When He Sits on the Throne of His Glory 15th August, 2009       “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”  (John 5:39)       Our Attitude when We Approach the Bible     We have already studied the first and second chapters of First Kings, and we have discussed various people who appear in First Kings chapter 2. The content of these first two chapters of First Kings causes us to think far more than we would when reading some novel or other book.     I once read a book called Demons, written by Dostoyevsky. What makes this book special is that it comes to an end without providing an answer. So, I was forced to spend a lot of time thinking about the book as I tried to work out the answer for myself. This was not a book that allowed the reader to feel satisfied at the end; it is a novel that leaves the reader wondering why the author wrote such a book, and what political and ideological background in his country led him to do this. His novel enchanted me to the extent that it continued to arouse my curiosity even after I had finished reading it. That is not to say that I came up with a new interpretation of the book or discovered some new truth within its pages; it was just that, as a book written by a person, it captured my interest.     It took quite a while to read the several hundred pages of this book. On the other hand, First Kings chapters 1 and 2 are very short. There is, however, a tremendous difference between the thoughts that arise in my mind after reading a book that a person has written on the basis of the full extent of his knowledge, and the thoughts that arise in my mind and the truths I realize in my daily life after reading these two short chapters from the Bible. The thoughts, the knowledge, the emotions and the momentary joy that I experienced through reading this book are very different from the depth of thought that the words of the Bible provide. I was also reminded of how important each word of the Bible is to us.     I enjoy reading books and articles that publish the results of research carried out in certain fields of knowledge. When I come across such writings, I do not simply read them and move on; I examine them very carefully. When I read about historical events or the biographies of people who have left their mark in history, whether good or bad, I think deeply about what these people did in the course of their lives and the effect they had on other people. I also think about how this all relates to me and my thoughts as I live in this present age. Nevertheless, no matter how much I may be helped or my thoughts may be influenced by these events that occur in the world and the things that people of the world say, their significance holds no comparison with the message conveyed by this short Bible passage recorded 2,500 to 3,000 years ago.     I have read First Kings chapters 1 and 2 many times, and examined the passages that come before and after it. The more I read these chapters, however, the more I feel as though I am going deeper and deeper into a forest. When you read the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, you may feel as though you are reading a history book or a novel, or watching an epic drama, but when we read the Bible, we must not forget what our attitude should be or what should be at the center of our thoughts as we are reading. When we are reading the Bible, there are times when we get caught up in our own thoughts, as one thought leads to another. The words of the Bible may even seem to be talking about yourself or the people around you. When this happens to me, I give myself a strong rebuke.      The earth takes a year to follow its precise orbital path all the way around the sun. The moon, too, does not just move at will; it orbits the earth. It is the same when it comes to reading the Bible. We continually read the Bible and entertain many thoughts related to what it says as we try to understand its meaning. We also think about our lives in light of the words of the Bible, but Jesus’ words when He said of the scriptures, “These are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39) still live on in the Bible.     When we read passages in the Bible about Jesus’ life and His crucifixion, which seem to be somewhat distant from our own lives, we tend to forget that the Bible bears witness of Jesus. So we assume that this verse means like this and that verse means like that, and our imaginations begin to spread their wings and fly. We should not, however, allow our emotions and our thoughts as we read the Bible. If, as we read the Old Testament, we keep in mind that Jesus said, “These are they which testify of Me,” the emotions and our own thoughts that are laid up in our hearts are broken down. Such is the power of the Bible.     In the Bible it says, “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is not simply referring to those times when you suddenly realize something and rejoice before God as you are reading the Bible. Before considering those times when our hearts are moved or brightened by the words of the Bible, we need first to examine the Bible as a whole in light of the verse that says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). Many passages in the Bible speak to us from a position that is far beyond our own personal feelings and thoughts.     When we read in history books about the great accomplishments of certain people, or the words these people have spoken and the things they have been through, we may feel compassion for them, or even longing for them, or be thrilled by what they have done. Many feelings come and go. The Bible may be read that way, too. We do not necessarily have to ignore these feelings. Nevertheless, we need first to read the Bible rationally and with our thoughts focused on the words.       “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”  (John 5:39)       The Bible explains things to us very plainly and simply. The Scriptures that Jesus referred to at this time were the Old Testament, since the New Testament had not yet been recorded. Now, however, we have the entire Bible, including both the Old and New Testaments. Also, Jesus said that the Scriptures bear witness of Him. This is only a short verse, but it holds fast the emotions that we feel or the thoughts that arise within us as we read the Bible throughout our lives, so that we do not veer to the left or the right.     When we read the Bible, we interpret it in our own way. Also, each of us reads the Bible with our own emotions and complex thoughts. This is why, if we do not follow this verse, we cannot accomplish the command that Jesus gave us to “Love one another,” (John 13:34)and neither can we “spread the gospel to all the nations” (see Matthew 24:14) within the fellowship. It becomes very difficult.     The reason I am talking about this so extensively is that hidden within the passage we are about to look, there are things that cause us to think about the attitude we should have before the Bible. What direction should we focus on when our own personal feelings and standards, or the sense of justice burning within our hearts, come in conflict with the obedience that the Bible demands of us? Passages such as these in the Bible address such matters for us. Even now, the living word of God is demanding something of us. Within the Bible, we are clearly presented with a signpost that is able to uphold us so that we do not falter.     David and Solomon     First Kings chapter 1 begins with King David in his old age, unable to keep warm. From a young age, he had protected his flocks of sheep from wild beasts, he had struck and killed the giant Goliath using a stone from a sling, he had fought battles all of his life, and now, in the twilight of his life, this King of Israel, who had lived such an eventful life, was feeling the cold. So a woman by the name of Abishag was brought to him to keep him warm. He did not have any relations with her; she served him and used her body to keep him warm.     Then Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, appeared on the next scene. How would Bathsheba have felt when she encountered these circumstances? The Bible does not tell us this. From the words that Solomon spoke after listening to his mother, however, and through Solomon’s consequent actions, we can surmise some very subtle emotions that are not revealed through Bathsheba’s words, and see that these would conflict with her need to obey.     Let’s read First Kings chapter 1 from verse 11.       “So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, ‘Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go immediately to King David and say to him, “Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? Why then has Adonijah become king?” Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.’ So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.)”  (1 Kings 1:11-15)     Bathsheba went into David’s room and found that a young woman was serving David.       “And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, ‘What is your wish?’ Then she said to him, ‘My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.” So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it. He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited. And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.’ And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. So they told the king, saying, ‘Here is Nathan the prophet.’ And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. And Nathan said, ‘My lord, O king, have you said, “Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, “Long live King Adonijah!” But he has not invited me - me your servant - nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?’ Then King David answered and said, ‘Call Bathsheba to me.’ So she came into the king’s pres

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