20240903

faithful except

1 Kings 3:1-15 (JDV)

1 Kings 3:1 Solomon allied himself with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. Solomon brought her to the city of David until he finished building his palace, Yahveh’s temple, and the wall surrounding Jerusalem.
1 Kings 3:2 However, the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for Yahveh’s name had not been built.
1 Kings 3:3 Solomon loved Yahveh by walking in the statutes of his father David, except he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
1 Kings 3:4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
1 Kings 3:5 At Gibeon Yahveh appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?”
1 Kings 3:6 And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.
1 Kings 3:7 “Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.
1 Kings 3:8 Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted.
1 Kings 3:9 So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who can judge this great people of yours?”
1 Kings 3:10 Now it pleased Yahveh that Solomon had requested this.
1 Kings 3:11 So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the throat of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear justice,
1 Kings 3:12 I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.
1 Kings 3:13 In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for – both riches and honor, so that no king will be your equal during your entire life.
1 Kings 3:14 If you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
1 Kings 3:15 Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of Yahveh’s covenant, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.

faithful except

Solomon pleased God with what he asked for but did not always please God with how he managed his kingdom. Our God is gracious to us because we are not consistently faithful as he is. But we should learn a lesson from the whole life of Solomon. We should be careful not to allow alliances and compromises to ruin our witness.