Well, I welcome you again this evening. We are drawing near the end of this semester. We have beyond tonight we have two more sessions and then a final to take which will be in the following session same time, same place, perhaps same face will be here on a Thursday night. So, please bear that in mind. But we've got tonight and two more evening sessions for those who are watching this on tape. It's much more than two more sessions because they watch them in segments. We go through the full grind of almost three hours at a time. I do welcome you tonight. We want to begin with prayer and then we're going to consider the books of first and second kings and particularly the first character who is introduced there, King Solomon. The first main character and one of the more inigmatic characters in the Bible. So, let's begin first by committing this time to the Lord in prayer. Father, we pray tonight for your wisdom even as we are about to look at the life of the man who was given great wisdom and yet despite his blessings ended rather poorly, we pray that you would teach us the lessons that we can learn, can glean from his life. We pray Father that you would impart to us true, godly wisdom and also hearts that are ready and willing and able to obey. Father, help us to remain focused, help us to be attentive to your word and to learn from what you have to say. In terms of what I have to say, Lord, I pray that which is not correct and that which is not in keeping with your will and with your mind, I pray that you would repress it and cause it not to be remembered but I ask that you would guide my tongue and that you would guide our discussions and that you would lead us into the truth that will enable us better to obey you and better to understand what you have done for us and thus to love you more. Lord, we thank you for your word, we thank you for the books of kings which on the surface are not perhaps the most exciting of biblical books. But we thank you for those wonderful lessons that we nevertheless learn from them and we pray that you would impart them to us this evening before we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well, you have an outline before you. I'd like to begin simply by giving a very, very general look at the books of first and second kings in overview. You'll notice that on your outline there is a nice little chiasm. Now, some people think I am a chiasmatic or a chiasmatic or something with so many chiasms but believe me in terms of what other people are doing. I'm very modest with my use of chiasms and I use this one only because I think it's helpful in perhaps getting a handle on what the overarching structure or one way of analyzing the overarching structure of first and second kings might be. This first one is not original to me, however, it is modified by me with apologies to those others who have perhaps done more detailed and excellent work in the past but I tried to make it as memorable as possible. And so if you look first at that first section, first and second kings in overview, you notice that the Bible references are to the right and the structure is to the left. The A elements bear something in common, the B elements likewise, the C elements and then the Fulk from the pivot point of the chiasm is in the central section, the D element, which stands alone. So what can we make of these? Let me just talk through them briefly with you. The two A elements are entitled, one kingdom, rise of the Davidic dynasty, one kingdom, fall of the Davidic dynasty. This takes us from the rise of the kingdom in Israel after Solomon and David, we have the reign of Solomon, did I say Solomon and David, after Saul and David we have the rise of the kingdom of Solomon first described in the first 11 chapters and that's where we're going to focus tonight as we get there. But then by the end of second kings we have the fall of the northern kingdom. It's interesting that the description of the destruction of the temple as it is recorded in second kings 25 verses 13 to 17 corresponds to the order of the manufacture of the temple in first kings chapter 7. There does seem to be an intentionality in the matching up of these two A elements as that which was built is now destroyed in the same order as to the B elements. At the center of the B elements we have Jeroboam's building of the infamous golden calves and these B elements really deal with the northern kingdom under Jeroboam the first in first kings 11 to 14 we read of the rise of the northern kingdom and then in second kings 17 we read of the fall of the northern kingdom at the hands of the Assyrians. Now mention of the Assyrians reminds me that we have been overlooking our wonderful drills I shan't interrupt at this point to do our drills but we'll do that maybe after a break tonight. Now at the center is Jeroboam's building of the golden calves which were strongly condemned both by the narrator and by the prophet who comes from the south to the north to condemn those golden calves and those false places of worship. This we find in first kings 12 verses 25 to 33. Now that there is a link between this first B element and the fall of the northern kingdom the B prime element is made clear by the explicit statement that the fall of the northern kingdom was a result of the idolatry begun by Jeroboam the first. We find this in second kings chapter 17 verses 16 