0:00 Do you have a copy of God's word in your hand? Yes? Would you join me in first Kings chapter five as we come to this precious text, perhaps a challenging text in terms of how to glean application, but we will trust that the Holy Spirit will reward us for our diligence. So meet me in first Kings chapter five. And it's so great to see so many of you.
0:25 I know some can't make it, especially because of the event tomorrow. They have to rise early in the morning, but bible study must go on as you know. And so here we are in this wonderful chapter. And here's really a a brief summary of where we're headed now into this book. Solomon now, after doing much, is prepared to make preparations for the building of the temple.
0:45 We have now reached the pinnacle of his achievements, at least the beginnings, the genesis of this great project that has been divinely orchestrated and ordained by God himself. And as we come to this chapter, to our surprise, we don't see Solomon getting right into the construction itself. We don't see him taking the resources that his father had consecrated before his death. We see something strange perhaps to our understanding of how this should happen. We see a gentile being introduced to us, at least reintroduced to us.
1:18 And we will read the first few verses, and, really, what will summarize and what will make up this text is Solomon dealing with this man, extending an invitation for him to participate in this assignment and this man's response. That's really the format of it. And through that, we will again glean some truths for our own walk with the lord Jesus Christ. And so let's read here the first few verses of first Kings chapter five. We read, now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he had heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father.
1:54 For Hiram always loved David. And Solomon sent word to Hiram. You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune.
2:19 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, your son whom I will set on your throne in your place shall build the house for my name. Now therefore command the cedars of Lebanon be cut from me, and my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians. Father, we come with reverence and anticipation. We believe that what we just read is the word of the Lord. We believe that this word is your voice, and we believe that you will speak to us.
3:00 But we do not presume that we will experience such a thing unless you help us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, hover over us and do miracles in our hearts. We trust, Lord, that you will make much of your name as we study this text together. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Amen.
3:18 Amen indeed. The last time that this man, Hiram, has appeared in the scriptures was back in second Samuel chapter five verse 11 where we are told that Hiram came to the aid of David and supplied some materials for his own palace. And then Hiram disappears, and then he reappears again here in this text, this time to visit Solomon, the successor of David, and to express his support and express his allegiance to him by sending representatives in his name. But what's so fascinating here is the motivation that Hiram, the king of Tyre, which is Tyre is in modern day Lebanon, The motivation, the the thing that stirred him to reach out to Solomon in this way. Look again here at the end of verse two.
4:10 We read, and Solomon excuse me, verse one. For Hiram always loved David. Hiram always loved David. And so this man had affinity. He had affection for David.
4:25 And what I find so fascinating is that this is being told to us after David had transitioned into glory, After David had passed on and graduated into the presence of God, this man still had high honor for David. He is moving based on his history with David, a memory really. And if you go to the parallel account, which you don't have to turn to in second Chronicles two, which is a fuller testimony of the same chapter, we're told that even Hyrum called David his lord. Not, you know, attributing to him divinity, but his his master. He's giving him respect, this title of being superior to him.
5:06 So this man had a deep, deep love for this man that we are familiar with, David. And it translates even here that he comes to his son to express his love for him in the name of David. And as I looked at this, I thought to myself, isn't it isn't it wonderful to see someone have such a depth of devotion to another person though he can no longer interact with him? He can't engage with David. He can't see David any longer, but his his respect for him outlived the life of the very man that he greatly appreciated.
5:37 And as I looked at Hyrum, I couldn't help but think about the words of Peter to the believers when he reminded them of the quality of their love toward the Lord Jesus Christ. What did he say there in first Peter one eight? Though you do not see him, you love him. And though you do not now see him, you have this joy in you toward him that is inexpressible and filled with glory. Hiram loved David.
6:02 David David died. And our king, yes, he died, but he didn't stay in the grave. He rose and he ascended into the heavens, and he promised while being high priest and interceding for us to walk with us and to lead us and to guide us, and then he will one day return to us. If David could love a man or if Hyrum could love a man like David in such a way, how much more us with our king? Our king who we not only, attribute our faith to in terms of a historical count of what he has done, but a king that we know lives today and is in our midst every day and goes before us and surrounds us every moment, how much more should our love for the son of David outshine the love that Hiram Hiram shows for David himself?
