Reminded To Stay Focused

Solomon loved the Lord, and was building the Temple, but as we saw in the last lesson, he was not wholly focused on the Lord like his father. Right in the middle of the construction of the Temple, God appeared to him, reminding him of the necessity of following God’s command, as I Kings 6:11-13 tells us.  “And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”

God told Solomon that if he would follow all God’s commands, he would bless him with all the promises he had made to David, and would dwell among the people of Israel.  We know that God will always keep his promises, but the clear implication is that he would fulfill the promises to David through another of David’s family if he did not.  God’s promises to David were unconditional, because he knew David would be faithful, but his promise to Solomon was conditional because he knew Solomon was not as dedicated to the Lord as David. 

We need to realize we cannot judge a person’s spiritual state by what they do or how much they seem to be blessed.  Solomon’s building the Temple seems like a greater work for God than anything David did, and he was blessed far more financially than David, yet even in the mids of his greatest accomplishments, God warned him to be careful.  Jesus did not say we would know whether a person was serving God by their works, but by their fruit.  When we look at the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23, we find that is is comprised of various heart attitudes the Holy Spirit produces.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

 The important difference between Solomon and David was their heart attitude.  Even a wicked man can do things that look really good, but as God told Samuel in I Samuel 16:7, “… the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”     Far too often we get caught up in what they are doing, and over look the underlying purpose.  Paul warned that some are acting out of a desire to glorify themselves, ultimately glorifying Satan, in  II Corinthians 11:12-15.  “But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”  Sometimes those who  seem most like special messengers or apostles of God are in reality serving Satan. 

Another important poingt we often ignore is what God told Solomon in I Kings 6:11-13 about if he would serve God, then God “…will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”  God had repeatedly stated that his presence among the people would depend on their obeying his commands.  As Leader, Solomon would set the example and greatly influence whether they obeyed God or not.  People take their cues from their leaders.  Even those who love the Lord can lead people astray if they lose their focus.