1 Kings 9 Bible Study (The Lord Appears to Solomon/Solomon's Other Acts) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

First Kings Chapter 9. Let's meet there together First

1 Kings 9 · chapter mention 1 Kings 9 · chapter mention

Kings Chapter 9. Let's just begin our time by

going straight into the text and then taking our time to mind the

word of God together. First Kings 9 verse one reads as

soon as Solomon had finished building the House of the Lord

and the King's house and all that Solomon desired to build.

The Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared

to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him, I have

heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me.

I have consecrated this house that you have built by putting

my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be

there for all time. And As for you, if you walk

before me as David, your father walked with integrity of heart

and uprightness, doing according to all I have commanded you, and

keeping my statutes and my rules.

Then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I

promised David, your father, saying, you shall not lack a man

on the throne of Israel. But if you turn aside from

following me, you or your children, and do not keep my

commandments and my statues that I've set before you, but go and

serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off from,

cut off Israel from the land that I've given them, and the

house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of

my sight. And Israel will become a proverb

and a byword among all peoples, and this house will become a

heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be

astonished and will hiss. And they will say, Why has the

Lord done thus to this land and to this house?

And they will say, because they abandoned the Lord, their God,

who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold

on other gods, and worship them and serve them.

Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them.

This is God's word. Let's pray and ask him for his

help. Father in heaven, with absolute

reverence and adoration, We look to you tonight as a church.

And we ask with great humility as well, that you would come to

our aid and expound these truths to us, the way you intended

these things to be learned and explained.

May it come forth by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

And we ask, Lord, that you would hover over every heart and make

it the right soil to receive the seed, so that it can germinate

and become the harvest that You desire from us.

We thank you, O Lord, that everything we learned today.

Is on the basis of your grace and mercy, your love, the love

that initiated everything that we are enjoying in this moment.

We ask, Lord, that you would receive the glory that is your

due as we respond to this word in Jesus.

Name Amen First Kings Chapter 8 Solomon spoke to God First Kings

1 Kings 8 · chapter mention 1 Kings 9 · chapter mention

Chapter 9. God speaks to Solomon, and I

want you from the outset to consider verse one and look at

the timing in which this divine manifestation occurred.

We read again as soon as Solomon had finished building the House

of the Lord and the King's house and all that Solomon desire to

build. The Lord appeared to Solomon a

second time. When was the first time when

Solomon became King of First Kings, Chapter 3, and he sought

1 Kings 3 · chapter mention

the Lord for wisdom, and he did so in Gibeon.

The Lord appeared to him at Gibeon.

In what way? Through a dream by the night.

And so here we're saying we're being told that this happened at

Gibeon the same way that it happened at Gibeon back in

Chapter 3. So it's through a dream at

night. But when did it happen?

As soon as Solomon finished building all those major

projects, Then the Lord in his perfect wisdom decided to

manifest himself to the King, to not just explain his delight of

what was just accomplished for his name, but to also provide

warning, to provide warning that Solomon would.

Continue on the path of faithfulness and that He would

finish well. God is concerned not just of

what we have done, what we're even doing in the moment.

God is concerned about all of us finishing well.

He wants us to all finish and faithfulness and devotion to

Him. And the Lord appears to Solomon

to encourage him on that path at a very strategic juncture, one

that you and I also have to consider.

The Lord appears to Solomon brings himself before him at a

time of great accomplishment, at a time when Solomon is advancing

with unprecedented success. The Lord chooses to come at this

time and say, hey Solomon. Don't forget about me.

Hey, Solomon. Remember Me?

Hey Solomon, remember my word. Solomon, remember the conditions

of the blessings that you are enjoying at this time.

It's not very difficult to seek the Lord when things are falling

apart. It's very difficult to seek the

Lord and keep Him before you. When everything is going

extremely well, everything is going very, very well.

For Solomon, humanly speaking, even spiritually speaking, he is

obeying the Lord, at least to this degree, with the temple

honoring His name, fulfilling the promise that was made, the

command that was made to build a house.

That's all done. But Solomon has to understand

something as you move forward. Keep me before you.

You know, David Solomon's father sent something incredible in

Psalm 16, verse eight. He says I have set the Lord

always right. Did he say sometimes before me?

Did he say on Sunday morning before me?

Did he say Sunday morning, Wednesday night prayer, and

Friday night Bible study before me?

I have set the Lord always before me.

Always. What does that mean?

I've put the Lord as priority, as my focus, as my goal, as my

motivation. I filter every event in life

through the Lord because He's before me.

And that's a choice David made. That's a choice you and I have

to make every single day. And the rest of that verse, in

that Psalm chose and declares the reward of doing so.

I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my

right hand. I shall what?

Never be shaken, Never be shaken?

Implying what? That when you choose to put God

first, always, God promises you to never be removed from His

perfect will for your life. You'll never be shaken.

You'll never be intimidated. You'll never have to fear being

outside of his perfect provision, his perfect

protection and the abundant life that he promised those who abide

in the vine. I have set the Lord always

before me. And here's the Lord saying

something with that truth in essence.

Solomon, don't forget about me. Don't forget about my word,

Believer, tonight. What a wonderful exhortation

leading up to the New Year. Don't you lose sight of God and

His word ever, and especially when you're when your heart is

riding on the thrills of achievements and milestones that

you've passed in life. That should only exhilarate and

exalt God more in your heart, not diminish his presence and

who he is in your day-to-day life.

So this is what the Lord is doing.

He's essentially telling Solomon, I am pleased with what

you have done, but you have to understand I want you to

continue and notice what he says here in verse three.

And the Lord said to him. I have heard your prayer and

your plea. Pause and just simmer.

There consider the wonder of that statement.

I have heard your prayer and your plea.

The God of heaven heard the voice of A.

Creature on Earth? That's amazing.

