I Kings 9
Solomon finished Temple and Palaceverse 1
And it came to pass when Solomon had FINISHED
the building of the house of the LORD
and the king’s house
and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do
LORD appears to Solomon a second timeverses 2-9
THAT the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time
as HE had appeared to him at Gibeon
And the LORD
said to him
I have heard your PRAYER and your SUPPLICATION
that you have made before ME
I have hallowed this house
which you have build
to put MY name there for ever
and MINE eyes and MINE heart shall be
there perpetually
And IF you will WALK before ME – as David your father WALKED
in integrity of heart – in uprightness
to do according to all that I have commanded you
and will keep MY statutes and MY judgments
THEN I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Israel for ever
as I promised to David your father
saying
There shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel
BUT IF you shall at all turn from following ME
you or your children
And will not keep MY commandments and MY statutes
which I have set before you
BUT go and serve other gods – and worship them
THEN will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them
and this house – which I have hallowed for MY name
will I cast out of MY sight – and Israel shall be a
proverb and a byword among all people
And at this house – which is high
every one that passes by it shall be astonished
and shall hiss and they shall say
Why has the LORD done thus to this land
and to this house?
And they shall answer
BECAUSE they forsook the LORD their God
WHO brought forth their fathers
out of the land of Egypt
And have taken hold upon other gods
and have worshipped them and serve them
THEREFORE has the LORD brought on them all this evil
Solomon exchanges cities for goldverses 10-14
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years
when Solomon had built the two houses
the house of the LORD
the king’s house
(Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon
with cedar trees and fir trees
and with gold – according to all his desire)
that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities
in the land of Galilee
And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities
which Solomon had given him
and they pleased him not
And he
said
What cities are these which you have given me – my brother?
and he called them the land of Cabul to this day
And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold
Accomplishments of Solomonverses 15-19
And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised
for to build the house of the LORD
and his own house – and Millo
and the wall of Jerusalem – and Hazor – and Megiddo
and Gezer
For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up – and taken Gezer
and burnt it with fire
and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city
and given it for a present to his daughter
Solomon’s wife
And Solomon built Gezer – and Beth-horon the neither – and Baalath
and Tadmor in the wilderness – in the land
and all the cities of store that Solomon had
and cities for his chariots – and cities for his horsemen
and that which Solomon desired to build
in Jerusalem – and in Lebanon
and in all the land of his dominion
Solomon’s assignments of foreigners and Israelitesverses 20-23
And all the people that were left of the Amorites – Hittites
Perizzites – Hivites – Jebusites
which were not of the children of Israel
their children that were left after them in the land
whom the children of Israel also were not able
utterly to destroy
upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of
bond service to this day
BUT of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen
but they were men of war – his servants – his princes
his captains – rulers of his chariots
his horsemen
These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon’s work
five hundred and fifty
which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work
Pharaoh’s daughter moved out of Jerusalemverse 24
But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David to her house
which Solomon had built for her – then did he build Millo
Solomon offered special sacrificesverse 25
And three times in a year did Solomon
offer burnt offerings and peace offerings
on the altar which he built to the LORD
and he burnt incense on the altar
that was before the LORD
So he FINISHED the house
Solomon built a fleet of shipsverses 26-28
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber
which is beside Eloth
on the shore of the Red sea in the land of Edom
And Hiram sent in the navy his servants
shipmen that had knowledge of the sea
with the servants of Solomon – and they came to Ophir
and fetched from thence gold
four hundred and twenty talents
and brought it to king Solomon
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments; (8537 “integrity” [tom] means completeness, prosperity, innocence, full, perfect, simplicity, or uprightness)
DEVOTION: David followed the LORD completely during his life. David was called a man after God’s own heart. He wanted to do everything the way the LORD wanted it done. He consulted with the LORD throughout his reign over Israel.
Does this mean he didn’t sin? NO. One of the characteristics of David was that he confessed his sin and moved on with the LORD. There were consequences but he still followed the LORD. God honored him for his actions of repentance.
When it came time for Solomon to be king, the LORD brought up his father. God took David’s actions into account but still said that if Solomon followed HIM as his father did, HE would bless him and his children.
There would be a child of Solomon on the throne after him and a child of his child after him and so on.
The LORD also warned Solomon that if they didn’t follow HIM, there would be judgment. The LORD would no longer honor Jerusalem with his presence. The LORD would take the children of Israel into captivity. The LORD would not honor the Temple.
What would cause the LORD to forsake Jerusalem and the children of Israel? They were forsaking HIM. They were going after other gods. They were worshiping false gods. They were serving false gods.
