This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God Orders Government", 7/29/2012

GOD ORDERS GOVERNMENT

2 Chronicles 19:4-11

 

INTRODUCTION

At the time of this account, the Nation of Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. Jehoshaphat was king of the Southern Kingdom. Ahab, a bad king was over the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Jehoshaphat aligned  himself with Ahab against the Syrians and nearly lost his life. He was rebuked by the Prophet Jehu for his ill advised alliance with Ahab.  He changed and continued His work for the Lord.

A good leader listens to the Word of the Lord through others and makes changes to

glorify the Lord.

GOD KNOWS WHERE WE ARE

4. "And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers."

 A. People can easily be influenced by the world and be drawn away from God.

    1. God knows at all times where His people are.

    2. God has a way of bringing His people back to Himself.

       a. God sends preachers to remind us that He is our God.

       b. The preached Word will convict us of our shortcomings. 1Thes 1:5

   3. We have a history with God through our ancestors.

      a. God was our God before we ever knew He was God.

      b. God claimed us as His before the foundation of the earth. Eph 1:4

      c. His grace and mercy was flowing to us while we were yet sinners.

 B. Our God is a long distance God.

    1. There is no way for us to get away from Him.

       a. Jesus said, what the Father has given me, I lose none.  John 18:9

    2. His love for us is not dependant on our love for Him.

    3. In order to bring us back to himself, sometimes God sends us a preacher.

GOD ORDAINS GOVERNMENT

V:5. "And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city."

 A. God establishes governments for our benefit.

    1. Notice that the King established government from the ground up.

    2. He appointed judges in each of the cities first.

    3. There has to be order in the home before there can be order in the nation.

 B. Every home needs a godly leader.

    1. God has set man as the head of the household.

        a. The man of the house has Jesus as his leader. 1 Cor 11:3

    2. Where there is no man in the house, Jesus is the head of the woman.

    3. To function correctly, every home must follow the commands of God.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JUDGES
V:6. " And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment."

 A. The first rule: Judgment is for God and not for man.

     1. It's not about you, it is about the Lord.

     2. It's not about family, it is about the Lord.

     3. It's not about friendship, it is about the Lord.

 B. A judge must keep his focus on the Lord and His commands.

     1. The judge was commanded to try all cases by God's rules.

 C. God stands with the judge as he rules.

     1. God will remind him of his position.

     2. God will remind him of his authority.

     3. God will give him discernment to determine the truth.

     4. God will give him the wisdom to make the correct decisions.

     5. God protects the judge in his decisions.

     6. God does the same for us when we stand on His Word.

RULES FOR LEADERSHIP

V:7. " Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."

 A. Fear=pashad=alarm(sudden), terror.

     1. To much is given, much is required.  Luke 12:48

     2. A judge must be so terrified of the Lord that there is no doubt that he will be just.

 B. Heed=raah=to see, regard, respect.

    1. A judge must respect the Lord as his God.

    2. A judge must respect the Lord's commands

        as the only right commands.

    3. A judge must respect the Lord's commands as the way to justice.

 C. "Do it."

    1. A judge must not only fear and respect the Lord, but he must be careful to follow

        God's commands.

    2. There is no sin or injustice in the Lord.

       a. There is no right other than the Lord.

 D. "Nor respect of persons"

   1. No man deserves special judgment over another.

   2. Every person is to be treated the same.

       a. Position, education, friendship and money should never influence right

           judgment.

 E. " Nor taking gifts"

   1. A judge must be above reproach.

   2. Justice can not be purchased. It must be rendered based on truth and righteousness.

V:8. "Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem."

 A. God selects leaders to govern His people.

    1. The priests provide guidance for the households.

        a. The husband is the priest of his household.

        b. Jesus is our high priest.

 B. The King chose one High Priest and one Chief Elder as the supreme judges to make

       judgments for him in the Southern Kingdom of Israel.

