The Power of Womanhood – the Power of a Mother! By Pastor Dan Kennedy © May 14, 2017 www.pastorkennedy.com The Incredible Glory and Wealth of Solomon’s Kingdom The Power of a Woman 2 Chronicles 9:13–31 Solomon’s Splendor 13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, 14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred bekas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. 17 Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day. 21 The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram’s men. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. 22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. 25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries. Solomon’s Death 29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king. Few people would read the above verses and not be very impressed with Solomon’s grand, opulent, and glorious kingdom. The Queen of Sheba summed up Solomon’s kingdom quite succinctly. 2 Chron. 9:6 … “I did not believe what they said (about Solomon’s achievements and wisdom – v. 5) until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard.” No king has ever had the wisdom that God had given to Solomon. Few kings – or nations have ever achieved the solitary wealth and fame Solomon achieved. Solomon was wildly successful according to any worldly standard that could measure his kingdom’s success… but something was not right. Within a relatively short amount of time from Solomon’s death, ten of the tribes of Israel had been torn from his kingdom, forming a rival kingdom, beginning a destructive cycle that would plague the divided nation for some 400 years until both of them were destroyed. The two rival kingdoms would be conquered, burnt down and their people brought to their knees, humiliated and dispersed - eventually to the ends of the earth. It all began with the demise of Solomon’s kingdom. Why? What happened to destroy this enormously successful, great, wise and wealthy kingdom? · Was Solomon seen to be enormously successful during his lifetime? · Even in all his kingdom’s successes, did Solomon ultimately bring success on those who succeeded him? The Scripture clearly reveals that it was the women in Solomon’s life that ultimately broke His relationship with God and sowed the seeds of rebellion against the God of Heaven…bringing the demise of the nation of Israel. 1 Kings 11:4–10 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. 7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. 9 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. Marriage to King Solomon seemed to be for: · Astute Political Alliances · Unparalleled Prestige · Convenient Pleasure These politically astute marriages were not for the glory of God, nor did they receive the blessing from His Hand. These marriage alliances compromised the worship of the One True God, acquiescing the king and his people to an Old Testament practice of deity “tolerance,” and the spiritually “acceptable” practice allowing the worship of “all gods,” which was expressly forbidden in the first two of the 10 Commandments. Exodus 20:3–6 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Solomon built a palace for Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3:1; 7:8; 9:24; 2 Chron. 8:11), as well as “high places” and shrines for idol worship for all his heathen wives (1 Kings 11:7) on a hill east of Jerusalem. These altars to other gods, built by Solomon (the 3rd king of Israel), lasted for some 400 years until destroyed by the 17th king of Judah, Josiah (2 Kings 23:13-14). These pagan shrines continued to cause worship practices in defiance to the Torah, with moral dissipation, along with abhorrent practices such as child sacrifice, in the land of Israel during most of the reigns of the kings of Judah – if nothing else, using the excuse for their existence, saying “the great King Solomon had them built,” so that the leaders and their people were probably unwilling to tear them down. In a real way, this catastrophe was begun by the influence of Solomon’s wives and the imprint they imbedded in all of Israel’s children – beginning with its most glorious king. Women are Astoundingly Powerful! God has endowed women in such a dynamic way that they can have astounding benefit or be deplorably destructive in the life of a man, a family, a nation, and ultimately, the world. They hold a powerful element of influence. · Blessing or Oblivion: o A woman can either steer her husband, her children and associates toward blessing from God; o Or, passively or actively redirect them to godless and spiritual oblivion through a passive, perverse or provocative mind-set. · Truth or Deception: o A woman can implant principles of Truth, Honesty, Integrity, and Selflessness in those she nurtures and tutors – for their benefit; o Or, she can example deception through personal greed, anger, revenge, and/or a deplorable lifestyle centered on herself and the image she wants to portray – at all cost. · Manipulation or Motivation: o A woman can embrace old destructive habits with compulsive manipulation while using her charms to deceitful advantage; o Or, she can motivate her family toward worshipping God and following the principles of blessing from His time-proven Ways, as enumerated in God’s Word. As a Woman, Wife or Mother – what if I have found myself in a place of deceitful desperation? What can I do now? A Desperate Woman Who Affected the World for Good and for God There have been Mothers throughout the history of the world who have been caught in desperate circumstances, who sought God