Tag: Solomon

Posted in Bible study, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

Bathsheba, part 2

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Adapted from the study ‘She, volume 1, pp 17-18

Read: 2 Samuel 12; Ps.51

She lost her firstborn son

“…she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon…”

Oh, how I love the hope from this passage of our journey:

  • Repentance makes a difference. (1 Jn 1:9)
    • “Our mistakes do not have to ruin our entire life.”
      • We can instead use the lessons we learn to encourage others to refrain from the same faults.

Bathsheba’s story, through David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51, confessing his sin concerning Bathsheba and Uriah, serves as a beautiful picture that God offers us true forgiveness when we repent of our sins.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

1 John 1:9
  • According to God’s mercy and loving kindness, He “blots out” our transgressions. The words of Isaiah confirm this in Isaiah 43:25
    • I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake; your sins I do not remember.
  • Bathsheba is included in Matthew’s account of the genealogy. Note: She is referenced not by her name but as being the wife of Uriah. (Matthew 1:6)
  • It is said by some commentators that Bathsheba is the mother of King Lemuel, and therefore, perhaps the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. I find joy in contemplating the very idea of this, but nowhere is this confirmed in the Scriptures. See: https://www.gotquestions.org/King-Lemuel.html

In the account of David and Bathsheba, we find many lessons. 

  1. Secret sin will be found out.
  2. God will forgive anyone who repents. 
  3. The consequences of our sin remain even when the sin is forgiven. 
  4. God can work even in difficult situations.
    1. In fact, David and Bathsheba’s next son, Solomon, became the heir to the throne. Even in bad situations, God has a plan that serves His sovereign purpose.  

“Bathsheba’s story reminds me that God has a plan, and that He can and does work even through difficult situations with imperfect people to bring about something good. Queen Bathsheba, despite the unsavory events surrounding her coming to the palace, became the mother of the wisest and most successful king ever to grace the throne.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/Bathsheba-in-the-Bible.html)   

Reflection and Application:
  • How important is repentance in your life? Are you quick to confess your sins, or do you let them pile up until the end of the day, week, or month…? What is/are the benefit(s) of confessing our sins to God?
  • What stood out to you in today’s journey?

I invite you to leave a reply below or at today’s Journey Through The Word post @ https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17nAoUC7AY/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Set Apart - Living a Life for God's Glor

Seek Wisdom

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, living a life for God’s glory / w3d2

Scripture: Proverbs 4:1-19 / SOAP verses 6-7

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will guard you. 7 Wisdom is supreme— so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire acquire understanding!

Proverbs 4:6-7

When Solomon speaks of wisdom, he is referring to the precepts, or general rules, of God’s Word. It is seen throughout Scripture that the person who chooses to live according to the Word of God is spared from the destruction that comes to those who forsake or refuse His Word. Or, as BIbleref.com explains it, “Those who live by godly principles are far less likely to suffer the consequences faced by those who participate in sin and depravity.” Solomon was trained by his father to follow God’s word, and now he was teaching his son the same lesson. He wanted him to know that there is nothing more valuable than gaining the wisdom of God. Possessing godly wisdom is better than any amount of material possessions, wealth, or fame. However, we must not simply acquire wisdom but also seek to understand it, for without understanding, we will easily fall prey to the hindrances of this life that can quickly deter us from faithfully following God’s will.

Godly wisdom may look very different from worldly wisdom. Jesus highlighted these differences in His Sermon On the Mount For example, He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Godly wisdom often requires us to do that which is opposite our natural inclinations. Godly wisdom goes against the “conventional wisdom” of the day; it is not focused on self-preservation but on furthering the kingdom of God. We can only live in godly wisdom when we are committed to crucifying our flesh and living in the Spirit (see Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:16, 25).

gotquestions.org (read it all in today’s “The More We Know”)
Wisdom from the Journey

Seek to fill your mind with wisdom from God. For when we stay true to God’s wisdom our hearts will be guarded and we will be protected.

Reflection On the Journey

What practical steps can you take to seek God’s wisdom through His Word?

