Month: December 2023

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 22 ~ ~ Genesis 12:3~ ~ “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Working through Dr. Michael Youssef’s book, “How to Read the Bible”…”The Fall of Israel: Broken Covenant, Broken Kingdom”

Section:  the Rise and Fall of Israel’s Monarchy

The book of 1 Samuel begins with Samuel’s birth and God’s call upon his life.  It tells the story of Samuel’s anointing of King Saul during the time of tension and terrorism from the Philistines.  When Saul proved to be disobedient, God’s favor rested on David, who had led Israel to victory over its enemies.  David also purchased the site where his son Solomon would later build the first Temple. In 2 Samuel, God gives King David a promise through the prophet Nathan – a foretaste of the future reign of Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords:

2 Samual 7:12-13

“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

The main themes of 1^st and 2^nd Samual are the sovereignty of God and the concept of kingship.

The Israelites under King David were imbued with a sense of destiny and an unshakable confidence in God.  They mistakenly thought that the kingdom of David was the Kingdom of God, invincible and eternal.  Even when Israel began to fall away from worship of the one true God, they still believed that Israel would endure forever (much as people today smugly assume our civilization could never fall).

The books of 1^st  and 2^nd Kings record the exciting – and heartbreaking – saga of the kings of Israel.  The first book opens with the scene of a very old and ill King David, and a power struggle between two of his sons, Solomon and his half-brother Adonijah.  David arranged for Solomon to be anointed king of Israel and instructed him in how to rule wisely and compassionately.

After David’s death, Solomon proceeded to build the Great Temple in Jerusalem and led the nation to even greater heights of prosperity and power.  Tragically, Solomon failed the test of leadership in his later years.  In 1^st Kings II, we read:

1King 11:1-6

“But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.  For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David.”

The decline of Israel began even before the end of Solomon’s reign.  Israel faced a clear choice:  either serve Yahweh, the one true Creator-God – or the demon gods of the pagan cultures.  The people made a tragic choice and began to embrace Baalism, which represented idolatry at its worst.

After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.  One of Solomon’s officials, Jeroboam, led a rebellion, leading the ten northern tribes to form an independent kingdom of Israel, leaving Rehoboam with control only of the kingdom of Judah in the south.

Rehoboam was an arrogant and selfish man who oppressed the people and led the nation into immorality and idolatry.  Because of Rehoboam’s dismal leadership, Egypt invaded Judah and Rehoboam handed over the treasures of the Temple as tribute, turning his nation into a humiliated vassal state.

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Psalm 61:3

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

Deut. 33:27

The eternal God is thy refuge, underneath are the everlasting arms, and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them.

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POEM BY HELEN STEINER RICE

“ARE YOU DISSATISFIED WITH YOURSELF?”

We are often discontented and much dissatisfied that our wish for recognition has not been gratified.

We feel that we’ve been cheated in beauty, charm and brains, and we think of all our “losses’ and forget all about our “gains”.

And dwelling on the things we lack, we grow miserable inside, brooding on our “deficits” that are born of selfish pride..

We begin to harbor hatred and envy fills our heart, that we do not possess the things that make others “seem so smart”

And in our condemnation of the traits that we possess we magnify our painful plight and sink deeper in distress.

Oh, Lord, forgive our foolishness, our vanity and pride as we strive to please the eye of man and not GOD who sees INSIDE.

And little do we realize how contented we would be if we knew that we were BEAUTIFUL when our hearts are touched by THEE!

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1 Samuel 16:7

….man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

Psalm 34:4

I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Ps 68:19

Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens day by day (some versions say “Who daily loads us with benefits”)

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 21 ~ ~ Psalm 23:3 ~ ~ “He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

MOVING TO PART 4 OF THE BOOK, “How to Read the Bible”, Part 4 ~ ~  “THE FALL OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL” AND CHAPTER 10 ~ ”FALL OF ISRAEL, BROKEN COVENANT, BROKEN KINGDOM”

Section: “the Story of God’s People and God’s Law.”

The Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (also known as the Books of Moses or the Torah) tell the story of God creating the heavens and earth, the fall of the human race, and the origin of the Hebrew (or Israelite) people.  It tells of the exile and enslavement of the Hebrew people in Egypt, their liberation under Moses, and giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, and the death of Moses.  In addition to the historical narrative, the Pentateuch gives us a code of laws, including the Ten Commandments, the rules for worship and sacrifices, and the rules for celebrating the Passover.

The history of ancient Israel continues in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1^st  and 2^nd Samuel, 1^st  and 2^nd Kings, and 1^st and 2^nd Chronicles.  These books show how respect for God’s Law brings blessing to the nation – and how neglect of it leads to destruction.