and whom God delivered to have incredible and eternal blessings. Today, let’s look at a formerly desperate woman in Scripture who is included in the blessed heritage of our Messiah. Rahab, the Harlot The town of Jericho was located in a very fertile valley, six miles north of the Dead Sea, not far from the banks of the Jordan River. Its rich soil was well watered by natural springs to the east, bringing an uncommon beauty and lush growth, affirming the city’s picturesque name, “city of palm trees”. Crucial old-world roads intersected nearby this “oldest walled town in the world”. If one were to walk up the high earthen embankments through the powerful walls defending the city, you might notice ancient plastered skulls giving a sculptured representation of either venerated statesmen or conquered foes of years gone by. Shrines for the worship of the moon god, most likely occupied revered “high places”. Street merchants “hawked” their goods and prostitutes propositioned clients whenever they could. It was an earthy town, full of vermin, vice and carnality. [1], [2] Jericho, in Rahab’s day, was a flourishing pagan city that was now being threatened from the other side of the Jordan River by a huge nomadic tribe, which had been permitted to leave powerful Egypt after a series of God-designed plagues. Israel then crossed the Red Sea miraculously on dry ground. God had then allowed Israel to survive life in the hostile desert for forty years, dependent on heaven sent manna and God-given water. God had powered them to defeat vast kingdoms and giant kings who defied them. The people of Jericho had heard these astounding supernatural stories of this empowered tribe, and now Israel was poised to conquer their Promised Land. Rahab, too, had heard the incredible stories of this nation, and she believed them. How did Rahab Become a Prostitute? We do not know how Rahab became a woman of the street. Maybe she had been abused as a child and found this to be a way to have twisted power over the cruel and devious men that she hated; maybe she had been sold into prostitution by her parents at an early age, propelling her, unwilling or not, into this profession; maybe she had been given to the moon god as a religious prostitute, maybe she had simply found a way to survive for herself in a graphically heathen culture; or maybe, it was “some or all of the above.” We do not know how long the two nomadic strangers had been in the city before she caught their eye and offered them a place to stay for the night. Had a friend or neighbor told her about the Israelites snooping around the city? When she saw them she was pleased with their willingness to get away from the questioning eyes and hostile stares. The king’s guards would eventually show up at her doorway searching for the spies, and Rahab would need to know how to answer them. “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” Rahab had taken the spies up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof. Confident she had hidden them well, she offered the king’s guards a convincing excuse for the spies having left, as they searched for their suspects throughout her home. Rahab’s Considerations · Perception: Rahab had perceived that God was going to give Jericho to this strange and awesome tribe of Israelites. (Joshua 2:9) · Demoralization: Rahab knew everyone in Jericho was supernaturally demoralized and greatly frightened by the presence of the Israelites…but she probably didn’t know that God had regularly caused this to happen to Israel’s enemies, beginning with the defeat of the Amorite king, Sihon. God had confirmed to Moses, some 40 years before, the fear He would put into the nations who would seek Israel’s demise. Deuteronomy 2:24–25 24 “Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. 25 This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you.” · Miraculous Intervention: Rahab had heard how the Lord had dried up the Red Sea in order to let the Israelites pass over in safety away from their enemies. (Joshua 2:10) · Past Victories: Rahab knew how the God of Israel had utterly destroyed the huge nations under the rule of the two powerful, giant kings, Sihon and Og. (Joshua 2:10) · God over ALL: Rahab understood that the victory Israel would have over them was because Israel’s God was far greater than the mere moon god whom they worshipped. The LORD, Israel’s God, is God of all heaven above and all earth beneath! (Joshua 2:11) Joshua 2:10–11 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Parallel to Our Lives today Believers in Christ Perceive o We accept by faith that Christ is God’s Son and Sacrifice for sin and those who trust in Him will have eternal life. Demoralization in the world because of Sin o The depravity of sin is the underlying factor that has been destroying the world since the fall of man. Miraculous Intervention o The only antidote for sin is the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and the transformation of the depraved heart, by the Holy Spirit. Past and Current Victories o Creation: Creation itself, all around us, reveals the authenticity of God (Rom. 1:20). o Scriptural Illustration: The Bible gives us many examples of God’s supernatural working from Creation. o 21st Century Christians: The testimony of those whose lives have been changed through belief in Christ, in our generation, and the two billion of those who are said to be Christians in our world today are a testimony to those who claim the reality of Christ’s work in their lives. Jesus Christ is stated as being the most significant person in history, even by secular authors.