Our walk is important to God. God says the same thing to us. We need to follow HIM completely and in the simplicity of our hearts. When we follow the LORD in the simplicity of our heart, we will practice the disciplines of the faith.
The one discipline that is prevalent in these last two chapters is prayer. Solomon had a wonderful and practical prayer in the last chapter. The LORD responds to that prayer in this chapter. Pray in important to our relationship to the LORD.
David prayed. Solomon prayed. We will still sin but God deals with the sin in our live and moves on to blessing again. We need to deal with sin and let the LORD move on with us.
There is only ONE UNPARDONABLE SIN and that is NOT becoming a follower of Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. All other sins, HE will forgive. We have to turn to HIM in prayer and ask for forgiveness. Part of praying is humbling ourselves to be dependent on HIM.
We need to completely follow the LORD. That involves our inner life and our external life. Too often our external life looks good but the LORD looks at the heart.
CHALLENGE: There needs to be consistency in our walk with the LORD. It needs to start internally and work out externally. No faking it with God.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for MY name, will I cast out of MY sight, and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people. (6942 “hallowed” [qadash] means to deem to be set apart or sacred, to be holy, removed from common use, subject to special treatment, or consecrate)
DEVOTION: The LORD has chosen in each time period of history a group of people that were to follow HIM no matter what. The LORD created Adam and Eve to be HIS servants in the Garden of Eden. They sinned and HE removed them from the garden and they had to work for a living from that time forth without HIS help.
The LORD chose Noah and his sons to worship HIM and they did by building the ark and the LORD flooded the earth because of the sin of the rest of the people. HE promised to never do that again.
HE chose Abraham to be HIS follower and he followed the LORD. The LORD caused him to have many children. The nation grew from his children.
Next we have the children of Israel who were taken into captivity because of sin and then lead out of Egypt to live in the Promised Land when the time was right.
However, the LORD warns Israel that he will not allow them to individuals who don’t worship HIM in spirit and in truth. Once they stopped HE allowed them to be taken into captivity again.
Today the LORD has chosen those who are willing to follow Jesus. HE started with the twelve disciples and continues today to be with those who will honor HIM in their lives. Too often there are people who call themselves “Christian” but their lives are not ones that are pleasing to HIM.
This group are just follower in words and not in actions. The LORD wants us to worship HIM in spirit and IN TRUTH. This is shown by the actions of those who claim Christ. They are witnesses for HIM to the world. They are individuals who are trying to live a life that is pleasing to HIM.
That life is different from the rest of the world. These individuals want to please the LORD with their actions. When their actions don’t match the teachings of the Bible they confess their sin and the LORD forgives them and then they go out to serve the LORD properly. This action takes place in all those who are genuinely trying to serve the LORD in spirit and in truth.
CHALLENGE: Are we set apart to the LORD in our words and actions? Are we confessing our sins daily to stay in tune with the teaching of the LORD in the Bible? Only we can answer these questions honestly in our own life.
: 20 And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel. (3498 “left” [yathar] means remain, remainder, remnant, to have priority, spared, be left behind, or remain over)
DEVOTION: God had given a command to the children of Israel to kill all those who were in the Promised Land. They never did. They used them for their own purposes but they were influenced by their false worship and other sins that did not honor the LORD.
The LORD wanted them killed because their iniquity or sin was full. They were full of sin and didn’t want to repent of their sin and follow the LORD as nations. HE knew that they would be thorns in their flesh if they left them alive and it came true very soon after they stopped fighting these nations.
Here Solomon made them for forced labor. They were treated with slavery instead of dying as the LORD wanted. So as slaves they influenced the nation more than the children of Israel realized.
Solomon married wives from other nations as well that influenced him. This caused problems for the children of Israel. This also causes problems for us in our society. We begin to see how they act and we start acting as they act and then condone their actions, because they love their neighbors as the LORD commanded.
Loving your neighbor and following their example are two different lifestyles. One is to be a witness to a lifestyle the LORD approves. This gives a proper example of what the LORD expects when a person becomes a believer.
We are to be obedient to the LORD regarding those who are not part of our fellowship with the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Those outside the fellowship should not be looked down on but should be looked at as individuals who need the LORD who will change their actions with their obedience to HIM.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 25 And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house. (7999 “finished” [shalam] means to be completed, make whole or good, make secure, make intact, or fulfill)
DEVOTION: When was the last time you completed a project you started? Sometimes we start projects but never finish. Many households have unfinished projects that have not been worked on for years.
Now we have the statement that Solomon completed his project of building the Temple to the LORD and a house for himself. He took many years to complete both but they were finished. He didn’t quit on a project he started.