At the beginning of Joshua, God commands the Israelites to conquer the land that He promised them.  At the end, Joshua warns the Israelites to faithfully follow God’s law, adding, in Joshua 24:15:

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The book of Judges covers the period between Joshua’s conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the kingdom of Israel in 1^st and 2^nd Samuel.  The judges served as informal national leaders during various times of crisis before there was a king.  The events in Judges follow a pattern that never varies:

First, the people slide into idolatry and rebellion against God.

Then God disciplines them by handing them over to their pagan enemies.

Third, the people cry out to God in repentance, pleading for His mercy.

Fourth, God sends the people a leader – a judge – to deliver the Israelites.

Fifth, the cycle repeats.

 Immediately after Judges, we find a little four-chapter love story, the book of Ruth, that takes place during the same time.  It tells of a Moabite woman named Ruth, a non-Jewish woman who embraces the God of Israel.  After the death of her Israelite husband, Ruth tells her mother-in-law, Naomi, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

So Ruth accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem.  There, in the harvest fields outside the town, she met Boaz, Naomi’s kinsman, and told him, “I am your servant Ruth.  Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” (Ruth 3:9).  Boaz says there is another member of the family whose claim to marrying ruth outweighs his, but he settles the matter.

The prophetic symbolism is unmistakable – and serves as further proof of the unity of God’s Word. 

Ruth symbolizes all the Gentiles (non-Jews) who will join Jewish believers in worshiping Israel’s Messiah.  The unnamed man (possibly Boaz’s elder brother) who has a legal claim on Ruth’s hand in marriage represents the Law that is helpless to save mankind.  Boaz, who pays the price to redeem Ruth, is a symbol of Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Boaz and Ruth married and had a son named Obed.,  Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David, the future king of Israel—and an ancestor of Jesus the Messiah.

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*Psalm 32:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shalt go:  I will guide you with my eye.

Isaiah 30:21  And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk  in it,” when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.

*Luke 1:70 and 79

As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.

     Ps 73:23-24

Yet, I still belong to You.  You hold my right hand.  You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.        

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            POEM BY HELEN STEINER RICE

“IN HIM WE LIVE, AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING.”

We walk in a world that is strange and unknown and in the midst of the crowd we still feel alone.

We question our purpose, our part and our place in this vast land of mystery suspended in space.

We probe and explore and try hard to explain the tumult of thoughts that our minds entertain….

But all of our probings and complex explanations of man’s inner feelings and fears and frustrations….

Still leave us engulfed in the “MYSTERY OF LIFE” with all of its struggles and suffering and strife.

Unable to fathom what tomorrow will bring — but there is one truth to which we can cling,

For while LIFE’S A MYSTERY man can’t understand, the “GREAT GIVER OF LIFE” is holding our hand.

And safe in HIS care there is no need for seeing, for “IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.”

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Acts 17:28

“For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.”

2nd Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make ALL grace abound toward you:  ALWAYS having ALL sufficiency in ALL things that you may ABOUND in EVERY good work.

(note all the superlatives!!!)

Job 42:2

I know that You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 20 ~ ~ II Timothy 3:16&17 ~ ~ “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”

MOVING TO PART 4 OF THE SAME BOOK, “THE FALL OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL” AND CHAPTER 10 ~ ”FALL OF ISRAEL, BROKEN COVENANT, BROKEN KINGDOM”

The nation of Israel began with God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:12: “I will make of you a great nation.”  In time, the Israelite people rose in prominence on the world stage.  They escaped from slavery under Moses, conquered the Promised Land under Joshua, established a monarchy under Saul, and became a powerful empire under David and Solomon.  But their kingdom began to decline before the end of Solomon’s reign, when his wisdom failed and he led the nation into idolatry.

As a White House official, Charles Colson found Christ after being sentenced to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal.  In 1976, he founded Prison Fellowship, an international Christian outreach to prisoners and their families.

In the late 1990’s, Colson received a phone call from Jack Eckerd, owner of the Eckerd drugstore chain, inviting him to Florida to learn about that state’s criminal justice crisis.  Colson traveled with Eckerd, visiting prisons and speaking with officials and advocacy groups.

When they addressed audiences, the drugstore mogul would always introduce Colson by saying, “This is Chuck Colson, my friend.  He’s born again, I’m not.  I wish I were.”  Afterward, Colson would talk to Eckerd about Jesus, but he would not receive Christ.  This happened many times.

Before Colson left Florida, he gave Eckard a copy of C.S.Lewis’s “Mere Christianity” – the book that had drawn him to Christ.  In the months that followed, they kept in touch.  Finally, Eckerd told Colson he believed that Jesus had died and risen again.