    1. Jesus is both our High Priest and Elder before the Father.

 C. Under King Jehoshaphat, Jerusalem became the supreme court .

    1. All issues that could not be settled in the lower courts were taken to the

        supreme court.

    2. Our Supreme court is "God the Father" with "God the Son" as the Supreme

        Judge.

 

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE HIGH COURT JUDGES

V:9. "And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart."

 A. The first rule for a judge is to fear the Lord.

     1. The Lord has to be his God. Prov. 4:4

     2. The judge must reverence the Lord.

     3. The judge must trust the Lord.

     4. The Lord must be his guide.

     5. When we love the Lord, we will trust him in all our ways. Prov 3:6

 B. The second rule for a Judge is to serve God faithfully.

      1. A judge must follow the laws of God in making all decisions.

      2. Believers must follow the laws of God in making all decisions.

 C. The third rule for a judge is to make sure his heart is perfect.

      1. God's commands must be written in his heart.

      2. In his personal life, a judge must follow God's commands.

      3. The words of the Lord should be written in the hearts of believers.  Psalms  

          119:15

 

WHAT WE DO TO OUR BROTHERS, WE DO TO THE LORD

V:10. "And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the Lord, and so wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass."

 A. The Judge was given the responsibility to warn the people not to bring false charges.

       1. They were warned not to bring false charges against their family members.

       2.  They were warned not to pervert God's laws and commands in bringing charges

             against another.

 B. False charges would bring the wrath of God upon them.

     1. Whatever we do, we must be just and fair in dealing with one another.  Luke 6:36

     2. What goes around, comes around. Gal 6:8

WHEN WE DO THE RIGHT THING, GOD IS WITH US

11 "And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good."

 A. The King separated the judgment of spiritual matters from the judgment of civil

       matters.

     1. Amariah the chief priest was the judge over spiritual matters.

     2. Zebadiah was the judge over the matters of the King.

     3. God is concerned about our spiritual well being.

         a. Brothers and sisters in Christ should not be in court against one another.

             Rom 14:10.

 B. Today we have separation of Church and State.

     1. We have county, state and federal judges.

     2. Our Churches have the positions of Pastors and Deacons ordained by God.

 C. The king was in charge of all judges.

     1. Jesus our king is in control of all governments, judges and leaders.

     2. Jesus is the head of the church.

 D. All judges are to stand fast on the Word of God and judge according to God's

      commands. Ps 118:8-10

    1. Those who follow God's commands have God on their side. 2 Thes 2:15-17

        

 

"Keys To Successful Living" Daniel 1:1-20

Daniel 1:1-20

KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL LIVING

1 In the third year of the reign of Je-ho-ia-kim king of Judah, Ne-bu-chad-ne-zzar

king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered

Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of

God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure

house of his god. 3 Then the king ordered Ash-pe-naz, chief of his court officials, to

bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men

without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well

informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach

them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily

amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years,

and after that they were to enter the king's service. 6 Among these were some from Judah:

Daniel, Han-ani-ah, Mi-sha-el and Az-ar-iah. 7 The chief official gave them new names:

to Daniel, the name Bel-te-sha-zzar; to Han-ani-ah, Shad-rach; to Mi-sha-el, Me-shach;

and to Az-ar-iah, A-bed-nego. 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal

food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this

way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 10 but

the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and

drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The

king would then have my head because of you." 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom

the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Han-ani-ah, Mi-sha-el and Az-ar-iah, 12

"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to

drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal

food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.". 20 In every matter of

wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten

times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

I want to speak from the topic, "Keys To Successful Living".

Keep your Bibles open, we are going to walk through this text verse by verse.

This text gives us 14 characteristics of successful living.  (Quality of life)

This is a story about four young men who stood up to the pressures of change. Adverse

as their circumstances were they maintained their integrity by trusting God in all their

activities.