That's astounding. That's fascinating.

And Lord, assure Solomon that he did in fact hear him.

He did in fact hear every word that he said, every request that

he made. And he in fact also says, I'm

going to do something about that request.

Here's a simple truth, but so incredible at the same time.

When you and I speak to God, we can expect for him to hear, you

can expect him to hear, and you can expect him to answer in one

way or another. Doesn't mean that he's going to

answer in the same way that he did with Solomon.

But the same invitation that God gives to this royal king to pray

and to be heard and to have an answer to that prayer is the

same invitation that's extended to you and I as well.

We are. Invited to have that kind of

experience with God, to seek him, to offer these prayers to

them and forgot to answer them in His perfect way.

But look how the Lord answers. What stands out to you.

Apart from I've heard your prayer and your plea, which you

have made before me, I've consecrated this house that you

have built. Wonderful.

Look what he says. By putting my name there

forever, my eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

My eyes and my heart. He could have just said my eyes,

right? But he doesn't just say my eyes,

He says my eyes and my heart. Why do you think that's

significant? I'll give you a hint.

Consider First Kings, Chapter 8. Consider within First Kings,

1 Kings 8 · chapter mention 1 Kings 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8. What Solomon's request to the

Lord was concerning this house? OK.

There's there's more there. When Solomon asked the Lord to

do something for the house or toward the house, what did he

ask specifically? It's in chapter 8.

Another hint, it's in the 20s of the verses.

I'll give you a few more seconds, OK, verse. 29 Look at

the specific request of Solomon makes when he prayed to the

Lord. What?

Did he ask that your eyes may be open night and day toward this

house? This is what?

He asked. Any.

Mention of the heart. Did he say, Lord, your eyes and

your heart toward this house? Did he say that?

Did he ask that? No, He just said, Lord, your

eyes just asking for your attention to be on this place.

I'm asking that you wouldn't forsake us or turn your back on

this place, that your blessing would forever remain.

As you hold this place in your sight, you know what the Lord

does. And answering, Solomon's Prairie

says. I won't just give you my eyes,

I'll give you my heart with it. I won't just give you my eyes.

I'm going to give you my heart. What does that say?

What does that testify about God?

A pattern that you see throughout the Scriptures, that

when you and I ask of the Lord, He goes above and beyond.

When you and I ask the Lord, he answers with surplus that in his

enjoyment he gives an excess man.

This is this has happened more than once with Solomon.

Remember what Solomon asked in First Kings chapter three?

He asked the Lord for what? Crown me with what?

Give me wisdom. What did the Lord say in

response to him in First Kings chapter 3?

1 Kings 3 · chapter mention

You're going to get discernment. You're going to get discretion

between good and evil. But I'm going to give you what

you didn't ask for. Remember that.

I'm going to give you riches. I'm going to give you all these

other things on top of what you asked for.

This is the character of God that not only is he willing to

meet our request, but in his infinite goodness, he's willing

to pour out even more saying why?

Because he's good, He's good, that's why.

Because he delights and providing and flourishing and

showering us with his presence and his goodness and his

blessings. So he tells.

He tells Solomon. Not just my eyes.

I'll give you my heart. Toward this place.

Oh, what did that do to Solomon? Oh, I don't know.

I'm telling you what it would have done for me and say, oh

wow, Lord, you're willing to do that even?

Yes, I'm willing to do that. So how can prayer be something

that you're hesitant to do when the option is constantly there

that the Lord is willing to do more than?

What do you even ask? Bless more than you ask him to

bless. Empower more than he's willing.

More than you're asking him to empower even more.

So he says. I'm going to give you my heart

that tells me something else over the Lord.

He could have just said, I'll give you my eyes and that would

have been great. That would have been consistent

with the faithfulness of God and the goodness of God.

But He's He's not just saying. I'm going to give you my duty of

observing and protecting and shielding and giving what is.

Necessary for this House to remain consecrated.

My heart is going to be attached to my duty.

I'm going to delight in doing this.

God. Has a heart behind what he does.

He's not a cosmic robot and. Prayers aren't.

Coins that you put into the slot.

And if you just do it with the right amount and you do it at

the right time, then he'll dish out what you're asking for.

No, his heart is behind his willingness to partner with us

in advancing purposes for his glory.

I'm just going to give you eyes. I'm going to give you my heart

with it toward this place. I'd love to know that God's

heart is connected behind his works.

His heart is connected behind. There's a there's a heartbeat

behind his promises and his commands toward us and.

Solomon hears this, says, I'm going to give you what you

didn't even ask for, and that's something you and I can expect

for ourselves. But now, with these wonderful

assurances, the Lord is going to tell Solomon that he must also

continue to adhere to things. That if he's going to continue

to enjoy what the Lord has in store for him.

So it's it's wonderful that Solomon had obeyed up to this

point, but the Lord is interested.

In wanting Solomon to keep going, as I said earlier, and so

he gives these commands, he gives us encouragement and he

gives a warning. And the encouragement here has a

promise of reward for obedience. And then there is a warning of

the consequences for disobedience.

So. Here how.

Here's how he begins with the reward for obedience, verse 4.

And As for you, if you walk before me as David your father

walked with. Integrity of heart and

uprightness. Doing according to all that I've

commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules.

Pause, pause, pause if you do. As who David, so the Lord

points. To Solomon's father.

David as a model to emulate in terms of faithfulness, integrity

and longevity of devotion to the Lord.

You and I have studied David's life carefully and long enough

to be very familiar with his personal failures.

Have we not? How can the Lord point to David

as an example of righteousness and practical holiness, knowing

that he had many trip UPS and a major fall that would have

ripple effects for generations? How is the Lord thinking here?

What do we know about God if he again is pointing to David as an

example? Any idea?

