A Blind Beggar (Journey to the Cross): At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus resolutely set his face toward Jerusalem as he made his journey to the cross. Jesus knew exactly who he was and what he had come to do. But others, even his disciples, were far from clear on that. However, there was one man who proved that faith sees what eyes cannot. Recorded on Mar 1, 2026, on Luke 18:31-43 by Pastor Nate Huber.
This sermon is part of our Journey to the Cross: Lenten Reflections from the Gospel According to Luke series. “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Lk 9:51). The cross of Christ wasn’t an embarrassing accident or tragic defeat. While his enemies opposed him and his disciples were confused about him, Jesus was very clear about his identity and intentional about his mission. He had come to seek and to save the lost through his death and resurrection — as had been foretold. This would become clear to anyone with spiritual eyes to see. But when you understand who Jesus is and the nature of his kingdom, it changes everything! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Solomon’s Legacy (Solomon): After all is said and done, just what was King Solomon’s legacy? The truth is…it’s complicated. There was good and bad, faithfulness and idolatry, rise and fall. One takeaway is that by staying rooted in obedience, we can prevent our hearts from drifting. What will our legacy be?? Recorded on Feb 22, 2026, on 1 Kings 11:41-43 by Ted Selker.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Solomon the Teacher (Solomon): What is the meaning of life? Seriously? Does anything bring lasting satisfaction? Good question! Many people feel there must be more to life. After many years as the king, Solomon wrote his most philosophical work reflecting on his experiences of pursuing wisdom, wealth, career accomplishments, and pleasure, and the seeming meaninglessness (hebel) of life. His conclusion is both helpful and hopeful in our modern age. Recorded on Feb 15, 2026, on Ecclesiastes 1; 12:13-14 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
A little over ten years ago, during the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, actor Jim Carrey presented the award for best comedy. He approached the mic and said, “Thank you, I am two-time Golden Globe winner, Jim Carrey. You know, when I’m going to sleep at night, I’m not just a guy going to sleep. I’m two-time Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey, going to get some well-needed shut-eye.” Hilarious. “And when I dream, I don’t just dream any old dreams. No sir. I dream about being three-time Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey. Because then I would be enough. It would finally be true. And I could stop this, this terrible search. For what I know, ultimately won’t fulfil me.” People were visibly shocked, but he continued. “But these are important, these awards. I don’t want you to think just because you blew up our solar system alone, you wouldn’t be able to find us or any of human history with the naked eye, but from our perspective, this is huge. One more time, here are the nominees for best motion picture, comedy…” Can you imagine being in the audience there? Because what Jim Carrey did, so brilliantly, was to expose the whole entertainment industry, full of the rich and famous, by asking: Will any of this actually satisfy anyone in any lasting sense? Will any of this provide real meaning to life, or will it only ever leave us wanting more? Good question. But this isn’t just for celebrities or the entertainment industry alone. There seems to be a kind of universal feeling that there must be something more to life. Have you ever felt that way? Like, is this it? Or is there something more substantial? more satisfying in life? Something that would finally bring lasting meaning and happiness? Good question. Well, we’re almost done with a sermon series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King, on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel. After today, we only have one more week before starting a new series for Lent from the Gospel of Luke. But as we come to the end of our study of Solomon’s life, we have one more of his Biblical works to consider before we can make a judgment about what kind of legacy he left. Most of our series was based on the record of his life from 1 Kings. But we sprinkled in a few examples of King Solomon’s contributions to the Scriptures, as well. We studied his psalms, proverbs, and the Song of Songs. Today, we’ll consider his most philosophical work in the book of Ecclesiastes. In it, this ancient king reflects on the seeming meaninglessness of life under the sun. Solomon would’ve probably agreed with Jim Carrey. But the conclusion of Ecc is startlingly helpful and hopeful, no matter how famous you might be. So if you have your Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 1:1. We’ll work through chapter one before getting to the conclusion of the matter from chapter 12.
Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 (NIV), “1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. 11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.” Ok! So Ecclesiastes is part of the wisdom literature in the Bible, and maybe this is a little bit of an aside, but when people think about the history of philosophy, they usually start with the ancient Greek philosophers. But King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes hundreds of years before any Greek philosopher considered answers to the big existential questions of life. Philosophy really started with the ancient Hebrew kings and prophets. But here, Solomon is sharing the results of a philosophical and ultimately theological search for meaning — to answer the question: what really matters in life? Ecclesiastes shares the wisdom that Solomon the Teacher collected in his search for significance. And what’s his conclusion in verse 2? “Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Wow, what a heart-warming message, right? But what does he mean? There is no meaning in life? Well, Solomon is writing poetically about life “under the sun,” a phrase meaning human or earthly life. “…there is nothing new under the sun.” This phrase and the things he describes don’t really include the things of heaven. There are no references to God. Life under the sun might be called a secular worldview, which, of course, is very common today. But this worldview isn’t new. Solomon tried it almost 3,000 years ago, and no doubt many others too, over the years. But what does this perspective give us? Love, joy, and peace? No. A series of seemingly endless cycles. People come and go, generations come and go, we toil and labor, we build and create and repair, and for what? We never seem to be satisfied. We always want more. And then what? 50 or 100 years later, almost everything and everyone is forgotten. Even the few human achievements remembered 500 or 1000 years later don’t really benefit the people who accomplished them, because they’re dead and gone. This is hebel. Hebel is the Hebrew word translated throughout Ecclesiastes as “meaningless” or “vanity.” Hebel means vapor or breath; it’s a poof, a nothing. It means something here and then gone, something that has little to no substance, something empty or hollow. A gnat is a tiny creature whose whole life lasts only 7 days. A gnat is hebel. Now people aren’t gnats. But still, from the perspective of the earth, much less from God’s eternal perspective, human life is so short. As the psalmist says, “The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” (Ps 103:15–16). But so much of what we invest our time and energy worrying about or working on or sacrificing for — so much of what consumes our lives — doesn’t really last. Now, none of us like to think about it, but Solomon’s right; life is hebel. But how did he arrive at this conclusion? What was his process? Here, too, we find a very modern, systematic approach.
Ecclesiastes 1:12–18 (NIV), “12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. 18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” What we see here matches what we’ve seen in the rest of our series in Solomon’s creativity and exploration of all sorts of domains of knowledge and human experience (for good and bad). And here, Solomon describes his process of exploring what matters and what, if anything, is the meaning of life. Solomon was the king for forty years, so this exploration might’ve lasted over several decades. He studied many things, including wisdom, wanting to learn both what makes someone wise and what makes someone a fool. Nothing was off-limits. Solomon pursued all sorts of things to see if anything would make life better under the sun. In this passage, he talks about wisdom, but he tried other things as well. Solomon also pursued work and career accomplishments, and I think we can say he was pretty accomplished, right? He single-handedly mobilized the whole kingdom to churn out one massive building project after another. But at the end of the day, he found them lacking. Writing in chapter 2, he said, “I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?” (Ec 2:18–19). I wonder how many of us have come to the same conclusion in our careers? Who am I building all of this for? King Solomon also pursued wealth, something many people pursue to try to find meaning and happiness, and again, he crushed it. We’ve seen that Solomon might have been the wealthiest man who ever lived. But all his silver and gold and his precious cedars of Lebanon didn’t satisfy. Solomon was the first to say, “Mo’ money, mo’ problems.” Not really, but in chapter 5, he actually said, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied,” (Ec 5:10). He saw the pursuit of wealth as the bottomless pit that it is. Next, he pursued justice but found that the unjust often seemed no worse off than the just. The wicked flourish while the righteous suffer. Next, he famously pursued a life of hedonism or pleasure, saying, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.” (Ec 2:10). Solomon was unrestrained in following his heart. Now, what could be wrong with that? Aren’t we told to follow our hearts all the time today? What you feel about something or someone is the most important thing, right? Well, the problem with this belief is that the heart is deceptive. And for Solomon, his heart led him down a path of destruction and death. He developed a heart disease, first in marriage and then in his relationship with God. His conclusion to these experiments is that the more he learned/acquired/tried, the worse he felt. “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” None of these things finally satisfy, they’re all hebel. But if this is the conclusion of a king, and not just any king but a king who was wealthy beyond imagining, who was gifted by God with wisdom and insight, and who was one of the most famous people on earth at the time, then what hope is there for us?!? Is there anything that might give us satisfaction or meaning that will actually last under the sun? Ultimately, Solomon’s answer is yes. There is meaning to be found. There are things we can pursue that will finally satisfy and will last forever. Ecclesiastes raises some uncomfortable questions, but it doesn’t land in a place of despair. But before we get to our Source of hope, let’s consider our options. If you study the history of philosophy, you’ll know that there isn’t an infinite number of conclusions that human beings have come to about these big existential questions of life. There are really only a few options that people have come up with over the ages. But what options do we have when we consider the meaninglessness of life? What options do we have when we encounter the futility, injustice, and chaos of this broken world? In my view, there are only four responses to hebel. First, we can become lost in despair and hopelessness. This world is difficult and harsh, and it doesn’t really seem like we can do anything about that. This is very depressing. So the solution for so many people today is to try to treat their depression, but while the treatments can help people cope, they rarely address the root issue. Second, we can live in denial or at least try to forget reality for a time. Sure, the world is depressing, but let’s try not think about it, ok? Maybe through substances like alcohol/drugs or entertainment like TV/social media or by becoming a workaholic or trying some other form of escapism, we can forget about it all for a time. And some of these things can bring us a measure of happiness for a time, but again, is this the life we want to live? A life of trying to escape/deny reality? I don’t think so. Third, we can become cynical and nihilistic and just want to see the whole thing burn to the ground. This is a response of rage against all the systems/structures/cultures/people of this broken world. If I can’t have lasting happiness/satisfaction/meaning, then no one can. I really don’t think this is the kind of destructive life anyone wants, but it is so tragically prevalent in our society. Ok! So far, in response to the seeming meaninglessness of life, we can live in depression, denial, or in some destructive rage. Are there any other options? I did say there were four responses. What was Solomon’s conclusion after years of study and contemplation?
Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 (NIV), “13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” This is God’s word. And here is the conclusion. Here is where we can find lasting meaning and significance in life. Fear God and keep his commandments. Why? Because God will judge the world. Judgment Day is coming, and God will determine the goodness or evil of everything under the sun. So, fourth, in response to the hebel of life, we can turn to something, or better yet, someone who is outside and above this life under the sun. This is where the ancient Hebrew philosophers differed from the Greeks. They turned to the God of the Bible, the creator of the heavens and the earth. A personal God who entered into a covenant relationship with the family of Abraham and Sarah. A God who rescued their people from captivity in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land. A God who knows what life is like in this broken world but has a plan to redeem and renew all things. And it’s here that we find our hope. Instead of becoming depressed or living in denial or falling into the trap of destructive rage, we can trust that God is sovereign over all. That as confusing and messed up as this world and our hearts seem to be, God is still great and he is still good. His plans of redemption and renewal will come to fruition. And in the end, justice will be done. Commentator Duane Garrett writes, “This passage is not a contradiction to the gospel but a call for it. The world is in bondage; and humanity is unable to explain, find satisfaction in, or alter it. Only the Word [that is Jesus Christ], who came into the world from above, can open the way of understanding and escape.” [Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (NAC)] This is it! This is the answer Solomon was looking for! Maybe the most startling news of the Scriptures is that God agrees with this assessment of the meaninglessness of life under the sun—but listen: God isn’t content with leaving things this way, in bondage as they are to sin and death, just as he wasn’t content with leaving the Israelites as slaves in Egypt. God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to live and die and rise again, to provide a way for us to be forgiven and freed from the power of sin and death. And by faith in Jesus, we can experience a life that isn’t hebel, but rather, a life that actually has meaning and significance that lasts; not just 50 or 100 years, but forever and ever in the kingdom of God, the kingdom where Jesus is king. The life we find by faith in Jesus is the life of meaning and significance that we long for and that we’re all trying to find. It won’t be found by a third Golden Globe award. It’ll only ever be found when we commit ourselves to fear God and keep his commandments. He will judge what is right and wrong. Even if we don’t understand everything. Even if we don’t like some of the commands of God. Even when life gets hard. Aren’t you glad this is in the bible?? This is such a helpful and hopeful message! But did Solomon finally learn, by the end of his life, the folly and sin of his unrestrained life of pleasure? A life that led him into gross idolatry and would ruin his kingdom? I think so. I said last week that I couldn’t prove it from 1 Kings. But Solomon could’ve only written Ecclesiastes toward the end of his life. And he lands in a very Biblically orthodox position. Fear the Lord and obey him is another way of saying to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and follow him in life. Do you want to have a life of meaning? Do you want to find significance that lasts beyond the grave? Turn to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, trust him, follow him, worship him, serve him, not out of fear of punishment but in the reverent awe that he deserves. To him be the glory, honor, and praise both now and forevermore. Amen. Let us pray.
Solomon’s Adversaries (Solomon): Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart, and you knew that it was at least partially your fault? Who among us hasn’t gotten into a mess of our own making? But is there anything we can do? When God raised up three adversaries, it was all Solomon’s fault. But would the king finally turn from his ways? Recorded on Feb 8, 2026, on 1 Kings 11:14-40 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
We’re almost to the end of a sermon series on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel, a series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. After today, we have only two more weeks before we start a new series for Lent from the Gospel of Luke, called Journey to the Cross. But for now, as we approach the end of Solomon’s life and consider his legacy, recall that for most of our series, we saw Solomon’s rise. Solomon became the king during a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity. And we saw the Lord’s abundant favor in his life in many ways. Life was good! Now, we had a few questions about how Solomon handled all this wealth and fame, but it wasn’t until last week that we clearly saw his downfall. In taking hundreds of wives and concubines, King Solomon might’ve been acting like any other worldly king, likely using many of these relationships to secure alliances with other kingdoms and peoples; nevertheless, this was absolutely wrong, and he knew better. All these women worshiped all sorts of gods, and as Solomon grew old, his heart drifted from Yahweh, the Lord his God. He built high places to worship them, despite their detestable worship practices, including sexual immorality and child sacrifice. Today, we’ll consider some of the consequences of Solomon’s sin in the deterioration of the peace that the king and his kingdom had enjoyed when God raised up three adversaries. But even as things start to fall apart, we still see God’s grace and mercy. Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart, and you knew that it was at least partially your fault? I think we can all relate to that. Who among us hasn’t gotten into a mess of our own making? Now, I doubt you could get into enough trouble to bring down a whole kingdom, like Solomon, but still, when life is falling apart/mess, is there anything we can do? Even when it’s our fault?! Well, if you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 11:14. This is a longer passage, but we’ll unpack it as we go. The first of three adversaries:
1 Kings 11:14–22 (NIV), “14 Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. 15 Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom. 16 Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. 17 But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. 18 They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking people from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. 19 Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children. 21 While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his ancestors and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.” 22 “What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?” Pharaoh asked. “Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but do let me go!” Ok, so here, notice that it doesn’t say an adversary appeared, as if by coincidence. v. 14 says that it was an act of divine providence; it was the Lord who raised up an adversary against Solomon. This man, Hadad, was raised up as an adversary, not to do the devil’s work (the Hebrew for adversary is the word satan), but as a tool in the hand of the Lord. That’s curious, isn’t it? But we’re told that Hadad was a prince of Edom, a neighbor to the south, who barely escaped with his life when his kingdom was defeated by King David. And here, we find an unexpected pattern. Can you think of anyone else in the Scriptures who had to flee to Egypt to save their life, only to later return to Canaan? That’s actually a pattern that repeats several times. The first time we see this in the Bible is in Genesis, with Joseph’s story. The Lord preserved Joseph and let him flourish in Egypt in order to preserve his people. Also, being raised in Pharaoh’s household reminds us of Moses’ story. But here, we don’t have an Israelite following this pattern, but a pagan Gentile prince from Edom. Curious again. And Hadad was highly favored in Egypt, like Moses, but was determined to return and get revenge on the house and line of David — something like the Exodus story turned on its head. The second of three adversaries.
1 Kings 11:23-25 (NIV), “23 And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 When David destroyed Zobah’s army, Rezon gathered a band of men around him and became their leader; they went to Damascus, where they settled and took control. 25 Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel.” In a second act of divine providence, God sent another adversary (satan) against Solomon. But this time, it was Rezon, another pagan Gentile who was a former royal official of the kingdom of Zobah. Rezon became the leader of a band of mercenaries based in the northern city of Damascus. If we look at a map, we can see that Hadad’s kingdom of Edom was in the south. This is why when he fled for his life, he ran to Egypt, which was nearby. But Rezon, the self-appointed king of the city of Damascus, in the northern kingdom of Aram, was hostile toward Israel for the rest of Solomon’s life. God had said he wouldn’t tear the kingdom away from Solomon during his lifetime. But with Hadad in the south and Rezon in the north, the jaws of judgment seem to be closing on the king. Gone are the days of unfettered peace and prosperity. But Solomon had way more resources and alliances than Hadad and Rezon combined. Could these two really do anything to him? The third of three adversaries:
1 Kings 11:26–40 (NIV), “26 Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah. 27 Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the terraces and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. 28 Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph. 29 About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, 30 and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes. 32 But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. 33 I will do this because they have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did. 34 “ ‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. 35 I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. 36 I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. 37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 39 I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’ ” 40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.” This is God’s word. Ok! In a third act of divine providence, the Lord raised up a third satan/adversary, and one who probably hurt Solomon the most. This wasn’t some foreigner or Gentile pagan. This was one of his own officials, Jeroboam, a very capable man and leader of the whole labor force of the northern tribes of Israel. But Jeroboam wasn’t some resentful conquered prince or some self-appointed king of who-knows-where; he was chosen by God through the prophet Ahijah to be the next king of Israel outside the house and line of Solomon. This would be a new royal family tree, one that God promised to bless if Jeroboam would obey the Lord’s decrees and commands. However, the Lord wouldn’t completely abandon David’s lineage. Because of Solomon’s idolatry, which he practiced and encouraged in the latter part of his life, and the worship of Ashtoreth, Molek, and Chemosh, the detestable false gods of the peoples who lived around Israel, the house of David would be humbled, and Israel would be divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. This would be an utter calamity, but not during the lifetime of Solomon. He had to deal with these three adversaries and any attacks or other problems they caused. His kingdom was starting to fall apart, and it was all his fault—but the future was darker still. Both Israel and Judah would eventually face near annihilation during the Exile. But here, before we turn to applications of this text, can we just acknowledge how quickly we moved from the high point of the whole OT in the building of the Temple and the glorious presence of God dwelling with his people in the Promised Land—the fulfillment of so many promises of God. This was the high point of the whole history of the people of Israel. But can we acknowledge how quickly we move from that to their downfall? It all happened in one generation. What a mess! The Lord had been clear with Solomon that his disobedience and idolatry had made him angry, and this gross sin would have dire consequences. And the Lord raised up not one but three adversaries against Solomon, closing the jaws of judgment around him. Again, how did Solomon respond? He tried to kill the adversaries. In other words, he continued to act just like any other earthly king. For the world, might makes right. You’re my enemy, I’m going to kill you. But is this how Solomon should’ve responded? Is this how a good and godly king should act? We’ve seen in our series that a king is supposed to rule with justice and righteousness. And wherever righteousness is lacking, justice is required. But what was broken in Israel? Where was righteousness lacking? Where was justice required? In Solomon’s idolatry. This wasn’t Jeroboam’s fault; it was Solomon’s fault. Solomon wasn’t doing justice by trying to kill Jeroboam; he was trying to cover up, he was trying to manage his own sin. He was trying to get out of the consequences of his sin, not make it right! Ok, what was our question at the beginning? Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart, and you knew that it was at least partially your fault? Have you ever gotten into a mess of your own making? This is a broken world; you either have or you will! The real question is this: is there anything we can do? The answer is yes, but don’t do what Solomon did! I’d recommend doing what Solomon’s father, David, did when his sin was exposed. David lusted after a married woman named Bathsheba and used his position as the king to take her and have her husband killed. But when the prophet Nathan confronted him about what he had done, do you know what he did? He humbled himself, he confessed his sin, and he cast himself upon the mercy of God. And do you know how God responded? There were still consequences to David’s terrible sins of adultery and murder, but he was forgiven. God’s mercy triumphed over his justice through repentance and faith. This too is a blessed pattern revealed in the Bible. But do you know who would eventually be born to David and Bathsheba? Solomon. God used the redemption of David’s sin in the story of his people. Now that’s curious! But “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Ro 8:28). Ok! But someone might be wondering, “How is this three-fold act of divine providence, of raising up three adversaries against Solomon, how is this God working for the good?” Great question! I see this through the lens of Hebrews 12:7–11 (NIV), “7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father…but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” When God made Solomon aware of his sin, he could have humbled himself, repented, and trusted in God’s mercy. But he didn’t. When God raised up these painful adversaries, he could’ve seen this as his Father in heaven disciplining him for his good because of his great love for him. But he didn’t. Solomon seems to have seen this as a political problem with a political solution, not a spiritual problem with a spiritual solution. When we make a mess of our lives, we might rightly wonder, “Will God turn from a kind and loving Father into a cold-hearted Judge?” Well, did he for Solomon? Not at all! God would’ve been well within his rights to deliver immediate justice for the king who had repaid all his kindness and blessings by forsaking him. If I made up the story, I would’ve had God squash Solomon like a little disrespectful bug. But God was very patient with Solomon. He kept speaking to him. He kept giving him opportunities to turn back. God even allowed his son to succeed him as the king, albeit over the much smaller kingdom of Judah. But “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance” (Ro 2:4). God “is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pe 3:9). Solomon should’ve responded in repentance! Would he ever? We can’t say for sure. However, as we’ll see next week from the book of Ecclesiastes, it seems Solomon might’ve eventually come to see the error of his ways. I think so, and one day we’ll find out for sure. But for today, what do we do with all this? How might we apply this to our lives? Well, even if you’re at the very lowest point of your life, and even if it’s all your fault, in Christ, you don’t have to worry about facing a cold-hearted Judge. God is the judge, but he is never cold-hearted and often offers many chances to turn back to him. You very likely might have some painful consequences of your sin, especially if you’re in a mess of your own making. But it changes everything if you see that painful hardship as the discipline of a loving Father who hasn’t given up on you. That perspective can become an opportunity to turn back to God, to grow in your knowledge of him and your faith in him, to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean a little less on your own understanding. You might be able to grow in humility and (as is often the case) in love, joy, and peace as well. But do you know why we can be sure of God’s mercy and grace when everything is falling apart? And even when we are to blame? Because of another man who had to flee to Egypt before coming back to the Promised Land (not Joseph or Hadad). Because of another Son of David and anointed King of the Kingdom of God (not Solomon). Did you catch the clue at the end of our passage that points to this source of hope? What was the last thing God said to Jeroboam? v. 39 “I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.” Not forever. Things were about to get pretty dark. For all the good that King Solomon had done, he had made a total mess. His descendants would have to be humbled, and the kingdom would be splintered and almost destroyed, but not forever. There would come a day when the Lord Jesus Christ would come, and he would come in humility, the eternal Son of God sent from heaven, sent to seek and to save the lost, one who preached that we should repent and believe the good news. And was humbly willing to give his life on the cross to pay the price for the sins of the world. But on the third day, when Jesus rose again from the dead, he wasn’t raised in humility. He was raised in glory! So today, all who repent and believe in Jesus can be saved. Our Father might still discipline us, but it’s because he loves us. And our Lord might rebuke us because we are on a path of destruction, but it’s because he loves us. And he might humble us for a season, but it’s because of his great love for us. So let us turn to him and trust him and praise him…and live. Let us pray.
Solomon’s Wives (Solomon): What was Solomon’s downfall? In his old age, he ignored God’s word on marriage, took hundreds of foreign wives and concubines, and started worshipping the idols of his many wives. But there were devastating consequences for his unfaithfulness. If Solomon, with all his advantages in life, couldn’t stay faithful to God, is there any hope for us? Recorded on Feb 1, 2026, on 1 Kings 11:1-13 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
Well, ever since September, we’ve been working through a sermon series on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel, in a series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. And we’re approaching the end of the story of this famous king. We’ll be done at the end of February before starting a new series for Lent. But we’ve seen Solomon’s rise in fame and fortune. We’ve seen the Lord’s favor in Solomon’s life and the great accomplishments of his reign. People from all over the world heard about Solomon and many, like the Queen of Sheba, came to visit. Last week, Pastor Nate helped us consider Solomon’s virtually unlimited wealth. Life was good, right? Now, there were some questions about Solomon’s character along the way, especially with his wealth, but nothing obviously disqualifying. So far, we’ve seen the rise of Solomon, but today we’ll consider his downfall. He was warned. He had every resource at his disposal. He should’ve been prepared for this. But the mighty Solomon still had a great fall. Today, we’ll see what happened, and there is much to learn from that, but we’ll be asking ourselves this question: If Solomon, with all his advantages in life, couldn’t stay faithful to God, is there any hope for us? If you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 11:1. We’ll read through it and unpack it as we go.
1 Kings 11:1–3 (NIV), “1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.” Ok, so for months now, we’ve seen the rise of King Solomon and the united kingdom of ancient Israel. And here, we’ve come to the start of their downfall. Throughout this series, we’ve asked: Could Solomon overcome the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? Maybe we should respond by asking: Could anyone resist that level of temptation? Maybe not. But, to be fair, in some ways, Solomon was acting here just like any other ancient king. Ancient kings often had multiple wives and concubines. Granted, Solomon seems to have gone way above and beyond the norm, but in those times and places, a large family represented power, prosperity, and the blessings of the gods. However, a large royal family could use multiple marriages to cement political alliances, demonstrate dominance over a kingdom you conquered, and provide potential heirs to the throne. Now, surely a king as wealthy as Solomon could afford to care for a thousand women and the children who came from his relationships with them. And maybe some of the peace and prosperity of Solomon’s kingdom seemed to come from (or at least were reinforced by) some of these marriages. But…are you starting to feel a little uncomfortable with all this? Is one man and a thousand women disturbing to consider? I hope so. Because, while it might’ve had a historic precedent for Solomon to have all these wives and concubines, and there might’ve been a pragmatic political benefit in their relationship with other surrounding kingdoms, here’s the problem: it was wrong. Contrary to what many people believe today, marriage is not a social construct that can be defined or redefined however we want. According to the Bible, marriage is a gift from God for all of humanity and is therefore governed by God. In the beginning, God said that marriage is when a man (singular) leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife (singular), and the two become one flesh (Ge 2:24). In our pre-marital counseling, we talk a lot about what that kind of “one flesh” relationship is supposed to be. It’s a whole-life oneness. How could that kind of relationship be shared with another? But of course, since sin entered into God’s good and perfect world, everything has been corrupted and distorted to some degree by sin, including marriage. So now, tragically, marriage can sometimes be the context of wickedness, abuse, and great harm. But that doesn’t mean we can jettison marriage as an institution or what God says about it when it gets hard, or whenever it’s convenient. Instead, it takes great wisdom, grace, love, loyalty, forgiveness, and just a ton of work to build and keep a healthy marriage—especially when God’s way is so different than the ways of the world. But Solomon hadn’t only violated God’s intention for marriage to be between one man and one woman. He violated other commandments, as well, one of which is referenced here in v. 2. “You must not intermarry with them,” meaning the people groups who occupied the land of Canaan before Israel. Ok, but why would this be a command of God? Did God not like these peoples? Was he prejudiced against them? That can’t be right. We’ve already seen God’s heart for the nations in the Temple project. Israel was supposed to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, so that all the peoples of the world would be blessed by God. God has a huge heart for the nations. The gospel is good news for Jews and Gentiles, meaning for everyone! For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. The reason for this commandment during the time of Moses was because (we’re told in Genesis), the people groups who lived in Canaan had committed so much evil that God used the Israelites to conquer them as a punishment for their generational, Sodom-and-Gomorrah-level sin, some of which had to do with their despicable religious practices, including temple prostitution and child sacrifice. God’s command not to intermarry with those peoples was because they were under the judgment of God. And God knew that if they married each other, the Israelites would be influenced by them in many ways, one of which was in the worship of their gods. “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” There it is. “Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” Despite God’s pattern from creation and despite the clarity of God’s word and despite the fact that Solomon didn’t share a common faith with any of these women, Solomon, in all his vast wisdom, nevertheless, ignored all this and “held fast to them in love.” Even the wisest man alive had a huge moral blindspot. But what kind of impact would this have on Solomon and the kingdom?