The More We Know

Christ wants His followers to be set apart from the world, making godly choices and living godly lives

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Set Apart - Living a Life for God's Glor

Guard Your Heart

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart – Living A Life For God’s Glory / w2d4

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27 / SOAP verse 27

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23 NLT

This verse is in the treasure trove of verses I have long stored away in my heart, and when I read it this morning, it reminded me of a song I used to listen to by Steve Green. The song starts with words I sang as a child; maybe you remember them too – “Oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see. There’s a father up above, and he’s looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see.” The words are a reminder to be careful with what we let our eyes see and to remember that our heavenly father looks not on the outward appearance of a man but on his heart. It is a reminder that will hopefully inspire us to maintain a pure heart before God. The chorus of the updated version of the song borrows the words Solomon spoke to his ‘son,’ “Guard your heart.” The singer warns the listener not to trade the heart for treasure or give it away, with the reminder that the payment for the ‘pleasure’ of the heart is a high price to pay. Friends, if we desire to remain pure before God, if we want to be light and salt for Him in this dark world, if we want to truly live “set apart”, please Him, and bring Him glory, as we were made to do – then we must, at all costs, guard our hearts.

Guard your Heart * Guard your Heart * Don’t trade it for treasure * Don’t give it away
Guard your Heart * Guard your Heart * As a payment for pleasure * It’s high price to pay
For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear * Guard your Heart

Guard Your Heart / Steve Green
Applicable to us

While Solomon wrote the Words to his “son”, we know that all Scripture is given by God and useful for training, rebuking, and correcting us in how we live. We also know that the New Testament is filled with passages that stress the importance of God’s Word in the lives of His children – and in the salvation of those who have not yet believed! So, without question, Solomon’s instructions are meant to be heard and followed by us as well. – (see “The More We Know” section)

So, What steps can we take to guard our hearts more intentionally? Our larger passage, Proverbs 4:20-27, provides excellent insight and words of wisdom to answer this question. I’ve included it here with the passage from my journal. The journal page is marked up and highlighted with the many ways and reasons Solomon suggested his “child” should and could maintain a guarded heart that is pure and turned away from evil, set apart for God. Pay close attention to the fact that having a guarded heart requires that God’s Word be an active and integral part of our lives. We must pay attention to His Word, listen to the things He has made known to us, and remember them. He warns of the need to keep the heart guarded and stresses that it is the source of life. It is the key to our words and thoughts, our desires, and our activities being acceptable to God. His Word is our source of help and strength in fixing our eyes on Him and turning away from the evil in this world. It is a necessary component of being set apart, and living a life that glorifies God.

~May we not just hear His Word but follow it faithfully.

Today’s Reflection

What is one step you can take to guard your heart more intentionally? Pray about it and ask God for His help – I promise He will hear and answer your prayer, 1 Jn 15:14-15; and your heart will not only be guarded but it will be more and more drawn to and set apart for Him.

The More We Know

The importance of God’s Word made known in the Scriptures:

  • Matt. 4:4
  • Luke 24:45
  • Jn 5:39
  • Jn 8:32
  • Jn 17:17
  • Acts 17:11
  • Rom 1:16

  • Romans 10:17
  • Ephesians 6:17
  • Colossians 3:16
  • 1 Thes. 2:13
  • Hebrews 4:12
  • James1:21-23
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Set Apart - Living a Life for God's Glor

Guard Your Heart

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart – Living A Life For God’s Glory / w2d4

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27 / SOAP verse 27

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23 NLT

This verse is in the treasure trove of verses I have long stored away in my heart, and when I read it this morning, it reminded me of a song I used to listen to by Steve Green. The song starts with words I sang as a child; maybe you remember them too – “Oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little eyes what you see. There’s a father up above, and he’s looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see.” The words are a reminder to be careful what we let our eyes see and to remember that our heavenly father looks not on the outward appearance of a man but on his heart. It is a reminder that will hopefully inspire us to maintain a pure heart before God. The chorus of the updated version of the song borrows the words Solomon spoke to his ‘son,’ “Guard your heart.” The singer warns the listener not to trade the heart for treasure or give it away, with the reminder that the payment for the ‘pleasure’ of the heart is a high price to pay. Friends, if we desire to remain pure before God, if we want to be light and salt for Him in this dark world, if we want to truly live “set apart”, please Him, and bring Him glory, as we were made to do – then we must, at all costs, guard our hearts.

