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the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not
follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.”
(1 Kings 11:1–6)
“So the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your attitude and you have
not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most
certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your
subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do
it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will
not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the
sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have
chosen.’ Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad
the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.”
(1 Kings 11:11-14)
Life continues the saga at an early stage as good versus evil is a constant
conflict within those chosen. Time and again, the exemplary are God’s
choices, rising and falling as forces of evil test them. Instructed not to
intermarry because of the spiritual significance, disobedience caused an
impurity within the Hebrew nation, and the lineage is not pure as thought
by many in our times. The Jewish nation is not a pure race, and it is no
longer the chosen people through which salvation and deliverance will
occur. Religious beliefs developing purely from the traditional values are no
longer pure. Such suppositions apply only to the Old Testament, and
cannot draw absolute conclusions for this time, especially regarding purity
or purpose of the Hebrew or Jewish people today. Imperfection is
obviously part of biblical history, so justice must prevail in similar ways until
the injustice within humanity is redeemed.
Prophetic Writings
Prophecy is given to teach; yet humanity rarely understands the full
significance of what prophecy predicts. Almost everyone thinks that
prophecy has a romantic value, or the gift of prophecy should somehow be
wonderful for any individual. However, consider that with the grace or gift,
love in a worldly sense becomes very bleak as seen in the lives of the
prophets. They are doubted, taunted and tested in every way, and at first
glance, are accused of the worst motives—even evil. Not easily recognized
for the value of such prophetic words, they are driven to a lowly place
within society.
Typically, the minds are not sufficiently prepared to accept the unseen,
especially when prophecy seems to be contrary or beyond what is