1 Kings 11:4-8 (NIV), “4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. 7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.” So, this wasn’t just unwise. Solomon wasn’t playing the fool he wrote so much about in the book of Proverbs. This was a complete and utter moral and spiritual calamity. Why? Because Solomon was the king. He had all the money/authority/attention of the whole kingdom. So when he was leading the people the right way, in listening to and obeying God’s word, the people followed their king, God lavished his blessings on them, and the kingdom flourished. But when Solomon started marching off in the wrong direction, rejecting God’s word and doing what he wanted—not remaining fully devoted to Yahweh his God—again, the people followed their king, and it ruined everything. Solomon was faithful to God…until he wasn’t. As an old man, he had a heart problem. He had a heart disease. Solomon’s heart for all his foreign wives, and his disordered love for them, expanded to include their gods as well. He wasn’t wise in who he married, and it hurt him badly. How can two become one flesh, how can you have whole-life oneness, when you’re not on the same page about your faith in God? So is it that big of a surprise that Solomon’s heart started to drift from Yahweh his God? But what the author of the book of Kings presents here is not just a moment of doubt, or even a crisis of faith. They present King Solomon as one who not only allowed idol worship in his kingdom, but approved of it and even facilitated it! Just as he had built the grand Temple for Yahweh in Jerusalem, so he also eventually built places of worship for these idols, including supposedly sacred poles or trees for worship of Ashtoreth, the fertility goddess of the Sidonians. Her worship included ritual prostitution and other sexual immorality. I wonder how many wives worshiped her before Solomon started? But he also built high places for Molek and Chemosh, both of whom were worshiped with human and even child sacrifice. The thinking was that if you offered your baby to Molek, for example, and they were burned in a ritual fire at one of these high places, then Molek would bless your family with financial security and provision. What a horrifying and barbaric practice. It makes me think of Jesus’ words in Mt 18, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Mt 18:6). God calls these idols detestable and abominations; God hates these practices because a good father will hate anything that harms their children. Woe to anyone who messes with kids. And here, we have the Lord’s anointed building high places for and offering sacrifices to these abominations. Now, did Solomon offer any of his children? It doesn’t say, but even if he didn’t, surely Solomon knew this was so wrong. He was way out of bounds here. But what could be done? Could anyone intervene? As we’ve seen, it was Solomon’s job to rule and reign according to justice and righteousness. Wherever righteousness was lacking, justice was required. But if Solomon was this far off, who could make this right? Who would be able to bring justice to bear?
1 Kings 11:9–13 (NIV), “9 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” This is God’s word. The Lord became angry with Solomon. No kidding! I would’ve been furious. After everything God had done for him and his kingdom, God had been nothing but kind to Solomon and had graciously lavished his wisdom and wealth on him. He was so good and so faithful to him, and this is how Solomon repaid him, with disloyalty, disobedience, and detestable worship practices. But even worse, he led others down this path of destruction and death! Solomon never should’ve married Pharaoh’s daughter to begin with. Nevertheless, just as he failed to remain faithful to her in marrying all these other royal women (or acting married in the case of the concubines), so he failed to remain faithful to God and followed and worshiped all these other false gods. One of the things that makes marriage so powerful as God intended it to be is its exclusivity. This is true in our relationship with God as well. According to the Bible, there aren’t many gods and goddesses to pick and choose from; there is only one true and living God. And one of the things that makes our worship and our relationship with God so powerful in Christ is its exclusivity. There is only one. And you either follow him and worship him and serve him and love him, or you don’t. But when people try to take other paths, that doesn’t mean they stop worshipping. They continue to worship gods of their own making. As the Apostle Paul writes, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” (Ro 1:25). But this never ends well. Solomon’s heart problem, his disordered loves, had devastating consequences for both his family and his kingdom. God said that as a result of his covenant faithfulness (and Solomon’s covenant unfaithfulness), his kingdom would be torn away from him. However, (nevertheless!) God is still merciful even in the severity of his judgment. This wouldn’t happen in his lifetime. After Solomon, the united kingdom would be broken into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, would only have one tribe left to his name, but the idolatry that was practiced by the aging king would continue to plague Israel and Judah until the destruction of the Exile. Even though it happened so soon after the high point of the whole Old Testament, we cannot overstate how disastrous these actions of Solomon would be for the rest of the Old Testament. But maybe that’s where we need to land today. Maybe that’s the application for us. Should we be faithful to our spouse in marriage? Yes, of course. Should we be exclusive in our relationship with God? Yes, of course. There are devastating consequences if you aren’t exclusive in marriage or in faith. But a bigger question as I consider Solomon’s rise and fall is this: If Solomon, with all his advantages in life, couldn’t stay faithful to God, is there any hope for us? Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He lacked nothing. He had God’s word. He had the time to figure out how to live and reign. He had all the money in the world. He had the God of the universe on his side. Solomon was just at the high point of the whole OT. If Solomon fell, then seriously, what hope is there for us? Well, the good news of the gospel is, yes, there is hope for us. But our hope is not in ourselves. We are not the hero of our own story. It reminds me of when the rich young ruler asked Jesus, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (Mt 19:16), and when Jesus replied, teaching about how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, the disciples were baffled and they replied, “Who then can be saved?” (Mt 19:25). If those among us with all the advantages/resources will struggle with this, if the rich young ruler will struggle with this, if King Solomon struggled with this, who then can be saved? But friends, this is why everyone needs Jesus. Because everyone needs a savior, even Solomon. Sin is powerful, and the pull of temptations can be so strong. It’s hard to stay faithful over the course of a lifetime. Even the most knowledgeable, even the most wise, even the most accomplished/talented/faithful man or woman will need the blood of Jesus. But thank God we have a compassionate and gracious God! He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! And he was willing to send his own beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because even the best among us needs more than help sometimes. We need to be saved. But praise God, salvation has come through the person and work of Jesus. Solomon’s sin didn’t derail God’s plans or promises. He would still build a kingdom through the house and line of David. He would still build a kingdom that would never end. His kingdom would still be ruled by an anointed royal son. It would just be built on the Lord Jesus Christ, not on Solomon. Is there any hope for us? Yes! Yes, there is hope! No matter who you are or what you have done, no matter how far off the path you’ve wandered, you can always come back. Because there is hope in Jesus Christ. Let us pray.
Solomon’s Wealth (Solomon): There’s no denying the fact that King Solomon was fantastically wealthy. Never before had so much gold, silver, horses, spices, and other riches flowed into Jerusalem. But how are we to think about his vast accumulation? Was God ok with it, or was this a sign of trouble to come? We’ll see. One thing is sure: when wealth becomes our security, it replaces God. Recorded on Jan 25, 2026, on 1 Kings 10:14-29 by Pastor Nate Huber.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon (Solomon): After hearing reports of King Solomon and his God, the Queen of Sheba came with hard questions to see the wisdom of God for herself. When the king answered her questions, she was overwhelmed and left praising God. How can we help the spiritual seekers in our lives today? There is much to learn from King Solomon here. Recorded on Jan 18, 2026, on 1 Kings 10:1-13 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
A few years ago, comedian Chris Rock had a special where he said something deep. In what seemed like a moment of honesty, he confessed, “I’m basically trying to find God before God finds me.” (Rock, Chris. Chris Rock Total Blackout: The Tamborine Extended Cut. Netflix, 12 Jan. 2021, www.netflix.com/title/81397260.) Now, I don’t know Chris Rock and have no idea whether he’s ever been truly open as a spiritual seeker. My prayer for him, as I prepared this message, is that he would find God in the Lord Jesus Christ. All of heaven would rejoice if Chris trusted Christ. But his statement seems to tap into something. From time to time, God seems to be working in someone’s life who doesn’t know him, putting certain people of faith in their path, surprising them with certain religious experiences, providing for their needs in what could only be described as miraculous ways, and that sort of thing. These people start to seriously wonder whether there actually is someone behind/beyond the world we can see, someone who is pursuing them or calling out to them. When this happens, they might start to seek out the truth about who God is and how they might find him, and maybe, as Chris said, to find him before he finds me. Have you ever seen something like that? Have you ever had a friend or family member who started to be interested in the things of God? Or at least seemed open to talking about faith? Someone seeking answers to some of the big questions of life? But how can we help people like that? Well, we’re working through a sermon series on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel, in a series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. And we’re more than halfway through his reign as the king. Solomon had built his famous, historic temple in Jerusalem and the extravagant Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. God had appeared to him twice, once before the temple project to give him wisdom and once after to give him a warning to remain faithful to him and stay on the path that leads to life. Today, we’ll consider the famous story of when the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon. And the queen was one of these spiritual seekers. She had heard reports about King Solomon and Yahweh, his God, and she came to see for herself. How would Solomon respond? Would he welcome this gentile, pagan queen? And how would she respond? Would she become a believer in the one true and living God? And is there anything we might learn from this today? How can we help the spiritual seekers in our lives today? Well, if you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 10:1. We’ll read through it and unpack it as we go.
1 Kings 10:1–2 (NIV), “1 When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. 2 Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind.” Ok! I wonder what Solomon’s Egyptian wife thought about this foreign queen paying her husband a visit? Well, at any rate, the queen of Sheba made a long journey to come and meet the famous King Solomon, and she gave two reasons. First, because she heard about his relationship with the Lord, that is, Yahweh God, the maker of the heavens and the earth, and the one who rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. She wanted to hear more about him, and rumor had it that his temple was there in Jerusalem. Second, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. Whether these were philosophical questions, or political or religious questions, it doesn’t say. I’d guess it was probably some combination of all of them. But you might remember that King Solomon had become internationally famous for his wisdom. After his God-given gift of wisdom, Solomon spoke over 3,000 proverbs (wise sayings) on all sorts of topics in addition to writing over 1,000 songs and researching various plants and animals. Back in chapter 4, it said, “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.” (1 Ki 4:34). And the queen was one of those people who came to listen. So, where was the kingdom of Sheba? Scholars aren’t 100% sure, but the two most likely candidates are the southern Arabian Peninsula (modern Yemen) or the eastern Horn of Africa (Ethiopia). Ethiopia has long claimed a line of kings descended from King Solomon through a son he supposedly had with the Queen of Sheba. There isn’t any historical evidence for that, but it would fit later descriptions of Solomon’s many foreign wives. Nevertheless, Sheba is presented in the Bible as rich in gold and costly spices, gained through extensive trade with other kingdoms, perhaps India and beyond. Either way, the queen traveled some 1500 miles to meet the man she had heard so much about. No pressure, Solomon. But how would he do?
