And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he wanted to do, that the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
1 Kings 9:1
King Solomon accomplished great things; he built the temple, then he built his own house. God appears before king Solomon a second time and speaks to him, saying: ‘you built the house of the Lord, as well as your own.” We all have encounters with God because we believe in Jesus. However, King Solomon had a special encounter with God, when He appears before him after having accomplished so much as a king.And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.”
1 Kings 9:2-5
God is telling king Solomon that He has remembered his prayers. When Solomon was young and vulnerable crying out to God to help him and give him wisdom, the Lord remembered his prayers and honored them by answering and helping Solomon when he needed the Lord. The Lord was commending king Solomon for all he has done and accomplished, but He also warns him to stay humble and walk before the Lord as his father King David did: with integrity and obedience, seeking God’s will. How amazing that even today God is speaking into our hearts. We can all recall those moments with the Lord, those encounters with Him, when He sits us down and shows us the journey He’s taken us on and how He has been there every step of the way, through it all. He makes us look around us and see all the achievements and blessings we’ve had. But now, God is showing us to keep on walking, the journey isn’t over yet, there’s still so much more ahead, just continue this walk with the Lord, keeping your heart upright, listening to the voice of the Lord, and He will bless you. That is my prayer for us all. May we continue to walk with the Lord with integrity and uprightness, serving and seeking Him with all our hearts, so we can continue seeing His blessings over our lives. After that second life-changing encounter with the Lord, King Solomon continues doing and accomplishing great things, building amazing projects.And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king’s house.
1 Kings 9:10
Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD’s temple, his own palace, the terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.
1 Kings 9:15
During the rule of King Solomon, the nation prospered. He was able to raise the taxes and build great projects all across the country, including Hazor in the far north of Israel, Megiddo in the Valley of Megiddo (aka Armageddon) Jerusalem, as well as Gezer in the south, where I filmed this series for you. When visiting Israel, you can come to Gezer and stand on the very ruins of what once was one of King Solomon’s greatest stronghold, the city of Gezer, built after that second life-changing encounter with God, when He gave King Solomon His blessing as he continues his walk with the Lord with integrity and uprightness. As we work towards building His Kingdom in Ashdod and all across Israel, we can see how God’s word can change the course of history. I pray for you from this city built by king Solomon; may you experience a life-changing encounter with God. May the Lord continue to put His vision, His desires and His dreams into your heart, and you will be able to accomplish everything that God has placed in your heart. I pray that you will press on faithfully, so that His blessing rests over your life, as you see His dreams coming true in your life.