Today's readings are 1 Kings 9.1-9, 10.1-13 and 1 Corinthians 5.1-21.
In 1 Kings 9.1-9, God says something very interesting to Solomon. He restates the covenant he made with David but he is very clear that if Solomon departs from the ways of the Lord he will cause the downfall of Israel. They will cease to be a great nation.
Is this salvation by works? Is it a warning not to depart from living by faith? It seems it is the latter. Here's why. God has promised to bless all nations through Abraham's offspring. He has never changed that blessing. Yet he can and will take it away from the nation of Israel to be that blessing if Israel does not hold fast to God's commands.
God has blessed all nations through the offspring of Abraham, through Jesus, the third person of the Trinity. He has not forgotten his promise. God did, however, cast off the power and respect of the Davidic kingdom from Israel as the nation splintered after the time of Solomon.
Our Lord is able to bless the world through his own means, in his own timing, with or without a mighty ethnic group to support that blessing. And in these last days he has done it through Jesus Christ his only son. By belief in the name of Jesus there is salvation. By the hope of the resurrection we have a living hope, not a dying hope. By the Word of God comes faith, that which we need. God has indeed blessed his people, even though his nation departed from him.
Let us similarly take warning. Have we received God's blessing? Let us not depart from faith and depend on works. Let us not mistake God's sovereign grace in our lives. Let us cling to our Lord by faith.
In 1 Kings 9.1-9, God says something very interesting to Solomon. He restates the covenant he made with David but he is very clear that if Solomon departs from the ways of the Lord he will cause the downfall of Israel. They will cease to be a great nation.
Is this salvation by works? Is it a warning not to depart from living by faith? It seems it is the latter. Here's why. God has promised to bless all nations through Abraham's offspring. He has never changed that blessing. Yet he can and will take it away from the nation of Israel to be that blessing if Israel does not hold fast to God's commands.
God has blessed all nations through the offspring of Abraham, through Jesus, the third person of the Trinity. He has not forgotten his promise. God did, however, cast off the power and respect of the Davidic kingdom from Israel as the nation splintered after the time of Solomon.
Our Lord is able to bless the world through his own means, in his own timing, with or without a mighty ethnic group to support that blessing. And in these last days he has done it through Jesus Christ his only son. By belief in the name of Jesus there is salvation. By the hope of the resurrection we have a living hope, not a dying hope. By the Word of God comes faith, that which we need. God has indeed blessed his people, even though his nation departed from him.
Let us similarly take warning. Have we received God's blessing? Let us not depart from faith and depend on works. Let us not mistake God's sovereign grace in our lives. Let us cling to our Lord by faith.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com
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