Chronicles – Week 2

Joke:  A Southern Baptist minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

The first worm was put into a jar of alcohol.

The second worm was put into a jar of cigarette smoke.

The third worm was put into a jar of chocolate syrup.

The fourth worm was put into a jar of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the Sermon, the minister shared the following results:

The first worm in alcohol – Dead.

The second worm in cigarette smoke – Dead.

Third worm in chocolate syrup – Dead.

Fourth worm in good clean soil – Alive.

So the minister asked the congregation, “What can you learn from this demonstration?”

A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said,

“As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms

——————————————————————————–

We started last week looking through the books of Chronicles. Ezra who wrote those books described himself as “a scribe skilled in the law of Moses.”

After 70 years of exile in Babylon, and being set free to restart their nation, Ezra compiled a selective account of the history of his people.

And in Chronicles, Ezra teaches us lessons from the lives of kings on what to do and what not to do when you get a chance to do things over.

 Last week, we learned a lesson from David, we learned that God relents when we repent.   And in case you are wondering repentance is more than just saying I’m sorry.   It’s actual remorse for our wrongs and then turning towards away from that thing and deciding to do what’s right.

The Hebrew word is teshuva it is more than a feeling of regret or guilt it derives from the verb “to return.”    Simple put your returning to what is right.

And so for David set out to make things right and he not only set up an altar but offered a sacrifice as well.   He bought everything needed for the sacrifice on that altar.

David had everything offered to him but he said, “I will not sacrifice what costs me nothing.”

And in our difficult seasons, in those three Monday work weeks we must also remember to offer the sacrifice of praise.

Is that always easy.   No.   But we need to understand the importance of gathering together and forsaking not the assembling of ourselves together.   Worshipping not just when we feel like it.  But even when it seems like all of hell is coming against you.   That’s why sometimes our praise becomes a sacrifice.

Today, we are going to learn a lesson from Solomon about wisdom.

 The Bible says that, apart from Jesus, Solomon was the wisest man in history.

We will be looking into 2 Chronicles 1, but before we do that look at 1 Kings 4 and listen what was said about Solomon ‘s wisdom:

1 Kings 4:29–34 (NIV): God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

When you study the life of Solomon, it doesn’t take long to realize that he too, like David, even with the wisdom that God gave him, he also had some flaws.  Solomon did some things wrong, like all of us.

Maybe not the same things as us, but wrong nonetheless.

But Ezra because he’s writing to encourage the people and  us is going to talk about what Solomon did right. And what Solomon did right benefited an entire nation.

What he did right started in the very first year of his reign.

Solomon was replacing his hero, David.  David was probably the greatest king in Israel’s history.   And Solomon wanted to do well as king also.

And as he thought out how to begin his kingship, Solomon did something we might not have thought of.  He went to Israel’s holiest place, a mountain not far from his home.  He took with him 1,000 sheep, goats and cattle. He built a fire on an altar, and he made a thousand animal offerings to God.

Let me back up a a chapter. . .

1 Kings 3:4 (NIV): The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

And maybe your thinking why would he offer such sacrifices.

Well, let me read to you want happened as a result:

2 Chronicles 1:7–12 (NIV): That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”

 How old do you think Solomon was when all this transpired? He was 14 ya all just 14.

Now hear this church, If you’ve ever felt small and helpless, if you’ve ever wondered if you could do the thing you were being asked to do.   I want you to know that God’s able to help you with whatever calling He has given you.   God will equip who He has called.

You just need to be willing to give him what you have.

Remember the young boy who gave his lunch (Talk about that).  You give God whatever you have and watch how He uses it for His glory.

And Solomon at about 14 found himself responsible and caring for 2 million people who needed leadership, care, and protection.

This was the No doubt the biggest assignment of his life, so he makes the biggest sacrifice he can imagine.  And so, one after another, 1,000 animals are slaughtered and placed onto the altar. One after another, as a sacrifice to God.

 And what I think is important to point out here is that in the Old Testament, there were several types of offerings.

Let me share just two. . .

There was the “The Fellowship Offering.”  And with a Fellowship Offering, you roasted a part the animal to the Lord and you roasted the other part for yourself. When your portion was cooked just the way you liked it, you sat down and ate it “in fellowship” with the Lord – like a meal eaten between two friends.

How many know Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother?

There was the Burnt Offering. With a Burnt Offering, you ate nothing. You burned it all up. God received it all.

This offering symbolized that you were giving everything to God.

And Solomon’s offering was a Burnt Offering.

Solomon was saying, “God, all I have is yours, and all I am is yours.” 1,000 times he said that. “All I am is yours. All I have is yours.”

 That evening, God came to him and asked, “Solomon, ‘What should I give you?’”

And in all humility, Solomon answers, “I only want one thing, Lord. I want the wisdom to be able to fulfill the calling You’ve given me.”

It’s the perfect request. “Grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people. . .of yours.”

And all of heaven anticipated God’s answer.

What will God say to this? How will He respond?

And God sat back surprised at what Solomon asked for. . .No.

Without hesitation, God responded, “Solomon, since you’ve asked me for something that will benefit others, and not just you.  I’m going to give you what you asked for, and I’m going to give you what you didn’t ask for as well.  I’m going to shower you with riches and wealth and glory unlike any other king before you.”

Listen sometimes our prayers aren’t answered not because God doesn’t care, not because He doesn’t want to.   But because our motives aren’t right.

