1 Kings 4
Kingdom, Come • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Imagine What it would Be Like to Live in a Perfect World
The World Used to Be Perfect
And the Bible Describes the Eternal Existence of the Righteous…
As Living in a Perfect World
What will it Be Like to Live in a Perfect World?
To Be a Part of a Loving Community Where Everyone is Happy
No One will Ever Go Hungry or Thirsty
There will Peace
No Enemy Nations Seeking to Rule Over Us or Destroy Us
Our King will Rule with Wisdom and Justice
We could Go on with More Details…
But that is the Perfect World God’s People can Expect After the Return of Jesus
But Did You Know that God’s People Once Lived in a Kingdom Like that?
Under the Reign of Solomon, that’s What Life was Like for God’s People
Of Course, We Know the Rest of the Story
Solomon will Make Terrible Decisions…
And the Kingdom will Split and Fall Apart After He’s Gone
But During His Reign, Things were Nearly Perfect for God’s People
That’s What We’re Going to Read About in Our Text:
1 Kings 4
1 Kings 4
As We Read About Solomon’s Kingdom…
We’re Going to Think and Dream About the Kingdom that is to Come
A Kingdom that will Be Even Better
1 Kings 4:1 (NASB95)
1 Now King Solomon was king over all Israel.
Verses 2-6 Tell Us the Officials Over Offices Such as:
High Priest
Secretary
Recorder
Commander
Manager of the Household
Manager of the Forced Labor
And in Verses 7-19 Solomon Redistricts the Territory of Israel
He Placed 12 Deputies/Governors Over 12 Different Areas
Each District will have the Responsibility…
Of Providing for the King and His Household 1 Month Out of the Year
This is Essentially Taxes
We’re Going to Start Our Study in 1 Kings 4:20
1 Kings 4:20 (NIV)
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.
Doesn’t that Sound Wonderful!
They have Everything They Need and They are Happy
Life Can’t Get Much Better than that
In this Chapter, We See the Fulfillment of Many of God’s Promises
God Promised Abraham that He would Bless His Descendants…
And that They would Be as Numerous as the Sand of the Sea
And that He will Give Them a Land Flowing with Milk and Honey
That’s Exactly What We’re Seeing Here
They’re Blessed/Happy as He Promised
They’re Numerous as He Promised
And They have an Abundance with Full Bellies as He Promised
The Fulfillments Continue:
1 Kings 4:21 (CSB)
21 Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt. They offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
That’s a Large Amount of Land and Several Kingdoms that Solomon Ruled Over
Israel’s Territory Stretched From Dan to Beersheba
But Under Solomon, They Ruled Over Much More Land
And this is Exactly What God had Promised
Genesis 15:18 (NASB95)
18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
The Neighboring Enemies of Israel Used to Wreak Havoc on Israel
But Now They All Pay Tribute to and Serve King Solomon
1 Kings 4:22–23 (NASB95)
22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, a hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.
We Don’t Know the Exact Measurement of a “Kor”
But Regardless of the Exact Measurement…
This was was Enough Food to Feed an Army
But this was Only 1 Day’s Worth of Food
Solomon’s Household, Including All of…
His Vast Number of Servants and Officials were Well Fed
This Information is Given to Us for 1 Purpose:
To Show Us Just How Well Things were Going to Israel Under Their Messiah, Solomon
God was Blessing His People Beyond Their Wildest Dreams…
Just Like He Promised
But We’re Not Done Yet
1 Kings 4:24–25 (NIV)
24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
There was Peace in the Land
No Enemies to Worry About
No Reason to Be Afraid
Everything was Good in Israel
1 Kings 4:29–34 (NET)
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding was as infinite as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt.31 He was wiser than any man, including Ethan the Ezrahite or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He was famous in all the neighboring nations.32 He composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs.
33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing animals, birds, insects, and fish. 34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
God’s Promise and Command to Israel was:
“I Will Bless You and You are to Bless the World”
God has Greatly Blessed Israel and Solomon
And Now Solomon is Becoming a Blessing to the World
People are Coming From Across the World to Hear the Wisdom of God
Application
Application
Solomon’s Kingdom is Full of:
Wisdom
Riches
Happiness
Peace
Wouldn’t it Be Great to Be a Citizen Under Solomon’s Reign?
Imagine Having Leaders Who were the Wisest People on Earth
Imagine Never having to Worry About Money, Food, or Basic Needs
Imagine Living in a Place Where Everyone is Happy
Imagine Living in Absolute Peace Without Any Reason to Fear
That’s What it was Like in the Kingdom of Solomon
If Solomon were to Invite You to Be a Citizen in His Kingdom…
What would You Say?
You’d Say, “Absolutely! I’d Love to Be a Citizen of Your Kingdom!”
But, What if He Said:
“You can Be a Citizen of My Kingdom on One Condition”
“You Must Submit to My Rulership and Do as I Say”
What would You Say Then?
You’d Say:
“Absolutely! I’d Love to Be a Citizen of Your Kingdom!”
You’d Agree to Those Terms Because…
A Life of Peace, Prosperity, and Happiness…
Is Well Worth the Price of Submission/Obedience
But, I’ve Got Bad News for You:
King Solomon is Dead and He’s Never Going to Reign on the Throne Again
But, I’ve Also Got Really, Really Good News
A Greater and Wiser King than Solomon…
Has Invited You to Be a Citizen of His Kingdom
His Terms are:
Submit to Him in Loyal Allegiance and Obey Him
That Means His Pleasure/Will is Now Your Purpose/Will
And for Those Willing to Submit to Him and Become a Citizen of His Kingdom…
He Offers Peace, Prosperity, and Happiness, as Well
But Not for a Lifetime, Forever
People were Traveling From All Over the World to See Solomon and His Kingdom
Everyone Wanted to Experience/Belong to His Kingdom
But Our King Said that He is Even Greater
Matthew 12:42 (NASB95)
42 “The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Do We Recognize the Glory of Our King?
Do We Desire His Kingdom as Much as They Desired Solomon’s?
Our King is Greater than the Greatest King in History
But are We Sometimes Guilty of Not Recognizing that?
Are We Sometimes Guilty of Not Desiring His Reign Over Us?
Are We Sometimes Guilty of Not Appreciating…
His Wisdom, Grace, and Salvation?
The Truth is:
We are Citizens of the Greatest Kingdom the World has Ever Seen
That’s True Here and Now
Life is Good Here and Now in the Kingdom of God
But We Also Know that the Kingdom…
Has Not Yet Fully Come
Our King has Made Promises that He has Yet to Fulfill
Revelation 21:1–5 (NASB95)
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
These Words are Faithful and True
God will Be Faithful in this Promise
Better Days are Coming for God’s People
All Praise Be to Our King
And May Our Lives Be a Testament to His Glory and Greatness