[3] God over ALL o God is far greater than any person, asset, scientific discovery, medical procedure, drug, digital device, entertainment, or endeavor, which we can commit our lives to, or through which to give our final hope to ultimately “save” our planet. “The LORD, our God, is God of all heaven above and all earth beneath!” (Josh. 2:11) Rahab, the “heathen’s” Embrace of Israel’s God Hebrews 11:30–31 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Now it was Rahab’s time to surprise the two men from Israel, hiding for their lives from Jericho’s guards, with a plea for her own life and the lives of her family. Why would it have been a surprise? These two men weren’t supported by an army immediately surrounding the city…they weren’t even holding a knife to Rahab’s throat – they were only two anxious spies running for their lives! Their lives were in her hands at that moment! Had she wished, Rahab could have given one exposing glance or nuance to Jericho’s searching military, and Israel’s spies would have been dead! Note that the army of Israel was not surrounding Jericho when Rahab asked for mercy; the mighty Jordan River was standing solidly between them. Rahab had already perceived what was going to happen and she was preparing for the reality of it. She perceived the truth by faith and she acted on that truth by faith. Those alive today, who live by faith, perceive eternal life after death, in a parallel manner to Rahab’s faith. We know death is going to happen and that we are going to spend eternity somewhere…if we act upon that very real perception, just as Rahab acted, accepting God’s Word, we will be saved for eternity. And, not only us, when we share this truth with others, they too can be saved, just as Rahab’s whole family was saved. Through our perception of, and action, by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we, together with many others, can be spared from the wrath to come! Faith perceives truth and acts upon it before the reality of the wrath. A person, who evidences faith when such action is not demanded, reveals the genuineness of his or her faith. One who waits, intimating, “But I didn’t know…,” (while rebelliously enjoying his or her own way their whole life) is also held accountable for his or her own lack of faith, at the time of judgment! In Joshua 2:12-14 we hear Rahab’s plea for her life to the two spies she was harboring. “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” Joshua 2:12-14 The Sign of the Scarlet Cord The scarlet rope from which the two spies lowered themselves to safety through Rahab’s window in Jericho’s wall, became the sign of her coming salvation! She did not wait to tie the scarlet cord in her window when she saw Israel’s army encompassing the city; she tied the scarlet cord to her window from the moment the spies ran to their freedom...and kept it tied there! We too, by faith, hold to the “scarlet cord” of Christ’s blood, sacrifice and righteousness as our continuing reminder of our salvation, until the day we see God and our Savior, Face to face. “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness, My beauties are, my glorious dress; Midst flaming worlds in these arrayed, With joy shall I lift up my head!” - hymn The spies returned to Joshua after hiding themselves in the hills around Jericho for three days, as suggested by Rahab. Her story became reinforcement to Joshua and all Israel of the work that God was continuing to do on their behalf. The following days and weeks continued to be gut retching acts of faith for Rahab. (Read Joshua chapters 2-6) · Spies were Not Captured: The spies had not been captured as Rahab had said, after hiding for three days away from the river. She was happy about that! · Israel Amassed at the Jordan: Obviously, the spies made it back to their people, because the Israelites began amassing themselves on the far side of the Jordan another three days later. · Priests and the Ark: Those in Jericho saw priests carrying a sacred object on poles between themselves standing on the opposite bank of the flooding Jordan river. When they stepped in the river, the water was cut off upstream and then the priest walked out to the middle of the Jordan on dry ground. · An Army and a Nation: An army of 40,000 men, armed for battle, came across the dry river bed first and then tens of thousands of people – the whole nation of Israel, tribe by tribe, streamed across the river on dry ground. Rahab along with all the city of Jericho watched in horror from the top of the walls and rooftops as all this happened. Joshua 4:12–13 12 The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, armed, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13 About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war. · 12 Men: Twelve strong men each picked up big rocks from the middle of the dry Jordan river bed, where the priests were standing with the ark, and carried them to the Jericho side of the river from which their leader built some sort of a commemorative rock altar. · Jordan Flooded Again: The priests with the ark, who had gone out to the middle first, at last followed all Israel up the far side of the bank still carrying the ark. As soon as they stepped on Jericho’s side, water burst down the river from where it had been piling up-stream and soon the banks overflowed again to the normal flood stage, for that time of the year. All those watching from Jericho were aghast. This was an act of God…just like they had heard had happened to Israel when they crossed the Red