6:52 I'm impressed by this man, but I'm also challenged that you and I have a king who is greater than David, and he deserves a greater love than this. And so he comes, and as he comes, Solomon realizes that he clearly is a friendly foreigner. He's someone who has an open heart and so he takes advantage of this moment to extend an opportunity, a request, a royal request to Hiram, and he asks him to join him, to partner with him in this amazing project known as the temple of God, this house of worship for the true and living God. And it's in this message that we wanna take our time to examine some things that, again, we can attribute to ourselves or at least to some extent. Notice the first words of verse three.
7:41 What are the first two words? You know. He's speaking to Hiram. He says, you know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God. How did Hiram know that?
7:53 He's all the way in Lebanon. He's a distant friend. One logical conclusion. Right? At some point, David shared his heart with Hyrum.
8:04 At some point, at some juncture, he opened up to Hyrum and he says, you know, Hyrum, so appreciate you helping us build my house, but down deep inside, more than anything, I wanna build a house for God. I wanna build a house for the Lord. And with that, he must have explained, but I I've been prohibited by the same God that I long to honor. In his perfect wisdom, he did not allow me to directly build a house for him. I I just wonder what that looked like.
8:29 At what point David opened up about these things. The reason why that's so significant is because Hiram, is he a Jew? Is he? No. He's Lebanese.
8:39 He's a Gentile. He's a Gentile. I thought to myself, what stimulated David to open up his heart, to share this personal thing that he had with God, with this man who had no direct relationship with the God of Israel or the people of Israel? And I thought, and I meditated, and then I remembered some of the Psalms where David makes these statements, these declarations, these exhortations. And I think in those Psalms, you get an understanding of his heart, and maybe what he wrote in those Psalms is why he did what he did with Hyrum.
9:15 Let me give you a couple examples. So in Psalm 96 verse three, David makes this amazing statement that you are probably familiar with, declare his glory among the nations. Declare his glory among the nations, and he doesn't finish there and he says, his marvelous works among all the peoples, plural. The author of Psalm one nineteen is unknown, but many are comfortable to give that Psalm over to David in terms of authorship. And if it is David, listen to what he says in Psalm one nineteen verse 46.
9:45 I will also speak of your testimonies before who? Kings. Before kings. So this man, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, also in connection to his desires, worked about by the Holy Spirit, doesn't want to just contain the testimony of the goodness of God, his marvelous works, to the people who are familiar with it. He says, go beyond that.
10:13 Go beyond the borders. If there's a way, let the nations hear. If there's a way, let the peoples hear. If there's a way, let kings hear. And I like to think that David testifying about this to to Hyrum is David proving that he was more than a worshiper and a psalmist.
10:31 He was an evangelist. He was an evangelist. His worship was not just in creating songs. His worship overflowed and telling people who might not be familiar with these amazing truths about how amazing they really are. That excites me about David.
10:51 He came to Hyrum at some point. He says, I wanna just tell you about what I had in mind for God, and I wanna tell you something about the wisdom of God. And we do not know for certain if Hyrum ever became a believer. There's some evidence that you can make a case for, especially in second Chronicles, and you read here that he actually says that the Lord is the maker of heaven and earth. I don't think that's enough evidence in chapter two verse 12 of second Chronicles, but one thing is for certain.
11:17 This man loved David even though David unashamedly testified about his God. He still loved him. I mean, it's very likely that Hyrum was a worshiper of many false gods, and yet still there is this sense of great respect and appreciation for David in light of the fact that he proclaimed the true God without fear. Listen. If people are gonna love you, if people are gonna love me, let it be because of the fragrance of worship that's on us.
11:47 Let it be because of our walk with the Lord. Let it be because we are unashamed about the gospel of Jesus Christ, not because for fear or anxiety, we conceal our testimony with the attempt to win the allegiance of people who don't know our God. Hiram loved David, and David did not conceal his love for God and made an impression on this man, no doubt. And so we see Hiram come now, and he's already aware of the situation. And as Solomon explains in verse three, not only how he knew, but he also explains and reintroduces why Solomon was the one that had to build the temple.
12:31 Read again in verse three. You know that David my father could not build the house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. David throughout his life, you know this, throughout his reign was preoccupied with warfare. His time, his energy, his planning was to defend, was to fight back, was to resist. And because of that preoccupation, at least in part was the reason why he could not give himself over to this.
12:59 Yes, God prohibited because he was a man of war, but Solomon explains that he was also very busy with a different mission. And it's in this that we have another insight, I think, a golden insight concerning the church of Jesus Christ. Because now Solomon goes on to say, David was a man of war. My my father was very busy doing that, but now me because of God's goodness, because of God's provision of peace, we can build. Look what he says here in verse four, but now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side.
