Now He said to me, “It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.” (1 Chronicles 28:6-7)

The Promises Of God Are Conditional

David was one of the great kings of history, ruling over Israel for forty years. He was a man after God’s own heart, serving the Lord with faithfulness and love. David was a man who battled the demons of temptation and sinned gravely in the story of Uriah and Bathsheba. While his sin was great, his humble heart exalted him to the grace of God to have the penalty of death removed and forgiveness bestowed by a merciful God. David wanted to build a place of worship for his God, but his hands had shed much blood. The task of building the house of the Lord would be given to his son, Solomon.

God promised David that Solomon would rule over a kingdom that would last forever. During the days of Solomon, Israel reached a zenith never seen before. Like his father, Solomon ruled for forty years. Like David, Solomon struggled with his desires and temptations. The kingdom would fracture after his death, leading to a divided nation for two hundred years before Assyria took ten tribes into captivity. One hundred thirty-six years later, the final two tribes would be taken to Babylon as captives for seventy years. Israel would remain under bondage to other nations for six hundred years before the final destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

The Lord promised David that Solomon would establish a kingdom that would last forever. His kingdom did not last forever. The Romans destroyed the final vestige of Israel. Israel has not been God’s nation for nearly two thousand years. When God told David He would establish the kingdom forever, it included the warnings that Solomon must be steadfast to observe the commandments and judgments of the Lord. Receiving the blessings of God demands obedience. All the blessings of God’s power would be given to Solomon but only conditioned on whether Solomon remained faithful. David’s son did not remain faithful.

Solomon became influenced by his many wives from Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The King disregarded the Law of Moses, prohibiting marrying foreign women. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines. They turned his heart to worship pagan gods like Ashtoreth, Molech, and Chemosh. Instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as David had done, Solomon turned his heart away from the Lord. He refused to follow the word of God faithfully. The promise of God was conditional upon the obedience of the heart of Solomon to observe the commandments and judgments of the Lord.

The blessings of God have always been contingent. Adam and Eve lived in the literal paradise on earth, but there were conditions. They could not eat the forbidden fruit. When they disobeyed the command of God, they were expelled from the garden. Israel was destroyed when they refused to follow the word of God. Obedience to the Word is where the blessings come. Solomon failed to obey, and the Lord withdrew His blessings. That same principle is rooted in the law of Christ. To receive the blessings in Christ, one must do the will of the Father. There can be no blessings if the heart is unwilling to accept and follow the commandments and judgments of God. Forgiveness of sins comes from obeying the gospel. The blessings in Christ are only found in Christ. Eternal life will only be given to those who do the will of the Father.

The promises of God are conditioned upon the faithful heart hearing and doing what God expects and commands. There are no blessings to those who live in the world as the world; refusing to follow the teachings of the Lord. Solomon was King of Israel and the son of David, but that did not give him a special place in the eyes of God when he refused to follow the word of the Lord. Without obedience, the kingdom was taken away. The Jews are no longer the chosen people of God because they refused to obey His will, and they orchestrated the death of the Son of God. Eternal life is conditional upon those willing to obey God’s word. Salvation can only come by obedience through the grace of God.