Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept
my holy covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the
kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
1_ ~ nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will
tear it out of the hand of your son.
13 However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for
the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
James 1:12-18fNKJV/Loving God Under Trials
l2Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will
receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
I ~
.) Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted
by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown,
brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father
of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow oftuming.
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
first-fruits of His creatures.
have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and
heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any .J
– after you.
“e also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that
be anyone like you among the kings all your days.
‘a1k in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your
-walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
I – gs ,/:20-34 Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon ‘s Reign
– gs 4:1-19 Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple
-ngs 8:1-13 The Ark Brought into the Temple
I -ngs 8:13-21 Solomon’s Speech at Completion of the Work
I -ngs 8:22-53 Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
1 Kings 8:62-66 Solomon Dedicates the Temple
1 Kings 9:1-9 God’s Second Appearance to Solomon
1 Kings 10:1-13 The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon
1 Kings 10:14-29 Solomon’s Great Wealth
1
11:1-13 ‘KJV] Solomon’s Heart Turnsfrom the LORD
loman loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh:
:- – e _ Ioabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites-
ions of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not
G::’.:cr::~r- ith them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after
– olamon clung to these in love.
even hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his
nrmeo away his heart.
– so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods;
was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.
omon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the
z..:-::;.:l:nan’on of the Ammonites .
……. oroznon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his
Da,id.
olomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill
– – is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.
And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their
gods.
9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD
God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods;
but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded.
11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept
My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the
kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.
12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will
tear it out of the hand of your son.
I’ However I “ill not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for
the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
1:12-18CVKJV] Loving God Under Trials
– B ‘- — is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will
– .3 – .=> crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted
He Himself tempt anyone.
one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
.hen de ire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown,
death.
be deceived, my beloved brethren.
E .~- good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father
. with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Of Hi own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of
first fruits of His creatures.
That He may be gracious to us.
While this is being done by your hands,
Will He accept you favorably?”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“Who is there even among you who would shut the
doors,
So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
F or from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“But you profane it,
In that you say,
‘The table of the LORD is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’
You also say,
‘Oh, what a weariness!’
And you sneer at it,”
6
8
9
Malachi 1:6-14 Polluted Offerings
“A son honors his father,
And a servant his master.
If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
And if I am a Master,
Where is My reverence?
Says the LORD of hosts
To you priests who despise My name.
Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
“You offer defiled food on My altar,
But say,
‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying,
‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’
And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you favorably?”
Says the LORD of hosts.
“But now entreat God’s favor,
– ——-
The Pollution of the Nation (1 :6-3:15): The priests
have lost all respect for God’s name and in their greed
offer only diseased and imperfect animals on the altar.
They have more respect for the Persian governor than
they do for the living God. Moreover, God is ithho1ding
His blessings from them because of their disobedience to
God’s covenant and their insincere teaching.
The people are. indicted for their treachery in di orcing
the wives of their youth in order to marry foreign women
(2: 10-16). In response to their questioning the justice of
God, they receive a promise of the Messiah’s coming but
also a warning of the judgment that He will bring (2: 17-
3:6). The people have robbed God of the tithes and
offerings due Him, but God is ready to bless them with
abundance if they will put Him first (3:7-12). The final
problem is the arrogant challenge to the character of God
(3: 13-15), and this challenge is answered in the
remainder of the book.
1 The Priests Despise the Name of the Lord 1:6-14
2 The Lord Curses the Priest 2: 1-9
(2: 10-16); How have we wearied God? (2: 17-3 :6); How
have we robbed God? (3:7-12); and How have we spoken
against God? (3: 13-15). In effect, the people sneer, “Oh,
come on now: it’s not that bad!” However, their rebellion
is quiet, not open. As their perception of God grows dim,
the resulting materialism and externalism become a
settled characteristic that later grips the religious parties
of the Pharisees and Sadducees. In spite of all this, God
still loves His people and once again extends His grace to
any who will humbly turn to Him. Malachi explores: the
privilege of the nation (1: 1-5); the pollution of the nation
(1 :6-3: 15); and the promise to the nation (3: 16-4: 16).
