Providential and spiritual riches (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Now the portion of divine truth that is upon my mind to speak from this morning, you will find in the chapter that we read, that is the first book of Kings, the tenth chapter, and I will read from the third verse, from the third verse down the passage a little way to convey the true setting.

[0:34] And Solomon told the Queen of Sheba all her questions, there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not.

[0:49] And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

[1:18] And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts and thy wisdom, howbeit I believed not the words until I came, and mine eyes had seen it, and behold, the half was not told me, thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

[1:52] First of all, I want to consider with you the background of Solomon. Solomon was a man of like passions with ourselves.

[2:10] Naked, he came into the world. He was possessed of nothing, so to speak, as he was brought forth from the womb of his mother Bathsheba.

[2:26] And my friends, that's true of us all. We came naked from our mother's womb. We were possessed of naught, so to speak.

[2:40] But God, in his sovereign mercy, has given to us everything of which we have been and still are possessed.

[2:54] Now, in the world with us, there are some that have exactly the same beginning as we had. But they're almost destitute of temporal possessions.

[3:11] You and I hear reports from certain tribes in Africa and other places in the world that they're so deprived of what seem to be the necessities of life.

[3:26] They struggle to maintain a living. And of course, it must be a terrible concern and exercise to those parents who love their children and yet have not the wherewithal, apparently, to meet a reasonable standard of life for them.

[3:49] Now, I'm going to say this. Comparatively, do you realize what a rich portion you and I are possessed of?

[4:02] We cannot claim to have any advantage over any other person that has been born upon the face of the earth.

[4:13] Naked we came from our mother's womb. Naked they come from their mother's womb. And God, in his bounty, and in his sovereignty, ministers.

[4:25] Not equally, but to us, my dear friends, he has ministered generously. Now, we haven't reached anything like the position to which Solomon attained in his lifetime for God made him, as it were, a symbol of absolute prosperity prosperity under the good hand of the Lord God resting upon him.

[5:00] David was his father, and we remember David being hounded about at the threat of King Saul, and how he became almost lonely in certain times in his experience, of which we have record in the book of Psalms.

[5:21] But, nevertheless, despite all that David suffered, David was enriched with a sufficiency to see him die as the king of Israel and the king of Judah too.

[5:42] God promised him in his youth and sent the prophet to anoint him to the kingship of his people, and my friends, through very rough and rugged experiences, God's purposes came to pass, and he was elevated to the throne of the Lord's people at that time.

[6:06] And, of course, he came to the end of his journey. I wonder oftentimes in reading the word of God, what a full life was the life of David.

[6:21] He had but 70 years spent upon the face of the earth, but those 70 years were full of divine teaching, sanctifying the good man that he should historically be, I was going to say, a bright light in the firmament of the holy word of God.

[6:44] He is indeed a character which, in Old Testament and New, bears a good testimony to the grace of God, and the sufficiency of God's providence to provide for him, and elevate him from the keeping of his father's sheep, to the throne of Israel and of Judah, the twelve tribes together.

[7:15] But now we look at Solomon coming into the world. He came by a strange means, because David sinned.

[7:28] David engineered a most terrible thing in telling Joab to put Uriah in the forefront of the battle.

[7:41] And Uriah's life was lost. And the news came back to David, whose heart was breeding a desire to have Uriah's wife as his wife.

[7:59] And my friends, I say this and I want to say it in the solemnity of the truth of it, David's kingdom was never the same after his vile sin in taking Uriah's wife as his own and his kingdom was never the same to the end of his days.

[8:24] You know, sometimes sins carry a consequence that have an adverse influence to the end of our days.

[8:37] Oh, my young friends, be careful, be careful in sowing seed now that displeases God and brings the just judgments of God upon you.

[8:52] Sometimes God is merciful and seems as it were to renew his favors again after a season of his justice pleasure.

