Basic HTML Version
34
Royalty and Ruin
followers. When He said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers
of men” (
Matthew 4:19
), He offered those men no stated sum as a
reward for their services. They were to share His self-denial and
sacrifice.
We are not to make wages the goal in our work. Unselfish
devotion and a spirit of sacrifice always will be the first requirement
of acceptable service. Our Lord intends to have not one thread of
selfishness woven into His work. We are to bring the same tact and
skill, precision and wisdom to our efforts that God required of those
who built the earthly tabernacle; yet we are to remember that the
greatest talents or most splendid services are acceptable to God only
when we lay self on the altar as a living sacrifice.
Another deviation from principle that led to Solomon’s downfall
was that he took to himself the glory that belongs to God alone.
From the day that Solomon was entrusted with building the temple
to its completion, his stated purpose was “to build a temple for the
name of the Lord God of Israel.”
2 Chronicles 6:7
. He expressed this
[25]
purpose before the assembled people of Israel at the time the temple
was dedicated. One of the most touching portions of Solomon’s
prayer was his plea to God for the strangers that would come from
countries afar to learn more of Him. In behalf of these strangers
Solomon had prayed, “Hear ... and do according to all for which the
foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know ... that
this temple, which I have built, is called by Your name.”
1 Kings
8:43
.
One greater than Solomon was the designer of the temple. Those
who did not know this fact naturally admired and praised Solomon
as the architect and builder, but the king disclaimed any honor for
its design or construction.
Visit of the Queen of Sheba
It was still this way when the Queen of Sheba came to visit
Solomon. Hearing of his wisdom and the magnificent temple he had
built, she determined to “test him with hard questions” and to see
his famous works for herself. Attended by many servants, she made
the long journey to Jerusalem. “And when she came to Solomon,
she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.” Solomon taught