to 18 and so again there seems to be an intentional design on the part of the narrator to link up the fall of the northern kingdom with its starting point how it was begun under Jeroboam the first. Then we come to the sea elements which have to do which are both simply entitled kings of Judah and Israel in these sections we have a rather rapid alternation between kings of the north and kings of the south here a little bit about the one a little bit about the other and these perhaps serve simply to recount the history of both kingdoms and to separate the creation and destruction of the northern kingdom described in the B elements. From that central section D which is so very important for the message of this book now those are those who have earlier analyzed this particular structure in the books of first and second kings have sometimes described this central element the D element as demonstrating the victory of prophetic over monarchy forces the demonstration of the victory of prophetic. That is king takes precedence over a sorry prophet takes precedence over king. Now here I would like to make a slight adjustment and really say perhaps this is the describes the victory of Yahwism over Baalism. I mean the central kingly character in this large section in the middle of kings is Ahab and his wife Jezebel and the false worship that took place under their rule and of course the prophets in with whom they come into greatest contact or Elijah and Elijah and you have the famous contest between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on first in first kings 18 and so forth. So in this section we see God triumphant over the prophets of Baal and over the gods of Canaan and Baal, Astorath and so forth. So that's just a very broad structure for the books of first and second kings again there does seem to be some intentionality in the linking up of these different elements. Although I don't know that the writer of kings would have sat down and said I think I'll have an abcd cba structure sometimes these things happen more organically and intuitively than that but I think as an analysis it helps us perhaps to get a handle on the material. Now any questions on that before we move on to an overview of the first 11 chapters of first kings which again is where we're going to spend most of our time tonight. Any questions on that. Okay good well let's move on to first kings one to 11 again a nice little piazm here also of my not of my making necessarily others have noticed this I have greatly simplified this to make it match up reasonably well with chapter numbers and thus it is a little schematic I need to warn you about that and so don't think that there would not be better ways or other ways to analyze these first 11 chapters. But this is just a way of sort of providing structure to the discussion we'll have later tonight. The A elements involve first Solomon's great gain in chapter 1 he comes into possession of the kingdom he is installed on the throne by the end of chapter 1 whereas in first kings 11 we read of if not Solomon's loss of the kingdom at least the prophecy that the kingdom would be divided under the reign of his son reabode and that in fact does take place then in chapter 12. The B elements I struggled a little bit to make these match nicely but in the first B element I've entitled it simply Solomon takes charge and as we will see I'm referring both to his reception of his father's final charge to him his father David on his deathbed will issue a charge to Solomon. And then in the latter half of chapter 2 we see Solomon taking charge and we'll talk about what all that means when we get there when we come to the second B element which I've isolated as first kings 10 that could obviously spill over to the latter part of first kings 9 and so forth but just to keep it neat I left it first kings 10 really here you see Solomon taking. He took charge in chapter 2 by chapter 10 he's more or less simply taking and we'll talk about what that means later. The two C elements involve two very important appearances to Solomon first at his low point in chapter 3 and then at his high point in chapter 9. And in the central section those 5 chapters 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 a large section involve or describe Solomon's glorious ministry and his building projects. Now I want to say in advance that the central section this glorious ministry and these building projects and such should not be overlooked Solomon accomplished great things and will have an opportunity to assess our own read of Solomon. However you will discover as we go on tonight that because Solomon has often been interpreted in a positive fashion up to an including chapter 10 and then suddenly boom chapter 11 everything goes wrong. I want us to see that there is a different there is another side to Solomon's experience almost from the very beginning and so we're going to be looking again into the shadows. And I know that is maybe gives a sense of imbalance but recognizing that Solomon is generally people accent the positive aspects of Solomon's early reign and the bulk of his reign and I by no means want to deny those but I do want us to see how it is that one who started so well could end so poorly. So bear with me if I seem to be kind of ferriting out little criticisms a little negative things about Solomon I'm doing that with intent