Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
These are precarious days around the world, I’m sure you agree!
Unless you are old enough to personally remember WWII, even the ‘Cold War’ days of the 1950’s & 60’s did not have as much global disaster potential as these current days in 2024, when we consider the nuclear, technological and cyber power of several nations, and the vehement hatred of some nations for other nations. It is my hope and intent that “Walking with Jesus” becomes a source for truthful, hopeful and helpful engagement with God every day, for all of us, no matter where we live in the world.
The worst thing any of us can do is disregard what is happening in our world today or delude ourselves into believing these are NOT very dangerous times in history.
I have found “The Times of Israel” to be an important news source for me. It comes directly from Jerusalem. Here is the link for you: https://www.
Because I have once before led us through a close look at Acts 3-13 in our “Walking with Jesus” journey, (May 27 – August 16, 2022) and those “WWJ” editions are archived on our web site under the tab “Daily Archives”; and considering the very precarious situation in Israel today, I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to leave our recent study of the events following that famous Passover/Easter season in which Jesus died, rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven.
I sense the Holy Spirit wants us to return to the Old Testament and resume our study of what happened in Israel after the glory years of the reign of King Solomon. I believe, even though the events we’ll look at took place about 3000 years ago, we will find the Holy Spirit of God teaching us that the lessons learned then to be amazingly applicable to Israel and our lives in April 2024. We are trusting the Holy Spirit to do in our lives what Jesus promised: “When He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth… and He will tell you what is to come.” (John 16:13)
Either we learn from the past or we are destined to repeat the mistakes of the past, do you agree? So my friends, let’s invite the Holy Spirit to teach us very important lessons right now, since the lives of hundreds of millions of people, and the future of entire nations are hanging in the balance in 2024!
A few weeks ago, on the weekend of March 9, 10, we took one final look at the remarkable legacy of the wisest and perhaps wealthiest man who had ever lived, King Solomon.
Here’s the link if you’d like to refresh your memory: https://
Solomon was the son of King David and King Solomon’s 40 year reign as king over Israel is viewed as the ‘glory years’ of the nation of Israel. From the days when God first spoke to Abraham about His Covenant plan for a nation of people that God would consider His “chosen people”, all the way to the present nation of Israel in 2024, never before or since the reign of King Solomon was the nation of Israel so prominent on the global stage or so influential in the entire middle east.
Kings of all nations came to Jerusalem to pay King Solomon honor, homage and seek his wisdom. (1 Kings 10:23-25) The region under King Solomon’s reign was larger than at any time before or since in history. (2 Chronicles 9:26) It was much, much larger than the territory today known as Israel.
Jerusalem was Israel’s capital and the most important city in Israel then, as now, but in Solomon’s day the great Temple of Jehovah God, which had required more than 150,000 people and nearly 7 years to build, was the magnificent structure which dominated the skyline of Jerusalem and drew visitors and pilgrims from the farthest corners of the world. Oh my it was a glorious time to be alive, especially if you were fortunate enough to live in Israel and especially in or near Jerusalem during the years 970-930bc.
While Israel had become a monarchy with King David’s family as the royal family, both David and his son Solomon understood they were accountable to God and their primary role as King was to govern the nation of Israel in carefully following the instructions and guidance of Almighty God. The High Priest and the prophets were men of God responsible to advise the King, and the senior leaders of Israel were expected to seek the guidance of God in all important decisions affecting the nation of Israel.
God’s protection and blessing of Israel was very obvious and powerful during those decades as the men in senior leadership of the nation of Israel made it their priority to honor God in all things! Now pause for just a moment and consider what I’ve just described for you as compared to what you know of current and recent senior leadership of modern day Israel and the role of God in their decision making as they lead the modern nation of Israel.
God had made it very clear to the people of Israel all the way back to the days of Moses, that to the degree they sought to honor God and live obediently to God’s guidance of them, God would to that degree protect them from any foreign enemy and God would bless them economically and with peace.
To the degree Israel would become secular and turn away from God, even following the ways and gods of other nations, to that degree God would remove His protection and blessing from His people Israel.
Now ponder that my friends as you consider the ancient and modern history of Israel as you know it. I wonder what the Holy Spirit of God is showing you regarding the current condition of the nation of Israel in our world when viewed from that Biblical and historical perspective?
Despite the fact God had appeared to King Solomon TWICE, early in his kingship, and God had greatly blessed Solomon and the nation of Israel, in Solomon’s older years his heart was drawn away from God by the hundreds of women in his life. (1 Kings 11:1-11) It’s a pitiful story of the demise of a king, his leadership and his nation, for God held true to His promises and withdrew His hand of protection and blessing from Israel as Israel’s leadership turned away from God.
1 Kings 11:14 gives us a shocking Biblical perspective: “Then the LORD God raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad from the royal line of Edom.” Please note the kingdom of Edom was an adversarial nation to the EAST of Israel, in the region of modern day Jordan. But God did even more. 1 Kings 11:23 says: “And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon… who had gathered a band of men around him and became their leader and settled in Damascus…” That’s the same Damascus as the current city in Syria! The record continues: “Rezon was Israel’s adversary…adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Syria and was hostile toward Israel.” (1 Kings 11:25)
Did you notice the phrase “God raised up against Solomon…“ ? That was a consistent pattern of God in bringing discipline against His people and their leaders when they turned away from God.
Discipline is not judgment. Judgment is final, discipline is corrective. Discipline is what we do with our children, as we apply some pain which flows out of our deep love for them, in hopes they will receive our teaching and make the choices to turn away from their rebellious ways and return to honorable living.
Now let’s pause right here my friends and reflect on all I’ve given you today as we consider what we see happening in our world and in the nation where you live, wherever that is.
Let’s ask God to help us understand how He views our world in its current condition, and His dear people Israel today, and let’s look at our own lives to see if God might be disciplining us to draw us back to Him? Tomorrow we’ll look at what happened next and how incredibly relevant it is to present day events.
No song today, just reflection and prayer.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 11.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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