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: Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Chapters: 1 KINGS 3-4, 2 CHRONICLES 1
Study: Who Is Wise?
Hello My Friend,
Well, I spent the first half hour reading the wrong chapters for today, and was really getting into it until I realized that I had reversed the books. That probably happened because I asked God for help in getting the devotion done in two hours as opposed to the four that it normally takes me. When I first started writing these it would take me two hours, but then again, I was just getting started out and was not as knowledgeable in His Word back then. For some reason, God wants, what I call my ministry family, to grow in the knowledge of His Word as well, pointing out things that we sometimes overlook, or I should say, learn as we become wiser both in our reading and walking with God. Knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing, it is one thing to know what the Bible says, it is another to live it, [James 3:13-15 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.]
The Book of 2 Chronicles is the fourteenth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains thirty-six chapters. The timeline for these events took place between 1015 BC to 610 BC. The author of the book is Ezra, and was written to the Jews who were in captivity in Babylon for seventy years. The purpose of the book was to record the events that took place in Judah that brought them into captivity. What we are to learn from the book is that the blessings God gives to us comes through humbling ourselves and seeking His wisdom in all that we do, [2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.]
As we begin the reading of 2 Chronicles, Solomon convinces the entire congregation to meet up with him where the tabernacle was. It was there that he gave an offering to God of a whopping one thousand burnt offerings.
[2 Chronicles 1:1,3-6 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly. 3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it. 6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.]
[for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God,] The place where the tabernacle was the place of worship for God, and where the altar of burnt offerings was, which is where the sacrifices according to the Law, were offered up to God. The Ark of the Covenant was in Jerusalem, (remember David had it brought up and made a special tent for it). David, was particularly concerned about the Ark of the Covenant because it had been displaced for quite some time after it had been taken from the tabernacle, then later returned, but it was never placed back in the tabernacle, [1 Samuel 7:1 And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.]
[and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.] Okay, you can give a million burnt offerings or even offer your own life as a living sacrifice (giving yourself as a human sacrifice will not save you or anyone) to God, but unless you are one; saved, and two; sincere about it, God will not recognize it, [Romans 3:22-24 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:]
Now, as we continue reading 1 Kings, it also gives the account of Solomon going to Gibeon, but we also learn of something else, Solomon, forming a treaty with the king of Egypt, and marrying one of his daughters, [1 Kings 3:1-3 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. 2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.]
[and took Pharaoh’s daughter,] This was no doubt a part of the treaty that Solomon had made with the king of Egypt, but God, seeing this as a potential problem, thought it necessary to speak with Solomon. That night, He spoke to Him in a dream.
[1 Kings 3:5-10 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.]
[And the speech pleased the Lord,] Do you know why the prayer pleased God, keep in mind it was only a dream? Solomon, did not ask for riches or fame or even to live longer nor did he ask for harm upon his enemies. What he asked God for was the wisdom to judge the nation with that righteous judgment that we all are to use.
[2 Chronicles 1:11-13,16-17 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. 13 Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel. 16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. 17 And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.]
[Because this was in thine heart,] Since God does know our heart, it is not entirely impossible for Him to give us dreams. When Solomon asked God to give Him wisdom on how to run the country, He was very pleased, and actually granted his request, and promised him much more, under one condition that is, [1 Kings 3:14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.]
This is why our once, God centered countries are turning into one big nightmare, they stopped walking in the ways of God and in the keeping of His commands. This is exactly what happens when the Church becomes complacent or afraid of the world and allows the world to creep in and have a say in what is right and wrong. When we rule God’s way, God and the people are happy and prosperous, but whenever the world rules, you can expect everything and more of what we are seeing today, [Psalms 33:11-12 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.]
You can be sure that as soon as you ask God for something, He will test you on it, and Solomon’s first test of wisdom came as two women sought his help in determining who get to keep a baby that both claimed as their own.
[1 Kings 3:16-20,24-27 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. 17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. 18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. 19 And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. 20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.]
[Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.] Is that not like a lot of women today? They will carry a baby all the way up until the day of its birth and decide to kill it. Okay, I can understand someone being raped and chose to end the pregnancy as soon as they found out because it would be too painful. I could even understand if she chose to end the pregnancy if it were a health risk to herself and the baby was dying. I will never understand how anyone could carry a baby for as long as it can live outside the womb and then decide to kill it. At that point, that is just cruel and selfish and if anyone had any value of life, they would do whatever it took to save that life, even if it meant that it was given to someone else. This is how Solomon knew who the real mother was, and let me tell you, the world is not really more wicked than it was back then, it is just that the number has increased, [1 John 2:18-20 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.]
You know, the word unction means; The act of anointing or Divine or sanctifying grace. When we choose God and His Word over mans, and that includes mans version of what they call His Word, that makes us more wiser than all the wisest fools in the world combined. Godly leadership will always prevail and bring protection and prosperity from God in our nation that exceeds our expectations, and even the world knows it. However, it takes more than a Godly king to rule a nation, it takes a Godly administration as well. At this point, Solomon knew the importance of having other Godly people around him who would help him rule, and an account is given as to who they were.
[1 Kings 4:1-5,21,27,34 So king Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, 3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. 4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend: 21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. 34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.]
[from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.] Remember, God had told David that this would happen as long as Solomon kept his faith. All of Israel might not have been Godly, but they knew that God’s hand was on Solomon and the great team of Godly men to help him rule. [Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,] Do you see who it is that is first mentioned in helping Solomon succeed as king? We need our pastors and other ministers of God to give us the spiritual wisdom we need to do our secular jobs. Not every one of God’s people are called to serve in His Church, He needs faithful, Godly men and women in every position to serve Him wherever He leads them, [Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:]
Today’s Prayer: God, It really does bring You great joy to You see Your children blessed with the things they ask for, especially when they are faithful to You. The key to our success and prosperity is living a Godly life and guiding others in the way that You would have them. With Your wisdom and guidance we can turn into one nation under God once again and see it prosper once again. God, we do not need to ask You for wealth, weapons, or the desire that our enemies perish, we need only to ask for your wisdom to rule our own hearts and whomever You entrust us with with a perfect heart. Lord, Lead me and guide me, give me Your wisdom and understanding, as Your Word teaches me the knowledge I need to be who You called me to be. As I come to know Your will, give me the skills, talents, and people I need to become wise. Let me not even ask You for anything without asking You what it is that You want me to have. And let me never forget all that You have done for me, and that I have never lacked when I put my faith and trust in You, and I will never lack as long as I am grounded and rooted upon the foundation of Your Son. You deserve praise and glory for all that I am and have, and I will gladly give that to You. I love and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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