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Presbyterian Church Dhw CALVARY PANDAN BIBLE- an exception? Was he not endowed PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH with godly wisdom that should have prevented his falling away? [Adapted from Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church, 10 Downing St. Oakleigh, Vic., 3166] In these two chapters, we see Solomon establish himself and bring the nation, Israel, to the height of its DHW BIBLE CLASS glory, splendour and power. LESSON 5A Chapter 9 records God’s THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS second appearance to Solomon (vv.1- 9) and Solomon’s ambitious building CHAPTER 9 projects. Solomon’s name became so famous that the queen of Sheba took INTRODUCTION the trouble to visit him and Israel with a large retinue. Chapter 10 relates this visit (vv. 1-13); and the rest of the We have seen Solomon’s chapter explains Solomon’s wealth religious piety and enthusiasm in and the construction of his beautiful building the “house of the LORD” in and impressive throne. Chapter 8, and also his great palace. Twenty four years had passed since David, his aging father, had named OUTLINE him as his successor to the throne. 1. God appears to Solomon Chapters 9 and 10 describe Solomon’s again (vv.1-2); large building projects and the 2. The Conditions for Blessings strengthening of Israel with all the (vv.3-5); other nations of the world. It was a period which can be called “The 3. The Conditions for Punishment Golden Age of Israel” when the nations (vv.6-9); of the world acknowledged her glory 4. Solomon Strengthen Israel and paid homage to King Solomon. (vv.9:10-24); God had blessed Solomon with 5. Solomon’s Religious wisdom and wealth. The acquiring of Commitment (vv.25-28) wealth and wisdom has its dangers and temptations. Many who have been blessed by God in their younger and COMMENTARY formative years and who have God Appears to Solomon achieved their desires with prayerful help from God have fallen at the hour Again 9:1-2 of testing. They have succumbed to God took the initiative in temptations which irreparably destroy appearing to Solomon the second time their spiritual lives. God knows our at the same place where He first human nature and frailty. Is Solomon appeared to him in a dream (3:5). The DHW LESSON 5A 1 KINGS 9 words of God to him this time shed power to make a place or a person some light as to why God spoke to him holy. God revealed that He was again. Sometimes when a person has pleased with Solomon for building the completed a challenging task, he is temple. Solomon had asked God that tempted to take some time off and His “eyes may be open towards this relax. His commitment and self house night and day, even toward the discipline in life begin to slacken and place of which thou has said, ‘My he begins to give in to self-indulgence. name shall be there, that thou mayest It was possible that Solomon was in hearken unto the prayer which thy danger of adopting this attitude which servant shall make toward this place’” would subsequently affect his spiritual (8:29). God not only answered his life and relationship with God. God prayer, but God granted more than he knows our weaknesses and so He asked. God said that not only His eyes decided to speak to Solomon a second would be toward the temple, but His time. heart would be there, and not only day and night, but perpetually! This would be the second turning point in Solomon’s life. The first Second, God promised that He time round was the LORD meeting a would establish his rule over Israel for new king who had little confidence in ever as He had promised to David, his himself. This time the LORD would be father – “there shall not fail thee a man meeting a king with much worldly upon the throne of Israel” (9:5b). But experiences and who had already with this promise, God set forth some done much for the LORD The Word of conditions. The first condition was: “if the LORD would be strict and firm. He thou wilt walk before me, as David thy was no longer speaking to a child but a father walked” (9:4a). God made David grown man. In fact he was addressing the model for all the succeeding kings an experienced ruler. in walking before God. David had The Conditions for Blessings– 9:3-5 sinned in the Bathsheba affair which resulted in the murder of Uriah. But God’s words of a success David confessed to God and repented kingdom to Solomon can be applied in of his sin. God then forgave him. The two ways. injunction to Solomon to “walk before First, God gave him an Me” was to live with a continual assurance. He told Solomon that he consciousness of the presence of God had heard his prayer and supplication, and His law. It is to realise that God’s referring to his lengthy dedicatory watchful eye is constantly overseeing prayer at the temple when it was everything we say or do. It is not a life completed. God assured him that He of perfection but one of holiness. had “hallowed” the temple, which he The second condition was: “if had built to put His Name there thou wilt walk in integrity of heart” perpetually, and that His eyes and His (9:4b). The heart is the centre of our heart would be there perpetually. We personality and the seat of our learn that God alone can and have the 2 DHW LESSON 5A 1 KINGS 9 decision-making. One of Solomon’s injunction was about obedience. proverbs is (23:7): “For as he thinketh Obedience to God has always been in his heart, so is he”. God reminded the true test of faith. If we believe in Solomon to be absolutely sincere in God, and who God is, we will and his heart in his relations with Him. This ought to obey Him. God commanded was of ultimate importance. His Solomon to obey Him and to keep all motives must be godly. Solomon must His commandments. This obedience is beware of an external life of holiness based upon the perfect Word of God. It without the internal. He would be is not something subjective or arbitrary surrounded by wealth untold and an that is, it is not up to each and every opulent lifestyle that would put any man to decide how he should walk king of this world to shame. His with God. The blueprint for this is the “external” religious way of life must Bible. No matter how sincere a man is, reflect a heart that loves the LORD. It he can be sincerely wrong if his action must not be for show to please men, is against the Word of God. especially important and famous men The Conditions for Punishment– and women. 9:6-9 The third condition was: “if thou The next word “then” wilt walk in uprightness” (9:4c). This announces the consequences of was to perform righteous deeds. This obedience. God firmly promised came after the injunction to walk in Solomon that He “will establish the integrity of heart. It is of no use to throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for possess a righteous heart if the life is ever.” The blessings of the LORD from full of unrighteous deeds. There are day one have always been conditional. many people today who possess a Human responsibility always enters good and sincere heart but they do not the equation of blessings even as we have the courage and strength to do remember the sovereignty of God. The the right things at the right time. They nature of a conditional blessing is that fear man rather than God. They may there is a flip side to it. When the man possess all the wisdom and blessings sins and disobeys the Word of God, he from the LORD and have been will be punished. There will not be a endowed with wisdom from God and situation where nothing happens to great knowledge but if he is partial in him when he fails and wilfully his dealings and do not uphold justice, disobeys. He will be punished for his he is a failure in the sight of God. disobedience. Solomon must live a holy and God- pleasing life. He had to walk uprightly. Having given His conditions for the fulfilment of His promises, God The fourth condition was: “if solemnly warned Solomon. If Solomon thou wilt walk to do according to all and all his successors would turn from that I have commanded thee” and this following God and worship and serve included the next two, “wilt keep my other gods instead, God would statutes and my judgments”. This severely punish Israel. 3 DHW LESSON 5A 1 KINGS 9 The punishments would affect incapable of saving them. It is their the land, the temple and the people. punishment for their rebellion and God would “cut off Israel from the land” apostasy. which means that Israel would be God’s word to Solomon was separated from the land which God timely. He had given wisdom and had given to them (9:7a). In other wealth to Solomon. Solomon was then words, God would send them away 1 a rising star, which shone brighter than from the land. God also said that He all the others. The danger of falling into would cast the Temple out of His sight. the temptation of pride, forgetting God Israel sinned and the Temple was and being self-serving was real.
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