The Dwelling Place of God #4

Lessons from David & Solomon and the Building of the Temple

(Day 5—FOT)

Fred R. Coulter—October 14, 2022

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Greetings, brethren! Welcome to Day 5 of the Feast of Tabernacles!

We have been going through the history of Israel, which is very important for us to understand, so that we can see how human nature acts; what they do and the problems that take place. Also the difficulties with the king!

We saw what happened with David after God promised him that his son would build the temple. David got carried away with himself and he had the affair with Bathsheba and killed Uriah the Hittite, her husband, by having him up on the frontline of the battle.

It took quite a while for David and Israel to overcome that, because it also affected all of Israel. Remember that whatever the king did, the people also did! It creates this cycle of: with God, sinning without God, repentance, God has mercy and brings them back!

They come back to God for a while and as long as the king or judge, or prophet stayed with God, the people pretty much followed God, but not in a way that we do today for eternal life.

Let's see what happened with David just before he died in giving instructions to Solomon, his son. God gave to David all the plans of the temple: How to breakdown the courses of the priests, the courses of the soldiers to guard the temple area. All of that God gave to David!

But David was told by God—because he was 'a bloody man'—that he could not build it. So, it was left to Solomon.

Let's see a very important key chapter in the book of 2-Chronicles. Here's what David did when it was time for him to go, time for him to die and leave everything to Solomon. He made all the preparations; he had all the gold, silver, a lot of iron, a lot of cedar, a lot of things ready to go for the building of house of Solomon, and the temple.

From the time Solomon started until the time he finished was 20 years. Here was a grand propitious meeting and also a charge to Solomon. Isn't it interesting how that people, when they get a charge like we will see with Solomon…

Do they really keep it the rest of their lives? We can apply that to us! We have a 'Solomon charge' from Jesus Christ:

• to remain faithful
• to love God the Father and Jesus Christ
• to serve Them

In all circumstances!

Do we follow through with it? A good number do, but some don't! Nevertheless, we all need this charge, and we all need to remind ourselves; this is why at this Feast of Tabernacles it is good to go over these things to learn what God wants us to learn!

When we enter the Kingdom of God, we're going to be the leaders, the rulers, the kings, the priests and administrators of the Government of God; that being the Kingdom of God!

1-Chronicles 28:1: "And David gathered to Jerusalem all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that ministered to the king by division, and the commanders over the thousands, and commanders over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king, and of his sons, with the officers and the mighty ones, with all the valiant men."

All the important people, all the ones who were going to make the kingdom work for Solomon.

Verse 2: "And David the king stood up on his feet and said, 'Hear me, my brethren and my people. I had in my heart to build a house of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations for the building. But God said to me, "You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood"'" (vs 2-3). Yes, a lot of blood!

Verse 4: "However, the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be the ruler, and of the house of Judah the house of my father. And among the sons of my father's house He was pleased to make me king over all Israel."

Quite a summary of a lot of things that we have read!

Verse 5: "And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel."

Solomon was the second son of Bathsheba; the first son died because of the sin. So, when this took place, and Solomon started young, probably 16-years-old. This means that the affair with Bathsheba—David died at age 70—so that goes back to age 54 when that occurred. From that time, the next 16 years were really awful for all of the tribes of Israel because of what David did.

The lesson is always this: Whenever the king, leader, apostle, pastor goes wrong, then the people get disillusioned and go sin! They cannot tolerate the hypocrisy of their leader, but instead of drawing closer to God, they end up carrying their own hypocrisy and go out and do things. And, as we ill see, leave God!

This is why for the Millennium God has got to have the spirit sons and daughters who will do the ruling and reigning and teaching. Here's the charge to Solomon, and notice what David said and how he said it; and I imagine that he was pretty passionate when he did, because he remembered his affair with Bathsheba and what that did to all Israel.

Verse 6: "And He [God] said to me [David], 'Solomon your son shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish his kingdom forever…'" (vs 6-7).

Here comes the greatest little word in the whole Bible, and there are 1,745 ifs and all of the ifs always apply to people. Not to God, because He is perfect! But humans beings are not, so there always has to be the world IF! Let's see what he told Solomon:

"…[#1]if he continues resolute in keeping My commandments and My ordinances, as he is today" (v 7).

So, everything was on an even keel at this time. Solomon was young, he hadn't done anything evil, and now he's being selected to be king! So, David continued to say:

Verse 8: "And now in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God…"—quite a charge; look at what we have to do:

• we have to keep
• we have to seek
• we have to do all the commandments of the Lord your God

"…so that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you forever" (v 8).

