

This morning I ask you to determine to be wholly devoted to God

And to serve Him with a pure heart,

For the slightest deviation can snowball into a lifetime of regret.

 

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

 

1 Kings 10 (10:1-10)

By reading that text to begin our study,

You are all familiar with the scene that is unfolding.

 

Solomon’s fame has reached enormous status.

 

In fact, look at the end of this chapter.

1 Kings 10:23-25 “So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.”

 

Solomon had become quite an attraction to the world.

They all wanted to come, they all wanted to hear.

 

And people knew who was responsible for Solomon’s wisdom.

 

(24) “All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.”

 

It was obvious, that God had placed something in Solomon,

And that something was worth seeing.

 

THERE IS A SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS

In fact, Jesus preached part of a sermon about this very concept.

 

Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 1nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

 

God has made you what you are, He has placed something in you,

And He expects for you to use what He has given you for His glory.

 

God has poured into us flavor (salt) and understanding (light)

And we are obligated to share it with others.

ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

 

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

 

The Psalmist understood this:

Psalms 67 “God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us — Selah. That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with uprightness And guide the nations on the earth. Selah. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.”

In our study today, you will see that Solomon

Was a good example of one who did this well.

 

This morning we are talking about THE PREEMINENCE OF SOLOMON.

God had endowed him with splendor.

 

And that splendor came with a purpose.

Many people don’t realize it,

But EVANGELISM WAS PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TOO.

 

In fact, did we not hear Solomon pray earlier?

1 Kings 8:41-43 “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.”

 

Solomon understood that God’s presence

Was not just for his own personal enjoyment,

But also for the evangelism of a lost world,

And ultimately so that God would be glorified by all.

 

Solomon knew that he was to be salt and light in the world.

 

And this morning, this is seen in the life of Solomon.

 

As we read earlier, the Queen of Sheba has come for a visit,

And I want you to see 4 aspects about this visit.

 

#1 A SEARCH

1 Kings 10:1-2

 

You notice the motivation for this visit.

“Now when the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon”

 

Somehow the news of Solomon’s great splendor

Had reached the ears of the Queen of Sheba.

 

But it was not just fame about temple building or economic policy.

“When the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD,”

 

She had heard that Solomon understood God

In a way that other men did not.

 

Solomon had knowledge of the divine, and it sparked her curiosity.

 

“she came to test him with difficult questions.”

 

Literally she came with “riddles designed to stump the hearer”

 

Now I would hope that everyone in this room

Has had a situation like this happen in their lives.

 

That is one of the bi-products of shining the light of God in a dark world.

People can be skeptical, and they come to question what you believe.

 

The actual riddles that this queen brought are not listed here,

But we understand riddles that are posed today.

• Why does a good God allow bad things to happen?

• How can a loving God send someone to hell?

• How can you say that Jesus is the only way of salvation?

 

AND IF PEOPLE COME TO YOU WITH THOSE RIDDLEDS,

THAT IS A GOOD THING.

People see a light in you, people see a confidence in you,

And so they bring to you the questions that they struggle with.

 

That is what this queen is doing.

There are some real issues that keep her from believing,

And so she is coming to address this King with the reputation for having a relationship with God.

 

And look at how she comes.

(2) “So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones.”

 

We don’t know why she came with such a great caravan.

Maybe she wanted to pay for her education…

Maybe she wanted to impress Solomon…

 

What we do know is that her search was not a material one,

For she had plenty of material things.

HER SEARCH WAS A SPIRITUAL ONE.

 

(2b) “she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.”

 

That really paints a picture doesn’t it?

 

This woman had some confusion in her soul.

She had some issues that troubled her.

 

We don’t really know what she is struggling with,

Other than the fact that she is on a spiritual journey.

 

 

It is not uncommon for people to reach a pinnacle in life

Only to find that what they were searching for wasn’t there.

 

(Kirk Cameron was saved because his success was unfulfilling)

 

It could be that this is precisely what is happening in the life of this queen.

 

Whatever it is, her heart is troubled.

 

And because Solomon has a reputation for being near to God,

She has traveled to put him to the test and seek out some answers.

AND LET ME JUST SAY:

Way to go Solomon!

 

He was doing what Jesus would command many years later.

If he hadn’t been letting his light shine, this queen would have never come.

 

WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SPIRITUAL CONCERNS, DO THEY COME TO YOU?

WHEN PEOPLE HAVE HARDSHIP IN LIFE, DO THEY SEEK YOU?

 

If they do, that is because they see the light in you.

They may cuss you 95% of the time, but when life gets bad,

They recognize that you have what they need.

 

If people don’t recognize a light in you,

Maybe it’s time to get the bucket off of it, and start living for Jesus.

 

Solomon is shining his light, and the Queen of Sheba searched him out.

 

A Search

#2 A SALVATION

1 Kings 10:3-7

 

This queen has come and hit Solomon with every dilemma she has.

If it was confusing to her, she is going to lay it on him.

She purposed to hit him with all the hard questions.

(2) “she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.”

 

THAT COULD BE VERY INTIMIDATING

To think that someone is about to hit you with

One of those perplexing “what if” issues.

 

But notice what happened when she did this.

(3) “Solomon answered all her questions;”

 

WOW! Solomon must have been a smart dude,

 

NO, THAT WASN’T IT AT ALL.

(3) “Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the kings which he did not explain to her.”

 

DID YOU CATCH THAT?

“nothing was hidden”

 

As the Queen of Sheba supplied the questions,

Someone else supplied the answers.

 

Those of you who have been studying Corinthians with us

Understand this concept.

 

1 Corinthians 2:9-13 “but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”

 

You may not know everything there is to know about God,

But God does, and He can answer any question.

 

That is what He does here for Solomon.

 

It echoes the promise that Jesus gave to us.

