Daily Devotional
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- REJOICING IN THE GOODNESS OF GOD
So at that time Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly of people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—kept the feast before the LORD our God for seven days and seven more days—fourteen days in all. On the fifteenth day Solomon sent the people away. So they blessed the king and went home, joyfulH8056 and glad in heart for all the good things that the LORD had done for His servant David and for His people Israel.
1 Kings 8:65-66 (BSB)
Solomon had completed building the Lord’s Temple and had the Ark of the Covenant brought into the Temple to be placed in the Holy of Holies. He chose to celebrate this event at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths which celebrated not only the harvest but God’s bringing His chosen people into the promised land. The nation celebrated not just the seven required days but an additional seven days, fourteen days in all.
To mark this great occasion with the dignity and solemnity it deserved, Solomon assembled all the elders of Israel with the tribal and family chiefs. As God’s anointed shepherd, he involved all Israel through its elders and chiefs in the moving of the ark and the dedication of the temple. This involved more than mere pomp and ceremony. Solomon was serious about the spiritual significance of this occasion; and he desired that the heart of all Israel be knit together in the dedication of the temple and, more important, in the dedication of their hearts to God. (7)
Barker, Kenneth L. and. Kohlenberger, John R III, eds. Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament, (Zondervan, 2004).
The people went home joyfully but not just because it was a great fourteen-day party. Their joy was found in remembering all that God had done for their nation, King David, and now King Solomon. They had just spent time reflecting on God leading their forefathers to the promised land by celebrating the Feast of Booths and now also celebrated God’s allowing Solomon to build a great Temple to His glory and place the symbol of His presence with them—the ark—in the Holy of Holies. They went home celebrating the Source of their joy. Have you ever gone on a retreat and been asked to just reflect on the goodness of God for several days? How often do we remind ourselves of all the excellent things God has done for us individually or as a local congregation? Journaling is a great way to reflect on God’s power in your life and have a record to refer back to when times get tough. You can see God’s faithfulness in the pages of your journal.
Father, we rejoice in the salvation You have graciously given us through Jesus. We rejoice in Your constant provision for all our needs. We rejoice in the many answered prayers we’ve experienced. Lord, we will sing of the goodness of God!
Worship opportunity: Cece Winans singing “Goodness of God” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y81yIo1_3o8
- EXPLOSIVE SOUND OF REJOICING
Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!” All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicingH8056 with such a great joyH8057that the earth was split by the sound. . . Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there with rejoicingH8056 that rings out in the city. That is the noise you hear.
1 Kings 1:38-40, 45 (BSB)
David’s son Adonijah had presumptuously proclaimed himself king of Israel while David lay on his deathbed. He falsely assumed David was now powerless. Nathan the prophet discovered this and had Bathsheba remind David of his vow to make Solomon his successor. David’s body was failing, but his mind was still clear enough to exercise his authority to name his successor. He developed a plan to execute putting Solomon on the throne that would leave no doubt as to his chosen successor. David instructed Nathan, Zadok the priest, and Benaiah to put Solomon atop the king’s mule, take him to Gihon, and anoint him as king. Zadok anointed Solomon as king then blew the ram’s horn to announce the news. The people shouted, “Long live King Solomon”. Their rejoicing and praise for God’s provision of the new king was so loud it could be heard for miles. Meanwhile, Adonijah had been celebrating the fact that he usurped the throne when the party was interrupted by a clamorous noise. He was informed that the sound he heard was the rejoicing of the people over Solomon’s coronation. Struck with fear of being executed by Solomon, Adonijah ran to the altar for sanctuary. Solomon graciously spared his life.
We find over and over that God’s chosen people, the Israelites, celebrated with boisterous joy. Here they celebrated the Lord’s provision of a new king to reign when David dies. Their joy is so unrestrained that the noise seems to “split the earth!” Clearly, the people recognized Solomon not only as David’s choice of successor but God’s choice as well. Have you ever experienced God working in your life to the point that your joy could not be contained? Do you long to see God move in such a way that people spontaneously burst out in celebration of Him? To be honest, I (Susie), often fear what people might think if I were extremely demonstrative in worship. I find myself holding back. Yet, as we study joy, I am finding that it is not only okay, but wonderful to fully express joy in the Lord! I (Susan) believe the Lord desires us to have the personal engagement of His presence through rejoicing in His goodness. Because we are created in God’s image, we should be the embodiment of the Fruit of the Spirit, including effervescent joy.
Father, may we become more comfortable with expressing our joy in You. You are our Creator, Savior, Sustainer, AND the source of our joy. May our joy be complete in You and may our rejoicing overflow as a testimony to Your goodness!