Sea, as they rushed away from Pharaoh and his powerful army – in which Pharaoh and his army drowned. · A Ritual and the Passover: Israel stayed several more days camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho having some sort of ritual and then celebrating what they called “the Passover” (Joshua 5). Then they began moving toward the city of Jericho. Every day Rahab carefully watched what they did, with the scarlet cord still firmly tied outside the window of her house over the wall. · City Shut. Ark Sent. Army Marched: Then it happened, the enemy approached and the gates of Jericho were shut and bolted securely; no one could come or go from the city. Any preparation that needed to be made in Rahab’s home and in the city, had already been made. An armed guard from the Israelites began marching around the parameter of the city first, followed by seven priests blowing trumpets preceding the priests carrying the sacred ark. The remaining 40,000 armed men followed the ark. It was scary, no one said a word. They just quietly marched around the city. The priest kept sounding their trumpets, but other than that, all that could be heard was the shuffling of thousands of marching feet, and after the army had marched around the city once, they were all swallowed back into their encampment. Rahab had crowded her father and mother, brothers and sisters, with their families, into her house and they waited there and wondered what would happen. · Same Thing for Six Days: The next day, the same thing happened. It was that way for six long days. No one in Jericho knew what was going to happen. · Seventh Day – Seven Circuits: At daybreak, the seventh day, the army and the priests began and didn’t stop with just one round of the city. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times and when they had completed their final march, the priest sounded a long trumpet blast and the whole army shouted, at which the walls of the city of Jericho collapsed and the army rushed straight forward from where they were standing and Jericho was conquered. · Former Spies Find Rahab’s Family: Joshua asked the two former spies to find Rahab and her family and bring them out safely as they had promised, which they did, and Rahab and her family was assimilated into the tribe of Judah, in Israel. God’s Embrace of Rahab · Upon the fall of Jericho and the sparing of Rahab’s family, Rahab was welcomed into the Israelite community and Salmon, the son of Nahshon, married Rahab. · A son was born to Salmon and Rahab, whom they named Boaz (remember Boaz, who was not afraid to marry another “foreigner” Ruth (Naomi’s Moabite daughter-in-law), both of whom became ancestors to the direct line of Christ. Matthew 1:5–6 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. Jesus Christ, our Messiah, is from Judah and the Line of David, from the genealogical heritage of Rahab. Revelation 5:5–6 (When the Seals of Judgment could not be opened…) 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain…. Rahab: A Mother in Times of National Distress Rahab was an influential woman and mother in at least three ways: 1. Rahab’s Actions Evidenced the Reality of Her Faith: She is an extraordinary mother of faith who through her works evidenced the reality of her faith in God. James 2:24–26 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. 2. Rahab’s Faith Saved Her Family: She gave opportunity for survival to those family members who listened and believed her regarding the promise from the Israelite spies for the protection of all those who were found with her, in her home, when Israel attacked. Joshua 2:18–19 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 3. Rahab’s Faith, though born a “heathen” Gave Her an Amazing Redeemed and Eternal Heritage: She was the mother of one who was to be an ancestor in the direct line of King David and the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Matthew 1:20–21 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Conclusion The story of Solomon’s kingdom reveals stories of women whose great and powerful influence led to the destruction of a Godly Nation; and,  The story of Rahab is of a “heathen” woman who, through faith, became a powerful influence in the ancestral line of Christ.  What kind of influence should we strive for today? · We are living in some of the most glorious days in human history in the greatest country in the world. · But, Nothing is ever secure forever. · We do not know what the future holds. · We could find ourselves living in some of the most chaotic days that this world has ever seen; if, in fact, we find ourselves living in the time called “the end of days.” The appeal that God has for everyone is… ~ That we be reconciled to Him. ~ That we honor Him. ~ That we seek to serve Him. ~ That we Love Him! This is especially true today, for the women of this world, on Mother’s Day and beyond. Who does God want you to be?  What does God want you to do?  How does God want you to live and serve Him?  May the astounding power that God has given to women, be honoring to God and used for His Glory. [1]Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed. /). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. [2]Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P., & Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). Harper's Bible dictionary. Includes index. (1st ed.). San Francisco: Harper & Row. [3] Who’s Bigger? Where Historical Figures Really Rank, by Steven Skiena and Charles Ward (published by Cambridge University Press) (http://www.whoisbigger.com)

