All in with Solomon 1 Kings 3:1–15 June 10, 2018 PRAY
All In With Solomon Screen 1 1 Kings 3:1–15 Screen 2 June 10, 2018
PRAY - Geniuses material
➤ What if I stood before you today and said that you and I have access to the thoughts, ac ons, and life of the wisest and richest man who ever lived? What if I told you the greatest repository of wisdom ever chronicled lay right within the reach of your finger ps? What if I said you have access to the biography and autobiography of the worlds wisest and richest man? Well, you do – it is included —TOTALLY HUMAN-- in the Bible! The biography and autobiography of the world's wisest and richest man, excluding Christ, of course, is contained in 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles / --BIOGRAPHY-- --AUTOBIOGRAPHY-- Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs! His name was Solomon!
➤ In regards to wisdom, 1 Kings 3:12 says, Behold, I now do according to your Screen 3 word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has ever before you and none like you shall arise a er you. (NONE!)
➤In regards to "riches, possessions and honor", 2 Chronicles 1:12 says, wisdom Screen 4 and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none a er you shall have the like.
➤ Are you interested? Let's invite God to accompany us – lead us – along the new journey will be taking in studying the life of Solomon.
Our message comes from 1 Kings 3:1–15
(HIS REIGN WAS APPROXIMATELY 970–930 B.C.)
1 ➤ Before 1 Kings 3:1 "Solomon" was the third (3rd) king of Israel (the first [1st] King was Saul; the second [2nd] king was David.). Solomon was the tenth son of David's 17 or so son's 2 Samuel 3, 1 Chronicles 3). Solomon's mother was Bathsheba and he was her second (2nd) son with the great King David. David named him Solomon in 2 Samuel 12:24, but his name was given by God to the prophet Nathan was Jedediah - “beloved of the Lord” (see 2 Samuel 12:25). Solomon means "peace", from Hebrew Shalom. 1 Kings 1–2 tells us of his ascension to the throne and his consolida on of the kingship. This narra ve has long been appreciated as one of the earliest historical works in the Bible (“The Anchor Bible Dic onary", Vol. 6, Si-Z, p. 106). In 1 Kings 1:1 we are told that David's health was failing so quickly that he could no longer keep warm. He, no doubt, was slipping in his mental capaci es as well. (PTSD no doubt) The major problem was that he had not named a successor yet! In 1 Kings 1:5 which says, Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying "I will be the king. Adonijah, who was fourth (4th) but the oldest surviving son of David crowned himself king (the three oldest son's had died and thus he was expected Screen 5 to become king by the general public.)
1 Kings 1:5-10 Vs. 5 . . . And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and 50 men to run before him. Vs. 6 His father had never at any me displeased him by asking, "Why have you done thus and so? "He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next a er Absalom. Vs. 7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. Vs. 8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei (Shemay) and Rei (Ray) and David's mighty men were not with Adonijah. Vs. 9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fa ened ca le by the
2 serpent's stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the Kings son's, and all the royal officials of Judah, Vs. 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother. (A family war is brewing here.)
1 Kings 1:11-15a Vs. 11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon,"Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become the king and David our lord does not know it? (slipped mind) Vs. 12 Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Vs. 13 Go in at once to King David, and say to him, did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, "Solomon your son shall reign a er me, and he shall sit on my throne?" Why then is Adonijah king? Vs. 14 Then while you are s ll speaking with the king, I also will come in a er you and confirm your words." Vs. 15a So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber...
1 Kings 1:28-53 Vs. 28 Then King David answered, "Call Bathsheba to me." So she came into the King’s presence and stood before the king. Vs. 29 And the King swore, saying, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, Vs. 30 as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, Solomon your son shall reign a er me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place, even so will I do this day. Vs. 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, " May my Lord King David live forever! "
Vs. 32 King David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. So they came before the king. Vs. 33 And the king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your Lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. Vs. 34 And let Zadok the
3 priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Vs. 35 You shall then come up a er him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” Vs. 36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so. Vs. 37 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”
Vs. 38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites (foreign mercenaries) went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gihon. Vs. 39 There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” Vs. 40 And all the people went up a er him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. (loud)
Vs. 41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feas ng. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” Vs. 42 While he was s ll speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” Vs. 43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, Vs. 44 and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king's mule. Vs. 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at
4 Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. Vs. 46 Solomon sits on the royal throne. Vs. 47 Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king bowed himself on the bed. Vs. 48 And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’”
Vs. 49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. Vs. 50 And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. (a place of refuge, biblically) Vs. 51 Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” Vs. 52 And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” Vs. 53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
Screen 6 ➤ In chapter 2, David charges Solomon to be a good King: —“A SOVEREIGN GOD” AND “A RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE” possibly get people to speak this.— 1 Kings 2:1–4: Vs. 1 When David's me to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, Vs. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, Vs. 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his tes monies, as it is wri en in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, Vs. 4 that the Lord may establish his word that a key passage in the Bible - 1 Kings 2:2-5 like the Lord to Joshua in Joshua 1 5 he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close a en on to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
➤ In 1 Kings 2:5-10 David and Solomon rule as co-regents together! This was to vss. 1-4, protect the young Solomon and his throne. In verses 10–12 David dies. (*the especially finest par ng words of father could ever give to a son*). In verse 13 through the end of the chapter, Solomon "sniffed out" a coup to seize power from his brother vss. 1-4, --JOAB-- --ABIATHAR-- especially Adonijah and had him executed alongside one other of the conspirators and dismissed the priest who supported him, etc. then verse 46b says, so the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.
