September 2003

HINDS’ FEET IN HIGH PLACES

Part 11

“He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
and sets me on my high places!”

(2 Sa 22:34)

           In our exposition on “high places”, we find a crucial lesson in the reign of King Solomon, after the death of David, his father. It underscores the Words of warning from Jesus our Messiah, “To whomever much is given, much shall be required of him!” (Lu 12:48)

“Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt which included
taking Pharaoh's daughter and bringing her to the city of David until
he had finished building both his own house and the House of the Lord,
along with the wall of Jerusalem around it. Thus the people sacrificed
only in the high places (as the heathens did), for no house had yet been
built for the Name of the Lord.
Now Solomon loved the Lord, and walked in the statutes of David
his father: except that he sacrificed and burned incense in high places!
The king went to sacrifice at Gibeon; for that was the great high place!
Solomon offered one thousand burnt offerings on the altar there. Also
in Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night saying,
Ask what I shall give you. Solomon said, You showed great mercy to
Your servant David, my father, as he walked before You in truth and
in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; and You also
reserved this great kindness for him:, that You had given him a son to
sit on his throne, as it is has come to pass this day. And now, O Lord,
my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father:
and I am as but a little child! I do not know how to go out or come in.
Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen,
a great people, who cannot be numbered or counted for the multitude.
So give Your servant an understanding heart that I may judge Your
people, and I may discern between good and evil: for who is able to
judge this Your so great a people?
It pleased the Lord that Solomon asked for these things; so He
said to him, Because you have asked for these things and have not
sought long life for yourself; nor riches for yourself, nor the life
of your enemies; rather the only thing you have asked for yourself
is understanding to discern judgment; now see that I have done all
that you have asked for Me! See that I have granted you a wise and
understanding heart- like no man before you has ever had before,
nor shall anyone have after you! Besides that, I am also giving you
what you did not ask for; I am giving you both riches and honor:
like not even all the kings before you have ever had! And if you will
walk in my ways, and keep My statutes and commandments, just as
your father David did walk, then I will also lengthen your days!!
Then Solomon awoke and knew God had been speaking to him in
a dream. So he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the Lord’s Ark
of the Covenant, where he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings,
and he made a great feast for all his servants.”

            The Book of Proverbs is a passionate plea for God’s people to fervently pursue Wisdom! Pr 4:7-9 says, “WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPLE THING, SO GET WISDOM! EVEN IF IT COSTS ALL YOU HAVE, WISDOM BRINGS UNDERSTANDING! EXALT HER, AND SHE WILL EXALT YOU! EMBRACE HER, AND SHE WILL GIVE YOU HONOR! SHE SHALL ALSO GIVE AN ORNAMENT OF GRACE FOR YOUR HEAD; AND DELIVER A CROWN OF GLORY TO YOU!”
            What wonderful rewards come with Godly Wisdom! No wonder the Lord says in Jas 1:5-8,
“If any of you lack Wisdom, let him ask God who freely gives to all men, with no reproach, and it will be given to him! But he must ask in steadfast faith! For whoever doubts (like Apostle Thomas) is like a wave of the sea being driven and tossed about by the wind. Such a one should not deceive himself into thinking he will receive anything from the Lord! For a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways!”
            If we recall, it was a lust for wisdom that caused the downfall of the first natural man, Adam!
            When Eve saw that the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil and “was pleasant to the eyes, and good for food”, she was not yet deceived into eating its forbidden fruit, nor give it to her husband. But when she saw “it was a tree to be desired to make one WISE (with worldly wisdom) she took and ate its fruit, and then gave it to her husband who also ate it; and immediately, both of their eyes (“of understanding” Eph 1:18) were opened (to the fleshy world of sin and death- and closed to the spiritual world of Peace and Life)!” (Ge 3:6)
            There is a penalty for abusing Godly Wisdom. It is not a pleasant thing to think about, but it is sheer foolishness to ignore it, and be deceived that our ignorance frees us from accountability. Let us prayerfully read this admonition in our next episode.

[TO BE CONTINUED]