The Privilege of the Nation (1:1-5): The Israelites
blind themselves to God’s love for them. Wallowing in
the problems of the present, they are forgetful of God’s
works for them in the past. God gives them a reminder of
His special love by contrasting the fates of Esau (Edom)
and Jacob (Israel).
The Pollution of the Nation (1:6-3:15): The priests
have lost all respect for God’s name and in their greed
offer only diseased and imperfect animals on the altar.
They have more respect for the Persian governor than
they do for the living God. Moreover, God is withholding
His blessings from them because of their disobedience to
God’s covenant and their insincere teaching.
God, and have done according to all that You have
commanded me.
15 Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven,
and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have
given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “a land
flowing with milk and honey.” ,
Survey of Malachi-The great prophecies of Haggai
and Zechariah are not yet fulfilled, and the people of
Israel become disillusioned and doubtful. They begin to
question God’s providence as their faith imperceptibly
degenerates into cynicism. Internally, they wonder
whether it is worth serving God after all; and externally,
these attitudes surface in mechanical observances, empty
ritual, cheating on tithes and offerings, and crass
indifference to God’s moral and ceremonial law. Their
priests are corrupt and their practices wicked, but they are
so spiritually insensitive that they wonder why they are
not being blessed by God.
U sing a probing series of questions and answers, God
seeks to pierce their hearts of stone. In each case the
divine accusations are denied: How has God loved us?
(1 :2-5); How have we (priests) despised God’s name?
(1 :6-2:9); How have we (people) profaned the covenant?
d Lav ‘ of Separation 22: 5-12
e Law of Marriage 22: 13-30
3 Law of Acceptance into the Congregation 23: 1-23
4 Laws for Harmony in the Nation 23 :24-25: 19
5 Law of the Tithe 26:1-15
6 Vow of Israel and of God 26:16-19
Deuteronomy 14:22-29 Law of the Tithes
22 “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that
the field produces year by year.
23 And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the
place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe
of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the
firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may
learn to fear the LORD your God always.
24 But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are
not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD
your God chooses to put His name is too far from you,
when the LORD your God has blessed you,
25 then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in
your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God
chooses.
The Exposition of the Additional Laws 12:1-26:19
A The Exposition of the Ceremonial Laws 12:1-16:17
1 Law of the Central Sanctuary 12:1-28
2 Law of Idolatry 12:29-13:18
3 Law of Food 14:1-21
4 Law of the Tithes 14:22-29
5 Law of the Debts 15: 1-11
6 Law of the Slaves 15:12-18
7 Law of Firstbom 15:19-23
8 Law of the Feasts 16:1-17
B The Exposition of the Civil Laws 16:18-20:20
1 Law of the Administration of the Judges 16:18-17:13
2 Law of the Administration of the King 17: 17-20
3 Law of the Administration of the Priest and
Prophet 18: 1-22
4 Cities of Refuge 19:1-14
5 Law of Witnesses 19:15-21
6 Law of Warfare 20:1-20
C The Exposition of the Social Laws 21: 1-26: 19
1 Law of Unknown Murder 21:1-9
2 Law of the Family 21:10-22:30
a Law of Marriage 21:10-17
b Law of the Rebellious Son 21:18-23
cLaw of the Brother’s Property 22: 1–4
14
Says the LORD of hosts.
“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
Should I accept this from your hand?”
Says the LORD.
“But cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished-
F or I am a great King,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“And My name is to be feared among the nations.
it
– Don’t worry, God made Jesus enemies “his”
footstool. If they are your enemies they are also Jesus
enemies Ps 110:1
He is a present help in the time of need … he is the
rock that is higher than I.
He is the lily of the valley, the bright morning star.
He is my friend.
He is the fairest of 10, 000′ s
He died on Calvary hill
His blood is spiritual
He is the King of heaven
What a mighty God we serve?