The Power of Womanhood – the Power of a Mother!

By Pastor Dan Kennedy

www.pastorkennedy.com

The Incredible Glory and Wealth of Solomon’s Kingdom

The Power of a Woman

2 Chronicles 9:13–31

Solomon’s Splendor

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, 14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred bekas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day. 21 The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram’s men. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.

Solomon’s Death

29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

Few people would read the above verses and not be very impressed with Solomon’s grand, opulent, and glorious kingdom.

The Queen of Sheba summed up Solomon’s kingdom quite succinctly.

2 Chron. 9:6 … “I did not believe what they said (about Solomon’s achievements and wisdom – v. 5) until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard.”

No king has ever had the wisdom that God had given to Solomon. Few kings – or nations have ever achieved the solitary wealth and fame Solomon achieved. Solomon was wildly successful according to any worldly standard that could measure his kingdom’s success… but something was not right.

Within a relatively short amount of time from Solomon’s death, ten of the tribes of Israel had been torn from his kingdom, forming a rival kingdom, beginning a destructive cycle that would plague the divided nation for some 400 years until both of them were destroyed. The two rival kingdoms would be conquered, burnt down and their people brought to their knees, humiliated and dispersed - eventually to the ends of the earth.

It all began with the demise of Solomon’s kingdom.

Why? What happened to destroy this enormously successful, great, wise and wealthy kingdom?

· Was Solomon seen to be enormously successful during his lifetime?

· Even in all his kingdom’s successes, did Solomon ultimately bring success on those who succeeded him?

The Scripture clearly reveals that it was the women in Solomon’s life that ultimately broke His relationship with God and sowed the seeds of rebellion against the God of Heaven…bringing the demise of the nation of Israel.

1 Kings 11:4–10

4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

9 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.

Marriage to King Solomon seemed to be for:

· Astute Political Alliances

· Unparalleled Prestige

· Convenient Pleasure

These politically astute marriages were not for the glory of God, nor did they receive the blessing from His Hand. These marriage alliances compromised the worship of the One True God, acquiescing the king and his people to an Old Testament practice of deity “tolerance,” and the spiritually “acceptable” practice allowing the worship of “all gods,” which was expressly forbidden in the first two of the 10 Commandments.

Exodus 20:3–6

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Solomon built a palace for Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3:1; 7:8; 9:24; 2 Chron. 8:11), as well as “high places” and shrines for idol worship for all his heathen wives (1 Kings 11:7) on a hill east of Jerusalem. These altars to other gods, built by Solomon (the 3rd king of Israel), lasted for some 400 years until destroyed by the 17th king of Judah, Josiah (2 Kings 23:13-14). These pagan shrines continued to cause worship practices in defiance to the Torah, with moral dissipation, along with abhorrent practices such as child sacrifice, in the land of Israel during most of the reigns of the kings of Judah – if nothing else, using the excuse for their existence, saying “the great King Solomon had them built,” so that the leaders and their people were probably unwilling to tear them down.

In a real way, this catastrophe was begun by the influence of Solomon’s wives and the imprint they imbedded in all of Israel’s children – beginning with its most glorious king.

Women are Astoundingly Powerful!

God has endowed women in such a dynamic way that they can have astounding benefit or be deplorably destructive in the life of a man, a family, a nation, and ultimately, the world. They hold a powerful element of influence.

· Blessing or Oblivion:

o A woman can either steer her husband, her children and associates toward blessing from God;

o Or, passively or actively redirect them to godless and spiritual oblivion through a passive, perverse or provocative mind-set.

· Truth or Deception:

o A woman can implant principles of Truth, Honesty, Integrity, and Selflessness in those she nurtures and tutors – for their benefit;

o Or, she can example deception through personal greed, anger, revenge, and/or a deplorable lifestyle centered on herself and the image she wants to portray – at all cost.

· Manipulation or Motivation:

o A woman can embrace old destructive habits with compulsive manipulation while using her charms to deceitful advantage;

o Or, she can motivate her family toward worshipping God and following the principles of blessing from His time-proven Ways, as enumerated in God’s Word.

As a Woman, Wife or Mother – what if I have found myself in a place of deceitful desperation? What can I do now?

A Desperate Woman Who Affected the World for Good and for God

There have been Mothers throughout the history of the world who have been caught in desperate circumstances, who sought God and whom God delivered to have incredible and eternal blessings. Today, let’s look at a formerly desperate woman in Scripture who is included in the blessed heritage of our Messiah.

