Monday, October 27, 2014

The Enigma of Solomon

     An "enigma" is that which is perplexing, baffling,  or seems to be inexplicable. It
describes something that doesn't make sense to the human mind. The word accurately
describes a large part of the life of king Solomon.

     Solomon was the third king of Israel, son of David and Bathsheba. He was also
named Jedidiah, which means "beloved of Yahweh."  The name Solomon probably
means "peaceful." He reigned approximately from 971-931 B.C. Solomon's reign was
one of magnificence, splendor, and glory! Jesus spoke of "Solomon in all his splendor."
(Matthew 6:29; cf. 1 Kings 10:4-7)

     Yahweh blessed Solomon with profound wisdom and vast material wealth. "At
Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask
for whatever you want me to give you.' "Solomon answered, 'You have shown great
kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous
and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him
a son to sit on his throne this very day. Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your
servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a child and do not know how to
carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great
people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to
govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who can govern
this great people of yours?' " (1 Kings 3:5-9)

     "God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for
yourself, nor have you asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in
administering justice, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will
never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what
you have not asked for; both wealth and honor so that in your lifetime you will have
no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and
commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.' " (1 Kings 3:11-14)

     So, king Solomon was given discernment, wisdom, wealth, and honor by Yahweh
his God, and he had no equals among kings during his lifetime! God placed everything
in Solomon's hands to ensure a long life, a prosperous reign, and wisdom that would be
unparalleled. Yet, Yahweh told him, "if you walk in obedience to me and keep my
decrees and commands...I will give you a long life."  Herein lies the enigma: with so
much given to him by the God of heaven and with so much at stake (his kingdom,
longevity, and his soul), how could Solomon not "walk in obedience" "and keep the
decrees and commands" of God?

     It is a  well  known  fact  that  Solomon  loved Yahweh, but  his  personal life was
marred by foolish choices and sin (even though he was blessed with discernment and
wisdom).  "Solomon  showed  his  love  for Yahweh  by  walking  according  to  the
instructions given him by his father David, except he offered sacrifices and burned
incense on the high places." (1 Kings 3:3) Solomon also "loved many foreign women"
even though Yahweh had strictly forbidden intermarrying with them. He had said,
"They   will   surely   turn   your    hearts    after   their   gods." (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)
"Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love" (1 Kings 3:2) He also "had seven
hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him
astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart
was not fully devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of
the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of Yahweh; he did not follow Yahweh
completely, as David his father had done." (1 Kings 10:1-6) "Yahweh became angry
with Solomon because his heart turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel who
appeared to him twice." (1 Kings 11:9)

     We  must  ask  "Why?"  Why did Solomon choose the way of fools? Why did he
show blatant disrespect for God's command not to intermarry with women who were
Moabites,  Ammonites,  Edomites,  Sidonians,  and  Hittites?  Why  did  he  turn  to
worshiping false gods?

     The answers to the preceding questions, lie  at  least  in  part, in the fact that even
though Yahweh  gave  Solomon  wisdom  and  discernment par excellence, it did not
guarantee that the king would always walk according to what he himself knew to be
wise and right. In all the blessings that God gave Solomon, he never lost his individuality
and freedom of choice. He was grossly sexually immoral because he was driven by lust.
"Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and
enticed. Then, after  desire  has  conceived, it  gives  birth  to  sin,  and  sin, when it is
full-grown, gives birth to death."(James 1:13-15) Solomon, like many other men and
women, had eyes "full of adultery." (2 Peter 2:14) He allowed his foreign wives to "turn
his heart after their gods," because his heart was not fully devoted to Yahweh.

     Regardless of how wise a person is, or how much wealth they are blessed to
accumulate, or how humble they have been early in life, they must be faithful to God.
Disaster is certain if they allow others to lead them into false worship, and if they "sow
to their flesh, from the flesh they will reap destruction." (Galatians 6:7-8) A person may
receive many blessings from God, but the heart must be kept guarded, "for everything
you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23)

                                                                                                                            R. Daly
Copyright, 2014







 

Monday, February 17, 2014

The "Gospels"

     One   of   the   most   commonly  used  expressions  among  religious  teachers,
theologians, commentators, professors, and members of the Lord's body is the
phrase "the gospels." It is used with reference to the books of Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John.

     The plural term "gospels" is never found in the New Testament, and for a very
good reason: there is only one gospel. There is only one body of good news that
is recognized as being from God, and that is the gospel. For instance, in Matthew
we read about "the gospel of the kingdom." (Matthew 4:23) In Mark we read about
"the gospel of Jesus Christ." (Mark 1:1) In Luke we read about "the gospel of the
kingdom of God." (Luke 16:16)

     The oldest manuscripts containing the writings of Matthew Mark, Luke, and
John simply title each "book" in the following way:  KATA     MATHTHAION
(According   to   Matthew) ;   KATA    MARKON    (According   to    Mark);
KATA LOUKAN (According to Luke);  KATA  IOANNEN  (According to
John). They are biographies of the life, teaching, miracles, and times of Jesus the
Messiah.

     The same writers who  speak  of  "gospels" also incorrectly refer to  Paul's
letters  to Timothy and Titus as "Pastoral Epistles." This concept is based on the
false assumption that Timothy and Titus were "pastors." Pastors were shepherds;
men who were qualified and appointed to oversee local congregations of the
Messiah. (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1-2) A preacher is not a pastor on the basis
of being a preacher, any more than a pastor is a preacher on the basis of being
a pastor.

     The prevailing notion that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are "gospels" is
a denominational concept. If there is only one gospel, there are no "gospels."
To think in terms of "gospels" is  not consistent with biblical teaching. No
apostle nor any other writer who was guided by the Holy Spirit ever spoke or
wrote about "gospels." To do so is not only inconsistent; it is wrong!
(Galatians 1:6-9)

     Just because certain terminology is used in the "scholarly" community does
not necessarily give it God's stamp of approval. We should think through the
text, and  think  about  the  language  we  use  in  a  religious context. The first
impression we leave might be the lasting one, and it might be the wrong one.
Human traditions are hard to break, even when they convey unbiblical concepts.

                                                                                                       R. Daly

Copyright, 2014

Monday, January 27, 2014

"And He Was With The Wild Beasts"

     Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are often incorrectly called "gospels." They
are actually  biographies   of   the   life   and   times   of   Jesus   the  Messiah.
The temptation of the Lord is not found in John's record of Jesus' life. His focus
is on the Lord's miracles. (John 20:30-31) The testing of Jesus by Satan is
recorded in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13. Mark's account of
the temptation of Jesus contains an interesting fact that is not found in Matthew
and Luke.

     Mark says, "and he was with the wild beasts." (ASV-1901) The Greek phrase
reads, "kai en meta ton therion." The preposition meta is found 54 times in Mark.
The count is 57 times if one includes the "disputed" text of Mark 16:10,12, and 19.
Elsewhere in Mark meta is used to suggest close and intimate communion.
(cf. 3:14; 5:18; 14:67)

     The fact that Mark tells us Jesus  was "with  the  wild  beasts" serves to
intensify the narrative as it shows the character of the wilderness. Wild animals
frequently appear in league with the evil forces; even in the passage where it is
written (and quoted by the devil), "For he will command his angels concerning
you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you
will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent." (Psalm 91:11-13, NIV-2011)
See also Ezekiel 34:5, 8, 25. 

     The  statement  that  Jesus  was  "with  the  wild  beasts"  indicates the 
loneliness of  the wilderness and  the  dangers  that  accompanied the testing.
There  was no human assistance that attended the Lord's testing by Satan.
                                                                                                   
                                                                                               R. Daly
Copyright, 2014