If anybody had reason to be messed up in the mind, it would be Daniel and his three

friends.

Their home town, Jerusalem had been invaded by a foreign king, family members had

been murdered, their beloved temple eventually burned to the ground and they were taken

captive as slaves to a foreign king. They had every reason to be mad. They had every

reason to be angry. They had every reason to be depressed and out of their minds. Yet

Daniel and his three friends stayed focused on the Lord determined to do what was right.

Daniel stands out as a man who lived a very successful life. He served the Lord 73 years

under three different kings. Daniels stands out among the prophets of the Lord. God

revealed to him more of His plan of redemption than He did to any other prophet.

He revealed the end times including the first and second coming of Jesus Christ.

I want you to notice that this first verse give us times, places and names. You can go to

your world history books and verify that these names and these places given in this

time existed. That's one way to knowing that the Bible is true.  

In the second verse, the text says that the Lord gave the King of Israel into the hands of

the King of Babylon. God ordered the events that Daniel was caught up in. God was

angry with the Nation of Israel because of their widespread worship of idol gods. So

He sent them into captivity. Daniel worshiped the Lord, yet he was caught up in the

punishment.

God order the captivity of Israel to bring them to their senses and draw them back

to himself. God ordered a plan of redemption for his chosen people. Aren't you

glad that you are included in God's plan of redemption.

Daniel served for 73 years in a foreign government under pagan Kings. Because of

Daniel, each king got to see the power and glory of the almighty God. The adversity of

Daniel was ordered by the Lord, so a pagan nation could get a word from God.

I don't know what you are going through. But maybe God's got a Word that He wants

someone to get from.

The first key to successful living;  God is in Control of your circumstances. God orders

your circumstances to get you prepared for future blessings. Don't get angry with God

when the unexpected happens to you. Don't ask God why this happen to you. Sometimes

there is no answer. Just know that God loves you and want the very best for you.

Trials and tribulations serve to strengthen our faith in the all mighty God. Trials

and tribulations keep us on bending knees in prayer with the Father.

1st key to remember is that God is in control. Don't faint when trouble arises, just

keep on keeping on, trusting in the Lord.

Notice in verse 2 that the Lord ordered that some of the vessels of His Temple

in Jerusalem be taken and placed in temple of the idol god in Babylon.

These vessels were made of pure gold and silver and were design by the Lord

himself. The Lord had these vessels placed in temple of the idol god, preserving

them for His glory. God's handiwork inside the idol temple showed the worthlessness

of these idol god. The glory of God over shadowed their uselessness.

  

If go to the highest mountain, the Lord is their. If make my bed in hell the Lord is there

too. Don't worry, the Lord is everywhere all the time. I tell you God is everywhere and

His works never cease. His glory always shines bright.

These same vessels, 70 years later would be taken back to Jerusalem and placed

in a new Temple. God is preparing us,  for that new temple in the heaven.  

The 2nd key in this lesson is where ever you go the Lord is with you. Because

you are there serving the Lord, others get blessed. One person can make a difference.

And that person can be you.

3rd. key in the lesson. Don't let your circumstances blind you to the blessing of

God. Daniel had lost his family, He had lost his home and now forced to serve a foreign

king, Yet he had reason to be thankful. He was still alive. He kept His focus on the Lord.

There are some circumstances you find yourself in that you didn't cause, you had nothing

to do with and you can't do nothing about it.  The only thing you can do is live with it and

trust God in it. There are times when God allow you to be in a circumstance 

to test you and to prove your devotion to Him. Circumstances can strengthen you and

prepare you to glorify the Lord. After all the only reason God created man was to give

Himself the Glory.

Verse 3.

The King's servant was instructed to select young men to be trained to serve

in his court. There was an interview process to select the best candidates who

would be given a free  3 year college education. Some folk say "they had a free

ride".