while not denying that he had a great ministry and a great impact in many other respects. When you hear the name Solomon what do you think of what is it if we were doing a little psychology test you know one word answers what do you think of when you hear the words Solomon wisdom okay by far this is a straw poll by far the most popular answer is wisdom and in fact in chapter 3 verse 12 I'll give you a few references to back up your immediate response in chapter 3 verse 12 I will give you a wise and discerning heart so that there's a way to do that. There will never have been anyone like you nor will there ever be and though Solomon is often called the wisest man who ever lived now when we use that kind of hyperbolic language the mere life of Christ on earth indicates to us that we're being hyperbolic we're exaggerating a bit because surely Christ was wiser than Solomon in him were hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge so it is it's hyperbole to say he was the wisest man that ever lived. You have to make at least one exception but he was exceedingly wise that comes to mind what else comes to mind when you think of Solomon wealth okay you're taking this right in the order in which I have my notes verse 13 of chapter 3 more over 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 wealth wisdom wealth what else women all sticking with the W's. Yeah women good wisdom wealth and women yes indeed what I have actually in my notations are folly and I don't equate women with folly or perhaps I wouldn't equate woman with folly but perhaps women I would equate with folly in the sense in which Solomon was involved with many women one woman a great blessing women perhaps a folly apostasy folly apostasy that certainly comes to mind. When you think of Solomon I think all of us have something of a question mark in our minds kind of a deep uneasiness what happened to this guy you know I thought wisdom led to fruitfulness in life and look at how things fell apart for him anything else what about Solomon's temple okay we think of the temple and indeed he in chapters 4 to 8 we do read about in some detail the building of the temple. So these things come to mind and we see that Solomon started well but he failed miserably and even the structure of these first 11 chapters that we've been talking about sort of confirms this we do see something of either a downward spiral or an absolute drop off in chapter 11 and I'm of the opinion that what we see is more a downward spiral a gradual declension in Solomon's own experience. Now someone has one scholar has observed that Solomon's reign is given lengthy treatment much more lengthy than other kings except perhaps with the exception of except for a have his reign is given lengthy treatment because of his number one of his historical importance but also because of the programmatic character of the story of Solomon now what do we mean when something is programmatic it sort of sets up a pattern. It develops within us certain expectations of the way things work the way the kingdom's going to work what we can expect to be the dynamics involved in the book of kings or in the books of first and second kings Solomon is sort of a prototypical king he's got some positive aspects and very definitely some negative aspects. And yet he's also prototypical in the sense that despite his sin despite his failure God remains faithful God's promise is demonstrate that they are in fact unconditional so these kinds of things we'll see as we work through the life of Solomon. Any questions there we're getting ready to move into the point on the outline it is entitled Solomon's Great Gangroom Startin first kings chapter one any questions to this point. Good good I assume you're still awake and if that be the case then I'm glad you don't have questions yet let's move on into Solomon's Great Gang chapter one. We've just been talking about what we know about Solomon what words come to mind when we talk about Solomon but what else do we know about Solomon who's son was he. Ah ha both answers are right David son Bathsheba son David had how many sons probably about 17 or 18 in second Samuel 3 1 to 5 we read of 6 they were born in hebron and in 2 2nd Samuel 5 13 to 15 we read of 11 more born in Jerusalem now it's probably 18 because I imagine Solomon was not included although I need to check those lists to see if he was included in any of those summer. He was not yet born until 2nd Samuel chapter 12 chapter 11 rather so David son Bathsheba son what was the Lord's pronouncement upon Solomon at the time of his birth. Does anyone recall what he was what he was named by God. Jedadaya Jedadaya wonderful name although not you know not a real yuppie name these days not a lot of people are naming their sons Jedadaya but it's a great name because of its meaning what does it mean. It means it means beloved of Yahweh beloved of the Lord which is a very interesting name that God should pronounce upon Solomon in as much as he was the son of David and Bathsheba and you know the first son that was conceived. In that adulterous relationship died and then they had this other son and God in his grace named him beloved of Yahweh. God is a God who brings good even out of bad even out of our bad he sometimes brings good things. Now Solomon is enigma and enigma to us that we know we've been describing the fact of his superlative