This verse also states that he not only completed his project of building but his project of worshiping the LORD when he was commanded to worship the LORD.
There were three festivals that all the men of Israel were to attend each year. Solomon attended them each year to show his obedience to the LORD and HIS commands.
What are the three festivals? Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest (also called Weeks and Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles (also called Ingathering). These were celebrated with offerings given to the LORD. All the men were to get together to worship the LORD with their tithes and offerings. Solomon completed the Temple but he also completed his obligations to the LORD. He was faithful in his worship of the LORD.
One of the things he stopped doing after he built the Temple was to worship the LORD in the high places. He knew where the LORD wanted him to worship and he did it to honor the LORD.
We are to honor the LORD in the place HE has established us to worship HIM in which is the church. Many believers think that they don’t have to attend church to be good followers of the LORD. This is a lie from the devil. HE commands us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We need to do it because we know that the times are not getting better but worse. We are to look forward to the return of the LORD by honoring HIM with our worship in the local church. Are we completing our responsibility to the LORD?
CHALLENGE: Are we honoring the LORD with our genuine attendance at worship services? There are times that we are there in body but not in soul. HE wants both!!!
: 28 And they came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon. (3603 “talents” [killer] means a round weight, a unit of weight that was about 66-77 pounds, or a round disk of gold or silver.)
DEVOTION: What would we do with sixteen tons of gold? Today the price of gold keeps going up. Our dollar bills used to be backed by silver. Our money used to be backed up with gold but today that is not true.
Solomon continued to gather wealth for his nation. He wanted to produce a nation that was better than any other nation in the world. He wanted to honor the LORD with his time in office.
So we find that he organized a navy to go out and find things to make his nation rich. He used sailors from Hiram who was more experienced in sailing around the then known world.
Is the reason we are accumulating wealth for the glory of God or for self? Do we often say or wish we had a million dollars because we know what we would do with it? Would what we do with it honor the LORD? Or would we build a place of wealth for ourselves and get all the toys that money could afford?
Many times we can see the attitude that he who dies with the most toys wins. That is not really true. God doesn’t want us to collect toys. HE wants us to use our wealth to please HIM which would include helping the poor and our fellow believers.
Our money shouldn’t own us but we should own our wealth. God didn’t promise every believer wealth in gold but HE did promise to bless those who are faithful to HIM and want to honor HIM with their lives.
Our motives make a difference to God. Are we looking for our ship to come in or are we asking the LORD how we can use our present wealth to honor HIM? Even our weekly allowance as a young child needs to honor the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Too often children spend all their money on themselves instead of giving a part of it to the LORD. This needs to be taught to children at a young age, so that, they grow up honoring the LORD as adults.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
LORD heard Solomon’s prayerverse 3
Said HIS eyes and heart
Prayerverse 3
Supplicationverse 3
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
House of the LORDverses 1, 10, 15
Hallowed house by the LORDverse 3
Solomon worshiped three times a yearverse 25
Burnt offerings
Peace offerings
Burnt incense
Altar build by Solomonverse 25
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Statutesverses 4, 6
Judgmentsverse 4
Commandmentsverse 6
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1-3, 8-10, 15, 25
LORD appeared to Solomonverse 2
Promised Davidverse 5
God – Elohim (Sovereign, Creator)verse 9
LORD their Godverse 9
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Egyptverses 9, 16, 24
Hiram – king of Tyreverses 11-14, 27
Not pleased with cities Solomon gave him
Called land of Cabul
Send men into navy with Solomon’s men
Pharaoh king of Egyptverse 16
Canaanitesverse 16
Amoritesverse 20
Hittitesverse 20
Perizzitesverse 20
Hivitesverse 20
Jebusitesverse 20
Pharoah’s daughterverse 24
Lived in Millo
Ophir – gold for Solomonverse 28
420 talents
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Turn from following the LORDverse 6
Not keep commandmentsverse 6
Worship false godsverses 6, 9
Serve false godsverses 6, 9
Forsook the LORD their Godverse 9
Worship and serve false godsverse 9
Evilverse 9
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Presence of the LORDverses 2, 3
Walkverse 4
Integrity of heartverse 4
Uprightnessverse 4
Obey commandmentsverse 4
Promiseverse 5
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomonverses 1-28
Finished building house of LORD
Finished king’s house
Built house of the LORD
Built his own house
Millo built
Built Hazor – Megiddo – Gezer
Beth-horon – Baalath
Tadmor
Cities of store
Cities for his chariots
Cities for his horsemen
Built in Lebanon
Three times a year offered burnt offerings
Offerings and Peace offering
Finished the house of the LORD
Build an navy of ships in Ezion-geber
Davidverses 4, 24
Walked in integrity of heart
and in uprightness
Promised someone on throne
City of David
Israelverses 5, 7, 20, 21
Solomon’s wifeverse 16
Children of Israel were not bondmenverse 22
but men of war
Chief of the officers = 550verse 23
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Name on Temple foreververse 3
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org Also if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
QUOTES regarding passage
9:25. All the offerings mentioned were for worship (on the burnt offerings cf. Lev. 1, and on the fellowship offerings; cf. Lev. 3). The three annual occasions were perhaps the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest (also called Weeks and Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles (also called Ingathering) since these were the major feasts of Israel (cf. Ex. 23:14–16). (Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 506). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
4. Solomon worships the Lord. (1 Kings 9:25; 2 Chron. 8:12–16)
Annually, the adult Jewish males in Israel were required to appear at Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, (Ex. 23:14–19; Deut. 16:1–17). To Christian believers today, these three feasts signify the death of Christ, the Lamb of God, for our sins (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7); the resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 15:23; Acts 2); and the future regathering of God’s people in the kingdom (Rev. 20:1–6). To the Jewish people, Passover looked back to their deliverance from Egyptian bondage while Tabernacles commemorated God’s care during their years in the wilderness. Firstfruits (Pentecost) celebrated the goodness of God in sending the harvest.
