Sat.’s Devo - The Rising and Falling of Kingdoms

Read: 1 Kings 11:1-12:19; Acts 9:1-25; Psalm131:1-3; Prov. 17:4-5 Solomon’s sins are described in his three adversaries. His first adversary was Hadad from an incestrous family line. Hadad means “I will love.” That was Solomon’s downfall. He determined to love the women that God told him not to love. They were from other lands and served other gods. They seduced Solomon into worshipping their gods and building temples to them. Solomon’s second adversary was Rezon which means “to wax lean”. He was from Eliada meaning “God is knower”. God knew Solomon’s sins and caused his kingdom to get weaker and weaker. Solomon’s third adversary was someone in his own kingdom who was one of his officials. His name was Jeroboam which means “let the people contend”. He was from Zeredah which means “the adversary rules”. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam would be the next king, but because of Solomon’s rebellion, he would only rule Judah. God raised up Jeroboam to contend for the people; he would be the adversary that ruled the rest of the kingdom. In Acts, Saul was on a mission to free the world of Christians. He went to the high priest and requested letters for the synagogues in Damascus which would ask for their cooperation in arresting Jesus’ followers. He would then bring them back to Jerusalem chains. He was granted his request. On his way to Damascus to carry out this plot, he was arrested instead by a bright light from heaven. He heard the voice of God saying, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” When Saul asked who he was, he responded that he was Jesus, the one he was persecuting. Then, Jesus told him to get up and go into the city where he would be told what to do. He realized that he was blind and had to be led by the hand to Damascus where he remained blind for 3 days. God spoke to Ananias, a believer and told him to go to Straight Street to the house of Judas and ask for Saul of Tarsus. Ananian had heard of Saul and thought surely God had made a mistake. But God told him to go because Saul was his chosen instrument to take his message to the Gentiles. Ananias went and when he told Saul that he came to pray for his sight and for him to receive the Holy Spirit, his blindness fell off like scales. He could see and was filled with the Holy Spirit. He went immediately to the people and started preaching that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Jews who did not believe plotted to kill Saul but his fellow believers found out and lowered Saul in a large basket through an opening in the wall. Talk about a transformation and a new birth - Saul got that. Lord, help us to remember the transformation of Saul when we think of people who are so far from the kingdom. Help us to have faith to believe that you can make anyone brand new.