Bryan’s Thoughts

Solomon’s rule started off so well!…so promising! 

When God offered him anything he wanted, he could have asked for long life, lots of money, victory over all of his enemies…he could have asked for anything…so he asked for Wisdom.  It was a choice that pleased God.

Then he built a temple for God.  No half-hearted job here either!  Over 180,000 people involved in the construction…and I doubt that they cut corners either!  God was pleased with the temple.

My question is…what happened?  1 Kings 11:1 tells us,

King Solomon was obsessed with women. Pharaoh’s daughter was only the first of the many foreign women he loved—Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite. He took them from the surrounding pagan nations of which God had clearly warned Israel, “You must not marry them; they’ll seduce you into infatuations with their gods.” Solomon fell in love with them anyway, refusing to give them up. He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines—a thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. As Solomon grew older, his wives beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful—he didn’t stay true to his God as his father David had done. Solomon took up with Ashtoreth, the whore goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites. (1 Kings 11:1-5, The Message)

And it goes on.  In short, Solomon - so wholly devoted to Yahweh at the beginning of his reign - allowed himself to be led astray by the many women in his harem.  I guess it’s one thing to be the wisest man in history…it’s another thing to USE the wisdom that God has given you!!

As consequences for his unfaithfulness to God, God promised that the kingdom would be split in two.  The dynasty of David would only rule a fraction of Israel’s (Jacob’s) descendants.  The split, Solomon is told, will take place during his son’s reign.

I had forgotten how short of a time the dynasty of David ruled before the kingdom was divided.  David, Solomon, and…a few days??…under Rehoboam.  That was it for the united kingdom!  Now it was Judah (comprised of Judah and Benjamin), and Israel (the other ten tribes).  Guess which share was ruled by decendants of David?  Clue: it wasn’t the larger portion!!

It’s nice to end off my posts with a “life lesson”, or inspirational thought.  Kinda hard to do that with this posting.  The Kingdom of Israel has just been severed…all because of unfaithfullness to God.  There’s a lesson in this all right.  It’s not a feel good, warm and cuddly lesson either.  If you’ve read my post this far, I think you can problaby figure out what the lesson is!

I’d also like to say that Solomon’s unfaithfullness was the worst thing to happen to Israel…but it wasn’t.  There were a lot of bad things to come to Judah and Israel…lot’s of evil kings over both nations…a few good kings in Judah…but Israel and Judah were going to be on a downhill slide for a while to come (sorry for the bad news)

I came across the following quote today:

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” -Abraham Lincoln

It kindof makes me think, “I’m a pretty good person, but how would I change/remain the same if I was given a position of power?”  A pretty sobering thought when you see how many corrupt business leaders and politicians are out there - where they that corrupt before they gained their positions?  Or were they corrupted by their power?

Just something to ponder.

(by the way, I’m a Canadian - not an American - but I think it’s still OK to admire the great thoughts of a great leader!)

a wee bit of background:  The Temple was a Big Deal for Israel’s King David.  He passionately desired to build a House for God, but God told him that David was not the one to do the building…but David would have a son succeed him as king.  This son would be the one to build the temple.

In keeping with God’s promise, David did have a son succeed him.  King Solomon was also passionate about building a House for God.  It was no small job either.  The Bible tells us that Solomon hired a workforce of 30,000 lumberjacks to get cedars from Lebanon (10,000 men at a time would go to Lebanon for 1 month and then come home for 2 months).  He also had 70,000 unskilled workers, and 80,000 stonecutters.  Over all these, he had an additional 3,300 foremen to supervise the work (see 1 Kings 5:13-18).  If my math is correct, that’s 183,300 workers!!

The work, although important, was not the purpose here.  The temple was not a “make work” project.  It was to be a lasting symbol of God’s presence in Israel!

After the temple was completed, and the Ark of the Covenant was brought in, Solomon prayed. 

“Dear God, thanks for helping us build this temple.  Amen.”  That is NOT the prayer that Solomon prayed!  The prayer is rather lengthy, so I will not attempt to quote it within this posting, but I would encourage you to read it!  His prayer really foreshadows a lot of what would happen in Israel.  Solomon was anticipating that Israel would sin.  He anticipated conflict between neighbours.  He anticipated national sin.  He was anticipating drought and exile.  In short, he knew that Israel was not immune to sin just because they had a temple.  Most importantly, Solomon prayed in advance for forgiveness.  He asked that when the people of Israel confessed their sins that God would forgive them and restore them.