[9:06] But some of those vile sins that are committed in the face of the almighty God, the judge of all have a consequence and effect upon our lives to the end of our days.

[9:24] And I say to you, beware, beware of these things that carry such solemn consequences.

[9:35] It may not be God's displeasure for eternity, but if you are a person possessed of the fear of God, if you have an experience of the smile of God resting upon you as you walk tenderly in his fear and then fall into sin and encourage God's justice, pleasure, the frown of the Lord is terrible to bear.

[10:12] It's so far-reaching in its effects that it spoils, it deprives us of the pleasure and happiness of the Christian life.

[10:32] Now, poor David, God left him and he fell and he fell. Solomon was not altogether free from the effect and influences of sin.

[10:50] I should come to that at another time. But Solomon inherited a portion that was very, very much God's blessing, God's favour and God by his spirit inclined Solomon in his early years to pray for wisdom.

[11:18] And it wasn't only wisdom that affected his journey through life in a temporal way, it was it was the wisdom of God in his heart.

[11:35] Now, as we assess the virtue and benefit of wisdom, we've got to appreciate this, that the crowning blessing in the interpretation of that particular word is for God to make us wise.

[11:56] us. And it doesn't matter how deprived we may be of the things of this life, if God has blessed us with that wisdom from on high, that wisdom to make us wise unto salvation, my friends, we're rich, we're blessed, we're safe and secure in the keeping and provision of a heavenly father.

[12:35] Solomon had the wisdom of God to salvation. What is the spring head of that wisdom? What is the original of that crowning blessing?

[12:51] An interest in the love of God from eternity. My friends, that's where real religion has its rise, in the heart of a triune God before the world was made.

[13:10] And Solomon was brought into possession of that blessing, the blessing of the Lord in covenant engagement, that his life was indeed what his name represents.

[13:33] He was called Jadith, Jadidith, which means the blessed of the Lord. He was called Solomon, that means loved of the Lord.

[13:48] You see, Solomon from the very beginning had this benefit directed from heaven to him, that God loved him, and God blessed him, and God increased him, and made him a wise man, but not a perfect man.

[14:12] God well, now, let us look at this with some measure of inward examination, personal exercise.

[14:33] I've said, and I repeat, that the greatest blessing that can be known under the Son, and the richest inheritance to be possessed of under God, is an interest in the love of God the Father, the grace of God the Son, and the communion of God the Holy Ghost.

[15:04] That is an eternal covenant purpose, of a triune God, and of every individual that is the subject of that favor, is rich, rich forever, rich beyond any riches that this dying world is capable of affording.

[15:35] Let the richest man in the universe die ignorant of the covenant favors of God, he's lost, and he's lost forever under the awful curse of God, which rests upon him as a sinful person neglecting the things and ways of God in the ignorance of his heart.

[16:11] God's God's love, and he's God's God's love, and he's taught of God, and made wise, as in that measure that Solomon was possessed of in the fear of God, and in seeking to know and do God's will and favor, my friends, every person that is possessed of that inheritance is a favored person beyond all our capability of knowing and understanding.

[16:57] Now, you know from your reading of the Bible, and you know from the record we have of Solomon's great riches, we read in this chapter, did we not, how the whole universe was brought to recognize what a wealthy, powerful person Solomon was.

[17:24] Everything, as it were, of a temporal nature seemed to conspire together that he might build the temple that his father wasn't allowed to build, that he could build houses and towns, and he was possessed of gold and silver and all things that were necessary to the advancement of the cause and kingdom.

[17:49] Yes, wealth in a most amazing degree was bestowed upon him, and I refer back, he came naked into the world, so everything that Solomon was possessed of, God bestowed upon him, God added to him, and the same applies to you and me, and my friends, it behoves us to look at ourselves in the light of that truth, and say, am I contented with the lot that God has given to me?