wisdom and then his almost cold I mean his gargantuan folly 1000 wives I mean that's that's a lot. And the question this raises in our minds is how did it happen how did it go from his great wisdom wiser than anyone else the wisest king that ever lived first kings three to first kings eleven where he's doing such stupid and foolish things. David pain in his article on Solomon in the new international standard Bible encyclopedia writes this he says it is not easy to assess the character either of Solomon or his reign he is credited with great piety but his apostasy does not go unremarked his wisdom is proverbial but his folly was responsible for the disintegration of his realm after his death. The surface piece and prosperity barely veiled considerable oppression and unrest since Solomon's reign was long one may conclude that his character ability and far-sightedness and the state's economic security and political strength were impaired gradually perhaps imperceptibly. And what I want us to see as we work through these chapters is that in fact the very way the story is told warns us that the disintegration we see in Solomon's life can happen very gradually almost imperceptibly. In fact I think one of the reasons commentators have viewed the first 10 chapters as positive towards Solomon and then boom everything goes wrong in chapter 11 is that the earlier hints are almost imperceptible they're not entirely imperceptible however as we shall see. So how did Solomon come to power next point in the outline? Well you read about it in chapter 1 I'm assuming that I will receive an outline of first and second kings did you see that on your eyes that what I'm asking for just first kings okay just seeing I was waking everyone up with that little comment first kings tonight how did he come to power well as we begin in first kings chapter 1 where we see first of all David. David is old he is infirmed he's advanced in years he cannot keep warm even when they put covers on him and so his servants say to him let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him she can lie beside him now you know this is the NIV translating here and most of the translations do this it really the Hebrew says she can lie in his arms she can lie in his bosom which is is not an entirely innocent sound. She can lie with him I think would be fairer to the real sense of the text so that our Lord the king may keep warm David is having this problem of not being able to keep warm and so they find this beautiful girl they found Abishag a Shunamite and brought her to the king the girl was very beautiful she took care of the king and waited on him but the king did not know her the text says the king had no intimate relations with her translates the NIV now the question that has agitated the minds of commentators and rabbis and probably some of us is what is the nature of David's coolness what's the problem here. Is it just that he has you know some circulatory problems and he sees cool cold and he needs a blanket and if so why was it Abishag who is brought and not just a rather fluffy Shag carpet or something. And why did they search for the most beautiful woman in the land now there are a lot of different answers that could be given and ancient. Ancient notions about what rabbi for instance says that a virgin was considered more suitable than eight than then then David's 18 wives because her very virginity warms her flesh well I don't know it seems that the problem was if I dare put this on tape it seems that the problem was that David had trouble getting heated up. And thus he was in danger of being considered past it in other words it seemed that the potentate was no longer okay I see I didn't put it on tape. Now again there's there's a lot of there's a lot of debate back and forth as to what that is but we can say this that this this weak father was he weak he seemed physically informed. His weakness was interpreted by one of his sons whom I've entitled the wayward brother as a sign that okay now is my chance now is my chance to make a bid for the throne and so in verses five and following read about Adonija who took this cue you know his father is is is unable to get heated up anymore he's past it in a sense but notice notice our reading first of those first few verses leaves us with questions I'm not saying one way or the other that it had to be the one or the other thing it's it's uncertain it's ambiguous well this wayward brother makes a bid for the throne and notice what it says in verse six this is a verse that I think we mentioned before after Adonija has gotten out the chariots and the horses and and fitted himself out as a king it says in verse six that his father had never interfered with him by saying why do you behave as you do. He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom now these these issues teaches a number of things maybe maybe David had not been a proper disciplinarian with this son he didn't seem to have taken much interest in at least questioning the things that Adonija did also the linking with Absalom Absalom is not particularly encouraging in as much as Absalom had been one who launched a rebellion. Is Adonija doing the same thing or is perhaps Adonija is he a wayward son or is he a worthy son I mean he is next in line in terms of primogenitor in terms of the the eldest son being in line it's his turn the others have died