12/11/2010 9:26:37 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The Worshiper PT 1
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference: 1Kings 3:2-15
Message of the verses: The second chapter of Dr. Wiersbe commentary
on 1Kings is entitled “Be Responsible” and in today’s SD I am beginning the
third main point of this chapter. This
third main point has five sub-points in at and so it will be split into
different SD’s beginning with today’s.
Consecration (verses 2-4): “2 The people were still sacrificing on the
high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until
those days. 3 Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father
David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 The king
went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon
offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.”
The
word “high places” (bamah) was where
the pagan nations worshiped their false gods, and it is where Israel would
worship the Lord. God had instructed
Israel to destroy the pagan places of worship, but Israel worshiped idols one
these high places during the time of the judges, which is mainly what got them into
trouble.
David
brought the Ark of the Lord into Jerusalem in anticipation of the building of
the temple, for the Lord told the people through Moses that He would chose a
place to worship the Lord in one of the lands of one of the tribes, and that
would be Judah in the city of Jerusalem.
The remainder of the articles that were in the tabernacle were at
Gibeon, five miles north of Jerusalem and this is where Solomon went to worship
the Lord and offered many sacrifices to the Lord there that day.
Revelation (verse 5): “5 ¶
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God
said, "Ask what you wish me to give you."
The
celebration and sacrifice to the Lord lasted all day and so Solomon spent the
night there and during that night came the famous dream in which the Lord
appeared to Solomon and ask Solomon what it was that He could give to him. I’m not sure if anything like this ever
happened to anyone else in all of the Scriptures, the question from the Lord
what do you want, and I’m sure that this must have laid heavy on the heart of
Solomon. Solomon had been given the task
of building the temple for the Lord and he had rest from his enemies because of
the wars that his father David had won and so Solomon was sure that he needed
wisdom to build such a temple, and also because he was so young he would need
wisdom to lead the people of Israel, God’s chosen people.
Petition (verses 6-9): “6
Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your
servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and
righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for
him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his
throne, as it is this day. 7 "Now,
O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet
I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 "Your servant is in the midst of Your
people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or
counted. 9 "So give Your servant an
understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For
who is able to judge this great people of Yours?’”
I
think that it will be best for me to continue to read over the commentary from
“Be Responsible” before I attempt to write something here, so I will try and
write something in tomorrow’s SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I want to understand what the wisdom that
Solomon is asking for is all about and have it be a very important part of my
life.
My Steps of
Faith for Today:
1.
To begin to understand the prayer that Solomon
prayed to the Lord and make it part of my life.
2.
I give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
3.
I must remember that I am in a battle and in great
need of the spiritual armor Paul writes about in Ephesians chapter six.
4.
Continue to learn contentment.
12/11/2010 10:43:09 AM
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