Hello and welcome back to another revelation post! Lately I’ve been challenging myself to not just read and ponder the Word but really meditate on it. That being said, here’s what I’ve gleaned in my recent time in Scripture; I pray it blesses you as it did me:
Reading through 1 Kings I noticed how Solomon, son of David did not walk in the way of the Lord and how severely it impacted his life. Solomon sought the Lord at the start of his reign of Israel, and the Lord had commanded him to follow after Him and serve no other gods. For a while Solomon obliged, building the temple to the Lord and blessing the assembly of Israel. There was peace across the land, and many foreign royals traveled to seek his wisdom and insight. Solomon achieved much, attained vast wealth and led the people of Israel into a time of prosperity; however there was one caveat. Solomon loved foreign women, and in 1 Kings 11:4 (NKJV) it says “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God as was the heart of his father David”. Within that same chapter the Lord raises adversaries against Solomon and stirs up a rebellion from within his kingdom that would lead to Israel’s split into the kingdom of Judah would be born.
What I noticed was how quickly things change when Solomon’s heart turned from God, and while his reign as king began strong, he did not finish it well. Though the Lord promised to keep a descendant of David on the throne, He also did not allow the sin and idolatry to go unchecked among His people. One of the revelations I’ve gleaned from reading 1 Kings is that the sins of the father trickle down to infect the sons. Just as David fell to lust with Bathsheba, and his heart was turned (albeit briefly, as David repented), his sons went on to commit similar acts of adultery; physically and spiritually. Their hearts were turned, and a direct consequence of turning from the Lord was destruction. The Lord’s faithfulness shines bright in the midst of the unfaithfulness of His servants, and while it’s easy to judge those who turned from a direct command from God, one thing the Lord reminded me was that it’s no different then than it is now.
How often are we who call ourselves believers instructed and brought up in the way of the Lord, called to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily but allow sin to lead us more than God? How often do we let our feelings or lack thereof take the steering wheel of our lives instead of the Lord? Solomon fell from grace, as did many in the Bible, and yet so do we. Daily. We are much like the children of Israel who built high places of worship to false gods, who’s heart turned from the Lord time and time again. We make grand promises to the Lord and among people, as Solomon did, praying over the people of Israel after constructing a grand temple to the Lord only to go and build altars to other gods. We may not be make physical altars, but inwardly we make alters and places of worship to things other than God.
This is a post meant to share the revelation I received from reading the Word, not really meant to convict you but if the shoe fits, wear it. If there is anything in your life you’ve elevated above the Lord, I encourage you to repent immediately and tear down that high place within you. Burn it and renew your faith in the One True God. Too many times, the children of Israel allowed others to lead them astray into pagan worship, and forgetting all the Lord has done for them and their ancestors who the Lord led out of Egypt. Isn’t it crazy how they worshiped the same false gods as their oppressors many generations ago? It’s almost as if spiritually they were enslaved yet again. That’s what turning away from the Lord brings, destruction, bondage, and perversion. There’s a reason Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; because without Him there’s chaos, falsehoods and death. Reading 1 Kings drew a perfect parallel to the way things are now, and if we as believers aren’t careful, we too will be drawn away from our walk with the Lord. As James 1:14-15 warns, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. (15) Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death”.
I encourage you to read 1 Kings for yourself, take notes, and ask Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the revelation waiting between the pages. Don’t run from the conviction, and remember that we all have a choice, everyday the Lord wakes us up. We either choose Life or death. Choose life today
Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for the next post!
Until then
–JB
Rnt with JB 