That's why when we enter the Kingdom of God, this is what we're going to help teach the brethren. The same thing; it's going to be magnificent!

David starts talking to Solomon, so here is what he told Solomon. Imagine this great gathering of all of these people all dressed up in their best, the king dressed up in his best and the crown on his head. His close advisors are right there and the priest is there, Nathan the prophet is there and Solomon! Then David looks at Solomon and tells him:

Verse 9: "And you, Solomon my son, acknowledge the God of your father and serve Him with a perfect heart…"

A perfect heart is awfully difficult to maintain. That takes prayer, study, and work! Being perfected is a process. Over a period of time there are opportunities to increase that, and opportunities to decrease it. There are opportunities to really do really good things, high spiritual things, and there's the opportunity to sin and get yourself in trouble. All of that contained in IF!

"…and with a willing mind…" (v 9). This is what we're going to teach all the people during the Millennium! A perfect heart and a willing mind!

Remember where we started? God is going to give them a heart of flesh; they will not have the deep carnality that we have today. So, it will be more possible for them to do it; yet, there will still be sin!

"…for the LORD searches all hearts…" (v 9). Isn't that interesting?

The thing is, God knows all secrets. You can't have a secret that God doesn't know. When we go before Christ to give an account for everything that we have done, unless we are in a constant repentant attitude and yielded to God, and having our sins forgiven, all of those things are a going to be marks against us.

"…and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts…." (vs 9).

What was the lesson that Job learned? All the way through 42 chapters, and you talk about sticking by your self-righteousness! Everything he did was what God wanted him to do, but he was taking credit for himself that he was righteous, instead of saying:

Thank You, God, for giving all of these wonderful things and helping me to do them. Because they all come from You!

No! As we saw, he even thought that his righteousness was as good as or more than God's! But when finally came to repentance (Job 42) what was his expression of repentance? He said:

Now I know that no thought can be withheld from You!

There was a time we know in the Church of God—Worldwide in Pasadena—that there were a lot of people there, and lot of ministers there whose hearts were not perfect with God. Look what happened!

Those who wanted to serve God had to leave to do so. They were labeled as rebellious and renegades! Some of them were, that's true. But some were not. The question is today: How many of them are still faithful, and with this kind of attitude in giving God credit for everything?

"…[#2]If you seek Him…" (v 9). How do you seek God? Prayer, study and in your thoughts! Asking God to help you and guide you and so forth!

All of those conditions depend on what we choose, and with Solomon what he chose.

"…He will be found by you. But [#3]if…" (v 9). Here's the warning; you always have to have a warning.

Human nature with free moral agency, can be led away of itself to go it's own way and be rebellious and sin against God. That's the nature of human nature!

• we need God
• we need His laws
• we need His commandments
• we need His Spirit

So that we can overcome the natural nature of what we think in our heart and mind!

"…you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Take heed now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it'" (vs 9-10).

That's what we need to do! This is the same command that was given to Joshua when he was to take the children of Israel into the 'promised land.' It is be strong and do it! Let's go back and look at that. This is important.

Since we're going to be kings and priests in the Millennium. We have to be strong, dedicated and yielded to God in everything that we do! Here's what God told Joshua after the death of Moses:

Joshua 1:1: "And it came to pass after the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 'My servant Moses is dead….'" (vs 1-2).

As you know, I'm 88-years-old. I'm in good health and I take care of myself, but I don't know how long I'm going to live. So, there's going to come a time when I won't be here. When that happens, what will all the elders and all the brethren do? That's the question for the future!

"…Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people to the land, which I give to them, to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, I have given that unto you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border." (vs 2-4).

Verse 5: "No man shall be able to stand before you… [against him to fight] …all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you."

We find that same thing to us in Heb. 13, that Jesus said that He will not, no, He will never forsake us in any way! Because the big IF belongs to our choices! God has already made His choice, so just like with Solomon, if he didn't go God's way then God wouldn't be with him.

It's the same thing with all of us in the Church; the exact same lesson. This is the whole point of going through all of the history of the children of Israel so we really grasp and understand:

• how things happen
• what we need to do
• how we need to grow and overcome
• how we need to prepare for the resurrection

So we can be the perfected sons and daughters of God to rule in the Kingdom of God! That's the whole point of it all!

Verse 6: [#1]"Be strong and of good courage…" Remember that when you have difficult times!

• be strong by going to God in prayer
• be of good courage and know that God will hear and answer and help you

That's what it's all about! The whole Bible if you could put it that way!

"…for you shall divide for an inheritance to this people the land, which I swore to their fathers to give it to them. Only [#2]be strong and very courageous so that you may observe to do according to all… [each and every one] …the Law, which My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go" (vs 6-7).

