Read
38Seven years later the workers finished building it during Bul, the eighth month of the year. It was built exactly as it had been planned.
Solomon's Palace Is Built
1Solomon's palace took 13 years to build.
Reflect
Chapter 6 tells the story of the completion of the building of God’s house. It took four years to build the foundation and three for the superstructure. It was magnificently finished in gold leaf and cedar. A masterpiece. And then we read the first verse of chapter seven, where, to our surprise we’re told it took Solomon THIRTEEN years to build his own house! What, as they say, is up with that?
Maybe nothing other than being human is up with that. It seems we can be besotted with God in our early days of faith, but gradually find ourselves more concerned with ourselves. Some would call it achieving balance, proper perspective, and maturation. Others would call it spiritual lukewarmness. Still others, backsliding. Intensity is unsustainable.
What is NOT unsustainable is consistent growth. The Bible says we’re to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). We’re to grow from faith to faith. We’re to bear fruit. Indeed, as Jesus said, we will be known by our fruit (Matthew 7:16). Solomon’s path, unfortunately, was foreshadowed in his taking twice as long to build his house as it took for the Lord’s house. He slowly but surely fell backward into the animistic practices of his many foreign wives. He “cooled” from hot, to luke-warm, to cold. His vaunted “wisdom” devolved to foolishness.
If it happened to him, it could happen to us. Practice your faith lest you lose it.
Respond
Dear Father, help me to be a learner, a pilgrim, all my life, never losing my love for you.
Jim Cantelon
Pastor, author, church-planter, Christian television and radio personality, Jim Cantelon is founder and President of WOW – Working for Orphans & Widows, a Federal Charity whose mission is to empower the local church in sub-Saharan Africa and southern India in the care of the sick and the dying. Currently Jim produces and hosts a national television show called “Jim Cantelon Today” which focuses on biblical exposition with a contemporary, ‘user friendly’ approach. In conjunction with JCT, he has written a newly published book entitled “Cantelon’s Casual Commentary – a 21st Century guide to the life of Jesus for the internet generation”.