THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON (1)
THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON (1)
WJH I have suggested this scripture in the transition period between the close of David’s reign and the magnifying of Solomon as affording instruction as to what the Lord would help us to judge, so that Solomon’s work might proceed, both in our own hearts individually and amongst the gatherings of God’s people. I believe the true Solomon is proceeding with His work, with all its blessedness, and we all want to make room for it to take effect, so that features of the house of God might be more definitely in evidence in our localities, and with that the blessed presence of God, which is what we can look for if we have the features of His house.
One feels that many of us are delighted to be in David’s kingdom with all its benefits and protection, but the Lord is moving on and it is a question now of what the Son of David is doing as building assembly features in His people, and this transition period comes in between the two reigns, as affording us opportunity to make room for what Solomon would do.
RHVA Does it represent for us that it necessitates the recognition of the need of displacement in my soul in order to make room for the coming in of Solomon?
WJH Exactly. I think that we should see, that these persons that are judged in this chapter represent what is working in our own hearts naturally, which hinders the true Solomon operating according to His purpose. These matters are in the way in many localities, and they are in the way naturally in all our hearts.
WG The throne of Solomon must be established without any difficulty being in the way amongst us.
WJH Solomon means peace, and you cannot have peace in any company of God’s people, and you cannot have it in your own soul if what Joab, Adonijah and Shimei represent is not judged.
MH Would you suggest to us what these represent?
WJH They set forth various features of the flesh which perhaps we can refer to later, but one would like us to seize a little more the supreme blessedness of what Solomon has in mind. He has before him the thought of God dwelling among His people. In our localities we know a little today of a visit, and individually we occasionally know something of a visitation, but God’s great end is to dwell permanently, to have a residence suitable for Himself, and Solomon has that in mind, and nothing less — a settled place like what is in heaven, a house that Solomon would build to be His settled place where He would be permanently; and if we can make a little more room for something of that in the various gatherings we come from, no one can tell what the result would be for God. So that it is worth our facing what hinders.
JDU He sends to Hiram and says, “There is neither adversary nor evil event,” 1 Kings 5: 4. and he says, “And behold I purpose to build,” 1 Kings 5: 5. Does the thought of dwelling suggest that not only we are at rest but that God is at rest amongst us?
WJH That is the point, and the thought of God abiding comes right down even to one heart. The Lord says, “If any one love me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him”, John 14: 23. Think of such blessedness being available to one heart — “We will come and make our abode with him” — that the touches that we get for a moment should be extended to be continuous, if conditions permit.
JNG Does the thought of dwelling suggest that God is at rest amongst His people?
WJH Quite so. Rest is the greatest thought probably in a dwelling. “This is My rest for ever”, God says, “here will I dwell,” Psalm 132: 14. Conditions permit God to rest.
JWH Could you help us as to why these things are left over from David? Two, at any rate.
WJH Because, I suppose, they were not ready for the thought of a dwelling place for God, because of conflict. David being a man of war there is much conflict, and also his rule is a gracious rule, so that on the side of the kingdom the Lord often leaves much till there is the desire to have a house for God, and then He does not leave anything. The reason why many matters are left, perhaps for years, in localities is because the features of the house of God are not in evidence, and there is not the exercise to have them, while enjoying the beneficial rule of David and His protection.
CD The kingdom is established under his hand before the house is built?
WJH David sees to that side, so that what is secured by David’s rule is that all Israel loves David. The Lord gets the love of our hearts by His gracious rule, and on that line He often leaves many matters until the truth of the house of God is raised.
JDU So you would bring before us the supreme blessedness of God dwelling in our hearts, so that we would be ready to have everything else eradicated?
WJH I think the touches we get of the presence of God are to woo us from things that hinder this being permanent. The Lord graciously gives touches of His presence to the saints together, and to our own spirits individually, but He has more than that in His mind, and if we are prepared to provide the conditions He would extend the enjoyment of His presence beyond a visitation to “our abode” John 14: 23.
EBMcC The maintenance of the truth is very necessary in every locality. If not maintained the Lord may cease to work there.
WJH I suppose the truth would secure the rights of God recognised according to His command.
JDU Is it that gracious rule of David in our hearts? “If ye love me” John 14: 15 — it is His gracious rule that makes us love Him, is it?
