Bible Food 1 Kings - Day 25

Good day; it is sort of a mile stone; but we'll wait five more days before we call it that.

We will begin our reading today in 1 Kings chapter 8!

Since Solomon is building a Temple; all the Holy vessels and Ark of the Covenant had to be moved into the Temple and Solomon had the elders of the tribes and the priest come up to perform this.

¹⁰And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
 ¹¹So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
 ¹²Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

As they put the Ark in the Most Holy place; the Lord come there in a thick cloud that practically runs the priest out.  The Lord keeps His Word all the time that He would dwell with them there.  Remember, they are doing this in the 7th month where there are important feast, feast of In-gathering or Tabernacles in which the Lord will return.

²²And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: Solomon is setting a prayer before the Lord now and it is an important prayer...

³⁰And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.  When you see people praying towards Jerusalem; this is what they are doing.  

They are attempting to get their prayer heard.  Solomon prayed for the Israelite home born and for the stranger, who will hear of the Lord's name and want to serve the Lord too.  If they pray towards Jerusalem; Solomon asked for the Lord to hear them too.

1 Kings 9

²That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.

The Lord let Solomon know that He has heard Solomon's prayer and He has hallowed this house, which Solomon hast built, to put the name of the Lord there for ever; and His eyes and His heart shall be there perpetually. However, if they do not keep the Lord's way then He will cut off Israel and make them a proverb and a byword among all people: as written in Deuteronomy 28.

1 Kings 10

 ¹And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.  The queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian queen heard of Solomon's wisdom concerning the name of the Lord, and she came up to ask his hard questions regarding God.  A lot of people think they had a romantic thing going on as well, however we haven't read that in the bible yet.

⁷Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

All that she heard about Solomon was true; and even more was left off in his knowledge of the Lord.  If the children of Israel had kept the Lord's way, every man was to have this knowledge of God and people would be coming up to ask how to be like them just as the kings and queens of the world were coming up to ask inquire of Solomon. 

You get gifts for being wise and knowledgeable.  The Lord added this to Solomon because he asked for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  Great riches came with great understanding.  

¹⁰And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
¹⁴Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold, - that is a lot of money.  

Israel was rolling in Solomon's day.  He exceeded all the kings of the earth in wisdom and riches.  

²³So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

1 Kings chapter 11

Many times with great riches and wealth, we tend to do things we shouldn't.  We tend to think we can handle things we really cannot.  Solomon loved many strange women.  David had many wives but he had Israelite wives.  

Solomon had more wives than David and took them of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.  The Lord commanded that the kings should not do this because these women will turn your heart from him.

You have to believe the creator; I'm sure He knows His creation.  Nevertheless, Solomon loved these women; as he had 700 wives, 300 hundred concubines.  Over women, Solomon turned from the Lord.  ⁴For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

 ⁵For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
 ⁶And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

The Lord appeared to Solomon twice, so God was extra displeased and angry with Solomon for his horrible acts in turned him from the Lord.  The wisest man in the world turned unwise and lacked understanding in his old age.  This is actually breaking the very first commandment.

⁹And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
 ¹⁰And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

The Lord is now going to rip the kingdom from Solomon's son but because David kept the Lord's way, God will not rip the entire kingdom; He will leave the tribe of Judah.  Also, God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, and Hadad of Edom, and Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant to come against Solomon.  All because he wanted strange wives.

Solomon reigned in Jerusalem 40 years.  The Lord had mercy on him and hopefully he repented before he died; but he was certainly punished.

⁴³And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. Rehoboam became the 4th king over Israel but not for long, and not even to call him the 4th king over Israel, but the 4th king over Judah because the kingdom was torn from him.

1 Kings 12

Now when Rehoboam took over, Jeroboam heard and came up out of Egypt and demanded Rehoboam lessen the taxes and the work that Solomon put on the people.  Rehoboam took three days to consult with his counselors.  
This is a lesson to young men in power, consult wisdom as well as youth and instincts.  The old men told him to listen to the people and rule forever, the young men told him to rule with an iron fist.  

He listened to the young men. And this is what the people had to say in response to that: ¹⁶So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

When Rehoboam saw this; he wanted to fight against the tribes that left to follow Jeroboam; but the Lord sent a prophet to tell him not to; that this was from the Lord.  

²²But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
 ²³Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
 ²⁴Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD. 

The only smart thing is that Rehoboam listened to that prophet.  Jeroboam thought that during the feast days the people would go down to Jerusalem and return to the house of David.  Instead of consulting God; he made his own altar for people to keep the feast in Northern Israel.

²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
 ²⁹And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
 ³⁰And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

Jeroboam is causing the people to sin because of the lack of understanding he has in the Word of God.  He never consulted a Levite or a prophet of the Lord on what he should do.  In fact he hired anyone to be priest in place of the Levite; sin on sin, folly on top of folly.  He also changed the Lord's feast from the 7th month to the 8th month.

In first Kings chapter 13; a man of God came up and spoke against the altar that Jeroboam made.  Jeroboam tried to seize the man; but his hand dried up and he had to beg the man of God to have God restore his hand.  Now the man of God was given instructions to go prophesy, eat no food, drink no water, and leave.

