Promises and Warnings Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Promises and Warnings Part 1
Promises and Warnings Part 1
4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David.
7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.
8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded.
11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
An introduction to politics starting appearing as early as 1944 in the American Language Journal Two Cows in Political Isms … | Impressions (tvaraj.com)
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Socialism: You have two cows. You give one to your neighbour.
Communism: You have two cows. You give both cows to the Government which lets you buy part of it back.
American New Deal: You have two cows. The Government shoots one cow, buys the milk from the other cow and pours it down the sewer.
Nazism: You have two cows. The Government shoots you and takes the cows and sells the milk.
Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
Sometimes we approach our Christian walk and how we deal with God as a political system. We try to dictate to God what political system we are living in. Sometimes we are content with a monarchial system where God tells us what to do and we say “Yes, Sir”. Then there are other times when we prefer to be a democracy and think we are a member of Congress. When God tells us to do something, we may try to say “I will put a committee together to look into that first”. That simply does not work. The “Yes, Sir” method is easier and so much faster.
God appeared to Solomon twice. Not only was this rare, but it was twice, not just once. During this time in the Old Testament or Old Covenant, God only spoke through certain people. This is why this New Covenant we are under is so special. We all can come boldly before the throne of grace. During the time of the this scripture, it was not so. Solomon had the privilege of not only once, but twice hearing from God.
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
and
2 that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
Have we heard from God? A leading in a particular direction, a dream, or a vision? How precious it is? God came to Solomon in a dream.
God gives Solomon a promise:
14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
God expands on the promise:
4 Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments,
God lays out 3 requirements. You could say 1 - the Father, 1- the Son, 3 - the Holy Spirit:
Walk as Godly people before us has walked with integrity and uprightness.
Walk - linear motion. This word for walk means linear motion to travel. We are not supposed to stop. We are to keep growing. So many people think if they come to a salvation knowledge of Christ that they attained. They have arrived. The moment we come to Christ is not the end or the eclipse of our life, it is just the beginning. Integrity of heart is to have a complete commitment to avoiding sin or anything which would separate us from God. Uprightness refers to the quality we are trying to conform to the word of God. Are we walking straight of kind of crooked?
Do as we are commanded. This is not just some things but all things. This is not necessarily a focus on the actual commandments, but with what commitment to do what we know we should do. Obedience. God puts a high level of expectation in this area. Not that He expects us to be perfect 100% of the time, but that we would be obedient in all things. 1 Samuel 15:22
Keep God’s statutes and judgments.
Jesus breaks this down very easy for us. He consolidates everything into 2 things.
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
God goes on to list what will happen if Solomon does not follow these 3 requirements.
6 But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them,
7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
Conclusion:
We see the effects which happened to Israel. Solomon rebelled and Israel was cast out. What about us? We can see the effects of our world today of those who did not do what God had asked or did not do it with a singleness of heart. People saw the compromise and the lack of commitment and thought it must not be worth it. Look at us now. Jesus Christ came and paid a horrible price to bring us back. Was the price worth it? I look around and I say yes, Praise God, yes. We will not turn tail and compromise. We will stand on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to make a difference. We have the opportunity to share our testimony. We have an opportunity to share what the blood of Christ has done for us. How it has redeemed us.
Where are you with these 3 requirements issued to Solomon? They are issued to us today as well. (Everyone bow your heads and close your eyes)
Are you walking straight with integrity? Or are you walking a little crooked due to some compromises you have made?
Are you obedient to the Lord in all things? Or are there some areas of your life you have held on to which is causing you not to be completely obedient?
Are you loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind? What about other people? Do you love them as yourself?
Today is a new day. You can start again today. It not just about us and our choices. It is about everyone who watches us and how we live our life. The choices we make. The priorities we establish. Jesus Christ is worth you obedience. Jesus Christ is worth your love. Jesus Christ is worth it all.