Obedience and Blessing.

“But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.” ­– 1 Kings 9:6-7 NLT

After Solomon dedicated the Temple God appeared to him and renewed His covenant that He had made with David, Solomon’s father. “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'” (1 Kings 9:4-5 NLT). God uses a conditional if-then statement. If Solomon walked in integrity or wholeness of heart and with uprightness, obeying all of God’s commands, then he could expect certain blessings from God, including a kingdom that would never end. But there is a second part to this covenant. If Solomon or any of his sons failed to hold up their end of the covenant, then God warned that three things would happen. He would remove the people from the very land He had promised. He would remove His presence from the Temple. And He would remove His power and protection from the people of Israel so that rather than being feared by the nations, they would be mocked and ridiculed.

You see this warning used time and time again by the Old Testament prophets as they attempted to warn the people about God’s demand for obedience and faithfulness. It did not take long for things to take a turn for the worse in regards to Israel’s ability to obey. Solomon himself would end up compromising his faith in Yahweh by allowing his foreign-born wives to keep the idols of other gods in his homes. We see in this chapter a little of Solomon’s lack of integrity when he gives King Hiram of Tyre 20 cities in exchange for all the lumber and 9,000 pounds of gold that Hiram had contributed to the building of the Temple and Solomon’s palace. King Hiram was not impressed and even named the region Cabul, which means “good for nothing.” We see a little of Solomon’s conniving side as he rewards King Hiram with worthless land in exchange for his help and generosity. Lack of integrity or wholeness of characters was to be a distinguishing characteristic of the people of Israel. It had been that way since they had left the land of Egypt. It can be seen during the period of the judges. They were a whining, complaining, stubborn and stiff-necked people who constantly proved themselves unfaithful to God – in spite of His ongoing faithfulness. They were constantly turning their backs on God, but He has never turned His back on them. Yes, He has allowed them to suffer defeat, humiliation, even annihilation at the hands of their enemies, but He continues to preserve both the people and the land. He has also kept His promise to preserve the throne of David by sending His own Son as a human baby, born in to the royal lineage of David. Jesus is the king who will one day sit on David’s throne, ruling from the city of Jerusalem.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.  He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.’ And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making all things new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega — the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.'” (Revelation 21:1-7 NLT).

Father, Your faithfulness to us is amazing. We have let you down time and time again, just like the people of Israel. But You never give up on us. You have never given up on them. You always keep Your covenant with Your people. And some day Your Son will sit on David’s throne and rule from a renewed, revitalized Jerusalem. All things will be made new – including us. We will have new bodies and will worship You free from sin. Father, I can’t thank You enough for Your covenant faithfulness. Forgive me for my weak faith, infidelity, and ungratefulness. You deserve my obedience and wholehearted commitment to You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org





Hear Our Prayers.

“May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.” ­– 1 Kings 8:30 NLT

In this recalling of Solomon’s dedication of the Temple, we are given a word-for-word account of the prayer Solomon offered up to God on that solemn occasion. We are told that Solomon prayed this prayer with his hands upheld as he kneeled in front of the altar of the Lord. He had just built a magnificent structure, a testimony to the greatness of God. This impressive building was intended to be the house of God – His literal dwelling place. But even Solomon knew that no man could build a building big enough or grand enough to contain the God of the universe. He stated, “Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27 NLT). Solomon’s God was bigger than Solomon’s Temple. And Solomon knew that his Temple, his kingdom and the people of Israel were hopeless and helpless if God did not continue to fulfill His promises and keep His hand on them. So Solomon prayed. He begged God. And the one word he repeated over and over as he prayed was, “hear.” He wanted to know that God was going to listen to the cries of His people. Solomon was wise. He knew human nature. He knew that a Temple alone was not going to make the people of Israel obedient and sin-free. The sacrificial system had yet to produce a perfect people. So he went to God and begged Him to be available during those time when the people sinned, turned their backs on God, or found themselves in desperate circumstances. Solomon leaves nothing to the imagination. He gave God scenario after scenario – countless examples of situations in which the people might find themselves calling out to God for help and mercy. When they were wrongly accused. When they suffered defeat at the hands of their enemies due to sin. When they find themselves in times of drought. When they suffer the effects of a natural disaster or calamity. When foreigners hear of the greatness of God and call out to Him. When they need help during times of war. When they sin and find themselves exiled to a foreign land.