4th  key. Carry yourself like you are part of the Royal Family. The King instructed

his servant to chose some youths from royal family. You must remember that you

are part of a Royal Family. You are in the Body Of Christ. Remember that you are a child

of King Jesus. Since you are a child of the King, you ought  to walk like a child of the

King, you ought to talk like a child of the King, you ought to look like a child of the King.

When you start acting like a child of the King, God will open doors that were locked

down and closed to you. When God open doors that no one can close them.

5th key . Remember that the body is the Temple of the Lord . Verse 4

said that candidates could have no defects.  The youth could have no tattoos

on their bodies. You never know what qualities an employer is looking for.

The same verse says they had to be good looking. You need to dress properly.

They were not walking around with their pants hanging below their buts. That's the

current style among the youth today is to walk around with their underwear showing.

You never know what opportunities you miss because you are not dressed properly.

The 5th key in the lesson, respect yourself. Your body is the temple of the Lord.

Treat it like it is the Temple of the Lord.

The 6th Key to Successful Living:  Take advantage of all educational opportunities.

In verse 4, those chosen were to be intelligent and endowed with understanding.

This means that these youth had taken their early education seriously. This means that

when they were in school, they stayed in school and they did their best. When the school

bell rang, they were in class and ready to learn.

At Greater Macedonia, we got Bibles classes throughout the week. Most of you

do not show up. You never know when an opportunity depends how well you

answer questions. The study of God's Word gives you uncommon insight. The

study of God's Word gives you wisdom you can't get from anywhere else.

The study of God's Word makes you articulate in subjects that world can't

understand.

Verse 4

The 6th Key is to take advantage of all educational opportunities.

The Kings children study the King's Word. The King wanted the Hebrew boys to

learn his culture, learn his language, learn his commands and learn about him. They

were to be trained to serve the King.

We have a king we serve. His name is king Jesus. He has given us a book to study.

He wants us trained to be qualified to serve Him. The King's children study the King's

Word.  You Got a minute?

Parenting is a Job. It is a job of service to the Lord. It's not easy, but God has given us

directions. Want to be someone's daddy? It is not about laying down and getting up. It

what you do when you get up.

The reason  so many of our kids are messed up is because parents don't get educated in

the Word of the Lord. God wants to elevate you, but you got to get educated.

How are going be teacher without studying His Word? How are going be a Deacon

without studying His Word? How are going to be trustee without studying His Word

How are going to be a preacher without studying His Word?

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ trained His disciples 31/2 years before turning them

lose on His Church. God wants to elevate you, but you got to get educated.

The 6th Key in  this lesson , take advantage of all educational opportunities.

Daniel and his friends were selected to serve a foreign king.

They were selected because they had a love for the Lord. They were selected because

they were obedient to God's Word. They were selected because God gave them

uncommon intelligence.

Verse 7

The 7th Key is this lesson is don't forget where you came from. The king

took their Hebrew names and gave them Babylonians names. In life people will

call you all sorts of names.  Don't ever forget who you are. Don't ever forget who's

you are. Don't ever forget that you are a child of the King and that you have a

King's heritance. Don't ever forget that you have a big brother name Jesus

seated at the right hand of the Father looking out for you. Don't let your circumstances

cloud your vision of the Lord. No matter what they call you, you belong to the Lord.

Verse 8

The 8th Key in this lesson, Make up your mind to follow God.

Don't compromise God's Word for personal gain. It's

in verse 8. Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself. The whole crowd was

to be fed from the Kings table. The best meats, the best drinks. The best bread.

There was only one problem. The meals from the king's table had been sacrifice

to idol gods.  Daniel considered this a violation of God's commands to eat foods

sacrificed to idols. Daniel knew if he didn't eat the king's food he might be kicked out

of the program or worst, he could lose his life.  If He ate the King's food he would violate

God's command. Daniel chose to follow God.

You got to make up your mind to follow God to keep from going astray.

Verse 9

The 9th key in this lesson is; God shows Favor to those who are committed to Him.