[18:27] Godliness with contentment is great gain, but if we live in rebellion that we always are dissatisfied with our lot, and we always want more than God has seen fit to give us, what a sad state we're in, what an awful bondage we're in, my friends, it behoves us to look round ourselves and be thankful for what we are possessed of, and to live, acknowledging continually that God has the power to give, and the Lord has the power also to take away, the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, says Job.

[19:23] Well now, are you happy with your lot? God has been working in his providence, he's meted out to you, your portion, he's meted out to me, my portion, be content with such things that ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, this is the portion of such as are made wise, in the wisdom of Solomon, they watch the hand of God, and they see the hand of God, in meeting out to them, what he wills for them, sometimes it's to advantage, according to his love, not to give us, what he may give to some other people, the lot is cast into the lap, and the whole disposing thereof is of the

[20:29] Lord, be content with such things as ye have, my friends, I trust in my own little life, I've proved to be contented with the lot that God has given, is a great step toward happiness of heart, the rebellious dwell in a dry land, if you're fighting against what God is giving to you, if you're always covetous of what your neighbour is possessed of, and you want it, and because God is not giving it to you, you've got bitter thoughts, oh, I say, you'll never prosper spiritually while that frame of mind is within you, pray God to reconcile your heart to what he has given to you, and then you may find the hand of the Lord open in a blessed providence that will increase your benefits, but my friends,

[21:40] God is well able to withhold as he is well able to bestow. But now Solomon, what a wonderful prosperity, just think of it, we read down that chapter, no wonder the Queen of Sheba who came from Abyssinia and knew nothing of the bounty of God in his sovereign giving to nations that Israel was possessed of under the hand of the good King Solomon.

[22:25] She said, I've heard about it, it's been told me, but not half has been told me. Now I see, I realize that all the reports that I'd received leave me short.

[22:45] Isn't that a significant truth? What a wonderful thing it is to consider there is a kingdom that's greater, more wealthy, with far more to bestow than the kingdom of Solomon.

[23:14] Solomon had great riches in this world, but let me say, with all that he understood, all the messages that were given to him, the favours he received as God met with him twice at Gibeon and so on.

[23:34] My friends, he'd got a better kingdom yet. The half had not been told him when he died, of what he went into, when he went into the kingdom of God, in glory, in heaven.

[23:51] You and I have read our Bibles, we've listened to ministries, we've seen saints live, we've seen saints die, some of us, in the sweet hope, of salvation for Jesus sake, we might say in the full sail of the peace of God, they've sailed from time into eternity, some very favoured people, not all saints die like that, but we've seen some pass in the, pass the river telling the triumphs of their God, they've gone into glory, and not half of what has been told them in this world has been true of the kingdom into which they've entered when they die.

[24:41] The exchange of Solomon from the riches of his kingdom when he went into the kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ. My friends, the kingdom he'd been possessed of, looked at with natural eyes, covetous glance perhaps, by many people.

[25:01] It was a sordid kingdom compared with the kingdom of glory that God has prepared for his people on high. I've been trying to preach for over 50 years, and I feel I've got a message that I can't fully deliver.

[25:19] Why? Because my infirmities are so great, my ignorance is so far reaching, that although I believe heaven is to be a place beyond the greatest imagination that can be found in the heart of man, we feel to come short.

[25:43] We feel to fail in setting before our congregations what heaven truly is like. I believe, like the Queen of Sheba, we've got to go and see to know.

[25:58] Those that have entered into glory are in possessive and understanding that is so far greater than anything that we can know in our finite state, our limited knowledge in this present world.

[26:19] God. But sufficient is told us to make us covet a position and possession in that glorious hereafter that is prepared by God for his people in heaven.

[26:40] And I might say there is a sense in which the heart of Christ is not fully satisfied until every throne, every person for whom he died, for whom he shed his precious blood to wash away their sins.

[27:01] While a throne is empty, the Lord is still waiting until the victory is finalized and the church of God is gathered in all its glory in the presence of God forever.

