READING FOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2025: 1 KINGS 11, ACTS 16, PSALM 104:1-9 1 KINGS 11 Here we see that Solomon has done exactly what God told Israel and especially its leaders not to do: intermarry with women from the surrounding cultures. Is it because God opposes bi-racial marriages, which were outlawed not long ago in America? Verse 2 tell us: “They will certainly turn your heart away to follow their gods.” Any of us who have Christian children or grandchildren need to communicate that 2 Cor. 6:14 is the application for us today: “Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness?” As surely as night follows day, Solomon’s heart was turned away from God: “When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of his father David had been” (vs. 4).
This brings us to a reaction from God that can be difficult to understand: “Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel” (vs. 9). Often, we hear people today say today that God doesn’t get angry with us because He is a God of love. Yet, verse 9 is certainly in the Bible along with many similar verses. Admittedly, it’s challeng- ing, but let’s take a closer look. God was angry at Solomon because his “heart turned away from the Lord.” We see in this chapter that he built worship places to many foreign gods and then sacrificed to them. This was more than a momentary slip. John 3:16 says the Father, out of His love, sent Jesus to die for us. If we reject His loving gift of grace for salvation, would not He be justified in executing His righteous anger toward us, “who turned away from the Lord”? Isn’t that what John 3:36 says? “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” If this reasoning is correct, it might mean Solomon and anyone who was once a believer could lose their salvation through purposely rejecting God. This is how John Wesley viewed the Bible teaching on this subject.
Here as certainly elsewhere in the Bible, rejecting God has consequences far beyond one person. God raised up Haddad the Edomite (descendent of Esau) to be an adversary of Israel. Rezon of Damascus became another foreign enemy. Jeroboam, an Ephraimite, led an internal rebellion against Solomon. In fact, the prophet Ahijah offered a visual prophecy to Jeroboam by tearing his new cloak into 12 pieces and giving Jeroboam 10 pieces, signifying the 10 tribes that would be taken from Solomon’s line and given away. Solomon’s line would still reign in Judah because God’s covenant with David that included the city of Jerusalem. As we learn in chapter 12, this southern kingdom of David’s house will also include the tribe of Benjamin: “And it came about, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent word and called him to the assembly, and made him king over all Israel. None except the tribe of Judah alone followed the house of David. Now when Rehoboam [Solomon’s son] had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel” (1 Kings 12:20-21).
READING FOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2025: ACTS 16, PSALM 104:1-9 ACTS 16 Paul and his new partner Silas set off to visit the churches he had visited before. His former partner Barnabus disagreed about taking Mark along, so they decided to part ways.
Sometimes that’s necessary even with Christians; no need to waste time mourning about it.Paul and Silas appear to have met Timothy in Lystra. He was a believer and son of a believing Jewish mother and Greek father, apparently not a Christian. (Parents, take heart that your kids can become believers even if your spouse isn’t.) Timothy’s reputation was so strong among the churches that Paul wanted him to join his evangelistic team. What kind of recommendation would our fellow believers give us? Despite Paul’s super strong belief that circumcision wasn’t necessary for faith, he had Timothy circumcised to take that issue off the table for when they visited Jewish groups. Note the importance of adapting ourselves, even when it hurts, so we can be a more effective witness. Paul found the churches growing!
As they were traveling, the Spirit prevented them from preaching in Asia. Later the Spirit stopped them from entering Bithynia, so they hung a left and went past Mysia to Troas. At Troas, Paul had a vision of a man pleading with him to come to Macedonia to preach. So off they went. Now the narrative becomes first person plural, possibly meaning Luke joined the group then. They sailed to Samothrace to Neapolis and then traveled to Philippi, the leading city in Macedonia. Lydia, a local businesswoman, responded to the Gospel and was baptized, along with her family. Later a demon-possessed slave women followed them shouting that they were proclaiming salvation. She was right, but annoying. Paul cast out the demon.
This in turn upset her master because he was making money off her demon possession. Disgusting. Paul and Silas were accused of being Jews who subverted Roman authority (a lie of course). The horrified, but unjust, judge had them beaten and thrown into an inner cell with their feet in stocks. What would we do? Paul and Silas started singing hymns at midnight! Either they were crazy or had Spirit-led guts. This led to an earthquake breaking all chains and opening all doors. Paul stopped the jailer from killing himself, confirming everyone was still in place. The jailer, with astounding spiritual discernment, asked them how he could be saved.Could what we do in a stressful situation cause others to ask how to be saved? It could!
PSALM 104:1-9 The Psalmist opens by telling his soul to bless the Lord. And boy, does he do this. It’s more, not less, than just a correct theological understanding. It’s more, not less, than a projection of all our wishes of what God should be. The Psalmist looks back on his experiences of God in times of silent meditation alone and ecstatic worship with others. He considers the blessings of God throughout his life and toward the people of God. He looks at the sea, clouds, and mountains. He feels the wind and hears the thunder. He reads of God’s creation in Genesis, faithfulness in Exodus, holiness in Leviticus, and victory in Joshua. He takes all this glorious input then tells His soul to bless the Lord. Should we join him?