or been killed. Does he know that Solomon has been selected to be king after David and not he has Solomon been selected and not him we don't we don't know for sure we do have some hints however look at verse ten perhaps we should begin in verse nine Adonija then sacrifice sheep cattle and fat and calves at the stone of Zohelleth near Enrogell he invited all his brothers the king's sons and all the men of Judah who were royal officials but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Beniah or the special guard or his brother Solomon and why would he not do that if Solomon were somehow not special. So maybe this is a hint that that Adonija knew that Solomon was to be king and he was simply being an opportunist trying to make his own way to the throne if it all possible. Are Adonija's actions clearly wrong well it seems they probably were wrong but nothing is all that clear yet in this chapter. Then we come to a discussion of Solomon's wise mother Bathsheba or was she widely is she wise really or not and again the way the story is told leaves us asking some questions it begins in verse 11 I'll just read a verse and then continue to describe it from there. Then Nathan asked Bathsheba Solomon's mother have you not heard what that Adonija the son of Haggit that name means seems to relate to the notion of festival or banquet and so the party animal the descendant of the party has been launching his own bid for the throne by throwing a party a hug in Hebrew. Have you not heard that Adonija has become king without our Lord David's knowing it. The issue of David's knowing something is a key issue a key word although the word no is used in several different senses. He did not know Abhishek who was laid beside him he does not know what Adonija is doing Bathsheba will in discussion with Nathan they come up with a plan whereby they can save their lives and circumvent Adonija in the nick of time. Nathan describes what Bathsheba is to do she's to go into the king and remind him of a promise that he has made to Solomon and just when she's while she's still speaking Nathan will come in and confirm what she has to say and they sort of orchestrate a way of manipulating David into remembering a promise that he had earlier made or did he. We're not absolutely sure it seems that he did I mean we have I have trouble thinking of Nathan as cooking something up and particularly as manipulating David deceptively because Nathan is a prophet but we need to remember that Nathan when acting as private citizen could be wrong could do wrong I suppose when when David wanted to build the temple Nathan said sure it sounds like a great idea go ahead and that night the Lord said no wait. I think I'm supposed to make that call and David's not the one and so we dare not he put even a prophet on a pedestal where the prophet could not do something wrong now the prophet could not speak something wrong in the name of the Lord that would that would the lie his his inspiration but you know it's theoretically possible that Nathan could have said look things are getting out of hand here Adonija is going to take the throne and we better do something because he didn't invite you in any way. He didn't invite me and he didn't invite Solomon and if he gets on the throne and gains power we will be dead. It's possible now I don't think that's what happened I think I think in fact David had made that promise to Solomon and simply needed reminding but the point I'm trying to make is that the narrative doesn't make it perfectly clear it leaves us puzzled it leaves us asking some questions. There are many questions did David really make a promise to Solomon well just to kind of rehearse some of the evidence that he did I think I think he did we've seen a little bit of it Adonija treats Solomon differently verse 10 doesn't invite him. He was named Jedadaya beloved of Yahweh beloved of the Lord in 2 Samuel 12 verse 25 Nathan seems aware of Solomon's special status in verse 12 when he says now then let me advise you how you can save your own life in the life of your son Solomon somehow he sees that Solomon is set apart. And furthermore David when reminded does not question Solomon's claim but rather in accent he he he agrees and places Solomon on the throne now those who might argue that that Solomon had had not made that David had not made a promise about Solomon succeeding him might say well yeah but David is characterized in this chapter as being sort of out of the know what does David know. Thus this last reason that we've given you know that David agreed with what Nathan and Bathsheba said to him it really doesn't prove anything because he's shown as being kind of old maybe a little senile he doesn't seem to remember things too well so maybe they could implant an idea that he would then believe. Furthermore the narrator know where explicitly states not in this book not in any other book is it explicitly stated that David had chosen Solomon. And furthermore perhaps most curiously in this chapter 1 when we come to verses 24 and 25 Nathan appears almost to feign ignorance of David's design for Solomon. In 24 Nathan comes in and says have you my Lord the king declared that at an eye just shall be king after you and that he will sit on your throne today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle fat and calves and sheep. He's invited all the king's sons and the