[27:23] The half has not been told me. The half has not been told me. It's good to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of God in regard to his workings among the children of men to gather to himself a people for his everlasting praise.

[27:56] And my friends, every generation has its people, the people of God, to all generations from every nation, kindred and tongue.

[28:07] throne. But there won't be a vacant throne. There won't be an absentee.

[28:21] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

[28:33] Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. My friends, the purpose of God through the truth of God and in the church of God is that the elect of God shall be found with Christ in glory forever.

[28:59] And the half has not been told. The communion of saints on the theme of their prospect by God's grace is a good subject.

[29:16] It's a good subject. We don't hear much of it today. There doesn't seem in this materialistic age a great anticipation of what is set before us by and through the gospel of God's love and grace in Jesus Christ.

[29:40] It is the benefit that cost God more than anything else ever has done to save his people from their sins.

[29:54] God could create the world easier than he could save a soul. you know the half has not been told us.

[30:06] Oh we come to these considerations these thoughts with respect to what God has prepared for his people in glory forever and we realize we're soon up against our limitations.

[30:23] eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

[30:35] My friend are you in bondage to the temporal benefits of this present life or are you seeking for an interest in that blessed kingdom that glorious world that the Lord has prepared for his people in the world that is to come.

[30:58] Half as not poor Queen of Sheba she soon realized that all the message she'd received left her short and we all are inhibited by that limitation but what must it be to be there.

[31:31] Riches in this world are going to take wings and fly away. All your possessions naked we came into the world and naked we return with hither you can't take it with you you can't take it with you I'm expected on Thursday to take a funeral in Kent of a most beloved brother in the Lord our lives didn't come into union for many years but in God's providence he was brought to Birmingham and he found his way into my congregation at Ebenezer Chapel and we got to know each other and eventually he married one of our young ladies at Ebenezer

[32:41] I was favoured to take the service and they went off down into the London area and lived together and I was favoured on odd occasions to visit them in their home but eventually his wife had cancer and she was taken at quite an early age and her wish was to be brought back to the Midlands for a funeral and so I was asked again to take the funeral service which I found pleasure in doing because I knew the person was in that place that's beyond my own personal comprehension she was with Christ which was far better well then there was a husband left alone and he continued for a long time alone but I believe the Lord sanctified his loneliness and one day he rang me up and he said look he said I want to be baptised he said and

[33:54] I'd like you to come down and baptise me and I went down to Colnbrook Chapel and so joyously took the dear man through the waters of believers baptism and then I was asked to go down to this little chapel in Colnbrook and preach to them and I've done so since I retired from the pastures at Old Hill twice a year and found great pleasure in staying with this man in his flat and the communion we've had but a week last Monday I was returning home from preaching in the south and I went into the hospital where he was and had the last conversation upon the earth and you may say what was the subject the subject of conversation was Jesus only

[34:58] Jesus only what I said to him I said look Duncan I said you're one of the richest people in this hospital and he looked at me and smiled I said you know why I say that don't you he said yes and my friends this Thursday this week the Lord's taken him to glory he now sees the Lord face to face I'm still under the veil of human limitation what he can see would be just like the Queen of Sheba saw not a half has been told me oh we can see the full tale now of the glory of Christ and the blessed estate of the redeemed no enemy to trouble them no weakness to hinder them their full souls are finding full expression to the one that deserves all the praise

[36:02] God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit salvation is of the Lord and only the Lord can teach us only the Lord can incline our hearts in the direction of saving religion only God can bring us to a point where our hatred the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God we don't love the Lord Jesus Christ we hear about him yes he's one as it were that has some place in our thoughts from time to time to time and we hear quite a bit about him in chapels but he's unknown to us but when the Lord by his