It is almost as if Solomon knew exactly what the people of God were going to do in the years ahead. They would sin. They would find themselves at war. They would encounter diseases and disasters. They would end up in exile. And much of it because of their own sin and stubbornness. So Solomon, knowing the sinful nature of man, begged His God to never stop hearing the repentant prayers of His people.He wanted to know that, whatever happened, God would be there to hear from and respond to the people when they called out to Him. And over in 2 Chronicles we have God’s condition for His response: “Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I will listen to every prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my home forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here. (2 Chronicles 7:12-16 NLT). God wanted prayers mixed with humility, brokenness and repentance. He wanted to know they were sorry for their sin and serious about changing. And God wants the same things today. God still hears. But He wants to hear sincere prayers prayed from sincere hearts. He wants repentance not remorse. God hears, but He also perceives. He knows the difference between a prayer prayed from a broken heart and one prayed to simply to get out of a circumstance of brokenness. God hears. But what kind of prayers does He hear His people praying today?

Father, may we learn to be broken over our own brokenness. We are going to sin. We are going to let You down. We are going to do things that break Your law and Your heart. May we learn to cry out to You in repentance, not remorse. May we long to be forgiven more than we long to be released from whatever pain or difficulty we find ourselves in. Give us the capacity for praying prayers of sincerity. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org





All to the Glory of God.

“Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz.” ­– 1 Kings 7:21 NLT

What an amazing description of Solomon’s palace. At first reading it gave me the impression that Solomon was more obsessed with his own palace than he was for the Temple of his God. After all, he took longer to build his palace, it was much larger and contained even more objects of beauty and symbols of his wealth. But in the cultures of his day the size of the king’s palace and its proximity to the temple of their god, were signs of the power and glory of that god. Solomon’s palace was a direct reflection of the blessings of God and was designed to honor the one who made Solomon’s reign possible. The entire complex must have been a sight to behold. It was massive, beautiful and filled with treasures of all kinds. But it was not just a monument to extravagance. Everything had a purpose. Even the two pillars that Solomon had erected within the Temple. You can recognize it in the names he gave them. These were probably not functional pillars. In other words, they were not being used to hold up the roof of the Temple. They were decorative, but also highly symbolic. Their real purpose seems to have been to remind the Israelites that Yahweh had established them as a nation and was the source of their strength. The first pillar was named “Jachin” which means “He shall establish,” and the second was named “Boaz” which means “In Him is strength.”

God was the one who had created the nation of Israel. He had called Abraham out of Ur of the Caldees hundreds of years earlier. God had blessed Abraham and fulfilled His promise to make him a great nation – even though he was old and married to a barren wife. God was the one who had prospered Israel during their time in Egypt and multiplied them from just a handful to a great multitude. He had set them free from their captivity in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. He had delivered the land into their hands – giving them victories over their more powerful enemies. Even when Israel rejected God as their king and demanded a human leader, God did not give up on them, but eventually gave them David – a man after His own heart. Through David, God completed the conquering of the land and made Israel a great and powerful nation. David’s son, Solomon, took over the kingdom and enjoyed a time of great power, prominence and peace – all because of the sustaining hand of God. And as long as Israel worshiped, honored, and obeyed God, their nation would continue to be established and upheld by God. He was their strength. He was the source of their power. It was not their great king and his mighty armies. It was not his vast wealth and incredible wisdom. The people of Israel must never forget that God was the one they were to rely on. His power alone made their existence possible. But they would soon forget that. They would become complacent, cocky, and turn away from God. They would turn to other sources for their strength. They would doubt the very one who had established them and gave them strength. And the beauty of the Temple and the grandeur of Solomon’s palace would not be able to protect them from what was to come. Both would be destroyed, and Israel would end up in captivity.

