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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Jonathan Zirkle

How Should We Live?

Dear Lord, I ask that you would be with me now.

A few weeks ago I was cleaning up my house, I was moving things around, and I saw this really old copy of Ministry of Healing.

But it's got that really cool kind of archetypal cover.

I don't know if you've seen that Used to be much more artistic I Opened it up Written in this beautiful that the people of the old days use this beautiful handwriting It's my grandfather's name written in it.

And you know, the binding was completely worn out.

And if any of you have seen, I see this more in the older generation, I've seen this with a number of different people, they'll write all over their books.

They'll write all over their Spirit of Prophecy.

Right inside the front cover, there was a quote there.

The quote said this, We ask for long life, but its deep life are grand moments that signify, let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical." I looked at that, and I looked and I looked and I looked.

My grandfather writes this citation, and the citation there just said, Ibbitt.

I'm like, oh man, I don't even know what that is.

Well, I was talking to 1 of my pastor friends, and I shared him this quote.

He was excited about the possibility that it was an Ellen white quote.

And I got to thinking about it, I said, I wonder where that is from, you know.

So I went on the Ellen White app, you know, and I started typing into the words and I come up with absolutely nothing.

My grandfather, he doesn't write other quotes in there, but I guess not.

But I got to thinking about it, and the question I had, is it true?

The quote 1 more time, we ask for long life, but it's deep life or grand moments that signify.

But the measure of time is spiritual and not mechanical." Is that true?

And it depends on what you really think it means.

Turn with me, if you will, to your Bibles.

Amazing, Kings is 1 of those books you think is a big 1, but it still flashes by very quickly.

1 Kings chapter 2 and, you know, it's really interesting when you're going through Scripture and you read these things.

Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth.

Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man.

And keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in new ways, to keep His statutes and His commandments, and His judgments and His testimonies.

As it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.

Susceive the Lord's commandments, that the Lord may continue his work, his faith concerning me, saying, Let my children take heed in their way, to walk before me, in the truth with their heart and with their soul that shall not fail, he said to me, a man on the throne of Israel." So David gives Solomon that charge and then he gives some details about what he wants him to do.

And then he tells us in verse 10, 10 So David slept with his fathers, and was very misty of David.

11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were 40 years, 12 7 years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty-three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

And it's interesting, you know, the father there is telling his son, Keep the Lord at hand, and He will be blessed.

We see in chapter 3 that Solomon is actually going to worship God.

And where he goes, he goes to a place called Gibeon where the tabernacle was.

Because this is before he's had a chance to build the temple.

So reading in verse 5, where Solomon is sacrificing, it says, And giving it, the Lord appeared to Solomon, and it dreamed by night, and God said, Ask what I shall give thee?

And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee.

And thou hast kept for him his great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

And now, my Lord, my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a little child.

I know not how to go out or to come in, and thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude.

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to know the people that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge this that is so great a people?

And the speech, please the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

And God said it to him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast thou asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment.

Behold, I have done according to thy words.

Woe, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any rise after thee.

And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

And if thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen these days." You know, Solomon, his request pleased God.

Could Solomon have actually asked for something better?

I don't know, let's look at the story and see.

You keep going on 1 Kings and you come to chapter 10 and I think you start to see a little bit of Solomon's problems.

I remember when I read this the first time, it kinda jumped out at me, and I'm like, wow.

So chapter 10, verse 14, it's talking about the success of Solomon's kingdom, all of the wealth that he received, says this, now the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in 1 year was 603 score and 6 talents of gold.

Now Solomon's living long before John the Revelator arose.

It probably didn't mean anything to him, but to us, looking at it now, this is such an interesting detail.

I don't want to read too much into it, but to anyone reading this today, you should go like, huh, there's a problem there.

But it wasn't just the money that corrupted Solomon.

You know, David told Solomon to live according to the commandments of God.

And if you'll look with me, we can go back into Deuteronomy.

Moses gives special instructions to Israel.

And we're going to go to chapter 17 and we're going to start from verse 14.

Moses said this, When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwelt therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me.

Thou shalt in any wise set a king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose.

1 from among thy brethren shalt thou set a king over thee.

Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother.

But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to the end that he should multiply horses.

For as much as the Lord hath said unto you, he shall henceforth return no more that way.

Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away, neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

And it shall be, when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of his law in a book of that which is before the priests and the Levites.

And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and keep all the words of his law, and his statutes to do them, that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand or to the left, to the end, that ye may prolong his days in his kingdom and his children in the midst of Israel." Solomon violated all of this.

We read back in 1 Kings 10 verse 26, it says this, And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen, and had a thousand and 400 chariots, and 12000 horsemen whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots with the king at Jerusalem.

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How Should We Live?

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