➤ Those are mighty big words, because the kingdom was a mighty big Kingdom!
>Charles Swindoll< Screen 7 "Let me give you a list of the things Solomon received as a result of his father’s
hand. ! The na on was now unified under one flag. " A royal capital had
been established in Jerusalem. # The military force of Israel was now respected by all the enemies around them, and every enemy had been
subdued, including the Philis nes. $ Israel's boundaries had been extended
from 6,000 to 60,000 square miles. % Prosperity had been brought in by the Screen 8
extensive trade groups that his father had set up. & The people hungered for God and righteousness and the sounds of his father's song could be heard throughout the land. I would call all that an enviable legacy, and it was
6 Solomon's to enjoy. If any son ever had reason to be grateful, that one did.” ("David" by Charles Swindoll, p. 292).
➤ David had le Solomon a legacy (that could easily have been lost...)
➤The first thing Solomon did – a er burying his father and then pu ng down the coup a empt from his brother Adonijah is…
1 Kings 3:1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh King of Egypt. He Screen 9 took pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David un l he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. Solomon's life is one of many paradoxes! While scholars go back-and-forth on whether or not he should have married the pharaoh’s daughter, the following scriptures make it perfectly clear that this was a mistake! Screen 10 Deuteronomy 7:3-4 3 you shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods.
➤ These passages of Scripture make it perfectly clear that this was a mistake! He obviously married her (Siamun) --Pharaoh-- for poli cal reasons. The Bible does not comment on this here, as to whether or not it was a sin! Egypt was a powerful na on (though less powerful than it had been prior) in the middle east at that me and Solomon wanted peace with them – no ma er what the cost! (It worked!) "City of David" is Jerusalem here (Bethlehem at other places!). Solomon boldly brings her to Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel – HE DOES NOT HIDE HER AWAY! A PRETTY BRAZEN SIN! The "palace", the "temple"and the "wall around
7 Jerusalem" were three of many major building projects that he would undertake throughout his kingship.
1 Kings 3:2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no Screen 11 house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
➤ In regards to the “high places” they were located in towns and ci es and were not forbidden as places of worship of YAHWEH (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) before the temple had been built.
1 Kings 3:3 The beginning Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statues of Screen 12 David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.
➤ Here’s another paradox – he loved God and was “ALL IN” (the one true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) --David his father-- but he also sacrificed and burn incense on the high places. Evidently, it was biblically unlawful to offer sacrifices unto the Lord unless the Ark of the covenant was present (see Adam Clarke, CD). But the good stands above the error - "Solomon loved God" (YAHWEH) literally in the Hebrew (Simon DeVries, world Biblical commentary, page 51.). With reference to God, it implies moral concern and commitment. (❋His heart is right❋ though he is a li le misguided, he is feverishly seeking God in his ac ons – 1000 sacrificial offerings....!) ⬅ KEY ❋GOD WILL HONOR THIS!❋
1 Kings 3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the Screen 13 great high place. Solomon used to offer 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar.
"Gibeon" was a town located seven (7) miles northwest of Jerusalem. "The most important High place" – it had a lot of prominence as a place of worship. He
8 offered 1000 burnt offerings on this alter – wow! The king was not above ge ng dirty to honor God – the Lord! (Lots of blood in that many offerings – it must have taken days for him to complete these offerings\sacrifices.)
➤ Solomon put himself into a posi on or place to hear from God (wisdom) – he is in Gibeon on a holy mission to worship God!
>NOW, WATCH WHAT HAPPENS...< (like Jacob) 1 Kings 3:5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in the dream by night, Screen 14 and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."
➤ Throughout the Old Testament, before Scriptures were wri en down in its completed form, God spoke to people in dreams. – (use the New Testament at the end…Jesus.) the Bible; the Holy Spirit; the church (other believers); circumstances
➤ Stop here – God said, "Ask me for anything you want and it's yours!" ✸He does NOT say – "You can only have one thing"– either! GOD WAS “ALL IN” FOR SOLOMON!
➤ (GOD'S BLANK CHECK - GOD’S DEBIT CARD WITH NO LIMIT) – play with this – "What would you ask for?"
IN THE FLESH IN THE SPIRIT
• Condo in Daytona Beach, Florida •a healthy church
• Unlimited money •everyone hear the Gospel • New clothes Lenox Mall •the Kingdom to come
• Over 6 feet tall – at least 5’10” •God’s will
9 (I have more than everything I’ve ever wanted, materially.)
