I Samuel 3:2-10

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

Our featured Scripture is from I Samuel 3:2 through 10. I tried to condense it without losing the meaning, but it is still rather long!

     And it came to pass at that time, while Eli [the 
     priest] was lying down...and when his eyes had begun 
     to grow so dim...and while Samuel was lying down, that 
     the Lord called Samuel....So he ran to Eli and said, 
     “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did 
     not call; lie down again.” ...Then the Lord called yet 
     again, “Samuel!”  So Samuel...went to Eli, and said, 
     “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did 
     not call, my son; lie down again.”...And the Lord 
     called Samuel again the third time. Then he arose and 
     went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call 
     me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the 
     boy, [so he] said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it 
     shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, 
     Lord, for Your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and 
     lay down....Now the Lord...called as at other times, 
     “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for 
     Your servant hears.” 

• The message that God gave to young Samuel was not good news!

     ✡   I Samuel 3:13 – “‘...I have told [Eli]...
          that I will judge his house forever for the 
          iniquity which he knows, because his sons 
          made themselves vile, and he did not re-
          strain them.’”

     ✡	  I Samuel 3:14 – “‘...therefore I have sworn 
          to the house of Eli that the iniquity of 
          Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sac-
          rifice or offering forever.’”

• The fulfillment of the LORD’s message involved tremendous Israeli losses (30,000 soldiers) in a battle with the Philistines:

     ✡	 I Samuel 4:12, 14, and 17 – 

             ...a man of Benjamin ran from the battle 
             line...to Shiloh...and told Eli...“Israel 
             has fled before the Philistines, and there 
             has been a great slaughter....Also your 
             two sons, Hophni and Phinehas are dead, 
             and the ark of God has been captured.”

     ✡   I Samuel 4:18 – “...when he made mention of 
          the ark of God...Eli fell off his seat...and 
          his neck was broken and he died, for he was 
          old and heavy.”

• Generations later, Abiathar, a descendant of Eli, was a priest during King David’s day, even into Solomon’s reign – probably 45 years! He seemed to be loyal to David, until he joined the king’s son Adonijah in his bid to oust his father and take over the kingdom of Israel! Abiathar even counseled to have David killed!

     ✡	  I Kings 2:28 – When Solomon came to the throne, 
          he sent Abiathar packing! “‘Go to Anathoth, to 
          your own fields, for you are worthy of death, 
          but...you carried the ark...and were aflicted 
          [with]...my father David.’”

     ✡	  I Kings 2:29 – “So Solomon removed Abiathar from 
          being priest...that he might fulfill the word of 
          the LORD which he spoke concerning the house of 
          Eli.”

That’s the story of our featured Scripture, I Samuel 3:2 through 10. But what about A Life Verse? That’s the title of this Gem! But what is a life verse? It is a brief portion of Scripture that a follower of Jesus Christ selects that best defines his or her Christain life! My life verse is just nine words from Ephesians 1:6: “…His grace…has made us accepted in the Beloved.” Why did I choose this brief passage?

• Many years ago, I and my two brothers experienced the loss of our father when he ran off with another woman, leaving my mother in poor health, with three boys (I was the youngest at age ten), and an illegally double-mortgaged dairy farm in Connecticut! We had to sell the farm the next spring to pay off debts. And my life fell apart! I loved that farm! And, for my life’s work, I wanted to be a dairy farmer, taking over that particular farm!

• I felt like my life had been torn up by the roots! To cope…

     ➔   I started drinking by age 12!

     ➔   I was an alcoholic by age 15!

• I ran with the wrong kind of friends, and we were often in trouble – in school and with the police!

• The consensus was, “Those Norton boys, they will never amount to anything good!”

     ➔   We three boys bought into that consensus!

     ➔   I longed for acceptance! But I didn’t know how 
          to go about being accepted. 

…until at age 19 and in the Air Force, I found that in Jesus Christ, I was “…accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6).

• As much as the Father accepted the Son…

• …in Jesus, by putting my faith in Him as my Savior, I was accepted by God the Father as much as He accepted His own dear Son!

I suppose these few words from I Samuel 3:5 could be used as a life verse in a joking way. It is when God called Samuel and he came to Eli and said, “‘Here I am, for you called me.’ ” Eli answered, “‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ”

“‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ” That’s a great Scripture to build you life on, isn’t it? I mean, Eli the priest said it twice (again in verse 6)! It seems like too many Christians have taken this as their life verse – most likely without even realizing it!

• “I’m thinking about becoming a pastor.” “‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ”

• “Is God calling me to the mission field?” “‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ”

• “Should I take that job of teaching that Sunday school class?” “‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ”

• “They want me to be a deacon!” “‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ”

• “The Lord wants me to begin tithing.” “‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ”

• “God is leading me to spend more time in Bible study and prayer.” “‘I did not call; lie down again.’ ”

…You get the idea!

Somehow, these seven words from I Samuel 3:5 have gotten into the hearts of too mamy believers – invaded their thinking when the LORD calls! Even if they are not consciously aware of this passage, it is still the way a great number of Christians respond to God’s leading!

So which is more important to you?

• Responding to the LORD’s call in a way that honors Him?

…or…

• Going back to spiritual sleep?

When the LORD calls…
Don’t go back to sleep!

I Kings 3:5-9

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

Solomon, in his divine visitation dream (I Kings 3:7 through 9) asked a special request of God:

     “Now, O LORD my God, You have made your servant king 
     instead of my father David, but I am a little child; 
     I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your ser-
     vant is in the midst of Your people whom You have 
     chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered 
     or counted. Therefore give Your servant an under-
     standing heart to judge Your people, that I may dis-
     cern between good and evil. For who is able to judge 
     this great people of Yours?”

