Altars are associated with the SWORD or KNIFE.
1Ki 1:1 KJV Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 1Ki 1:5-8 KJV Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (6) And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. (7) And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. (8) But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 1Ki 1:28-30 KJV Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. (29) And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, (30) Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. 1Ki 1:50-52 KJV And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. (51) And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. (52) And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. 1Ki 2:13-17 KJV And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. (14) He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. (15) And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD. (16) And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. (17) And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. When David was near death and was too weak to continue as king publicly, his son born after Absalom, named Adonijah, set out to set himself up as king, when God had neither spoken to that end nor had David agreed.
Parents who let their children do wrong and never take their responsibility to correct them and put a fear of God into them, raise children who will be so selfish as to actually USE GOD, and lie to people.
And when Solomon became King, Adonijah feared and indicated for Solomon to not slay him by running into the Tabernacle and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar.
God is real.
Now, Adonijah plotted with Abiathar the high priest and Joab the general, who agreed to help him be king.
We know that Adonijah's intentions were wicked, and that he FAKED his time at the altar by the things he wanted and requested Solomon's mother to ask Solomon to give to him. 2: (15) And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD. He claimed the kingdom was his.
Also, when he said all Israel look to him, he lied, because we read: 1Ki 1:20 KJV And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. But Adonijah sounded religious by saying God turned things and willed for Solomon to be king instead.
Lev 18:8 KJV The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. He knew Solomon had power to give her to him. Solomon then realized his heart was exposed and had him slain. The same thing occurred with a fellows conspirator named Joab. 1Ki 2:28 KJV Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. But Solomon immediately had him slain. Abiathar the high priest was told to get out of the city. Then Shimei, although he did not conspire, was the one who threw stones at David and cursed him when David was king after Saul's death. David, way back then, said God will deal with him if he is dishonest. 2Sa 16:10-13 KJV And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? (11) And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. (12) It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. (13) And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. It is a dangerous thing for a dishonest man to put left in the hands of God instead of receive vengeance from the one he wronged.
1Ki 2:36-40 KJV And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. (37) For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. (38) And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. (39) And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. (40) And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. He swore an oath before God to stay in the house in Jerusalem.
1Ki 2:42-46 KJV And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. (43) Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? (44) The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; (45) And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. (46) So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. One man after another was exposed for being fakes before God and dishonest. Even after Solomon prayed for Wisdom, we read this: 1Ki 3:16-22 KJV Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. (17) And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. (18) And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. (19) And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. (20) And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. (21) And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. (22) And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. One woman was a liar, but was bold faced enough to lie standing before God';s king Solomon.
The difference between the false and the true mother was SACRIFICE.
When people truly love God, they may make mistakes and fail at times, BUT THEY WILL SACRIFICE THEMSELVES when it comes to who is first, GOD OR SELF. In every instance the liar was exposed because sacrifice and self denial were the tests they failed. Adonijah and Joab both USED GOD when they grabbed the horns of the altar.
When someone lies to another person, GOD KNOWS THEY ARE LYING and does not overlook it.
Shimei swore to God with an oath, thinking that would convince Solomon.
I like what one man said to me.
Mat 18:15-17 KJV Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. (16) But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (17) And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. What would make a man who sinned just one sin so stubborn as to not give in so much that he has to be called upon by the ones he offended to repent, and refuse to do so even then?
When you love yourself more than God you will go through ridiculous efforts to make sure people like you and think highly of you.
I knew a man in adultery who was upset when his wife was letting me, her pastor, know of his antics.
If we love God, we may make 490 sins in one day, but we will have so little love for ourselves, that we will not have to be asked to repent, but will come on our own and repent to the one against whom we sinned as many times as we sin! Mat 18:21-22 KJV Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? (22) Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. The most dangerous thing you can do is USE GOD AND CHURCH to impress people.
The woman who lied to Solomon was exposed when SACRIFICE was presented to her.
Mat 10:39 KJV He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. This is the great test at the entrance to the Garden. Mat 10:34-39 KJV Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (35) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. (37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. (39) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Jesus brings the SWORD TEST.
Those who truly have faith and love God have something that goes along with them, -- they deny themselves because the One they love said to do so.
Gen 3:24 KJV So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. In the entrance to the Garden is a SWORD.
Mat 7:13-20 KJV Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Why is the way to LIFE narrow?
Jos 5:13-15 KJV And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? (14) And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? (15) And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. Why did Joshua face this SWORD?
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