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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 16 September 2025:
1 Kings 9:1-3 — As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the king’s house and all that Solomon desired to build, the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”
God answers Solomon’s prayer with reassurance: He has heard, He has consecrated the temple, and His presence will dwell there. This is stunning grace — the infinite God chooses to set His name and heart in a place where sinful people can meet Him. Yet notice: the house is not powerful in itself. It is holy because God places His name upon it. This reminds us that it is God’s presence that makes worship meaningful, not buildings, rituals, or numbers. Today, we don’t need a temple in Jerusalem, for Christ Himself is God’s dwelling among us, and through His Spirit, we are now the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
1 Kings 9:4-5 — “And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you… then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’”
Here God ties His promise to Solomon’s obedience. Notice the standard: “integrity of heart and uprightness.” This is not about outward success but inward fidelity. David, though deeply flawed, was remembered as one who walked before God with integrity because he repented and kept turning back to the Lord. Integrity doesn’t mean perfection but wholeness of devotion. God calls us to a heart that is undivided — not compartmentalized, not double-minded. Jesus echoes this: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
God’s earthly blessings are conditional. Even in a love relationship with God, David and Solomon were subject to blessings or curses based upon their faithfulness and obedience. This conditional “if you obey” statement appears a multitude of times in the Old Testament; however, Solomon, the wisest man that lived, failed to obey, resulting in terrible consequences. Today’s readings address Solomon’s splendor and the tremendous wealth he acquired (much through his relationship with Pharaoh). In Solomon’s pursuit of success, he directly disobeyed God: Deut 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.” Surely the wisest man on earth was aware of God’s commands, yet he disregarded them, exemplifying our sinful nature and our complete reliance of the mercy and grace of God. Despite the beliefs of the secular humanists, no amount of education or economic prosperity can overcome man’s condition.
Fortunately, as we learn in the New Testament, God has reconciled His people to himself, through Christ, “not counting people’s sins against them,” so that, “in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God has given us the message and ministry of reconciliation as “Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” And how does Paul say we should live our lives as Christ’s Ambassadors? “So we make it our goal to please him…. that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Today, we will all go on mission with the message of reconciliation at Christ’s Ambassadors — glorify God today.
If you are a Christian, your salvation is eternally secure in Christ, and God will finish the good work He started in you (Philippians 1:6). However, God’s blessings in this life are still conditional – “if… then…” as is described throughout the New Testament too (such as Matthew 6:15 and John 8:31 as just a couple examples). As an earthly father, I can understand this from the perspective of my relationship with my children: My children will always be my children, and I will always love them as unconditionally and consistently as a human father possibly can. However, the quality of our relationship, the experience that they have in our relationship, and the practical benefits they enjoy in our relationship largely depend on their response to my love. If they choose to disrespect, disobey, or simply disregard me, my love doesn’t change (though my approval would), but their experience of my love does as they essentially walk away from the goodness of the relationship. Not only do they suffer the consequences of their behavior, they might also suffer my discipline which is intended to teach them how to behave in beneficial ways. Similarly, though we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by our behavior, our behavior matters. Jesus continually encourage those who would follow Him to truly follow Him by obeying Him in order to experience the fullness of the blessings He desires to give freely that they may be received fully, and the apostles regularly encouraged the disciples not to grieve the Spirit, quench the Spirit, or get out of step with the Spirit through self-centered, short-sighted disobedience. Trust and obey!
Oh, and yes, God does want you to be successful – “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7-9) God promises success to those who will draw their strength and courage from Him, rather than self, who will obey Him wholeheartedly and carefully, who will not be frightened (controlled or influenced) by people or apparent situations, and who will interpret their success from the measures of growing into Christlike character and glorifying Him in all things. To this person, God gives dominion (under His Dominion) to be “king” of their thing, to have success for His glory and the benefit of other where God has salted that person into society. So, be strong and courageous, without fear or anxiety, and dominate for the Lord under the motto, “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
1 Kings 9:5-9 — “I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever…. But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes… then I will cut off Israel from the land… and this house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight… And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD their God… therefore the LORD has brought all this disaster on them.’”
God gives a sober warning: disobedience will bring destruction, even to the temple. The very place that symbolized God’s presence could be reduced to rubble. And in history, it was — Solomon’s temple was destroyed by Babylon centuries later. This is a warning to us as well: no outward form of religion, no building, no tradition, no heritage can protect us if our hearts turn from God. Jesus said of the Pharisees, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). What God desires is not mere ritual but covenant faithfulness from the heart.
