The Lord Appears to Solomon

 

I Kings 9:1-9

 

May 14, 2021

 

The Lord Appears to Solomon

When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace and had achieved all he had desired to do, the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.  The Lord said to him:

“I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.  “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

 “But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees, I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.  This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’  People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’”

 

Do you enjoy great architecture, Jan and I have always enjoyed it and look for it when we travel, and I can only imagine the temple of Solomon and the other structures it was an amazing accomplishment.  The only thing I can compare it to, and it is not even close, is, in sales, closing that large account you never thought could be done. 

 

A promise with and if, in sales, we call that a carrot if you meet this quota, we will do this.  God promised, Solomon that He will always have a royal throne over Israel forever, with this condition, if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees, I have given you, I will cut you off from the land of Israel. 

 

We have seen the history and know that Solomon's heart was drawn away by his many foreign wives and their gods that had no ability to hear or see, much less part of the Red Sea.  It is hard to understand how a very wise man, could become that big a fool, but then it is also hard to understand why we do not pay attention to history and learn from it.

 

The USA, a nation that was built on a foundation of freedom and the right to own land and travel without asking for approval and to make decisions that may be a blessing or might cost you your freedom, has chosen the little gods and government over a God who loves them.

 

Maybe being a fool is something we choose but it, is not a requirement, is it?  As I observe Washington D.C. and the group of people, the people who have chosen to be our Representatives in the house and senate, maybe we have lost our minds.  So many ungodly, evil people that come with little in the way of wealth, and the longer they stay the more wealth they get, on government pay?

 

If the FBI were not a part of this mob, they would be putting most of them in prison, for taking bribes, and payoff under the table, and for a man who works hard for 41 years and saved his money, I’m saving not close to what they steal in a few months, of being your public servant.  Public Servants, that's a big joke, they are liars and thieves, and we the people have been too busy to acknowledge the truth.  But God, has noticed and payday is coming for each of them, and the sad thing is their actions will bring harm to each of us and our families.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice