29/11/11

Wisdom and knowledge is not all

2 Chronicles 9:1 - And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.


In today's message the Lord is giving us an insight of how the world approaches us and questions us.

We know Solomon was famous the world over for his wisdom, which is also written in the Bible. But the Bible also tells us how even though he had all this knowledge yet he lacked discernment, and chapter 9 while talking of the glory he carried also expose his discernment.

Queen Sheba came from faraway place to test King Solomon for his wisdom / knowledge. She came the Bible says with 'hard questions'. These questions were not simple questions but questions which people did not have answers to. Sheba was not a woman known for wisdom so surely she must have sat along with all her top ministers to draft this list.

Sheba been known not only for her beauty but also her shrewdness by which she ruled her kingdom did not come only with questions but also with lots of riches; riches which included 120 talents (a unit of measure of weight) of gold and exotic spices.

Solomon did answer all her questions to her satisfaction. Knowing these were hard questions they would have surely been many about life and things connected with the purpose of life. She had not travelled a long distance and bought all those riches to ask about insects, birds or animals, nor about history or any general knowledge questions.

What we see that Solomon although answered these questions to her satisfaction yet these answers had no effect on her. It is written she was impressed with the way Solomon's people dressed and the way they approached the House of the Lord but she never gave a thought to Who they worshipped or what they believed in.

We see Solomon lacked discernment and therefore all the gold that Solomon collected that year is written was 666 talents (that was before he died). The things which David would not have done were done by Solomon like building steps to the House of the Lord. There was a spiritual reason why the Lord had instructed Moses not to build steps to the Sanctuary. It was not so much to do with the structure but with our bodies which is His true Temple and Solomon showed his spiritual nakedness (his main lust was for prosperity - wealth and fame, later also fell for the lust of the flesh by marrying many wives) and thus landed worshipping other gods. The gods he worshiped were connected to his spiritual problem.

The foundation of the Bible is by His Word and His Spirit we are redeemed. The Word was given to us since ages but man could not understand it since sin had hardened his heart. Jesus came to be an example of the Word and cleanse us of ours sins so that we could be in a position to receive His Spirit. It is by the working of the Spirit that we get the Truth in us in its fullness. So however much we study the Bible and spend years doing this, but if we do not have the working on the Holy Spirit in us we can become a disaster like Solomon. As we need more and more understanding of the Word, we also need more and more of the Holy Spirit to fill us and take charge of us.

Let not our knowledge and wisdom impress people but let it change them and bring them to the knowledge of the Truth.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, Your Word is food for us which gives life, but man needs water also not only food. Lord Jesus, You made it possible for man to receive this Living Water. Holy Spirit, You are the Living Water that is eternal. Lord, fill a thirst in us for more and more of your Spirit...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
2 Chronicles 9:2-6, 13, 29-30
3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

Ephesians 6:17 - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Exodus 20:26 - Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)