There are six prescriptions in Deuteronomy 17:14 through 19 that God gave concerning future kings of Israel! Here are four from verses 16 and 17:

     “...he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor 
     cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply 
     horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall 
     not return that way again.’ Neither shall he mul-
     tiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; 
     nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for 
     himself.”

In the last two Gems we have covered three mentioned in verses 16 and 17 (and two more from Deuteronomy 17:18 in Discerning Between Good and Evil – II). Here we will finish this four-part series by examining the fourth prescription.

Deuteronomy 17:17 – “…nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.” Why is that? In I Timothy 6:6 through 11, Saint Paul gives some good and godly reasoning:

• In verse 6 he makes a broad statement: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”

     ✞   As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, our highest 
         aim should be godliness – to become more and more 
         like our Master!  

         ➔   As Jesus said in Matthew 10:24 and 25 (Modern 
              King James Version), “A disciple is not above 
              his master, nor the servant above his lord. 
              It is enough for the disciple that he is like 
              his master, and the servant like his lord.”

         ➔   This is the Father’s plan for every believer, 
              according to Romans 8:29:  “For whom He [God, 
              the Father] foreknew, He also predestined to 
              be conformed to the image of His Son, that He 
              might be the firstborn of many brethren.”

     ✞   “...godliness with contentment....”  

         ➔   What is contentment? It is being fully sat-
              isfied with where you are and what you have!

         ➔   The apostle shared his own experience con-
              cerning contentment in Philippians 4:11 
              through 13:

                 “I have learned in whatever state I 
                 am, to be content. I know how to be a-
                 based, and I know how to abound. Every-
                 where and in all things I have learned 
                 to be full and to be hungry, both to 
                 abound and to suffer need. I can do all 
                 things through Christ who strengthens 
                 me.”

• In the next four verses Paul gives supporting arguments against placing too much focus on “…multiplying silver and gold for…[one]self.”

     ✞   I Timothy 6:7 – “For we brought nothing into this 
         world, and it is certain we can carry nothing 
         out.” (see also Ecclesiastes 5:15, 16).

         ➔   A newborn comes into this world naked, 
              helpless, and has no consciousness of 
              wealth or possessions.

         ➔   As far as departing this life, someone 
              once said, “I have never seen a hearse 
              pulling a U-Haul trailer!”

         ➔   So it is foolishness to pursue that which 
              is not eternal! (see Luke 12:15-21). 

         ➔   And, according to Psalm 14:1 and 53:1, to 
              be a fool is to act like an atheist!  For, 
              “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is 
              no God.’”

     ✞   I Timothy 6:8 – “And having food and clothing, 
         with these we shall be content.” Yes, we need 
         more than having only food and clothing! And 
         the list can get rather long! But Paul’s point 
         is that if our chief concern is to attain god-
         liness (God-likeness), then much of what else 
         we might pursue is unnecessary!

     ✞   I Timothy 6:9 – “But those who desire to be rich 
         fall into temptation and a snare, and into many 
         foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in des-
         truction and perdition.”

         ➔   The people under consideration here are 
              those whose main focus in life is to be-
              come wealthy, and so have power, influ-
              ence, and control over those of lower 
              status.

         ➔   In the parable of the sower, found in Mat-
              thew 13:3 through 9 (with Jesus’ interpre-
              tation of this parable in Matthew 13:18 
              through 23), the pursuer of riches does not 
              drown, but any godliness is choked by weeds 
              of materialism! (see Matthew 13:7 and 22).

     ✞   I Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is the 
         root of all kinds of evil, for which some have 
         strayed from the faith in their greediness, and 
         pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

         ➔   Money is not evil! As a matter of fact, 
              the first mention of gold in the Bible 
              is in Genesis 2:11 through 12 where it 
              mentions the four rivers that divided 
              from the garden of Eden river. “The 
              name of the first [river] is Pishon; it 
              is the one that encompasses the whole 
              land of Havilah, where there is gold.  
              And the gold of that land is good.” If 
              money was evil, God would not have called 
              “...the gold...of Havilah...good...”!

        ➔   It is “...the love of money [that] is the 
             root of all kinds of evil...”! For such 
             love is a consuming love, and that kind 
             of love must be reserved only for the 
             LORD God Himself! (see Mark 12:30).

• In verse 11, Paul applies all this in a warning to young Timothy: “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] gentleness.” In other words, Get your priorities right! Make sure God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, has first place in your life…not the pursuit of worldly wealth!

Solomon pursued worldly wealth! He ignored God’s prohibition of Deuteronomy 17:17, “…nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.” The extent of this king’s riches is staggering! Here are a few Scriptures that give us an idea of the wealth he garnered:

• I Chronicles 29:3 through 5 – David, during the last years of his reign , prepared as much material as he could from Israel’s national resources for the building of God’s temple by his son Solomon. But he also contributed much from his personal wealth! “Moreover …I have given…my own special treasure of gold and silver; three thousand talents of gold…and seven thousand talents of refined silver….”

     ✡   In today’s dollars, that’s about four hundred 
          billion dollars worth of gold, and thirteen 
          billion dollars worth of silver!  And I’m sure 
          that did not exhaust King David’s personal 
          portfolio!

     ✡   Solomon inherited a lot of wealth from his daddy 
          when he became king!

• II Chronicles 9:9 – The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s wisdom and riches, and she came to judge it for herself. She was very impressed! “Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold…and precious stones….” The gold alone was worth about sixteen million dollars!

• I Kings 9:26 and 28 – “King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber…And they went to Ophir, and acquired four hundred and twenty talents of gold…and brought it to King Solomon.” This expedition produced about fifty seven million dollars of wealth for the king!