It’s a powerful prayer!  I have to admit that I am not a great “prayer-warrior”.  But little by little, I’m learning.  I want to be a “man after God’s own heart” like King David.  I want to be a man of wisdom like Solomon.  I want to learn, little by little, how to pray better, how to love better, how to serve better.

Unfortunately, Solomon did not remain a godly man throughout his life.  The things of the world got in the way of Serving God.  I guess that’s a reminder to me (and all other believers) that I need to keep focusing on God.  If I stop looking to God; if I stop praying; if I stop reading his Word; if I stop striving to be a man of God…I might just end up not being a man of God.  Scary thought!

OK, normally, when I’ve quoted Scripture (or provided a link to www.biblegateway.com, I’ve used the New International Version, as I feel that it’s one of the versions most familiar to the majority of my readers (and it’s very possible that I’m wrong).  For my own devotions, however, I like to read through the Bible in a different translation each time.  This go-through I am reading The Message translation.  I want to quote one verse for you from Ps. 119 from The Message.  Verse 11 reads “I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.” (to see the more familiar NIV version, you may click here).

I just love the way this verse popped out at me today!  Each time we read our Bible; each time we pray; each time we worship - in a sense we are making a deposit that helps us to live in the manner that God wishes us to live.  No, I’m not suggesting that we are saved by our works…only the Grace of Jesus Christ can grant us salvation…but it’s a lot easier to live like God would have us live when we start to pay attention to how he’s been saying he wants us to live!

Every time that I read through the Bible, I find something that I’ve never noticed, or something that I might have noticed, but didn’t really pay much attention to.  This time is no different.  I wrote in a previous post about Israel’s first king, Abimelech (before you tell me that Saul was the first king, read the post).  To be fair, Abimelech may have laid claim to the crown.  He may have even held some sort of power.  But as one person commented, his “kingship” was never ordained by God, and so he was never a true king in Israel.

As I’ve continued to read (I’m using a chronological reading chart, and I’m just barely into Solomon’s reign now), I’ve realized that Israel’s history had more than a few bits of political intrigue!  Abimelech may have been the first to lay an illegitimate claim to the crown, but he was definately not the last!  By the time Solomon is crowned king, there have been two others!  Absalom, one of David’s sons attempted to overthrow David (see 2 Sam 15) in the midst of David’s rule (if you wish to see my posting on Absalom, click here).  Then in 1 Kings 1, when David is on his deathbed, another of his sons, Adonijah, makes a play for the throne (even though the kingdom had already been promised to Solomon).

Anyone who ever wants to say that the Bible is a boring book obviously has never paid attention to the fact that by the end of David’s life, Israel has seen 5 people take the title of king!  (Saul and David held the title by God’s ordination - Abimelech, Absalom and Adonijah were all imposters who had made illegitimate bids for power - and hey!  I just noticed that all of the pretenders had names starting with “A” - but that has nothing to do with my posting and is just a little rabbit trail…).  Who knew that there was so much political intrigue even back then?  I’m getting curious as to how much more scandal I’m going to come across in Israel’s (and Judah’s) history!

OK, my post today has absolutely nothing to do with camels.  It does, however, have something to do with straw!

On Saturday, I purchased a screen door.  My wife and I were planning on installing this door on Monday afternoon (this past Monday was a holiday here in Canada) during our boys’ naptime.  We figured, “how hard can it be?”  We estimated 2 hours…tops.  Approximately 8 hours later (long after the boys had woken from their naps), we were at a point where we could stop for the night.  We only have a little bit more to do (I hope) before the project is complete.

We ran into a rather interesting obstacle when installing the handle on the door.  We had to drill holes in the door from either side, and then insert the exterior portion of the handle, and then attach the interior portion to the exerior.  The only problem was that we had to screw the one half to the other.  The holes into which the screws were to go were on the exterior handle portion, and only extended a short way into the door itself.  The screws had to be inserted from the interior side, all the way through, and then into the holes.  The problem with this was that neither I nor my wife have been blessed with x-ray vision, and apparently, our holes did not line up perfectly.  So we spent the better part of an hour trying to get the screws into the right spot (please pardon all my technical jargon!!  )  We finally managed to get one screw in place, but the other one just would not co-operate.

