1Kings 2 What a Young King Needs

INTRODUCTION:

• We were left last week with the words, “So the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hand.”
• The newly established King has cleaned out some bad leaders from his father’s administration.
• Solomon is young, what does he need? What do all leaders need? What should a leader be doing?
• This week we see King Solomon’s first actions as the young king of Israel.

SCENE 1: Right or ? (1-4)

1. Making an .
   • Solomon’s first act is becoming the son-in-law of Pharaoh King of Egypt.
   • The narrator does not make a commentary on this marriage as being right or wrong.
     1. VIEW 1: This was a mistake. Egypt has historically represented the world. Deuteronomy 7:3-4 prohibits intermarriage because, “they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods.”
     2. VIEW 2: This was a sign that God’s Kingdom has a spiritual influence that is expanding beyond Israel’s border. This is the beginning of the fulfillment of Genesis 18: 18, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed though him”. Deuteronomy 7:3-4 was issued only to the inhabitants of Canaan.
2. the LORD.
   • We are told that the people were sacrificing in the “high places” because the temple had not been built yet.
     1. VIEW 1: Samuel constructed an altar at a high place near Ramah (1Samuel 7 & 9). A band of prophets were in a high place at Gibeath-elohim (1Samuel 10). There is no mention that either one of these instances was wrong before the LORD.
     2. VIEW 2: God told Moses to destroy the high places when he entered Canaan (Numbers 33:50-52). Deuteronomy 12:2-4 God instructs Israel to destroy all the pagan worship sites in the “high places” and instructs them, “Do not worship the LORD your God this way.”
   • Either view God was very specific on how and the nation of Israel was to worship.

When you cross the Jordan and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all the enemies around you and you live in security, then the Lord your God will choose the place to have his name dwell. Bring there everything I command you: your burnt offerings, sacrifices, offerings of the tenth, personal contributions, and all your choice offerings you vow to the Lord. You will rejoice before the Lord your God ​— ​you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levite who is within your city gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you. Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in all the sacred places you see. You must offer your burnt offerings only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribes, and there you must do everything I command you. — Deuteronomy 12:10-14 (CSB)

• The place the LORD will choose has not been selected yet.
  • Second, we are told that Solomon loved the LORD and the evidence of that love was found in his obedience.

“Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name? ’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers! ’ — Matthew 7:15-23 (CSB)

“If you love me, you will keep my commands. — John 14:15 (CSB)

SCENE 2: check. (5-15)

• God speaks through . (Or VISIONS, the Bible makes no distinction.)

1. and need interpretation.

“We had dreams,” they said to him, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” — Genesis 40:8 (CSB)

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine. — Genesis 41:25-27 (CSB)

Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, medium, magician, or diviner is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days. — Daniel 2:27-28 (CSB)

While Peter was deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, right away the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon’s house, stood at the gate. — Acts 10:17 (CSB)

            2. Direct with no need for interpretation.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”

Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.” — Genesis 20:3-7 (CSB)

             3. Combination of both.

And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching the sky, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” — Genesis 28:12-15 (CSB)

•   God said, “Ask. What should I give you? ” — 1 Kings 3:5 (CSB)
  1. Our Heavenly Father is .

As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” — John 11:20-22 (CSB)

“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. — Matthew 7:7-11 (CSB)

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:18-20 (CSB)

                       2. Our Heavenly Father is .

• God showed kindness to David.
• God showed kindness to Solomon.

Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? — Romans 2:4 (CSB)

                         3. Our Heavenly Father strength manifests through our .

I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power. — 1 Corinthians 2:2-5 (CSB)

SCENE 3: Wisdom and . (16-27)

1. is always the enemy of love.
   1. Simple envy is just wanting what another person has.
   2. There is a second more sinister envy, not so much wanting what another person has, but not wanting that person to have something even if you cannot have it.

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (CSB)

               2. True puts others before yourself.

EMERALD CITY:

1. We need God’s help to make .

But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship ​— ​the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.” — Joshua 24:15 (CSB)

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God ​— ​who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly ​— ​and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, 8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways. — James 1:5-8 (CSB)

            2. A first century mother was willing to sacrifice so that her child would live, years later in this same city another sacrifice would be made. This time a son would die.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person ​— ​though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. — Romans 5:6-11 (CSB)

PROPHECY UPDATE:

1. Ezekiel 38-39 Gog Magog Alliance.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/erdogan-russia-iran-syria-should-take-measures-against-israel-after-alleged-damascus-strike/

1. Is Israel fighting the Psalm 83 war?

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/2023/10/14/is-this-israels-psalms-83-war/

1. Did Iran conduct an underground nuclear test on October 5^th that caused a 4.6 magnitude earthquake?

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-823841