Listen to this next verse, and think about it in relationship to the whole Bible that we have today. How is it to be with us? The same way that He says that the Law was to be with Joshua!

Verse 8: "This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, so that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have I not commanded you? [#3]Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid, neither be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you in all places where you go'" (vs 8-9).

Notice how similar that is to the charge that David is giving to Solomon. Remember—and we will see this as we go on—don't look to the circumstances and the blessings of God that everything is right and good, because God has blessed you, and then you start slacking off and start walking away from God! That can happen! We've seen it!

• What are we going to do? We're here, alive and listening and learning!
• What are we going to do?
• How are we going to live our lives?
• How are we going to grow and overcome?
• How are we going to prepare for the greatest work that there ever will be for those who are in the first resurrection since the creation of the world?
• Do you understand how great the calling is?
• Do you understand how important everything is that we do?

1-Chronicles 28:11: "And David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch, and of its houses, and of its treasuries, and of its upper rooms, and of its innermost rooms, and of the place of the mercy seat, and the plans of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the rooms all around the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the Holy things; and for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the LORD; even gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of every kind of service; silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service" (vs 11-14). God gave him all of that! Read the rest of it!

Verse 19: "'All this,' said David, 'was in writing from the hand of the LORD. He made me understand all the details of these plans.'"

All the scrolls of it, everything out there! What a thing that must have been! All the great, important people standing there watching this.

Verse 20: "And David said to Solomon his son, 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it....'"

That's what God wants us to do with everything that He's given us to do!

"…Do not fear, nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD" (v 20). Then David died and Solomon took over!

2-Chronicles 1:1: "And Solomon the son of David was made strong in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and magnified him exceedingly." Everything was prepared!

In the next chapters he built his own house and built the temple. Let's see how Solomon did. All of these are great lessons in human nature. To help us now in our own personal growth and overcoming, and to help us how to serve the people in the Millennium.

(break@31:35)

We see that Solomon built the temple and the dedication was tremendous. All of this was for a dwelling place for God!

Look at how often God said that He would dwell with His people! Then His people, beginning with Adam and Eve decided that they could do it themselves! That they didn't need God. We have the same thing with this society today, as it has been throughout all the history of human beings.

That's why—just projecting forward—there is the second resurrection! Let's see what happened in dedicating the temple:

2-Chronicles 5:5: "And they brought up the Ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the Holy vessels that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought these up. And King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were gathered to him before the Ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen which could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD to its place, to the Holy of Holies in the house, into the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim" (vs 5-7).

There were cherubim carved right into the wood and overlaid with gold in the Holy of Holies!

Verse 9: "And the staves… [which were used to carry the Ark of the Covenant] …were so long that the ends of the staves of the Ark were seen from the Holy place looking toward the Holy of Holies, but they were not seen outside. And they are there to this day"—the day that this was written!

We don't know who wrote this; doesn't tell us. Whatever prophet, whoever wrote it, God inspired it!

Verse 10: "Nothing was in the Ark except the two tables, which Moses put in it at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt. And it came to pass…" (vs 10-11). Notice how tremendous this was, because

• God was pleased that they made this
• God was pleased with their attitude
• God was pleased with their sacrifices

They were all happy and joyous because now the Ark had now been placed into the Holy of Holies!

They had a great and wonderful musical tribute of trumpets and singers to get this dedicated into the House of God!

Verse 11: "And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the Holy place (for all the priests present were sanctified, and did not wait by course), and the Levitical singers—all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being clothed in white linen, and having cymbals and with harps and lyres—stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with silver trumpets… [tremendous thing] …it came to pass, as the trumpeters and the singers were as one…" (vs 11-13).

Right at the height of the climax of all of the singing and the trumpets sounding!

"…to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the silver trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, 'For He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever,' that the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD" (vs 13)—just like it was when the tabernacle was set up!

Verse 14: "So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God!"

Think about how everyone felt who was there. They watched this and heard this, a one time event in all history!Think about that! Just like what we're going to be in on with doing the things that God wants us to do:

• a one time event in history
• a one time in history of the first resurrection
• a one time in history of the marriage of the Lamb and the Church
• a one time in history of God coming back to the earth with all the saints and putting down the last wars

That's something!

Brethren, we are in the category of those people who will be there from that one time event. But the same thing applies to us IF we will do according to what God wants.

Solomon made a very long prayer and God was pleased with it.

2-Chronicles 7:11: "Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's house, and he prospered exceedingly in all that came into Solomon's heart to accomplish in the house of the LORD and in his own house."