Yes, go ahead. He doesn't expect you to be

perfect, but he just. Expects you to go to the very,

very well put sinless perfection is impossible on this side of

heaven for any person, David, you and I, except for the person

of the Lord Jesus Christ, who walked on this earth perfectly.

It's impossible. So the Lord here is not pointing

to this clean, Immaculate record that David was without sin.

No, no. He's pointed at David because

there's something about David's heart that David that God longs

for all of his servants to possess.

What is it about David? What is it that made him so

unique? He was persistently repentant,

persistently contrite in heart, persistently returning to the

Lord after his failure. That is what the Lord is after.

Not that we have permission to fail, but what God longs for is

that if we do fail, we would never fail to repent.

If you do fail, not when that you're premeditating to fail.

If you do fail. John speaks about if we sin, if

we do fail, that in our failure we would not fail to turn back

to the Lord. David did that.

David had psalms about that, and that is what moved God's heart

to honor him and even honor him before others.

A man who is broken, penitent, always realizing what sin really

does ultimate to your relationship with the Lord, and

you turning back to him when you fail, seeking to never repeat it

again. Solomon, that's what I'm after.

I saw it in your father. And I want you to walk in those

steps where if you do fail, you would learn how to repent, that

your loyalty to me would be proven in turning back to me.

Even for a moment, your glance turns away from me.

Isn't that refreshing? Isn't that wonderful to know

and? Again, that if that moves you to

say well, gone, OK, I have AI have a little bit of loophole

here that I can take it. You you got to reconsider Jesus

Christ altogether. But if you understand the heart

of God in this, then that moves you to be holy.

And even as you pursue that and seek that, and you fall along

the way, you can be assured that the Lord will still honor you

because, like David, you turned back to him.

And this is what Solomon had to do.

Question. Did Solomon do that?

Interestingly, Solomon sinned, but he sinned in a way that

David never sinned. Sin is still sin.

David never worshipped idols. He lied a lot.

He fell into lust. He committed murder.

But he never did what Solomon did.

And according if you just look at the record of kings, you'll

find that Solomon will die in apostasy and there is no

indication that he died being devoted to the Lord.

It's a very, very sad sight. So the very standard that the

Lord gifts to Solomon, which again is not perfection, though

we should strive to be perfect, as our Father in heaven is

perfect just to be repentant and constantly leaning on the mercy

and grace of Lord of the Lord, even He couldn't do that.

At least in the record of Kings when you throw in Ecclesiastes,

there's debate about how Solomon might have ended his life.

But if you just look at this account doesn't end well for

Solomon. Just.

Just walk like you're father, David walked.

And this is this is the promise if Solomon does this and his

successors. Follow in those steps as well.

They would secure perpetual rule.

In the throne, they would. Remain on the throne in the

land. This is what they had to do, and

this is a wonderful promise associated with it.

But now this positive promise is followed by -1.

Verse 6 But if you turn aside from following me.

You are your children, and do not keep My commandments and My

statutes that I've said before you, but go and serve other Gods

and worship them and for the. Rest of these verses there.

Are three particular repercussions that the Lord

spells out to Solomon. Let's identify them.

The first one here is in verse seven.

Then I will cut off from Israel from the I will cut off Israel

from the land. That's.

Number one, I will cut off Israel from the land.

There will be a deportation. You will be exiled.

You will be removed from the promised land.

I will remove Israel from the land that I have given them.

Secondly, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I

will cast out of my sight. So not just a removal of the

people from the land, but a destruction of the House of God.

This beautiful adorned, this project that years went into.

God says I'm willing to bring it down to rubble if you turn from

me. So exile from the land #1, the

destruction of the temple. And here's the last one.

And Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

In. Other words, the nation and the

people of Israel will become the object of scorn and ridicule.

In the sight of the neighboring nations.

For how low they will be brought because of their sin, it will be

a reason for the other nations to look upon them with disdain.

And to mock them and to say many things about them.

These are heavy consequences, he goes on to say.

And elaborates and this house in verse A will become a heap of.

Ruins, everyone passing by will be astonished and will hiss, and

they will say, Why has the Lord done this, done thus, to this

land and to this house, Solomon, if you obey, you will know

perpetual blessing, success for generations to come, if.

You turn aside a persistent rebellion and apostasy.

Say. Goodbye to the land.

Say goodbye to the temple, and I say goodbye to the holy

reputation you could have maintained if you had just

obeyed what I had said and watched the nations look at you

in a light that you do not want. I I step back from this and I

looked at this and I. Thought if I read this in

isolation, I can come to very, very strong conclusions about

the fate of Israel the. Future of Israel.

But it's a whole different story when you consider the whole

council of God. Here's the question that I

proposed to you in light of these verses, both the positive

promise and the severe consequences.

Is. The Lord namely about the

consequences, speaking about a permanent punishment.

Or is she speaking about a temporal act of discipline

somebody? Peeped out temporal.

Is this a permanent punishment, or is this a temporal act of

discipline? This is where knowing our Bibles

will come in handy especially. When things like in our culture

are taking place temporal. Temporal.

Temporal. Temporal.

OK, Any idea why Temporal any? Proof.

In Scripture, that this is this is Temporal God.

Is love God? Is love?

Well, we can say God is love about a lot of things, but God

in his love is going to throw people into hell.

His mercy is. Prophecy where he will say when

you go to that land, if you turn back then.

OK, so there are conditions for restoration, so there isn't a

permanent cut off. Even if they do head this way

toward apostasy, which they will do very good.

I'm looking for something to sink my teeth into.

I'm looking for verses. I'm looking for something to

point to, something that I want to see it in my Bible.

Right. These are good.

That was a good one, brother. I'm not disqualifying that.

But give me We want to be informed about this because.

It's important for many reasons. Yes, very, very good.

Romans 11, Sister, you went straight for the jugular.

Well, that's good. Well.

I did ask. We'll get there in a moment.