13:30 So he attributes even this rest to God, and rightfully so. Well, what's the insight for you and I? Here's the insight. Right? Because Solomon's saying, it's it's a time of peace, so let's build, Hiram.
13:40 Let's build. And you and I also as Christians have to understand that in society and culture with politics and government, when there are times of peace, we have to take advantage of those times. We have to take advantage of those times of rest that have been sovereignly permitted by God, when persecution has been restricted, has been pushed back, and we enjoy more freedom than the world has known our dear brother Mark. Pastor Mark preached on persecution this past Sunday. What we're experiencing in America is not common.
14:12 It's an anomaly. Hiding to have church is common. Hiding your Bible when you come from your car to a building is common. Times of peace, even in Solomon's day, was uncommon, and it's a special window of time that the Lord has ordained for what purpose? For what purpose?
14:36 For his kingdom to be built. For his kingdom to advance with an acceleration that is unusual as well. And so in times of peace, you and I cannot afford to get dizzied by extensive leisure. You and I cannot afford to get lost in our own priorities and our own ambitions. You and I, like Solomon, have to understand when God gives us peace all around, when the people of God know a rest that doesn't make sense, it's time to be strategic.
15:07 You know, when the whole COVID thing broke out, part of me, and I'd like to think it was a righteous indignation, was like, it happened so quick. Just it was just a surprise. We were all surprised. Everything got flooded on the media, and we're all told to bunker and hide in for two weeks until we flatten the curve, and two weeks became two years as you know. I just thought to myself, ministries were shut down.
15:31 Missionaries couldn't travel. People have to come back home. The world shut down overnight. And on many occasions, I remember asking the lord, if this world is to return to somewhat of a normal state again, please help us take advantage of this time. Please let us not waste an opportunity again.
15:54 In fact, you and I are commanded by the Holy Spirit in our prayers as a church to ask God for times of peace. Let me prove that to you. Do you have your Bibles? Yes. First Timothy chapter two.
16:05 Look at the first two verses. First Timothy chapter two. Look at the first two verses. You know the verse the first verse because it's an instruction for the church to pray. Look what Paul says in verse one of first Timothy chapter two.
16:22 First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. Now he qualifies a group of people that we should focus much of our prayers for. Verse two. For kings and all who are in high positions why, Paul? Why pray for those in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way?
16:55 Can I translate that into modern English? Pray and ask God to do a work in those who make decisions in society, in civilization, in your culture, and ask God that the government would leave you alone as a church. That's the translation. That they would have put up hindrances, threats, obstructions, challenges, that you would be as free as possible to do what? To live a godly life dignified in every way.
17:30 In other words, ask that there might be favor so that you can be more effective in your gospel work. That's what we're asking God for when we pray for our officials. And yes, in the next verse he asked that we pray for their salvation. Right? Because God desires a salvation of all men, including those in high positions.
17:49 But even in asking for their salvation, whether they are saved or not, we we should be aiming saying, Lord, give us a time of peace. Give us a window of opportunity where we can have a a greater freedom in making your name known. We don't want inconvenience. We don't want more difficulty. So Lord, give us that grace.
18:10 So again, in times of peace, as much as it's chaotic out there, we are still in a time of peace in the West. So listen, we can't afford to be lacking enthusiasm. You can't. And Solomon here is fully aware of that. He understands this is a time to build.
18:28 This is a time to get to work. This is a time to get busy, and I'm afraid that, often the opposite is true where there is so much freedom. We don't know what to do with it, and so we get distracted with so many other things. Often what it takes is persecution when everything is stripped from you where you realize what matters most. It doesn't have to come to that.
18:53 It doesn't. We just need the mind of Christ. We need the wisdom of God to interpret what's happening in our day and to realize that in times of peace or persecution, we do the work of him who's called us, but it's much more difficult to do it in times of peace, isn't it? May not be so of us. Now look here at verse four.
19:14 He says, but now the lord my god has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. And And look at this in verse five, and so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. I love how he's being honest here.
19:30 He's like, at this point, I intend to do so. Intending to do something is not the same as actually doing it. Actually, I need three volunteers. It's a very simple task. I need one person to open to one passage each.
19:42 Okay? Who wants to volunteer? You gotta be able to read with authority, though. Okay, my brother. Please open to second Chronicles two one.