Matthew 10:18-20 “and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

 

And that is precisely what happened to this King as he spoke to a Queen.

God revealed everything to him that he needed to know.

 

And this is a huge concept of evangelism.

 

When you shine the light, don’t be intimidated by those tough questions.

The God you represent, will supply all you need to know.

 

And look at the result of God using Solomon to answer her questions.

(4-5) “When she perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.”

 

Now this again is a significant statement.

 

We know she was aware of Solomon’s great wealth, and wisdom.

But all of a sudden, while Solomon was answering her questions.

The Bible says “she perceived”

 

It is like all of a sudden her eyes were opened.

It clicked within her.

 

WHAT DID SHE SEE?

She saw the hand of God upon Solomon,

And the effects of a life with God’s hand upon it.

 

And when she finally saw the truth, notice the response.

“there was no more spirit in her.”

 

This is also significant.

 

Commonly people seek to come to God in arrogance and pride.

Even when God reveals to them that life could be better,

They resist what God says, and hold on to their old way of life.

 

But in order to come to salvation,

A person must come to a very strategic point.

 

Jesus actually listed that point.

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

To be saved, a person must come to a point of genuine humility,

Where they realize that what God has and is, is much better than what they posses, and that they will never possess it on their own.

 

This is precisely where the Queen of Sheba was.

She showed up in Jerusalem amidst great pomp and prestige,

But while she was there, her eyes were opened,

And she recognized that in reality, she had nothing.

 

I believe this woman was saved under the evangelism of Solomon.

She was attracted to the Light Solomon possessed,

And when she got there, she accepted it.

 

Notice the attitude of this woman.

• There is no arrogance, there is no bitterness.

• This woman is in a state of worship.

 

(6-7) “Then she said to the King, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.”

DON’T YOU LOVE THAT!

I didn’t believe what I heard then, but I believe it now.

 

This woman is seeing things differently.

She has understood the blessing of God in a life.

AND WHY WOULDN’T SHE.

 

Jesus gave us a promise.

Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

Jesus said it very clearly.

If you seek, you find.

 

She sought, she found.

 

A Search A Salvation

#3 A SALUTE

1 Kings 10:8-9

 

Continuing to look at the attitude of this woman,

After seeking and perceiving, notice her attitude now.

 

This woman is overcome with an attitude of praise and worship.

 

First she blesses the messenger

(8) “How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.”

 

She states that Solomon’s men are blessed to have Solomon around,

Simply because they have such easy access to the wisdom of God.

 

But then the real recipient of her worship is seen.

 

She blesses the Master

(9) “Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

 

You will notice that God is the true recipient of her worship.

 

And if you will read verse 9 closely,

You will even see her theology.

 

Look at the three reasons she praises God.

1) FOR HIS GRACE

“Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel;”

 

She sees “God’s unmerited favor” toward Solomon.

She is praising God because of His grace.

 

2) FOR HIS LOVE

“because the LORD loved Israel forever”

 

God Himself played a specific role in setting up the leader of Israel.

 

WHY?

Because He loves Israel.

 

3) FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

“therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

 

God put Solomon on the throne for a purpose.

 

The Queen of Sheba recognized Him as a righteous God,

And one who played a role in the nation of Israel.

 

We don’t know what Solomon talked to her about,

But it is apparent she was able to discern

God’s grace, God’s love, and God’s righteousness.

 

And here she is worshiping God for it,

Which is yet another indication of her salvation.

 

When you shine your light,

People come to you with their questions.

God gives the answer, they’re led to salvation, and God is glorified.

 

Isn’t that what Jesus said would happen.

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

 

It is working according to plan.

 

A Search A Salvation A Salute

#4 A SACRIFICE

1 Kings 10:10

 

And here is the final indicator of this woman’s salvation.

 

She made a sacrifice.

 

This is not a payment,

This is a gift of gratitude for what she has received.

 

And the gift was significant.

“Never again did such an abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.”

 

This was no small token of appreciation, this was a big thank you.

 

WELL, WHY DOES THAT SHOW SALVATION?

 

Because of what Jesus said:

Matthew 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

“Follow the Money”

(in sports…in politics…and in Scripture)

 

And if you follow the queen of Sheba’s money,

You will find that her heart was given to the King

Who represented the God of Israel.

 

If you want further proof of her salvation,

You simply must look to the New Testament.

 

Jesus actually referenced this woman.

Matthew 12:38-42 “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, ” An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. “The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”

 

Jesus actually referenced the sincerity in this woman

As she sought out the truth of God through Solomon.

 

Not only that, but Jesus said she (along with the repentant Ninevites)

Would stand up and condemn the Jews of Jesus’ day.

 

• She wanted what they didn’t…

• She saw what they wouldn’t…

• She accepted what they rejected…

 

Because Solomon shined his light, this woman was saved.

 

She “heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD” and she sought that God out.

Solomon drew near to God, and Solomon shined his light.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

 

• Have you drawn near to God as Solomon did, and are you now shining that light to a world lost in darkness?

 

There are people out there who have burdens on their heart,

And questions they can’t answer.

You are the one equipped to answer those questions.

 

Are you living in such a way that God is glorified in the lives of others?

 

Maybe you are here and do not know Jesus Christ.

 

The Queen of Sheba condemned Israel

Because she followed the Light, when they would not.

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

 

Jesus said:

John 12:36 “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”

 

He said:

John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ” I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

 

But not everyone responds like the Queen of Sheba.

John 3:19-21 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

 

SO WHERE DO YOU FIT?

 

• You are either a believer in Christ who is shining their light…

• You are a believer in Christ who has hidden their light…

• You are a non-believer who has no light to share, and needs to get it…

 

This morning, give your heart to Jesus Christ,

And then shine your light to a lost and dying world.

 

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

 

1 Kings 9:1-9

 

I have heard it said many times in my life that

Satan attacks after a great victory.

