1 Kings 2:13-46, 1 Kings 3:1, 1 Kings 9:16, 1 Kings 3:2-28 (2 Chron. 1:2-13)
Ryan: We read today of an event that I have already referenced several times in which Solomon asks for (and is granted) wisdom beyond that of other men (1 Kings 3:12). What I did not remember before reading this story today was that God indicated that because Solomon asked for wisdom, and not riches or fame or the death of an enemy, God chose to not only bless him with wisdom, but also with the riches and honor for which he did not ask. (I always knew that King Solomon was rich and famous, but I always just figured that was a result of the wisdom.) The LORD knows our hearts, and he knows what we will ask him for before we even ask him for it. He also knows why we are asking for it, something that often times we do not even know ourselves. When we pray for things for ourselves, God knows two things we don’t: he knows our true motives for asking, and he knows whether or not we would be able to handle whatever it is we have asked him for. He then takes the answers to those two questions, runs it through his filter of “If it is in the LORD’s will”, and then he issues his decision on his time. So the next time you think that God didn’t answer your prayer because it wasn’t in His will, ask yourself whether your motives were pure and if you truly could handle the outcome if your prayer had been answered the way you hoped.
Samantha: Twice now we’ve seen a person run to the altar of sacrifice in the tabernacle and grab on to the horns on the corners of the altar. First, Adonijah in 1 Kings 1:50 and then Joab in 1 Kings 2:28. Every article inside the tabernacle is oozing with symbolism, but for now I’ll contain my shiny object syndrome and focus on the horns. In addition to being the cord tie-down spot for the sacrifices (think roasting pig, only instead of a pole through it, its limbs tied to the four corners of the altar), the horns were also a place of refuge or asylum. Exodus 21:12-14 indicates that if a person accidentally murdered another, he could go and touch the horns to receive mercy. If the person were guilty of premeditation then he was to be taken and put to death. In both cases in 1 Kings we see that the men were both guilty (for different reasons) and were put to death. I found a fantastic sermon by Charles Spurgeon, delivered on March 23, 1884, entitled, “The Horns of the Altar.” His sermon is on how Joab thought he could get mercy by holding the horns on the altar, but how his life wasn’t right so it didn’t do him any good. Then the sermon goes on to give examples of things we hold on to but won’t do us any good. It finishes by saying that we need to cling to the spiritual altar of Jesus instead, and let go of all other false hopes. It is an excellent sermon to read–powerful, convicting, and right on the mark. Go read it. 5 minutes tops. Go. Thank me later.
For a fun read, check out The Brick Testament’s incarnation of the story of Solomon and the prostitutes.
Tags: Faith