19:49 Who's the next person? Somebody lift up their hand. Second Chronicles three one. And, sister, open up to second Chronicles five one. So second Chronicles two one, second Chronicles three one, and then second Chronicles five one.
20:00 Again, this is a parallel account of what's happening here at this portion of first Kings. And you can turn there if you'd like to highlight these points because Solomon's sequence of how he moves about in building the temple is presented beautifully in second Chronicles and those chapters that I mentioned, and it really provides us a model of how we should approach ministry for ourselves. And it also provides warning that in certain phases of how we go about ministry, some get stuck at these stages. So let's read second Chronicles two one. Let's read the first verse and pay attention to the words.
20:35 And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the Lord and a house for his kingdom.
20:41 So again, kind of like what we read here in verse five. Solomon determined to build a house for the Lord. Now let's stop there. So there are many believers who determine or purpose to do things for God. Right?
20:56 They have ambition. Those ambitions sometimes are even expressed to others with great interest. I really wanna serve the Lord in this way. I really wanna honor him in this way. I really believe I should start this.
21:07 I really believe that, God has called me or gifted me in this way. But unfortunately, many people just stay in the place of determining. They know that they are supposed to be plugged into a local church. They know that they're supposed to be active with what God has put in their heart, but they never get to it. It just stays in the realm of wishful thinking.
21:28 And they tend to be satisfied with the fact that in their hearts, they have these desires, though they though those desires are never materialized. Solomon doesn't do that. Solomon goes to the next next step. And what's that, brother, in second Chronicles three one? Yes.
21:48 You're second Chronicles five one. You're second Chronicles three one. Go ahead. You're you're in chapter five. Go ahead, brother.
21:53 Then Solomon began to go to the house of the
21:55 Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had been in the temple of the Lord. What's the next thing that he did? The first thing that he did is he determined. What's the next thing that he did? The first thing that he did is he determined.
22:10 What's the next thing that he did? He began to build. So he didn't he didn't stay in the place of just determining. Now he started something. He laid a foundation.
22:19 So that ambition now finally manifested into a real action, and so he starts. He puts his hand to the plow and he begins to till the soil, and that's what some believers do as well. So they go from just knowing what they're supposed to do or believing something that they're supposed to do, and they actually start doing that. We praise God for that. But unfortunately some people start something and what?
22:42 They don't finish. They don't fulfill their ministry. They don't complete it. And that's the case of many for whatever reason. Now one justifiable reason is that the Lord's called you to elsewhere, and that was a season of training.
22:56 But that's not often the case with how people go from determining to beginning something. It's often for unjustifiable reasons. They lose interest. They don't think that it offers the fruit of the reward that they anticipated at a certain point. They are invited or another opportunity opens up, and so they kind of jump from one thing to the next.
23:16 Here's the thing. Many people rob themselves of great blessing and rob others of blessings because of a lack of this one characteristic, loyalty. Loyalty. More and more is loyalty becoming a rarity. Many profess to have a love, but a faithful man who can find.
23:37 It's easy for people to express their appreciation, their devotion, their love, but to live it out and to prove it with action is a rarity. It was a rarity in the book of Proverbs. It's a rarity even today, unfortunately. You rob yourself of much when you miss out on the discipline and the honor and the call of loyalty. Hopping from thing to thing to thing, friendship to friendship to friendship, church to church to church, ministry to mission to ministry, and you don't stay long enough to see the fruit of the thing.
24:11 And I even growing up in the church, I I I've been to different churches for in different seasons. And I remember one particular church, I think in five years, they had four different pastors. Just jumping for ministry, oh, better pay over here. It's warmer in that place. Look.
24:27 If God's called you, God's called you. But if your reasons are in the flesh, you're hurting your own ministry and you're hurting other people who can be blessed by your ministry. So much more can be said about that. So you have some who determine. You have some who begin.
24:42 But what does Solomon do in second Chronicles five one? Thus, all the work that Solomon did before the Lord was finished. Was finished. So it went from a plan to beginning to completing. That should be what you and I emulate in our own lives in ministry, that you stay the course, that whatever God's called you to do and whatever context he's called you to do it in, that you do it until he calls you home, that you spend yourself, as Paul said, that you I poured myself out as a drink offering.
25:20 Every drop of who I am has been spilled over to the cause of Christ. Do that. Be that. Ask God for the grace to complete what he's called you to. We have enough wreckage and half built ideas and ministries, and, may God be honored with longevity and loyalty.
