TWO DIVINE GIFTS

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.“  1 Kings 4:29

 “But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.”  1 Kings 5:4

            Here are two gifts given by God that might be sought after here in our day.  The first one is wisdom.  My, what a need there is today for this gift.  God told Judah through the prophet Isaiah that He would give them children to rule them.  See Isa. 3:4.  "And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them."  Though these words were given to Judah, yet I must say the same is surely with our government today.  Fact of the matter, I would say that the idiocy of our government would be an insult to children.  Our president, like a child, has by executive order made us a lower class by far than what we were when He was elected.  The strange thing to me also is that the congress and the Supreme Court have acted also like children to let him get away with his wickedness.  There is certainly a need for wisdom.  Well, there is good news.  In our text we see that God gave wisdom to Solomon.  James in James 1:5 has promised it to us.  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

            Then there is rest.  Conflict is not conducive to building God's work.  See 1 Kings 5:3, 4, "Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.  But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent."  Like wisdom, rest is also a gift from God, :4, "But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent."   In Acts 9:31 Luke recorded the following:  "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."  Persecution had leveled off somewhat and the churches in rest increased.

            God's rest is for a purpose. He does not condone laziness.  In 1 Kings 5:5, Solomon said, "And behold, I purpose to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build a house unto my name."  Because they were experiencing rest, Soloman purposed to build the Lord's house.  God had given them rest for that reason.

            Behold a greater than Solomon is here.  As one retired Baptist pastor to all pastors and evangelists, let me implore you call our nation to repentance.  After 60 years as a Baptist pastor, my observation is the only thing that will save our nation is for her people to turn back to God and repent of our sins.