Finally, we decided to leave the problem alone for a while.  We sat on the couch, about as discouraged as one can get with a door.

We had been praying that God would help us find a solution to our problem, and God DOES answer prayer!  As we were sitting there, an idea came to me.  I said to my wife, “What if we take out the one screw that is in place, pull the handles out of the door, and attach a straw to each of the holes?” (the holes are kindof in “posts” - sorry, it’s really hard to explain this without pictures!).

My wife thought for a second and then said something to the effect of, “the worst that will happen is we’re back where we started”.  So, we took the handle apart, got a drinking straw, cut it into two shorted lengths, attached them to the two holes.

Then we put the exterior handle portion (complete with straws) back into the door.  I then looked into the holes I had drilled on the inside portion of the door.  At first, I couldn’t see anything…but I jiggled the exterior portion a bit, and…I COULD SEE ONE OF THE STRAWS!!  We positioned the straw “just so” and slid in one of the screws.  We jiggled the handle a bit more, and the other straw came into view!  About 30 seconds later, the handle was in place!

It’s interesting…my wife had prayed that God would be our eyes inside the door…He gave us the idea that allowed our eyes to see just enough to get the job done!

I just finished reading The Shack by William P. Young.  I love to read, and have read a lot of books.  I’ve even read a lot of really good books.  Every once-in-a-while, I end up picking up a GREAT book, but those are few and far between.  The Shack is one of the few that I would consider a great book!

The story’s main character, Mack, has gone through one of the most horrible events that can be imagined: the kidnapping and murder of one of his children.  He is living what he calls The Great Sadness, but God chooses to meet with him in a very real way.  Mack’s journey with God changes him completely.  Reading Mack’s journey is changing me too - I have been given glimpses of God through this novel that lead me to believe that many of my notions of God have been either incorrect, or far too limited.

The Shack is one of the most important works of fiction that I have ever read, and I would encourage anyone reading this blog to go and get a copy.  See how God’s Love might change you too!  I don’t want to give too much away here, but if you are interested (I hope you are!!), you can check out a bit at www.theshackbook.com

Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”  And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, “The king is grieving for his son.”  The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.  The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam 19:1-4, NIV)

 What must it have been like for David to face battle against his very own son? 

Absalom was no “Daddy’s Boy”.  He had murdered his half-brother Amnon.  He had attempted to steal the throne from his father.  He even had a tent pitched on the roof of the palace so that he sleep with his father’s concubines in full view of the people (thereby showing his utter contempt for King David).

Yet, David loved his son.  When his troops were going out to fight against Absalom’s forces, David instructed his men to be gentle with Absalom.  David wanted his son back.  There was no “dead or alive” reward.  Only alive would do.  Joab, the commander of David’s forces chose to ignore David’s instructions and murdered Absalom (who had gotten caught by his hair in a tree).

What must it be like for a father to have so much love for his son, and not have that love reciprocated at all?  (note: because of the murder of Amnon, a rift had developed between David and Absalom – but David’s love was still there)

I suppose that our Heavenly Father must feel a bit like David each time that we turn our backs on him – His love for us is enormous.  No matter how wicked we might be, His love remains.  Our failings and rebellions don’t diminish his love for us at all.  He wants to welcome us back.  He wants to wrap his arms around us in a warm embrace.  The choice, however, is ours to make.  We can choose to continue rebelling.  Eventually we’ll get “caught by our hair” and destroyed.  Or, we can turn around and walk back to him.  We’ll find him waiting…with tears in his eyes…because his lost child has returned!

A bit of context for you:  Mephibosheth is the grandson of the former King of Israel, for whom David had done a great favour (for a more complete account, the link above will take you to the article I wrote on Mephibosheth).  David is running for his life from his son Absalom - who is attempting to take the crown by force.  David and his men meet Ziba (servant to Mephibosheth), and the following exchange takes place:

When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.

 The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”
      Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the desert.”