• I Kings 10:22 – “The king had merchant ships…with Hiram [king of Tyre]. One every three years the…ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.”

• I Kings 10:23 through 25 –

     So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth 
     in riches and wisdom. And all the earth sought the 
     presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom....Each man 
     brought his present; articles of silver and gold, 
     garments, armor, spices, horses and mules, at a set 
     rate year by year.

• I Kings 10:14 and 15 –

     The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was 
     six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, besides 
     that from the traveling merchants, from the income 
     of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from 
     the governors of the country.

     ✡   “...six hundred and sixty-six talents of 
          gold...” is worth in today’s money about 
          ninety million dollars!

     ✡   Ninety million dollars came in each year, 
          and Solomon reigned for forty years! That’s 
          worth about three and a half trillion dol-
          lars!

• II Chronicles 1:15 – “…the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones….”

• I Kings 10:21– “All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold…not one was of silver, for [silver]…was accounted for as nothing in the days of Solomon.”

The king had one more source of great wealth that is not usually counted because it is a bit hidden in I Kings 12:4 (International Standard Version):

• Solomon’s son and successor, Rehoboam held audience with the people of Israel upon his ascendance to the throne: “Your father made our burdens unbearable. Therefore lighten your father’s requirements and his heavy burdens that he placed on us, and we’ll serve you.”

• Apparently, the heavy burdens the Israelites labored under included a great load of taxes. Being a trillionaire didn’t satisfy Solomon! So he resorted to oppressive taxation!

Adding it all up, is it any wonder that Solomon, the king of Israel, is accounted as the richest man in the history of the world? But although that may be impressive, Solomon failed miserably! He started his kingly life walking close to the LORD, but he left God behind, disobeying His explicit commandments because he didn’t “…let the word…dwell in [him]… richly…” (Colossians 3:16). So the great King Solomon ended his life in a shipwreck! And it not only affected him, it affected the whole nation of the Israelites for centuries!

Don’t let this happen to you!
Don’t pursue wrong things as your life’s goal!
“…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”!
(Matthew 6:33)

I Kings 3:5-9

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

I want to make a correction from what I wrote in the last Gem. We looked at Deuteronomy 17:18 and 19, part of the passage where God told the Israelites what their king must do:

     “And it shall be when he sits on the throne of his 
     kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of 
     this law in a book. And it shall be with him , and 
     he shall read it all the days of his life, that he 
     may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful 
     to observe all the words of this law and these 
     statutes....” 

And I said concerning these instructions, “There is no record that Solomon ever followed this directive (nor did any other king of the united or split kingdoms of Israel).” But there was one king who followed God’s directive – David! At least most of his private and kingly life he did! For he was, as God said in I Samuel 13:14, “…a man after [the LORD’s]…own heart…”! (see also Acts 13:22).

But back to Solomon, and what he asked God for in his divine visitation dream recorded in I Kings 3:7 through 9:

     “Now, O LORD my God, You have made your servant 
     king instead of my father David, but I am a little 
     child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And 
     Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom 
     You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to 
     be numbered or counted.  Therefore give Your ser-
     vant an understanding heart to judge Your people, 
     that I may discern between good and evil. For who 
     is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

“…that I may discern between good and evil…” includes heeding the prescriptions God laid out for Israel’s future kings in Deuteronomy 17:16 through 19! We have covered four; and while there are two more for our consideration, the next one is so demanding, we may have to go to a fourth Gem to complete this study!

Deuteronomy 17:17 – “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away….”

• The LORD had warned them more than once concerning this very thing! From the first six verses of Deuteronomy 7, here are some highlights of God’s warning:

     When the Lord your God brings you into the land [of 
     Canaan] which you go to possess...and delivers over
     ...seven nations greater and mightier than you...you 
     shall...utterly destroy them....Nor shall you make 
     marriages with them....For they will turn your sons 
     away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the 
     anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and 
     destroy you suddenly. But...you shall destroy their 
     altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut 
     down their wooden images, and burn their carved im-
     ages with fire. For you are a holy people to the 
     Lord your God...a special treasure above all the 
     peoples on the face of the earth. 

God knew the dynamics of social interaction, love and passion, for He created these dynamics! And He knew the sinful heart of man could be pulled away from loving and serving Him by involvement with those who didn’t follow Him!

• But more than any other Jewish king, Solomon broke the LORD’s command not to “…multiply wives for himself….” ! For we are told I Kings 11:1 through 4:

     ...King Solomon loved many foreign women...of the 
     Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hit-
     tites — from the nations of whom the LORD had said 
     to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermar-
     ry with them, nor they with you. For surely they 
     will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Sol-
     omon clung to these in love.  And he had seven hun-
     dred wives, princesses, and three hundred concu-
     bines; and his wives turned away his heart...after 
     other gods....

     ✡   Eerdmans, The New Bible Dictionary describes 
          concubines as “A secondary wife acquired by 
          purchase or as a war captive.....Concubines 
          were protected under Jewish law though they 
          were distinquished from wives and were more 
          easily divorced.” (see Exodus 21:7-11; Deu-
          teronomy 21:10-14).

     ✡   Primary or secondary wives – Solomon had one 
          thousand of them! I have enough of a challenge 
          keeping one wife happy.  How could Solomon keep 
          a thousand happy!

     ✡   We do know that the king made political allian-
          ces by marrying foreign princesses, such as the 
          daughter of Pharoah, king of Egypt (see I Kings 
          7:8).  

• I Kings 11:4 – “…when Solomon was old [probably only in his 50’s]…his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God….” What other gods?