God is the one who establishes and He is the one who provides strength. The same is true for us as believers today. I am nothing without Him. He chose me. I did not choose Him. He saved me when I could not have saved myself. He is my source of strength. I have no power on my own. But how easy it is to forget those two facts. I can quickly fall into the delusion that I established myself. I am a self-made man. I can begin to rely on my power and intelligence, forgetting that God is the source of my strength. Solomon didn’t want the people to forget the reality of God’s role in their existence, so he had two huge pillars erected as reminders. What do we need to do to keep this same message burned into our own memories? The psalmist gives us a clue. “We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did” (Psalm 78:4 NLT). Rather than erect monuments to God’s greatness and goodness, we should talk about all that He has done. We should brag about His provision for us. We should tell others of His grace and mercy toward us. We should constantly talk about our dependence on Him and the strength He provides for us. Tell of the Lord’s greatness. Speak about His power. And never forget.

Father, You alone have established us and You alone provide the power necessary to protect and provide for us. Yet it is so easy for us to take credit for where we are and falsely believe that we can somehow take care of ourselves. May we learn to remind one another daily about just how great You really are. May we learn to recall just where we were without You. You established us. You are our strength. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org





What Does God Want?

Then the LORD gave this message to Solomon: “Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my laws and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David. I will live among the people of Israel and never forsake my people.” ­– 1 Kings 6:11-13 NLT

At some point along the way, while Solomon was constructing the Temple for God, he received a word from God. And God basically told him that obedience was still going to be the main criteria for assuring His abiding presence among the people of Israel. Building a house or dwelling place for God was NOT going to be enough to guarantee His presence. They were still going to be required to keep all of his laws and regulations – including those tied to the sacrificial system that was going to be linked to the Temple.

The Temple was an amazing structure, ornately furnished, covered in gold, meticulous in its details, and an incredible feat of construction. It took Solomon seven years to complete, and cost him a fortune to build. But as beautiful and impressive as it was, without the willing obedience of the people, it would become just another structure. God didn’t need a building in which to live. He wanted a people who were willing to live for Him. The Temple was to be a reminder of God’s presence. It was to be a focal point for the nation of Israel. It was there that all their religious activities culminated and came together. But without obedience, it became just a well-constructed combination of stone, wood, and precious metals. In Jesus’s day the Temple that Herod built to replace Solomon’s Temple was an equally beautiful structure. It was the pride of the Jewish nation. Even the disciples of Jesus admired it. One day while walking in the Temple grounds, Jesus and His disciples had an interesting and somewhat disturbing conversation about the Temple. “Some of his disciples began talking about the beautiful stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, ‘The time is coming when all these things will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another'” (Luke 21:5-6 NLT). The disciples were admiring the beauty of the structure, but Jesus was aware of the hearts of the people. They had turned away from obeying God. They were no longer keeping the commands and decrees of God. Sure, they were going through the rituals and the religious duties associated with the Temple worship, but their hearts were not in it. And the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were the greatest offenders.

Over in the book of John, we read the words of Jesus: “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you” (John 14:15-17 NLT). Paul reminds us, “For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: ‘I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:16-18 NLT). We are the dwelling place of God. We are where He has chosen to place His presence among men in these days. But God calls us to a life of obedience. He calls us to a life of separateness, holiness. We are assured that He will never leave us or forsake us, but we can quench the Spirit of God living within us. We can stifle His efforts to guide and direct us through disobedience. Solomon’s Temple was going to be a magnificent structure, but it would not be enough to satisfy God and keep Him living among the people of Israel. He required obedience to His laws, submission to His will, and devotion to His way. Solomon’s Temple would end up being destroyed and the people sent into exile – all for their disobedience. Herod’s Temple would end up being destroyed and the people left without a place to make their sacrifices for sin – and it remains to to this day. Obedience is what God desires. Willing, submissive, joyful obedience, because we know that He loves us and has our best in mind. Listen to the words of Peter: “Obey God because you are his children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God — who chose you to be his children — is holy. For he himself has said, ;You must be holy because I am holy.'” (1 Peter 1:14-16 NLT).

