(280) – FOUNTAINHEADS 2

280 – FOUNTAINHEADS 2

Words of James: “Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?” (James 3:11). There are fountains of sweet water, that is, of water that is good for drinking; and fountains of bitter water, that is, of water that is not good for drinking, for it is bad, and can even kill. The Spirit of Jehovah gave wisdom, but it was a worldly wisdom, for Jehovah compared it to men’s wisdom. The text says: “God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice; behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there has been none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like you’” (1 Kings 3:11-12). 

His was a worldly wisdom; therefore he was greater than those who lived before him. With all the wisdom he received from Jehovah, Solomon did not speak on the celestial kingdom, for he judged only the things of this world (1 Kings 3:11; 3:16-28). In the New Testament the Holy Spirit gives wisdom to the Christians for the discerning of the things pertaining to the celestial kingdom of God. Paul said: “My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown; yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing. But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory” (1 Cor. 2:4-7).

Now, Solomon, with all the wisdom given by Jehovah, destroyed himself. “Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were slain, even him and his nurse, [and put them] in the bedroom; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain” (1 Kings 11:1-2).Solomon did not have the wisdom to obey the commandments of Jehovah. Jehovah lists three men who never departed from good and justice: Noah, Daniel and Job (Ezek. 14:14; Heb. 11:7; Dan. 1:8). Now, Joseph was good, pure, and righteous from his childhood, and did not allow the wife of Potiphar to seduce him; therefore, he had more wisdom than Solomon with regard to the flesh and the libido. Only a man lacking understanding could be so lascivious as to have 700 women (1 Kings 11:3).

The 300 concubines were not wives, but were used for sex. Solomon was really voluptuous, lewd, and lustful. If the concubines were not wives, Solomon was a fornicator, for fornication is sex outside marriage. The wisdom that Solomon received was animal and earthly. But it goes on. With the wisdom that Jehovah gave, Solomon imposed such heavy yoke on the people, that after his death his son Rehoboam sat on the throne and the people said to the king: “Your father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make you the grievous service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you” (1 Kings 12:4). Now lust, fornication and lewdness are not the issue, but the despotic government of Solomon, oppressing and robbing the people. As Jehovah did not rebuke Solomon for his governmental tyranny, it is obvious that he approved of the injustices practiced(1 Kings 12:11).

And it goes on yet some more. Solomon, with all the wisdom that Jehovah had given him, was the greatest idolater of all Israel, for he adopted the deities of his foreign wives. “For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and didn’t go fully after Jehovah, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon” (1 Kings 11:4-7). Moloch was worshipped and adored with the sacrifices of children. The king Ahaz burned his own children to the god Moloch, built with Solomon’s great wisdom (2 Chr. 28:3). King Manasseh also offered his son to be burned in sacrifice to Moloch (2 Kings 21:6).

The ten tribes that were separated from Judah and Levi, now led by Jeroboam, son of Nebat, worshipped Moloch (2 Kings 17:17). These ten tribes came from the division of the kingdom of Israel, by Jehovah, to punish Solomon: the Kingdom of the South, and the kingdom of the North. Solomon used the great wisdom received from Jehovah to destroy the two kingdoms resultant from the division.

To conclude this analysis of the acts of Solomon, we assert with conviction that the wisdom that Solomon gave was earthly, carnal, and entirely human. But as we covered in the beginning of this leaflet, Paul declared that the wisdom of God the Holy Spirit gives; it does not pertain to the things of this world, but to the eternal things of the kingdom of God. Let us read: “But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him. But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God, except God’s Spirit. But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God’” (1 Cor. 2:9-12).

What has God given us freely? “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). For these things the Christian receives wisdom from the Father God. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph. 1:17). But… revelation of what? Peter answers: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3-4).

The celestial kingdom of God, the Father, has nothing to do with the kingdom of Jehovah established in Israel, and has never been mentioned in the Old Testament prophets. Jesus said: “The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached” (Luke 16:16). And again, “From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‘Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’” (Matt. 4:17).

There are two fountains, two fountainheads, two kingdoms, and two inheritances. The first one is characterized by gall, plagues, curses, wars, vengeances, human and diabolic wisdom, idolatries, children sacrifices. This is a bitter fountain of gall waters. The second fountain, a blessed fountainhead, is full of forgiveness, mercy, healings, resurrection, grace, new birth, full fellowship, celestial blessings, etc. Paul said: “For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).

As there cannot come from the same fountain bitter water and sweet water, the wisdom given to Solomon, which brought so much disgrace to the people of Israel, is not sweet water, but gall water, come from a fountainhead filled with hatred and destroying rage.

Jesus declared: “He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” This is our fountainhead, which is crystal clear and full of love.

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By Pastor Olavo Silveira Pereira

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