Colson asked if Eckerd had confessed to God that he was a sinner, and asked Jesus to take control of his life.  Yes, Eckerd said, he had.  To which Colson responded, “Then you’re born again!”

“No, I’m not,” Eckerd said, “I haven’t felt anything.”

“Yes, you are,” Colson said.  “Pray with me right now.”  They prayed together over the phone –_and at that time, Eckerd realized he was truly born again.

Soon afterward, Eckerd discovered that his drugstore chain sold pornographic magazines and ordered them removed from all his stores.  When his staff told him that would cost the company $3 million in annual profits, he repeated, “Take them out!”

Colson later asked Eckerd if his newfound faith in Christ has prompted that decision.

“Why else would I give away three million dollars?”  Eckerd said. “The Lord wouldn’t let me off the hook.”

Eckerd lobbied other companies to follow his lead, and many did – all because God wouldn’t let Jack Eckerd off the hook.

In ancient times, too, God did not let His people off the hook.  He set forth His commandments and expected His people to keep them.

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James 1:17

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 of turning.

2Corinthians 1:20

For all the promises of God in Him are yeah, and in Him Amen, unto

the Glory of God by us.

Romans 5:8

But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

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POEM BY HELEN STEINER RICE

“NEVER BORROW SORROW FROM TOMORROW”

Deal only with the present, never step into tomorrow, For God asks us to just trust Him and to never borrow sorrow.

For the future is not ours to know and it may never be, so let us live and give our best, and give it lavishly.

For to meet tomorrow’s troubles before they are even ours is to anticipate the Savior and to doubt His all wise powers.

So let us be content to solve our problems one by one, asking nothing of tomorrow except “THY WILL BE DONE.”

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Matthew 6:33-34

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

Ps 107:8-9

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!   For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Jeremiah 23:29

“Is not My Word like a fire” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

Isaiah 45:6

..…”Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock?  I know of none.”

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 19

  Psalm 91:4 ~ ~   “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust: His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”

Continuing in Michael Youssef’s book, “How to Read the Bible” ~ chapter 9, “Wisdom of the Kingdom:  The Books of Solomon

The second chapter of the Song of Solomon contains a concise yet profound sermon on the importance of forgiveness.  The king calls out to his beloved in 2:15:

“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom”

What are these “little foxes”?  Solomon, in his wisdom, says that he is deeply concerned about the threats to a marriage or any relationship that often go unnoticed.  He is speaking of the little secrets, the deceptions, the unspoken resentments, the careless and hurtful remarks, the big arguments over minor matters that can accumulate and damage any relationship.  They are like little foxes that sneak into the vineyard through broken fences to steal and destroy the harvest while it is in bloom.

When we look at the Song of Solomon through the lens of the New Testament, the allegorical dimension of this book comes into sharp focus.  King Solomon, the son of David, whom the Shulamite meets in the guise of a shepherd, represents King Jesus, the Son of David – our Good Shepherd.  When we were poor and miserable, lost in sin, the Shepherd-King found us and loved us.  Now we live in a rapturous love-relationship with Him –and the King and His Bride, the Church, will live happily ever after!

After reading the Song of Solomon, we will have a deeper understanding of the Great Commandment:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37). In this much-neglected book of the Old Testament, we find a picture of the joy that comes from loving God with a complete heart-soul-mind kind of love.

The covenant relationship of marriage so joyfully described in the Song of Solomon is an allegorical representation of the New Covenant between God and His people.  As Song of Solomon 6:3 tells us:

“I am my lover’s and my lover is mine.”  What a beautiful restatement of this New Covenant truth:  We belong to God and our God belongs to us.

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Proverbs 8:35

For whoso finds me finds life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

Isaiah 50:10

“Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God.

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POEM BY Helen Steiner Rice

“I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH”….(Job 19:25)

They asked me how I know it’s true that the Savior lived and died…. And if I believe the story that the Lord was crucified?

And I have so many answers to prove His Holy Being, answers that are everywhere within the realm of seeing….

The leaves that fell at Autumn and were buried in the sod, now budding on the tree boughs to lift their arms to God…….

The flowers that were covered and entombed beneath the snow, pushing through the “darkness” to bid the spring “hello”….

On every side Great Nature retells the age-old story…..so who am I to question the Resurrection Glory.

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Galatians 6:10

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men…..

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper: and every tongue that shall rise up against you in judgment you shall condemn.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, says the Lord.”

Isaiah 44:3-4

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty and floods on the dry ground.  I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessings on your offspring.  They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercress.

Romans 8:32

He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him, also freely give us all things? 

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 18 ~ ~ John 14:21 ~ ~ “ …..  he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and REVEAL MYSELF TO HIM.”