[37:02] Spirit brings us to salvation Jesus Christ is made precious to our souls you can measure whether you're born again or whether you're not what thinking of Christ is the test to try both your state and your scheme you cannot be right in the rest unless you think rightly of him and Jesus Christ is the way to heaven there's no other there's no other my dear friend he rested he trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ there's only one that could save him and he in his hospital bed he was resting in peace looking alone to Jesus to take him home the half has not been told me oh the half is not

[38:09] I read the Bible I read some of the experiences of the saints and realize how they were brought into the peace of God the joy of salvation the anticipations of the hereafter the things of the world meant little and sometimes we get to a healthy assessment I could from all things part it be but never never Lord from thee take some saying that it's attainable by the grace of God the the great apostle could say for me to live is Christ and to die is gain he longed to depart and to be with Christ which is far better far better

[39:12] Solomon he found the truth of that assessment that when he got to heaven it was far better than his palace it's far better than all his riches all his attainments everything about him was as it were lost to any appreciation of his own making nobody goes into heaven that's proud of their attainments on earth no no no no my friends there's not such a thing in heaven as pride God cast out the devil for the pride for the sake of pride now what a mercy to be a humble a humble follower of

[40:17] Jesus Christ the Lord by his spirit makes us wise he tells us to weigh up the situation in relative values would you want to exchange with a rich person would you like to exchange with a person that's got great estates and as it were can do what they want to do without any restraint upon them financially would you exchange with a person who reaches such a position of power and influence that their servants as it were vie together to offer service and occupy the means of relieving any wish or want in the one they serve oh my friends my friends true riches and to be found in

[41:31] Jesus Christ alone to know my Jesus crucified by far excels all things beside all earthly things I can but loss and triumph in my saviour's cross a true Christian is brought to that conclusion are you a Christian are you a Christian what are you living for where are your ambitions for what are you striving to attain an interest in Jesus Christ and him crucified that makes rich that makes rich nothing known nothing can compare with him well

[42:45] I've tried to draw a few thoughts from the queen of Sheba coming to the temporal prosperity that God gave to his servant Solomon with the temporal blessings he crowned with the spiritual blessing of salvation through faith that Solomon was a rich man in life he was a rich man in death he was a rich man forever and forever as he still worships his savior in paradise even now and forever more where do we stand on what ground are we building for the world that is to come my friends consider your ways and turn to the

[43:50] Lord he has an abundance of grace to bestow upon calling sinners who may even cry from the ends of the earth feelingly to be a partaker of that glorious kingdom which is reserved for his people on high amen thank you for the collection which last week amounted to £165 for the church fund and £40 for the gyro fund subject to the Lord's will there will be a prayer meeting on

[44:53] Wednesday evening and Mr Hayden is engaged to preach here next Lord's Day hymn 692 tune 317 if Solomon for wisdom prayed the Lord before had made him wise else he another choice had made and asked for what the worldling prize hymn 692 tune 317"?

[45:53] Son of God, O Christ of King, The glory of the faith in Christ, And sing the love of the child is to be, And the soul of the world is bright.

[46:37] The mercy of the Lord is to be, And the soul of the Lord is to be, And so that we will not be healed.

[47:28] The glory of the Lord is to be, And the soul of the Lord is to be, And the soul of the Lord is to be, And the soul of the Lord is to be, And the soul of the Lord is to be, I pray to thee, He lays from fear and free from sin and Satan's death.

[48:20] All of thy presence, holy God, all of thy limits let me have.

[48:47] He rests and rests within thy heart and reigns without the light of air.

[49:11] Give me to thee thy covenant seal, and from thy grace to the Lord's name.

[49:38] To all of thy nations stand with me, and from thy grace to the Lord's name.

[50:02] Amen. The love is in heaven's eye on us, and from thy grace to the Lord's name.

[50:16] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[50:28] God's name is �.

[50:40] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[50:51] Amen. Amen. Now, may the grace of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the love of God, the Heavenly Father, and the communion of the ever-blessed Spirit be with us now and for evermore.

[51:21] Amen. Amen.