The Journey Readings: Week 80... and how does it happen...?

Last week's readings took us from the acme of Solomon's reign... the dedication of the temple... to God's judgment regarding Solomon's fall to idolatry...

During the dedication of the temple... King Solomon blessed the assembly...

May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our fathers;

may He not leave us or forsake us,

That He may incline our hearts to Him,

to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments,

His statutes, His precepts which He commanded our fathers.

1 Kings 8:57-58 Amp

Solomon was well aware of God's requirement for continued blessing on his reign and the nation of Israel... for the Lord had told him...

And if you will walk before Me, as David your father walked,

in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all

that I have commanded you, keeping My statutes and My precepts,

Then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever,

as I promised David your father...

But if you turn away from following Me, you or your children,

and will not keep My commandments and My statutes

which I have set before you but go and serve other gods

and worship them, Then I will cut off Israel from the land

I have given them, and this house I have hallowed for My name

(renown) I will cast from My sight. And Israel shall be a proverb

and a byword among all the peoples.

1 Kings 9:4-7 Amp

King Solomon knew what was at stake... at the dedication he challenged the people of Israel...

Let your hearts therefore be blameless

and wholly true to the Lord our God,

to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as today.

1 Kings 8:61 Amp

But somewhere along the way... he forgot God's ways... he neglected to follow the law for the kings of Israel...

Somewhere amidst the accumulation of wealth... prominence... horses... chariots... fleets... and women... he got lost along the way...

So Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord,

and went not fully after the Lord, as David his father did.

Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh

the abominable idol of Moab, on the hill opposite

Jerusalem, and for Molech the abominable idol 

of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 11:6-7 Amp

In return... Solomon received God's wrath...

Therefore the Lord said to Solomon,

Because you are doing this and have not kept

My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you,

I will surely rend the kingdom from you

and will give it to your servant.

1 Kings 11:11 Amp

And I wonder... How does it happen...? when you start so faith-full... that you fall so far...?

The dedication of the temple... a sort of conversion for Israel... after the series of Judges... and David's battles to secure the Promised Land... God's presence had a permanent home in the heart of Jerusalem... He blessed their obedience... and for a time they glorified Him...

Are Believers susceptible to the same wandering... the enthusiasm and obedience initiated at conversion... with the entrance of the Holy Spirit into our hearts...? can we fall away...? become proud...? complacent...? arrogant...? even in the midst of God's blessings...?

I would say... Yes...

For freedom Christ has set us free;

stand firm therefore, and do not submit again

to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 ESV

Whenever we disobey God's ways... our hearts are drawn away from Him... little by little... and before you know it... we're enslaved again...

Learn from those who've gone before... join The Journey...

This week's readings...
Monday                   1 Kings 13:11 - 14:31
Tuesday                   1 Kings 15:1-32
Wednesday             1 Kings 15:33 - 16:34
Thursday                  1 Kings 17:1 - 18:19
Friday                    1 Kings 18:20 - 19:21