Solomon lived in Jerusalem, but he set an example by going to the temple and offering sacrifices. Of course, it was the priests who offered both the sacrifices and the incense. The burnt offering signified total dedication to the Lord; the fellowship or peace offerings spoke of peace with God and communion with Him and one another; and the burning incense was a picture of prayer offered to the Lord (Ex. 30:1–10; Ps. 141:2; Rev. 8:3). There are no instances in Scripture of the common people bringing incense to be offered on the golden altar, since this was a task the priests performed twice daily for the whole nation. However, Psalm 72, “A Psalm for Solomon,” mentions continual prayer to be made for the king (v. 15), and there is no reason why Solomon could not have provided some of the spices needed for the special incense (10:2, 10; Ex. 30:34–38).
The account in 2 Chronicles 8 indicates that Solomon also provided the sacrifices that were needed during these feasts as well as on the special Sabbaths and the new moon festivals. He obeyed the Law of Moses in this regard, and he also followed the plan instituted by his father, David, for the ministry of the priests and Levites in the temple (1 Chron. 23–26). Asaph was chief over the musicians (1 Chron. 16:4–5), and there were 4,000 singers divided into twenty-four courses. Each singer ministered at the temple two weeks every year. There was also a special choir of 288 singers (1 Chron. 25:7). Solomon was careful to see to it that David’s songs and instruments were used and that his plan for organizing the priests and Levites was honored. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2002). Be responsible (pp. 71–72). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor)
9:22–25 These three times a year included the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deut. 16:16). Not only did Solomon show himself a faithful spiritual shepherd by leading His people in worship, but continual attention to prescribed religious duties would keep the temple finished, or properly maintained. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 441). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers)
9:25 At least for now Solomon honors the Lord by offering sacrifices at the new temple. Three occasions for sacrifices are mentioned. These times were most likely the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Booths (cf. Exod 23:14–19). By offering the required sacrifices at these specified times, Solomon demonstrates his faithfulness to the covenant. All his subjects could then follow his lead.
The last sentence in 9:25, which the NIV renders “and so fulfilled the temple obligations,” is somewhat difficult to translate. Literally the text reads “and he finished the house.” Burney thinks the phrase is a copyist’s error.117 Montgomery and Gehman suggest, however, that this phrase parallels Ps 76:11, where a similar construction refers to the paying of vows. Keil adds that “and so fulfilled” may be a continuation of “burning incense.”119 Furthermore, the preceding description of Solomon’s ritual activities favors the NIV translation. Solomon met all religious obligations set by the Mosaic law and implied by the building of a central sanctuary. (House, P. R. (1995). 1, 2 Kings (Vol. 8, p. 159). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
d. Temple worship and sacrifice (9:25). The three annual festivals were Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles (as Exod. 23:14–17; Deut. 16). The annual ritual and the central national position of the temple were by now established. Solomon provided, but did not make, the sacrifices himself (see on 8:63–64). The burnt offerings were totally burned (neb ‘whole-offering’), while the fellowship offerings were shared (see on 8:63). Burned incense: the difficult Heb. ’ǎšer (lxx omits) is commonly taken to mean ‘his fire-offering’ (’iššô, neb ‘making smoke-offerings’). Fulfilled (šillam) the temple obligations probably is better taken to mean ‘completed the (temple) arrangements’ rather than ‘finished the house’ (rsv), ‘paid his vows’ (neb), or ‘kept the temple in good repair’ (jb), both of which would be expected anyway. (Wiseman, D. J. (1993). 1 and 2 Kings: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 9, pp. 137–138). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
9:25 Solomon offered. Once the temple had been built, Solomon’s practice of sacrificing to God at the various high places ceased (cf. 3:2–4). He kept Israel’s 3 great annual feasts, Passover, Weeks, and Booths (Dt 16:1–17), at the temple in Jerusalem. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Ki 9:25). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Affliction is part of life. Sometimes circumstances afflict us; sometimes other people afflict us; sometimes we afflict ourselves. In the midst of affliction, we need encouragement. Paul writes that he sent Timothy to visit the Thessalonians “to establish and encourage” them because of their afflictions (vv. 2-3). Paul feared for their spiritual well-being. When we see others in the midst of affliction, we should be quick to encourage them. Rebuke, exhortation, counsel, and instruction all have their time and place, but encouragement is one of the most powerful ministries on earth. (Quiet Walk)
Tough Times, Together
We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. ROMANS 15:1
Life in a fallen world can be tough. But what makes suffering and hardship worse is that they often turn us against each other rather than toward each other.