We'll get there in a moment. But Paul is not pulling Romans

11 out of thin air, is he? No, he's not.

Paul knows his Old Testament very well.

He knows he knows the theological realities concerning

the subject extremely well. Can I show you a verses?

There's many verses to go to, but can I show you a collection

of verses in? One place that ties so

beautifully with this warning because.

We see these very warnings come to fruition at one point,

especially in Israel's history. Tell me which one it is.

What happens? At what point did they be?

Were they removed from the land? The temple was destroyed and the

neighboring nations mocked them. Babylonian exile.

There were two exiles the northern tribes were exiled

through and by whom the Syrians came in, but the major one, the

major one that touched the core of the nation.

Because. Of Jerusalem and the Temple was

the Babylonian Exile, and the Babylonian Exile was warned

about as a final set of warning and eventually manifested in the

days of Jeremiah and Jeremiah's day.

People heard and were being prepared, though they'd some

many of them didn't believe it would happen.

But. Some heard what Jeremiah to say

that they were going. To be removed from the land.

That what what God warned here actually manifested and came to

pass. And you know what happened.

There was a popular opinion that was swirling around concerning

the identity and the fate of Israel as a result of God's

punishment in the way that he spells out in First Kings nine.

Can I show it to you? Turn with me to Jeremiah chapter

Jeremiah 33 · chapter mention

33 and let's read here together in verse 23, Jeremiah 3323, May

God Equip us and Allow Us and empower.

Us. To.

Recall these verses and remember them when they need to be

remembered. Jeremiah 3323 This is so

powerful. We read the word of the Lord

came to Jeremiah. Have you not observed that these

people are saying the Lord has rejected the two clans that He

chose? Thus they have despised my

people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight.

So what's happening? People are beginning to say,

because this is what's going to happen to Israel, because of

their apostasy, because of their rebellion, because of their sin,

God has cast off Israel, not in a temporal sense, but in a

permanent sense, that they would be no longer regarded as God's

people and that they would even no longer be recognized as a

nation. Does this sound familiar?

It doesn't. It does sound familiar.

And so here's what the masses believed, evidently based on

Israel's spiritual condition here and what God's going to do

with them. Then God's done with them.

It's over. And the Lord says something very

powerful, He says. They have despised my people so

that they are no longer a nation in their sight.

By refusing to acknowledge them as a people, not just the

people, people who have a covenant with God, they're being

despised. And then he goes on to say.

Thus says the Lord. I'm going to respond to this

opinion. Thus says the Lord, If I have

not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed

order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of

Jacob and David, my servant, and will not choose one of his

offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and

Jacob. You know what he's saying here.

It's very simple. My covenant with Israel is as

fixed as my covenant with the order of nature.

My covenant with Israel is as fixed as my covenant is with the

order of day and night, with the order of nature.

Then he goes on to say. For I will restore their

fortunes. And will have mercy on them.

I will do it. You know what's so significant

about this? This is being declared in the

context of severe punishment coming to Israel.

This is not in the context of them walking faithfully before

God. This is in the context of them

ready to receive the most brutal punishment they can receive as a

people who have been given a land, have been given a House of

worship, have been given a reputation and responsibility

toward the nations. And so this is what God says.

And for some reason when you when you say something like

that, Christians tend to translate it as then we have to

approve everything that the people of Israel do, whether

that be sinful or idolatry, idolatry or idolatrous.

No God is saying this. Ready to punish them.

God is saying this while they are going to be chastised the

idea of covenant with Israel. Does.

Not excuse, sinful behavior, apostasy or idolatry.

It's that's not the case at all. People view View this.

This, this conversation with a very simplistic frame of mind

and argumentation. You look at revelation and we're

talking about the city in which in Chapter 11, the two witnesses

will declare the word of the Lord with great signs and power.

And the Holy Spirit writes that the place in which they'll do

it, which is Jerusalem, which is the holy City, is called Sodom

in Egypt, spiritually speaking. So God can condemn behavior, God

can convict. God can even exercise His

judgment. But.

To say that sin. Namely, Israel's.

Sin can reach a point where it completely deletes all.

The declaration that God has made concerning their fathers is

a grave mistake is a serious mistake.

It's a misguided opinion and a skewed theological idea.

Because even the Lord doesn't believe it.

So that how? How do we understand that?

How do we understand these consequences that seem to

indicate being cast off, being rejected, not continuing to

enjoy the promises that God has declared to David and declared

to Abraham? I think this one verse helps a

lot. In Hosea chapter 3, verse four,

Hosea 3 · chapter mention

we see here that another prophet describes what this punishment

looks like in terms of timing, in terms of how far it goes.

Here's just one example in Hosea chapter 3, verse four, for the

Hosea 3 · chapter mention

children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or

Prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or

household gods. So Hosea is declaring that it's

possible for there to be long periods of time where the people

of Israel will not know, King will not know our righteous

governance, will not know a place of worship, will not know

a sacrificial system. Along.

With other things, it's possible for there to be a stretch of

time where this is not a reality for the people of Israel.

And. That's what's happened in

Israel's history. That's what's happened to Israel

post Bible times, where there was a stretch of time and there

is a time now where this is a reality.

And it was true then. For many, many years, many

centuries, they didn't know these things.

And that's what God is warning about.

I am willing to put a pause on these blessings.

Your your lack of repentance, your sin, your idolatry is able

to interrupt what I'm willing to give you without end and without

stop. Does this make sense tonight?

So it's possible for the children of Israel to go many,

many days without knowing even the things that are secured by

covenant. And I can hear it.

I can hear it. I can hear it on YouTube.

I can read it. I can see it.

I'm not a prophet nor a son of a prophet.

These are Old Testament verses. These are pre Christ.

Pre cross, pre gospel, pre resurrection, pre inception, pre

inception of the church. Surely when the Messiah comes to

his people and they reject them, that would be the final straw.

