Scripture: [1 Kings 5:5] “And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.” (KJV)
Key point
• Solomon recognized the season has changed from war to peace
• God will send people to assist you with your purpose
• Gather the best materials and build
Verse
[1-4] The first thing Solomon realize in the scripture was that the season has changed. Coming to the realization of the season changing requires you to stop and look around to what is happening around you. For many years the house of Israel, the chosen people of God were caught in intense warfare in where they were quite literally just fighting to survive. And I have never been to war but what I know is that when you are in war there is not much time to look around or to be distracted. In the time of war you have fellow soldiers relying on you being focused. David being the appointed King had to keep his eye on his enemies lest they would have overtaken him. So in the time of David he was always focusing on just preserving his life, and trying to prevent Israel from falling. Some people are in that critical time of their christian journey where there is so much war and so many enemies that you are just trying to keep from getting defeated. Don’t you feel the tide changing and the atmosphere shifting, they is a new and better season here for you and me.
[5-8] “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”(Hebrews 13:5 KJV) This promise is a decree of protection from the mouth of God, with it also comes an convenant. After Solomon realized the season had changed he purposed in himself to build a place for God. Yes, Solomon recieved wisdom from God but he was not a builder nor did Solomon have the materials required to build. If Solomon was not a builder, and also had not materials what did he have? The answer is a made up mind to provide a place for God to dwell, and that’s all God requires from us. To help build God had Hiram the King of Tyre to inquire of what type of man Solomon was. This is the same way God tests us to measure our development. Hiram, the bible says was “an ever lover of David” (1 Kings 5:1 KJV) and desired to see if Solomon was like his father. When Hiram heard that Solomon had a mind to build he rejoiced. I believe we should be a little like Hiram when we hear our brethren has the desire to do the will of God, we should rally around them to help in anyway we can. “My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.” (Psalms 34:2 KJV)
[17-18] Then what should we render unto God? Cain and Abel brought daily sacrifices before God but there was one big difference between the two. Cain being the farmer gave of his harvest to God but his brother Abel being a shepherd made sure he gave of his first of the flock. (Genesis 4:3-4) Jealousy crept in as Cain’s offerings were not accept as his brother Abel’s were,…so he killed him. It happened all because Cain was not willing to give the best he had. So Solomon being wise knew God required the best so that is what he used as materials. The greatest and costly stones were used for the foundation of the house. (1 Kings 17) You don’t have to use the most expensive stones or finest timber today for your place dedicated to God. No more lamb, oxen, or turtle dove blood is even required from you to make a sacrifice. And you place for God does not even have to to be an extravagant building as Jesus says in Matthew 6:6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” A closet is a perfect place to meet with God.
Conclusion
I encourage you tonight that unlike King David we will see our time of peace. Some of us been fighting for a long time just to get to a place like the present. All the the years of Solomon coming up under his father’s guidance was full of war in such a way that war was a normal occurrence. But I encourage you tonight to hold on because your Solomon years will come. The time of no enemies is coming and the place you build will be a reminder of the warfare you went through and conquered. The warfare is done and over. The time has come to build a place for God to abide.
Tag: #great
The Great Inner Struggle
The hip-hop artist JCole has a track on his album “2014 Forest Hill Drive” entitled “Love Yourz” where he promotes self-love and subliminally conveys how we all are self-conscious. The great inner struggle represents how we all aim to do what is right and virtuous, but through life’s hardships fall short of this goal.
Earlier today I had a conversation with a friend that was speaking about the second mutual friend. The conversation hinged on the bad choices this second friend has been making as of late. While listening my mind wondered about why and how people make such uncharacteristically bad decisions. After contemplating I can only conclude the reason behind it is a lack of self-love. J Cole said poetically ” Love yourself or nobody will”. Undoubtedly this is the case in the real world, people will both misuse and abuse you if there is no self-love on your part.
We being human all need to feel affection and desire attention but putting one’s self in harm’s way to achieve it can go horribly wrong which goes without saying. I never really understood people’s fascination with going clubbing or partying in excess. Every story that I have heard when drugs, alcohol, and sex mix ended in tragedy and/or heartache.
I say this to emphasize again just love yourself and everything will work out for you. No rushing into someone’s arms that only sees you as their temporary pleasure toy. No compromising your morals, life goals, or sensibility for a few minutes of erotic activity. It is not worth it, Love yourself.
TheoTheologian 