Weekly Message: The Lord’s conditional term to open the storehouse
of his bounty
Rev.
Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel
Music
Date:July17,
2019
My friends, have you ever wondered or questioned about how to
receive Lord’s blessings, and abundant prosperity? What elements and conditional term that the
Lord demands us to fulfill it in order to open His storehouse of bounty to us?
Why we struggle so much debts and financial needs? Today, let us discover the
Lord’s conditional term to open the storehouse of his bounty
and the Lord’s commandments to King David, King Solomon and King Rehoboam three generation as
king reigned over Israel in the Old Testament. What theological principles can
we apply to this generation? may scriptures help us to walk in His way, keep
His commandments and hearken
unto the voice of the Lord our God.
-
I.
God’s predestination and election of His chosen one who sit upon
the throne.
When King David had in his heart to build a house for the Lord’s
name, the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of his God, he
had made ready for the building, however, God elected his son Solomon to build
out a house for the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Because King David has
been a man of war, and has shed blood. This is what the Lord said to him,
·
“Thou shall not build a house for the Lord’s name, because thou
hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood…Solomon thy son, he shall build my
house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father, moreover I will establish
his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my
commandments and my judgments, as at this day.” (1Chronicles28:2-3,7).
The
Lord has chosen Solomon his son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the
Lord over Israel. King David obeyed the Lord’s commandments and passed down his
riches, authority, power, inheritance and throne to his son Solomon. He urged his
son as follows,
·
“Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy
father, and serve him with a perfect
heart and with a willing mind: for the
Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the
thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him,
he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now, for the Lord hath
chosen thee to build an house for the
sanctuary: be strong, and do it.”;“be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the
Lord God, even my God, will be with
thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the
work for the service of the house of the Lord. (28:9-10, 20).
-
II.
King David’s humble himself before the Lord and obeyed His commands.
King David affirmed the greatness
of the Lord and His power, glory, and the victory. He acknowledged the Lord is
head above all; all that is in the heaven and on the earth are belong to the
Lord. David acted humbly value himself as stranger and sojourners before the Lord. Without envy or jealous about his
son Solomon, He blessed the Lord before the entire congregation and anointed
Solomon, let him sat on the throne of the Lord as king. King David blessed the
Lord and said,
·
“Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory,
and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the
earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head
above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all;
and in thine hand is power and
might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Now therefore our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to
offer so willingly after this sort? For
all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are
strangers before thee, and
sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord
our God, all this store that we have
prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand and is
all thine own.”(I Chronicles29:10-15)
King
David urged to the entire congregation, now bless the Lord your God. And all
the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their
heads, and worshipped the Lord the king. And they sacrificed sacrifices unto
the Lord, and offered burnt offerings unto the Lord, on the morrow after that
day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with
their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. The time
that David reigned over Israel was forty years, seven years reigned he in Hebron,
and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And He died in a good old
age, full of days, riches, and honour: and his son Solomon reigned in his
stead. (I Chronicles29:27-28).
- III.
Solomon sat upon the throne
of the Lord as king and Zadok to be priest.
They made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and
anointed him unto the Lord to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest. Then
Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and
prospered and all Israel obeyed him. All the princes, and the mighty men, and
all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the
kings, and the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel,
and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him
in Israel. Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all
Israel. (I Chronicles29:20-25). King Solomon received his father king
David’s inheritance and followed the Lord’s commandments; he had built a house
of habitation for the Lord and a place for His dwelling forever. Solomon acted
humbly, kept his father David’s commands, and reminded the Lord about His
promises and covenant to his father David. He prayed as follows,
·
“O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor
in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that
walk before thee with all their hearts. Thou which hast
kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, and
spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this
day. Now therefore, O Lord God of
Israel keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him,
saying, there shall not fall thee a man in my sight to
sit upon the throne of Israel, yet so that thy children take heed to
their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me. Now then, O Lord
God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy
servant David. But will God in very deed dwell with men
on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how
much less this house which I have built!... Now therefore arise, O Lord God,
into thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength, let thy priests, O
Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O
Lord God turn not a way the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of
David thy servant. ” (II Chronicles6:14-18, 41-42).
- IV.
Solomon requested wisdom and knowledge
to govern people instead of wealth, honor and long life, God granted him all.