 

That after a person wins a victory for the Lord,

Then Satan will attack, hoping to catch his prey

at a moment of over inflated arrogance, and bring them down.

 

After Jesus was baptized, then went to be tempted by the devil.

 

Consider Peter.

One minute, he was used by the Holy Spirit to publicly confess Christ.

A few verses later, he was being used by Satan to privately correct Him.

 

It is no wonder that Peter would later write:

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

 

And perhaps you have seen such a thing in your life at various times.

You experienced a great victory, and Satan used your momentum against you leading you to step beyond the will of God.

 

And from experiencing such difficulties,

We learn that a Christian must remain focused at all times.

WE DO NOT SIGN UP AND THEN SLACK OFF.

 

The Christian life is one of intense commitment to God.

 

Many times in Scripture this is illustrated by way of sports analogy.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

 

2 Timothy 2:3-6 “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.”

 

We are reminded that the Christian life is not about starting well.

The Christian life is about finishing well.

And would this ever be an important point for Solomon to get.

We are just now entering the final phase of Solomon’s life.

 

We know how Solomon began.

Removing rebellion, Seeking God, Building the temple, Praying with intensity, and Teaching the people to seek God.

 

But of course as we will learn in a few weeks,

This king who started well, did not finish well,

And his failure left an irremovable blemish on the nation of Israel.

 

But before that downward slide ever occurred in Solomon’s life,

God was first present to warn him about it.

 

We pick up our text in the first two verses.

 

(1-2) “Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all that Solomon desired to do, that the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.”

 

The writer of Kings actually gives us the time frame here.

“Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD, and the king’s house”

 

If you were to go back and read 1 Kings 6,

• Solomon began the temple in the 4th year of his reign.

• This project would take him 7 years (6:38)

• After he finished the temple, he built his own house. (13 years – 7:1)

 

By the time he finished his house he was 24 yrs. into his reign.

He would reign for a total of 40 years.

So he is past the half-way point.

 

And since Solomon has now finished his own house,

This encounter with God is occurring approximately 12 years after

The events we just studied in chapter 8.

 

And so here is Solomon, now on the downside of his reign,

Most of his major work is behind him,

Most of his famous achievements have been accomplished.

 

Solomon now must focus on finishing the race.

 

This is precisely why God is visiting him now.

(2) “the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.”

WHAT DID GOD HAVE TO SAY?

(3) “The LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.”

 

God is NOT just now answering Solomon’s prayer.

Solomon has not been in limbo

As to what God’s answer would be for the past 12 years.

 

The past 12 years would have proved

That God has done as Solomon requested,

Which is why God speaks of His faithfulness in the past tense.

 

“I HAVE heard your prayer and your supplication…”

“I HAVE consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever,”

 

God reiterates that it is His promise to continue to do this forever.

“and My eyes and My heart will be there perpecutally.”

 

God has shown up and reiterated to Solomon

That He has been faithful, and plans to continue being faithful.

 

The first 24 years of Solomon’s reign have been a piece of cake.

• No wars…

• No famines…

• No recessions…

• No worries…

 

That is why Scripture is silent for those 12 years.

 

Once God moved into the temple, everything in Israel was great.

And now God shows up 12 years later to remind Solomon

That the reason all has been great is because He has been present.

 

And that He has every intention

For things to continue on as they have been forever.

 

WHICH BRINGS US TO SOLOMON.

 

Notice the personal nature of what God is about to say:

(4) “As for you”

 

DO YOU GET THE FEEL FOR WHAT IS GOING ON?

“I’ve been doing my part, and I would love to continue blessing Israel in the same way, now as for you…”

 

God is about to tell Solomon how to finish the race.

 

The question here for Solomon is not about what God will do.

The question is whether or not Solomon will be a part of it.

 

We talk a lot about the SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, and rightly so.

I love to talk about God’s sovereignty, and His perfect will.

 

But God’s sovereignty is only half of the equation

In Scripture, not only is God sovereign, but MAN IS RESPONSIBLE.

 

While God is sovereign and has foreordained all things,

Man is still responsible and his actions also dictate the future.

 

It is admittedly difficult to merge the two truths,

But they exist none the less.

 

And it is Solomon’s responsibility that is highlighted here.

 

(4-5) “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’”

 

Boy, the word “if” is a big word in the Bible.

God is spelling out a very serious conditional statement to Solomon.

 

God basically wants two things from Solomon

1) INTEGRITY

“if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you”

 

God simply wants Solomon to be sincere in his devotion to God,

And to take God’s word serious, just like David did.

 

David wrote:

Psalms 24:3-5 “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

 

2) LOYALTY

“and will keep My statutes and My ordinances”

 

Don’t follow someone else…

Don’t listen to anyone else…

 

Just do what I say, and be totally loyal to My will.

God wanted those two things from Solomon.

And by the way, this is what God wants from you.

 

Remember what Jesus asked Peter just before His ascension?

John 21:15 “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”

 

Jesus just wanted to know how sincere

And how devoted Peter was going to be.

 

That is what God wants from us,

And that is what God wanted from Solomon,

 

And if Solomon would give that to God…

(5) “then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’”

 

Solomon, if you will be truly devoted to Me, then the blessings you have been experiencing through My presence, you will never stop experiencing.

 

God wanted things to continue just as they had been going,

And that hinged upon the responsibility of Solomon

To continue to be faithful.

 

Solomon had started well, God wanted Solomon to finish well

And if Solomon would be devoted to God,

The blessings would never end.

 

However, there is also a FLIP SIDE to this scenario.

 

And we see that in the first word of verse 6, “But”

 

The perpetual blessing of God was very possible for Solomon,

But it was not guaranteed.

 

Just as there was a blessing to pursue,

There was also a penalty to avoid.

 

Remember what Paul told Timothy?

We already read it once.