That would be the line crossed, the line of no return.

That would be where the people of Israel with all the things

that were connected to them will evaporate and have evaporated.

So we got to find some evidence. Post cross post gospel, post

crucifixion, post church. Is there anywhere we can find

where we get? Clarification about God's

dealing with the nation of Israel, Well, our sister already

referenced it. Let's look at just verse one of

Romans 11. Here's the New Testament version

of Jeremiah 3323 to 26, along with other verses in the Old

Testament. Here's what Paul says in Romans

11 verse one. What does he say?

I ask, Then has. God rejected.

Has God rejected his people? By no means.

And here's his first order of proof.

Fry myself in an Israelite. In other words, hey, look at me

for I myself in Israelite, a descendant of Abraham.

OK, you can spiritualize. You can spiritualize Israelite.

You can probably spiritualize, spiritualize.

Descendant of Abraham. But he goes even further.

He goes I I'm a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Like I'm trying to hone in as closely as possible to my

fleshly identity here. I'm an Israelite, I'm a

descendant of Abraham, and I'll tell you which tribe I'm from.

Paul is not speaking about a spiritual Israel here, he's

speaking about flesh and blood Israel.

He's speaking about being an actual physical descendant of

this ethnic people group. And by God's grace, at some

point we will talk about Romans 11.

But let's just Fast forward through all of that and go to

what I believe is the clearest New Testament statement about

this, what some people would deem A controversial theological

discussion and topic. Verse 28.

What? Is Paul saying the same breath

of Romans 11 verse one speaking about the Jewish people, the

people of Israel? As regards the gospel.

They are enemies of God, for your sake, in other words.

In the rejection of the Messiah and the rejection of this gospel

that saves this eternal gospel that has been prophesied about

from the beginning of time, they are enemies.

You know what Paul saying there? They are in rebellion.

They are in a bad position. They are standing as enemies

before God in terms of the truth that they are rejecting, and

they are in need of the gospel. They need to repent.

They. Need to bow their knee to the

Lord Jesus Christ. They need to be washed by the

blood of the Lamb of God. They need the gospel.

They need to see. The truth and give themselves to

this truth. Paul is not dismissing that

idea. He's not.

He's not in defense of the people still having a connection

to God's purposes of plan, saying that they are exempt from

the gospel. You know, there are some people

who would say that and believe that that because of the history

and the covenants and the promises and the prophets, they

are not as urgent to be reached for with the gospel.

That's not Paul's attitude. Absolutely not.

He goes, yes, as regards the gospel, they are enemies for of

God for your sake, but he doesn't finish it there.

Let me tell you something so fascinating.

I received a. Link to documentary many weeks

ago, especially when things started to get crazy in the

Middle East and this document is to our documentary was about.

The. Very opposite of what Paul

teached, that Israel is no longer relevant.

Israel has, has, has nothing to do with the new covenant, has

nothing to do with God's future, has nothing to do with

eschatology. It's just there's no need to

look at Israel whatsoever and consider them as a distinct,

separate group that God has a special purpose and plan for.

You know what? I was?

I clicked play and I thought to myself, I wonder if they're

going to go to Romans 11. I wonder if they're going to go

to Romans 11. They went to different places.

And finally they quoted Romans 11, Romans 11, and can we go put

that verse back up there, Romans 11/28?

I said no way. How are they going to explain

this? And here's what happened.

This is what happened as regards the gospel.

They are enemies of God for your sake.

They stop and they say see their enemies of the gospel.

That's what they did in the documentary.

They didn't. Finish the rest of the verse.

You can make the Bible say anything.

If you can cut verses in half, you can say whatever you want.

You can come up with any school of thought.

Any you can dismantle the deity of Christ by doing that to the

Bible. Finish it.

But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of

their forefathers. In terms of election, God made a

promise to the forefathers of this people group, and because

of his love for them, he's going to keep those promises.

He's. Going to keep those promises.

This is not as much about the people of Israel as much as it

is about the God of this people. The God of Israel.

But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of

their forefathers. I made certain promises to this

people group. And I'm going to see it through

because my faithfulness is on the line.

My. Reputation is on the line.

The word that I said I am the Lord who do not change.

I don't change. Malachi 36, You heard it last

Sunday. Therefore you will not be

consumed, even in my discipline, against you.

And So what does that mean? Well, if you know, and if you

see the Bible for what is in terms of even the events of the

last days, there needs to be a land with a city called

Jerusalem in it. There needs to be, because Jesus

is going to plant. His feet on the mount of what?

Not Mount Everest? The Mount of Olives.

And there's going to be a time when the people that Paul

describes are going to see the one whom they have pierced and

mourn after him. There's going to be a.

Dramatic event that's going to take place in the last days,

that's going to 'cause this people group as a nation to

declare Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Messiah.

You remove that from your eschatology and and you're going

to have a very different looking eschatology.

And so Romans 11 is key. In fact, Romans 11 is not just

Romans 11. Connect Romans 11 to 910 and 11.

Those are all there to make this main point.

What has God done and what will God do with this people called

Israel in light of the rejection of the Messiah.

And he ends it on this point. He's close to finishing where he

says, look, they are enemies in terms of the gospel.

And so people wonder, well, as a Christian, how should my

attitude be toward this people group, the Jews, the nation, The

same as Paul's. I argue, what was Paul's heart?

Oh, that they would be saved. All the great sacrifices and the

great lengths I'm willing to go to for them, my brethren, to

hear the truth and be saved. You evangelize them.

You pray for them just like anybody else who needs the

gospel that is your mandated mine is the Church of Jesus

Christ. And so this is not speaking

about permanent punishment, but a temporal act of discipline.

God spells that out, and Jeremiah 33 many other

scriptures. Hosea. 3-4 tells us by way of

inference about how that would play out.