1 Kings 10:3-9 (NIV), “3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed. 6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” So how did King Solomon hold up? No problem! He had an answer for everything. But when the queen heard the answers to her questions, and she saw all the wisdom of how he had everything set up in his palace and the Temple, from his officials and servants and how they were dressed and how they were organized to carry out their business, and the burnt offerings made for worship in the Temple of the Lord, the queen was overwhelmed (literally, she was speechless). My guess is that a queen who was willing to travel so far to get answers to her hardest questions was rarely speechless. But when she finally caught her breath, she did something totally unexpected. What did she do? She praised God! First, she said that the reports she had received about his achievements and wisdom, which she thought were too good to be true, had under-estimated Solomon! But seeing was believing for this foreign, pagan queen. She saw how blessed the people of Israel were to have a king like Solomon. And how blessed his officials were to serve a king like that and benefit from his wisdom and good governance. But, I would guess this was all fairly normal for the meeting of two heads of state. Basically, “What a lovely place you have here!” Which is nice and polite. But what wasn’t normal was her statement about the God of Israel. She praised him by name in v. 9. “Praise be to the Lord…” That is, praise be to Yahweh, the covenant name of God. Remember, every time you see ‘LORD’ in the Bible in all caps, that is a translation of the personal Hebrew name of God, Yahweh. But why? Why does she praise the Lord? Well, this God must be real, and he must have delighted in King Solomon to have placed him on the throne of Israel and to have given him such wisdom. This God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the one who had shown eternal love for Israel, had made Solomon the king to maintain justice and righteousness. At least some of her questions must have been about the history of this relationship between God and the Israelites, because she recognized God’s love for them. This is what Moses said about their relationship many years earlier in Deuteronomy 7:7–8 (NIV), “7 The Lord did not set his affection on you [Israel] and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” The queen had heard of this relationship, but now she saw, firsthand, the blessings of this God who loved his people. She saw the love of God in practical ways working itself out in the lives of God’s people, including in a king who was committed to justice and righteousness. Now, throughout our whole series, we’ve said that a good and godly king is one who rules and reigns according to justice and righteousness. That wherever righteousness is lacking, justice is required. But the fact that this foreign queen could see that and recognize that from meeting Solomon and seeing his court and how he governed there in Jerusalem is remarkable. She had heard about this king and his God, but now she had met the king and gave praise to his God. Just as Hiram, king of Tyre, had given praise to God and agreed to help build Solomon’s Temple and Palace, so the queen of Sheba praised the Lord. But was that it? Or, like Hiram, did the queen do something more?
1 Kings 10:10–13 (NIV), “10 And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 11 (Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones. 12 The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.) 13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.” This is God’s word. So the queen didn’t just praise God with her lips only, she didn’t do the bare minimum to check off some religious box, she generously gave a huge amount of gold — about 4 1/2 tons worth, along with costly spices and precious stones! Can you imagine all that? What a generous gift for Solomon and Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now, I would certainly notice if someone gave me four tons of gold. But would Solomon have even noticed? Next week, we’ll consider King Solomon’s virtually unlimited wealth and what the Bible says about money. But whether or not Solomon was moved by this gift of the queen, it was clearly part of her response to finding the God she had been seeking. It was a gift for the Lord more than it was for Solomon, because even a pagan, gentile queen could see that the wisdom and blessings of Solomon hadn’t come from the king; they had come from God, and God loved his people and had blessed them in many ways. And after receiving everything she wanted and then some, the queen returned home to her own country. The queen had come to see if the rumors were true, and she came with hard questions for someone who supposedly had been blessed with the wisdom of God. And she rightly saw and understood both the blessing of Solomon being a good king (righteousness and justice), and that it came from the wisdom/blessings/love of God. For his later faults, King Solomon was a good ambassador for God. He represented God well enough here for the queen to find God and worship him. He welcomed her in and gave her time and attention. He was able to answer her hard questions, but she must have felt he was open to them to ask them at all. He wasn’t threatened by her questions or her foreign religious background. Certainly, she hadn’t been raised to worship Yahweh God or obey the Mosaic Law or anything like that. She likely came with very different ideas about how life came into being, why the world is how it is today, and what might be done about it, and so forth. She probably had offered many sacrifices to gods that Solomon would’ve considered to be dead idols. She was very different from Solomon in language, culture, religion, and more. But he still welcomed her in and shared what he knew and had experienced from the love of God, and it seems that she went home as a believer. Now, will a foreign queen ever want to meet you and talk with you about Jesus? Maybe! (You don’t know!) But probably not. But it’s been my experience that you don’t have to spend that much time around someone before questions of faith and God come up. Maybe a neighbor or a coworker, maybe a family member or a friend from high school. How might we respond? Here’s a big question for you: How can we help the spiritual seekers in our lives today? Well, the first answer is what we’ve already observed. Solomon welcomed this queen, despite their many differences. And he gave her time, and they talked about many things, despite, I’m sure, Solomon’s already busy schedule. He was willing to be interrupted by her when she came asking questions and was clearly paying attention to his answers. He wasn’t forcing her to listen to his opinions about God; he wasn’t cramming it down her throat. She had come to him! But he was open to her seeking. Second, he knew the Scriptures; he knew the Bible, so he knew the story of God’s goodness and faithfulness to his people from creation down through the flood and the Exodus and into the Promised Land. He knew the good promises of God for their future. And because he knew these things, he could share them with the Queen of Sheba when she came. You don’t practice free throws during the game. You practice for hours and hours and hours on your own so that when the game’s on the line, you can hit those free throws automatically. Solomon had been shooting free throws for years by the time the queen showed up. He had thought a lot about who God was and what it meant to follow him. He had seen his father, David, follow this pattern. Much of it probably felt automatic. Now, maybe that would be part of Solomon’s problems later in life? But here, he was ready with answers. Good job, Solomon. But this didn’t end with Solomon. Helping people who are spiritually seeking is central to the Great Commission of Jesus. To go and make disciples of all nations (including Sheba), baptizing and teaching people to obey everything that Christ has commanded. To help people find God before God finds them. The Apostle Peter would later write, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1Pe 3:15). Solomon did this, but Jesus did too. (Thomas) And if Jesus did this, then so should we. So today, do others see the love of God when they meet you? Do they see the wisdom of God when they consider your life? Do they see the blessings of God when they think about the people around you? Do they hear good news from you and see it changing and transforming you in your life? The best way to help the spiritual seekers in our lives is to make following Jesus our top priority first. But we don’t have to do this all on our own. Ultimately, if anyone sees anything good, any blessing, in my life, it’s because of the incredible grace and mercy of God. It’s because of the goodness and faithfulness of the Spirit of God and the word of God in my life. It’s because he has promised to go with us and never to leave us or forsake us, and he is here even now. So let us praise him, and lift up the name of Jesus. There is a whole world that should be filled with his glory. Let us pray.
The Lord Appears to Solomon (Solomon): 24 years into his reign, after completing the Temple and Palace building projects, the Lord appeared to King Solomon again. This time, instead of giving him the gift of wisdom, God gave him a stern but gracious warning: There is a path that leads to life, but there are many paths that lead away from life. Recorded on Jan 11, 2026, on 1 Kings 9:1-9 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
We’re working through a sermon series on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel, in a series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. And for the last few weeks, we’ve seen the joy and celebration of the dedication of the beautiful and historic Temple of God in the city of Jerusalem. And it wasn’t just that pretty much our whole sermon series led up to this, although it did. As we said, the dedication of the Temple is the high point of the whole Old Testament. Everything in Israel’s history led up to this unprecedented time of peace and prosperity, and in building the Temple for the God who had been so good and so faithful to them. Today, we’ll consider the second appearance of God to King Solomon. The first appearance was back in chapter 3, before the Temple project started, when Solomon asked for wisdom to administer justice, and God was pleased with this and lavished his wisdom on the king. Would God give Solomon something more now that he had accomplished so much for God? Well, yes, but it might not be what you’d expect. After all kinds of success, the Lord gave Solomon a gracious yet stern warning about the way he should walk through life. And how should we walk through life? Well, friends, there is so much wisdom in this warning. So, if you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 9:1. We’ll read through it and unpack it as we go.
1 Kings 9:1-3 (NIV), “1 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, 2 the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” Twenty-four years had passed since Solomon, son of David, had become the king of the kingdom of ancient Israel. We saw that the first four years were spent organizing and mobilizing the kingdom for these historic building projects with all the wisdom that God had so graciously given him. Then King Solomon spent seven years building a house for the Lord, the signature building project of his reign. For the last two weeks, we considered the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the prayer and worship that accompanied that. It was a huge celebration of the goodness and faithfulness and nearness of God to his covenant people. But then, once the Temple was done, King Solomon kept his machine going to build himself a house. And he spent thirteen years, almost double the amount of time spent on the Temple, to build his famously lavish Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. You might remember that the editor of the book of Kings inserted that story in the middle of the Temple story, which raised the question of whether it was right for Solomon to spend so much more time building so much bigger of a house for himself than for the Lord. But there were no strong condemnations in the text. So even though it was maybe questionable, it didn’t seem to be obviously sinful, but it did foreshadow later problems in the king’s life. Nevertheless, when these projects were done, I’m sure Jerusalem looked like a totally different city. Imagine the pride you would have if you lived there. Your king was famous for his wisdom and wealth. The kingdom had peace and prosperity. And did you hear what God just told King Solomon? The Lord told Solomon he heard his prayers at the dedication of the Temple. And God said that he had consecrated Solomon’s Temple, that is, he set it apart as holy. There have been many beautiful and impressive buildings throughout the history of the world. But this one was special, because the Lord God Almighty, the maker of the heavens and the earth, decided put his Name on this one. In ancient times, a name represented all of who someone was. For God to put his name on the Temple meant this Temple represented all of who he was/is/ever would be. And God said, “My eyes and my heart will always be there.” In other words, this place would always have his attention and affection (eyes and heart). Now, the Lord had no obligation to do this. But he did it because he wanted to have a relationship with them. And in any healthy relationship, you’re going to have someone’s attention and affection, their concern and their compassion. But a healthy relationship is a two-way street. Both partners ought to benefit, but both have responsibilities as well. Would God have any responsibilities for Solomon?