Continuing in Michael Youssef’s book, “How to Read the Bible” ~ chapter 9, “Wisdom of the Kingdom:  The Books of Solomon”

“Song of Solomon:  Honest, Pure, and Chaste”

You have probably never heard of Annie Besant, but in the late 1800’s, and early 1900’s, she was a famed socialist activist in Great Britain.  She authored many books that sparked controversy in British society, including  “My Path to Atheism” (1886).  In 1890, Besant met the infamous Russian mystic Helena Blatvatsky.

After rejecting the God of the Bible, Besant had an emptiness in her soul that left her wide open to the fraudulent mystical claims of Madame Blavatsky and her Theosophical Society.  She fell for Blavatsky’s far-fetched stories of being mentored by the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom in Tibet and of experiencing miraculous supernatural phenomena.  Though Blavatsky was repeatedly and credibly accused of fraud, Besant’s gullible devotion to Theosophy never wavered.

Besant continued to attack the Bible.  One of her books was “Is the Bible Indictable? “ (an enquiry whether the Bible comes under …”obscene literature”).   Besant didn’t honestly care about so-called “obscene literature.” But as a self-proclaimed “freethinker,” she rejected the Christian church, Christian sexual ethics, and the sanctity of marriage, and she eagerly grasped at any straw to discredit God’s Word.

She called the Song of Solomon “a marriage-song of the sensual and luxuriant character.” Citing several passages, she asked,

“Could any language be more alluring, more seductive, more passion-rousing than….this Eastern marriage-ode?  It is not vulgarly coarse and offensive as  is so much of the Bible, but it is, according to the ruling of the Lord Chief Justice, a very obscene poem.”

These are, of course, the words of an enemy of the Bible, desperate to have it banned.  She slandered one of the most beautiful and unique books in God’s Word.  While the Song of Solomon rejoices in the romantic intimacy between a man and his wife, it does so with words and images that are God-breathed.

This book operates on at least two levels.  On the surface, it expresses the yearnings of our innermost being for romantic love.  It frankly explores the human experience of romantic love within the safe enclosure of marriage – an experience which has been blessed and approved by our Creator since the time of Adam and Eve.

Though the book is honest and forthright, it never debases its subject, nor does it stir unclean thoughts in the reader.  Its language is poetic, and it treats romantic love through rich and meaningful metaphors and images.  It is an exquisitely pure and chaste book that honestly describes how a husband and wife delight in each other’s love.

A SACRED ALLEGORY

On a deeper level, the Song of Solomon is richly allegorical and spiritual – and that is why it is sacred to both Judaism and Christianity.  In the Jewish tradition, the Song of Solomon is a allegory of God’s loving relationship with the people of Israel.  Among Christians, it is an allegory of the love between Jesus the Messiah and His Bride, the Church.

In 1 Kings 4:32, we learn that Solomon penned three thousand proverbs and 1005 songs.  Most of the songs Solomon wrote have been lost, but this book, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is clearly his greatest song of all – which is why, in the first verse, he calls it his “Song of Songs.”

The Song of Solomon is structured as a stage musical.  The New International Version of the Bible helpfully underscores the structure by dividing the text with subheads, telling us who is speaking in each section:  “She” (the Beloved, the Shulamite woman), “He” (Solomon, the young king of Israel), and “Friends” (the Beloved’s female friends who rejoice with her).

The play tells the story of the Shulamite, a poor but beautiful young woman who toils in the vineyards under the hot sun.  One day, she sees a handsome stranger, a shepherd grazing his flocks at midday.  Their eyes meet, and they are instantly attracted to each other.  They fall in love, then he mysteriously departs.  She dreams of him, and he eventually returns to her – and she discovers that this handsome shepherd is in fact the king of Israel.

The shepherd (king in disguise) courts the Shulamite in Song of Solomon 1:1-3.5).  the king and the Shulamite wed in 3:6-5:1.  We see them work through the adjustments of young married life in 5:2-7:10.  In the final section, 7:11-14, the king and his beloved journey to the home where she was raised and their love deepens

Three times, the Shulamite woman gives a word of godly moral advice to the “daughters of Jerusalem” – by which she means all unmarried women.  She says, “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires” (2:7;  3:5;  8:4)

When does love desire to be aroused and awakened?  When it is in the safe enclosure of a marriage covenant.  First, a man and woman must experience attraction, then the budding of love, then they must enter into a covenantal marriage union.  Then and only then should love be fully, physically expressed between them.

Never rush love.  Never awaken love before its time.  Keep marital love within its God-given marital boundaries.  Far from being a sensual or seductive book, the Song of Solomon three times pleads young people to live a life of purity and abstinence until marriage.