And Romans 11 and our New Testament declares what these

prophets knew that even in the rebellion of the people of

Israel are walking in, that will never irreversibly nullify these

promises because God is going to save this nation.

Let's come back to First Kings 9.

How will Solomon respond to the word of the Lord?

Unfortunately this next section that will be read.

Here is an early indication that he did not take complete heed to

the warnings that were given to him.

Let's read from verse 10. At the end of 20 years in which

Solomon had built the two houses, the House of the Lord

and the King's house, and Hiram, King of Tyre had supplied

Solomon with cedar and Cypress, timber and gold as.

Much as he desired, King Solomon gave to Hiram 20 cities in the

land of Galilee. But when Hiram came from Tyre to

see the cities that Solomon had given him, they did not please

him. Therefore, he said, what kind of

cities are these that you have given me, my brother?

So they are called the land of Kabul to this day, Hiram.

Had. Sent to the king. 120 talents of

gold. Here's the first questionable

decision. A flag, if you will, following

this clear warning from the Lord.

This seems to be a very clear business transaction, right?

Hiram provides certain things to Solomon, and Solomon as a

collateral gives back what the set of cities from the land of

Galilee. Why is this?

A flag. This is the land of Israel.

No king, no person, no matter how influential, no matter what

neighboring nations have done, have the right to give away

God's land. This was issued by divine

decree. This was solely for the people

of Israel, and if you want, a reference to.

Solidify what my brother said because what he said is

absolutely true. It's in Leviticus chapter 25

Leviticus 25:23

verse 23. It says here the land shall not

be sold, for the land is mine. So God says this is my land.

I'm giving it to you but it belongs to me.

It belongs to me. So.

No Israelite have had any right, especially toward outsiders.

To. Give away portions of God's

promises, the prize that he consecrated for these people.

They didn't have the liberty to do this.

And. Solomon for some reason felt

like he could do this. I mean, there was even a

celebration and event. Called.

The Year of Jubilee. You've heard of this, right?

And then the Year of Jubilee. What would happen is, in very

simple terms, everything that was passed on or given over

through business transactions must return to the original

owners, lest they be deprived of their inheritance, lest they are

cut off separate from that which belonged to them by God's

original declaration. And so they couldn't just do

this. Solomon does this, and I don't

know what's going on through Solomon's mind.

Maybe he thinks they're just 20 cities.

It's not a big deal. But these 20 cities sat on this

property that God had consecrated.

And. Solomon for some reason felt

like he can do this that he even allowed.

Something to happen as you read in verse 16.

Look at verse 16. This is astounding.

We read Pharaoh. King of Egypt had.

Gone up and what does he do and. Captured Gazzer and burned it

with fire. Gazzer is in Israel, by the way.

And had killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had

given it as a dowry to his daughter Solomon's wife.

So at some point the King of Egypt goes into the promised

land. Takes over a city, kills the

remaining Canaanites and takes that city and gives it to an

unbelieving idol worshipping woman.

Solomon's wife. Remember he married her back in

chapter 3. So now even that is given over

to someone who has no right to put their hands on.

What is Solomon thinking? He clearly has a low view of

what God esteems and longs to protect and shield.

And so we see here right away that there is a flag in

Solomon's devotion to the completeness of God's decree and

word. And we look at this and we think

to ourselves, where is this going to go?

Well, it's going to lead to many other things in a moment.

But notice that Solomon was not the only one who had a low view

of the land of promise. What was Hiram's reaction when

he saw these 20 cities? What's this?

Are you serious? We don't know why he said this.

We don't know what it was about these cities that made him feel

this way. But regardless.

That's God's land and and Hiram showed disrespect, disdain and

he lacked the insight of the preciousness of what God had

given his people. You know what?

You learn from that. Don't expect nor be surprised if

the world and the unbelieving don't see the preciousness of

the inheritance that you have in Christ.

Don't be surprised this. Is what Hiram is reflecting as a

gentile, someone separated from the people of God.

He lacks, he lacks the necessary adoration and approval and

acknowledgement that this is a blessing from God and you and I,

as we look out into this world and as this world observes us.

Don't. Expect them to understand the

joy of prayer. Don't expect him to get why you

take your Friday night out of your brief weekend to come here

willingly and actually enjoy this.

The blessing of fellowship. The joy.

The peace of holiness, positionally and practically.

Peter talks about how the world in First Peter 4/4 is surprised

when you do not join them in their filth, in their

debauchery. So they're surprised when you

don't join them on Friday night sinning against God.

And I'm sure they are equally surprised that you're willing to

do this instead of pleasing the flesh and advancing your own

purposes and your own plans and your own priorities.

So Hiram, here is a wonderful illustration of those who are

outside of our relationship with Christ and.

They don't esteem and value what you and I esteem and value.

It's frustrating, yes, but your heart has been made new.

Your heart sees. Your heart has been regenerated.

And so this man here says, I don't even want this.

And you read in the Chronicles account that Solomon takes aback

and he builds it for Israelites to live in again.

But. That's just the first flag.

Let's read the second flag. From verse 15 down.

To verse 19 we read of these different projects that Solomon

undergoes, but notice here in verse 20 all the.

People who were left of the Amorites.

The Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites

who are not of the people of Israel.

Their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the

people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction.

These Solomon drafted to be slaves.

And. So they are, to this day flag.

Number one is that Solomon gave pieces of the land away.

Flag #2 is what Solomon. Kept people in the land that he

should not have kept. When Israel was in Joshua's

generation entering into the Promised Land, they were called

to lay siege and to bring total deliverance from the inhabitants

of the land who have heaped up. Mountainous sins throughout

centuries that deserve to be punished, and God used Israel as

a divine instrument of judgment for that to take place.

But you read Joshua. We've studied Joshua in great

length, and we saw that in many instances as these people

established their tribes. They.