25:42 So this man completes it, and then he goes on in verse six, and he says, now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me, and my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set. For you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians. Some would criticize Solomon for what? Now I just think. Why would some criticize Solomon for reaching out to Hiram?
26:14 Yeah. You said it. Right? He's a gentile. Why are you involving a gentile with this Jewish project?
26:22 Right? Why are you asking for resources and supplies beyond the promised land? But if somebody carefully reads the Old Testament, they would understand something about the promised land. Do this on your own if you'd like. When you go to Joshua 13, you read that when Joshua and the generation with him went into the promised land and performed some successful campaigns taking over some of the promised land, they didn't complete it.
26:48 And the Lord said in verse one of chapter 13, there's still much land to take over. And when you go to verse six, you read something interesting. Part of the promised land, I know this is controversial today, is all of Lebanon. Yeah. All of Lebanon.
27:08 And they were called to drive out all the Sidonians, the same Sidonians that he is referring to here. Let me say it this way. There's a lot of controversy about the promised land today. Right? If you actually study the Old Testament, the the boundaries of the promised land are much larger than what people believe.
27:25 Much larger. So, I just throw that out there. I'm just throwing that out there to to to for what point? For the point of this, because we shouldn't condemn Solomon here. Because in essence, he's really asking for something that belongs to him and his people.
27:44 And so this man is not acting out of faith. He's acting in alignment with his faith. And at the same time, he is respecting Hyrum as a king, and he's rep respecting his people for who they are, separate, autonomous, but he is not performing something illegal by reaching out to them. And in fact, this is a picture of a future temple that will be built. Right?
28:08 A future temple, the church of God. The church of God that will be built not through the resources of Jew and Gentile, but comprised of Jew and Gentile. Ephesians two, we're told in '22 that we are being built together as a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. You and I are those precious stones that are being cut and prepared to make a house for God. Right here, right now, in this very room, I'm looking at precious faces, precious saints, awake faces.
28:33 Praise God. This is a temple right here. This is it. It's not this. It's not this.
28:40 It's not this. It's not this. It's this coming together. Different backgrounds, different shades of skin, and color, and length, and accents, and cultures, and food, and all those wonderful things. Coming together by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ making a house for God.
29:01 And so here we even have a nudge of a house to come, Jew and Gentile coming together to glorify God and his presence, hosting it in partnership with the truth of the son of God. But let's see here what happens next. Verse seven. Now we get the response of Hiram. As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, blessed be the Lord this day who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.
29:28 And Hiram sent to Solomon saying, I've heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. My servant shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it, and you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household. Again, it's not conclusive whether or not Hyrum believed in the true and living God eventually or for he did at this point.
29:58 What is certain though is that his response to the invitation of Solomon is a wonderful model for believers in connection to how they should respond to the invitation of the call of God for their lives, in the respective ministries that you received. Let me remind you of the simple truth, but God help us, we need to be reminded often of simple truths. When Jesus Christ shed his blood for you and forgave you, when you responded in repentance and faith, you didn't just get heaven, you got a gift. You received a supernatural gift from God in order to equip the church, build the church, edify the church, and glorify God in and through that gift. And each of us in this place have been invited to some degree to participate in the expansion of the glory of God.
30:48 Right? And this is what this man understands. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. I know the lane that I'm supposed to stay in. Provide you wood.
30:59 And I'll do it with all my desire. And I will do it with all my strength, all my joy, all excellence. But let's look at this here. Before he even says that, notice his response in verse seven when he received the message. What did he do at verse seven?
31:12 What stands out to you? It's two words or three. He rejoiced greatly. So when the message came to him, says, hey, are you willing to work with me on this? He exploded with excitement.
31:29 Are you telling me that I get to be part of this awesome thing? And from that great joy, we're told in verse eight, I am ready to do all you desire. This is gonna save some people, not salvation, maybe even salvation. I'm not talking salvation saving. I'm talking about sanctifying saving.
31:57 Notice here, before he confessed, I am ready to do all you desire, he expressed this amazing, explosive, true, genuine joy. The joy resulted in this high commitment and great sacrifice in doing whatever he could do in order to please God. And why is that important? Because I'm convinced that the reason why any believer has a low commitment, and whatever God's called them to do is because they have a low joy. And the reason why they have little joy is because unlike Hiram, they can't perceive for whatever reason the awesome privilege it is to be invited in serving God in any way.
