June 11

June 11

Solomon & the Temple -- Solomon's speech, Solomon's prayer, & God's second visit.

Today's Readings:

Reading 1: 1 Kings 8

Reading 2: 1 Kings 9:1-9

Reading 3: 1 Kings 11:9-10

Chapter 8 is a massive chapter, full of accounts of God's faithfulness and blessing. We see that God is worthy of praise, and all His people join in praising Him. Solomon celebrates both his father, David and his God. He also blesses the people.

When God appears to Solomon a second time, He warns the king to be faithful. Otherwise, he will lose all this splendor. This is not a threat from a vindictive God but a warning from a loving Father who wants His children to flourish and be blessed.

Yet, we know that Solomon failed the faithfulness test. He did not maintain the integrity of his commitment to God but took many foreign wives (echoing both his father David and other fallible leaders such as Samson). These wives inevitably led Solomon astray and resulted in the downfalls God warned him of before.

Let's remember that none of us is perfect. We all fail because we are human, marred by sin and self-centeredness. Such instability is universal and leads each of us into rebellion and sin sooner or later. We all need the grace only Jesus can offer, which is why we are all the more grateful for His atonement when we see the ups and downs of humanity in stories like today.

Our story has to be interwoven with His-Story to avoid becoming a tragedy.

Have a great day!

Mark.