They did not remove all of the Canaanites.

And in some cases, in their human wisdom, they took these

Canaanites and they made them slaves.

Instead of driving out of the land as God commanded.

Solomon is following in the footsteps of the failure of

Joshua's generation. And you know what's so crazy?

I mean, what did we just hear about the king of Egypt and what

he did with certain Canaanites and Gazer?

What did he do with them? Did he make them slaves?

No, he he destroyed them. A picture of us destroying sin,

that's what the pictures we're not called the holy war and take

up arms. We do not wrestle against flesh

and blood, nor our weapons carnal, But we see here that

even the king of Egypt, indirectly and unintentionally,

is doing what was originally commanded.

And what does Solomon do? I can make use of these guys.

We have a lot of things that we still need to do, a lot of

projects, a lot of things that I want to accomplish, and why not

take them and make them slaves? Just another compromise

attitude, More compromise. And clearly, Solomon, as a king,

did not understand the repercussions, the potential

dangers that awaited maybe not in his lifetime, but in a time

to come, like Joshua's generation failed to see and

understand in their time let. Me give you an example, This is

a scripture that came to mind. This is the beauty of being able

to have a reservoir of the word of God in systematic study in.

Joshua 1122 and one of the attempts to eradicate these

people we read in Joshua 11/22. There was none of the Anakim

left in the land of the people of Israel, and I noticed this

only in Gaza. I know that's a that's a tough

word these days, but it's in the Bible only in Gaza, in Gath and

in Ashdod that some remain. So when they destroyed these

Anakim, right, we're told they're very specific that there

were certain of these Anakim that were left in these

respective cities. And they.

Left it alone. They didn't think it's just only

a few. It's only some.

What? Stands out to you about this

verse. There's one particular city that

should ring a bell, especially after our study in First and

Second Samuel. Very good, Gath.

You know why that's important? Who's from Gath?

Goliath's from Gath. So you didn't deal with Gath

then? And what you end up having to

deal with a giant many years later, a bigger problem down the

road that you could have dealt with early on.

Not that there weren't giants then, there were giants then.

But the picture is so clear that if you don't deal with these

things early on, they will come back to haunt you.

And I've. Said this back in Joshua, I

remember it so clearly that if you don't deal with things in

your single life, your marriage isn't going to heal those

problems as you get married. Your wife isn't going to heal

them. Children is that your promotion

is not going to do it you whatever you do.

Only. Christ can deliver you, and

Christ wants us to have this urgency of dealing with these

things now because they can take root and they can build walls

that become much more difficult to overcome.

Solomon didn't see it as a he didn't.

He didn't recognize that this can potentially go wrong down

the road. So that is his second

compromise. Not only did he give pieces of

the land away, he kept people in the land that he shouldn't have

kept. Let's look at the third one.

This one's a little bit more subtle, but it's there

nonetheless. In verse 22.

But of the people of Israel, Solomon made no slaves.

There were soldiers. There were his officials, his

commanders, his captains. His chariot commanders and his

horsemen. There's.

Compromise. There.

This sounds like a noble thing. This sounds like a respectable

thing. This sounds like something to

praise Solomon for you. He didn't make slaves of the

people of God. He gave him high-ranking

positions and. He didn't degrade them and but.

Where's the issue here? Anybody see it?

Very good observation. Chariots and horsemen.

Why is that a problem? That's one thing.

When you go to Deuteronomy 1716, you know this very well.

We're kings. Not just Solomon, but kings as a

rule. For all the rulers in the

monarchs were not to have many. What horses don't acquire many

horses? Not.

No, horses don't acquire many to the point where you put your

trust and strength in the arm of the flesh.

Did Solomon have many horses? How do we know that?

All you have to do is go to chapter 10 and 1st Kings and

look at verse. 26. Here's.

The exact number and. Solomon gathered together

Chariots and horsemen. He had 1400 Chariots and 12,000

horsemen whom he. Stationed Look at this in the

chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

That's a lot. Those are a lot of horses.

That's in direct violation of what?

Of what God had said in Deuteronomy 17.

So. You see that when he had these

leaders of horsemen and horses, he was violating the law of God.

And so already, if we honor the sequence of First Kings Chapter

1 Kings 9 · chapter mention

9, we see that there are even more cracks to this man's faith.

There are now more footholds in his devotion to the Lord.

This is not going to end well for Solomon.

And we're being told that if we know what our Bibles, well, what

you do, you say this is? You should be reading saying

Solomon, you got to change quickly.

Things are going to come crashing.

There is a mighty fall waiting to happen, and all you have to

do is wait two chapters for that mighty fall to come.

Chapter 11. So here's here's a summary of

this chapter as we read the last few verses, Verse 24.

But. Pharaoh's daughter went up from

the City of David to her own house that Saltman held built

for her. Then he built the Milo.

We we read this and we looked at this many weeks ago.

Now look at this. This is interesting.

Verse 25. Three times a year Solomon used

to OfferUp burnt offerings and peace offerings on the author

that he built to the Lord, making offerings with it before

the Lord. So he finished the house.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Solomon's not assuming the role of a priest.

Solomon is participating in these feasts and he even by way

of example goes to these 3 Pilgrim feasts that was

commanded in Exodus. That you were to be present at

the House of God. This is a praiseworthy Dean.

This is an excellent thing. But.

Again, you take that in isolation, you say, OK, Solomon

seems to be doing well, but what's the backdrop?

It's interwoven with compromise. And.

This is an illustration of how us in compromise, we can become

very strategic when we are intentionally doing things that

we know we're not supposed to be doing.

And partial obedience has a incredible way of quieting.

Sprinkled conviction in our lives or or compromise in our

lives. Partial.

Obedience has a wonderful way of quieting, sprinkled compromise

in our lives. So what does this really mean?