1 Kings 9:4-5 (NIV), “4 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’” In these verses, the “you” is singular, meaning God is speaking to King Solomon alone. If you, Solomon, walk according to my ways, things will go more than well for you. God reiterated his promise to David from 2 Samuel 7 that God would establish their kingdom, and they would have a king from their house and line who would reign over Israel forever and ever. God would do what he promised, but we see here that Solomon had responsibilities in this relationship as well. He was to walk before God with integrity of heart and uprightness — not to pay God lip service only or check off some religious boxes, but to obey the Lord from the heart. His inner world was supposed to match his outer world, to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, as his father, David, had done. Now, we know that David wasn’t a perfect man. But David repented of his sins and was forgiven by God because God is gracious and merciful. Even in his sin, David trusted in the Lord to save. And this would become the standard for what a good and godly king, on this side of eternity, could look like. Would Solomon follow this pattern, this way of walking through life? Well, so far in our series, it would appear as if he would, right? After all, who was it that God chose to be the king after David? Solomon. And who was it that God chose to build his Temple? Solomon. And who did it? Solomon! When he was a boy, he was raised in the faith. He definitely knew the Scriptures; that’s clear. And God made specific promises about him. As a man, when he became the king, Solomon put years of his life and untold riches and the resources of his kingdom into the Temple; he was very generous to the Lord. And Solomon prayed such a faith-filled prayer at the dedication of the Temple that the Lord approved all his requests. Surely, Solomon would stay faithful to the Lord. Surely he would have integrity of heart, obey the Law, and walk faithfully before the Lord all the days of his life, just as his father, David, had done……But what if he didn’t?
1 Kings 9:6-9 (NIV), “6 “But if you or your descendants turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 9 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster on them.’” This is God’s word. Friends, I’ve had a heavy burden on my heart for you as I prepared this message. I’m not sure I understand all the reasons why, but one thing I know for sure, this is a very severe and direct warning of God to not only Solomon but to the whole kingdom of Israel. We know this because in these verses, “you” changes from singular to plural. “But if you [all] or your descendants turn away from me,” then it will be an absolute calamity. Israel would be cut off from the land. This phrase is used in the Law for someone who, through their lawbreaking, had to be removed (cut off) from the congregation of the people. They were no longer considered part of God’s people. But also, the Lord would reject his house that he had just consecrated for his Name. The Hebrew word for “reject” implies a divorce. “Israel will then become a byword” means they’ll become an example to the world of what happens when you abandon the Lord, an object of scorn/scoffing. But the world will know that they brought all this destruction on themselves. Why? Because they rejected the one who made/loved/rescued them time and again. They rejected the one who blessed them and set his attention and affection on them. It wouldn’t be that God changed his mind. It would be because the people had rejected God. This is serious stuff. But was it really necessary for God to be so stern with Solomon here? Yes. Because if, after all the good things that God had done for them, they were still in danger of apostasy and all the disasters that come with rejecting the only source of life, light, and love in the universe, then it would be the most loving thing for God to warn his people. If Solomon would be seriously tempted by his virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women, even after all the good things he had done for the Lord, then it was an act of grace that God would be so severe in this second appearance, right? If one of my kids started doing something different from what I would prefer, I might make a comment about it or maybe ask a few questions about it, but I wouldn’t stress about it too much. But if they started doing something dangerous or destructive that could harm them or others, I wouldn’t be subtle about that. I would make sure they heard my warning and understood the consequences of continuing down that path because, as a father, I hate the things that harm my children. Well ok, but still, with everything Solomon knew about who God was and all that he had done for him and his people, did he really need this warning? It might seem insane that, after everything Solomon had seen with his own eyes of the goodness and faithfulness of God, and after all he had done himself to promote the worship of the one true God, that he would choose his own sinful path. But, friends, that’s the power of sin. Sin is blinding. We can’t always see how foolish or destructive it is. In fact, it’s just the opposite; sin often seems appealing, as if it were good for us! Isn’t that what happened in the Garden of Eden? When Satan questioned God’s word and lied to Eve, saying that his command wasn’t good or true, then what happened? “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Ge 3:6). They didn’t disobey God because they thought it would hurt them; they thought it would help them! And it ruined everything. Have you ever experienced this dynamic, tempted to sin, but you couldn’t see what could be wrong with it, in fact, it seemed appealing or helpful to you? Maybe telling a little white lie that you know will make you look good at work? Or maybe leaning into a flirty conversation with someone because your spouse hasn’t been very attentive/exciting lately? Or maybe refusing to forgive someone because you really just don’t like them? The Lord, in his kindness, knew King Solomon wasn’t exempt from this. No one is, including pastors. It’s why the first audience of the book of Kings needed this warning. They were living in the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness that resulted in the Exile and the destruction of the Temple, just as God had said would happen. But this is why we need this warning, too. It’s the perennial problem of life in a broken world. Over and over in the Bible, we’re told that there are really only two ways to live, two paths to take through life: There is a path that leads to life, but there are many paths that lead away from life. This is what God told Solomon all those years ago. But this is what God repeatedly warned his people about. That was God’s message in the Garden—you are literally in paradise in perfect relationship with me, but if you disobey my word, you will surely die. There are two paths, paradise and death. Later, before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses said there were either blessings or curses for them depending on which path they took in life. So many proverbs say this, too, perhaps even some written by Solomon after this conversation with God. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death,” because sin is blinding. Jesus taught on this many times, as well. In Matthew 7:13-14, he said, “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” “But wait a minute,” you might think, “how can there be only one way to live? Isn’t that oppressive or intolerant?” The Biblical answer is that the path to life is the path God has given us in his word, because God is the creator and he designed his creation to work a certain way. If you take a Toyota Prius and drive it across an open field, bad things are gonna happen. Why? Because Toyota is oppressive/intolerant? Of course not! It’s because they didn’t design the Prius to do that. If you drive a Prius off-road, it’s going to fall apart immediately. And if human beings fail to live according to our design, what do you think will happen? I’d guess it would look pretty close to how our world looks today, don’t you think? Constant confusion, chaos, and conflict. Widespread anger, anxiety, and depression. People who are desperate for hope, truth, identity, and joy. A new savior trotted out every other day, only to fall far short of what we need. It certainly feels like we’re off-road, doesn’t it? Well, Christians today know how God finally dealt with the problem of sin in the world. The Lord Jesus offered himself on the cross to pay the price for the sins of the world. So now, everyone from the greatest among us to the very least can be forgiven and freed from the power of sin and the ultimate consequence of sin, that is, death, through faith in Jesus. His way is the way that leads to life! But today, if you’ve never put your faith and trust in Christ, it doesn’t matter how much money you have or how popular you are or how accomplished you might be or even how much you’ve done for God — it doesn’t matter if you’re King Solomon himself; you’re on a path that leads to destruction and death. But please hear the invitation of Christ: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mt 11:28–29). Do not delay. You don’t know what tomorrow might bring. But know this: all who come to Jesus in the sincerity of faith will be accepted by him. And he would like nothing more than for you to walk through life with him, starting now and going on into eternity. But what about for the Christian? What can help us stay on this path that leads to life, the path of Jesus? Well, certainly passages like this can be a gut check for us. Maybe that was the burden I felt all week. Because if this was potentially a problem for a man as wise and accomplished as King Solomon, and if it was a problem for generations of Israel, surely many of whom were very smart and relatively good people, I’m not going out on much of a limb when I say this might be a problem for us as well. So today, if you say you’re a Christian, are you following Jesus in every area of your life? Is your faith real, or is it only lip service and a religious box to check? You come to church on Sundays, but are you walking before God faithfully with integrity of heart, careful to obey all commands of Christ? And when you stumble off the path, do you come back in humble repentance, trusting once again in the promise of forgiveness because of the person and work of Christ? If so, then you’re on the right path, the path that leads to life. Now, at times, even on the right path, your life might be very hard, and your circumstances might seem hopeless, but following Jesus is the only path that leads to the life that is truly life, and life eternal in the kingdom of God. He has done so much more for us than merely setting his attention and affection on us. The path of Jesus was a path that led to his death, so ours might lead to life. Let us then fight to follow him with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in us—and live. Let us pray.
The Dedication of the Temple (Solomon): When the congregation of Israel gathered for the dedication of the temple, they couldn’t stop praising the Lord! They were filled with joy and gladness for all the good things the Lord had done. True worship flows from a heart of love, moved by the grace of God, and results in a new way of life that is pleasing to God. Recorded on Jan 4, 2026, on 1 Kings 8:54-66 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
As we start a new year, we’ll continue working through a sermon series on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel, in a series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. As we saw last week, the signature building project of King Solomon’s life, that of building the Temple of God in the city of Jerusalem, was finished. It had taken four years to plan/organize and then seven years for almost 200,000 workers to build, but it was finally complete. Well, last week, we saw that the Temple was to be a place of prayer. King Solomon prayed a powerful prayer at the dedication of the temple that God would hear and respond to his people’s prayers when they needed mercy or the forgiveness of sins. If you missed that message (or any in our series), you can always go back and watch or listen to the podcast online. But today, we’ll see that the Temple would also be, of course, a place of worship. Worship should always be of the highest value and the central activity of God’s people. But have you ever thought about what we’re doing here on a Sunday morning when we gather for worship? I’ll be honest, I grew up in the church, and I liked worship, but I never really thought about what we were doing until I was preparing to be a pastor. But here’s what I’ve discovered: True worship flows from a heart of love, moved by the grace of God, and results in a new way of life that is pleasing to God. We see this dynamic clearly in how Solomon led the people in worship to finish the dedication of the Temple. But how much more is this true for followers of Jesus Christ? If you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 8:54. We’ll read through it and unpack it as we go.