Then something special happened: God appeared to Solomon a second time. God was there wanting, hoping and blessing and inspiriting that things would go real well. They did, but:

• How long did it last?
• Did everyone forget what God asked them to do?
  • to seek God
  • to always keep His commandments
  • to always look to Him for all things

We will see that they didn't do it!

Verse 12: "And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night and said to him, 'I have heard your prayer… [this great long prayer (2-Chron. 6) …and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice.'"

Then God gives some more Ifs, because He knows that they are going to slip from being faithful!

Verse 13: "If I shut up the heavens, and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (vs 13-14).

Think about it! Think about today and what's happening to the nations of Israel! How God is dealing with us and correcting us in so many different things.

• Will we turn to God as a nation in whatever way that they understand God that will be good enough for God to hear?
• What about us in the Church?
• Are we going to pray to God for His will to be done?
• For us to grow, change and overcome?
• What are we going to do?

Same thing!

Verse 14: "If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes shall be open, and My ears shall be attentive to the prayer offered in this place" (vs 14-15)—we now know this is wherever you are! God is there attentive:

• to hear
• to answer
• to intervene
• to heal
• to strengthen

All of those things!

Verse 16: "For now I have chosen and sanctified this house so that My name may be there forever…."

That's where it's going to be when Christ returns (Zech. 14), and we're coming with Him at that time.

"…And My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. And you… [talking to Solomon] …if you will walk before Me, as David your father walked, and will do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, then I will make the throne of your kingdom sure, as I have covenanted with David your father, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.' But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments…" (vs 16-19).

Think about that with the Protestants. How can they possibly think they represent God and Christ when they say that you don't have to keep the Law?

"…which I have set before you, and if you shall go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will pluck them up by the roots out of My land, which I have given them. And this house, which I have sanctified for My name, I will cast out of My sight… [Did God do that? Yes, He did, twice!] …and I will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And this house, which is exalted, shall be an astonishment to everyone who passes by it, so that they shall be appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done this to this land and to this house?'" (vs 19-21).

What did Jesus say it would be? You see these buildings, there shall not be one stone left upon another that shall not be thrown down! So blinded are the Jews that they do not even know the correct place where to build the third temple. Think on that! That's quite a thing!

Verse 22: "And it shall be answered…" They don't like this answer; they don't like anyone standing up and saying:

• you have forsaken the commandments of God
• you have left God
• you have turned your back on God
• youare following other gods, doing other things, doing your own pleasure
• youthink that you're right with God, but you're not

That's where we are today as a nation!

• look at it
• look at all the things that are happening to us
• look at the difficulties that are here

and the things that are difficulties even worse that are coming!

Will people turn to God? The Protestants are out there trying to get them back to their little singsong ways that they have. But that's not turning to God! They've got to rend their hearts and not their garments!

"…Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold upon other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore, He has brought all this evil upon them" (v 22).

After all that Solomon had, and all the warning that he had and in building the temple, praying and offering sacrifices, and God doing so many things for him, let's see what Solomon did.

I've often wondered (speculation) how much Bathsheba influenced him toward these things. We don't find anywhere that Bathsheba came to him and said, 'Solomon, straighten up your ways.' No! Here's where Solomon ascended:

1-Kings 10:23: "And King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom."

Isn't it amazing? You would think that wisdom would give you understanding that you need to always do right. But it doesn't do it, because human nature and free moral agency says, 'You're okay, go ahead and do what you want.'

Verse 24: "And all the earth sought Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And every man brought his presents, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothing and armor, and spices, horses and mules, at a rate year by year… [taxing, taking] …And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had fourteen hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the cities for chariots and with the king at Jerusalem" (vs 24-26)—scattered all through Israel!

Verse 27: "And the king made silver like stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars like the sycamore trees in the valley for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt and out of Kue. The king's merchants received linen yarn from Kue at a price. And a chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And so, to all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they were exported to them through their hands" (vs 27-29).

All of this was coming in, and Solomon got taken aback by all of this wealth, and all the wisdom that he had. If you want to go online and get the message: The Solomon Syndrome (FOT-2019, Day 6). We're summarizing it here!

Remember the instructions in Deut. 17 that you shall not multiply horses to yourself, and you shall not multiply women to yourself. So, what did Solomon do? He broke that commandment of God!

• just because you're king
• just because you're wise
• just because you have all the wealth
• just because you have all of the people worshipping and serving you instead of God

Remember the lesson of this: Don't ever let physical things defer you from your spiritual relationship with God! God can take those away in a flash!