➤ Then ask – God is saying, "I will give you, from my vast unlimited resources, anything you want!
➤ Conclusion from God's statement (only God could make that statement and Screen 15 deliver the goods!):
1. God owns everything – He is inexhaus ble in want he can give. (David’s words in 1 Chronicles 29) 2. God can give anything he wants to – God can deliver!
➤ You and I could never ask anything of him that he cannot do with total ease! You and I cannot even begin to ask of him all that he is capable of doing!
➤ What would you ask (God) for? IF YOU COULD HAVE ANYTHING!
➤ I wonder if he paused and thought before he gave his answer!
1 Kings 3:6 And Solomon said "You have shown great and steadfast love to your Screen 16 servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. Screen 17
➤ Solomon is grateful to God before he makes any request of God. (Philippians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplica on with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.)
➤ Gra tude shows humility – He is already king of the most powerful Israel in history! (970-971 B.C.)
10 WHAT A LESSON FROM THE WISEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED! (like father, like son)
➡ Drum roll, please1 Screen 18 1 Kings 3:7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a li le child. (or “just a kid”) I do not know how to go out or come in.
➤ "li le child" simply means a kid! He was already married and had a son. (At the end of his reign of 40 years, the scripture tells us he had a 41-year-old son –
(See 1 Kings 11:42; 14:21). BIG KINGDOM – BIG SHOES TO FILL – LACK OF EXPERIENCE – DANGEROUS TO BE KING – ETC. He had already had one coup a empt, etc.
➡ Louder drum roll, please.
1 Kings 3:8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have Screen 19 chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for mul tude.
➤ In other words, "God, this job is too big for me. I don't know how to carry on the 'daily business' of being a king."
1 Kings 3:9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your Screen 20 people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"
➡ Drum roll stops a er reading this verse. ⬅
11 ➤ New American Standard Bible: 1 Kings 3:9 "So give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?"
➤ Holman Chris an Standard Bible: 1 Kings 3:9 "So give your servant an obedient heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?"
➤ New Century Version: 1 Kings 3:9 "I ask that you give me a heart that understands, so I can rule the people in the right way and will know the difference between right and wrong. Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of yours.” My favorite! SOLOMON WAS “ALL IN!”
➤ The Living Bible: 1 Kings 3:9 "Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. For who by himself is able to carry such a heavy responsibility?
➤ He is the only individual whom God ever gave out a blank check - Debit Card with no limit to in Scriptures, cashed it in for WISDOM to benefit others.
➤ A "discerning heart" can be translated "recep ve heart" – literally a "hearing or listening heart" ("Word", p. 52). Though the end of David's reign offered much to be envied/admired, the poli cal situa on was s ll a bit unstable and it was yet to be determined what kind of a ruler the young Solomon would become this early in his kingship.
➤ Are you disappointed with how Solomon cashed in/out his blank check? His wisdom was absolutely incalculable even before he made the "wish" (NASB).
12 Screen 21 ➤ GOD WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH SOLOMON’S DESIRE: GOD WAS “ALL IN”
1 Kings 3:10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. Screen 22
➤ Solomon was a God pleaser (ALL IN) first at this point in his life. (See Gal. 1:10.)
1 Kings 3:11 And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for your self understanding to discern what is right,
➤ NOT: "long life, riches, life of your enemies". He really asked for nothing for himself but that which would honor God and help others!
1 Kings 3:12-14 Vs. 12 Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I Screen 23 give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise a er you. Vs. 13 I give you also what you have not Screen 24 asked, both riches and honor, so that no other King shall compare with you, all your days. Vs. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statues and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days."
✸ God gives Solomon a thousand mes more than anything he could or did ask for! ✸ God does the same thing for you and me today, when we asked according to his will.
1 Kings 3:15a And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Screen 25
➤ "dream" - it was a revela on that would come true.
➤ Watch what he does here – it's very interes ng:
13 1 Kings 3:15b “Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
➤ He went to worship at the proper place (in other words – he repented). The order is: Screen 26
1. God offers (while Solomon is worshiping...),
2. Solomon responds,
3. God replies, and
4. Solomon worships.
➤ In closing, I want to make some comments.
➤ There are no limits on what God can do except those that our own faith Screen 27 imposes! Solomon (you & I) could never ask more than God is willing to give. Yet, if God is to give, (you) must ask, and (you) will be tested by what (you) ask for. If you want to see what is really inside a person – put them in a posi on of leadership/power!
➤ Our request ("wish" – New American Standard Bible) reveals what sort of person we are and Solomon's request for a "recep ve heart" --hearing/listening-- showed that he was ready to go “all in” for God. ("Word", p. 55).
This is only the beginning of Solomon's reign – What a great way/place to start!
➤ NOW THAT'S WISDOM!
PRAYER AND INVITATION Screen 28
14