Tag: legacy

Actions Speak Louder than Proverbs (Power of Legacy Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

As I said in Part 1, “Like Father, Like Son”, King David was a truly epic king. He was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, but he also committed one of the gravest sins recorded in the Bible. He slept with the wife of one of his most valiant warriors. Then he murdered the man, so he could make the woman his own (2 Samuel 11). These acts plummeted the last years of King David’s life into familial catastrophe containing incest (2 Samuel 13:1-14) and the death of three of his sons (2 Samuel 12:15-18; 2 Samuel 13:23-29; 2 Samuel 14-17:18) .

Lessons Learned

King David regretted these sins for the rest of his life, and he taught his son Solomon not to follow in his footsteps. The beginning of the book of Proverbs—chapters 1 to 9—is the wisdom Solomon gained from his father. King Solomon dedicated nearly 75 verses to the warnings his father gave him about women alone (Proverbs 2:16-19; 5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27). Words such as, “The lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword” (Proverbs 5:3-4 NLT) must have been seared into Solomon’s soul by the time he became king.

And Solomon was an amazing king. He established the Israeli-equivalent of the Pax Romana, forty years of uninterrupted commercial success, martial stability, and technological advancement (1 Kings 10:14-29). He brokered piece with Egypt (1 Kings 3:1) and Ethiopia (1 Kings 10:1-13). And he was the wisest men who ever lived (1 Kings 4:29-31).

Lessons Spurned

Yet Solomon too had a demon he couldn’t slay: his insatiable appetite for the ladies. He married 1,000 women (1 Kings 11:3)! To put that into perspective, he could sleep with a different beautiful lady each night for nearly three years without coming to the same woman again!

Many commentaries mention that politics motivated these marriage alliances. But these alliances caused Solomon to not only make peace with these foreign nations but also with their foreign gods. “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods” (1 Kings 11:6-8 NIV).

As punishment for his lustful passion, the LORD raised up several powerful adversaries against Solomon (1 Kings 11:14-40). And his heir, King Rehaboam, lost control of most of the Israelite empire (1 Kings 11:11-13).

Conclusion

King Solomon heard all the words his father said about chasing after women, but as the old adage goes, actions speak louder than proverbs. He emulated the iniquity his father committed rather than the wise words he preached. Just as Solomon’s success was catalyzed by his father, so was his failure.

“You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?”

(Romans 2:21-22 NIV)

Like Father, Like Son (Power of Legacy Part 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

With the United States’ election saga nearing its climactic close, now is an especially relevant time to consider the power of legacy. There were many powerful leaders in the Bible from staff-wielding Moses to fish-catching Peter. They came from different walks of life, possessed differing levels of education, and leveraged distinct leadership styles. But they all shared one thing in common, they all left behind a legacy.

The Vision

King David was a truly epic king, beloved by his followers and the LORD alike. He founded the Israelite empire, established true worship to the LORD, and yearned to build God a beautiful temple in Jerusalem. But God would not let him. God told King David, “‘“You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for My Name. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for My Name”’” (1 Kings 8:18-19 NIV). This son was King Solomon.

God thinks big. Often times, He will lay visions on our hearts that go beyond our capabilities and even our lifetimes. However, these visions will never be realized unless we convince other people to buy into them. King David succeeded in implanting his vision in his son before he passed away.

Implanting the Vision

His first and most important step in this process was passing on His love of the LORD to his son. The book of 1 Kings records that “Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the decrees of his father, David” (1 Kings 3:3a NLT). True imitation begins not with the hands but the heart. If our successors don’t have the same heart we have, they will ultimately take a different path, or they’ll follow in our footsteps for all the wrong reasons.

Enabling the Vision

King David’s second step was giving his son a thorough recipe for success. He gave Solomon the full extent of the revelation God had given him concerning the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11-19). And he gave his son all the manpower and supplies he could muster (1 Chronicles 22:1-5, 28:21). He did everything possible to ensure his son’s success in fulfilling the vision.

Articulating the Vision

Lastly, King David gave Solomon a clear articulation of the vision on his heart. King David told his son, “‘As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it’” (1 Chronicles 28:9-10 NKJV).

King David succinctly expressed the vision, laid out the blessing that awaited his son if he succeeded, and expressed the consequences if he did not. These words must have stayed with King Solomon all the years of his life and spurred him on as he completed one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world.

Conclusion

King Solomon’s success began with his father’s passion. King David’s legacy lived on because the story of his life was bejeweled with love for the LORD. Here was a man who sang (Psalm 7, 8, 23), danced (2 Samuel 6:14), and fought for the LORD (1 Samuel 17:45-47). King Solomon did not finish his greatest life’s work in spite of his father but because of him. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

(Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

A Foundation of Rejoicing and Regret (Broken Hallelujah Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

The Babylonians exiled the Israelites for seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10). When they returned to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by a devastated temple and a ravaged city. A grand legacy built over the course of centuries had been reduced to rubble. As they sat among the ashes, the LORD commanded the Israelites to rebuild.

Two years after the Israelites’ return, they began restoring the temple, the symbol of the LORD’s presence among them and the pride of their country. The book of Ezra says, “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise.” (Ezra 3:11-13a NIV).

Thanksgiving

As we enter into the month of November, we have much to give thanks for. With every new election comes renewed hope of a fresh start. 2021 is fast approaching with the promise of vaccines that will heal our land and restore our economy. And the holiday season promises a welcome reprieve from the monotony of the past six months.

Weeping

But just as the older priests remembered the former glory of Solomon’s temple, so we too remember all that’s been lost. We remember the joys of community, collective celebration, and above all the precious lives that were snuffed out by this pandemic. So as we clothe ourselves with a garment of praise, we also shoulder a boulder of grief.

Conclusion

These two truths must remain in tension, joy for what’s to come and pain over what’s been lost. Many of us have a tendency to drift to one extreme or the other. Some are drinking themselves to despair on memories of yesteryear. Others are whitewashing this year with platitudes and denial. But Apostle Paul said to “be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 NLT). As we near the end of 2020 and turn over a new leaf with 2021, we must learn to embrace the bittersweet. We must belt out laughter from our bellies with tears of grief streaming down our faces. We must cherish the joy without neglecting the sorrow. For only from that razor-thin vantage point will we have the eyes to rebuild properly.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.”

(Lamentations 3:19-23 NIV)