All to the Glory of God.

1 Kings 7

Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz. ­– 1 Kings 7:21 NLT

What an amazing description of Solomon's palace. At first reading it gave me the impression that Solomon was more obsessed with his own palace than he was for the Temple of his God. After all, he took longer to build his palace, it was much larger and contained even more objects of beauty and symbols of his wealth. But in the cultures of his day the size of the king's palace and its proximity to the temple of their god, were signs of the power and glory of that god. Solomon's palace was a direct reflection of the blessings of God and was designed to honor the one who made Solomon's reign possible. The entire complex must have been a sight to behold. It was massive, beautiful and filled with treasures of all kinds. But it was not just a monument to extravagance. Everything had a purpose. Even the two pillars that Solomon had erected within the Temple. You can recognize it in the names he gave them. These were probably not functional pillars. In other words, they were not being used to hold up the roof of the Temple. They were decorative, but also highly symbolic. Their real purpose seems to have been to remind the Israelites that Yahweh had established them as a nation and was the source of their strength. The first pillar was named "Jachin" which means "He shall establish," and the second was named "Boaz" which means "In Him is strength."

God was the one who had created the nation of Israel. He had called Abraham out of Ur of the Caldees hundreds of years earlier. God had blessed Abraham and fulfilled His promise to make him a great nation – even though he was old and married to a barren wife. God was the one who had prospered Israel during their time in Egypt and multiplied them from just a handful to a great multitude. He had set them free from their captivity in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. He had delivered the land into their hands – giving them victories over their more powerful enemies. Even when Israel rejected God as their king and demanded a human leader, God did not give up on them, but eventually gave them David – a man after His own heart. Through David, God completed the conquering of the land and made Israel a great and powerful nation. David's son, Solomon, took over the kingdom and enjoyed a time of great power, prominence and peace – all because of the sustaining hand of God. And as long as Israel worshiped, honored, and obeyed God, their nation would continue to be established and upheld by God. He was their strength. He was the source of their power. It was not their great king and his mighty armies. It was not his vast wealth and incredible wisdom. The people of Israel must never forget that God was the one they were to rely on. His power alone made their existence possible. But they would soon forget that. They would become complacent, cocky, and turn away from God. They would turn to other sources for their strength. They would doubt the very one who had established them and gave them strength. And the beauty of the Temple and the grandeur of Solomon's palace would not be able to protect them from what was to come. Both would be destroyed, and Israel would end up in captivity.

God is the one who establishes and He is the one who provides strength. The same is true for us as believers today. I am nothing without Him. He chose me. I did not choose Him. He saved me when I could not have saved myself. He is my source of strength. I have no power on my own. But how easy it is to forget those two facts. I can quickly fall into the delusion that I established myself. I am a self-made man. I can begin to rely on my power and intelligence, forgetting that God is the source of my strength. Solomon didn't want the people to forget the reality of God's role in their existence, so he had two huge pillars erected as reminders. What do we need to do to keep this same message burned into our own memories? The psalmist gives us a clue. "We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did" (Psalm 78:4 NLT). Rather than erect monuments to God's greatness and goodness, we should talk about all that He has done. We should brag about His provision for us. We should tell others of His grace and mercy toward us. We should constantly talk about our dependence on Him and the strength He provides for us. Tell of the Lord's greatness. Speak about His power. And never forget.

Father, You alone have established us and You alone provide the power necessary to protect and provide for us. Yet it is so easy for us to take credit for where we are and falsely believe that we can somehow take care of ourselves. May we learn to remind one another daily about just how great You really are. May we learn to recall just where we were without You. You established us. You are our strength. Amen





What Does God Want?

1 Kings 6

Then the LORD gave this message to Solomon: "Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my laws and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. I will live among the people of Israel and never forsake my people." ­– 1 Kings 6:11-13 NLT

At some point along the way, while Solomon was constructing the Temple for God, he received a word from God. And God basically told him that obedience was still going to be the main criteria for assuring His abiding presence among the people of Israel. Building a house or dwelling place for God was NOT going to be enough to guarantee His presence. They were still going to be required to keep all of his laws and regulations – including those tied to the sacrificial system that was going to be linked to the Temple.

The Temple was an amazing structure, ornately furnished, covered in gold, meticulous in its details, and an incredible feat of construction. It took Solomon seven years to complete, and cost him a fortune to build. But as beautiful and impressive as it was, without the willing obedience of the people, it would become just another structure. God didn't need a building in which to live. He wanted a people who were willing to live for Him. The Temple was to be a reminder of God's presence. It was to be a focal point for the nation of Israel. It was there that all their religious activities culminated and came together. But without obedience, it became just a well-constructed combination of stone, wood, and precious metals. In Jesus's day the Temple that Herod built to replace Solomon's Temple was an equally beautiful structure. It was the pride of the Jewish nation. Even the disciples of Jesus admired it. One day while walking in the Temple grounds, Jesus and His disciples had an interesting and somewhat disturbing conversation about the Temple. "Some of his disciples began talking about the beautiful stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, 'The time is coming when all these things will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another'" (Luke 21:5-6 NLT). The disciples were admiring the beauty of the structure, but Jesus was aware of the hearts of the people. They had turned away from obeying God. They were no longer keeping the commands and decrees of God. Sure, they were going through the rituals and the religious duties associated with the Temple worship, but their hearts were not in it. And the religious leaders of Jesus' day were the greatest offenders.

