King James Bible Study: The Right Sacrifice

King James Bible Study: The Right Sacrifice
For: Friday April 22, 2011
Chapters: I Kings 3-4
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Details of Today's Reading: Solomon's alliance with Egypt, his marriage to Pharoah’s daughter, Solomon sacrificing in high places, Solomon's dream, the princes of Israel, Solomon’s reign and wisdom all his days as king.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
While God is a forgiving God, He would rather see us living righteously than confessing our sins all the time. Now, since we have this flesh we are never going to be sin free until we see Jesus, but there is a difference between knowingly and unknowingly committing sin. The Bible says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” - Proverbs 21:2,3. God does not want to constantly place affliction upon us, but if it is the only way we learn to do things His way then that is what He will do.

Solomon truly loved God, he gave sacrifices, prayed, spoke highly of God, followed in his father's footsteps, and did all that David instructed him to do before he died. However, he did what was right in his own eyes, not God's so, that meant, even though he loved God he did not always do exactly what God told him to do. His first mistake, aligning Israel with Egypt.

“And Solomon made affinity 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. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 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. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.” - I Kings 3:1-5

The great high place was the place were the tabernacle stood until Solomon would build the temple in Jerusalem, which is where the animal sacrifices were to be offered unless God would specify a special place at a particular time. High places were used by those worshiping idols and false gods, whom often gave human sacrifices to their god. For this reason it was forbidden for any child of God to offer sacrifices to God from high places. “God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.” - Joshua 22:29.

After that huge sacrifice and seeing the pattern that Solomon was doing right in his own eyes God decided to speak to Solomon in a dream while he was in Gibeon. In this dream Solomon is praying to God and God gives him a wonderful blessing.

“In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee...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? And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. 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; 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.” - I Kings 3:5,9-12.

Now, God did bless Solomon with wisdom, the amazing thing was that they knew that God was the one who gave him that wisdom. This was confirmed when two women went to Solomon to seek advice on who was the actual mother of a living baby that both claimed was theirs.

“Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it...Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living...And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king...Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment. ” - I Kings 3:16-19,23,24,26-28.

Solomon knew that the real mother rather give her child as a living sacrifice rather than kill him, therefore, he knew that the woman who rather see him die was not his mother. God would never allow a person to give themselves as a human sacrifice, we are to be a living sacrifice, not a dead one. A persons life is too precious to Him and that is why He came here Himself in the form of Jesus Christ and gave Himself as the sacrifice that would keep all who believe in and accept Him from ending up in hell. Those who choose not to accept Christ into their souls may end up in hell, but they will not go there unloved, Christ still gave His life for them as well. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” - Romans 5:8,9. Yes, Christ is God in the flesh, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” - John 1:1,14.

The wisdom and understanding which God had given Solomon surpassed all that was known in the world, people from the ends of the earth came to hear the wisdom of his lips. Later on in his life Solomon, often doing what was right in his own eyes, learned a valuable lesson. The Book of Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon when he realized all the sacrifices, prayers, material things, and riches of the world are vanity and worthless when done in one's own eyes. “For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.” - Ecclesiastes 2:26.

As Christian's the right sacrifice is becoming a living sacrifice, that means, to give ourselves to God wholeheartedly, not die for Him, but live for Him through Jesus Christ. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” - Romans 12:1,2.

Jesus Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through the wisdom which God gave Solomon. We receive our wisdom through the Holy Spirit who lives inside all believers. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” - Colossians 3:16.

God Bless You, I am praying for you.
Christina

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