King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: The Right Sacrifice
Date: Monday April 09, 2012
Today's Chapters: 1 Kings 3-5

Hello My Friend,

Since we have this flesh we are never going to be sin free until we see Jesus, but there is a difference between knowingly and unknowingly committing sin. God does not want to constantly place affliction upon us, but if it is the only way we learn to do things His way then that is what He will do. While God will always forgive us when we sincerely seek forgiveness, He would rather see us living right than seeking forgiveness all the time. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” - Proverbs 21:2,3.

Solomon truly loved God, he regularly gave sacrifices, prayed, spoke highly of God, followed in his father's footsteps, and did all that David instructed him to do before he died. However, he often did what he thought was right in his eyes, not what God thought was right, that meant that even though he loved God he did not always do exactly what God told him to do. “And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. 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.” - I Kings 3:1-4.

Solomon's first error was aligning himself with the Egyptians, the second was offering offerings to God in high places. What was the difference between high places and the great high place? High places were used by those worshiping idols and false gods, whom often gave human sacrifices to their god. For this reason it was forbidden for any child of God to offer sacrifices to God from high places. The great high place was the place were the tabernacle stood until Solomon would build the temple in Jerusalem, this is where the sacrifices were to be offered to God unless God would specify a certain place at a particular time. “God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.” - Joshua 22:29. While these only seem like small changes to God's will it would prove a problem later on in Solomon's life.

After Solomon offered the huge sacrifice and the great place and seeing the pattern that he was following God decided it was time to have a talk with Solomon. God spoke to Solomon in a dream while he was a Gideon. “In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee...Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast 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: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.” - 1 Kings 3:5,9-12.

What an amazing dream, God promised to bless Solomon riches and honor before all nations simply by asking for wisdom. Wisdom is something that God is very fond of and will give liberally to anyone who asks for it, in fact, just by our seeking Him to know how to hand a simple task makes Him ecstatic. He blesses us tremendously by seeking His wisdom. “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” -James 3:13-18.

Now, God did bless Solomon with wisdom, the amazing thing was that they knew that God was the one who gave him that wisdom. This was confirmed when two women went to Solomon to seek advice on who was the actual mother of a living baby that both claimed was theirs. The wisdom and understanding which God had given Solomon surpassed all that was known in the world, people from all over the world came to hear the wisdom of his lips. Later on in his life Solomon, learned a valuable lesson, the Book of Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon when he realized all the sacrifices, prayers, material things, and riches of the world are vanity and worthless without God's wisdom. “I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”- Ecclesiastes 1:16-18.

As Christian's the right sacrifice is becoming a living sacrifice, that means, to give ourselves to God wholeheartedly, not die for Him, but live for Him through Jesus Christ. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” - Romans 12:1,2.

Today's Psalm: 116:17 - “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.”

Today's Proverb: 15:8 - “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.”

Today's Prayer: (Adapted From Psalm 139) God, Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. I want to be a living sacrifice for You, lead me and guide me in Your will and ways. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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