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Ephesians 3:17-19

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you  might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Psalm 84:11

 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 17 ~ ~ *Psalm 78:1 ~ ~ “Give ear, O my people, to my Word.  Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.”

We’re in Chapter 9 of “How to Read The Bible” by Dr. Michael Youssef— The Books of Solomon

“Meaningless!  Meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes)

Some Bible scholars believe Solomon wrote this book late in life, after he began to drift away from God, lured away by the pagan gods of his foreign wives.  I disagree.  I think he probably wrote it in the middle of his life, when he reached that stage when people realize they have more yesterdays than tomorrows.  I think he paused in the middle of life and took stock of his existence.  Even though a king enjoys a luxurious lifestyle, Solomon’s daily grind consisted of the same boring activities day after day – meeting with dignitaries, judging legal disputes, negotiating trade deals, or discussing tax policy with his advisors.

And what did he have to look forward to?  Death.  Like all men, kings are born, live, and die – and the earth and sky go on while the king’s fame and achievements are soon forgotten.  Out of this midlife crisis, Solomon took pen in hand and wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.

King David had warned him not to forsake his faith in the God of Israel:

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.  If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.  Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as a sanctuary.  Be strong and do the work.”  (1Chronicles 28:9-10)

But when Solomon turned to the other gods, he was living “under the sun,” and he lost God’s perspective on life.

The Law of Moses laid out God’s commandments to the kings of Israel, so that they would rule wisely and righteously.  Solomon failed to heed these commands from the book of Deuteronomy in 17:16-17:

“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.”

Solomon sinned in all three of these commands.  He accumulated horses and gold and many wives – AND he purchased many horses and chariots from Egypt, where he was forbidden to send his servants.  In Solomon’s final years, God allowed him to be troubled by enemies, including Hadad of Edom, Rezon of Zobah, and a rebellious official of his own government, Jeroboam.  And 1 Kings 11 records that the Lord punished Solomon by allowing all the tribes of Israel except Judah to rebel against Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.  Thus, Israel was divided into two warring kingdoms.

Take a good look at your life.  Are you living under the sun – or above it?  If you are wandering in the parched wasteland of Ecclesiastes, I have good news for you.  You can rise above your meaningless existence.  You don’t have to remain under the sun.

Those who live in a personal relationship with the Son of God not only experience joy and contentment in this life, but they know that an even richer, more rewarding future awaits them in His presence.  Those who have placed their trust in Jesus will one day have perfect knowledge, perfect memories, and perfect resurrection bodies.  You can live above the sun because you know who you are – and whose you are!  You have a meaningful life because you know your ultimate destination.

So get out from under the sun!  When you gain God’s perspective on life and have the mind of Christ, then you will truly live above the sun.

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2Timothy 1:7

FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER AND OF LOVE AND OF A SOUND MIND.

*IIChronicles 16:9

“For the eyes of the Lord run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is toward Him.”

IPeter 3:12,13

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.  And who is he that will harm you, if you be followers of that which is good?

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 16 ~ ~ “Psalm 119:136 ~ ~ “Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.”

We’re on Chapter 9 of How To Read The Bible by Dr. Michael Youssef

Section:  The Inspired Book of Error

In Ecclesiastes 7:19, Solomon tells us, “Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.”  In this world, we face many decisions involving insoluble problems.  We face temptation, seduction, and deception from Satan and the sinful influences of this world.  People seek to manipulate us and control our beliefs through advertising, social media, and political rhetoric.

If we want to have the power to make good decisions, think for ourselves, and keep this fallen world from squeezing us into its mold, we need wisdom from God’s word.  Godly wisdom gives us power to discern Satan’s traps and defeat his schemes.

From a human perspective, Solomon viewed wisdom as immensely valuable and worthy of seeking, yet beyond the reach of his intellect.  He wrote:

“All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise” – but this was beyond me.  Whatever exists is far off and most profound – who can discover it?  So I turned my  mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.” (Ecclesiastes 7:23-25)

Solomon is writing here from the perspective of fallen humanity, not from God’s infinite and omniscient perspective.  He concludes that in his fallen state, wisdom is “beyond me” –unattainable. And it is true that, for a fallen human being, apart from the enlightenment of the Holy spirit, it is.  The reason Solomon seems to despair of ever finding true wisdom is that Ecclesiastes, although inspired by God, stands alone among all the books of the Bible in reflecting a purely human point of view, not the perspective of God Himself.

Ecclesiastes is frequently misquoted and misused.  In fact, when I was a boy, I twisted a verse from it myself when I wanted to get out of doing my homework.  I said, “Well, Mom and Dad, don’t you know that all this schoolwork and study is bad for me?  Ecclesiastes 1:18 says, “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.”  Of course, my parents replied, “The only grief you’re going to get is if you don’t finish your homework!”