Rahab, the Harlot

The town of Jericho was located in a very fertile valley, six miles north of the Dead Sea, not far from the banks of the Jordan River. Its rich soil was well watered by natural springs to the east, bringing an uncommon beauty and lush growth, affirming the city’s picturesque name, “city of palm trees”. Crucial old-world roads intersected nearby this “oldest walled town in the world”. If one were to walk up the high earthen embankments through the powerful walls defending the city, you might notice ancient plastered skulls giving a sculptured representation of either venerated statesmen or conquered foes of years gone by. Shrines for the worship of the moon god, most likely occupied revered “high places”. Street merchants “hawked” their goods and prostitutes propositioned clients whenever they could. It was an earthy town, full of vermin, vice and carnality. [1], [2]

Jericho, in Rahab’s day, was a flourishing pagan city that was now being threatened from the other side of the Jordan River by a huge nomadic tribe, which had been permitted to leave powerful Egypt after a series of God-designed plagues. Israel then crossed the Red Sea miraculously on dry ground. God had then allowed Israel to survive life in the hostile desert for forty years, dependent on heaven sent manna and God-given water. God had powered them to defeat vast kingdoms and giant kings who defied them.

The people of Jericho had heard these astounding supernatural stories of this empowered tribe, and now Israel was poised to conquer their Promised Land. Rahab, too, had heard the incredible stories of this nation, and she believed them.

How did Rahab Become a Prostitute?

We do not know how Rahab became a woman of the street. Maybe she had been abused as a child and found this to be a way to have twisted power over the cruel and devious men that she hated; maybe she had been sold into prostitution by her parents at an early age, propelling her, unwilling or not, into this profession; maybe she had been given to the moon god as a religious prostitute, maybe she had simply found a way to survive for herself in a graphically heathen culture; or maybe, it was “some or all of the above.”

We do not know how long the two nomadic strangers had been in the city before she caught their eye and offered them a place to stay for the night. Had a friend or neighbor told her about the Israelites snooping around the city? When she saw them she was pleased with their willingness to get away from the questioning eyes and hostile stares. The king’s guards would eventually show up at her doorway searching for the spies, and Rahab would need to know how to answer them.

“Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”

Rahab had taken the spies up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof. Confident she had hidden them well, she offered the king’s guards a convincing excuse for the spies having left, as they searched for their suspects throughout her home.

Rahab’s Considerations

· Perception: Rahab had perceived that God was going to give Jericho to this strange and awesome tribe of Israelites. (Joshua 2:9)

· Demoralization: Rahab knew everyone in Jericho was supernaturally demoralized and greatly frightened by the presence of the Israelites…but she probably didn’t know that God had regularly caused this to happen to Israel’s enemies, beginning with the defeat of the Amorite king, Sihon.

God had confirmed to Moses, some 40 years before, the fear He would put into the nations who would seek Israel’s demise.

Deuteronomy 2:24–25

24 “Set out now and cross the Arnon Gorge. See, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his country. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in battle. 25 This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

· Miraculous Intervention: Rahab had heard how the Lord had dried up the Red Sea in order to let the Israelites pass over in safety away from their enemies. (Joshua 2:10)

· Past Victories: Rahab knew how the God of Israel had utterly destroyed the huge nations under the rule of the two powerful, giant kings, Sihon and Og. (Joshua 2:10)

· God over ALL: Rahab understood that the victory Israel would have over them was because Israel’s God was far greater than the mere moon god whom they worshipped. The LORD, Israel’s God, is God of all heaven above and all earth beneath! (Joshua 2:11)

Joshua 2:10–11

10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Parallel to Our Lives today

• Believers in Christ Perceive

o We accept by faith that Christ is God’s Son and Sacrifice for sin and those who trust in Him will have eternal life.

•Demoralization in the world because of Sin

o The depravity of sin is the underlying factor that has been destroying the world since the fall of man.

•Miraculous Intervention

o The only antidote for sin is the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and the transformation of the depraved heart, by the Holy Spirit.

•Past and Current Victories

o Creation: Creation itself, all around us, reveals the authenticity of God (Rom. 1:20).

o Scriptural Illustration: The Bible gives us many examples of God’s supernatural working from Creation.

o 21st Century Christians: The testimony of those whose lives have been changed through belief in Christ, in our generation, and the two billion of those who are said to be Christians in our world today are a testimony to those who claim the reality of Christ’s work in their lives. Jesus Christ is stated as being the most significant person in history, even by secular authors.[3]

•God over ALL

o God is far greater than any person, asset, scientific discovery, medical procedure, drug, digital device, entertainment, or endeavor, which we can commit our lives to, or through which to give our final hope to ultimately “save” our planet.