WJH Do you think some of us rather shrink from facing the next step? There is a sense in which even Saul could love David. Saul loved him, and it says “Jonathan loved him as his own soul” 1 Samuel 18: 1 — his soul was knit to the soul of David; and it even says Michael loved him, (1 Samuel 18: 20) and Hiram always loved him. On that line things go on very well, the gracious rule of the Lord bearing with us and not raising any questions — perhaps we would like the local meetings to go on like that, but that is not the house of God, that is the kingdom, and the kingdom is to prepare the way for the house of God being established, and as soon as that comes into view, matters must be taken up.
GAvS I wish to ask if the exercise you are suggesting to us is that we are prepared for the removal of everything that would interfere with the outgoing of the affections of God for His house?
WJH Quite so. Touches of the Divine Presence were known under David, most blessed moments, David himself longing for it, his heart panting after it, “As the heart panteth after the water-brooks”, Psalm 42: 1, but he had before him in his reign that there would be more than this, a permanent residence for God amongst His people, and he knew there were certain matters that would have to be faced, but in grace he left them until the exercise of the house of God should arise.
ABJ Seeing the house of God is in view in Solomon’s reign, is not the question of holiness in view in the clearing up of these matters?
WJH There cannot be peace without it. David means “beloved” ... and that is how all Christians know Christ; every true Christian loves Him because of what He has done, how He gave up His life for us; but Solomon means peace, and that indicates that conditions are according to God.
CD Is it not more a matter of righteousness in the establishment of the kingdom and holiness coming in in relation to the house.
WJH This chapter closes with the kingdom being established under the hand of Solomon — all that offends must be removed for peace to prevail.
JDU So that settling of difficulties in local companies is not everything. We get these matters settled in view of God having His place amongst us.
WG There is something beyond the exercises of care and so on — we have to move on.
WJH What is beyond is unity in the service of God, so that all make one sound in praise, and then “the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of God”, 2 Chronicles 5: 14. The true Solomon is seeking to secure this in the hearts of His people where saints are governed by the truth of the assembly. And if we get a touch of that in its blessedness and glory, we shall be emboldened and encouraged to face questions which arise in our own hearts primarily, and deal with them.
WG In speaking of holiness, do you think that there is a state allowed in these men here which had gone on for years unjudged — they had not faced the matter before David, or before the Lord?
WJH That is where we all come in. Mr. Stoney said we must face private suicide or public hanging. There is no doubt that these three persons represent what is in every single heart in this room, and if allowed will definitely hinder features of the house of God where we are. If we do not deal with them privately — and there was ample time given by David to deal with them — then they must be faced publicly.
WG In spite of Shimei’s apparent repentance, the matter remained unjudged before the Lord.
WJH It always comes to light if the time allotted to each of us to judge ourselves is not embraced.
JDU It would look then as if the Lord is intent upon producing these heavenly conditions, the unity of praise, etc., preparatory to taking us to heaven.
WJH The thought of something on earth that corresponds with heaven is the divine idea and it was Solomon’s thought that the settled abode of heaven and the settled abode on earth should be characteristically the same.
LGL Were the sons of Barzillai in line as those that would eat at Solomon’s table?
WJH Quite so. They are men that are prepared for Solomon’s reign.
RHVA What would be the moral effect of a state that holds itself available for the Lord in self-judgment — what would be the moral effect amongst the brethren?
WJH Such would be a contribution towards the Divine presence amongst the saints, “I will love him and will manifest myself to him”, John 14: 21. When together, such would promote conditions for the Divine presence. We only get as together what we bring; no miracle happens.
The Lord definitely commits Divine Persons not only to visit, like God did to Abraham, but to abide with the one who loves Him and keeps His commandments. One speaks humbly for we know so little of even a visit.
WG Do we need to have our affections carried by what the Lord is doing now in relation to the assembly?
WJH Quite so. I believe the position in a certain sense today is that we are passing through the transition period between David and Solomon, and that moral questions and questions of holiness are arising in many places that had been left for years. The Lord has in mind that the features of the house of God should be in evidence.
EBMcC If I sit to adjudicate on a matter, should not my own state be taken into account, and if I judge wrongly it will come back on me?
WJH Indeed, it is an abomination to judge another if we have not judged ourselves, it is sinners judging sinners.
EBMcC You would need the sense of the support of heaven in any matter you take up in connection with the saints?
Ques Would the word of the Lord come in? Benaiah gets the word from Solomon, as being one whose allegiance to Solomon is as true as it had been to David.
WJH Evidently he was one fit to judge; a man who had already judged in himself what Joab and Adonijah and Shimei represent.