One of my early mentors, Bible teacher Ray Stedman, called Ecclesiastes “the inspired book of error.”  In ADVENTURING THROUGH THE BIBLE, he wrote:

“This book is filled with error, yet it is wholly inspired.  This may confuse some people because many feel that inspiration is a guarantee of truth.  This is not necessarily so.  Inspiration merely guarantees accuracy from a particular point of view:  if it is God’s point of view, it is true; if it is a human point of view, it may or may not be true …

Because Ecclesiastes reflects a human, rather than a divine, point of view, it is often misused and twisted out of context by the enemies of God’s Word.  Ecclesiastes is the favorite book of atheists and agnostics.  Many cults love to quote this book’s erroneous viewpoints and give the impression that these are scriptural, divine words of God concerning life.

In order to come to such a conclusion, however, one has to ignore what Ecclesiastes clearly states at the outset and repeats throughout the book:  It draws its conclusion from appearances, from looking at the world from a human perspective.  Every aspect of life this book examines is seen as ‘under the sun.’”

That phrase “under the sun” is the key to accurately interpreting the book of Ecclesiastes.  It appears twenty-seven times.  What does Solomon mean by “under the sun”?  He is speaking specifically of life as it is experienced on the surface of the earth, “under the sun.”

The book of Ecclesiastes is unflinchingly honest in its diagnosis of the human condition.  That’s why it seems so bleak.

The book opens with these words (in the New International Version):  “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.”  Other translations say, “The words of the Preacher.”  The Message says, “These are the words of the Quester.”  The original Hebrew word is QOHELET, which means more than merely a preacher or teacher, but has the sense of a searcher or inquirer or investigator – a person who searches deeply into a matter, then comes back and reports what he has found.

The book of Ecclesiastes is the result of King Solomon’s long search for meaning and truth.

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psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

*Psalm 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delights in his way.

*Psalm 32:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shalt go:  I will guide you with my eye.

*Psalm 23:3

He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 15 ~ ~ Ecclesiastes 1:6-7 ~ ~ “The wind goes toward the south,

And turns around to the north;  The wind whirls about continually, and comes again on its circuit.

All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come,

There they return again.”

Continuing in the book, “How to Read the Bible” by Dr. Michael Youssef of Leading the Way Min.

Chapter 9 ~ ~ Wisdom of the Kingdom: The Books of Solomon

Section: “Ecclesiastes:  Everything Under the Sun

The book of Ecclesiastes has had a profound impact on our musical culture.  In the 1950’s, folk singer Pete Seeger penned a song called, “Turn!  Turn!  Turn!” which became a rock anthem for the 1960’s counterculture;  it is based on a passage from this book.

Likewise, the song, “Dust in the Wind” by the rock band Kansas is a meditation on Ecclesiastes 1:14 (“all things that are done under the sun…..are meaningless, a chasing after the wind”)  and 3:20 (“all come from dust, and to dust all return”).  And Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” is a song about a king who “used to rule the world” but as he hears the ringing of “Jerusalem bells,” he reflects on the brevity and emptiness of a life built on “pillars of sand.”  It sounds much like Solomon’s musings in Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes has a reputation for being full of doom and gloom, a depressing assessment of the meaninglessness of life.  And while it often expresses a sense of existential bleakness, much of the book is inspiring, hopeful and uplifting.

For example, Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  And Ecclesiastes 9:7 encourages us to “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do”

Ecclesiastes is not a book of despair, but of wisdom.  Solomon’s main theme is that it is wise to face facts, acknowledge the brevity of life, and confess that – from a purely human perspective, apart from God – life IS INDEED meaningless.

When Solomon was king of Israel, two women came before him so he could judge their dispute.  They lived in the same house and had given birth within days of each other.  One of the babies had died in the night, and each woman claimed that the living baby was her own.

King Solomon said, “Bring me a sword.”  When it was brought, Solomon announced his decision:  the baby would be cut in half and each woman would receive one half.

One woman agreed with Solomon’s decision, saying, “neither I nor you shall have him.  Cut him in two!!!

But the other woman pleaded, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby!  Don’t kill him!”

Then Solomon ordered that the baby be given to the woman who pleaded for the baby’s life.  She had proven herself to be the true mother of the child.

The Biblical account concludes, “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” (See 1 Kings 3:16-28)

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II Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Mark 16&17

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues:  

Rev. 12:11                                                                                             

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.

        Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.                                                                            

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 14 ~ ~ *Psalm 78:1 ~ ~ “Give ear, O my people, to my law;

Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.”

Continuing with Dr. Michael Youssef’s book, “How to Read the Bible.”