 

2 Timothy 2:5 “Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.”

 

In running the race, you need to make sure that you avoid the things

That will disqualify you from reaching the prize.

 

And that is the essence of what God is about to tell Solomon.

 

(6-7) “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

 

As long as Solomon had integrity and loyalty, all would go well,

But if those attributes slipped, things would go south in a hurry.

 

In fact, God actually listed

Three problematic attributes that Solomon needed to avoid.

1) APOSTASY

“But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me”

 

Apostasy is the sin in which a person who confesses the Lord

Turns and departs from Him.

 

An apostate is worse than an unbeliever,

For they at least pretended submission to Jesus before rejecting Him.

 

Apostates are described by both Peter and Jude.

2 Peter 2:15 “forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”

 

Jude 11 “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.”

 

Apostates are the ultimate traitor and once a person becomes an apostate

Repentance and therefore salvation is impossible.

 

In fact Jude actually says that

Their judgments is already set, and cannot be reversed.

 

Jude 4 “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

 

And so it is understandable why God would warn Solomon

About the sin of apostasy.

 

HE STARTED WELL, BUT HE NEEDS TO END WELL.

 

God first warned Solomon about Apostasy

2) INIQUITY

“and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you”

This is good old fashion rebellion, and it is the FRUIT OF AN APOSTATE.

 

Once an apostate turns away from God,

They evidence their apostasy by refusing to listen to the Lord any longer.

 

Peter described the iniquity of an apostate like this.

2 Peter 2:12-14 “But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;”

 

They’ve turned away from following God, they commit the fruit of iniquity.

 

Apostasy, Iniquity

3) IDOLATRY

“and go and serve other gods and worship them,”

 

The final step of apostasy is worship of someone other than God.

 

This could be a false god such as Allah, or Buddha,

Or this could be the worship of SELF (the god of atheists).

 

They started out worshiping God, but they then Rejected Him,

Disobeyed Him, and end up Betraying Him through idolatry.

 

And the extreme tragedy is

That they seemed to start the race so well.

 

There was actually a point in their lives when they

Had professed faith in God, and had pledged their lives to obey Him.

The only difference between them and true Christians is that

While both seemed to start the race, the apostate failed to finish it.

 

And God adamantly warns Solomon against such a crime.

 

For if he does, then the consequences are tragic.

1) ISRAEL REJECTED

(7) “then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them,”

 

If you turn from following Me, then I will turn from protecting you.

 

2) TEMPLE REMOVED

(7) “and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight.”

This magnificent structure trimmed in gold.

God will pick it up and throw it away.

As we said last week.

 

Temples trimmed in gold do not secure the presence of God,

Obedience does, and when obedience stops, God will destroy the temple.

 

3) JUDGMENT REMEMBERED

(7) “So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

 

Thomas Mulligan was a passionate golfer in Ireland in the 1800’s who developed a theory that the only shots that count on a golf score are the ones that you hit during the game.

 

So his game did not start until he hit a first shot that he liked.

If his first shot was bad, he just declared that he hadn’t started, and hit again.

 

No doubt his friends heckled him, and before long the do-over shot in golf

Became known as the “Mulligan”.

 

His name became a “byword” among all golfers.

 

That is what God said would happen here.

If you turn from following Me, I will bring such a judgment on you,

That it will literally set the standard for all future judgments.

 

HOW FAMOUS WOULD THE JUDGMENT BE?

READ VERSES 8-9

 

Did you catch that?

“everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss”

 

The term “hiss” literally means “to whistle in amazement”.

 

And furthermore, God will see to it

That everyone knows why you were destroyed.

 

(9) “Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore the LORD has brought this adversity on them.”

 

God will be glorified either in your obedience or in your judgment,

But God will be glorified.

 

BUT OF COURSE YOU SEE THE POINT TO SOLOMON.

 

Solomon, you have started well,

But you must not grow arrogant or lazy in regard to your success. YOU MUST ALSO LEARN TO FINISH WELL.

 

AND WHAT A WARNING TO US AS WELL.

In a day when people are so tempted to sit back

And rest upon past accomplishments.

 

If we do not finish well, then starting well means absolutely nothing.

 

WE ALL WATCHED OLYMPIC SWIMMING

Does anyone remember who started out the best in any of those races?

But who finished the best? – Michael Phelps

 

LIKEWISE, GOD WANTS US TO FINISH WELL

 

This is why Jesus made statements like these:

John 8:31 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;”

 

Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

 

This is why the writer of Hebrews said:

Hebrews 10:36-38 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.”

 

Paul had this passion:

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

 

The life you have been given is a marathon for God,

And while starting well is important,

The burning ambition of the Christian life is to finish well.

 

This morning, there are some who have never entered the race.

Unlike Solomon you’ve never even started well.

 

• You’ve never had a passion for Jesus.

• You’ve never sought His present.

• You’ve never dedicated the temple of your heart to Him.

 

This morning, you need to start the race.

Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.

 

But some have started the race,

I want to encourage you to learn from God’s promise to Solomon.

 

Do not get content in what you have accomplished.

 

• Maybe you have gone to church many times…

• Maybe you have given lots of money…

• Maybe you have taught Sunday School for years…

• Maybe you have built a temple and lined it with gold…

• Maybe you have purified the kingdom by removing the stumbling blocks…

 

Forget what lies behind,

And TODAY strive to be the best Christian you’ve ever been.

 

Let me encourage you, wherever you are in the race,

Kick it up a notch and focus on the remainder of your race.

 

You will learn that this decision

Would be one of the most important Solomon would ever make.

 

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

1 Kings 8:54-61

 

It is not difficult to recognize what was important to Solomon,

Especially early in his life.

 

If Solomon learned nothing else from his father,

He learned that the presence of God was irreplaceable.

 

So when Solomon went to Gibeon, he sought God and found Him.