While Daniel was trying to figure it out, God had already worked it out. 

There is always a way to get what you want without compromising God's commands.

Daniel asked permission of the administrator to eat only vegetables  and water.

God caused the administrator to show favor and sympathy to Daniel (v.9).

When you decide to follow God, He will open  the right doors for you. The

administrator understood Daniel's position and granted his request risking his

own life. When you are committed to honoring God with your life, He will cause

things to turn out in your favor.  Look at the person next to you, say "Neighbor

I got favor with the Lord."

Verse 11

The 10th Key in this lesson  is to remember that what you do affects others,

When Daniel made up his mind to follow God's commands, three other youth

decided to follow Daniels lead. We are responsible to others not to be a stumbling

block to the faith of others. You never know who is watching you and who may be

led to the Lord by the light they see in you. You are a role model to others.

The 11th Key to Successful Living in this lesson is:  "Trust God with your life."

God intervenes on behalf of those who trust Him, protects and preserves them.

When you believe in something, test God with it. Daniel encouraged the administrator

let him and his friends eat  vegetables and water for ten days see if they look as good

as the others who ate the king's food. At the end of the period Daniel's appearance looked

better than the others. When God is with us we can't lose.

Verse 12. The 12th key in this lesson. A healthy diet is important.

 A healthy diet promotes learning. They ate only vegetables and drink water.  God didn't

just drop this in because it sounded good. It was Daniel and his three friends dedication

to God. I know this is true. A unhealthy diet weighs you down and slows downs you

learning. If I eat a heavy meal for dinner and start studying God's Word; Give me 15

minutes and I will be sleep. I will be out like a rock. I will be waking up two hours

later trying to figure out what happen. Daniel and his friends ate light and studied

hard. The 12th key to Successful Living: Diet and Exercise is important to your

success.

Verse 17

13th Key. Whatever position God places you in, do your very best.

When you make up your mind to put forth your best effort. God will give you

success in all your efforts. It's in verse 17. God gave them knowledge and intelligence

in all their studies. When you put God first, He will insure that you get the understanding

that will promote your  success.

In addition Daniel was given an additional gift. He was given an understanding of all

visions and dreams. Daniel was given a gift that would not only save his life but the

lives of others and bring glory to the Father.

The last key in verse 20. Successful living rest with God.

When God is first in your life. When God is the most important person in your life,

When your love for God exceeds every thing else, God can make you 10 times

smarter than everybody else. Knowledge of God is power. Knowledge of God brings

success

When God is first in your life, He will give you a level of intelligence that exceeds

everybody else. It's in verse 20, Daniel and his 3 friends were 10 times smarter

than all the others.

Let's review the 14 Keys to Successful Living.

1. Remember that God is in control.

2.  Remember that God is always with you.

3. Don't let your circumstances blind you to the blessings of God.

4. Carry yourself like you are part of the Royal Family.

5. Your Body Is The Temple Of The Lord, Treat It That Way.

6. Take Advantage Of All educational Opportunities.

7. Don't Forget Where You Came From.

8. Don't Compromise God's Word.

9. God Show Favor To Those Who Are Committed To Him.

10. What You Do Affects Others

11. Trust God With Your Life

12. A Healthy Diet And Exercise Is Important.

13. Always Do Your Best.

14. Successful Living Rest With God.

I don't know about you but I want to live a successful life.

I don't know about you but I want peace in my life.

I don't know about you but I want joy in my life,

I don't know about you but I have made up my mind to follow God.

Greater Macedonia  Live a Successful Life

Let God be your Guide

If you want live a successful life, do as Daniel did, commit your life to God.

Amen

GOD LOVES, SATAN HATES

1 Kings 3:16-28; 11 Chronicles 9:8

In this passage let me suggest that God is dealing with the Church and the world. In His sovereignty, God elects and separates the Church from the world. The text presents the living and the dead. The living son represents the church and the dead son represents the world.  The King represents the Lord.

 CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES

V:16. "Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before

  him."

  A. God hears the prayers of all who call on Him.

      1. These women were out of fellowship with the Lord.

          a. These women were prostitutes.

          b. Notice the Lord identified these as women which is the noun in the sentence.

              He then identified them as harlots. Harlot is an adjective.

              i. The women are God's creation which He loves.

              ii. Harlot is their condition which He hates.

          c. Anytime you put any thing before God, you are in spiritual prostitution.

      2. These woman were prostitutes because men were paying for their services.

          a. Now that they had children, the men were nowhere to be found.

          b. You have to be careful how you treat your bodies.

          c. If you don't respect yourself, nobody else will either.

          d. These women were in this situation because of their disobedience.

  B. Let me suggest that these women may have felt forced into their condition

       because of their lack of knowledge of the goodness of the Lord.

     1. These women, without male support may have had no means to support  

         themselves, other than prostitution.

     2. These women may have been part of a culture of idol god worship that used

          prostitutes in the temple as part of their worship routine. 

     3. In the beginning, we all come to Christ ignorant of God's goodness.

     4. Jesus our king, full of justice, righteousness and compassion forgives our sins

         and renders us righteous before the Father.

  C. There is no problem you can't take to the Lord for help.

          a. It is our problems that draw us to the Lord.

          b. The two women represent the Church and the World.

              The mother of the living child represents the Church.

              The mother of the dead child represents the world.

 V:17. " And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house."

 A. Both women were blessed equally. They both were blessed with a son.

     1. The Lord creates all men equally. Some will choose right, and others will

          choose wrong.

 B. Let me suggest that the first woman, the accuser is the deceiver.

     1. Satan is a master deceiver.

     2. He appears as an angel of light.

 C. Even though they were in sin, they knew who to call on.

    1. They came on behalf of a child.

    2. They came for justice and judgment.

    3. They came for a life.

    4. They came because they had been blessed with sons.

       a. God can allow our evil activities to be a blessing.

       c. God's grace and mercy falls fresh on us even in our sin.

       b. It is our troubles that force us to seek God.

       d. There is grace in our desire to seek a solution to our troubles.

 D. You need to be prepared to tell your story.

      1. Nobody can tell your story like you.

      2. Always tell the truth.

  E. Plead your case to the one who can help.

      1. God is ready to be our help.

      2. We should come to God expecting to be helped.

V:18. " And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house."

 A. Tell the whole story.

     1. Don't leave out any details.

     2. In a story is the truth, sometimes disguised in a lie.  

 B. You need to be careful who you walk with.

     1. The person you walk with can be your trouble.

     2. When you make the wrong choice, be quick to admit it.

     3. Be quick to correct what you discover is wrong.

 C. Notice God's blessings.

     1. God blessed each with a son.

     2. God blessed each with a roof over their heads.

     3. God blessed each with companionship of each other.

THE WORKS OF SATAN

V:19 "And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it."

 A. Give the reason this circumstance occurred.

  1. People always have a reason why they do what they do.

  2. What you do, can be the reason for your trouble.

  3. People don't always take responsibility for their mistakes.

      a. The death of the child was an accident, but the one who

          caused the accident would not admit it.

      b. We save a lot of trouble if we admit the truth.

      c. The truth sets us free of the past so we can live in the future.

V:20. " And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom."

 A. You have to be on your guard at all times, because Satan is always busy.

      1. He never sleeps or slumbers.

      2. He came to steal, kill and destroy.

 B. Thieves deal in darkness.

     1. While we sleep, they are at work.

 C. Satan deals in confusion.

     1. She took the woman's living child and replaced it with her dead  child.

     2. Satan takes the good and substitutes the bad.

     3. Satan takes life and substitutes death.

     4. Satan is a master of the dead.

        a. Spiritual dead folk do what seems good to them.

        b. Spiritual dead folk have no regard for what is right.

        c. Spiritual dead folk will steal your life.