“…then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them… I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.” God can reveal Himself and His truth to others through your relationship with Him either in a positive way or a negative way. Either way, God will be glorified through your life. Better for you to glorify God be revealing the blessings of a life lived close to Him and aligned with His will.
1 Kings 9:10-14 — At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he desired, King Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. But Hiram was not pleased with them…
Here we see the darker side of Solomon’s reign. Hiram, who had supplied materials for the temple, receives cities from Solomon, but he considers them worthless. Solomon’s compromise begins to show: his alliances with foreign rulers blur the lines of holiness. What began as cooperation for the temple soon expands into unhealthy political partnerships. This pattern reminds us that compromise rarely remains small. What may seem like harmless “alliances” can gradually reshape our values. God calls us to be distinct, holy, and uncompromising in devotion to Him (James 4:4).
1 Kings 9:11 — King Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
This was very bad; the land of Israel was given to Israel by divine decree. Solomon surrendered God’s blessings for what he thought was a shrewd business deal. Solomon did not have the right or authority to give parts of the Promised Land to an unbeliever. This was God’s gift to God’s people to be handed down for generations. The men of Israel paid for the land with blood and lives, but Solomon sold it to a foreigner, an idolater, for gold. What about the people who lived in those towns? Solomon turned them over to be ruled by a pagan king.
Similarly, there are many socially accepted and preferred business practices, customs, and traditions that are practiced by Christians as a way of life that are contrary to God’s will and commands. Take a close look at all that you do and all that you have taken for granted from the standard of God’s word. Don’t just do what the rest of the lost “sheeple” (people) are doing. What hard-earned liberties is our nation giving away in treaties to foreign rulers?
1 Kings 9:15-23 — And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the LORD and his own house and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem…. Their descendants who were left after them in the land… Solomon drafted to be his slaves. But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves. They were the soldiers, they were his officials, his commanders, his captains, his chariot commanders and his horsemen.
Solomon also begins to build his kingdom with forced labor. Though he spared Israelites from slavery, he subjugated foreigners living in the land. This may have looked efficient, but it showed a creeping drift from God’s law and God’s heart. What had begun with wisdom and peace begins shifting toward exploitation and oppression. How easily power and success can blind us to God’s ways! We too must beware of building our lives or ministries with methods that seem effective but compromise integrity. As Psalm 127 reminds us, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”
1 Kings 9:25 — Three times a year Solomon used to offer up burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he built to the LORD… So he finished the house.
Despite all his flaws, Solomon maintained a rhythm of worship. He still honored the sacrificial system God had given. But already the cracks were showing — his worship was inconsistent with his compromises in politics and personal life. This is a warning for us: regular worship practices, church attendance, or religious duties mean little if our hearts are divided. God desires integrity — not compartmentalized devotion, but love for Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
1 Kings 9:26-28 — King Solomon built a fleet of ships… and Hiram sent with the fleet his servants… and they went to Ophir and brought from there gold, 420 talents, and they brought it to King Solomon.
Finally, Solomon’s wealth and ambition expand further through trade. Material blessing itself is not evil, but when accumulation of gold becomes central, it distracts from the fear of the Lord. Solomon’s father David had said, “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup” (Psalm 16:5). Here we see Solomon’s heart drifting toward other pursuits — a drift that would only widen in later chapters.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 16 September 2025: Walk in integrity of heart. God reminded Solomon that His promises would hold if Solomon walked in uprightness, but warned of ruin if he turned aside. The same is true for us: compromise erodes integrity, and integrity cannot be compartmentalized. Today, ask the Spirit to search your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). Are there areas where you are outwardly worshiping God but inwardly compromising with the world? Surrender those places to Him. Choose to walk in wholeness, letting Christ be your foundation.
Pray: “Lord, You are faithful to every promise, but You also call us to walk in integrity of heart. Forgive us for the times we have honored You with our lips while allowing compromise in our lives. Guard us from divided hearts. Keep us from building alliances or pursuing ambitions that draw us away from You. Let us live with wholeness, uprightness, and undivided devotion. May Christ be our treasure and our portion, our sure foundation and our eternal joy. In His name we pray, Amen.”
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