When Solomon started a project, it was for the purpose of the presence of God.

When Solomon finished the project, He prayed God’s continual presence.

 

This morning we continue to see how important

God’s presence was to Solomon.

 

Last week, as Solomon prayed, and told God

All that he hoped to receive from His glorious presence.

This morning, Solomon stops speaking to God and addresses the people.

 

(54-55) “When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven. And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:”

 

Before the crowd goes home, before the event is over,

Solomon wants the people to understand what he understands.

 

He wants the people to have a passion for God’s presence.

 

And so this morning, let’s get into this text and see

What Solomon would say to us about how to respond to God’s presence.

4 things:

#1 MAY GOD BE PRAISED

1 Kings 8:56

 

It is impossible to miss the first thing Solomon wants his people to do.

“Blessed be the LORD”

 

God has done an amazing thing for His people.

God has shown up in their midst.

Solomon wants to make sure they don’t fail to praise Him for it.

 

One of the worst crimes people commit against God

Is failing to praise Him with a heart of gratitude.

 

Well over 100 times the Bible reiterates

The importance of thankfulness to God.

Paul wrote:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

But we don’t always do such a thing.

 

Many times we resemble the lepers that Luke refers to.

Luke 17:12-19 “As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine — where are they? “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

 

Even Jesus sounds a little astonished

That there could be such an immediate lack of gratitude

On the part of someone who has just received so much.

 

And yet at times we show the same lack of gratitude.

We can be so consumed with getting everything we want,

That many times we fail to be grateful for all that we do have.

 

Solomon wanted to make sure that did not happen on this day in Israel.

 

Before the people did anything else,

He wanted to make sure that the people recognized

What God had done and praised Him for it.

 

“Blessed be the LORD”

 

WHY SPECIFICALLY?

“who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised: not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.”

 

Solomon wants to make sure the people realize what has just occurred.

There was a promise fulfilled on that day

That was nearly 500 years in the making.

 

God had promised “rest to His people Israel”.

 

Moses was going to lead them out of bondage,

And into a land of promise, and give them rest from their enemies.

It was a promise of God.

 

BUT IT HAD BEEN A LONG TIME IN COMING.

FIRST THE PEOPLE WOULDN’T ENTER THE PROMISED LAND.

Psalms 95:10-11 “For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. “Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

 

NEXT JOSHUA LED THEM IN, BUT THEY WOULDN’T CONQUER EVERYONE

Joshua 17:13 “ It came about when the sons of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.”

 

THEN CAME THE PERIOD OF DISOBEDIENCE UNDER THE JUDGES.

Judges 2:11-12 “Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger.”

 

THEN SAUL BECAME KING, BUT HIS FAITHULNESS WAIVERED, AND WAR CONTINUED.

 

DAVID FOLLOWED SAUL, BUT INHERITED A MESS. HE HAD MANY WARS TO FIGHT IN ORDER TO BRING PEACE TO ISRAEL.

 

BUT NOW, NEARLY 500 YEARS LATER,

ISRAEL WAS FINALLY IN HER LAND,

THE BORDER WAS SECURE, THE ENEMIES WERE CONQUERED,

AND GOD HAD MOVED IN TO THE TEMPLE.

 

When you recognize all the stubbornness of Israel,

You realize that Israel did not deserve to rest securely in the land.

 

Yet, God made a promise, and despite their obstinance,

On this day God fulfilled His word.

Solomon wants them to praise God for it.

 

And are we ever reminded of an important truth.

We all must realize that the only reason we are where we are

Is because of the mercy and faithfulness of God.

 

James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

 

Sometimes we live under a delusion that we have earned where we are, but nothing could be further from the truth.

 

We are where we are because God is faithful merciful toward us,

Even when we don’t deserve it.

 

And so do not forget to take time to praise God.

May God be Praised

#2 MAY GOD BE PRESENT

1 Kings 8:57-58

 

As Solomon begins this point,

It almost sounds like he is just making another request of God.

 

And in part he is.

(57) “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us,”

 

Now understanding Israel’s history makes this request a gigantic one.

No doubt Solomon was impressed that God

Would continually dwell with his ancestors.

 

And we remember that stiff-necked people don’t we?

 

You can read the 78th Psalm and get a run down

On the continual disobedience of Israel.

 

But in the middle, we see God’s faithfulness.

Psalms 78:34-39 “When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God; And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue. For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.”

 

God didn’t remain with Israel because they deserved it.

God remained because He was merciful and faithful.

 

Solomon prays for that same mercy and faithfulness for his day.

 

“May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us,”

 

In short He wants God to stick around.

 

But as I said, this passage is not addressed to God,

This passage is addressed to the people.

 

He wants them to realize that they need God to stick around,

Then he tells them why they should want God to always be present.

 

(58) “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.”

DO YOU SEE WHY SOLOMON TOLD THE PEOPLE THEY NEEDED GOD TO STAY NEAR?

 

To help them with the large task of obedience.

 

And this is a huge concept.

 

We wake up so many days out of the year

And feel like we are in such control of things.

• We think our security is achieved because of our hard work…

• We think our comforts have been earned…

• We assume that how we live is up to us…

• And that we deserve the credit for the good things we do…

BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE

 

If God were not present in your life, you would have no good to speak of.

 

Must we all remember what we were without God in our lives?

Romans 3:10-18 “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

 

Without God in our lives we are hopelessly wicked

Without any ability to do good at all.

 

Solomon wanted the people to know

That if God wasn’t in their midst, they couldn’t even be obedient.

 

(58) “that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.”

 

Even our obedience is dependent upon the presence of God.

 

Jeremiah 31:33-34 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

 

Jeremiah 32:38-40 “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. “I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.”

 

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

 

That is why obedience has always been a fruit of salvation,

And never a means of salvation.

