King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Sunday, June 13, 2021
Chapters: II Chronicles 5, I Kings 8
Message: Zeal For God
Hello My Friend,
As I was praying this morning my heart was leaning toward writing a message about prayer, but by the time I finished reading the chapters I started thinking about the teen and Bible conferences that I had been a part of at my first church when I became an Independent Baptist. Three days of joy, excitement, and exhaustion in addition to normal church services. Basically, it was a week of preparation, food, fellowship, teaching, great preaching, and being a part of something that was literally spiritual and life changing. I miss those days of serving God with such zeal, fear, and passion that it did not matter what I was doing or how I was feeling, I was there every second of those doors being open. With life tugging at us, that zeal often subsides, and I am not talking about faith, zeal is something completely different, and while we are still eager, the execution is not always accomplished. That is when God has to get our attention, reminding us to get back to our first works.
[Revelation 2:2-5 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.]
[Zeal; an eagerness of desire to accomplish or obtain some object, and it may be manifested either in favor of any person or thing, or in opposition to it, and in a good or bad cause.] David had a zeal to build a house for God, a place that was permanent, unlike the tabernacle. However, due to David being a man of war, God did not want him to build a house for Him, He did tell him that Solomon would build it. Well, Solomon came through and had the first house of worship built for God, and it was like no other. Now, that the building had been completed it was time to bring in the Ark and everything else from the tabernacle into it.
[2 Chronicles 5:2-5,13-14 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month. 4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. 5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.]
[for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.] The glory of the LORD is a light so bright that it blinds you, it is the same light that shines within every saved, born again Christian that accepts Christ as their Saviour, and that light is the Holy Spirit. Do you see how God waited until they were all in one accord singing, praising Him before He revealed to them that He was among them? God is always among us, He reveals Himself when we come to Him with open arms. Some of the most invigorating moments when the presence of God becomes so strong that you literally feel Him right there with you is when likeminded Christians come together to worship Him. Now, Solomon speaks out to the crowd, reminding them of the covenant God had given David.
[1 Kings 8:12-16,20 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever. 14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;) 15 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying, 16 Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel. 20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.]
[The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.] One way that we lose our zeal is when we feel like we are in the dark. However, it is often when it is so dark that we cannot see the Light that we need to understand that God is right there. He is literally in [a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.] within you through the Holy Spirit, and He abides with us until our soul leaves this earth, [John 14:15-17 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.]
If we are struggling with our zeal, and cannot see God then we need to communicate with Him more, learn His ways, confess and repent of sin, trust Him, and never lean on our own understanding. No matter how dark it gets we need cry out to Jesus for He is our Light. Solomon in complete awe, literally gets down on his knees, raises his hands up to heaven and starts to pray.
[1 Kings 8:23-25 And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: 24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 25 Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.]
[that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.] Another way that we can lose our zeal is by the pressure to go against God. You know, every time you turn around we are told not take the Bible seriously because we are saved by grace. I do not know about you, but my Bible tells me not to use my salvation as a cloak for sin. Of course, unless we believed in Christ in vain, we cannot lose our salvation if we did, but we are beyond that, we are not doing anyone any favors by compromising our faith. And let me tell you, they can care less how it tears you apart. We are not here to please man, but God, and if they have any respect for us and care about us as much as they say then they would never ask us to go against our faith. As Solomon continues his prayer, he asks God to do something that I do not think I have ever asked Him for.
[1 Kings 8:27-29 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? 28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: 29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.]
[Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant,] By our asking God to respect our prayer we are actually allowing God to think about what we are saying to see if it is from our heart. Believe it or not, God loves to prove to us that what He says He will do. Why? He gets the glory. When we prove God it increases our faith in Him, we become more obedient to Him, it draws us closer to Him, and we are more likely to tell everyone about Him. Solomon continues his prayer, acknowledging that God had given Israel everything He has promised, He also pleads with God to be forgiving to all.
[1 Kings 8:46-47,49-50 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; 47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; 49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:]
[that they may have compassion on them:] This sounds an awful lot like prophecy to me. We all like to think that we are strong enough to resist temptation or that we would never subject ourselves to situations that would bring us to sin. The truth is, this is what happens when we lose our zeal, we fall into sin. However, God still knows our heart, and that is exactly why the just mans falls seven times and gets back up. When we do sin and get caught up in its darkness, it is during that time that repentance comes into play, and incredibly it revives our zeal, [2 Corinthians 7:10-11 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.]
Jesus Christ Magnified: [1 Kings 8:20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.]
Today’s Prayer: God, You have given me much more than salvation the second I received Your Son as my Saviour. Thank You, God, for Your mercies, grace, forgiveness, for loving me, and keeping Your promises. Lord, Lead me and guide me, open my heart, remove any doubts, fears, or pride that keeps if from trusting You completely. Give me wisdom, compassion, understanding, and revive in me the zeal to complete the work You have for me. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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