King Saul and King Solomon
And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. (1Samuel 15:26-28)
Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. (1Kings 11:11-12)
In the above two passages,
King Saul and King Solomon both started well as the king of Israel. But later on God was angry because of their evil deeds and took away their kingdom from them. King Saul was immediately rejected as a king but King Solomon was told that his kingdom will not be taken away in his lifetime.
Both the kings turned away from God. King Saul, by rejecting the Word of the Lord and King Solomon by turning towards idol worship.
But King Saul was rejected with immediate effect and King Solomon was given grace.
Why this difference in God’s judgment?
The answer is found in the same verse (1 kings 11:12) “for the sake of your father David”
That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:7-8)
Time and again we failed God but because of Jesus He never gave up on us. Today receive the free gift of His rich grace which sustains us.
God bless
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