Chapter 9 ~ Wisdom of Solomon: The Books of Solomon

Section:  Proverbs:  Kingdom and Covenant Themes

Beginning with Proverbs 22:17, Solomon records a series of “sayings of the wise” on several subjects:  do not oppress the needy,  avoid hot-tempered people, don’t overextend yourself with debt, be diligent and skilled in your work, avoid the trap of power and greed, and so forth – advice as timely today as it was three thousand years ago.

Proverbs 25 through 29 contain sayings of Solomon collected by the officials of Hezekiah, king of Judah.

Though it may not be obvious, the themes of the Kingdom of God and His New Covenant with humanity are woven throughout this book.  Proverbs is all about living according to the precepts and principles of the Kingdom of God.  It instructs us in such Kingdom values as wisdom, justice, integrity, and righteous living.

For example, Proverbs 14:34 sets forth this Kingdom principle: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people,” And Proverbs 16:11 reminds us: “Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of His making.”

The New Covenant theme in Proverbs can be found in verses that emphasize God’s love, grace and forgiveness.  For example, Solomon tells us, “Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided” (Proverbs 16:6).  And he says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). This Old Testament wisdom resonates with the New Testament assurance of 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Proverbs 30 contains the proverbs of the unknown writer Agur, who writes in a distinctly different style from Solomon.  Here is one of my favorite passages from this chapter:

“Two things I ask of you, Lord: do not refuse me before I die:  Keep falsehood and lies far from me:  give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?”  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”  (Proverbs 30:7-9)

Chapter 31 is called “the sayings of King Lemuel – an inspired utterance his mother taught him.”  There is no mention of a king names Lemuel in the Bible or in secular history.  The meaning of the name is uncertain, though some Hebrew scholars believe it could mean “belonging to God.”  Some have suggested that “Lemuel” was a term of endearment that Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, affectionately gave him.  Because of the style of the writing, and because no “King Lemuel” is known in history, many Bible scholars believe that Lemuel was a pseudonym for Solomon.  I agree with this view.

She says, “Listen, son of my womb!  Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers”  In other words, this  mother calls her son an answer to her prayers, suggesting the special spiritual relationship she has with both God and her son.  She then gives him a series of instructions and warnings against promiscuity, drunkenness, and ruling unjustly and oppressively.

In Proverbs 31:10, the writer draws a clear word-picture of what the Jews call the “Eshet Hayill” or “Woman of valor.”  I like to think of this woman as the “Marvelous mom.”

I have a theory that Solomon may have composed this section late in life, after he made the mistake of marrying many princesses of other nations in order to form political alliances.  The result was that these princesses brought their own pagan idols and beliefs into the marriages – and Solomon compromised his faithfulness to God by permitting and participating in idolatry.

Perhaps Solomon, in his remorse over his sins and failings, remembered the sterling example of his great-great-grandmother, Ruth.  As Boaz said to Ruth, “All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11).  I think it is more than coincidental that Boaz’s description of Ruth – “a woman of noble character” – is echoed in Proverbs 31:10:  “A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.”

The book of Ruth tells us that Solomon’s great-great-grandmother was a Gentile (a non-Jew) from the land of Moab, yet she had rejected the false gods of the Moabites and had fed upon the godly teaching of her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi.  Ruth obeyed the God of Israel, and she became part of the lineage of King David, Solomon, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verses 11-27 describe such a woman as being hard-working, dependable, wise in money and real estate matters – a woman who “lacks nothing of value.”  She diligently looks after her family’s material, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  She is respected in the community (verse 23).  She is generous to the poor (verse 20).

A virtuous woman earns the praise of her husband and children (verses 28-29).  To be a woman of virtue is infinitely more honorable than to be charming or beautiful (verses 30-31).

The book of Proverbs is a great edifice constructed of godly, practical wisdom.  The capstone of this edifice is a beautiful word-picture of a wise, virtuous woman.  A woman who fears the Lord is a role model for every believer.

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*Acts 17:27&28

 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;  for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.

*Ps 149:4

God beautifies the weak with salvation.

Psalm 31:1

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

Psalm 33:4

For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.

Lamentations 3:22&23

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;  Great is your faithfulness.

GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 13 ~ ~ Romans 10:17 ~ ~ “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Continuing with the book, “How to Read the Bible” by Dr. Michael Youssef of Leading the Way Int’l Ministries.

Starting chapter 9 ~ ~   “Wisdom of the Kingdom:  The Books of Solomon”

Rosalind Picard is one of the leading researchers in the field of  artificial intelligence.  The founder of the Affective Computing Research Group at MIT, she designs AI systems to solve health problems.

Raised in a family that never attended church or even mentioned religion, Rosalind said she viewed Christians as people who had “thrown their brains out the windows.”  As a teenager, she babysat for a Christian doctor and his wife while they attended bible studies.  She couldn’t understand why they wasted time studying the Bible.