What does this really mean in light of what God asked of him

in verse four of the same chapter, First Kings, Chapter 9?

1 Kings 9 · chapter mention

What did the Lord ask of him? And As for you?

If you walk before me as David, your father walked with

integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to

all, all, all, all. That I have commanded you.

Not some, not almost, not 95 all.

I'm asking for all. And and Solomon, if you fail to

meet me with that request, be like your father David, repent

and turn to me. I'm willing to embrace you and

restore you and walk hand in hand again.

But Solomon found a place where he thought he can do some and

and others he can operate in his own wisdom and this is going to

cost him greatly. Verse 25, here's how we're

ending. We read that where he goes three

times a year and then interestingly ends with this

thought. King Solomon, verse 26 built a

fleet of ships at Easy on Geber, which is near Eloth, on the

shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom and Hiram, sent with the

fleet his servant seaman. We're.

Familiar with the sea, together with the servants of Solomon.

And they went to Ofra and brought from their gold 420

talents, and they brought it to King Solomon.

So the last thought that. We're supposed to have, with the

backdrop of compromise, partial obedience, God speaking and

visiting to Solomon with these instructions is that he was at

this time advancing economically, politically.

He. Was growing as an entrepreneur.

He was expanding his his administrative abilities and now

he is he is now executing trade by the sea and he's able to

enlarge his international relationships and and import and

export. You know, you read that.

You think, wow, he's able to bring this vast amount of gold

and and humanly speaking, you think this is impressive,

naturally. Speaking in the carnal, you

would say this is wow, this is something, this is something

remarkable. But here's what we're seeing.

Here's this man growing in wealth, growing in popularity,

growing in power. And yet at the same time, his

heart is hardening and he's weakening in devotion, weakening

in his worship, weakening in his commitment to the things of God.

So in one sense, he's going this way, But in the most important

sense, he's declining. And it's possible for people to

do that. You know, it's so amazing.

The Lord appeared to Solomon twice.

If the Lord appeared to you and I once in our lifetime, what

would that do? What would that do for you and

I? If He appeared in a way that was

undeniable, it wasn't because you had pizza late at night.

It was a real visitation from God.

What would you do? How would that mark you?

Would that not be a? Life changing event.

Solomon didn't get it once. He got it twice, you know, read

later on and when he is going to fall in the way, he falls.

The Holy Spirit is going to make the comment of how the Lord

appeared to him twice. And still with those

appearances, he was willing to turn his back.

You know, sometimes you look at people and you see the

trajectory of their lives and you think to themselves,

yourself. You you look at this one portion

of their lives, you go, they seem to be so devoted, they seem

to have a genuine experience with the Lord.

But how did they end up here? And you know what some people

say, well, that must not been real.

That's not the case. That's not the case the.

Appearances of the Lord to Solomon at this juncture, at

this point, were very real. They weren't imagination, They

weren't hallucination. They were genuine.

It's. Possible to have a genuine

encounter with crap. It's possible to have a taste of

the miraculous. It's possible for the Lord to

come in in a very special way, and down the road you make money

your God. It's possible it is.

Possible. It's possible to at some point

have great priority toward the Kingdom of God, and eventually

other things take priority. In the Kingdom of God is not

even a secondary thought, it's an afterthought.

It's possible for us to understand through Solomon's

life for someone to do even great things for God yesterday,

but turn away from him tomorrow this.

Is the tragedy of Solomon's life.

And I think it's a providential illustration that has been

brought before us as we prepare to enter into a new year with

new hopes, new desires, new dreams, new longings, new

vision. Let me circle it back to how

this whole thing started. Don't fail to bring God.

Before you always, always His word above all things.

No matter what goes for you, no matter what goes against you.

I have set the Lord always before me.

May that be true of 2024 and the years beyond until we see Him

face to face. Let's pray,

Father, with great delight. We have tasted the morsels of

these truths and we feel nourished.

We feel equipped. We feel stirred and we feel

challenged. Lord, your mind is brilliant.

Your word is irrefutable. It's so clear.

And, Lord, you've invited us to investigate and discover your

heart, your mind, the consistency in the harmony of

your word from beginning to end. Thank you for confirming things

to us. Thank you for bringing new

things to our attention, Lord. We just ask that no matter what,

we would be people who know the truth and love the truth and

submit to the truth. Lord, even if the Truth Tonight

has challenged us here or would challenge viewers online.

May one thing be said of what was shared, it was found in

God's Word, and it was by God's grace honestly and faithfully

explained. Lord, would you keep us faithful

to your word? No matter what shifting opinions

come or go, may we stand firm on the rock of your truth.

And Lord, we just pray that Solomon's example would not be

taken lightly. We would see him as a divine, as

a divine inclusion of your Word, to be careful that we can fall

in the same traps. And at the same time may we see

the encouragement that you, O Lord, with David and even with

Solomon, you're willing to work with imperfect people, and

you're willing to take us back and walk with us, and and wash

us and strengthen us and even use us on top of that, even

after we have fallen into into any kind of failure.

Lord, as we seal up this time together, we pray that you would

receive worship not just in our singing and closing, but in our

obedience to say, Lord, help me, help me apply this to my life.

Show me in the areas of my life where I am not in alignment with

what I just heard, and may I be in alignment with what You

desire for me. Lord, we give you praise and our

we thank you. We thank you with all of our

hearts that you are truth, and we rejoice that we are in the

truth. We rejoice that we've been

rescued from deception. We rejoice that what we have in

our hands can keep us free from any lies that would make us miss

out on the promises of your inheritance that we have in

Christ Jesus. We rejoice now together as a

family and saying thank you for your word.

In the name of the word who became flesh, Jesus Christ.

Amen. Amen.

Amen. What a mighty God we serve.

Well, let's stand and worship the Lord on this wonderful

evening.