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: Saturday, June 19, 2021
Chapters: I Kings 10-11, II Chronicles 9
Message: It Begins With Faith
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today, this passage came to mind, [John 20:26-29 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.]
[and be not faithless, but believing.] It was not enough for Thomas to put his finger into the hole that the nail that pierced Christ’s hand had left behind, he had to believe that it was Jesus to begin with. The Almighty, nothing is impossible, only living God, performs miracles all day long, but without faith it is just another day, [Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.]
King Solomon was the most powerful, wealthiest, and prosperous kings of all time and it all happened because he had faith in the Almighty God, and for most of his life he was a Godly man. Solomon not only became a powerful king he was looked highly upon by the rest of the world as the king who was blessed by the Almighty and to their knowledge only living God. Kings and queens came from all over the world to meet him just to see if all the stories they heard about were true. The queen of Sheba was one of them.
[2 Chronicles 9:1-4 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.]
[there was no more spirit in her.] The queen was astonished, all the stories she heard could not compare to what she actually saw. And when she walked up to the temple, she did like we all do when we first come to the knowledge of Christ, she humbled herself, she believed, realizing just how powerful God is. She goes on to explain what brought her to believe that it was God who blessed Solomon, and the entire country.
[1 Kings 10:6-9 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.]
[because the LORD loved Israel for ever,] You see, she too heard the stories of how the Almighty God parted the Red Sea, and led Israel into the promised land. God did not just want Israel to know and worship Him, He wanted all nations to do so. The queen of Sheba heard what God had done for Israel, she believed that it was all true, but when she saw it for herself that was when she was convinced that He is true. And this is exactly why we are to be separate and set apart from the world, it is the only way that their faith is confirmed, [1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:]
I do not know if it is lack of confidence or self esteem, but as Christians, we somehow convince ourselves that God will never bless us with prosperity and wealth. God never said that we cannot have those things, what He says is that we are not to let them become idols. And that is where so many Christians who rose up to fame and fortune lost it all. Solomon was no different than the rest of us, he prospered because of his faith and faithfulness to God, and so did the kingdom. Further account is given to Solomon’s prosperity. Nations would literally come from all over the world bringing gifts galore of animals, trees, and treasures.
[2 Chronicles 9:22-26 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart. 24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.]
[to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.] Here is the key right there, because his heart was tender for God, He made all this possible. We are only as prosperous as God sees fit to bless us with the things within the world according to our obedience to Him. 1 Kings goes on to describe the throne that Solomon had made, [1 Kings 10:18-21 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. 20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom. 21 And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.]
[and two lions stood beside the stays.] I can only imagine how incredible that looked, I do not think that he came up with this design all on his own, I can somehow see this as God’s throne as He looks down on His people, with Jesus on sitting at His right hand, interceding for us, and awaiting the day that God tells Him to come and get His children, [Romans 8:34 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.]
No matter how strong our faith, we cannot take our eyes off Jesus for one second, that is all it takes for us to go from loving and worshiping Him to worshiping idols and false gods. Remember, God told Solomon that because he asked for wisdom He would give him more than what he ever desired, but that was dependent upon him remaining faithful to Him. Things began to change for Solomon as his love not for money or wealth, but for women turned him away from God.
[1 Kings 11:1-2,4,6,8 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.]
[But king Solomon loved many strange women,] The women were called strange because of their different faiths, they worshiped the god of their nation, and with a thousand wives worshiping every man made god known it was inevitable that Solomon would be influenced by them at some point.
[Solomon clave unto these in love.] One thousand women and he stuck by all of them in love? This goes to show you that as much as Solomon had he was miserable and constantly desired to be loved. The heart is a strange thing, it looks for things that bring it love, joy, and happiness, we search for it with possessions, wealth, knowledge, lust, or love, but it is never found. The truth is, love, joy, and happiness can never be found by pleasing the flesh, what it all comes down to is a hungry heart and a thirty soul. Only Jesus can feed a hungry heart and quench a thirsty soul, and once we find that through Him, that is when we find love, joy, and happiness, [Luke 12:32-34 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.]
And this is why Solomon wrote so many proverbs about not letting a woman influence a man. All that fame, all that wealth, and all those women turned his heart to the lusts of his flesh and not only that away from God and of worshiping these false gods. Now, of course, he would answer to God for doing so. And just like God had warned him what would happen, God took the kingdom away from, not Solomon, but his son. However, there is one ray of hope, God never forgot His promise to David to make sure that Judah would remain established.
[1 Kings 11:9-13 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. 13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.]
[but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake,] Do you see why God does not cast us off, even if we have gotten away from Him? It is our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ as our Saviour that God has mercy upon us, and does not cast us off. Let me tell you, a life of sin will bring more judgment upon you than you would ever receive having never been saved. Why? You cannot get saved and live a life of sin, you belong to Christ, unless you believed in vain, [Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.]
God already chose someone to reign over Israel while Solomon’s son would reign over Judah, a man named, Jeroboam. However, the same rules would apply to Jeroboam as it did for Solomon. God sent a prophet named Ahijah to Jeroboam to tell him that He had chosen him to rule over Israel.
[1 Kings 11:29-31,36,38 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: 30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: 31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: 36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. 38 And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee. 39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.]
[that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem,] Although God took away most of the kingdom from David’s family, He did promise that He would be with Jeroboam if he followed Him as well. We all want to be prosperous in life, we all would like to not worry about making enough money to pay the bills and put food on the table. We all want to be able to instantly get the things we desire. We would all like to be able to pay for expensive things outright instead of using payment plans, credit cards, or layaway’s. God knows what we need, and He will surely provide for us, we might have to eat eggs for days, but He takes care of us. However, it all begins with faith, it does not matter how much we do for God, if we do not have faith, our works are dead to Him, [James 2:17-20 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?]
Jesus Christ Magnified: [1 Kings 11:36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.]
Today’s Prayer: God, You have proven to me time and time again that it is not how much I have that determines my worth, but who I have. True wealth is not about fame, fortune, or pleasing my flesh, it is about a relationship with Your Son, and working as He did. I am royalty, joint heirs with Jesus, one who does not need everything I desire to feel worthy, all I need is You, and Your hand guiding me. Lord, I do not want my life to be about meaningless pursuits that turn my heart away from You, watch over me, guide me, give me Your mercies and grace, wisdom, truth, and true love. Help me let go of anything that is hurting me, and lead me do all things through Christ who is my strength. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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