Guard your Heart * Guard your Heart * Don’t trade it for treasure * Don’t give it away
Guard your Heart * Guard your Heart * As a payment for pleasure * It’s high price to pay
For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear * Guard your Heart

Guard Your Heart / Steve Green
Applicable to us

While Solomon wrote the Words, we know all Scripture is given by God and useful for training, rebuking, and correcting us in how we live. We also know that the New Testament is filled with passages that stress the importance of God’s Word in the lives of His children – and in the salvation of those who have not yet believed! So, without question, Solomon’s instructions are meant to be heard and followed by us as well. – (see “The More We Know” section)

So, What steps can we take to guard our hearts more intentionally? Our larger passage, Proverbs 4:20-27, provides excellent insight and words of wisdom to answer this question. I’ve included it here with the passage from my journal. The journal page is marked up and highlighted with the many ways and reasons Solomon suggested his “child” should and could maintain a guarded heart that is pure and turned away from evil, set apart for God. Pay close attention to the fact that having a guarded heart requires that God’s Word be an active and integral part of our lives. We must pay attention to His Word, listen to the things He has made known to us, and remember them. He warns of the need to keep the heart guarded and stresses that it is the source of life. It is the key to our words and thoughts, our desires, and our activities being acceptable to God. His Word is our source of help and strength in fixing our eyes on Him and turning away from the evil in this world. It is a necessary component of being set apart, and living a life that glorifies God.

~May we not just hear His Word but follow it faithfully.

Today’s Reflection

What is one step you can take to guard your heart more intentionally? Pray about it and ask God for His help – I promise He will hear and answer your prayer, 1 Jn 15:14-15; and your heart will not only be guarded but it will be more and more set apart for Him.

The More We Know

The importance of God’s Word made known in the Scriptures:

  • Matt. 4:4
  • Luke 24:45
  • Jn 5:39
  • Jn 8:32
  • Jn 17:17
  • Acts 17:11
  • Rom 1:16

  • Romans 10:17
  • Ephesians 6:17
  • Colossians 3:16
  • 1 Thes. 2:13
  • Hebrews 4:12
  • James1:21-23
Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Promised Messiah

The Blessing of our Faith

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Scripture: Genesis 12:3 and 22:18; Psalm 72:17; Gal 3:6-16 / SOAP: Gal 3:8-9

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

Genesis 3:8-9

Have you ever heard or sung the song “Father Abraham”? It’s an interactive song that teaches children, and in my case adults, that as believers we are part of the family of Abraham. Which, as Paul points out in Galatians chapter three is a vital part of our heritage in the family of God. Knowing this part of our heritage does not change who we are in Christ but it does give us a broader understanding of who and how we are in Christ, much like the popular ancestry studies of today help us understand our physical heritage.

Father Abrham had many sons, many sons had father Abrham
I am one of them and so are you – so let’s just praise the Lord…

I was saved when I was a very young girl, five or six years of age, but it wasn’t until my late twenties that I began to understand the depth of the grace of God. Until then it was a word relegated to a verse that proclaimed the means of my salvation, “For it is by grace you are saved through faith, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.”

My heritage by blood is gentile but by the grace of God I have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ! By faith I am now numbered among the sons and daughters of Abraham.

MefromtheINsideout!

What does it mean to you to be part of the family of God? Do you remember a time when you weren’t part of the family?

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
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Remaining or Cut Off

Read Proverbs 2:11-22 (SOAP: 21-22)

For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Proverbs 2:21-22 NLT

This section of reading makes it clear that righteous living, that which is based on the wisdom of God, is better than those who live in perverse ways, delighting in doing wrong and rejoicing in evil. Solomon concludes this section of sayings with pointed instruction to “walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous”. Why? Because he knows that these are the people who will obtain and dwell in the land the LORD had promised long ago. “Dwelling in the land” was a phrase known as a great reward in that day because it indicated that they were heirs to the promises of God. (see Genesis 12; 2 Samuel 7:16) He also understood that those who were unfaithful – who chose to not follow the ways of wisdom would forever be “cut off from the land”. From Solomon’s instruction and words of warning it is clear Solomon wanted more for his “son” than this.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, I am a child of God. Because I have believed He has made me an heir and I have a share in the promises and blessings of God’s people. (Galatians 3:17-29; 4:4-7 and Hebrews 3:12-14)Like Solomon, I must be faithful to tell my children and the generations to follow what God desires and what He has promised.

 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Galatians 4:7