32:46 That make sense? It's a poor outlook on what it is that Almighty God has beckoned you to. And when you have a blurry understanding of the awesome privilege of serving the Lord Jesus Christ, then you're not gonna have much joy. And if you don't have much joy, you're not gonna have high commitment. You see how simple that equation is?
33:14 Why is it you can't get people why is it that you can't get yourself to do something continually, consistently, effectively? I believe one of the main reasons is because your heart is void of gladness. It's as simple as that. It's no mystery. It's deeper than that.
33:36 And let me say something even perhaps more shocking. The reason why I can diagnose that is because that's how God diagnosed at least one of the main reasons for the spiraling apostasy of the nation of Israel. Listen. This is what I meant. This might save some.
33:56 They might save some. Yeah? God diagnoses the nation of Israel for their apostasy by putting his finger on this very truth that I'm trying to convey. They lacked joy in serving God. Now let me prove it, so you don't think I'm just pulling this out of thin air.
34:15 Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 47, where God gives the rewards for obedience and the curses for disobedience to the nation. And notice what he says to this people in terms of the reason why they would disobey. Deuteronomy 28 verse 47. I remember stumbling upon this verse studying Deuteronomy, and it changed my life, and I hope it changes yours as well. Look what the Lord says to the people.
34:46 Look at this. Hey, if you haven't paid attention up to this point, pay attention now. Because you did not serve the Lord your God Now he could've stopped there. Yeah. Because you didn't serve the Lord your God, and then he gives his warnings, and he gives the consequences of that.
35:00 But he doesn't say that. Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things. And he goes on to explain what they're headed to because of that lack, not just of obedience, joyful obedience. You know what George Mueller said? George Mueller said that it is my ambition to attend to this every single day as my top priority, and it is to be happy in God.
35:32 My priority every single day, Mueller said, is not to get preoccupied with how to serve God, what kind of thing I need to do next. My priority, numero uno, is to ensure that my soul is happy in God. Why did George Miller have that revelation? Because he understood that true ministry flows from that place. Longevity, effectiveness, again, fruitfulness comes from the heart that serves the lord with a revelation of joy and gladness.
36:04 Now if you're waiting for that to be spontaneous, if you're waiting for that joy to be spontaneous or to just erupt out of nowhere, you're in for some disappointment. This joy is not even determined by whether or not things are going for you that week, and And that's why you have a little bit extra skip to your step when you wanna serve the Lord that week. No. No. No.
36:30 That joy has to be nourished. It has to be fed. It's a discipline to see that joy grow. And how does that joy grow? I mean, there's many ways, but just realizing again what Hyrum realized.
36:44 Who is it that I'm serving here? What reward awaits me in my contribution? In light of the new covenant, the eternal impact that I can possibly make with my brothers and sisters as I I just serve in this area and they serve in that area, and and together we become this machine that bulldozes over the kingdom of darkness and makes room for God's light to shine brighter. That's how you feed your joy. Where you come to the truth of your position, of your calling, of the empowerment that belongs to you, of the promises of God for those who walk in obedience and say, this is really what I've been invited to.
37:29 And then you begin to feel a pulse, and then you begin to feel fire in your blood. And it's something deeper than feeling. It's something deeper than just emotion. It's a conviction that steers you. Get happy in God.
37:43 Make that your priority every single day. Feed that every single moment, and everything else will just be the natural consequence. All ministry, all the things that you feel like you need to do, even the difficult things will be done. This is what this man had. He had joy and led to him saying, I'm ready to do all that you desire.
38:04 So he says, I'll do my part. Look at verse 10. So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cores of wheat as food for his household and 20,000 cores of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hyrum year by year, and the lord gave Solomon wisdom as he promised him. And there was peace between Hyrum and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
38:27 Yes. If we want peace, we need wisdom in many ways. We need wisdom in many ways. Verse 13, now we're gonna end it here in a few minutes. It's gonna be a shorter Bible study than usual.
38:42 King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel. Now I I'm reading this for a reason, so so be patient and read this with me. And the draft numbered 30,000 men, and he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the draft.
39:04 Solomon also had 70,000 burden bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country besides Solomon's 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charged the people who carried on the work. At the king's command, they quarried out great costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dress stones. So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebel did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house. And it's usually text like this where we're just gonna read on quickly and barely remember any details and say, okay. I read first Kings chapter five today.