Rem It is interesting to take account of the name “Benaiah” which means “built up of the Lord.”
GAvS I was wondering how far affection for the Lord and the Lord’s interests in His beloved people would have the effect of opening our eyes to the real character of different forms of evil which must be dealt with before the holiness of God’s house can be adequately borne witness to.
WJH There is a tendency with us to go back to David’s day when things were not raised, and say, “What a pity these matters are raised, why not let us go back to David’s time when he left matters?” We have come to that time in the testimony when the Lord is acting definitely now as Solomon, that in a special way Solomon’s work is to go on.
JDU What a delight to the heart to be able to wipe away the tears caused by the sorrow that these things bring about as the evil is dealt with, the sorrows removed, and God can come in.
WJH Solomon is magnified. Further back, in Samuel, David is magnified, and we love to magnify David; but they desire that Solomon’s throne should be greater than David’s throne.
GAvS I would like to ask how comes it that David is the one who lays injunctions upon Solomon, although he was more definitely acquainted with what was working in the hearts and minds of these men, looking at them representatively, while Solomon was really the one who was to deal with the matter officially. Solomon moves in regard to each one, but each one betrays his own situation.
WJH David leaving it did not mean David did not feel it. He had a very definite judgment about these matters until this subject of the house of God is definitely brought forward, that is the matter in view. I think it denotes that the Lord is going to establish the features of a dwelling place for God amongst us and we want to give ourselves to it whatever it means in the way of self-judgment.
JDU In Matthew’s Gospel we have those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness”, Matthew 5: 6 — that everything that is wrong should be put right, all righteousness fulfilled.
WJH Quite so. The Lord has in mind that the glory should be amongst His people as united as one.
EBMcC The saints are enlarged by the handling of these difficulties, if matters are taken up in a right way. Solomon, like Joseph, is binding princes and teaching his senators wisdom.
WJH That is a very interesting scripture as it says of Joseph, “To bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom”, Psalm 105: 22. That is what Solomon is doing here, he is binding his princes according to his pleasure, and he is teaching his senators wisdom; it covers an immense range.
EBMcC That would bring before us the importance of the present moment.
WJH How great Solomon became, the largeness of his heart was as the sand upon the seashore.
HC Many of these cases are past. Would the scripture “God bringeth back again that which is past” Ecclesiastes 3: 15, have a bearing in relation to present holiness?
WJH The Lord has given many a lengthy opportunity to put matters right. If we put things right in the period He gives us to judge them, we are free to serve in the house of God, but if we go beyond the allotted period of grace that David gives, then they must be dealt with publicly. The matters that need to be dealt with in self-judgment lie at our door for many a day.
GAvS Are you indicating that these men had time allowed that repentance might characterise them?
WJH David waited as to Joab and he bore with Shimei, and he knew what Adonijah had done, and did not deal with them; but Solomon does not tarry when the time comes for the house of God to proceed, these matters are then dealt with. And we can be encouraged to feel that the features of the house of God are coming into view, that is what the Lord has in His mind.
ABJ We may go back in our minds to a day when peace was more amongst us, but these matters being raised are a sure token that the Lord is indeed with His people.
WJH I think we should take courage, that these matters are being raised now, for it denotes the Lord is moving on another line; that He has brought in a measure of subjection thank God; we can say there is to some extent the element of subjection through the grace of the kingdom, and now the Lord is definitely moving to secure a dwelling place for Himself and for God, maybe in one heart in Kyneton or in any local company, or in His people generally, the same principle governs each situation.
CD The throne of Solomon is to be greater than the throne of David. It is a greater thing to secure something for the heart of God in which He can rest, than for the grace of the kingdom to protect us.
EBMcC Would you say a murderous heart, a spirit like Joab’s, would not do for the house of God?
WJH There are two principles of evil operating in Joab which are as natural as anything to all of us, one is envy, and the other is hardness. “The sons of Zeruiah are too hard”, 2 Samuel 3: 39. He saw in Abner and in Amasa potential rivals to himself, they were great men; the Lord had recovered them to David; but Joab saw possible rivals to himself and nothing would do for that man until they were removed. We shall never have part in the house of God if we make room for these activities, even secretly.
WG What would operate to bring about the exercise and review of the past that this might be brought up?
WJH The very grace of David that accepted the self-judgment of Abner and the transferring of his allegiance to David after being such an inveterate enemy at that time.
