David and Solomon
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
The Lord quickened this word to me after receiving an email from Mike Dillard about Solomon.
Undoubtedly volumes have been written and preached about the life of David, who was chosen by the Lord Himself to be the second king of Israel. It pleased God to raise David from a low estate and set him upon the throne. The Lord also chose Saul to be the first king of Israel. In truth, the Lord removes kings and sets up kings (Daniel 2:21), because the Lord is sovereign.
The name, "David," means "beloved." David is mentioned in 968 verses in the Bible. Many long years ago I counted the number of Chapters in the Bible that mention David. As I recall, the number is about 75.
As a youth, David first was the keeper of the sheep of his father. Then the Lord made him into a man of war. Later, David functioned as a prophet and a musician. He wrote many majestic Psalms. Prior to David's slaying of Goliath with a slingshot, David had killed a lion and a bear.
But because David was a man of war, he was not allowed to build the Temple (1 Chronicles 28:3). So David did the next best thing.
Therefore, he gave to Solomon, his son, the plan and pattern of the temple as well as the resources with which to build the temple. (1 Chronicles 28:11-18).
Solomon, which means "peace" or "peaceable," was the third king of Israel. He reigned for 40 years. And the Lord granted Solomon peace from every possible enemy, except his own self, which ultimately proved to be Solomon's downfall.
Solomon had immense stores of wealth laid up by his father, David; he had exceptional divinely imparted wisdom and understanding; he had the admiration and high hopes of the people; he wrote 1005 songs and 3,000 proverbs. But toward the end of his life Solomon wrote "all is vanity." By that he meant "without God."
The end of the life of Solomon, which he brought upon himself through his overactive love of girls and gold, was perhaps one of the greatest tragedies in the history of man. He started out with everything and ended up with nothing. His 700 wives and 300 concubines turned him into an idolater (1 Kings 11:1-8). Scripture is silent as to whether he ever repented, although there is some hope for Solomon because he finally said,
Now, if all we receive from that brief overview of the lives of David and Solomon is an historical account, then we are very much amiss.
So what should we learn and appropriate from the lives of David and Solomon? Simply to learn is not nearly sufficient; we must appropriate the truth of God in our heart. The word must become flesh. Perhaps the first thing to appropriate is what the Lord told Jeremiah, in
Far too many so-called leaders in the Church community today have succumbed to the lure of the "gold and girls" temptation of the devil (or in the case of females, "gold and men.") So what has been happening in the Church community for hundreds of years and still continues today? Solomon (personified by Christian leaders) has been building in the church world with another man's pattern, with another man's plans, with another man's resources, but without David's heart. But only the Lord can build His Church. May God have mercy on us!
Undoubtedly volumes have been written and preached about the life of David, who was chosen by the Lord Himself to be the second king of Israel. It pleased God to raise David from a low estate and set him upon the throne. The Lord also chose Saul to be the first king of Israel. In truth, the Lord removes kings and sets up kings (Daniel 2:21), because the Lord is sovereign.
The name, "David," means "beloved." David is mentioned in 968 verses in the Bible. Many long years ago I counted the number of Chapters in the Bible that mention David. As I recall, the number is about 75.
As a youth, David first was the keeper of the sheep of his father. Then the Lord made him into a man of war. Later, David functioned as a prophet and a musician. He wrote many majestic Psalms. Prior to David's slaying of Goliath with a slingshot, David had killed a lion and a bear.
1 Samuel 17:32-37, "And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee."
Psalm 18:34, "He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms."
Although David sinned at least 5 or 6 times, he was quick to repent, and he was always careful to give God all the glory. Of course one of the major characteristics of David was that he was a man after God's own heart. He wanted the Lord to be pleased, to be satisfied, even above his own personal happiness. This heart attitude is expressed in Psalm 132:3-5, when he said,
"Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob."
But because David was a man of war, he was not allowed to build the Temple (1 Chronicles 28:3). So David did the next best thing.
1 Chronicles 22:5, "And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death."
Therefore, he gave to Solomon, his son, the plan and pattern of the temple as well as the resources with which to build the temple. (1 Chronicles 28:11-18).
1 Chronicles 28:19, "All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern."
Solomon, which means "peace" or "peaceable," was the third king of Israel. He reigned for 40 years. And the Lord granted Solomon peace from every possible enemy, except his own self, which ultimately proved to be Solomon's downfall.
1 Kings 4:24-25, "For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon."
Solomon had immense stores of wealth laid up by his father, David; he had exceptional divinely imparted wisdom and understanding; he had the admiration and high hopes of the people; he wrote 1005 songs and 3,000 proverbs. But toward the end of his life Solomon wrote "all is vanity." By that he meant "without God."
1 Kings 11:1-11, "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that 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. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant."
The end of the life of Solomon, which he brought upon himself through his overactive love of girls and gold, was perhaps one of the greatest tragedies in the history of man. He started out with everything and ended up with nothing. His 700 wives and 300 concubines turned him into an idolater (1 Kings 11:1-8). Scripture is silent as to whether he ever repented, although there is some hope for Solomon because he finally said,
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Now, if all we receive from that brief overview of the lives of David and Solomon is an historical account, then we are very much amiss.
1 Corinthians 10:11-12, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
So what should we learn and appropriate from the lives of David and Solomon? Simply to learn is not nearly sufficient; we must appropriate the truth of God in our heart. The word must become flesh. Perhaps the first thing to appropriate is what the Lord told Jeremiah, in
Jeremiah 1:10, "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."
Note that the four "negatives" or rather what men call negatives must be done first ... to root out, to pull down, to destroy, and to throw down. That must be done before anyone can build and plant. The same truth is voiced in
Nehemiah 4:10, "And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall."
Over the past several hundred years, or more, much rubbish has been taught, accepted, and practiced in the church community. This has created many traditions of men. Much of the rubbish has been created by Evangelicals, whose motivation may have been, and perhaps still is, admirable but whose understanding has been lacking. In Genesis 11, the motivation of the people at Babylon was admirable when they tried to build a tower to heaven, but their understanding was lacking because no man, on his own efforts, can find out God.
In a real sense, David was ordained to root out, pull down, destroy, and throw down what the worldly system had to offer and Solomon was ordained to build and to plant. David accomplished his mission but Solomon did not.
A second big truth that by the grace of God we must appropriate in our life is that the pride of life along with the mixture and compromise of the ways of the world, must be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. David said,
In a real sense, David was ordained to root out, pull down, destroy, and throw down what the worldly system had to offer and Solomon was ordained to build and to plant. David accomplished his mission but Solomon did not.
A second big truth that by the grace of God we must appropriate in our life is that the pride of life along with the mixture and compromise of the ways of the world, must be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. David said,
Psalm 19:9-11, "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward."
1 John 2:15-17, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
How much is enough money to live comfortably and have sufficient for retirement? Just a little bit more. But Jesus said, in Matthew 6:25-32,
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
"For the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10).
Far too many so-called leaders in the Church community today have succumbed to the lure of the "gold and girls" temptation of the devil (or in the case of females, "gold and men.") So what has been happening in the Church community for hundreds of years and still continues today? Solomon (personified by Christian leaders) has been building in the church world with another man's pattern, with another man's plans, with another man's resources, but without David's heart. But only the Lord can build His Church. May God have mercy on us!
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