The Game of Thrones- Israel’s Experience with Human Kings”
“The Wisdom of Solomon”
Our nation is in the whirlwind season of politics. Hillary’s Clinton’s campaign is always “restarting”. Her emails are in the news every day. On Thursday the New Your Times reported: If Hillary Rodham Clinton’s new apology for her private email server fails to reassure jittery supporters, it could amplify the chatter among some Democrats who have been casting about for a potential white knight to rescue the party from a beleaguered Clinton candidacy. Oh, If we only knew what was being planned behind closed doors!!! By PATRICK HEALY SEPT. 9, 2015
Donald Trump with his bombastic energy commands media attention. The polls are changing constantly. Donald Trump will fade, they say. Jeb Bush will eventually have the Republican nomination. Jeb only garners 6% in the polls. Yet he has all the “big” financial support of the establishment. Deep in the political back rooms of the Bush team will they strategize to use their money to crush the other candidates?
Will Iowans fall in love with Ben Carson? Does Senator Cruz or Carly Fiorina really have the ground game to win? Why are outsiders leading the poll? Who has the ground game that will carry to the convention? Who will drop out first? Every candidate has their PR firm, their social media game. Their political strategy. Has the Bush team made a phone call to Ben Carson and encouraged him to attack Donald Trump’s plan on immigration…
Will Joe Biden really enter the race. When walking in the Labor Day parade in Philadelphia he heard the chant “run Joe run”. Did his meeting with Elizabeth Warren mean anything? Were back room agreements made?
Welcome to the intrigue of the Game of Thrones.
The story of David appointing Solomon to the Throne of Israel was not without its own “political games.”
From our reading last week we know that Adonijah the younger brother of Absalom went behind his father’s back and made alliances with David’s number 1 general, Joab. He met in private with Abiathar the priest and confidant of David. Last week we read that Adonijah got his chariot, and runners to run through the streets of Jerusalem…chanting… Long live Adonijah the king! He has a banquet and is anointed king. David is not yet dead!
Listen to the words of Bathsheba as David lay in “hospice” care. Read I Kings 1:17-18 “condemning words. She is worried about her life, the life of her son, Solomon and whether or not they would survive the political coup.
Nathan comes in: I Kings 1:24-27 (read)32-38 (Ah notice who hold positions in David’s “secret service body guards”. Are they Israelites? No… David could not trust his own people. They are mercenaries. V 50-53 (read)
The world is looking for leadership. Maybe I should say, Americans are looking for leadership with wisdom? Is that what attracts people to the soft, thoughtful voice of Dr. Ben Carson? He did separate Siamese Twins.
Which reminds me of a similar problem that came before Solomon. (read I Kings3:16-28) Where did Solomon gain that wisdom?
The world is searching for wisdom, understanding, and discernment. We sometimes think of knowledge and wisdom as interchangeable terms. Wisdom is different than knowledge. Wisdom is different than understanding. Please look at the chart in the bulletin.
The presence of knowledge does not ensure the presence of wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge.
God’s wisdom does not come as a sudden revelation that hits out of nowhere. You won’t find wisdom in “Dear Abby” or Reader’s Digest, unless they accidentally say something that coincides with God’s Word. God’s wisdom comes directly from God and is revealed in His Word.
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Prov. 2:6).
Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Automotive Industries asked an electrical genius by the name of Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn’t find the problem. Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life--but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. He was flabbergasted at the high cost of the bill, so he asked Steinmetz why it cost so much for only a few hours of work.
Steinmetz said, “Well I only charged $10 for the time that I tinkered on the generators, but the $9,990 is for knowing where to tinker. Henry Ford paid the bill.
Charlie Steinmetz knew the facts, so did Henry Ford. The machines were not working. Henry Ford knew the meaning… without machines no cars would be produced. It was Charley Steinmetz who “knew what to do next.” That’s wisdom.
James, the brother of Jesus knew that it’s relatively easy to live as a Christian when things are calm. But it’s a much more difficult prospect when the storms of life hit with full force. At such times, it’s easy to get off course. Many Christians had to leave Jerusalem in the first few years after the resurrection of Jesus because of the murder of Stephen. Christians are being forced out of the Middle East.
They were and are being dispersed abroad (1:1), mostly due to persecution. They had suffered and are suffering the loss of their homes and possessions. Many are not able to escape persecution even in the places to which they had fled.
James realizes that in a time of trials, God’s people need His wisdom on how to endure those trials. “If anyone lacks wisdom he should ask God.” Which is exactly what Solomon did. Solomon realized, that even at a young age… he needed wisdom to govern the nation of Israel.
Read I Kings 3:4-13
Knowledge Understanding Wisdom
Facts meaning What to do next
Information principles application
Memory reason action
Someone once said: “Knowledge without wisdom is like water in sand.”
God rarely gives all three gifts: (knowledge, Understanding & Wisdom) to one person…. He made an exception in Solomon’s case.
When the Apostle Paul was preaching in Athens this is the very response he received from the “wise” philosophers.
“God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered….”
Billy Graham wrote: I preach a simple Gospel, a message that some say is not sophisticated enough for today’s world. They wonder how the actions of a Man who lived 2,000 years ago could have any impact on their life today. When the Gospel is preached, it has power. The power is not in the preacher or because of the persuasive eloquence of his message, but rather that “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
Even today, the cross of Jesus Christ continues to stand as a controversial symbol of Christianity. "Until we understand the enormity of sin, do we appreciate the forgiveness of God," said Dr. Michael Youssef, pastor of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta.
"Christianity stands utterly alone and utterly opposite all other religions because it's not at all based upon what I can do. It's based upon what Christ did for me," said Gage. "There is no way that we can merit, that we can deserve eternal life."
After 2,000 years, the cross is still confusing and controversial, foolishness But to those who believe, it is eternal life.
Knowledge Understanding Wisdom
Jesus lived He showed himself as God
Jesus died on the cross forgiveness
Eternal life