39:42 Don't do that. I looked at that set of verses, and I and I thought to myself, why would the Holy Spirit include such great detail of the operations of the beginnings of the preparation of the building of the temple? And here's what came to mind. Maybe it came to yours. We're supposed to feel and be impressed by the magnitude of it, by the intricacies of it, by the mechanics of it.
40:10 It's supposed to make us feel this is huge. This is costly. This is demanding. And here's the thought also that came to mind. You know how Solomon felt about it?
40:23 We know how Hiram felt about it? But in reading all these different numbers of peoples who were commanded to do this, here's my question for you. How do you think the people felt about it? Let's let's do a vote here. Yeah?
40:38 Who thinks that the people were happy about this? The thousands of thousands of people. Were they happy? Okay. Who thinks that they weren't happy?
40:47 Okay. Prove it. Make your case for those who think that they were happy. You thought I was just gonna let you vote and not explain why you made your answer. Why were they happy?
41:01 Okay. Building an awesome temple for God. And you might even look back to the people who contributed to the tabernacle in the wilderness. I mean, they were giving so much that Moses said, stop. Can you imagine an offering like that?
41:13 Imagine an offering like that on a Sunday. Hey, stop that. We have way too much here. We don't need more any more contributions. That's what it was like.
41:20 So maybe like, okay, history is repeating itself. Now make a case for why they were not happy. Yes? After Solomon died and Rehoboam took over the throne, look at first Kings 12 with me and you will get the true response of this people. Look at verse three of first Kings 12.
41:48 And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, your father made our yoke heavy. Now, therefore, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you. So there's your answer. They weren't happy. I mean, they were traumatized.
42:15 They were bitter. All the way to the point where Rehoboam became king, they said, okay. This is our chance to get some relief. Hey, Rehoboam. Listen.
42:23 Your dad was really tough on us. We promise to be good to you if you just lighten up this load, and we know what happens. We're gonna study it in a few months I think. But let's think deeper here. Let's think in light of our past studies.
42:38 What's going on here? The fact that they were commanded to serve in this way, and the fact that they cried out with complaints. Think back at first Samuel when the people wanted a king. Oh, I heard light bulbs go off. Right?
43:05 The people demanded Samuel for a king. And what did Samuel do like a good prophet? He warned them. He warned them. You want a king?
43:16 You don't want god to be your king anymore? Here's what you're signing up for. Do you guys remember? Some of you remember. Some of you maybe not.
43:24 So let's remember together. Go to first Samuel chapter eight. Now as I'm reading first Samuel chapter eight, I'm gonna read a a a fairly large portion of scripture. I want you to look for a word that is repeated. First Samuel eight verse 10.
43:47 Let me read verse 10 down to verse 18. And, again, here's your homework in this moment. Pay attention to something that is emphasized. So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, these will be the ways of the king who will reign over you.
44:05 He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
44:34 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day, you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day. What word stands out? He will take.
44:55 Take. Take. Take. Take. And Samuel is an effective minister and preacher.
45:03 He knows exactly what he's doing by repeating that word. You know why that's important? It's an important lesson for all of us in how we view sin and righteousness, obedience and disobedience. The people in wanting a human king were, in essence, rejecting God as their king, and they thought that in having a human king, they would gain. We'll be like the world, and he'll fight our battles, and he's tangible.
45:26 He's observable. He's there. He's not tucked in some box behind a curtain. We want a human king, and we will win so much by having a king. And here's Samuel now coming with his sermon.
45:36 He says, in fact, it's the opposite. He will take from you. By having a human king and rejecting the will and purpose of God at this time, you're gonna lose. You're gonna lose. And that is always the case when we trust in human wisdom and betray the truth of God's word in any particular realm or lane.
46:01 You always lose when you walk away. You always lose when you think that it's gain to do it your way. Always. Always. Never forget it.
46:10 You'll always have something taken from you. You'll lose your peace. You'll lose your joy. You'll lose your testimony. You'll lose your ministry.
46:21 You always have something taken from you when you choose to not trust God in an area of your life, where you deliberately say, this is what God says. I don't believe it. I wanna trust in this. And what Samuel says to this generation, he says to all of us, you'll have something taken from you, and often it's more than you anticipated. And that's what they're experiencing.
46:43 This this is this warning is manifested through Solomon. He put a burden on the people, and then when they cry out and protest, I wonder if any of them thought of what Samuel had said many many years ago. And what's so sad about Samuel warning here is the sadness that many preachers know, that they can warn ahead of time. If you do this, if you go in that direction, you will lose. It will hurt you, and people still do it.