Over in the book of John, we read the words of Jesus: "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you" (John 14:15-17 NLT). Paul reminds us, "For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: 'I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:16-18 NLT). We are the dwelling place of God. We are where He has chosen to place His presence among men in these days. But God calls us to a life of obedience. He calls us to a life of separateness, holiness. We are assured that He will never leave us or forsake us, but we can quench the Spirit of God living within us. We can stifle His efforts to guide and direct us through disobedience. Solomon's Temple was going to be a magnificent structure, but it would not be enough to satisfy God and keep Him living among the people of Israel. He required obedience to His laws, submission to His will, and devotion to His way. Solomon's Temple would end up being destroyed and the people sent into exile – all for their disobedience. Herod's Temple would end up being destroyed and the people left without a place to make their sacrifices for sin – and it remains to to this day. Obedience is what God desires. Willing, submissive, joyful obedience, because we know that He loves us and has our best in mind. Listen to the words of Peter: "Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God -- who chose you to be his children -- is holy. For he himself has said, ;You must be holy because I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:14-16 NLT).

Father, You have placed Your Spirit within me and given me all that I need to live an obedient life. I have the power to do so, but I must choose to do it. I must desire to obey You. All my sacrifices and efforts at doing good things mean nothing if I am not going to listen to what You say and do what You call me to do. Thank You for the assurance that You will never leave me, but never let me forget that I can lose out on all that You want to do in my life just through disobedience. Amen





Practical Wisdom.

1 Kings 5

When the ways of people please the LORD, he makes even their enemies live at peace with them. ­– Proverbs 16:7 NLT

Solomon wasn't all talk, no action. He didn't just spend all his time writing pithy proverbs and spouting quotable tidbits of truth like some oracle. No, he put his God-given wisdom to use in everyday life. And 1 Kings 5 gives us a glimpse of just what wisdom in practice looks like. Solomon is following through on his father's request that he build a dwelling place for God. David had come up with the idea, but God did not allow him to accomplish it. Instead, God had told David that his son, Solomon, would build the Temple. Now David is gone and Solomon is beginning the formidable task of building a house suitable for God.

A building project of this magnitude was going to require a great deal of materials, and much of it was not readily available in the land of Israel. So Solomon was going to have to deal with the surrounding nations in order to barter for the goods required to complete the Temple. One of the primary resources Solomon was going to need was lumber, and the greatest source of lumber in the region was from the forests of Lebanon. The only problem was that Lebanon was under the control of the pagan Phoenicians. So Solomon was required to do business with King Hiram of Tyre in order to get his hands on the wood he would need to complete the Temple. And here is where wisdom comes into play. Because Solomon had wisely sought God and lived according to His standards, God gave Solomon a peaceful relationship with his surrounding neighbors. Solomon had a good reputation with the pagan kings whose lands surrounded Israel. Solomon was living out the reality of the truth of the Proverbs he wrote.

• Good people are guided by their honesty (Proverbs 11:3 NLT).
• Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).
• When the ways of people please the LORD, he makes even their enemies live at peace with them (Proverbs 16:7 NLT).
• The LORD demands fairness in every business deal; he sets the standard (Proverbs 16:11 NLT).
• The godly walk with integrity (Proverbs 20:7 NLT).
• The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he turns it wherever he pleases (Proverbs 21:1 NLT).

Because Solomon lived wisely, God gave him a healthy relationship with a pagan king. And because Solomon lived wisely, he knew how to deal faithfully and with integrity with King Hiram. Solomon was going to deal wisely with Hiram. He would pay him well for the services he rendered. He would deal fairly in his business dealings with him. He would not take advantage of him, but pay him exactly what he deserved. Solomon would use wisdom to build God's house, and God would be pleased. Wisdom is practical, not ethereal. It is not some esoteric pursuit reserved for the mentally gifted or academic elite. It is a readily available resource available to any and all who seek it – as long as they seek it from the right source: God Himself.

When a person's ways please the Lord, even his enemies will be at peace with him. Those are not just empty words. They're a promise. And Solomon knew it first-hand.

Father, I want to enjoy the benefits of practical wisdom. I don't want just a bunch of head knowledge that sounds impressive when you quote it to others – like some kind of Yoda or guru. I want to take what you teach me and try it out in real life and see it work. The truth is, I've already seen Your wisdom work itself out in my life in so many beneficial ways. I just want to see it more. Give me the strength and determination to seek for Your wisdom and apply it to my everyday life. Amen