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Gospel Baptist Tabernacle781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

Where the Love of God abounds, everyone is

welcome.

Children’s Church taught by Paul and Marsha

Davis during preaching.

www.rossvillechurch.com

May 18, 2014

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1 Kings 3 1 And Solomon made affinity (an alliance) with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

This is simply stated and not commented upon as good or ill, but I have to wonder:

Should Solomon have begun his reign with an alliance with Egypt, or should he have depended on God?

And, should he have married an Egyptian?

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He that loved the Lord, should, for His sake, have fixed his love upon one of the Lord's people.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.

We can choose who we will love (eros).

2 Corinthians 6 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

For a Christian to marry an unbeliever is usually to ask for trouble.

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2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the Name of the LORD, until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

We know that sacrificing in high places was displeasing to God, because it was like the Canaanites.

It was too akin to idol worship.

We must worship the right God in the right way.

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4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

Our worship should be according to Scripture.

Solomon loved God and God loved him.But he made some mistakes.

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5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before Thee in Truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

“Lord, You have already done so much.”

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7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

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9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

First, Solomon recognized that God had blessed his daddy – and why

“he walked before Thee in Truth, and in right-eousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee;”

This acknowledgement revealed a grateful heart.And good understanding.

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Secondly, he recognized his own weakness:He was young and inexperienced.

According to the BKC Solomon was about 20 years old when he became King of Israel.

He had a big job ahead of him that he didn’t feel qualified for.

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UnderstandingTo judge God’s people

And to discern between

good and bad.

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10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

Solomon asked, not only for wisdom, but with discernment and understanding.

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12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

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Solomon asked for nothing to enrich himself or to increase his power and prestige.

He just wanted to be a good king.That humble desire pleased The Lord.

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James 4 1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

We see here why so many prayers go unanswered.

They are too self-centered.

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We sometimes pray for those things that will satisfy our lusts.

Perhaps we pray for God to provide our needs.

But, in our heart we are desiring luxuries, not necessities.

God sees and knows our heart.

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It pleased God that Solomon did not ask for long life;

that he did not ask for wealth;that he did not ask for victory over enemies.

He only asked for understanding to do well the job to which God had appointed him.

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That must be our heart’s desire:To do well what God has called us to do.

God may have appointed you to be a godly husband and daddy.

Be a godly husband and daddy with all your heart.

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God may have called you to be a behind the scenes help in a church.

God has called me to pastor this small

assembly of saints.

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