 

You cannot obey to get yourself saved,

But once you are truly saved,

God has given you the ability to obey, and you should.

 

This is in essence what Solomon wants.

He tells the people that God’s presence

Is absolutely essential to their ability to obey.

 

May God be Praised May God be Present

#3 MAY GOD BE PERSUADED

1 Kings 8:59-60

 

Solomon again reiterates the points of his prayer.

(59) “And may these words of mine, which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires,”

 

Remember the thrust of his prayer?

1 Kings 8:28-30 “Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. “Listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive.”

 

Solomon wanted God to listen to their prayers

So that His presence could bring about the appointed blessings of:

Justice, Redemption, Provision, Deliverance, Glory, Victory, and Mercy

 

And now Solomon is preaching to the people, and says,

May we all pray that God answers that prayer.

 

WHY?

(60) “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else.”

 

Solomon is giving them a very important reminder.

We want God present, we need God present.

 

BUT REMEMBER THIS.

GOD’S PRESENCE AND THE GLORY OF IT,

IS NOT ABOUT YOU, IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM.

 

Last week we learned that the presence of God means glory.

The presence of God is in fact the only thing

That we have to offer to a lost and dying world.

 

But in saying that we must remember

We are not using God’s presence to attract people to us,

We are proclaiming God’s presence to glorify Him.

 

Sometimes if we are not careful

We can slip into this crazy notion that church is about us.

 

• WE’VE ALL SEEN PREACHERS that lost sight of the true calling and used their pulpits as a means to advance their own careers…

 

• WE’VE ALL SEEN SINGERS who used the churches stage as a springboard into the world’s music halls…

 

• WE’VE ALL SEEN CHURCH MEMBERS who use the church as a chance to get a little power and make some executive decisions, when they otherwise don’t get to decide anything in the world…

 

And sometimes if we aren’t careful we forget

That God does not place His presence in our lives

To use it as a marketing tool to further our own agendas.

 

GOD’S PRESENCE IS FOR GOD’S GLORY

 

This temple was not some worldly sightseeing attraction

That would generate extra tourist revenue in Israel.

 

This temple was about the presence of God,

And the presence of God was about God being glorified.

 

May God be persuaded to answer our prayers,

But don’t try to persuade Him for the wrong reasons.

 

May God be Praised May God be Present May God be Persuaded

#4 MAY YOU BE PERSISTENT

1 Kings 8:61

And finally we get to the punch of Solomon’s sermon.

For the first time, he actually charges the people to do something.

 

• Because God’s presence is an undeserved blessing…

• Because God’s presence is necessary for our obedience…

• Because God’s presence is how He glorifies Himself…

 

Then let us do whatever it takes to keep the presence of God in our midst.

 

HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

HOW DO YOU KEEP GOD’S PRESENCE?

 

I know that seems like a strange question,

Since God has promised to never leave us,

But that does not mean we don’t seek the presence of God.

 

Paul told the Ephesians:

Ephesians 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,”

 

BUT I THOUGHT WE ALREADY HAD THE SPIRIT?

 

The question is not how much of the Spirit you have,

But how much of you the Spirit has.

 

How much of you are you willing to let Him have.

 

David Allen said, “You are as close to Jesus as you want to be.”

 

The issue with God’s presence is not how close He will come to us,

But How close we will get to Him.

 

Even though God has promised not to leave,

Seeking the presence of God is still necessary in our lives.

 

God never left the church at Ephesus, but they had left their first love.

 

HOW DO I SECURE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN MY LIFE?

How can I make sure to always be close to Him?

 

And Solomon gives the answer.

“Let your heart be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

 

HOW DO YOU SECURE THE PRESENCE OF GOD?

Be “wholly devoted to the LORD”

 

In the deepest part of your heart, you must be committed to Him.

You have to love Him more than anything else…

You have to want Him more than anything else…

 

In your heart you have to be “wholly devoted to the LORD”

 

WELL I WANT TO BE, BUT HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM?

 

Solomon shows you what it looks like to be “wholly devoted”.

 

“to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

 

A WHOLLY DEVOTED HEART

REVEALS ITSELF IN A TOTALLY OBEDIENT LIFE.

 

AND OF COURSE WE KNOW THIS.

We are all familiar with the blunder of King Saul.

 

Samuel was late, and Saul broke the rules to offer the sacrifice for him.

When Samuel showed up he said:

1 Samuel 15:22-23 “Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”

 

And if the Israelites were to keep God’s presence,

They needed to remember that.

 

THE TRAGEDY IS THAT ISRAEL WOULD FAIL TO LEARN THIS.

Before long, they forgot that what God wanted was a relationship,

And they took God’s presence for granted.

 

In fact, in just a few years, they got their theology all wrong.

Instead of being devoted to God, they assumed

That the presence of the temple secured the presence of God.

 

They thought God would never leave because they had the temple.

(Like building a building is enough to make God stay)

 

And that is why Jeremiah would call them back.

Jeremiah 7:1-11 “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD!'” Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. “Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘ This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. “Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”

 

They would come to miss the point that Solomon was preaching.

They knew God’s presence was beneficial,

But they completely lost sight of what secures it.

 

Temples trimmed in gold have never secured the presence of God,

Nor do buildings built of brick.

 

If you want God’s presence to be real in your life,

Then you personally must be “wholly devoted to the LORD”

 

GOD SHOWS UP WHEN HE IS REALLY WANTED

 

THIS MORNING, THE QUESTION IS SIMPLE.

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT GOD’S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE?

 

• Bad enough to lay aside the world?

• Bad enough to deny yourself?

• Bad enough to take up your cross and follow Jesus?

• Bad enough to alter your agenda?

• Bad enough to stop the busyness of life?

• Bad enough to spend time in His word?

• Bad enough to spend time on your knees?

 

God’s presence is necessary in life.

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT HIM?