1 Kings 8:54 (NIV), “54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.” Ok, let’s pause here for a moment. So, last week, we worked through King Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple. And we saw that five out of seven prayer requests were for God’s mercy and the forgiveness of sins. And I commented on his physical posture, noting that he was standing with his hands raised to heaven, as if expecting to receive something from the Lord. But here, at the end of his long prayer, he’s kneeling. What do you think happened? I know what happened. Solomon was feeling the burden of the weight of the needs of the whole assembly/congregation of Israel. He stood before the Lord and interceded on behalf of his kingdom, and he was brought to his knees. But the Lord could take it, amen?
1 Kings 8:55-61 (NIV), “55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: 56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” Last week, we saw that the basis of King Solomon’s prayer was that God was good and faithful and was here. And if that was true, then we can trust that when we pray, God will hear us and save us—even from ourselves. But here, we find that in just the same way, the basis for Solomon’s blessing of the people is the same good and faithful character of the God of heaven. “Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave.” Come on, Solomon, that’ll preach! But isn’t that true of you today? Has one word ever failed in all the good promises that God has given to us in Christ?? Absolutely not! So what? So praise be to the Lord! Who else brought us through the wilderness? Who else established us as a people? Who else walks with us, even in the darkest valley? Why do we pray? Because of who God is. And why are we blessed? Because of who God is! And what is the blessing? That God would continue to be with us—that he would stick with us as he stuck with our ancestors in the faith. That God would turn our hearts to him in obedience. That he would continue to hear our prayers and uphold our cause, providing for our needs day by day. But why? Why should God bless his people in this way? Look back at v. 60. “… so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord [Yahweh] is God and that there is no other.” Solomon is praying that God would do what he promised to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis chapter 12. That “all peoples on earth will be blessed through [Israel]” (Ge 12:3). You see, Solomon knew the relationship between the obedience of the people of God and the blessing of the nations. If they were not fully committed to God’s word and his way, then Israel would be no different from any other kingdom on the earth. But if their hearts were fully committed to the Lord, then they would be a beacon of light in a world of darkness, a lighthouse, able to guide the peoples of the earth into safe harbor in the kingdom of God. Israel was truly blessed. They were chosen by God, not because they were great and mighty, but because God simply loved them. And he rescued them and instructed them and walked with them every step of the way. And he provided a land for them and came and dwelled with them in the Tabernacle and then the Temple. He was patient with them and forgave their sins, great as they often were. He was nothing but kind to them, even when they struggled to be faithful to him. But on that great day, at the dedication of the Temple, the people responded to their great God. They gathered together, the whole nation, the assembly or congregation of the people. This concept flows forward into the NT era, too. The church is the gathered assembly of God’s people. But the King prayed for them and blessed them. And now, it was time to respond with offerings of praise.
1 Kings 8:62-66 (NIV), “62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord. 64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. 65 So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.” This is God’s word. We were told back at the beginning of chapter 8 that the festival the people were celebrating here was the Festival of Tabernacles. But according to the Law, this festival was only supposed to last eight days. Here, the people and their king were so enthusiastic in their gratitude and praise of God that they went a whole other week. They couldn’t stop praising the Lord! It was like a revival broke out. And they sacrificed so many offerings that the huge bronze altar they built for the Temple was too small! So they consecrated the middle part of the courtyard to give them more space. Burnt offerings were for the forgiveness of sins. After receiving forgiveness and reconciliation with God, fellowship offerings were made, representing the covenant relationship the people enjoyed with God. It’s somewhat similar to the new covenant practice of communion. And I’m sure the Levites led the people in singing psalms of praise, just as King David had organized them to do. And the people feasted together! But I just love the picture of v. 66. After all these things, “They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.” Amen! What a good day, right? But do you know what? This moment here, this triumphant, historic moment of the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, is the high point of the whole Old Testament. Everything that happened up until this point in history had built up to this. And there would never be another time in ancient Israel where the kingdom would be united, and the people’s hearts were so devoted to the Lord their God as they were then. In fact, it would go downhill in a hurry after this moment. But let’s not dwell on that today. We have before, and we will again. But for today, as we consider how to apply this text to our lives, let’s keep and kindle that spirit of joy and gladness our ancient brothers and sisters had all those years ago. Let’s worship the Lord as they worshipped the Lord, for all the good things he has done for us, his people. Why? Because it’s this inner attitude of the heart that always precedes true and proper worship. Worship wasn’t first about the number of cattle, sheep, and goats the people and the king were able to offer the Lord (which represented wealth in their day), just as we say that our financial offerings are not first about the dollar amount or percentage you are able to give. The Lord cares much more about your heart of worship behind the gift than the gift itself. Don’t forget, God already owns everything! And he is already as glorious as he’ll ever be. He doesn’t need our worship in any way. But he wants a real relationship with us, and when you get to know who God is and what he has done for us, it ought to do something to your heart. But here, the people’s hearts were moved so much by the generosity of the Lord that it made them generous in response. How much had God done for them? So much, as Solomon says! But how much more is it true for us in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ? God didn’t just give us manna from heaven or water from the rock as he had during the Exodus. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son! Jesus Christ, the Son of God sent from heaven, was the bread of life who would sustain his people through all of life and death. Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the Messiah, didn’t just bring water from the rock; he was and is and ever will be the rock on which the church is founded, and the one who brought streams of living water by his Spirit. What an incredible gift! And how do we respond to all this incredible goodness that God accomplished for us in Christ? We worship! This is the logic of the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1–2 (NIV), “1 Therefore, [therefore here refers to the whole gospel presentation that Paul made in Romans 1-11. In light of the mystery of the gospel which was revealed to us in Christ and his death and resurrection from the dead, 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. [God doesn’t want your money or even your songs of praise alone. He wants all of your life, your whole self.] 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.” Do you see how Paul repeats the same pattern as Solomon? Because of who God is and what he has done — in view of God’s mercy — therefore, let your hearts be moved to praise the Lord! Solomon said, “And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” Paul said, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Then you’ll know what God’s will for your life is. The big idea behind King Solomon’s prayer and blessing, the system of old-covenant Temple worship, and new-covenant worship in Christ, is this: True worship flows from a heart of love, moved by the grace of God, and results in a new way of life that is pleasing to God. True worship can’t stay at the Temple or the church building. True worship comes from within, from the heart, but it flows out into the world around us — a beacon of light in a world of darkness. King Solomon knew that if the Israelites kept this attitude of worship as they returned to their homes and work and regular lives, they would remain fully committed to following the Lord. However, the good news of the gospel is not that we need to try harder to live lives that are pleasing to God for him to love/accept/bless us. The truth is that even with the record of all the good things that God had done for his people, Israel, in the past, they still fell away from God. They still needed a savior. They still needed Jesus. But, friends, Jesus has come! We just celebrated Christmas. The savior of the world has come and lived and died and has risen again. He came to rescue you, not because you are better than others, but simply because he loves you. And he loves you even though he knew you would need to be saved. So what? So praise the Lord! Solomon’s Temple pointed forward to the fulfillment of all his prayers in the person and work of Christ. So it was in their day, but it’s as true for us today: true worship flows from hearts of love, moved by the grace of God. But please notice—this revival, this incredible, generous outpouring of worship happened when Israel gathered to worship together. You can worship God anywhere because God is not limited to one place or time of the week. But the people of God have always experienced the greatest moments of worship gathered together. This is why it’s important to prioritize gathering for worship. I confess, as a pastor, I’m not always in the greatest mood to worship the Lord when I’m driving to church on a Sunday morning. (Can you believe that?) But then I see you, and I’m served and loved by you, and I’m reminded of all the good things the Lord has done for me through our songs and prayers and even in my own sermons. (I’m preaching to myself up here, too, you know!) That joy and gladness start creeping back into my heart. And this is so important because worship isn’t a nice-to-have kind of thing; it’s a need-to-have thing. I was reminded of this when I read about NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore. On June 5, 2024, Butch and one other astronaut began what was only supposed to be an eight-day mission to the ISS. However, because of an equipment failure, they were stuck on the ISS for nine months. But Butch is a devout Christian. Do you know what he said sustained him during those months of uncertainty and waiting? Worship. He worshiped with his church family by watching their livestream every week, 250 miles above the earth. When he was interviewed after returning, he said he needed to be filled by the preaching of God’s word, he was encouraged by hymns like “Amazing Grace,” and he needed the fellowship of other believers. Of course, it’s never quite the same on the livestream as in person, but it was still helpful for him. And if it was true for Butch, for someone lost in space, how much more true is it for us who can freely gather for worship? But let’s not stop with just gathering for worship. In this new year, in 2026, let your heart of worship result in a life of worship — in a way of life that is pleasing to God. A life of generous giving, sacrificial serving, care for the poor, and love for one another. That’s the kind of life I want for myself, my kids, and their kids. That’s the kind of church I want to be part of, don’t you? A way of blessing, not just for us but for the whole world in Christ. A life where we might be joyful and glad in heart together, for all the good things the Lord has done for us, and hopeful for all he has promised for us in Christ. Let us pray.
