Day 24 & 25
1 Kings
King David anoints his son Solomon King...
1 Kings 2 says... When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires; Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'
1 Kings 3:6-14 we see a humble King Solomon asking God for help in doing his job the best he can... "Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong."
And then the Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked fro this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for -- both riches and honor -- so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
In 1 Kings 6:11, the word of the Lord came to Solomon: "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."
In 1 Kings 9:6 we read, "But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name."
...and then in Chapter 11 we see the same ol' same ol' in yet another King going down yet another forbidden path in King Solomon turning from God, worshiping other gods, and then as he has said he would do time and time again, God punishes.
Honestly, if I were God, I would have just clapped my hands together and banished the entire existence I created way back in day one of Genesis! But I guess that's why he's God and I'm not. He's got the patience, love, grace, and mercy of a God. I don't.
All these days I've been reading about the rise and fall of so many kings, about how pathetically stupid they are for falling into the same ol' traps over and over -- all these days I've been thinking, "How could they?" ---
And I had to stop and laugh at myself with the realization that I am them!
I am sometimes just like those kings of past!
I have been given everything I could ever want or need, and the only thing asked of me in return is simple obedience to the One who gave his all, and who daily gives me my all...
Gulp...
Point taken Lord...
Point taken.