Everybody has to know who Jesus is
–_._———
}}}
12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to
Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and
wonders God had worked through them among the
Gentiles.
13 And after they had become silent, James answered,
saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me:
14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the
Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it
is written:
Gentiles made no difference; He cleansed their hearts by
faith. Since God had accepted the Gentiles on the
principle of faith and not of law-keeping, Peter asked the
assembly why they should now think of putting the
Gentiles under the yoke of the law-a yoke … which
neither their fathers nor they had been able to bear. The
law never saved anyone. Its ministry was condemnation,
not justification. By the law is the knowledge of sin, not
salvation from sin.
}}}
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
{ { { 15: 11 Peter’s final decision is worthy of special
notice. He expressed the deep conviction that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus (and not through law-
keeping) we (the Jews) shall be saved in the same
manner as they (the Gentiles). One would have expected
Peter, as a Jew, to say that the Gentiles would be saved
the same as the Jews. But grace is here seen triumphing
over ethnic distinctions.
the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and
believe.
8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by
giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,
9 and made no distinction between us and them,
purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke
on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor
we were able to bear?
{ {{ 15:7-10 As Peter rose to his feet, perhaps the
opposition felt he would support their position. After all,
Peter was the apostle to the circumcision. However, their
hopes were doomed to disappointment. Peter reminded
the audience that some years previously God had
ordained that the Gentiles should first hear … the gospel
from his lips. This took place in the house of Cornelius.
When God saw that the hearts of those Gentiles were
reaching out to Him in faith, He gave them the Holy
Spirit, just as He did to the Jews on the Day of
Pentecost. At that time, God did not require these
Gentiles to be circumcised. The fact that they were
Acts 15:6-15[NKJV/ The Jerusalem Council
Grace not the Law saved the gentiles
Contrary to what most of us have heard over the years
in places of worship, attempting to follow the law is not
intended to make us closer to God. The New Testament
disciples called it a Yoke around the children neck. The
folks who it was written weren’t able to bear it.
6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider
this matter.
{ { {15:6 From verse 6 it might appear that only the
apostles and elders were present when the final decision
as made. However, verse 12 seems to indicate that the
entire church was there as well.
}}}
7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up
and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a
good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth
_ 0 – Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for
hjmand buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul
had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.
Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and
encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel
together and they encamped at Gilboa.
When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was
afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not
answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the
prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who
is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”
And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman
who is a medium at En Dor.”
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and
he went, and two men with him; and they came to the
woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a seance
for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”
9 Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what
Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the
spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for
ill life to cause me to die?”
10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the
LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this
thing. ‘
11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for
you?”
And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud
voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have
you deceived me? For you are Saul!”
l3 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did
you see?”
And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending
out of the earth.”
14 So he said to her, “What is his form?”
And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is
covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was
Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and
bowed down.
15 Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed
me by bringing me up?”
And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the
Philistines make war against me, and God has departed
from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by
prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that
au may reveal to me what I should do.”
16 Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the
LORD has departed from you and has become your
enemy?
17 And the LORD has done for Himself as He spoke by me.
For the LORD has tom the kingdom out of your hand and
given it to your neighbor, David.
18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD nor
execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the
LORD has done this thing to you this day.
19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with you
into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and
your sons will be with “me. The LORD will also deliver the
army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and
was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel.
v 1 Sam. 31:1-6; Job 3:17-19
ere \ -as no strength in him, for he had eaten no
al day or all night.
_1 ~ d the oman came to Saul and saw that he was
se -ere I troubled, and said to him, “Look, your
maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my
life in m hands and heeded the words which you spoke
to me.
o therefore, please, heed also the voice of your
maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you;
and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your
way.”
23 But he refused and said, “I will not eat.”
So his servants, together with the woman, urged him;
and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground
and sat on the bed.
24 Now the oman had a fatted calf in the house, and she
hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and
baked unlea ened bread from it.
_5 So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they
ate. Then they rose and went away that night.