     ✡   I Kings 11:15 – “...Ashtoreth the goddess of the 
          Sidonians....” By Solomon’s time, Ashtoreth (or 
          Ashtaroth) was the main goddess of the Mediter-
          ranean coastal region, and also worshiped across 
          the territory of Canaan and the Syro-Arabian na-
          tions. She was the wife of Baal, chief of the 
          gods, and the god of war. Ashtoreth was associ-
          ated with fertility, sex, love, and war. Accord-
          ing to The Old Testament Speaks, by Samuel J. 
          Shultz (Harper and Rowe Publishers; New York; 
          1970) p. 92:

             Since the gods of the Canaanites had no 
             moral character, it is not surprising 
             that the morality of the people was ex-
             tremely low. The brutality and immoral-
             ity in the stories about these gods is 
             far worse than anything found in the 
             Near East....the Canaanites of Joshua’s 
             day [and later into Solomon’s time] 
             practiced child sacrifice, sacred pros-
             titution, and snake worship in their...
             religion. Naturally, their civilization 
             degenerated under this demoralizing in-
             fluence.

     ✡   I Kings 11:15 – “...Milcom the abomination of the 
          Ammonites.” An Ammonite form of Baal, Milcom was 
          the northwest Semitic god of storm and fertility. 
          Little is known about Milcom except (as described 
          above) he was “...the abomination of the Ammon-
          ites.” 

     ✡   I Kings 11:7 – “...Chemosh the abomination of 
          Moab....”  In the days of the prophet Elisha, 
          the alliance of Israel, Judah, and Edom attack-
          ed the Moabites. Mesha, Moab’s king, retreated 
          to the Moabite walled city of Kir Haraseth. 
          Mesha tried to break through with seven hundred 
          warriors to kill the king of Edom, but failed.

             Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, 
             who would become the next king after him. 
             On the wall around the city, the king of 
             Moab offered his son as a burnt offering. 
             This upset the Israelites very much. So the 
             Israelites left the king of Moab and went 
             back to their own land. (II Kings 3:27 – 
             Easy-to-Read Version).

     ✡   I Kings 11:17 – “...Molech the abomination of the 
          people of Ammon.”  Although worship of Molech was 
          promoted by Solomon, we find more information a-
          bout this god from the giving of the law in...

         ➔   Leviticus 18:21 (Contemporary English 
              Version) – “Don't sacrifice your child-
              ren on the altar fires to the god Mo-
              lech. I am the LORD your God, and that 
              would disgrace Me.”

         ➔   Leviticus 20:2 and 3 (Bible in Basic Eng-
              lish) – “If any man of the children of 
              Israel, or any other man living in Israel, 
              gives his offspring to Molech, he is cer-
              tainly to be put to death: he is to be 
              stoned by the people of the land; and My 
              face will be turned against that man, and 
              he will be cut off from his people; because 
              he has given his offspring to Molech, mak-
              ing My holy place unclean, and making My 
              holy name common.”

This is not a complete list of the gods Solomon worshiped. For it says in I Kings 11:8, “And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”

So Solomon, who started out so close to the LORD, ended up in major idolatry! For idolatry is the most grievous of sins into which one can fall!

• And he didn’t affect just himself. All Israel followed his lead!

     ✡   They worshiped foreign gods!  

     ✡   They disobeyed the LORD!  

     ✡   They sinned and brought down His judgement upon 
          themselves and the whole nation – which included 
          Israel splitting into two kingdoms, Israel to the 
          north and Judah to the south, under the reign of 
          Solomon’s son Rehoboam.  

     And the king’s sin affected the nation for at least 
     three hundred years, until King Josiah destroyed the 
     high places where Israelites worshiped! (read II Kings 
     chapter 23).  Even after that, the Israelites still 
     practiced idolatry!

• God addressed idolatry in Deuteronomy 6:4 and 5: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”

     ✡   It is called the Shema, the summation of the 
          Jewish law!

     ✞   In Mark 12:29 though 31 (see also Matthew 22:37; 
         Luke 10:27) Jesus quoted the Shema, and added 
         Leviticus 19:18:

             “The first of all the commandments is: 
             ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the 
             LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD 
             your God with all your heart, with all 
             your soul, with all your mind, and with 
             all your strength.’ This is the first. 
             And the second, like it, is this: ‘You 
             shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 
             There is no other commandment greater 
             than these.” 

     ✞   If, as Jesus said in Matthew 22:38 (New Interna-
         tional Version), referring to the first of the 
         two, “This is the first and greatest commandment
         ...,” then breaking this first and greatest com-
         mandment is the greatest of sins!

     ✞   Jesus added another ‘twist’ to all this in John 
         14:15: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” 
         or “If you love Me, you will obey Me.” (Worldwide 
         English version).  So, if you love God, you are 
         to obey “...the LORD your God with all your heart, 
         with all your soul, with all your mind, and with 
         all your strength...”!

• Anything less than putting God first in your heart and life is idolatry!

     ✞   And, if the LORD is vacated from the throne of 
         your life, the primary thing that will occupy 
         that throne is your own self!

     ✡   Solomon replaced God with himself, his own will 
          and way in place of the LORD’s! He was breaking 
          “...the first and greatest commandment...”! By 
          so doing, he committed “...the first and great-
          est...” SIN!

But there is one more failure in his kingly record according to Deuteronomy 17:14 through 19, and we will examine that in our next Gem, finishing this four-part study called Discerning Between Good and Evil.