“The LORD, our God, is God of all heaven above and all earth beneath!” (Josh. 2:11)

Rahab, the “heathen’s” Embrace of Israel’s God

Hebrews 11:30–31

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Now it was Rahab’s time to surprise the two men from Israel, hiding for their lives from Jericho’s guards, with a plea for her own life and the lives of her family. Why would it have been a surprise? These two men weren’t supported by an army immediately surrounding the city…they weren’t even holding a knife to Rahab’s throat – they were only two anxious spies running for their lives! Their lives were in her hands at that moment! Had she wished, Rahab could have given one exposing glance or nuance to Jericho’s searching military, and Israel’s spies would have been dead!

Note that the army of Israel was not surrounding Jericho when Rahab asked for mercy; the mighty Jordan River was standing solidly between them. Rahab had already perceived what was going to happen and she was preparing for the reality of it.

She perceived the truth by faith and she acted on that truth by faith.

Those alive today, who live by faith, perceive eternal life after death, in a parallel manner to Rahab’s faith. We know death is going to happen and that we are going to spend eternity somewhere…if we act upon that very real perception, just as Rahab acted, accepting God’s Word, we will be saved for eternity. And, not only us, when we share this truth with others, they too can be saved, just as Rahab’s whole family was saved. Through our perception of, and action, by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we, together with many others, can be spared from the wrath to come!

Faith perceives truth and acts upon it before the reality of the wrath. A person, who evidences faith when such action is not demanded, reveals the genuineness of his or her faith. One who waits, intimating, “But I didn’t know…,” (while rebelliously enjoying his or her own way their whole life) is also held accountable for his or her own lack of faith, at the time of judgment!

In Joshua 2:12-14 we hear Rahab’s plea for her life to the two spies she was harboring.

“Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” Joshua 2:12-14

The Sign of the Scarlet Cord

The scarlet rope from which the two spies lowered themselves to safety through Rahab’s window in Jericho’s wall, became the sign of her coming salvation! She did not wait to tie the scarlet cord in her window when she saw Israel’s army encompassing the city; she tied the scarlet cord to her window from the moment the spies ran to their freedom...and kept it tied there!

We too, by faith, hold to the “scarlet cord” of Christ’s blood, sacrifice and righteousness as our continuing reminder of our salvation, until the day we see God and our Savior, Face to face.

“Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness,

My beauties are, my glorious dress;

Midst flaming worlds in these arrayed,

With joy shall I lift up my head!” - hymn

The spies returned to Joshua after hiding themselves in the hills around Jericho for three days, as suggested by Rahab. Her story became reinforcement to Joshua and all Israel of the work that God was continuing to do on their behalf.

The following days and weeks continued to be gut retching acts of faith for Rahab. (Read Joshua chapters 2-6)

· Spies were Not Captured: The spies had not been captured as Rahab had said, after hiding for three days away from the river. She was happy about that!

· Israel Amassed at the Jordan: Obviously, the spies made it back to their people, because the Israelites began amassing themselves on the far side of the Jordan another three days later.

· Priests and the Ark: Those in Jericho saw priests carrying a sacred object on poles between themselves standing on the opposite bank of the flooding Jordan river. When they stepped in the river, the water was cut off upstream and then the priest walked out to the middle of the Jordan on dry ground.

· An Army and a Nation: An army of 40,000 men, armed for battle, came across the dry river bed first and then tens of thousands of people – the whole nation of Israel, tribe by tribe, streamed across the river on dry ground. Rahab along with all the city of Jericho watched in horror from the top of the walls and rooftops as all this happened.

Joshua 4:12–13

12 The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, armed, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13 About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.

· 12 Men: Twelve strong men each picked up big rocks from the middle of the dry Jordan river bed, where the priests were standing with the ark, and carried them to the Jericho side of the river from which their leader built some sort of a commemorative rock altar.

· Jordan Flooded Again: The priests with the ark, who had gone out to the middle first, at last followed all Israel up the far side of the bank still carrying the ark. As soon as they stepped on Jericho’s side, water burst down the river from where it had been piling up-stream and soon the banks overflowed again to the normal flood stage, for that time of the year. All those watching from Jericho were aghast. This was an act of God…just like they had heard had happened to Israel when they crossed the Red Sea, as they rushed away from Pharaoh and his powerful army – in which Pharaoh and his army drowned.