 D. Notice the knowledge of the accuser.

      1. She knew the time of the child's death.

      2. She knew the way the child died.

      3. She knew the time the living child was switched with the dead child.

      4. How could she know this if she was sleep as she claimed?

          a. How could she know such details unless she herself was involved?

          b. Maybe this woman, the accuser was telling her own story disguised

              in a lie about the other woman.

V:21. " And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear."

 A. You need to know what is yours.

    1. What's yours is life and not death.

        a. Jesus came that you might have life.

        b. Satan came to do away with life.

    2. Satan loves confusion.

        a. Satan deals in deception.

        b. He is the father of lies.

        c. Sin has it's origin in him.

 B. The accuser presents herself as the victim, yet she is the perpetrator.

V:22.  "And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king."

 A. The ungodly will steal from you when the opportunity arises.

     1. The ungodly will lie to you.

     2. The ungodly will tell lies about you.

     3. The ungodly have no compassion for you.

     4. The ungodly have no love for you.

     5. The ungodly are selfish.

         a. The ungodly thinks of themselves first.

         b. The ungodly have no regard for your rights.

 B.  The ungodly is not of Christ.

    1. Christ is the God of the living.

    2. Christ allows difficult circumstances in our lives to force us to seek Him.

    3. One woman sought the king to save a life.

       a. One woman sought the king to cover her lies and to stay in  the dark.

       a. One was ready for a change. The other was content in the dark.

 C. God hears the prayers of the needy.

       1. God visits with us in our circumstances through prayer.

 

JUSTICE COME FROM THE LORD

V:23. " Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living."

 A. A wise person listens to both sides of the story.

    1. A wise person considers all the details.

    2. A wise person listens first and judges later.

 B. Everybody should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

V:24. " And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king."

  A. God has a way of bringing out the truth.

      1. You can fool others, but you can't fool God.

      2. God has some unusual ways to reveal the truth.

      3. God knows the heart of men and how to bring to the surface their

          true intentions.

  B. The sword in the hands of a king would strike fear in the heart of the mother

        of the living child.

V:25. " And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other."

 A. The King forced true love to the surface by his suggestion that the living child

      be cut in half to settle the issue.

     1. The one who loves seeks the benefits for others.

     2. The one who loves will sacrifice their wants for the needs of others.

     3. The true mother would rather see her son alive, even if it meant she could not be

          with him.

 B. Jesus loves us so much that He sacrificed His life for ours.

     1. True love requires sacrifices.

V:26. " Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it."

 A. The true mother of the living child has a deep love for her son.

     1. Her love is from the heart and not the surface. She yearned from her bowels.

     2. The true mother chooses life for her son. 

         a. She was willing to sacrifice her right to her son to save his life.

 B. Jesus chose life for all believers.

    1. Jesus who knew no sin became sin so all believers could be free of their sins.

 C. The accuser, a pawn for Satan had no eternal love for the living child.

    1. The accuser chose death for the living child.

    2. Satan desires death for the living.

    3. Satan has no love for the children of God.

V:27. "Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof."

 A. True love knows no cruelty to others.

      1. The woman who was not the mother of the child had no emotional attachment to

          the child.

          a. If the child died, it was no lost to her.

 B. The king in his wisdom knew the true mother would chose life for her child.

     1. Jesus chose life for all God's children.

V:28. "And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment."

 A. When you rely on God for wisdom, the world will know you follow God.

     1. In all of our decisions, we should seek the wisdom of God.

     2. The Lord will never lead you astray.

     3. The Lord provides life for all those who believe in Him.

2 Chronicles 9:8. "8 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice."

 A. Jesus is our King

     1. Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

     2. Jesus is our Judge.

     3. Jesus is Love.

     4. In Jesus is our justice.

     5. Jesus provides eternal life for us.