The End of Solomon
Read: 1 Kings 11:29-43 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. (v. 43) Nathan the prophet stood boldly in the king’s throne room and announced, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). He publicly proclaimed David’s sin of taking Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, and arranging to have Uriah killed […]
The Sin of Solomon (Part 2)
Read: 1 Kings 11:1-13 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. (v. 9) In the book of Proverbs, which is attributed to Solomon, we read, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows […]
The Sin of Solomon (Part 1)
Read: Deuteronomy 17:14-20 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away. (v. 17) If you’ve been on this earth for a while, you’ve seen some notable person “fall from grace” in a shocking and tragic way. Perhaps it was a popular pastor who was caught in an affair, or […]
The Splendor of Solomon
Read: 1 Kings 10:14-29 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. (v. 23) In Psalm 145:13 we read, “The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.” Certainly he was faithful to the promises he made to Solomon. In 1 Kings 3 […]
The Witness of Solomon
Read: 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! (v. 8) During the years I taught at a Christian school, we had a number of international students attend for a “study abroad” year. While the students […]
God’s Reply to Solomon
Read: 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. (v. 15) In a recent sermon, my pastor reminded us that “past experience does not determine future faithfulness.” It is good to begin well—but that is not enough. A believer’s life should […]
The Dedication of Solomon (Part 2)
Read: 1 Kings 8:22-30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. (v. 30) Every parent knows that the best way to teach a child is by one’s own example. Mere words can only go so far; children learn what they see modeled—whether good […]
The Dedication of Solomon (Part 1)
Read: 1 Kings 8:1-13 The priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. (v. 11) Imagine the president asks you to organize a reception for an important foreign dignitary. You compose the guest list, plan the menu, and pay attention to […]
The Temple of Solomon
Read: 2 Chronicles 2:1-12 The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. (v. 5) The world watched in horror last year as the great cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris caught fire. Even irreligious people were distraught, noting that the cathedral was a historic landmark, […]