Posts tagged ‘solomon’
Discerning the Times: CV-19 and Fear God, Shun Evil
But what is interesting about Job is even though he feared the LORD at the outset, God allowed Satan to put that fear of the LORD to the test. What is fascinating about the whole thing is that Job came out of the entire situation with an even greater fear of the LORD! This should speak to us all as a reminder that we can never fear God enough in this life. There is always another level of fearing the LORD that we must seek to develop. In fact, our fear of the LORD will not be perfected in this life, but only when we receive our glorified bodies and our sin natures are removed.
Wisdom Calls in the Streets
Fear – understanding the awesome power that is God – creates a right frame of mind and allows us to gain knowledge. Knowledge is an understanding about the world in which we live. But wisdom is different from knowledge. Wisdom is the application of knowledge to many different situations and circumstances. A person can be very knowledgeable and still be an idiot in many things. Wisdom, on the other hand, takes actual knowledge and rightly applies it to any and all situations.
Should Christians Fear God?
Christians who do not have a very healthy, reverential fear of God do not understand who God is and the power that He wields. He brought this world into Creation out of nothing (ex nihilo). Everything that we see, we enjoy, we benefit from, God made. He did so for His own glory, not ours.
We must put ourselves in our proper place and understand things from God’s perspective. He made us for Himself. God has every right to expect people – especially Christians – to live for Him, to bring glory to Him. Think of how many people go through this life never recognizing God and their actual purpose for being here? It’s scary to consider. How often are we Christians guilty of adopting a laissez-faire attitude where God is concerned? Paul would warn us that this ought not to be.
Solomon’s Legacy with God’s Granted Wisdom
Because Solomon was only concerned about ruling over God’s people of Israel justly, and because of that, only wanted true wisdom that came from God Himself to be able to be the best king that he could be, God granted his request and then blessed him beyond what he had asked for.
Solomon was not perfect by any stretch. He made some mistakes, starting with the fact that he married women who were not of Israel and with them, even gave them permission and places to worship foreign gods. It created problems for Solomon and Israel later on.
But at the beginning, Solomon’s heart was turned to God. Solomon understood the awesome responsibility of ruling over a group of people such as Israel. It was not something to be undertaken lightly. Solomon knew he needed tremendous wisdom in order to rule justly and fairly, something that most kings after Solomon never expressed.
Proverbs is Filled with Comparisons Between Righteous and Unrighteous
The Bible constantly compares the righteous to the unrighteous. Read the Proverbs or the Psalms to gain a greater understanding of how God sees these two groups. Then ask yourself if you have been declared righteous by God Himself. That can only occur when you place your faith in Christ’s finished work on your behalf. You’re agreeing that you cannot save yourself and only by placing your faith in Jesus can you be saved at all, from an eternity without God. Romans 5:1 tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are justified because of faith in God, not because of works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Expect Even Less Discernment as the End of the Age Approaches
It is the same with our relationship with Jesus. You know what I always think as being a bit strange? During worship services, you’ll see people wiping their eyes, getting out their handkerchiefs, and crying. I’m assuming it’s because of how much these folks know and believe they are loved and maybe how much they love God in return for what He’s done. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that except that too often, people can come to rely on those feelings and when they are not there, they begin to doubt the truth, which is clearly stated in His Word throughout. It can be a form of Cultural Marxism that has crept into the church, teaching people to rely on the way they feel about things.
Ecclesiastes and Vanity of Life, Part 8
The purchases and his collections initially gave Solomon joy. However, in the end, it was all vanity, chasing the wind! In short, there was nothing of eternal value in all the things he had amassed for himself. He’s not talking about building the Temple here or doing other things for God. He is talking about the things he pursued for himself, in order to make his own life easier.
Ecclesiastes and Vanity of Life, Part 5
It is also very important to realize that Solomon is speaking here of human knowledge and wisdom. So far, he has not mentioned God at all and he has excluded God for a reason. There are many people living today who do not believe in God. They give no acknowledgement of Him and if they do agree there is something beyond the grave, to them, it’s all ethereal and very impersonal. This alone is proof that human knowledge leading to any sort of wisdom can still fall woefully short of actual truth. There are brilliant scientists who achieved wonderful things, yet who also tell us that there is no God. Their knowledge and wisdom is severely limited. However, to them, they would say they see further than the average person. In certain things, yes. In spiritual areas, no. Theirs is secular knowledge leading to secular wisdom. In the end, this can really do nothing for us when compared with eternity. Secular knowledge and wisdom has no eternal value. Even though Solomon does not come out and say this, this is exactly what he is implying. We must read between the lines of his statements.
Ecclesiastes and Vanity of Life, Part 4
Are you one of those people who is actually satisfied with life, with what God has given you, or do you constantly yearn for more? If you’re struggling financially, I can certainly understand why you would want a better job to provide for yourself or your family. Do you think God is aware of your need? I’m sure He is and maybe He’s waiting for you to simply accept what you have and let Him guide you to that next phase as He sees fit. Maybe there are things you can get rid of in your life now, which will free up some of your money so that things are not as tight.
Ecclesiastes and Vanity of Life, Part 3
Solomon almost seems desperate to make us aware of this fact. Again, he has set out to prove his thesis that all is vanity. He is, in these three verses, helping us understand that the basic needs do not change from one generation to another. While the way things are done might change, the fact that they continue to be done proves his statement that life is completely cyclical in nature. What should this tell us about life in general and the way people should react to it or enjoy it?
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