47:10 Look at verse 19. But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, no. But there shall be a king over us, that we will also be like the all the nations so that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. So you read first Kings and second Kings, and that's what you realize except for a few. But in in in in the generality, that was the case.
47:31 There was unnecessary burdens placed on the general population because they chose to have a human king instead of an invisible one. And so, again, they asked Rehoboam, lighten our yoke. Be easier on us, and Rehoboam refuses. And here is the main point of first king, second kings. What is it?
47:56 That every king, even the greatest kings of Israel, failed. And then you have that impression as you read first king, second kings. As I told you before, I remember when I first got saved, we're flying back from a conference, and my friend and his devotions was reading first Kings, second Kings. And I looked over to my right in the late flight, and I heard sniffles. And I looked and I asked, what's wrong?
48:17 And he says, I'm reading first Kings and second Kings, and I just can't believe how ridiculous the people of Israel are. I I I just can't believe the incompetence of these rulers to get it right and to provide what these people desperately needed. And then you come to Matthew. You go to Matthew eleven twenty eight twenty nine, and you see a different king. King Rehoboam, they said, would you would you lighten our yoke?
48:47 Would you make this easier on us? And and Samuel warned, hey. Listen. The kings that you're choosing, they're gonna take from you. And then Jesus comes on the scene, and he says, come to me.
48:57 All you are weary and heavy laden, and I will take. I'll give. I will give you rest. That's our king. I will give you rest.
49:14 There's a king coming who would not take, take, take, take. Oh, yes. There's a call for you and I to surrender and to repent, but for what? To receive abundant life. To lay down as we sang lesser things so that we can have true life and eternal life ultimately.
49:31 That is our king. He's ready to give. What kind of king is like this? So we do not serve a where we come to me and say, look, you're a hard task master. You you tell us to make bricks, but you don't give a straw.
49:47 He's not like pharaoh. He's a king who says, come to me. You're heavy laden. You're broken. You're distressed.
49:56 You're in turmoil. Let me lighten that burden. Let me give you something that is overwhelmingly joyful, blissful, fulfilling, and satisfying. That's the king that we serve. It is not a burden to serve the Lord.
50:18 It is a joyful thing. And if Hiram can rejoice in being invited to serve Solomon, how much more him who is greater than Solomon? I I don't know. This is the thing with preaching, man. You try to communicate things, and in the moment, you are fully aware of your incapability of trying to convey something that is, in essence, impossible to fully explain.
50:44 The plight of the preacher. Right? And so this is where we have to trust the Holy Spirit. I my my goal and prayer preparing this was, Lord, let us all just be refreshed and reminded that it is an absolute honor to serve you. And Lord, if if we had intention to do something and we've never done it, may we begin it.
51:05 And if we're beginning to begin it, may we see it to fruition and completion by your wonderful mercy and grace and power. My prayer is that your heart would be touched again to say what he said here to Solomon, I will give you all that you desire. Let's pray. Lord, we are moved to see how you spoke in first Kings five, and we believe that there is so much more even in that chapter for us to discover. But for tonight, we pause, and we say thank you for the portion that you have provided.
52:08 Lord, you know the people in here who might be serving you, but not with joy or gladness of heart. They have lost sight of the absolute privilege and honor it is to serve you in any capacity. Renew our vision, and help us see, Lord, that there is no alternative to serving you. There's nothing better to do on a Friday night than to worship you. There's nothing better to do with our weekends than to serve you.
52:40 There's nothing. Help us believe that when we feel like the happiness in our soul is being drained by lies and temptation or discouragement. Rescue us from such a place because we know that it begins. The downfall begins when we lose that joy and gladness of heart, never mind serving. Lord, rescue us from being an autopilot mode in ministry, and bring us to the place again where we know the energy of the Holy Spirit.
53:07 And we know the animation of the gift of God given to those who believe. And that the same kind of power that Paul knew, we would know that even in our weakness, we would be excited about it because we will know a perfection of your grace. So Lord, tonight we just simply ask that as we sing and close and even prepare to serve you tomorrow, that you would do what no preacher can do, no communicator, no song, no counseling can ultimately do, that you would deposit in us the necessary graces so that we can be where you want us to be. And, Lord, we say thank you again as a church that we can be in a place among people who surely love you. Lord, receive this honor and adoration as we sing in Jesus' name.