Solomon the son of
David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and
magnified him exceedingly. In the night God appeared unto Solomon, and said
unto him, “ask what I shall give thee?” And Solomon said unto God,
·
“Thou hast shewed great mercy unto
David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto
David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like
the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in
before this people: for who can judge this thy people that is so great? (II Chronicles1:8-10)
God answered to Solomon,
·
“Because this was in thine heart,
and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine
enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge
for thyself, that thou mayest judge y people, over whom I have made thee king:
Wisdom and knowledge is grated unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and
wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before
thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.” (II Chronicles1:9-12)
-
V.
Solomon had built a house, a place
for God’s dwelling as his father David commanded him to do it.
Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and
the king’s house, and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house
of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. When Solomon had
made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt
offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. Because
of the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces
to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying,
‘for
he is good; for His mercy endureth forever.’ Then the king and all the
people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice
of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so
the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. The Levites also with
instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the
Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry;
and the priests sounded trumpets before them, all Israel stood. (II
Chronicles7:1-6). And the Lord appeared
to Solomon by night.
- VI.
The conditional term of being
blessed by the Lord
The Lord’s blessing and favor upon the
Solomon and his people, but the conditional term indicates in II
Chronicle8:19-22, unless Solomon and his people keep the commandments and not
forsake the Lord, nor worship other gods. The Lord said,
· “I have heard thy prayer, and have
chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that
there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send
pestilence among my people, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land… As for thee, if thou wilt walk
before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have
commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; then will I establish the throne of
thy kingdom,
according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, there shall not
fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.(II Chronicle 7:12-14,17-18)
- VII.
The conditional term that the Lord
will pluck them up by the roots out of land and cast out the house from His
sight.
The Lord loved Israel, and delight to bless
them, however, there is a conditional term, if Solomon and his people turn away
and forsake the Lord’s commandments, all the cruses and evil will come upon
them and land. As II Chronicle7:19-22 said,
·
“But if ye turn away, and forsake my
statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and
serve other gods, and worship them; then will I pluck them up by the roots
out of my land which I have give them; and this house, which I have sanctified
for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and
a byword among all nations.
·
And this house, which is high, shall
be an astonishment to everyone that passeth by it; so that he shall say, why
hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house? And it shall be answered, because they
forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought
them forth out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped
them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them. (II
Chronicle 7:19-22)
During the forty years, Solomon walked humbly
before the Lord, and kept the commandments of the Lord, and followed his father
King David’s obedient to the Lord. Solomon enjoyed all the riches, wealth,
honor, power, favor, and successful to be king reigned in Jerusalem over all
Israel forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in
the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
- VIII.
The third generation king
Solomon’s son Rehoboam forsook the law of the Lord and did evil, but because of Reboboam humbles himself before the Lord so the Lord
didn’t destroy of him.
When the third generation king
Solomon’s son Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened
himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. When all
Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him, “you
father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy
yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” (II Chronicle10:4). Rehoboam
consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his life time.
But instead of followed the elders’ counsel: “if you will be to these people and please them and give them a
favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” (II Chronicle10:7). Rehoboam rejected the elders’ advice, and followed
to the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him and replied the
people harshly, “my father laid on you a
heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I
will scourge you with scorpions.” (2 Chronicles10: 10-11). This resulted
the division and Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to
this day. The Lord said to Rehoboam, “Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you
in the hand of Shishak.” (II Chronicle12:5), whereupon the princes of Israel
and the king Rehoboam humbles themselves, and they said, The Lord is righteous. (II Chronicle12:6). When the Lord saw that they humbles
themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They
have bumbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant
them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by
the hand of Shishak.” (II Chronicle12:7) And Rehoboam
slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
- IX.
Three generation King David, King
Solomon and King Rehoboam reigned in Jerusalem as king
The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years, seven
years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and his son
Solomon reigned in his stead. (I Chronicles29:27-28). King
Solomon enjoyed all the riches, wealth, honor, power, favor, and successful to
be king reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. And Solomon slept
with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father. King
Rehoboam did evil and forsook the law of the Lord. But because of Rehoboam
acted humble before the Lord, and acknowledged the Lord is righteous. The Lord
didn’t destroy Rehoboam and grant him some deliverance.
-
X.
What are the commandments of the Lord?
The Lord explicit stated clearly all the blessings shall come on
His people, but they must to hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord and
to do all His commandments. All the blessings were listed in Deuteronomy
28:1-14 it said,
} “It shall come
to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord
thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this
day, that the Lord thy
God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. And all these
blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thous shalt hearken unto
the voice of the Lord thy God.
} Blessed
shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thous be in
the field, blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground,
and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of
thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
} Blessed
shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest
in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause
thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face. They
shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
} The
Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall
bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto
himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if
thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And
all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord;
and they shall be afraid of thee and the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in
the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy
ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
} The
Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto
thy land in his season, and to bless all the house work of thine hand and thou
shalt lead unto many nations and thou shalt not borrow. The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail;
and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou
hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this
day, to
observe and to do them. And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which
I command thee this day, to the right hand, or the left, to go after other gods
to serve them. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)
In
contrary, the curses shall come upon His people, when His people didn’t hearken
unto the voice of the Lord and do all his commandments. As Deuteronomy 28:15-28
said,
} But it shall
come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice
of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statures
which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee, and
overtake thee:
} Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the
field. Cursed shall be thy casket and thy store. Cursed shall be the
fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the
flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt
thou be when thou goest out.
} The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all
that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until
thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness
of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
} The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have
consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. The Lord shall smite thee with a
consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme
burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew, and they shall
pursue thee until thou perish.
} The Lord shall
make the rain of thy land power and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon
thee, until thou be destroyed.
} The Lord shall
cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thous shalt go out one way
against them, and flee seven easy before them: and shalt be removed into all
the kingdoms of the earth. And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the
air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
} The Lord will
smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab,
and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
} The Lord shall
smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart.
} And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind
gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways, and thou shalt be
only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
(Deuteronomy28:15-29)
- XI.
What are the theological principles
?
What are the theological principles of these
three generations that we can learn from it and keep practicing in this era? There
are three theological principles as follows,
} First, the Lord was emphasis on “humble
before the Lord” in II Chronicles7:14 it says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall bumble
themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
} Second, do
not turn away and forsake the Lord’s statutes and commandments (II Chronicles7:19)
} Third, do not worship idol, nor serve other gods or worship them. (II
Chronicles7:19)
- Implication/ Application
- 1). Father
loves the son, and passes down his legacy without envy or jealous.
As Isaiah says, “the root of Jesse will spring up one who
will arise to rule over the nation, the gentiles will hope in him.”
(Roman15:12) King David loved Lord, and
honored Him, and exalted Him as head over all. He humbles himself before the
Lord and acknowledged the Lord is the greatness, the power, the glory, the
victory and the majesty. For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is His,
both riches and honor come of the Lord.
King David accepted the Lord’s judgment that God elected his son Solomon
to build out a house for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, because King
David had shed blood as man of war. Instead of envy or jealous about his son
Solomon, King David greatly blessed his son Solomon and passed down all the
riches, wealth, power, authority and throne to Solomon as father loved the son.
King David’s reacts were different with Jacob who envied his son Joseph’s
dream.
2). Humble
ourselves before the Lord is key element to gain the blessings.
King David sees himself and his people as strangers and sojourners
before the Lord, and his days on the earth are as a shadow. A humble heart
gained the favor and blessings, so do King Solomon humbly asked the Lord “give me now wisdom and knowledge that
I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people that is so great?” The
Lord kept His covenant with his father King David and blessed King Solomon all
the riches. King Solomon’s son Rehoboam did evil, forsook the law of the Lord, and
rejected the advice of the elders, but because of Rehoboam acted humble and
acknowledged the Lord is righteous. So the Lord didn’t destroy Rehoboam. Humble
ourselves before the Lord is key element to gain the blessings.
3). Keep the Lord’s
commandants and do not worship idols or other gods
When
we keep Lord’s commandants and forsake idols, and not to worship other gods, the
Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, and bless the work of
our hands we will lend to many nations, but will borrow from none. The Lord
will make us the head, not the tail. If we pay attention to the commands of the
Lord our God and carefully follow them, we will be at the top never at the
bottom.
4). Facing nations’ crisis, keep
seeking godly counsel and advice of the elders who followed the Lord.
When the country’s leader acts in kindness, compassionate and
thoughtful to his people, the people will serve and support the leader. Rehoboam rejected the elders’ advice,
and followed to the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him,
and replied his people harshly, it caused the division; Israel acted rebellion
against the house of David, and dishonored King Solomon.
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