commanders of the army and a bifur the priest right now they're eating and drinking with him and saying long live king out of ninja is this your plan. He doesn't come right in and say I thought you said Solomon was going to be king. Now he may simply be asking David if you changed your mind you know if you made a new plan have you ordered this because this is what's happening if you haven't you need to know. Now again on balance I think the evidence suggests that Jedadaya beloved of the Lord had been set apart by David and probably at the Lord's direction to succeed David as king but the point is the narrative leaves us asking a question or two we're not absolutely sure we weren't sure about David and the nature of this bringing in of Abishag was that God's will. I mean his servants thought it was a good idea he seemed to agree that it was a good idea didn't do any good is that really what what the Lord would have had done there what about Bathsheba we're left wondering did she and Nathan conspire to put this thing together what about out of ninja was he really off base to make a bit for the throne he was in line so that the narrative throughout leaves us wondering a little bit we're cast into. A questioning frame of mind and we'll talk about that a little more in just a minute the last thing I think we discover about Solomon's rise to power is that they had a weak father in a way we're brother wise mother he did have a wonderful God and again we read these narratives we need to be very careful not to become so fascinated with the human characters that we forget that we're primarily meant to learn something about God himself and God often operates behind the scenes. And so it's not as apparent sometimes his actions are not as apparent we can tend to overlook what it is we're supposed to learn about God but in in at the end of the chapter and really the lengthy end of the chapter beginning in verse 28 we see through a number of circumstances God fulfilling his promise to David and allowing him to see a successor on the throne. God had made this promise in second Samuel chapter seven of course and it had been repeated thereafter and we see that God is fulfilling his promise despite at a ninja's bid despite the threats God makes it possible that Solomon is on the throne now I have one other point to make on chapter one and that is to ask this question. Is there a sense in which first kings chapter one is programmatic for the story of Solomon I've already said that the story of Solomon chapters one to eleven in a sense is programmatic for the entire entirety of first and second kings in future I'll probably just say the book of kings meaning one and two they initially they originally were not separated anyway but is this chapters chapter one in some way programmatic for the story we're about to read the history we're about to read of Solomon's reign what do you think how does it how does it prepare us to read that story. Okay, did he rightfully ascended the throne is the answer is an answer and certainly that's correct he did rightfully ascend the throne or it seems that he did but that but you know again we were saying. Did he really I mean had the promise been made to Solomon or did they engineer this I mean chapter one raises some questions in our minds and I think in that sense prepares us to look for the subtleties in the chapters that follow. It's not always going to be explicitly stated the point of a given narrative will not always be expressly put forth by the narrator there may be little subtleties and we will be called upon to infer some things from what we read and I think you'll see as we move through this that cumulatively the case becomes increasingly convincing. Now let's move on to the next point in the outline which is chapter two where Solomon takes charge actually let me let me do something which I again shouldn't put on tape but let me let me move that just one minute and I see a few more notes that I'd like to add in terms of the programmatic character just to fill out the picture. First of all human actions are perplexing puzzling sometimes even opaque that's the point I was just making secondly I think this this first chapter is programmatic in the sense that God remains completely faithful to his people he works all things together to accomplish his good and to keep his promises to his people we see that happening in this very conflicted chapter where human motivations are are somewhat suspect or at least open to question. The question God marches on with his purpose and accomplishes his will for his people. I think we maybe could also learn from this first chapter that active or passive disobedience to God creates situations that bring trouble into our lives and calls us not to experience the fullness of blessing that God wishes for us but still God holds on to his own. We see this in a number of different ways particularly in the life of Adonija who misbehaves David perhaps that was a compromising situation and yet God holds on to his own accomplishes his purpose the we are faithless he remains faithful and I think that double focus on the faithfulness of God's children and the faithfulness of God will is programmatic really for what we continue to read as we as we march on through these chapters dealing with Solomon. So with that let's move on to first Kings chapter two and I've set this up in