The Story 2024

The Drift
April 7, 2024
Chris Seidman, Lead Minister, The Branch

1 Kings 3:6-14 (The Story p. 176, 177)
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon answered … . “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked.

I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for – both wealth and honor – so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

1 Kings 3:9a (NIV)
“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and distinguish between right and wrong. “

1 Kings 2:27-28 (The Story p. 178)
Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.” When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

1 Kings 4:29-34 (The Story p. 178-179)
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

Practical Observations …

• Solomon’s request revealed he was more concerned with seeking God’s help for the sake of blessing others than blessing himself.

• Solomon didn’t wait for a challenge to arise before he sought wisdom.

• Difficult challenges are often what allows others to see God’s presence and provision in our lives.

1 Kings 11:1-6 (The Story p. 191-192)
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women … . Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love … . and his wives led him astray.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God … . He followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.

On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

What Would The Black Box Tell Us?

• Solomon drifted into idolatry.

• He drifted through making consistent exceptions from the will of God when it came to a certain area of his life.

1 Kings 11:2-3 (The Story p. 191)
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women … . They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

• He drifted from the word of God.

Deuteronomy 17:16-20 (NIV)
The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left.

Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

Matthew 12:42 (NIV)
“… and now something greater than Solomon is here.”

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)
… Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God … .

Colossians 2:2-3 (NIV)
… Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for you sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Hebrews 6:19a (NIV)
… an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.