James 4:1–3 (NLT): What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

And I love this listen. . .

1 John 5:14–15 (NIV): This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

And Ezra, who is telling us this story, is teaching us a lesson about rebooting our lives.   He’s saying, “The best way to have a fulfilled life, the abundant life life as Jesus said, is to follow God’s purpose for your life.   To seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all the other things will be added to you as well.”

 On the day of Solomon’s sacrifice, he was starting his life over.

He was once a prince, now he is a king.   Princes can play. Kings must lead.

So Solomon doesn’t ask for riches, or favor, but for wisdom.

Knowledge is knowing things.  Wisdom is knowing what to do with those things.

Knowledge is about information.  Wisdom is about application. It’s about knowing what to do in every situation.

Knowledge is knowing tomatoes are a fruit.  Wisdom is not to put tomatoes in a fruit salad.

And I want to encourage you to take some time and read through the next eight chapters or so because in them you get the opportunity to discover what happened because Solomon asked for the wisdom to lead and not for riches for himself.

But God blessed Him with both.

The motive behind Solomon’s request was to please Papa.

So, Ezra shares a few things with us. . .

2 Chronicles 1:14 (NIV): Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

 In contrast, when Pharaoh with his vast army came riding after Moses and the children of Israel, he only had 600 chariots. – Solomon knew that if God blessed his country, he’d need a strong military to defend it.

He goes on to say. . .

2 Chronicles 1:15 (NIV): The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.

Think about that for a moment,  he made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones.

 Solomon knew how to generate wealth.

And I love this. . .Solomon understood the importance of having a place for people to worship God.  And so. . .

2 Chronicles 2:1–2 (NIV): Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2 He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.

Solomon’s wisdom provided Israel with the most incredible temple for worship in the world.

Chapters 3 through 8 describe how Solomon built that Temple, and how he fortified the cities of Israel, and how he settled people in those cities so that all of Israel prospered.

Everyone benefited from Solomon’s wisdom.

Now let me jump all the way to chapter 9. . .

2 Chronicles 9:13–14 (NLT): Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. 14 This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the provinces also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

 The point Ezra is making is this:  Wisdom what a gift.
And because of that gift. . .

• Israel experienced blessings.
• Others came to hear and see his wisdom in action.
• Israel became the wealthiest nation in the world.
• The people enjoyed safety on all their borders.
• And the whole world experienced blessing as a result of Solomon’s prayers.

 Solomon was wise enough to know that his wisdom couldn’t accomplish everything, so this wise man, spent some serious time in prayer.

If Solomon the wisest man around still needed God’s help, I think you and I do as well.

Chapter 6 contains one of the prayers by Solomon.

And chapter 7 contains God’s response to Solomon’s prayer.

This response may be the most famous response to prayer in all Scripture.

Let me read it to you. I think you’ll recognize it. . .

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV): if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Four things. . .

• Humble ourselves. . .realize you’re not as big as you think and you’re not God.
• Pray. . .talk to God about your hopes and dreams, concerns and struggles.
• Seek His face. . .think about Him. Try to do your day with Him, so that His face and His thoughts are with you and guiding you.
• Turn from our wicked ways. . .Stop offering excuses. Everybody’s not doing it. Stop caving to the culture to be popular. We need to stand for truth.

You know who needs to do that in order for God to heal our land?  We do. It starts with us.

Ezra is teaching us a lesson about wisdom. If you want to start your life over and live it at a higher level, you need wisdom.

Wisdom is one of God’s greatest gifts.

Proverbs 8:11 (NIV): 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Money, sex, power, thrills, achievements, recognition.

Wisdom is better than them all.

As I close this message out today let me give you four things to help you live better.

 Make a burnt offering

 Romans 12:1–2 (NIV): Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Declare a do-over, build an altar in your heart.

Offer yourself 1,000 times over to God. Give Him your possessions and your position, your rights and your hopes, your goals and your dreams.

“Say, Lord, here I am. All I have is yours; and all I am, is yours.”

After all it’s in Him we live and move and have our being.

 Ask God for wisdom.

 James 1:5 (NIV): If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

I’m not saying to you can’t talk to others and ask there advice, but if you only depend on others and never go to God for what He thinks you are not going to get the best for your life.

God knows the number of hairs on your head I think He knows us better than anyone else.

pursue wisdom

Reading Proverbs is a great starting point.

The introduction to the book of Proverbs describes the book this way:

Proverbs 1:1–7 (NIV): The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,  knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.  7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, which means you could read the whole book in one month by reading one chapter a day.

Pursue wisdom

And then…

 Walk in wisdom.

How do you do that? Not an easy answer but here’s a couple ways. . .

Proverbs 13:20 (NLT): Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV): Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

I heard T.D Jakes once say this. . .”you can’t be a married woman with a single woman’s mindset, because all of you single girlfriends will mess up your marriage with their advice of what they would do if they were you.  And your listening to them and taking that spirit home and it’s tearing up your house.”

He goes on to talk about the men and says. . .”brother you can’t be a husband with a single man’s mindset because you will be physically present but emotionally unavailable.   Because you are physically and legally married, but not emotionally present or connected and because you have not developed language for anything beyond anger your wife becomes a sparring partner because you are better at expressing anger than you are anything else.”

How is that relevant.  Some of you are getting advise from folks that are bitter at God and they are making you bitter.  Getting advise from folks that think the woke culture is the right culture but God says something different.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV): Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Proverbs 19:20–21 (NIV): Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.  21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.