Of Kings

I am reading through the books of Kings in my bible right now. I am loving the history lessons. I am awed at Solomon's life and the fruit of his father's love for God, God's faithfulness and unfailing love, and the affect that our lives have, continuing on after we are gone.

David's promise from God:
1Kings 2:1-4~ When the time drew near for David to die, he gave charge to Solomon his son.
"I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So, be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

God blesses beyond what we can imagine if our hearts are right (Solomon's prayer):
1Kings 3:6-15~ Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day."
"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
The LORD was please that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discerning in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for- both riches and honor- so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." Then Solomon awoke- and he realized it had been a dream.
He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the LORD's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowships offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

This blows me away. Not in surprise; I know my God. It blows me away in the fact that God pours on the blessings when we trust him. When we seek his will first, before our own benefits. He heard Solomon's heart cry, which probably came from a place of feeling inadequate for the job. And it gets better....

The fruit of that prayer:
1Kings 4:29-34~ God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite- wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the Hyssop that grow out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

Solomon chose to rebuild God's temple before his own place and in beautiful detail as instructed by the LORD. You should read and imagine in 1Kings 6&7. (I now want carved cherubim and lions in my house. HaHA.) He was greatly rich as well. Unfortunately he let in the customs of his foreign wives and built altars for their gods. But, even then, God kept his promise to David, his father.

Consequence and extended blessings:
1Kings 11:11-13~ So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear out the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

God is just. He is unfailing in love. I just finished reading 1Kings this morning, and story after story God is fair. He also is merciful at this turning point for the kings who humble themselves and ask for mercy with repentant hearts. And for those people (kings, prophets, and others), who choose to not bow their hearts, he just uses someone else to fulfill His purposes. Such promises. Why would it matter in our death what happens? What did it matter when David was already gone? But God is beyond death, and God keeps his word. He teaches us, blesses beyond our understanding, and then adds onto that for the generations after us. This reaffirms what my eyes have been opened to more and more. Awesome, in the entirety of this overused word.  I want to have a humble heart that seeks God's truth and wisdom, and I hope the blessings to be an afterthought, straight from the heart of a loving God.

Matthew 6:28-33~ "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all theses things will be given to you as well."