Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome/Prayer

Most of the OT deals with the history of a nation with its origin story rooted in deliverance from slavery and bondage.

A nation that despite its covenant relationship with God continually wandered from God

Yet, it is also a history of a loving, merciful, and gracious God… who time and time again warned and corrected His people so that they may not have to suffer....

But as history has shown they did not listen to the many many warnings given to them and thus were cast into exile...

Today, we read one of these warnings… and as we do let us remember that God is under no obligation to warn anyone of His coming justice… and let us understand that when God speaks, when God warns us of consequences, it is an act of divine grace… and we would be wise to listen...

Open to 1 Kings 9 verses 1-9…

In the past few weeks we’ve covered...

The building of the temple (chapters 5-7)

The dedication of the temple (chapter 8) - prayer, benediction, sacrifices

All leading to Solomon’s high point...

Now, we are on the backside of Solomon’s reign - roughly 24 years into it…

We’ll break the text up into three portions and talk about them as we go along… so let’s begin and tackled the first two verses. 1 Kings 9:1-2

God appears to Solomon a second time...

Sometime shortly after the twenty years it took to build the temple and palace (7 & 13 years respectively)

And in this instance God appeared to Solomon as He did at Gibeon… recall 1 Kings 3:5

So, this time, like the time at Gibeon, God appeared to Solomon in a dream or vision…

Remember, God has spoken to Solomon another time as well… 1 Kings 6:11-13

In that instance the word of the Lord came to Solomon most likely via a prophet… and not the same way God appeared to Solomon at Gibeon or here in our text...

Now, in this particular moment, what does God say to Solomon?

Let’s find out by reading the first part of God’s message… 1 Kings 9:3-5

The Lord speaks

He has heard Solomon’s prayer made at the temple

He has made the house holy (3)

A house made by the hands of a man

A house made holy by the name of Yahweh

His eyes and His heart will be there forever

Seeks to bless Solomon by establishing his throne (5)

If certain conditions are met (4)

Solomon walks as his father David did

With integrity & uprightness

Obeying all that God has commanded

Then (5) Solomon’s throne will be established…

In accordance to God’s Word given to David

And this is where the train stops for most people… the idea that God offers blessings for obedience… but not consequences for disobedience… People sometimes think the only consequence one suffers for disobedience is the missing out of further blessing… as if faith is like a county fair… God gives you a ticket to enter and once inside you get to choose what rides to ride and what rides not to ride… without any consequence other than missing out on the experience...

Let us not be like most people… let us read and hear the whole word of God on the matter… let’s continue and read verses 6-9 1 Kings 9:6-9

But… Yahweh warns Solomon

If Solomon turns aside (6)

In disobedience

To worship and serve other gods

Israel, (7) will be cut off from the land (from the promised rest) Lev 26:27–39

The consecrated house (7) will be cast off

The house God said His name would be in forever… if Solomon obeyed… if his sons and Israel obeyed… with their hearts...

Ritual obedience… ritual treatment of the temple was not enough...

Even in the days of Jesus, Israel was guilty of this… Mt 21:13

Even today people are guilty of this… thinking their participation… their contribution to the church gives them protection from God’s wrath so they can sin and commit whatever transgression satisfies the desires of their hearts and flesh...

Matthew Henry comments that the house of God was designed to protect Israel in their allegiance to God, but not in their rebellion or disobedience.

How many of you come justify your sins by how much you donate to the church?

Or by how often or how well you serve the church?

Or maybe you rarely come to church… you wrongly understand God’s grace… thinking you can reap righteousness while sowing iniquity...

Christ didn’t die on the cross to grant safety for our trespasses… but to deliver us from our trespasses… both the act and the consequence of sin...

(7) Israel will become a proverb, a byword Deut 28:36-37

(8) The house will be a heap of ruins

(9) It will cause people to question why

The answer will bring to mind Israel’s sin of idolatry as evidenced in disobedience

Let us not think that this warning to Solomon, since it happened long ago, under another covenant... is not for us...

It most certainly is…

And let us not view such a warning with cynicism… and let’s not hiss at it… as if it’s too negative… too judgmental for a loving God to give...

These words by Yahweh are words of grace… to warn Solomon… to guide Solomon...

Even today, God warns us… He speaks to us through His Word… which includes the OT... Rom 15.4

And His Word comes to us through His watchmen… and we better listen…

In the Old Testament, it was the prophets who were the watchmen… today it’s the shepherd’s…, the elders of God’s people.... who are responsible for warning people of God’s expectations…

This responsibility is the same for pastors today as well as those in the pew...

Especially, for those in the pew… here in America

God’s Word is like the surgeon general’s warning… it’s everywhere...

We are not an illiterate society, nor an impoverished society that lacks access to the His Word...

So, why do you keep ignoring God when He speaks?

We must resist the flesh and put off the old self when we hear God’s Word rebuke us or warn us of our behavior...

We must not resist it or get hung up on petty things like tone and the style of which the message was delivered… too much is at stake...

And it’s not only the warnings we must hear… but all the words of God we must hear and obey...

But the most important are perhaps these words of God… and others like it… John 3:36

And for those of you do believe… be sure to listen to His other words… such as...

You are forgiven...

You must believe it!

Or when God says upon the Cross, “It is finished”… believe it!

It’s not just with warnings we must listen and obey, it’s with the blessings too… let us not miss out on the holiness God calls us to by ignoring His Word when He speaks...

And in heeding His Word… let us prepare ourselves now to come to the Lord’s Table...

Professing our faith in Jesus Christ and the work that He has done on the cross...

Let us confess our sins and not be at animosity with any brother or sister in Christ… and let us walk up here and partake of God’s gift to us… so we may be encouraged and refreshed for the week ahead...

Let’s pray