When that couple invited Rosalind to attend church with them, she pretended to be ill.  When they asked her the following week, she claimed to be sick again.

“Faking sickness to a doctor really wasn’t working,” she recalled.

They asked if I’d read the Bible.  I was a straight A student – one of those obnoxious kids who thought myself really smart, so I thought I should probably read the bestselling book of all time.  I agreed to take their advice to read the book of Proverbs, one a day for a month.  I saw there was all this wisdom …stuff I could learn from.  I was humbled.  Then I set out to read the whole Bible.  And that changed me!

What makes these Old Testament proverbs so powerful?  There can only be one answer:  The wisdom of Proverbs comes from God Himself.

PROVERBS:  GOD’S ROADMAP TO WISDOM

The book of Proverbs is the owners manual for the human life.  If you want a rewarding, meaningful, satisfying life, then you need to spend serious time in Proverbs.  The first twenty-nine chapters were written by King Solomon.  Chapter 30 is credited to an unknown man, Agur, son of Jakeh.  Chapter 31 is described as “The sayings of King Lemuel – an inspired utterance his mother taught him.”

King Solomon reigned for forty years at the height of Israel’s Golden Age, and was renowned for his wisdom, which is proven by the great success of his kingdom.  We can explore his wisdom in the three books he wrote:  Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.

How did Solomon become so wise?  Soon after being anointed king of Israel, he made sacrifices to God on the hilltop altar at Gibeon.  During the night, God appeared to him in a dream, saying “Ask for whatever you want Me to give you.”

Solomon replied, “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?”

God was pleased with Solomon’s prayer…..

“Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.  And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.” 1Kings 3:11-13.

When you read Proverbs of Solomon, you are exploring God’s answer to his prayer for wisdom.  The purpose of Proverbs is to provide the reader with a guide to effective living and wise decision-making:

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

To know wisdom and instruction,

To  perceive the words of understanding,

To receive the instruction of wisdom,

Justice, judgment, and equity;

To give prudence to the simple,

To the young man knowledge and discretion—

A wise man will hear and increase learning,

And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

To understand a proverb and an enigma,

The words of the wise and their riddles. (Proverbs 1:1-6)

The next verse gives us the key to unlocking the wisdom of this book:

“THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7)

If you want to be wise, you must first understand that all wisdom begins with an attitude the Bible calls “the fear of the Lord.”

Does this mean we should cower in terror before God?  Of course not.  But we must approach Him with reverent awe and with an absolute submission to His will.  That is the beginning of wisdom.

The first seven chapters of Proverbs are discourses on wisdom from a wise father to his son.  These chapters address such issues as the importance of seeking wisdom from the Lord, avoiding temptation and envy, choosing friends wisely, standing firm against peer pressure, and maintaining pure speech.  This discourse is summarized in these key verses in Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Chapters 8 and 9 personify wisdom as a woman who says, “To you, O people, I call out:  I raise my voice to all mankind …. I open my lips to speak what is right”: (Proverbs 8:4 and 6)

In these chapters Lady Wisdom contrasts two ways of life – the rewarding way of the wise and the self-destructive path of the foolish.

Chapters 10 to 22 contain nuggets of wisdom from King Solomon himself.  There is so much godly insight and advice that I could write encyclopedia-length volumes about them and still not do them justice.  Let’s look just at three verses in this section:

Proverbs 18:10-11:

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe, the wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.”

These two verses provide a stark contrast between those who take refuge in the Lord for peace and security and those who hide behind flimsy walls of wealth.  In today’s uncertain world, we are surrounded by voices, shouting at us:  “Buy gold!”  “Buy silver!”  “The stock market is plunging!”  “War in the Middle East”  “War in Europe!”  “War in Asia!”

   I want you to know that whenever you hear that the world around you is crumbling, or whenever you feel your own world is caving in on you, the Name of the Lord is a strong tower!

The Bible has revealed to us many names of God, and each reveals a unique and comforting facet of His character:

 JEHOVAH JIREH “the Lord our Provider”

JEHOVAH RAPHA, “The Lord our Healer”

 JEHOVAH NISSI, “The Lord our Banner”

JEHOVAH SHALOM, ‘’The Lord our Peace”

 JEHOVAH RAAH, “The Lord our Shepherd”

 and on and on, name after name.  And each of these names is a strong, fortified, unscalable tower of refuge for us!

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Psalm 91:1&2

 He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:  my God; in Him will I trust.

Psalm119:50

This is my comfort in my affliction: for your word has quickened me.

Matthew 28:20

…Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

II Corinthians 5:17

 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

II Corinthians 2:14

 Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and make manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.