Prepper Recon

And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that [was] the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

1 Kings 3:3-5

The Book of Leviticus gave specific details about how God’s people were to worship him. Every little detail was covered and it did not include making sacrifices and burning incense in high places. Nevertheless, King Solomon did so. And what’s more, God honored his sacrifices and appeared to Solomon in a dream.

I find this story absolutely perplexing. What is the lesson here? I think the lesson is, that God looks at the motivation of the heart. It seems he is more concerned with a person’s attitude toward him than whether that person legalistically follows the law to the letter. It is possible to get so caught up in the rules and regulations that we miss out on the love. So, let us purpose in our hearts to love God, above all else. After all, Jesus said loving God with all of your heart, soul and mind, is the most important commandment.

So is that the end of the lesson? I don’t think so. I seem to recall Paul telling young Timothy to pay careful attention to his doctrine. Let’s take another look at King Solomon. As he continued throughout his life, he persisted in doing things his own way. Deuteronomy 17 says the king shouldn’t buy many horses, and that he shouldn’t buy them from Egypt. What does 2 Chronicles 1 tell us about King Solomon’s horses? It says there were a lot of them, and guess where he bought them. That’s right, Egypt! Deuteronomy 17 says the king should not have many wives. Solomon had 700 and 300 concubines. I don’t know what your definition of “many wives” is, but I bet it’s less than 700. Deuteronomy 17 says the king should not amass silver and gold. Solomon seemed to get the silver part right, but only because he’d gathered so much gold in his palace that silver was seen as completely worthless. And after all of this, Solomon began to worship foreign gods, one of the sins that breaks God’s heart more than anything. As a result, the Kingdom of Israel was split in two, dividing it into the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. Just as the entire nation was blessed because of Solomon’s passion for God in his early years, they were all cursed after his reign, because of his neglect and his choice to do things his own way.

Come back every Sunday for a new Prepper Bible Study! The most important prep of all is knowing GOD. Jesus said “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?” Prepper translation: “What good will it do you to survive the coming economic collapse, nuclear war or even a zombie apocalypse if you don’t know you will go to heaven when you die.” A recent study found that 10 out of 10 people die! On that day we will meet our Maker. It only makes sense to be prepared for that day. Click here to learn more about knowing GOD.

Have a blessed day and happy prepping!

Mark