I have been using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study for almost a year. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I started writing this blog because the only way I can get myself to read the Bible everyday is to pretend that I am teaching someone about what it says to me. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The passage begins by saying that Solomon loved the Lord and walked according to the instructions given to him by his father, David. Then it says something I never noticed before. It says that one way Solomon did not follow David’s instructions was by burning incense and offering sacrifices on the high places. I think this is worth noting because I think it relates to some of what went wrong later (worshiping the gods of his foreign wives). Nevertheless at this time Solomon is dedicated to following God.
While he was at Gibeon offering sacrifices, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask Him whatever he wanted God to give him. Solomon responded by requesting the wisdom and understanding to be a good ruler of God’s people. God was pleased by Solomon’s request and agreed to grant it. In addition, God promised Solomon great wealth and honor, telling him that if he walked in obedience to God, God would grant him a long life.
The passage then gives an example of Solomon’s wisdom. Two prostitutes came before Solomon each claiming that child was their own and that the other woman’s child had died. There was no third witness to the dispute. Solomon proposed that the child be cut in half and each woman get one half. One of the two women was satisfied with this solution. The other woman immediately begged Solomon to give the child to the other woman to raise. Solomon’s verdict was to give the child to the woman who begged him to allow the other woman to raise the child rather than kill it. We are told that this woman was the child’s true mother. The important point of this story that is often missed is that it does not matter if the woman Solomon gave the child to was his biological mother. She was the woman who would be the child’s true mother because its well-being was more important to her than which of them raised the child. I know women who were the biological mother of children that they preferred to kill rather than allow someone else to raise them.
As the number of believers increased their started to develop divisions. In particular the Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers (at this point all of the believers were Jewish). They said that the Greek-speaking widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The Twelve Apostles called a meeting of all of the believers. They asked the body of believers to appoint seven men to oversee the distribution of food to those in need among the believers so that the Twelve would be free to pray and preach the Gospel. The only requirement for these seven men would be that they be filled with the Holy Spirit. All of the believers liked this idea and they chose seven men: Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (this last being a Gentile who had converted to Judaism before becoming a believer). This led to even more rapid increase in the number of believers, which now included priests.
Stephen performed signs and miracles that amazed people. However, one day Stephen got into a debate with members of an influential group of Jews. All we know about the group is that it was called “The Synagogue of Freed Slaves”. However, Stephen spoke with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and they were unable to answer his arguments. So, they found some men to claim that Stephen had blasphemed. They were able to work up sentiment against Stephen and have him arrested. Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin, where the lies about what he said were repeated. At that point everyone began to look at Stephen because his face was transformed so that it looked like the face of an angel.
The Lord will restore us so that the nations of the world will be amazed at what He has done for us. WE may plant in tears, but we will harvest in joy.
It is beneficial not to have all of our desires sated. The desire for greater good drives us to do good work and to work hard. Scoundrels cause trouble and the things they say cause destruction that spreads beyond their control or intent.