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication (Solomon): King Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple strongly emphasized the need for the forgiveness of sins. Would God respond with mercy in their time of need? If God is good and faithful and is here, then we can trust that when we pray, he will hear us and save us—even from ourselves. Recorded on Dec 28, 2025, on 1 Kings 8:22-53 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
Well, I truly hope you all had a great Christmas. We certainly did. But today, we’re going to jump back into our sermon series on one of the most important kings of ancient Israel, a series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. Most of our series has followed the story of Solomon’s life from the book of 1 Kings, which we’ll jump back into today. But if you recall, the signature building project of King Solomon’s life, that of building the Temple of God in the city of Jerusalem, was finished. It had taken years to plan/organize and then seven years for almost 200,000 workers to build, but it was finally complete. The ark of the covenant had been brought into the Most Holy Place, the priests had started their work, and the glory cloud of God filled the Temple, letting everyone know that God’s own holy presence was there. This was God’s house, and the Lord was home. The Temple was, of course, a place of worship, as we’ll focus on next week. Worship is always a central activity of God’s people in relationship to him. But the Father’s house, as Jesus later famously said, was to be a house of prayer. Not that prayer isn’t part of our worship, it is! But how you pray and what you pray for directly depends on who you believe God is. And for all his later problems, here at the dedication of the Temple, King Solomon offered a powerful prayer that might just change/transform how you pray. So today, if anyone here would like more power in their prayer life, then this sermon is for you. If you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 8:22. It’s a little longer passage today, but you can handle it! And we’ll unpack it as we go.
1 Kings 8:22–26 (NIV), “22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today. 25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.” Here, King Solomon represented the whole kingdom as he stood before the altar in front of the whole assembly of Israel. And notice his posture: standing up, with arms up, and hands spread out toward heaven. His physical posture represents his heart of praise/honor for God, and his expectation of an answer from God. Some of us lift our hands when we sing worship music. It’s the same thing. The outer posture reflects the heart. I know some of you think you’re too cool for that, but get over it! If God moves your heart, let him move your hands, too! But notice, Solomon starts by focusing on the character of God. “…there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.” This affirmation of God’s good/faithful character served as the basis for the seven requests that form the body of his prayer.
1 Kings 8:27-40 (NIV), “27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. 31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence. 33 “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors. 35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. 37 “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple—39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.” On this, the joyful day of celebration for the dedication of the Temple, King Solomon prayed that God would have…mercy? Now, we saw it last year in our Exodus series, and we were reminded of it when the cloud of the glory of God prevented the priests from even entering the Temple, but the holiness of God was still something of a threat to sinful people. Could a holy God live in the midst of a sinful people? Well, the answer is yes, but it’s tricky. Because even though a compassionate and gracious God would be slow to anger, God could still get angry! But v. 27 starts with a very humble admission from a very wealthy and powerful king who just built one of the most expensive and beautiful buildings on earth. He knew that even the best human achievement is but a shadow of what God, the creator of the stars and galaxies, mountains and oceans, deserves. And yet, God had chosen this people to be his people, and this kingdom to be his kingdom, and this temple to be his house, the place where his name would dwell. And if an infinitely holy God was going to dwell with an imperfect people, prone to wander, sometimes good and faithful, but other times wicked and hard-hearted and stiff-necked toward the Lord their God, then at the very least, they needed some serious prayer. This is why Solomon prayed for mercy, because he knew that he and his people would need it. So, as he prayed, Solomon laid out seven scenarios where they would need the mercy of God. Let’s cover the first four now. First, when there was sin between neighbors, when someone had failed to love their neighbor as themselves. (That never happens, right? Right.) Well, Solomon prayed that God would make the truth known and render justice, but also forgive. “Hear our pleas, Lord, but when you hear, forgive.” Second, when an enemy defeated Israel (and this is key), because they sinned against God, and when they repent and turn back and pray in the Temple again, forgive them and rescue them. Third, when there’s a drought, when there’s no rain (and again, this is key), because your people sinned against God, and when they repent and pray toward the Temple once again, forgive them, teach them the right way to live, and send rain. Are you seeing a theme here? Fourth, when there’s a plague or something like that (Solomon lists various calamities), because of the sinful affliction of their hearts, and when anyone among your people prays for help, forgive and act, oh Lord. Even if a little child prays for your help, would you hear their prayer, oh Lord, and answer their plea? Here, we have four requests that all concern the forgiveness of sins. Four times in a row, “Lord, (not if but) when your people fall into gross sin, would you forgive/rescue them once again?” But shouldn’t this have been more celebration and less desperation on the day of the grand opening of the Temple? Perhaps. Solomon does go on to pray for a few other things. Let’s consider those requests before we judge his prayer.
1 Kings 8:41-45 (NIV), “41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name—42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. 44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.” Now, this is interesting! Solomon’s fifth request is for those who were not his citizens — people from pagan nations who likely worshipped all sorts of false gods. Surely, they wouldn’t be welcome at the house of Yahweh, would they? People who had never even read, much less obeyed, the Law of Moses. Well, Solomon prayed for the foreigner from a distant land, who came because of the reputation of their God. He prayed that no matter what their background was or what they had done, whether they were young/old, rich/poor, or male/female, that God would hear the prayers of these seekers and act for them, just as he heard and would act on behalf of his own people. What God would do that? Well, in our series, we’ve already been reminded of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that Israel would be a blessing to all the nations of the world. And we saw in Solomon’s treaty with the Gentile king, Hiram, to help build the Temple, God’s desire for both Jew and Gentile to help build his house. Ultimately, in the mystery of the gospel, we see that God always planned to have both Jew and Gentile in his family of the redeemed of the earth. King Solomon knew that the house he had built for the Lord was a house that was open to all. Why? Because God is the “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Ex 34:6–7). This wasn’t just God’s curated image for social media and good publicity; this is who he was, and is, and ever would be. This is why Solomon knew God would welcome anyone. God wanted all the peoples of the earth to know him and to walk in a relationship with him. Sixth, King Solomon prayed that the Lord would hear and help his people when they were at war with their enemies. But did you notice that this time, he doesn’t mention anything about sin? The war didn’t come as a result of Israel’s disobedience, but because of their obedience! “When your people go to war…wherever you send them…” then hear their prayers, do not abandon them, but uphold their cause. So, “when there’s a dispute between neighbors because of sin, or when Israel is defeated because of sin, or when there’s a drought because of sin, or when there’s some plague because of sin, or (let’s see, what else?), I guess there could be a foreigner who wants to know you or a war that doesn’t have to do with sin, but when people are crying out to you, then Lord, hear their prayers and intervene. Why? Because you are good and you are faithful.” Ok! Is that all? Well, just one more thing.
1 Kings 8:46-53 (NIV), “46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. 52 “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.” This is God’s word. So, if my math is right, five out of seven prayer requests were about the forgiveness of sins. Even if, as the last request made clear, Israel was so disobedient that God finally sent them into exile in a foreign land as punishment for their covenant unfaithfulness. Does it seem like, “God, please help these losers and forgive them when they will obviously fail.” Well, it might seem a bit…pessimistic, but I don’t believe Solomon was insulting his people or demeaning his kingdom. He was using the wisdom God had given him and prayed the best prayer he could. Because he knew what was in the hearts of people. He knew the corrupting influence of sin. He knew that even with a holy God dwelling in their midst, even with the Law and the whole sacrificial system to deal with the problem of sin, the people would still need to be saved. So Solomon prayed for mercy, again and again. So, this wasn’t pessimistic; it was a hopeful prayer, perfectly fitting for the dedication of the Lord’s house. Why? Because of the character of the Lord! Because of the steadfast-loving-kindness of God! Here’s the big idea of Solomon behind his prayer, and this is the thing that has the power to change your prayers even to this day: If God is good and faithful and is here, then we can trust that when we pray, he will hear us and save us—even from ourselves. God’s character is the basis for all of our prayers. If God isn’t good or faithful or here, then why should we pray about anything? But I love what commentator Paul House writes about this passage, “God is lofty, holy, and mysterious, yet approachable and personal at the same time. The temple will serve as the physical symbol of these divine realities. Here the unapproachable Lord becomes approachable and ready to help those who worship, sacrifice, and pray.” (House, Paul R. 1, 2 Kings. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995, p. 144.) I love that. God is approachable. This was seen in the Temple story, but how much more in the Christmas story? The uncreated Son of God becomes a human being. The eternal One steps down into time and space. The unapproachably holy Lord becomes flesh and blood, ready to hear, ready to help. Just think, if God were not good, then why would he care? And if God were not faithful, then we could never trust him. And if God wasn’t near, if he was far off and removed from our lives, then how would he even know/hear us in our time of need? But if God is good and faithful and is here, then we can trust him that when we pray, he will not only hear us but save us—even from ourselves and the messes of our own making. This is what the Temple was all about. It was a living picture that God was good and faithful and was here. King Solomon knew this, which is why he prayed as he did. But do you know who needed to be reminded of this? The first audience of this text: the people of Israel who lived during the time of the exile. They were experiencing all the punishment and disaster that Solomon had prayed about all those years earlier. They needed to be reminded that God was good and faithful. That he would be merciful to them and would hear their prayers if they would only humble themselves and turn back to him. But it wouldn’t be until the first advent/arrival in the birth of Christ, when they would see how God would answer their prayers. How God himself would atone for the sins of the world, not through a sacrifice made at Solomon’s Temple, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus paid the price we could never pay. Why? So that no matter what your background is or what you have done, whether you are young/old, rich/poor, male/female, or Jew/Gentile, God will hear your prayers. He will hear you when you cry out to him for forgiveness, and he will forgive. “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9). In Christ, and in his incarnation, death, and resurrection from the dead, and in the gift of his Spirit, and in his promise to return to make all things new, we see that God is good and faithful and is here. So what? So, just as Solomon prayed, you can trust that when you pray, your Father will hear you and save you—even from yourselves. So today, and all throughout 2026, in light of Solomon’s prayer all those years ago, and in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb 4:16). Amen and amen. Let us pray.