He did that with the king; but when another prophet heard a man of God was in town and lied and had him stay, eat, and drink.  Then the Lord spoke to the false prophet to tell the man of God that he will be destroyed for not obeying.  When he left; a lion met him on the way and killed him and the lion did not eat him nor his donkey, it just set next to him.
  
²⁶And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.


Because of disobedience to the Lord destruction happens to men.

1st Kings 14

Jeroboam's son Abijah fell sick and Jeroboam knowing that he is wicked still wanted to inquire at the Lord so he sent his wife disguised as another woman to the prophet Ahijah.  The Lord prepped Ahijah of her and told him what to tell her.  

He told her that Jeroboam's kingdom is going to fall; and no man will be buried properly in graves of the house of Jeroboam.  Also that the sick child will die, and will be the only to be buried properly because the Lord has found some good in him.

But good is he to the Lord if he is dead.  Why wouldn't the Lord kidnap him and send him to another family?  He is no good dead.  If he will be of some good to the Lord; that means he has to live, that is what we call the resurrection.  All this calamity on Jeroboam's house because of his sin that he brought into Israel.  

¹⁶And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
²⁰And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.


Jeroboam was the first king over Samaria or the 10 tribes; and Nadab his son took over after him.  On the south side of the kingdom, Judah, Rehoboam is doing evil, the people are serving paganism and in chaos.  Just a years after David and the good portion of Solomon, now the kingdom is going down into the dumps.

 ²⁴And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Pagan worship was being done, even sodomites were being permitted in the land, all those things the Lord threw the Philistines and Canaanites out for.  Egypt came in there and took gold out of the temple, and he had war with Jeroboam all their days.

³¹And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his stead.

This does not sound peaceful at all.  Abijam, Rehoboam's son took over as the second king over Judah after the split.

1 Kings 15

Eighteen years into the reign of Jeroboam in Samaria, Abijam, Rehoboam's son began his reign in Judah, and he only reigned three years.  He did not do what was good in the sight of God.  ⁸And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
⁸And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

Then in the 20th year of Jeroboam's reign, Asa took over reigning in Judah.  He reigned 41 years in Jerusalem doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  Some example of what was right in the eyes of God included:  ¹²And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

If it is good to take way homosexuality out of the land and to remove paganism in that day, and God does not change; then it speaks for itself in this day.  Asa even removed his mom from being queen because she made a idol god to worship.  Who has the gall to do that today?

²⁴And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.  Asa died and Jehoshaphat took over being the 4th king to reign over Judah after the split of Israel.

Nadab, Jeroboam's son, took over in the second year of Asa's reign, only reigning two years.  Usually when it's that brief, they were doing evil in the Lord's sight as was his case.  He reigned briefly because Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and killed him.  Thus, Baasha became the 3rd king over Samaria or the ten tribes.

Baasha did this according the Word of the Lord: 

²⁹And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
 ³⁰Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. ³³In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
 ³⁴And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

Thus far, no king in Samaria have done any good in the sight of God.

1 Kings 16

Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, because he wasn't obeying the ways of the Lord.  The Lord would keep sending men to knock off disobedient kings.  ⁶So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.  Elah became the 4th king over Samaria after the split of the nation.

⁸In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.  In the 26th year of Asa's reign did Elah take over and his reign on top was short lived.  His worker Zimri plotted against him and kill him while he was drinking himself drunk; and Zimri took over in the 27th year of Asa's reign in Judah.

This was what prophesied by the Lord through Jehu: ¹¹And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.

 ¹²Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet. ¹³For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

The Lord destroyed them because of their vanities... reading about the kings in Samaria and some in Judah is like a TV show with all the drama.  TNT's "we know drama" don't know it like the old Israelites did.  When Zimri killed Baasha and took over, he did so for about seven days, then the people heard they about it and revolted against Zimri and they went and made Omri king over them.

So Omri and the people came up to Tirzah where Zimri was to kill him and when Zimri saw it he set the house on fire with him in it and he died.  We have just had Zimri the 5th king over Samaria and now Omri the 6th. 

Notice none of these men are being anointed by priest from God?  I noticed it; that is why they are having no peace.  A man wants to raise up, he raises up and takes over.  This is what Moses had to fight off when he was leading the people.

²³In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.  But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD, even did worse than all that were before him.  When Omri died, Ahab took over in the 38th year of Asa's reign.  Asa has seen at least 4 kings in Samaria reign and die while he stayed constant because he did the works of the Lord.

Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years; doing evil in the sight of the Lord (when we do evil, the Lord sees it too) more than before him.  With each king, it just gets worse and worse.

On top of all this, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.
We see how Israel began this slippery slope downward from the great days of David and Solomon.  It really starts with Solomon going after strange women that made the Lord split the nation in two; but the sin came in with Jeroboam and his setting up of false gods, replacing the Levite priest, and all other abominations.

Jesus said once that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.  A little sin corrupts the entire nation; and we see that clearly in todays reading; but we'll see more tomorrow.  Thanks for reading see you then.


-- Peace & Grace

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