a way almost I've never preached a sermon on chapter two but I set this up sort of with three points and I've done this in several different instances in these chapters as we go through them in a way to try to show you or at least to suggest a way of taking a narrative text and presenting a message from it that can be presented as a sort of logical expository three point message and so that's what I want us to look at as we look at chapter two. The proposition I've put before you is that because God loves us we should accept his charge that is his ambition for us and add nothing to it because God loves us he knows what's best for us we should accept his charge his ambition for us and add nothing to it and we'll see how this works out in chapter two. So we learned these three things first of all we learned that accepting God's charge requires courage look at look at right at the beginning of the chapter verse one when the time drew near for David to die he gave a 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 it is written in the law of Moses so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me if you're descendants watch how they live and if they walk faithily before me with all their heart and soul you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel. Accepting God's charge requires courage be strong and courageous David charges his son there are a lot of areas and I mean a lot of ways that that can be illustrated I think one from my own life my mother told me once that she had a very hard time deciding to marry my father because she knew he was going to become a pastor. And as the daughter of a businessman she sort of expected that kind of security here's a man who learns a good living and is able to pay for his children's education and so forth and so on. And it was particularly that latter question of her children's education that troubled her most you know how will we ever educate our children on a pastor's salary and she learned later that you can't educate your children on a pastor's salary but God can educate them whatever your salary. And you know I have three brothers and sisters and God has provided for us in different ways but he's always provided but it took courage for her to go ahead and say all right the lights all seen green except for my own little blinking yellow light but God was in it and it took courage for her to say okay I'll trust you with that that uncertainty of the future. I know that's particularly applicable to many of you here because many of you are either potentially married to or already married to or perhaps interested in men who may someday become pastors. You yourselves may be launching into a Christian ministry of some sort and don't know exactly how all the financial things will come together. It takes courage to accept God's charge. The second thing we see and David is alerting Solomon to that the second thing we see is that accepting God's charge does promise prosperity. We read that in verse three already walking his ways and keep his decrees and commands as it is written in the law of Moses so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go. Now does anyone recall way back when we were first dealing with the book of Joshua that some very similar phrases were used be strong and very courageous. Yeah Joshua one eight five six seven eight nine really but Joshua one eight to be strong and very courageous that you may prosper in the way that you go and we talked about it then so I don't need to talk about it. At length here except to remind you that this is not prosperity in a financial sense necessarily. Now it may be God sometimes prospers his servants with financial means but certainly he doesn't prosper all of them with financial means it's an entirely different issue involved here. And when we talked about it then we recognize that really what it means is then you shall have success and you shall prosper in your way that is in the mission in life the calling in life the place in life for which you were created. If you will be strong and courageous and walk an obedience to God and in faith in God then you will be successful in his terms. It may not be worldly terms but honestly if the world ever looks a little below the surface they discover that the lifestyles of the rich and famous are not true success when marriages are dissolving and depression is deep and suicides are taking place and so forth or crimes are being committed. That kind of worldly success is no success at all unless God is undergirding that with real success and so you find successful people that are poverty-stricken and you find some successful people that are wealthy but Jesus said it's more difficult to be the latter than a former because if you have nothing you know how to trust God. Well David is saying you know it's going to take courage but there will be success there will be prosperity if you will do if you will walk in faith and trust according to the law of Moses. He says in verse 4 so that the Lord may keep his promise to me. This raises a little bit of a question. What blessing has God promised to David and his descendants? It may be possible to read this verse as promising that life will not overwhelm them and destroy them from without. You know it may be possible rather than saying you shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel it's possible to read this