Through out the Old
Testament God uses imperfect people to further God's plans here on earth. Today's reading brought to light an example
that I had not noticed before. Solomon
was imperfect right from the start.
Just to be clear I
get the whole Jesus was the only perfect man thing. That's not what I am talking about here. Let me give an example.
Both King Saul and King David were pretty good guys when God started using and
blessing them. God even described David
as a man after God's own heart. As time
went by however, both of them faltered.
Take a look at this
section of Scripture about Solomon. King
Solomon was faltering right from the start.
1 Kings 3:2-14(NKJV)
Meanwhile the people
sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of
the Lord until those days.
And Solomon loved the Lord,
walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and
burned incense at the high places.
Now the king went to
Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was
the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that
altar.
At Gibeon the Lord appeared
to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
And Solomon said:
“You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked
before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You;
You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to
sit on his throne, as it is this
day.
Now, O Lord my
God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
And Your
servant is in the midst of Your
people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or
counted.
Therefore give to
Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
The speech pleased
the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
Then God said to him: “Because
you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have
asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have
asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,
behold, I have done according to
your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there
has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after
you.
And I have also given you what
you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone
like you among the kings all your days.
So if you walk in My ways, to
keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will
lengthen your days.”
So Scripture points
out that Solomon is doing pretty much what God would have Solomon do except
that Solomon is already breaking the rules by sacrificing and burning incense
at the high places.
Not only that but
Solomon is actually at one of the high places doing what God really isn't cool
with when God meets with Solomon at the high places! God doesn't chastise Solomon for being there
or for doing what he is doing. God
instead asks Solomon a question and based on Solomon's answer God rewards
Solomon with even more!
What are we to make of this?
For me it is a bit
of confirmation of something I have written about in the past regarding the
NT.
While Paul and others in the NT said to be saved you had to take specific steps
(believe in your heart, say with lips, etc), for Jesus it was simply a heart
issue. In one passage Jesus even tells a
guy "close enough". That is
what I see in this story about King Solomon.
It's a heart
issue. Don't get too focused on the
minor details. Guard your heart and keep
it focused on God and all else will work itself out!
Make sense?
