Be Quick to Learn and to Respond to God

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:16-24.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 12:18-19 (NIV) 
18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

On verses 16-20:  Finding Rehoboam to be unresponsive to their demands, the Israelites, other than the tribe of Judah reject Rehoboam as their king.  Rehoboam tries sending Adoniram his messenger to appease the people, but the people kill Adoniram and nearly kill Rehoboam.  They appoint Jeroboam as their new king instead, in rebellion against the house of David.

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Before You Make a Big Decision

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:1-15.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 12:1-5 (NIV) 
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king.
2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.

On verses 1-5:  Israel is about to make Solomon’s son Rehoboam the next king of Israel.  While in Egypt, Jeroboam hears about this, returns to Israel and rallies all of Israel behind him, perhaps with promises that if he was made king instead of Rehoboam, he would make sure that the Israelites’ load is lighter. 

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By God’s Sovereignty You Are Royalty

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 11:26-43.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 11:26 (NIV) 
26 Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah. 

On verses 26-30:  Here we read of Solomon’s greatest human adversary, Jeroboam.  Jeroboam came from a tough background.  His mother Zeredah was a widow, probably meaning that Jeroboam’s father Nebat was not around for significant parts of Jeroboam’s life (v26).  Nonetheless, Jeroboam was a leader, becoming one of Solomon’s officials (v26).  He was a man of standing, meaning he may have been rich or had a good reputation among his peers (v28).  He excelled in his work, so much so that Solomon promoted him to be in charge of the entire labor force of the tribe of Joseph (v28).  

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Don’t Give The Enemy a Foothold through Unconfessed Sin

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 11:14-25.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 11:25 (NIV) 
25 Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel. 

On verses 14-25:  In these verses we see various enemies rising up against Solomon. One is King Hadad of Edom (v14-22) and Rezon of Aram (v23-25).   Notice that the arrival of these enemies comes immediately after the writer of 1 Kings describes how King Solomon repeatedly disobeyed God’s command not to get romantically involved with women who do not worship the Lord (v1-13).  The enemies came after Solomon refused to repent.

What can we learn from this?  The Bible says that we too have an enemy — Satan  — and that Satan’s agenda is to steal, kill and destroy our lives (Ephesians 6:12; John 10:10).  When we persist in sin and refuse to repent, we give room for our enemy Satan to work in our lives.   When I keep sinning and refuse to repent, I effectively give Satan a foothold to work and to cause trouble in the territory God has given me.  

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Christian, What Are You Doing Dating a Non-Christian?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 11:1-13.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 11:1-3 (NIV) 
1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter–Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 
2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 
3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

On verses 1-13:  As wise and as rich as Solomon had become by God’s grace, here we see Solomon’s fatal flaw: his insistence on being romantically involved with women who did not worship the same God as he did.  In doing so, over and over Solomon disobeyed God’s command to not intermarry with unbelieving women.  This sin would lead him to worship other gods (v5, 7-8), and would ultimately lead to the downfall of his faith and the removal of his kingdom (v9-13).

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Jesus’ Splendour > Solomon’s Splendour

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 10:14-29.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 10:23-25 (NIV) 
23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.
24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift–articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

On verses 14-28: Previously Solomon had prayed for a wise and discerning heart.  God was so pleased with Solomon’s request that He decided to grant Solomon not only a wise and discerning heart but riches and honor as well, such that in terms of wisdom there would never be anyone like Solomon and in terms of riches Solomon would have no equal in his lifetime (1 Kings 3:12-13).

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Pursue Excellence in All You Do

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 10:1-13.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 10:7-9 (NIV) 
7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 
8 How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 
9 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.” 

On verses 1-9:  Having heard of Solomon’s fame, wisdom and splendor, the Queen of Sheba travels approximately 1,200 to 1,500 miles from Sheba (modern day Yemen) to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem.  The Queen of Sheba is thoroughly impressed by King Solomon’s ability to answer her tough questions (v3). 

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God is in the Rebuilding Business

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 9:15-28.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 9:15-17 (NIV) 
15 Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD’s temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. 
16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 
17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon, 

On verses 15-24:  Here we read of more towns and buildings that Solomon built (v15-19, 24), and more people whom he involved to help with constructing those buildings, including both conscripted foreigners (v20-21) and his fellow Israelites (v22-23).

Notice in verses 16 and 17, the writer of 1 Kings mentions that Pharaoh king of Egypt captured the town of Gezer, burned it down and destroyed it.  However, when Solomon king of Israel took over the destroyed town, he rebuilt it.  What can we learn from this? 

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God Cares More About Your Character than Your Accomplishments

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 9:1-14. Let’s go!

1 Kings 9:1-2 (NIV)
1 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do,
2 the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.

On verses 1-9: Earlier in 1 Kings 3:5, when Solomon was just starting his reign, God appeared to Solomon in a dream at the city of Gibeon. At that time God told Solomon to walk in His ways and obey His statutes as David his father had (1 Kings 3:14). Now, fast forward to today’s passage in 1 Kings 9. Here we see that Solomon has completed building the temple, his own palace and “achieved all he had desired to do” (v1). God appears to Solomon again in a dream (v2) like He did over a decade earlier in 1 Kings 3:5 and His message for Solomon is the same: “walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws.” (v4).

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How to Worship God

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:54-66.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 8:54 (NIV) 
54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 

On verse 54:  Solomon began his prayer standing (v22), but he ends his prayer kneeling with his hands spread out to God.  Why?  It’s because as Solomon continued to pray, he realized more and more how much he and his people needed God.  His humility and his desperation for God grew the more he prayed.  

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