Here are a few ways to keep that from happening as you negotiate the common speed bumps and detours of life:
Give your spouse time and freedom to process trials differently. Fight the urge to discount each other’s emotions or grow impatient with the time it’s taking your spouse to deal with something. Some of us are quick to move on. Some process slowly and are more introspective. Give your spouse freedom to not be like you.
Recognize the temptation to withdraw from each other during periods of intense challenges. As a result, you end up thinking your spouse doesn’t understand you or isn’t taking the tough time seriously enough, which makes you want to pull back even more.
Respond to trials by embracing God’s perspective of suffering. Search the Scriptures for God’s counsel and point of view. Verses like “In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) help to strengthen you through seasons of suffering by reminding you that God is good and He is in control.
Remember that your mate is never your enemy. As my friend Dr. Dan Allender says, your spouse is your “intimate ally,” a fellow burden bearer for a difficult time.
If the burden or suffering persists, seek outside help. If you feel as if you’re slipping off into a deep ditch as a couple, don’t wait until you have all four wheels stuck before you seek help. Find godly counsel by calling a mature mentoring couple, your pastor or a biblical counselor to gain some traction. (Moments with YOU Couples Devotional by Dennis and Barbara Rainey)
THE CROSS AND THE LOVE OF GOD
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
The most wonderful thing of all about the cross is that it reveals the love of God to us. It is not surprising that Paul should say to the Romans, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
How do we see the love of God in the cross? Ah, says the modern man, I see it in this way, that though man rejected and murdered the Son of God, God in His love still says, “All right, I still forgive you. Though you have done that to My Son, I still forgive you.” Yes, that is part of it, but it is the smallest part of it. That is not the real love of God. God was not a passive spectator of the death of His Son. That is how the moderns put it—that God in heaven looked down upon it all, saw men killing His own Son, and said, “All right, I will still forgive you.” But it was not we who brought God’s Son to the cross. It was God. It was the predetermined counsel and foreknowledge of God.
If you really want to know what the love of God means, read what Paul wrote to the Romans: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). God condemned sin in the flesh of His own Son.
This is the love of God. Read again Isaiah 53, that wonderful prophecy of what happened on Calvary’s hill. You notice how he goes on repeating it: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows….it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief” (verses 4, 10). These are the terms. And they are nothing but a plain, factual description of what happened on the cross.
A Thought to Ponder: It was not we who brought God’s Son to the cross. It was God.
(From The Cross, pp. 79-80, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
The 16th Psalm contains the Bible’s first reference to the resurrected Christ at the “right hand” of His heavenly Father, and this is important, for there are 20 other such references that follow this one. “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). This latter verse is quoted no less than five times in the New Testament (Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:13).
Then there are seven references to Christ being at God’s right hand in Paul’s epistles (Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2), and seven in other books of the New Testament (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55-56). Lastly, “[Jesus Christ] is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him” (1 Peter 3:22). It is noteworthy that the first reference speaks of Christ’s great joy at God’s right hand; the last of His great power there.
One additional activity there is mentioned: “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). In fact, His continual intercessory ministry on our behalf is His main activity in God’s immediate presence during this present age (note Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2; etc.).
Soon He will become God’s strong right hand of power, manifested until all His enemies become His footstool and we, His people, are taken up to be with Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Then we shall enjoy with Him the pleasures and fullness of joy at God’s right hand forevermore. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Refuge for the Rejected
|
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.