one of yours one of your descendants will never be cut off. In other words I have made a promise to your house and insofar as they trust me and obey me they'll never be cut off no one will ever come in from the outside. They will be inviolable sort of what God said to Joshua every place you set your foot no one will be able to withstand you. It may be that he promises us the same thing in many respects that familiar verses of Romans 8, 28 all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose what he has planned following in those lines we need fear no evil. No evil that is outside his good will for us and that he will not in some way turn to good effect for his glory even if not for our comfort. So accepting his charge promises prosperity of the right sort need to be very careful to recognize that but then the third thing I think we need to notice about this particular charge. And this we really find as we move on into verses five to nine is that adding anything to God's charge causes problems and we may not always have read this this way but notice what David begins to say then in verse five. Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeroliah did to me what he did to the two commanders of Israel's armies Abner son of Nur and a mass of son of Jethr he killed them shedding their blood in peace time as if in battle and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet deal with him according to your wisdom but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace but show kindness to the sons of bars and lie of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom and remember you have with you Shemai son of Gira the Benjaminite from Bahrain who call down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanayim when he came down to meet me at the Jordan I swore to him by the Lord I will not put you to death by the sword but now do not consider him innocent. You're a man of wisdom you will know what to do to him bring his gray head down to the grave in blood now is this the Lord's command or David's what makes you think it's David's other than I say adding to God's charge. David's what is troubling about this he keeps sorry it seems that he's held a grudge although maybe he has it I mean David is it seems to be a fairly laid back fellow in some respects I'm not sure whether he's holding a grudge or perhaps something else motivates this he looks at young Solomon who is about to take over the kingdom and he realizes that he's had some real problem characters in his reign. Joe ad being one Joe ad being a partisan of the south he's a southerner he's a he's going to be the kind of person who could develop factions in the kingdom. Similarly shim chimai was a solide from Bachelorene he he had perhaps I don't it doesn't say this it's possible that he witnessed the return of Michael to David with Paul Tiel weeping behind her. And that may have stealed him in his opposition to David because it was at Bachelorene that Paul Tiel was turned back and they said you know this is far enough you go back he may have seen that we don't know but we are we are told that he was from that village he was a solide he was a northerner. And David perhaps looks at his son and says you know Solomon you need to act according to your wisdom notice he mentions it twice your man of wisdom. Act according to your wisdom you got the smarts Solomon that you know walk according to law of Moses and trust God and oh and also your man of wisdom you'll know what to do. Now I think that often parents have an easier time trusting God for themselves than they do for their children. These a lot easier for for for me for instance to go into a situation that might be potentially dangerous than to send my 19 year old son into that situation. I would be a little more you know ready to go myself than to send him but more significantly than that I think sometimes we're willing to trust the Lord and to and to follow him. Then to see our children say to us you know I'm trusting God I think he's calling me here and that's where I'm going to go. Now parents sometimes have more trouble trusting for their children than they do for themselves but we ask the question why aren't we supposed to be practical don't you need to be expedient as well. Well yeah I mean Oliver Cromwell said trust in God and keep your powder dry trust in God and keep your powder dry. Nehemiah talks about we prayed this is a Nehemiah chapter 4 we prayed and then we posted a guard but didn't just test God we didn't just pray and then say well you know why stay up all night God will take care of us. We prayed and we posted one wise man of the path said trust in God does not supersede the employment of prudent means on our part to expect God's protection while we do nothing is not to honor but to tempt him. Okay we're not supposed to simply just test him by saying we'll do nothing it is there is some value in being practical but the key is not pragmatism expediency practicality the key is not in action but rather action in obedience to God's leading. That was a first charge that David had given to Solomon and really it might have been better had he stopped there trust God act according to the law of Moses and God will keep his promise it might have been better had he stopped there it is necessary that we stop here and so we're going to stop for now and we'll pick up here when we come back.