Calvary Grace Church of Calgary

1 Kings 10 paints a picture of Solomon at the height of international glory. His wisdom leaves the Queen of Sheba breathless and the nations bring their wealth to him. The picture should thrill us because Solomon?s success points us to the Lord.

The dedication of Solomon's temple is a great account of God's people looking back as they go forward. 1 Kings 8 is a treasure house of Biblical Theology, full of rich truths that point us to Christ.

'You are what you eat'; the saying goes. But it is even more true to say, 'you are what you worship'. If Apple Stores are the highest grossing retail space in Canada, then it is no wonder our malls resemble lofty glass temples for our shiny glass idols. 1 Kings reminds us that beautiful buildings come and go, but God is the one whom we ought to worship, forever.

If it is true that ‘common sense’ is not so common, then wisdom is also a rare and precious commodity. In a world of false outrage and enslaving liberties, we need the clarity of the Scriptures to help us to understand what true wisdom looks like. As we read the Bible we are confronted with the freedom and frailty of human beings under God. And few people exemplify both of these traits more than the wisdom and folly of Solomon, King of Israel.

In the history of written communication there is no more significant letter than Paul's epistle to the Christians at Rome. The reason it has had such eternal influence is due to the ultimate audience it was intended for. That audience is not merely the Roman Christians of the 1st century A.D. It is not even the Church throughout the centuries since. That audience is God himself. The letter to the Romans is a letter focused supremely on the glory of God alone. Is that the audience that your life is focused on?