I Kings 3:5-9

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

The above print depicts a divine encounter that happened to newly-enthoned King Solomon, recorded in I Kings 3:5 through 9:

     At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream
     ...; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”...
     And Solomon said...“...O LORD my God, You have made 
     your servant king instead of my father David, but I 
     am a little child; I do not know how to go out or 
     come in.  And Your servant is in the midst of Your 
     people whom You have chosen, a great people, too 
     numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give 
     Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your 
     people, that I may discern between good and evil. 
     For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

A more noble request could not have been made by a ruler over God’s people! And in the early part of his 40 year reign, Solomon showed forth that God-given wisdom! The first recorded display of his wisdom came quickly, recorded in I Kings 3:16-27, just after the king’s nighttime visitation. Here is the gist of the incident:

• Two harlots who lived in the same house came before Solomon bearing one infant boy, the surviving child of two boys born just three days apart. One claimed the other had killed her baby at night by rolling over on it in her sleep. The other said the first was the one who did this, and then switched her dead son with the first woman’s live infant.

• Solomon heard their testimonies, then called for a sword. “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” (verse 25).

• The two women both gave urgent responses (verse 26):

     ✡   The true mother cried out, “O my lord, give her 
          the living child, and by no means kill him!”

     ✡   “But the other said, ‘let him be neither mine 
          nor yours, but divide him.”

• The king’s decision came immediately (verse 27): “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”

Verse 28 shows the result of such wisdom: “And all Israel heard…and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.”

If only Solomon had held a straight course to his plea, “…that I may discern between good and evil.” But he didn’t!

In the last Gem, I directed us back to Deuteronomy 17:14 through 17. Here I will start with verse 16 for the sake of space, and add verses 18 and 19. For I said that there are four prescriptions God gave Israel for choosing their future king. There are actually six that apply to Solomon, and the last two in verses 18 and 19 are the most important!

     “...he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor 
     cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply 
     horses, for the Lord has said to you,‘You shall 
     not return that way again.’ Neither shall he mul-
     tiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; 
     nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for 
     himself. And it shall be when he sits on the throne 
     of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a 
     copy of this law in a book....And it shall be with 
     him , and he shall read it all the days of his life, 
     that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be 
     careful to observe all the words of this law and 
     these statutes....” 

So we will start with Deuteronomy 17:18 – “And it shall be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book….” The king was to himself write a copy of at least the book of Deuteronomy, and possibly the whole Pentateuch!

• This exercise was meant to ingrain the word of God into the mind and heart of the king!

• There is no record that Solomon ever followed this directive (nor did any other king of the united or split kingdoms of Israel).

Writing out Scripture is a great way to get it inside of you where God wants to do His work!

Deuteronomy 17:19 – “And it shall be with him , and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes….”

• Did Solomon read Scripture “…all the days of his life…”?

• Again, there is no record that he daily read the Word of God!

Colossians 3:16 plainly tells us, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly….” But to have this happen, You must dwell richly in the Word! You should read it, study it, meditate on it, even memorize pertinent Scriptures daily!

So how else did King Solomon fall short of his plea to God, “…that I may discern between good and evil…” ?

Deuteronomy 17:16 – “…he shall not multiply horses for himself….”

• …because we are told in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” I count a dozen or more Scriptures in Psalms and Proverbs that steer the LORD’s people away from trusting anything or anyone except God to keep our country on the right track! But since we are highlighting dependence upon horses, check out also Psalm 33:17, Psalm 147:10, and Proverbs 21:31.

• But Solomon “…multiplied horses [and chariots] for himself…” !

     ✡   I Kings 10:26 – “And Solomon gathered chariots 
          and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred 
          chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he 
          stationed in the chariot cities and with the 
          king in Jerusalem.” No, it does not mention 
          horses here. But you have to have horses for 
          twelve thousand horsemen!


     ✡   And II Chronicles 9:25 confirms it – “Solomon had 
          four thousand stalls for horses and chariots....”

Deuteronomy 17:16 – “…he shall not…cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ ”

• Isaiah 31:1 is pretty much a parallel verse to Deuteronomy 17:16:

     Woe to those who who go down to Egypt for help, and 
     rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they 
     are many, and in horsemen because they are very 
     strong, but do not seek the Holy One of Israel, not 
     seek the LORD.”  

• How did Solomon compare to this prohibition?

     ✡   I Kings 10:28, 29 – “And Solomon had horses im-
          ported from Egypt....Now a chariot...cost six 
          hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hun-
          dred and fifty....”  

     ✡   I Kings 10:29 – Not only did he buy horses and 
          chariots from Egypt to build up His own Israel-
          ite army, but “...through their agents, they 
          exported them to all the kings of the Hittites 
          and the kings of Syria.”

Let’s pause here, for there is yet much to say concerning the last two prohibitions God laid out for the future Israelite kings to heed. We will finish this study of King Solomon and Discerning Between Good and Evil in our next Gem.

I Kings 3:7-9

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

The caption in the picture above is from James 1:5, and it says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God….” That’s just what Solomon did as God appeared to him in a dream (recorded in I Kings 3:7 through 9):

     “Now, O LORD my God, You have made your servant king 
     instead of my father David, but I am a little child; 
     I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your ser-
     vant is in the midst of Your people whom You have 
     chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered 
     or counted.  Therefore give Your servant an under-
     standing heart to judge Your people, that I may dis-
     cern between good and evil. For who is able to judge 
     this great people of Yours?”

God’s answer includes these words, from I Kings 3:12 through 14:

     “...behold, I have done according to your words; see, 
     I have given you a wise and understanding heart....And 
     I have also given you what you have not asked: both 
     riches and honor....So if you walk in My ways, to keep 
     My statutes and My commandments, as your father David 
     walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

But…

• Solomon’s days were not lengthened! Although, according to I Kings 11:42, he reigned for forty years, he died at the young age of about 52 to 56 years old!

• He did not walk in God’s ways! He did not keep the LORD’s statutes! He did not obey His commandments!