The king then asked, “Where is your master’s grandson?”
      Ziba said to him, “He is staying in Jerusalem, because he thinks, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.’ “

Then the king said to Ziba, “All that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.”
      ”I humbly bow,” Ziba said. “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.” - 2 Sam 16:1-4

 Two possiblities exist here:

1. Mephibosheth is an ungrateful wretch who sees the political turmoil as his chance to bite the hand that has been feeding him
2. Ziba is a coniving con-man, using the political unrest (and David’s uncertainty of who is with and who is against him) to gain huge profit.

Either way, David was being kicked while he was down.  I’m guessing that Ziba is the guilty one here (I base this on 2 Sam 19:24-30 (when David returned to Jerusalem after the coup attempt has been put down)

Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, also went down to meet the king. He had not taken care of his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safely.  When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”

He said, “My lord the king, since I your servant am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled and will ride on it, so I can go with the king.’ But Ziba my servant betrayed me.  And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever pleases you.  All my grandfather’s descendants deserved nothing but death from my lord the king, but you gave your servant a place among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to make any more appeals to the king?”

The king said to him, “Why say more? I order you and Ziba to divide the fields.”

Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him take everything, now that my lord the king has arrived home safely.”

(of course, this could be a clever rouse to get back in the king’s good books - we never find out for sure)

The question here is, when David encounters Ziba while he is fleeing, I wonder what he would have done if he could go back in time to the point just before he showed grace to Mephibosheth?   Again, we aren’t told what might have been.  I like to think that, if he had it to do all over again, David would have shown Mephibosheth exactly the same grace!

I think that Christ wants us to show grace, even when we know full well that we might get stabbed in the back because of it!  Yeah, I know, that’s rather hard.  I’m definately no expert in showing grace!  I’m just kindof hoping that slowly, but surely, I’m going to become more of the man that Christ wants me to become…I’m also hoping that these postings of mine might inspire my readers to increasingly become the men/women that Christ wants them to become as well!

My wife and I have been trying to teach our children the importance of prayer.  Like all worthwhile pursuits, teaching a child to pray is an ongoing process (since I’m still learning how to pray, I suspect that the process never reaches a conclusion).

Before mealtime, we have taught our boys a simple prayer: “Thank-you, Jesus, for this food, Amen.”  It’s simple, it’s to the point, it’s easy to remember.  It’s also easy to recite with absolutely no thought or emotion.  My boys (aged 5 and 2) can fire off this prayer in about 3 seconds flat and then it’s time to chow down!

Over the last little while, my wife and I have been trying to get them to think about what they are praying.  I’ve taught them why we say “Thank-you” to Jesus before mealtime (ultimately, all that we have is a gift from Him).  So now, when the boys rattle off their prayer, I’ve been asking them, “Why do we say ‘Thank-you’ to Jesus?”  in the hopes that eventually, they will be saying their prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving to their Lord.

Yesterday, my older son said to me, “Could we say ‘Thank-you, Vine?”  After making sure I had understood what he was saying, I asked him why he would want to say “Thank-you, Vine”?  (I suspected where he might be going, but wanted to hear it from him).  Sure enough, he told me that in Sunday School, he had been taught that Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

 

  (John 15:1-8, NIV)

I said to him that if he is think of Jesus when he says “Vine”, that it would be fine to say “Thank-you, Vine”.

I’ve continued to think about his question since yesterday morning.  The more I think about it, the more appropriate it seems to me that in our prayers, we could refer to Jesus as “Vine”.  After all, all of our needs, physical, emotional, spiritual… are all met, ultimately, in Jesus.  We can accomplish nothing on our own.  Anything we accomplish is done through Jesus Christ.  A vine sustains the branches.  Jesus is our sustainer.

Another thing that crossed my mind is that God the Father is the gardener.  If we are acknowledging Jesus as the Vine, we are also indicating (or should be indicating) that we are willing to let our Heavenly Father lovingly “prune” us so that we fall more into the image that He desires for us!

—

Later that day, my son told me, “We could also say ‘Thank-you, Shepherd!”

I was incredibly blessed by my son yesterday!  I’ve been trying to teach him about prayer, and he turns around and begins to teach ME!  Jesus is given many different titles (Vine, Shepherd, Lamb, Lion…).  Each one of these names shows us a different view of who Jesus is.  I want to start using different ways to address my Saviour (there’s another name!!).  My hope is that I will get to know who he is better through the process.  But more importantly, I hope to get to know Him better!