This Sunday in our morning worship our reading is 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 and Claire preaches about the wisdom of Solomon.
Kingdom legacy
What is your legacy? I wonder if that’s even a question You have asked yourself? It’s probably more of a question that you might ask towards the end of your life. It is a question I guess I’ve been pondering as I leave Ramsgate and move onto a new chapter. If this chapter of Ramsgate was written down – what would be the legacy that’s left. And actually as Christian’s what is the legacy we leave with our friends and family?
When my mum was living with terminal cancer, we befriended a lot of people through the hospice movement and so we did attend an awful lot of funerals. It was amazing having the opportunity to listen to peoples stories to see the legacy that is left behind. There was one funeral we attended, that of a former Navy fighter pilot, mum turned to me and said what kind of legacy do I leave behind? I’ve done nothing of that sort. A bit tongue in cheek I said – I am your legacy. But in many ways that was true. And echoes this quote from Billy Graham – the Legacy one can pass onto one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life but rather a legacy of character and faith.
That’s the legacy I hope to leave behind, one where peoples character and faith is developed and grown. And it’s not a legacy just for those in leadership, but I think it’s a legacy for everyone who believes and trust in Jesus. We’re gonna think about this this morning: what is the kingdom Legacy we leave with people? Not just at the end of our life, but with every encounter we have.
Our Reading today in kings is about a kingdom legacy. David’s earthly life has come to an end; his son Solomon will take over as King. Before David dies, he charges Solomon with this, it’s a bit earlier in chapter 2 of 1 kings. He says: so be strong act like a man and observe what the Lord your God requires: walk in obedience to him and keep his decree and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Lord of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘ if you’re descendants watch how they live and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
David’s legacy is one of faithfulness to God – if you read David ‘s story you know he didn’t always get it right – But he knew how to repent and his heart was one that was seeking after God.
So this is the legacy that Solomon has to continue – continue to walk with God in his God-given role as king of Israel.
In chapter 3, v3 we see that Solomon does show loyalty to God, he’s obedient. (Deut 6:5 – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.) he worships God through offering sacrifices.
A bit of a sidenote here. Other places in the Bible – offering sacrifices if you are not one of the Levites, one of the Priestly order, is a definite no no. However, in this period history there is no temple at this point and it has been usual to use high places for worshipping God. The wording here is thought to be that Solomon is offering it not performing it himself. There is an abundance in the sacrifice he’s bringing. so not only do we see Solomon’s loyalty, and see him worshipping God, we see him acknowledging God’s faithfulness in v6, and displaying humility (v7-9), knowing that he only has the position he has because of God.
We see here an incredible thing happen . Solomon offers his worship to God and God speaks to him – there is an encounter. And God says: ask for whatever you want me to give you.
I wonder what you would ask for ?
When God asks this question, he promises to answer it and it stimulates faith and character . In the new Testament we’re encouraged to ask. Matthew 21:22 – If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
John 14:13-14 – And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Solomon in response to this question – simply put what can I do for you, asks for Wisdom. This could be a selfish request, but when we come to God’s response to this request, it seems unlikely that that is the case. Wisdom isn’t just knowing the right answers, having knowledge. One commentator says that this is Wisdom, he says: the way the Wisdom books (son of Solomon, Job) In the old Testament will put it is that reverence of God is the beginning of Wisdom meaning that Wisdom is listening to God and doing what God says.
Solomon asks for Wisdom as he begins his life as King, he asks for it in humility and trusts for a response.
Do we expect to encounter God when we worship? Do we feel confident asking God for things? And when I say things in the context of this passage in kings, I mean things that would help to advance God’s kingdom, his legacy?
Do we even think that we’ve got a right to ask things of God – to ask to meet with him in a new way? Do we ask him for specific gifts? Do we ask how our gifts can be used?
We have been doing that in this year of discernment and in the prayer of the year we are asking for things. And as we’ve been asking these questions, we’ve been trying to listen to see a direction forward.
I wonder How do you hear from God? How do you listen? Do we make time? This will look different for all of us, but it’s interesting to share with each other how we do that, how we hear from God how we take direction and guidance.
Some of us might be captivated by part of the Bible we reading and not be able to escape it.
A number of years ago I was serving in Central Asia and the story of Job kept coming up time and time again – it was in the sermons in my fellowship group that I attended, it came up in my own personal Bible studies and I can remember thinking maybe God‘s trying to get me ready for something – that maybe there will be some hardship coming but I know that God is with me through that. it wasn’t long after that I did have three significant losses and I really did feel that God was with me through all of that and he prepared me for it. It doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt, It doesn’t mean that it wasn’t Painful. But I knew God had prepared me for it.
Other ways of hearing may come through Something strongly resonating in a sermon, through a song, in the liturgy, which gets you thinking and pondering. Do we make space for that. To listen to God, to minimise distractions.
In the context of this passage, if we read on Solomon realises that this encounter happened in a dream – in a vision. It happens rarely but it still can and does happen today .
The important thing when we ask and receive from God is our motivation
Solomon seems to be motivated to ask for wisdom for the good of his kingdom and the legacy he continues.
And we can infer that from God’s response to Solomon‘s answer. God saw that Solomon wanted kingdom Justice. He wanted Wisdom to be able to rule in a way that would bring justice and fairness to others, and that asking for wisdom wasn’t about his own status.
Because of that motivation God gives him more than just Wisdom he promises, prosperity and honour. But actually, it is conditional on his kingdom obedience. Just as in David’s charge to Solomon, when David remembers the promise that God gave him, that his legacy would continue but was dependent on his descendants walking faithfully.
I have to give a spoiler alert here. So although after we have this passage, we see Solomon’s Wisdom put to good use. Solomon actually ends life not pursuing God, he didn’t maintain the kingdom legacy and actually after Solomon the kingdoms break apart and you get the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. Solomon began the decline of the kingdom as it was. And yet there continued to be promises that there would be a renewed kingdom and an extended kingdom.
And this is the kingdom that Jesus came to fulfil Jesus is the fulfilment of the kingdom Legacy. When we look at the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke, we can trace through both sides of his family that he was a son of David. He was of a kingly line. Jesus was the perfect example of obedience. his kingdom, brought about by his death and resurrection and Ascension, is one where he reigns forever.
And we are to carry on the kingdom legacy of loving the Lord our God with all our heart soul mind and strength. In Romans we read that if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved and then in John 1 verse 12 we read – yet to those who did receive him, those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. So for those of us who believe and trust in Jesus, we are his children we are carrying on the kingdom legacy.
That should impact what we say and what we do and how we are.
What is your legacy? my desire would be that my legacy is a legacy of the kingdom – that I’m known as someone who listens to God, someone who obeys, someone who seeks the Kingdom values of loving God with my whole being and looking out for the other, and someone who tells the kingdom truth.
My prayer is that all of us will have the greatest legacy of being able to pass on to future generations the legacy of character and faith that comes through Jesus Christ and that will impact the world.
St. George's Church Ramsgate 