We will get back to that. But I find it interesting that God’s challenge to “…walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments…” are followed by “…as your father David walked…”! But David messed up big time!

• In II Samuel 11:1 through 5, David committed adultery with “…Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite…” (verse 3), impregnating her!

     ✡   Bathsheba was bathing on the flat rooftop of her 
          house, just a couple of doors away from David’s 
          palace.  She could have refused David’s call for 
          a dalliance, but she didn’t!  So Bathsheba is al-
          so to blame for this sinful tryst!

     ✡   It says she was “...the daughter of Eliam....” 
          (II Samuel 11:3) Who was Eliam?  In II Samuel 23:
          34 we discover that “...Eliam [was] the son of 
          Ahithophel the Gilonite....”  Besides being the 
          grandfather of Bathsheba, what else do we know 
          about Ahithophel?  

              ➔   According to II Samuel 15:12, “...Ahith-
                   ophel the Gilonite...[was] David’s coun-
                   selor...”   He was a trusted counselor 
                   to the king!

              ➔   But Ahithophel turned agianst King David 
                   and joined Absolom’s rebellion (see II 
                   Samuel 15:31) when David’s son tried to 
                   take the kingdom by force, even if it 
                   meant murdering his father!  

              ➔   Ahithophel’s plan focused on killing 
                   King David! (see II Samuel 17:1-3).

              ➔   But Ahithophel’s counsel was opposed 
                   by Hushai the Archite, who was sent 
                   secretly by David to negate what 
                   Ahithophel had proposed for Absolom to 
                   do (see II Samuel 17:5-14).

              ➔   Apparently, Ahithophel never forgot what 
                   David did to his grand-daughter Bathshe-
                   ba!  And his heart burned for revenge!  
                   But when Absolom took Hushie’s advice 
                   over that of Ahithophel, the traitor 
                   knew that his influence was lost! 

     ✡    It says in II Samuel 17:23:

             Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was 
             not followed, he saddled his donkey, and arose 
             and went home to his house, to his city. Then 
             he put his household in order, and hanged him-
             self, and died....   

So how could God command Solomon in I Kings 3:14, “…walk in My ways…[and] keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked…”?

• It is because, although David was a great sinner, he was also a great repenter! (Read Psalm 51 and 32). And he had great faith in his God!

• This is why, as Paul preached in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, he said in Acts 13:21 and 22, “…God…raised up…David as king, to whom He also gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David…a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ ”

• David’s sins were covered and cleansed by the LORD Himself! (see Isaiah 1:18).

When God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, He ‘bought’ them to be His own people! The LORD’s perfect will for His redeemed nation was that He Himself would be their King and Ruler!

• But He also knew the Isaelites’ rebellious heart. He knew they would ask for a king! And so God warmed them in Deuteronomy17:14 through 17, giving them several restrictions concerning that future ruler Israel would insist on having:

     “When you come to the land which the Lord your God 
     is giving you...and say, ‘I will set a king over me 
     like all the nations that are around me,” you shall 
     surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God 
     chooses....But he shall not multiply horses for him-
     self, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to 
     multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You 
     shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he 
     multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn a-
     way; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold 
     for himself.” 

Now remember that Solomon asked the LORD specifically to “…give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.”

How did King Solomon do compared to his own request and God’s previous warning?

There are four prescriptions the LORD laid out in Deuteronomy 17:17. In our next Gem, we will rate Solomon in each of these catagories.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

At the end of this month I will attend a United States Air Force reunion! I will see people with whom I served 50 plus years ago at the 656th Radar Squadron outside of Saratoga Springs, New York. And that got me to thinking….

I am now 75 years old. How many more days do I have on this earth? Only God knows! But the longer I live, the more treasure I have in heaven! What treasure? Christians who have gone on to heaven before me!

• My mother – My wife Hope and I led her to the Lord in 1970, when mom was 68 years old. She died seven years later.

• My brother Neil – He led a rough life for most of his 69 years – hooked on prescription drugs for the majority of that time. He had developed a serious case of COPD, and was in an Oregon hospital ICU where they were making him comfortable by inducing a morphine coma as he slipped into eternity. I called the ICU to tell him I loved him, but the nurse said it was too late, he was already deep in a coma. But she handed the phone to Neil’s daughter, and I heard her say, “Dad, it’s Chip!” Neil came out of that coma to assure me that he had accepted Jesus as his Savior, and that he would see me in heaven!

• My Uncle Stuart was a wonderful Christian man. I hadn’t been in contact with him for years and years. But he reached out to me at age 82 and we started corresponding – he living in Florida, and I in Pennsylvania. He told me he was going to Israel with a Floridian group of seniors, and I surprised him by signing up to go. Keep in mind we hadn’t seen each other in almost thirty years! We roomed together, and it was like we picked up in our relationship from yesterday! I will never forget serving Uncle Stuart communion at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, as the sun set over the water! Hope and I visited him and his wife Audrey in Florida, and had a wonderful time. He died in his 90’s, and I was privileged to speak at his funeral.

• Mitch was a drug addict who had lost his job, his money, and his family. But God sent me to him one cold January night to tell him about Jesus. He opened his heart and life to the Savior with tears rolling down his cheeks! Hope and I started a neighborhood Bible study especially for Mitch so he could grow in his Christian faith. He died unexpectedly in May of that same year!

So many others!

Some I had the priviledge to lead them to the Lord. Others were Christians already, like those of United Baptist Church of Taylor, Pennsylvania – my special prayer support group! I was their pastor in my late 30’s….and they were four women (three in their 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s!) When I had a problem or challenge in that church (and there were many!), we would gather for prayer and I would benefit from their wisdom of years!