CD Apparently there was no change in Joab.
WJH It is too late when Solomon is on the throne. He has had his opportunities. David says “do not let his hoar head go down in peace” — the movements of envy and hardness till the head is hoary — alas there is little hope then.
WG David allowed him to go on that he may be judged in the end.
WJH Well he had a long period to judge himself. I think we hardly know how much the secret workings of envy are in our hearts. The Lord is prospering someone else. He is helping another brother in Kyneton as well as the one He usually helps — what are we going to do?
GAvS Are these moral elements absolutely incurable in each one of us and for that reason it is necessary for us to act definitely in putting them to death as it were?
WJH If we do not secretly put them to death, it will have to be done publicly. If we do not secretly judge hardness, we shall have to be judged ourselves. The house is going to be filled by God, not by Joab. Joab is not going to have any glory there. When that house, which Solomon builds, is finished, the glory is coming down to take possession of it, so that even the priests cannot minister. What would you do bringing in a Joab then?
JDU What did you mean by dealing with it secretly?
WJH How many a time Joab must have thought of Abner and Amasa, and he might have gone to David and put it all right in self-judgment, and he did not. So the time comes when David says to Solomon, “You are a wise man and you are not to let him go down to the grave in peace,” the thing is to be settled here.
JDU Do you think it helps as the glory of Christ and the perfection that shines in Him shine in our hearts?
WJH My impression is that every appearing in any little measure to the hearts of the saints will raise another challenge, because the Lord wants conditions to permit of His presence being permanent.
“As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God,” Psalm 42: l. There was nothing that compared to a day in God’s courts with David. You could bring a thousand of anything, and nothing could be compared to it.
CHW Is not the end of the second book of Psalms on that line, “the prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended” Psalm 72: 20?
WJH The end of all longings is to have God dwelling with His people.
The twenty-first chapter of Revelation is the goal of all divine activities, “The tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them,” Revelation 21: 3, eternally.
JDU Evil is confined in its own place and the effect of it on the hearts of His people is removed. We can well understand the Joab spirit is utterly foreign to that.
WJH Joab’s spirit began in Satan when he was jealous of God; he says, “I will be like the Most High”, Isaiah 14: 14. Joab’s line will end in the lake of fire.
GHMcK The sons of Barzillai are in contrast to that — true sons of the kingdom, eating at the table.
WJH Quite so. Ready for any move that David may make, and Solomon may make.
AHS Then when matters are raised in the two instances, there is a further period of probation under Solomon.
WJH Further opportunity for Shimei — Joab does not seem to get much; Adonijah does not get much, but Shimei gets a good deal — how gracious the Lord is in these matters.
JDU Solomon’s action is very summary, it is drastic.
WJH With Joab and with Adonijah it is final; with Abiathar there is a door to recovery; with Shimei he is put under restriction in view of salvation. The Lord has His own way of dealing with each situation, the principle of envy and hardness the Lord will not tolerate.
Adonijah usurped the kingdom — the place of Christ.
GAvS Adonijah says the hearts of the people are towards me. The hearts of the people were no indication of divine choice, for God chose Solomon.
WJH Indeed he knew the throne was Solomon’s from God, nevertheless he tried to steal the hearts of the people.
JDU The word is addressed to the hearts of all and we are given ample time, “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and without remedy”, Proverbs 29: 1.
WJH Indeed Adonijah was given a further period, open rival as he was with Solomon, yet Solomon sent him to his house; but when he attempts to break through he is dealt with forthwith. These principles are in us, so to say, and if we want the features of the house of God where we are, we must face them.
JDU The Holy Spirit raises matters with us individually, and if we do not face them, it is to our loss.
HC “For if any man reputes himself to be something being nothing he deceives himself,” Galatians 6: 3.
WJH How far from Adonijah’s spirit Paul’s was as he went to Corinth; he went there as a wise architect; and he did not go down there seeking to control and capture their affections; he says “Ourselves your bondmen for Jesus’ sake”, 2 Corinthians 4: 5. It was for Jesus’ sake He was working as an architect.
WJH Evidently Solomon detected the same thing back again in Adonijah seeking Abishag. He says, “Ask the kingdom also”. If you ask for her, you might as well ask the kingdom; that is what he was seeking. The period allotted had not produced self-judgment with Adonijah.
RHVA Does it not represent the moral distance between the judgment of the Lord and what is purely judicial?
