Just before Israel entered Canaan, God gave them instructions through Moses recorded in the book of Deuteronomy.  In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, commands are given concerning the conduct of the king.  It would be hundreds of years before Israel had an earthly king, but God knew they would ask for one (Deut. 17:14). God was to reign over them, but they would reject Him in favor of a man (1 Sam. 8:7). Still, God in His goodness gave orders to prevent the trouble that was liable to accompany a monarch. God foreknew the evils that would come when they had a king like all the nations (1 Sam. 8:5, 20).

God also knew what would cause a king to turn away from Him; thus, He gave these instructions: “But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself” (Deut. 17:16-17).  God went on to command that the king write a copy of the law for himself in a book (Deut. 17:18) that should be kept with the him that he should read it all the days of his life (Deut. 17:19). Why? Positively, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes (Deut. 17:19). Negatively, that his heart not be lifted up so that he turns aside from the commandment (Deut. 17:20). Additionally, that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel (Deut. 17:20).

The reign of Solomon exemplifies precisely why God commanded such things. Solomon did everything God had warned should not be done by Israel’s king.  He multiplied silver, gold and horses to himself and even had horses brought out of Egypt. “And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.   Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price” (1 Kings 10:26-28).  He also multiplied wives to himself of other nations. “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart” (1 Kings 11:1-3).  It is no wonder then that the next few verses say, “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David” (1 Kings 11:4-6).

God’s commands are not arbitrary.  He knows what influences people and what people can handle.  God did not forbid intermarrying with other nations because He was racist, but because He knew Israel would worship the false gods of foreign people they married.  God gave these commands so that the days of the king and his children would be prolonged in the kingdom.  As a consequence of Solomon’s conduct, the kingdom divided shortly after his death.  Do we today take heed to what the Lord says?  Or do we brush aside His commands and warnings and think to ourselves that we will be able to handle sin, be friends with the world, and still get by?  We are deceiving ourselves and are in for destruction if we think that we can (Gal. 6:7, 8).

Solomon, with the great wisdom given him by God, relates this story about true wisdom in Ecclesiastes 9:14-16:

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Here a wise man had a solution that would save his city from outside attackers.  By heeding his advice, the city was saved, but afterwards nobody remembered the wise man. The truth illustrated here is the wise are often forgotten.  No doubt this same principle has been repeated many times in different scenarios throughout history.

One account in the Bible that resembles this story is the role Joseph played in saving Egypt from famine.  God saved many lives through Joseph because people could come to him for food when they had nowhere else to turn.  The interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams warning of seven years of famine and the advice to store up grain to survive the difficult period both came from God through Joseph (Genesis 41).  Yet, later in the biblical account are these words: “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8).  The account continues by relating how the Egyptians mistreated the Hebrews.  How could they persecute the descendants of the man who played such a vital role in saving the nation?  They forgot Joseph.  Often the real heroes are not the ones recorded in the history books.  Those who are forgotten may have made great contributions to the world.

Christians can feel frustrated and wish they had more of a voice. Those who possess the true wisdom that comes from above are not ordinarily given a great deal of attention by the mainstream media.   When we feel this way, we ought to remember the verse that follows the above story in Ecclesiastes 9, “The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools” (Ecclesiastes 9:17).  As Christians, our voice is much more powerful than we may think.  There are still those who desire to do what is right and know the truth (John 7:17; 8:32).  The example we set before others and the way we treat individuals with whom we come in contact daily may have a greater impact than a nationwide newscast or a trending post (Matthew 5:13-16).  We may not be recorded in the history books, but the good we do in serving God may impact several lives for years to come.

Furthermore, God is the one who remembers. Consider the words of Hebrews 6:9-10: “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” God’s wisdom will overcome all human calculation (1 Corinthians 1:25; 3:19). His estimation of us is what ultimately matters. On the final day, He will know whether we have lived to His glory; that is all that really matters. True wisdom is living cognizant of this reality (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).

John’s gospel account certainly emphasizes belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  The reason the book was written was to produce belief, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31). The most well-known verse in all the Bible is found in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Aside from this we find verses such as John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” and John 6:47 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”  The list of verses in John that emphasize belief goes on and on.

Is this belief that the book of John emphasizes faith alone?  Is it a simple intellectual acknowledgment of who Jesus is or is it more?  John 8 gives an answer from Jesus as to what true saving faith is.  Notice John 8:30 says, “As he spake these words, many believed on him”.  Jesus’ teaching caused some to believe.  The next two verses read, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, ‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”  Jesus instructed those who believed to continue in His word that they may be set free.  Mere belief or faith only would not set them free.

More evidence for this conclusion appears in the following discussion between Jesus and these Jews who believed on Him.  Jesus pointed out that they sought to kill Him because His word had no place in them (verse 37).  Jesus then says, “Ye do the deeds of your father” (John 8:41).  Who was their father?  Jesus makes it plain in verse 44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.”  From this it must be concluded that these Jews believed in the sense that they acknowledged who Jesus was, but Jesus’ word found no place in them and their deeds were of the devil.  Thus, it is possible to have some sort of belief but not be saved. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). A dead faith is not saving faith (James 2:20).

John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Notice mere belief does not make one a son of God, but it gives one the right to become a son of God.  One can exercise this power by obedience to Christ’s words.   The other verses in the book of John that link belief to salvation must therefore use the word believe as a synecdoche, a part that stands for the whole process of obedience.  Faith only certainly is not meant (James 2:24), but faith that involves obedience to Christ’s commands must be the faith upon which the book of John places such importance.