• Gert was the senior in that group – rough around the edges and tough as nails! But, oh, the wisdom in that gray head…and the love in her heart!

• Jane was often hilarious, even when she wasn’t trying to be. We would laugh and sometimes cry over the problems we faced! She was a great pray-er!

• Marion became a strong Christian late in life. I met her when she was hospitalized because, although she was a member, she had never come to church. I asked her if she knew she was a Christian and that she had eternal life in Jesus. She answered in the affirmative, but later told me, “I lied!” But that lie led her to reconsider her destiny, and she opened her heart to the Lord! She became a strong prayer partner and supporter of my ministry.

• Sandy was the youngest of my support group, just a three or four years older than I. She was Gert’s daughter, and she must have learned practical wisdom and godliness from her mom! She is the last living member of those special ladies! She and her husband Bob are both dearest friends!

When I think of those who have gone on to heaven, I do miss them. But I know I will have a reunion! And what a wonderful reunion it will be! Here is what it says in I Thessalonians 4:13 through 18:

     But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, 
     concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you 
     sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we be-
     lieve that Jesus died and rose again, even so God 
     will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For 
     this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that 
     we who are alive and remain until the coming of 
     the Lord will by no means precede those who are 
     asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from 
     heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archan-
     gel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in 
     Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and 
     remain shall be caught up together with them in 
     the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus 
     we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort 
     one another with these words.

This passage is describing the Rapture, when Jesus comes back for His Church (all believers since Pentecost began the Church Age, almost two thousand years ago – see Acts chapter 2). This I Thessalonians Scripture is not referring to the Second Coming of our Lord (see Revelation 19:11-16) when He returns to rule the earth! Between the Rapture and the Second Coming is the seven-year Tribulation when great judgments of God fall upon the wicked of the earth.

But my favorite part of the I Thessalonians Scripture above is verses 16 and 17 which says:

     And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who 
     are alive and remain shall be caught up together with 
     them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And 
     thus we shall always be with the Lord.

• Those who died believing in Jesus Christ as their Savior will be bodily resurrected (see John 11:25, 26; I Corinthians 15:51-54).

• Those who are still living “…shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…” (I Corinthians 15:51, 52).

• We will “…meet the Lord in the air.” (I Thessalonians 4:17). And when that happens, according to I John 3:2, “…we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as His is.” (see also I Corinthians 13:12; 15:49, 53-55).

• We will be “…together with them [our Christian loved ones]….And so we…together… shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thessalonians 4:17).

I have so many beloved Christian brothers and sisters that I am longing to see again! And I will see them again! And we will have forever to enjoy one another!

I can hardly wait for this heavenly reunion!

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

It is found in John 6, verses 28 and 29:

     And they said to Him, “What shall we do that we may 
     work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to 
     them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in 
     Him whom He sent.”

What have we found in these two verses? The work that we must do to please God and gain eternal life! “But I thought that you can’t work your way into God’s favor! After all doesn’t it say in Titus 3:5, ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit…’? And aren’t there a lot of other Scriptures that say we can’t work our way into His favor?”

Yes there are!

• Ecclesasties 7:20 – “…there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.”

• Isaiah 57:12 – “I will declare your [self] righteousness and your works, for they will not profit you.”

• Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

• Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

• Romans 4:4, 5 – “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”

• Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

• Ephesians 2:8, 9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

• II Timothy 1:9, 10 –

     God ...has saved us and called us with a holy calling, 
     not according to our works, but according to His own 
     purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ 
     Jesus before the world began, but has not been reveal-
     ed to us by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, 
     who has abolished death and brought life and immortal-
     ity to light through the gospel.

So why did Jesus, in John 6:29 describe as work believing in the Father who sent His Son Jesus to be our Savior? It is because the Jews were so ‘hung up’ on gaining God’s favor by their works! Here are some examples:

• Matthew 19:16 – “Now behold…[the rich young ruler] came and said to [Jesus]… ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ ”

• Luke 18:11, 12 –

     The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 
     “God, I thank You that I am not like other men — 
     extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this 
     tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes 
     of all that I possess.”  

Jesus said in verse 14 that this Pharisee did not find justification before God!

• Romans 9:31 and 32 (English Standard Version) – “Israel…pursued a law that would lead to righteousness [but] did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.”

• Romans 10:3 – The Jews “…being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”

• Galatians 5:4 – “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace.”

• Philippians 3:4-6 – Paul’s pre-Christian testimony:

     “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the 
     flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the 
     stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew 
     of Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee; concern-
     ing zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the 
     righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Jesus was dealing with a people who emphasized works to please the LORD! So He spoke to them on their level, using their language: “This is the work of God….” But notice, it is the work of God, not of man! And God did all the work necessary!

• II Timothy 1:9 – The Triune God laid out the plan to save sinful human beings, “…before the world began…”

     ✡   ...before anything was created! 

     ✡   ...before any human being walked the earth!

     ✡   ...before anyone sinned and needed redemption!

God knew what work He would have to do!

And what is that work that only God could do?

• I Timothy 1:15 – God the Son, Jesus “Christ came into the world to save sinners….”

• Galatians 4:4 and 5 – “…when the fulness of time has come, God sent forth His Son…to redeem [humankind]….”

• I Peter 1:18 and 19; 2:22 – “…you were…redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot….who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth….”

• Acts 17:2 and 3 (International Standard Version) – “…Paul…[from] the Scriptures… showed…that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: ‘This very Jesus whom I proclaim…is the Messiah.’ ”

It is all the Lord’s work, and we can add nothing to it but acceptance of what He has already done!