 

Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

 

1 Kings 8:22-53 (READ: 1 Kings 8:22-30)

 

As we have studied through the Kings,

Most recently we have been in the middle of the life of Solomon.

We have seen his passion

We have seen his petition

We have seen his project

 

And then last week we saw the project pay off

God showed up!

 

The importance of such a thing can be overstated.

And this morning I want to show you why.

 

This morning we look at “The Prayer of Solomon”

It is his immediate response to the presence of the glory of God.

 

As Solomon prays, we learn why he considered God’s presence

To be such a valuable thing.

 

So let’s listen to Solomon’s prayer this morning.

#1 ADORATION

1 Kings 8:22-24

 

Solomon begins this prayer in perfect fashion.

 

Look at his posture.

(22) “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.”

 

And his words match his posture.

(23) “He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath”

 

SOLOMON BEGINS HIS PRAYER WITH PRAISE.

 

Jesus taught:

Matthew 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”

Solomon’s God was no dud.

Solomon took time to contemplate the God he was praying to.

 

We also notice why Solomon is praising God.

(READ VERSES 23-24)

 

SOLOMON IS PRAISING BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL

 

(23) “keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness”

(24)“ have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him;”

(24) “You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand”

 

God has done what He said He would do.

AND SOLOMON IS THRILLED!

 

Adoration

#2 SUPPLICATION

1 Kings 8:25-30

 

This is the heart of Solomon’s prayer.

Solomon just praised God for being faithful,

Now look at what he prays for.

 

(READ VERSES 25-26)

 

HE’S ASKING THE FAITHFUL GOD TO CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL

 

We are familiar with what God told Moses.

Exodus 3:13-14 “Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”

 

That name of course speaks of God’s unchanging nature,

And consistent faithfulness.

 

God is not “I was”, God is not “I will be”

God is simply I AM

 

Do you want to know who God is? Then look at who He was.

Do you want to know who God will be? Then look at who He is.

 

Thomas Chisholm nailed it when he wrote:

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Though changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; as Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”

 

THIS IS ALL SOLOMON ASKS FOR.

He doesn’t want God to change, into something more appealing.

He simply wants God to be the God He has always been.

 

And then we move into the real heart of the prayer.

 

WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU ASKING FOR SOLOMON?

READ 1 KINGS 8:27-30

DID YOU PICK UP ON WHAT SOLOMON WANTS?

(He mentioned it 6 times)

(28) “have regard to the prayer”

(28) “listen to the cry and to the prayer”

(29) “listen to the prayer”

(30) “Listen to the supplication”

(30) “hear in heaven”

(30) “hear and forgive”

 

WHAT DID SOLOMON WANT?

He knew the temple couldn’t hold God,

ALL HE ASKED WAS FOR GOD TO HEAR HIS PRAYER.

 

I THINK WE TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED TODAY

 

We take it for granted that while we may not always have time for God,

He will always have time for us.

 

The reason we take it for granted is because it is true.

His word promises that He is always there.

 

BUT IT IS A SHAME THAT WE HAVE MADE SUCH A SMALL THING

OUT OF THAT AMAZING TRUTH.

 

Solomon didn’t.

Imagine what it would be like if God were too busy;

Or unwilling to hear our prayers.

 

Remember what God warned through Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 18:17 “Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.'”

 

Remember what God warned through Amos

Amos 8:11-12 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.”

 

SOLOMON’S PRAYER WAS THAT THIS FAITHFUL GOD

WOULD CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL AND TO BE NEAR.

 

Asaph said:

Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

 

SOLOMON JUST WANTED GOD TO BE NEAR.

(and we see that clearly)

 

BUT WHY DID SOLOMON WANT THAT?

WHY WAS SOLOMON SO CONCERNED THAT GOD WOULD BE NEAR?

WHY IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD SO IMPORTANT?

 

The answer to that question is the main point of the sermon,

And the very thing Solomon is about to explain.

 

Adoration, Supplication

#3 EXPLANATION

1 Kings 8:31-53

 

Solomon explains to God why he wants His presence.

 

You see, there are benefits in life to having God near

That are simply not there if God is not present.

 

In fact, the nearness of God is the epitome of blessing.

Look at the beatitudes.

 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit” Why? “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart” Why? “For they shall see God.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers” Why? “For they shall be called sons of God.”

 

Certain attitudes bring blessing,

And that blessing is a person’s nearness to God.

 

LET ME SHOW YOU

In this prayer Solomon will explain to God 7 benefits

That he expects to receive from having God’s presence.

 

They are 7 things we would not have if God refused to dwell in our midst.

 

1) JUSTICE (31-32)

 

Basically, if a man wrongs another, and won’t fess up to it.

Instead he says to others, “I swear I didn’t do it”

And the offended says, “I swear, he did do it”

 

WHO WILL MAKE SURE THE WICKED GETS JUDGED AND THUS DISCOURAGE OTHERS FROM EVIL?

 

That is why the wanted God to be present.

(READ VERSE 32)

 

Solomon wanted God’s presence for the purpose of justice.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT IF GOD WERE NOT PRESENT THERE WOULD BE NO JUSTICE?

 

That is why atheists so badly want to dismiss God as a myth.

If God is not real then neither are morals.

 

We can treat each other however we want

With absolutely no fear of retribution or punishment.

 

This is what many in Washington can’t seem to figure out.

You cannot have “liberty and justice for all”

If we are not “One nation under God”

 

THE PRESENCE OF GOD MEANS JUSTICE

 

Jeremiah 17:10 “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”

 

Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”

 

Solomon even wrote late in life:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

 

Solomon wanted God present, because the promise of His righteous judgment would be a deterrent to immorality.

 

This is why we need God present.

(Justice)

2) REDEMPTION (33-34)

 

I love the point Solomon makes here.

He gives a specific instance in which God’s people do something dumb

And reap the consequences of it.

