SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 8
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. He said, “My wife must not live in King David’s palace, for the Ark of the Lord has been there, and it is holy ground.” [2 Chronicles 8:11]
To me, this seems so bizarre; Solomon moves his wife away from the temple because it is holy… and she is not!
Knowing that it was his wives that eventually led him to compromise his devotion to God, this seems like an ominous warning of what is to come.
Here we have Solomon separating his marriage from his relationship with God.
Very convenient; he can go to the temple and feel righteous, and he can go to his wife and feel pleasure.
Very handy, he has the best of both worlds.
No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. [Luke 16:13]
These words from Jesus refer to love for God and love for money, but the application is as much for Solomon and his wives as it is for Solomon and his treasury of gold [2 Chronicles 8:18].
They challenge me to think about those areas in my life that I separate from my relationship with God.
This kind of dualistic living – being pious on Sundays and perverse through the week, talking holy in church and talking dirty at work or at the club -dressing honourably on Sundays and dressing scantily through the week – is a destructive pattern of living.
Its like trying to serve two masters; eventually the one wins out.
Where am I guilty of hiding parts of my heart and life from my relationship with God?
Where am I guilty of being publicly religious or righteous, and privately selfish or judgmental?
This is a challenge for me, in that every Sunday I talk about a life devoted to God and to following Jesus.
But is what I am preaching, what I am trying to live?
Do I pray in the same way that I encourage others to pray?
What am I trying to hide from God, moving out of the “holy place”?
What are you hiding from God?
Which master is winning in my life? In your life?
PRAYER:
Lord, as I prayed through this, it became evident to me that I am hiding something from You, something that will also be destructive to me if I do not deal with it. Help me to bring EVERYTHING into the temple, where I can deal with it with You!
Be not unequally yoked together. Solomon busy at the building of the temple and yet when he brought his wife from Egypt land did not let her live in the palace of David because he did not consider her as part of the family of God. Serving God and serving himself. Who’s in charge? What are the choices?
All the work in the building of the temple was carried out, but where was the heart of the matter? The work was being completed. But where was the main thing? What was really the heart of the matter. The heart! The work does not describe the man. The work one does is not his identity. It is where the heart is that tells of a man’s worth. Does God reside there? From the heart are the issues of life!
What does my heartbeat say. GodStrong? GraceStrong? WorldlyStrong? MoneeyStrong? ToyStrong? Help me each day Lord to lay up treasures in heaven. FriendStrong!
Teach me Thy way, O Lord, teach me Thy way!
Thy guiding grace afford, teach me Thy way!
Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight;
Lead me with heav’nly light, teach me Thy way!
When I am sad at heart, teach me Thy way!
When earthly joys depart, teach me Thy way!
In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress,
In failure or success, teach me Thy way!
When doubts and fears arise, teach me Thy way!
When storms o’erspread the skies, teach me Thy way!
Shine through the cloud and rain, through sorrow, toil and pain;
Make Thou my pathway plain, teach me Thy way!
Long as my life shall last, teach me Thy way!
Where’er my lot be cast, teach me Thy way!
Until the race is run, until the journey’s done,
Until the crown is won, teach me Thy way