Father, You have placed Your Spirit within me and given me all that I need to live an obedient life. I have the power to do so, but I must choose to do it. I must desire to obey You. All my sacrifices and efforts at doing good things mean nothing if I am not going to listen to what You say and do what You call me to do. Thank You for the assurance that You will never leave me, but never let me forget that I can lose out on all that You want to do in my life just through disobedience. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org





Practical Wisdom.

“When the ways of people please the LORD, he makes even their enemies live at peace with them.” ­– Proverbs 16:7 NLT

Solomon wasn’t all talk, no action. He didn’t just spend all his time writing pithy proverbs and spouting quotable tidbits of truth like some oracle. No, he put his God-given wisdom to use in everyday life. And 1 Kings 5 gives us a glimpse of just what wisdom in practice looks like. Solomon is following through on his father’s request that he build a dwelling place for God. David had come up with the idea, but God did not allow him to accomplish it. Instead, God had told David that his son, Solomon, would build the Temple. Now David is gone and Solomon is beginning the formidable task of building a house suitable for God.

A building project of this magnitude was going to require a great deal of materials, and much of it was not readily available in the land of Israel. So Solomon was going to have to deal with the surrounding nations in order to barter for the goods required to complete the Temple. One of the primary resources Solomon was going to need was lumber, and the greatest source of lumber in the region was from the forests of Lebanon. The only problem was that Lebanon was under the control of the pagan Phoenicians. So Solomon was required to do business with King Hiram of Tyre in order to get his hands on the wood he would need to complete the Temple. And here is where wisdom comes into play. Because Solomon had wisely sought God and lived according to His standards, God gave Solomon a peaceful relationship with his surrounding neighbors. Solomon had a good reputation with the pagan kings whose lands surrounded Israel. Solomon was living out the reality of the truth of the Proverbs he wrote.

• Good people are guided by their honesty (Proverbs 11:3 NLT).
• Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).
• When the ways of people please the LORD, he makes even their enemies live at peace with them (Proverbs 16:7 NLT).
• The LORD demands fairness in every business deal; he sets the standard (Proverbs 16:11 NLT).
• The godly walk with integrity (Proverbs 20:7 NLT).
• The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he turns it wherever he pleases (Proverbs 21:1 NLT).

Because Solomon lived wisely, God gave him a healthy relationship with a pagan king. And because Solomon lived wisely, he knew how to deal faithfully and with integrity with King Hiram. Solomon was going to deal wisely with Hiram. He would pay him well for the services he rendered. He would deal fairly in his business dealings with him. He would not take advantage of him, but pay him exactly what he deserved. Solomon would use wisdom to build God’s house, and God would be pleased. Wisdom is practical, not ethereal. It is not some esoteric pursuit reserved for the mentally gifted or academic elite. It is a readily available resource available to any and all who seek it – as long as they seek it from the right source: God Himself.

When a person’s ways please the Lord, even his enemies will be at peace with him. Those are not just empty words. They’re a promise. And Solomon knew it first-hand.

Father, I want to enjoy the benefits of practical wisdom. I don’t want just a bunch of head knowledge that sounds impressive when you quote it to others – like some kind of Yoda or guru. I want to take what you teach me and try it out in real life and see it work. The truth is, I’ve already seen Your wisdom work itself out in my life in so many beneficial ways. I just want to see it more. Give me the strength and determination to seek for Your wisdom and apply it to my everyday life. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org





The Little Foxes.