1-Kings 11:1: "And King Solomon loved many foreign women, even the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites; of the nations which the LORD had said to the children of Israel, 'You shall not go in to them, and they shall not go in to you… [Why]: …surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.' But Solomon clung to these in love" (vs 1-2). An amazing thing!

Verse 3: "And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives turned away his heart… [from God] …for it came to pass when Solomon was old, 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" (vs 3-4).

And then go do what Solomon did! Think about this: how far can misled free moral agency go and self-justify it:

• that evil is good
• that going against the commandments of God is fine
  • because I'm smart
  • because I'm rich
  • because God has blessed me

Surely He will overlook all of this, won't He? NO!

Verse 5: "For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians… [How about that? Today that's virgin Mary worship] …and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites; and Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not go fully after the LORD like his father David" (vs 5-6).

All of his wives kept after him until he built incense places and small little temples for their gods. They probably said:

We can't go to your temple and worship our god, but Solomon you built a nice house for your God, couldn't you build a nice house for my god? I'm you wife! Don't you think that would be nice? You could make it beautiful!

Let's see what happened:

Verse 7: "Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill, which is before Jerusalem… [just across from the temple] …and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon."

They had child sacrifice to Molech! Read the book of Jeremiah and see what happened to the children of Israel because they did that.

Verse 8: "And likewise he did for all his foreign wives, and burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.:

Stop and think about today and what has happened to the Churches of God. There are a good number of churches fairly large, mostly small, some very small, and isolated that they're trying their best to serve God. Some of them are doing okay. Some are not and getting carried away with false doctrine. The thing is and always remember this: You have to be faithful yourself to God always, regardless of what anybody else is doing!

God does not look down an excuse evil for the sake of a few who stay with it to try and help them change. The instruction in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul for those who don't teach the true doctrines of Jesus Christ is separate yourself from them!

Verse 9: "And the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; and he did not keep that which the LORD commanded" (vs 9-10).

Verse 11: "And the LORD said to Solomon, 'Since this has been done by you, and since you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. But I will not do it in your days, for David your father's sake, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son'" (vs 11-12)—and He did that!

God took it out of the hand of Solomon's son Rehoboam and gave it to Jeroboam, one of his generals who was an Ephramite.

Then you will read what God does, and you will see that that is what God is doing today to all the modern nations of Israel.

Verse 14: And it came to pass the LORD stirred up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite…."

He grew up in Egypt and then God sent him to Israel to do what we call terrorist's raids! Have we had those? Think about it!

• Why do they come?
• Why do these things happen that way?

As a warning from God for the people!

• Will you turn to God?
• Will you repent?
• Will you forsake your sins?
• What are you going to do with your life?

I, God, have given you everything! Here in America I've given you everything from sea to shining sea! The most productive land in the world, a beautiful land full of every good thing, and I blessed you with crops, trees, cattle and everything that there is!

I've seen you through your difficulties, your Civil War and WWI and WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraqi Wars and now here we are, and what are you doing? What are the people doing?

They're turning away from God, instead of turning to God!

Let's see what Jeroboam did:

1-Kings 12:25: "And Jeroboam built Shechem on Mount Ephraim and lived on it, and went from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, 'Now, the kingdom may well return to the house of David!'" (vs 25-26).

He didn't trust God! God even sent a prophet to tell Jeroboam that if he would keep the commandments of God, He would set him up a dynasty like He did for David. But Jeroboam didn't do it! Here's what he did.

Verse 27: "'If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me and return again to Rehoboam king of Judah.' Then the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold and said to them, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem…. [we'll make it convenient] …Behold your gods, O, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!' And he set the one in Bethel, and he put the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan. And he made houses of worship on the high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordered a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah. And he offered upon the altar. So, he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places, which he had made" (vs 27-32).

Israel never returned to God in the rest of their history, 232 years. That's amazing! Even though God sent prophets to Jeroboam that he shouldn't do it, but they didn't listen.

Tomorrow we will see where we go with this, and how Christ was prophesied to come to turn the people to God.

Scriptural References:

• 1-Chronicles 28:1-10
• Joshua 1:1-9
• 1 Chronicles 28:11-14, 19-20
• 2 Chronicles 1:1
• 2-Chronicles 5:5-7, 9-14
• 2 Chronicles 7:11-22
• 1 Kings 10:23-29
• 1 Kings 11:1-12, 14
• 1 Kings 12:25-32

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Job 42
• Hebrews 13
• 2 Chronicles 6
• Zechariah 14
• Deuteronomy 17

Also referenced: Message:
            The Solomon Syndrome (FOT-2019, Day 6)

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8/8/22

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