 

“When Your people are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned”

 

HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?

Can you name a time when you disobeyed God and your disobedience caused you to be in a bad situation?

We have all been in that boat before.

 

THAT IS WHY SOLOMON WANTED GOD TO BE NEAR.

When they repent and pray to you:

(34) “then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.”

 

He wanted God’s presence to break the power of sin in their lives,

And restore them to the place they had before they messed up.

 

That is called redemption.

 

One of the best illustrations in the Bible is when Hosea redeemed Gomer.

 

Hosea 3:1-3 “Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley. Then I said to her, “You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you.”

 

Although her own sin had landed her in this predicament,

Hosea had the power to undo it and redeem her.

 

Who has the power to deliver you from your mistakes in life?

Only God.

(Redemption)

3) PROVISION (35-36)

 

Once again we see the obvious implication of sin and repentance.

However Solomon uses a specific illustration.

(rain)

 

WHY RAIN?

Water is literally the life flow of the earth.

Without it, life cannot exist on this planet.

 

And that is unique, because only God can send it.

 

We are dependent upon God for our most necessary resource,

And therefore we need God near.

 

That is Solomon’s prayer.

Be close to us “And send rain on Your land which You have given Your people for an inheritance.”

 

• If God were to leave, who would provide for you?

• If God were to leave, who would provide for this church?

 

God is the only One who can.

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

My mind is drawn to a hillside when 5,000 men showed up

And they were hungry. All they had were 5 loaves and 2 fish.

 

It sure was handy to have Jesus around.

(Provision)

4) DELIVERANCE (37-40)

 

WHAT DO ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE IN COMMON?

They are all things that oppress people.

 

PLEASE NOTICE THAT SOLOMON DOES NOT SAY

THAT THESE THINGS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF SIN.

 

It could happen because of sin, but not necessarily.

 

We live in a fallen sinful world,

And sometimes bad things just happen.

 

WHEN LIFE JUST GETS TOUGH, WHO DO YOU TURN TO?

• When your company down sizes…

• When the flu spreads through the community…

• When terrorists fly airplanes into your buildings…

• When the biopsy comes back malignant…

 

WHERE DO YOU GO?

To God.

We need God to be present to deliver us

Because sometimes things happen that are far too difficult for us.

 

My mind goes to a day when Jesus disciples were in a boat, and the waves were about to turn the boat over. Jesus said, “Peace be still”,

 

I’m guessing the disciples thought it was a good thing Jesus was there.

(Deliverance)

 

5) GLORY (41-43)

 

Solomon had built a great temple,

But people weren’t going to travel just to see a great temple.

 

Israel needed something greater than that, to draw the nations to them.

They needed God.

 

And should we ever learn this.

In a day when the Church is desperately seeking an angle

In which to entice the world to attend.

 

• The Church tries to use entertainment…

• The Church tries to use humanitarian aid…

• The Church tries to use mystical experience…

 

BUT WE HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER THE WORLD EXCEPT FOR GOD.

 

Our power to attract is not found in fancy buildings

Or in eloquent speakers or state of the art special effects.

In those things we cannot compete.

But we have something the world will never have,

And that is the presence of God.

 

Jesus Himself said:

John 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

 

(glory)

(6) VICTORY (44-45)

 

I suppose life would be easy if we were always the biggest,

The fastest, the smartest and the strongest.

 

BUT WE AREN’T.

At times we face giants that we just can’t seem to tackle.

 

WE NEED HELP

This help comes through the presence of God.

 

Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

 

Even Jesus said it:

Matthew 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

 

God’s presence gives us victory.

• How else did the walls of Jericho come down?

• How else would Goliath fall?

• How else will you get that co-worker to listen to you?

• How else will you overcome the language barrier in Ethiopia?

 

(victory)

7) MERCY (46-53)

 

In those moments, when life is going poorly.

We have blown it, and we are reaping the consequences.

 

Even then, be merciful to us, and make us objects of compassion.

 

BE NEAR TO BE MERCIFUL

 

And if you have missed it, this is really the main reason

Why Solomon want’s God’s presence.

 

(30) “hear and forgive”

(34) “then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your people”

(36) “then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants”

(39) “then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive”

(50) “and forgive Your people”

 

Solomon knew that regardless of how hard they tried,

His people would mess up.

 

Remember verse 46, “When they sin against You, (for there is no man who does not sin)…”

 

Solomon knew that he and his people would occasionally blow it.

 

And so the primary reason Solomon wants God’s presence

Is for the blessing of forgiveness.

 

Isn’t it a blessing that any time you fail, you can go to God, repent of your sin, seek His forgiveness, and know that He will give it?

 

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

What a blessing of His presence!

When we offend Him, He doesn’t cut off the lines of communication,

But He is right there, willing to listen, and willing to forgive.

 

WE HAVE MERCY BECAUSE OF GOD’S PRESENCE.

Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

AND SO DO YOU SEE WHY WE NEED GOD’S PRESENCE?

Justice, Redemption, Provision, Deliverance, Glory, Victory, and Mercy.

 

Those things come about because of the presence of God.

 

Now you see why Solomon wanted it so badly.

In fact, let me show you just one more verse.

 

(54) “When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven.”

 

DID YOU CATCH HIS POSTURE THERE?

I thought we read in verse 22 that he was standing?

 

That is how he started, but that is not how he finished.

The more he prayed the more intense he became.

 

HE WASN’T JUST ASKING FOR GOD’S PRESENCE,

HE WAS BEGGING FOR IT.

 

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

• Do you want His presence in your life?

• Do you want His presence in this church?

 

Last week we learned how to get it.

Seek Him diligently

And seek Him through the blood of Jesus Christ.

 

DENY YOURSELF AND SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST.

 

Make seeking God’s presence a priority,

And the blessing of God’s presence will be a reality.

 

Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”