· A Ritual and the Passover: Israel stayed several more days camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho having some sort of ritual and then celebrating what they called “the Passover” (Joshua 5). Then they began moving toward the city of Jericho. Every day Rahab carefully watched what they did, with the scarlet cord still firmly tied outside the window of her house over the wall.

· City Shut. Ark Sent. Army Marched: Then it happened, the enemy approached and the gates of Jericho were shut and bolted securely; no one could come or go from the city. Any preparation that needed to be made in Rahab’s home and in the city, had already been made. An armed guard from the Israelites began marching around the parameter of the city first, followed by seven priests blowing trumpets preceding the priests carrying the sacred ark. The remaining 40,000 armed men followed the ark. It was scary, no one said a word. They just quietly marched around the city. The priest kept sounding their trumpets, but other than that, all that could be heard was the shuffling of thousands of marching feet, and after the army had marched around the city once, they were all swallowed back into their encampment. Rahab had crowded her father and mother, brothers and sisters, with their families, into her house and they waited there and wondered what would happen.

· Same Thing for Six Days: The next day, the same thing happened. It was that way for six long days. No one in Jericho knew what was going to happen.

· Seventh Day – Seven Circuits: At daybreak, the seventh day, the army and the priests began and didn’t stop with just one round of the city. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times and when they had completed their final march, the priest sounded a long trumpet blast and the whole army shouted, at which the walls of the city of Jericho collapsed and the army rushed straight forward from where they were standing and Jericho was conquered.

· Former Spies Find Rahab’s Family: Joshua asked the two former spies to find Rahab and her family and bring them out safely as they had promised, which they did, and Rahab and her family was assimilated into the tribe of Judah, in Israel.

God’s Embrace of Rahab

· Upon the fall of Jericho and the sparing of Rahab’s family, Rahab was welcomed into the Israelite community and Salmon, the son of Nahshon, married Rahab.

· A son was born to Salmon and Rahab, whom they named Boaz (remember Boaz, who was not afraid to marry another “foreigner” Ruth (Naomi’s Moabite daughter-in-law), both of whom became ancestors to the direct line of Christ.

Matthew 1:5–6

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

6 and Jesse the father of King David.

Jesus Christ, our Messiah, is from Judah and the Line of David, from the genealogical heritage of Rahab.

Revelation 5:5–6 (When the Seals of Judgment could not be opened…)

5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain….

Rahab: A Mother in Times of National Distress

Rahab was an influential woman and mother in at least three ways:

1. Rahab’s Actions Evidenced the Reality of Her Faith: She is an extraordinary mother of faith who through her works evidenced the reality of her faith in God.

James 2:24–26

24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

2. Rahab’s Faith Saved Her Family: She gave opportunity for survival to those family members who listened and believed her regarding the promise from the Israelite spies for the protection of all those who were found with her, in her home, when Israel attacked.

Joshua 2:18–19

18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

3. Rahab’s Faith, though born a “heathen” Gave Her an Amazing Redeemed and Eternal Heritage: She was the mother of one who was to be an ancestor in the direct line of King David and the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:20–21

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Conclusion

•The story of Solomon’s kingdom reveals stories of women whose great and powerful influence led to the destruction of a Godly Nation; and,
•The story of Rahab is of a “heathen” woman who, through faith, became a powerful influence in the ancestral line of Christ.

What kind of influence should we strive for today?

· We are living in some of the most glorious days in human history in the greatest country in the world.

· But, Nothing is ever secure forever.

· We do not know what the future holds.

· We could find ourselves living in some of the most chaotic days that this world has ever seen; if, in fact, we find ourselves living in the time called “the end of days.”

The appeal that God has for everyone is…

~ That we be reconciled to Him.

~ That we honor Him.

~ That we seek to serve Him.

~ That we Love Him!

This is especially true today, for the women of this world, on Mother’s Day and beyond.

•Who does God want you to be?
•What does God want you to do?
•How does God want you to live and serve Him?

May the astounding power that God has given to women, be honoring to God and used for His Glory.

[1]Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed. /). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

[2]Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P., & Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). Harper's Bible dictionary. Includes index. (1st ed.). San Francisco: Harper & Row.

[3] Who’s Bigger? Where Historical Figures Really Rank, by Steven Skiena and Charles Ward (published by Cambridge University Press) (http://www.whoisbigger.com)