• Romans 3:21 through 25 –

      ...now the righteousness of God apart from [obeying] 
      the law is revealed...through faith in Jesus Christ, 
      to all and on all who beieve. For there is no differ-
      ence [between Jew and Gentile]; for all have sinned 
      and fall short of the glory of God, being justified 
      freely by His grace through the redemption that is 
      in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation 
      by His blood, through faith....  

• Romans 10:9 and 13 –

     ...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and 
     believe in your heart that God raised Him from the 
     dead, you will be saved....For whoever calls upon the 
     name of the Lord shall be saved.

• Acts 16:30 and 31 – The Philippian jailer pleaded with Paul and Silas, “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved….’ ”

Do you insist on working your way into God’s favor and acceptance? Remember what Jesus said in John 6:29…

“This is the work of God,
that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

II Chronicles 24:1, 2, 25

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

Joash was the youngest king of Israel or Judah, crowned when he was only seven years old! There hadn’t been a good king in Judah for sixteen years, ever since Joash’s great grandfather Jehoshaphat passed away (see II Chronicles 20:31-34; 21:1).

• In those sixteen years Jehoshaphat’s wicked son Jehoram reigned eight years (see II Chronicles 21:1-6).

• Then came Ahaziah, Jehoram’s wicked son, who only reigned one year before he was murdered by Jehu, who then became king over the northern kingdom of Israel (see II Chronicles 22:1-9).

• Athaliah ruled next over Judah for almost seven years. (See II Chronicles 22:12). But Athaliah was an anomoly! For she was the only queen to rule in ancient Israel!

     ✡   And she ruled illegitimately, seizing the throne 
          when her son Ahaziah was murdered! 
          (see II Chronicles 22:9, 10). 

     ✡   Once queen, it says in II Chronicles 22:10, “...
          she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs [all 
          of Ahaziah’s sons] of the house of Judah.”...all 
          but one! 

     ✡   We are told in II Chronicles 22:11 and 12:

             But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of [King 
             Jehoram and sister of King Ahaziah, and]
             ...the wife of Jehoiada the [high] priest
             ...took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole 
             him away from among the king’s sons who 
             were being murdered, and put him and his 
             nurse in a bedroom....So Jehoshabeath...
             hid him from Athaliah so that she did not 
             kill him.  And he was hidden...in the house 
             of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned 
             over the land.  

The time came when the High Priest Jehoiada decided to establish the true king on the throne (the descendant of King David), and depose the illegitimate queen! Read the whole story in II Chronicles chapter 23. But here is part of our featured Scripture, from II Chronicles 24:1, 2:

     Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he 
     reigned forty years in Jerusalem....Joash did what was 
     right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoia-
     da the priest....

We will get back to II Chronicles 24:25 after we look at the good things King Joash did, listed throughout chapter 24:

• Verse 4 – “Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.”

     ✡   It was now the 23rd year of Joash’s reign – 39 
          years,  since the last godly king of Judah, 
          Jehoshaphat, had cared for the temple of the 
          LORD.  Since then, the temple had fallen into 
          disrepair and had been desecrated by the wick-
          ed queen, Athaliah.  We are told in II Chron-
          icles 24:7:

             ...the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, 
             had broken into the house of God, and had 
             also presented all the dedicated things of 
             the house of the LORD to the Baals [false 
             Canaanite gods].

     ✡   After a delay of some years, money was collected, 
          workmen were hired, and, “...the workmen labored, 
          and the work was completed by them; they restored 
          the house of God to its original condition and 
          reinforced it. (II Chronicles 24:13).

• Verse 14 – “When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; they made from it articles for the house of the LORD, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver.”

• Verse 14 – “And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.”

But we read in II Chronicles 24:15 and 16:

     ...Jehoiada grew old and was full of days; he was one 
     hundred and thirty years old when he died. And they 
     buried him in the City of David [Jerusalem] among the 
     kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward 
     God and His house.

With the passing of the high priest Jehoiada, a terrible turn of events happened in the kingdom of Judah! Here is the last part of II Chronicles 24:

• Verse 17 – “Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them.”

• Verse 18 – “Therefore they left the house of the LORD…and served…idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass.”

• Verse 19 – “Yet [God]…sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the LORD…but they would not listen.”

• Verse 20 – “Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada…and [he] said to them, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He also has forsaken you.’ ”

• Verse 21 – “So they conspired against [Zechariah]…and at the commandment of the king [Joash] they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD.”

• Verse 22 – “Thus Joash…did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada…had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, ‘The LORD look on it and repay!’ ”

The next spring, a small army of Syrians invaded Judah and defeated a large Judean defending army!

• Verse 23 – “…they…destroyed all the leaders of the people…and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.”

• Verse 24 – “So they executed judgment against Joash.”

But that wasn’t enough of a judgment from God against the king! For it is written in II Chronicles 24…

• Verse 25 – “And when [the Syrians]…had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), his own servants conspired against him because of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died….”

     ✡   It says “...the sons of Jehoiada the priest....”  
          So King Joash must have murdered more than just 
          Zechariah!

• Verse 25 – A final humiliation! “And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.”

     ✡   “...Jehoiada the priest...” was so honored that 
          he was buried with the kings....Very unusual!

     ✡   ...but not King Joash!

Here is what God says about this whole situation in Ezekiel 33:13:

     When I say to the righteous that he shall surley live, 
     but he trustes in his own righteousness and commits 
     iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remem-
     bered, but because of the iniquity that he has commit-
     ted, he shall die.

So where is ‘good King Josah’? Is he in heaven? No! He is in hades, suffering in the flames, as the rich man was suffering in Jesus’ parable in Luke 16:19 through 31. Joash is waiting to be cast “…in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:9).

And the main point of this study?

Don’t rely on past goodness to get you into heaven!
Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior,
and live day by day reflecting His goodness!