Wednesday, March 16, 2022

2022.03.16 Hopewell @Home ▫ 1 Kings 9:1–9

Read 1 Kings 9:1–9

Questions from the Scripture text: What things had Solomon finished (1 Kings 9:1)? What did the LORD do to Solomon (1 Kings 9:2)? What did the LORD say He had done (1 Kings 9:3)? What had the LORD done to the house? What would be there for how long? What must Solomon do (1 Kings 9:4)? Like whom? According to what? Keeping what? What would the LORD do with Solomon’s throne (1 Kings 9:5)? According to what promise? But what might Solomon or his sons turn from (1 Kings 9:6)? Why might they not keep? Whom might they serve instead? And what would the LORD do in that situation (1 Kings 9:7)? What would He do to the temple? And what would Israel become? What would those who pass by the temple do and ask (1 Kings 9:8)? What would the answer be (1 Kings 9:9)—Whom would they have forsaken, and whom would they have embraced? With what results?

Yahweh was still with Solomon. He appeared to him again (1 Kings 9:2). 

Affirmation
“I have heard your prayer and your supplication” (1 Kings 9:3). Solomon had prayed that marvelous prayer (cf. 1 Kings 8:22–53), and then they had had that marvelous feast (cf. 1 Kings 8:54–66). But those things don’t mean anything unless the Lord actually answers the prayer, receives the sacrifice (on the basis of the coming sacrifice of Christ)  and promises His Name, His eyes, His heart. The Lord promises Himself to them.

Requirement
We know that integrity of heart, uprightness, and obedience (1 Kings 9:4) only come in dependence upon God’s grace. But they are required. The problem is that no one can live them out in such a way as to secure 1 Kings 9:5. No one except Jesus. Solomon is the first son of David to sit on the throne, but the next four hundred years of sons of David are going to be a long, painful lesson in the fact that only the Son of David (capital S) could satisfy the requirement and sit on the throne forever. He has (cf. Romans 1:3–4). And He will!

Warning
Israel were the people of God and were supposed to be a light to the nations, but they would end up being a lesson to the nations (1 Kings 9:9). Solomon and his descendants were to be faithful kings through whom God blessed His people, but they ended up being faithless kings (1 Kings 9:6), on account of whom God invoked the covenant curses upon His people. They would lose the land promised to Abraham (1 Kings 9:7a) and the blessings just now invoked upon the temple (1 Kings 9:7-8).

The real problem with Israel and the kings of Israel is the guilt of Adam and the nature of Adam—which is to say that we have the same problem that they did. They are a lesson for us in the absolute necessity of Christ for us. His atonement to remove our guilt. His obedience and righteousness to be counted for us. His kingship to secure the blessedness of His people. Blessed be the Name of God—He Himself became a man to be our Temple, our Sacrifice, our King, our Righteousness, our Blessedness.

What does God require of you? What would He give if you could do it? Why can’t you? How can you avoid the curse that you deserve? What blessing will you receive?

Sample prayer:  Lord, how greatly You have blessed us in every way—and especially with Your presence to us and Your hearing us when we call upon Your Name. Your commandments and statutes and judgments are good, and in keeping them there is life. But still, our original nature from Adam is such that we continually do that which justly would bring Your curse upon us. Forgive us our sin, and consider us in Christ—for He has atoned for all of our sin, and in Him You give us to be Your own perfect righteousness. So, it is in His Name that we ask it, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH459 “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”

 

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