“Solomon had four thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand horses.” ­– 1 Kings 4:26 NLT

A quick read through chapters three and four of 1 Kings and you immediately see a picture of success and blessing. Solomon is not king of Israel. He has inherited a powerful and secure kingdom from his father David. He is enjoying an unprecedented period of peace. He is blessed with tremendous wealth and unparalleled wisdom. Both gifts from God. His kingdom is the envy of other nations who send their dignitaries to investigate first-hand if all that they hear about Israel is true. When it comes to wisdom, Solomon was without peer. He was an author and composer. He was a botanist, biologist, herpetologist, ichthyologist, zoologist, and ornithologist. He was powerful, erudite and one of the most influential leaders in the known world. He seemed to have everything going for himself, including the blessing of God. But in this glowing picture of success there is a dark mark, a flaw. It is small and seemingly insignificant. But it’s there. Solomon had a love affair with “stuff.” He was enamored with material things and all the trappings of success and power that came with his position. He was obsessed with knowing. Intelligence and learning were like an addiction to him. And when we come to the book of Ecclesiastes, we’ll discover just how much all this accumulation of wealth and wisdom ended up meaning to him.

But you catch a glimpse of what is to come in one small verse nestled within these two chapters. It simply states that Solomon had 4,000 stalls in which he maintained and cared for 12,000 chariot horses. Wow! That’s some stable. Just another example of Solomon’s vast wealth. But there’s more. It’s also a not-so-subtle reminder of Solomon’s struggle with the trappings of his position. You see, Solomon knew better. He would have known that God had warned His people that when they choose a king for themselves, there was going to be stipulations and requirements. God’s king would rule according to a different set of standards. While the people would demand a king like all the other nations, God was going to make sure that the man to lead His people would march to a different drummer and lead according to a separate set of standards. All the way back in the book of Deuteronomy, God had communicated His terms:

“You will soon arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, and you will conquer it and settle there. Then you may begin to think, ‘We ought to have a king like the other nations around us.’ If this happens, be sure that you select as king the man the LORD your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite, not a foreigner. The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself, and he must never send his people to Egypt to buy horses there, for the LORD has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will lead him away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate vast amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself. – Deuteronomy 17:14-17 NLT

We read later in 1 Kings 11 that “Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The LORD had clearly instructed his people not to intermarry with those nations, because the women they married would lead them to worship their gods. Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. And sure enough, they led his heart away from the LORD” (1 Kings 11:1-3 NLT). Solomon had wives and lots of them. He had horses by the thousands, and his wealth was immeasurable. Now it can be argued that Solomon’s wealth was give to him by God. Yet even the blessings of God can become stumbling blocks if we lose sight of their intent or allow them to take significance over the one who gave them. Solomon’s wealth would become an obsession. His wisdom would leave him with more questions than answers. His wives would turn him away from the very one who had given him all he enjoyed.

There is a little saying or proverb that Solomon wrote. It speaks of the very problem Solomon would experience as a result of his tendency to ignore the commands of God. It’s found in the Songs of Solomon and reads, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom” (Song of Solomon 2:15 NIV). This saying speaks of the little things that sneak in and destroy what is of real value. They are subtle and seemingly insignificant, but if left unattended, they can wreak destruction. It’s the small areas of disobedience, the little sins that can do so much harm if left unconfessed and unaddressed. Like small foxes in a vineyard, they will end up doing harm that cannot be repaired. Solomon had it all. His kingdom was fruitful and flourishing, but he had allowed the “little foxes” of disobedience and compromise to infiltrate his vineyard. And the effects would be serious. No amount of wealth or wisdom can replace willing submission to the commands of God. Compromise is subtle and creeps in slowly, causing us to cut corners spiritually and water down our commitments to God. It happened to Solomon and it can happen to us. Even the blessings of God can end up turning us from God – unless we continually remember the one from whom the blessings come.

Father, keep me more in love with You than with Your blessings. Continually convict me when I stray from the path You have established for me as Your child. Keep me in Your Word and give me the strength and determination to obey it. Open my eyes so that I might see the “little foxes” that lurk in my life, ready to destroy what You have blessed me with. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org