WJH Quite so. “Thou art a wise man”,
David, says, and the next chapter develops that greatly, reference being made to the proverbs of Solomon, 3000 of them, (1 Kings 4: 32.) That is the wisdom of Solomon and it unfolds itself in connection with the house of God. You do not know what proverb he would use, he has 3000 of them to meet every situation, and how do we know what proverb to use, unless we hear from the true Solomon? If you are judging judicially you will just quote what has been done before.
JSB You spoke of the great need to judge hardness and envy, can it be only judged at the cross?
WJH Where else would you go! One should seek by all means to judge this jealous spirit in our hearts.
WG It is a very real exercise, because it involves our accepting death; you spoke of suicide.
WJH Joab had the opportunity of judging this and burying it morally, and he would have had his part in the house of God if he had done it, and Adonijah might have had an opportunity also. There is a tendency when a leader dies for someone to desire to be king. When Gideon dies Abimelech virtually says, “I will be king”. When a leader dies or is removed, there is something in every heart that says, “I will be king”. But Solomon will not have it, because he has the building of the house of God before him.
GF I suppose Adonijah’s method was to make a party of it?
WJH The hearts of certain were towards him. Like Abimelech, who went to his mother’s brethren, to his special friends, to those who saw things as he saw them. Jotham says, as it were — and that is the word for us all — “My intention is to go on in the place in which the Lord has put me”. The fig tree says, “Shall I leave my sweetness”, the vine says, “Should I leave my new wine”, but the thorn bush says, “Come put confidence in my shadow”. (Judges 9: 8.)
Adonijah is the bramble here who says, “I will be king”. The assembly is the body of Christ, and in the body all we have to do is to fill our part as under the Head. The ear just fills its function, the hand and the foot the same. What the Lord is helping His people to come to is the truth of the body, the Assembly.
JDU So that the fig and vine properly function under the head, the sweetness, etc., coming from the Head?
WJH Quite so. Could you have any thing better in Melbourne may be, than to honour God and men if you were an olive tree? The spiritual person has nothing else before him than to honour God and man. The fig has nothing more before him than to bring in sweetness in a bitter world, the vine’s service is to make glad the heart of God and man, but the moment we say, “I will be king, I will wave over the trees”, then that moment we are lost to the house of God. If this is not judged then Solomon must deal with it.
JDU Is it an anti-Christ spirit?
WJH Yes, apostacy is the final development of such a spirit.
WG Would you say there should be quietness and dignity in our service — no ambition?
WJH Well, as we are under the influence of Christ, the true Solomon, we are happy to be one of His men. When the Queen of Sheba comes to this wonderful scene she says, “Happy are thy men!” “these thy servants”, 1 Kings 10: 8.
HC Paul was morally superior so as to be able to deal with the conditions at Corinth, because he had been in the third heaven and had moral superiority to deal with the root of things in Corinth.
WJH What is in the third heaven, in paradise, is the tree of life. Christ there as the great Centre of the pleasure of God. Paul came down to Corinth to seek to maintain that there.
LL We do not want to confine this exercise to leaders.
WJH These principles operate naturally in every human heart. We deceive ourselves if we do not think that.
GAvS Would you say that as we follow the way in which each one of them was dealt with, we are enabled to judge these things as they come to light in our hearts?
WJH He would help us to deal with them, first in ourselves, and if we do not He will as Solomon deal with them, and there is no escape then.
Ques What came to light in Shimei?
WJH Shimei retained the longing for the “good old days” when Saul was reigning; he looked back to the days when things were outwardly correct enough in a certain way, but when the first man had definite recognition and the best of Amalek was spared. He looked back to those days and he thought they would come back again and he cursed David; he had ample opportunity to judge this, and Solomon gave him more time to judge it, to accept restrictions, to allow what was spiritual to prevail; but he refused the restrictions.
GAvS Is it not important that Shimei was actually directed to live in Jerusalem, so that every opportunity was given him to see that these days were better than Saul’s.
WJH Fancy going to Gath after living in Jerusalem! Going to the Philistines’ land! I believe if we could interpret what is in some heart still we would see a longing to go back to the former things. There have been periods in every meeting like that and some call it “the good old days”, but the Lord is giving ample opportunity for us to judge that, and to give place to Solomon.
You are not wise in that. Saul’s days are not better than David’s days, nor than Solomon’s days.
Ques Are we apt to seek every trivial excuse for going back to those days?
WJH It was rebellion at heart against the conditions Solomon had brought in.