Today we read about the Ark of the Covenant being brought into the Temple!
In verses 10 & 11 we read: "As the priests came out of the inner sanctuary, a cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. The priests could not continue their work because the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple." It is thought that the cloud of the presence of God here in the Temple was the same cloud of the presence of God that guided the Israelites by day through the desert as they left Egypt for the Promised Land, as you'll recall from this image below:
Solomon's prayer in today's readings is awesome! Verses 12 & 13 at the start of the prayer are interesting to contrast with a later verse: "Then Solomon prayed, "O LORD, you have said that you would live in thick darkness. But I have built a glorious Temple for you, where you can live forever!" These verses seem quite bold and confident... and maybe even seem to our modern ears that Solomon is trying to put God "in a box." But, then I was very pleased to read Solomon say this in verse 27 - "But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!" Clearly, Solomon gets it that God is bigger than the Temple and that God does not "need" the Temple for a home. But, as we read about the cloud of God's presence coming into the Temple, it is apparent that God is certainly pleased with the Temple. I think God was pleased that the Israelites were building a Temple to honor God and his name & fame. It was a Temple for God. And though God did not "need" it, I think he appreciated it. I think God appreciated "King" Solomon and the Israelites praying to and honoring God as the true King of Israel. Below is an image of Solomon's prayer and the dedication of the Temple:
Worship God: Today's readings in First Kings about the Ark of the Covenant being brought to the Temple reminds me of the Newsboy's song "It Is You (Holy, Holy Is Our God Almighty!):"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"“LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way." 1 Kings 8:23 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray in thanksgiving that God keeps His covenant of Love with us.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Today we read about the building of King Solomon's Palace!
Whoops. My mistake. I guess this photo above is of the modern-day "King Solomon's Palace" Hotel in Eliat, Israel. :) I suppose Solomon did not actually build this hotel palace with a "Water slide 48 meters long. Floodlit tennis courts, table tennis".... :)
Here is an interesting note in Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion on the Sea discussed in verse 23 - "Then Huram cast a large round tank, 15 feet across from rim to rim; it was called the Sea. It was 7 1/2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference." Apparently the sea was a huge tank that could hold approximately 12,000 gallons of water. It was used by the priests for their ceremonial washings. Impressive structure per the image below!
Worship God: Today's readings in 1 Kings reminded me of Audio Adrenaline's song "Big House:"
Are you looking forward to living in your Father's house for eternity? Click here for the Key!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him." 1 Kings 7:14 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that you are filled with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, as was Huram. Pray that you do all the work that God assigns to you to do.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Today read about Solomon's wise judgment related to the two women and a baby. This is certainly verification that God fulfilled what he promised in verse 12 (in yesterday's readings) - "I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding mind such as no one else has ever had or ever will have!" Below is "The Judgment of Solomon" by Flemish painter Antoon Claeissens, circa 1600:
Wow. Big readings today in First Kings. Solomon builds the Temple of the Lord! Below is "King Solomon praying before the Temple" by Bonito, c. 1750:
It is great to read about Solomon & King Hiram of Tyre's dialogue and agreement to send cedars and cypress from Lebanon to Jerusalem for the Temple. You'll recall in our readings from 2 Samuel chapter 5 verse 11 that Hiram indeed was a loyal friend of David just after David conquered Jerusalem - "Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David." Below is a beautiful stain glassed image of King Hiram of Tyre in the forests of Lebanon:
So why were cedars and cypress from Lebanon used for the temple and not wood from Israel? Well, because these precious woods from Lebanon were very close-grained, rot-resistant, and very hard. They were also beautiful and had a fragrant scent. Below is an image of Cedar of Lebanon - also known as Cedrus Libanotica.
1 Kings 6 verse 7 tells us - "The stones used in the construction of the Temple were prefinished at the quarry, so the entire structure was built without the sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site." This shows how reverent the workers were in building the temple of the Lord. They felt it was honoring to build on the temple site without the sound of an iron tool. In 1 Kings 5 verses 13 & 14 I thought Solomon's wisdom was incredible - "Then King Solomon enlisted 30,000 laborers from all Israel. He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force." He wisely cared for his workforce! Below is an image of the workers building the temple -
Worship God: Today's readings in 1 Kings 3 reminded me of Tenth Avenue North's song "Healing Begins:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice." 1 Kings 3:28 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that you show wisdom like Solomon did in 1 Kings 3, and ask God for wisdom.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Ever feel like the Psalmist in Psalm 83 verse 1 - "O God, don't sit idly by, silent and inactive!" I think the beauty of the Psalms is seeing some of our human emotions expressed so well. Considering this verse - I don't think that God is ever sitting idly by, silent or inactive. I believe God is a Living God who is always with us. But, perhaps sometimes God's perceived silence in our lives is for a purpose that we may not fully understand now, but will later. If God seems very "silent" to you now, I would encourage you to pray to God - and really listen in your prayers - don't just speak. I believe you'll soon hear Him...
Today we begin the book of Second Chronicles! Are you ready to read about the reign of King Solomon? Let's go!
~Second Chronicles~ Author: Unknown Date: Fifth century B.C. Content: Second Chronicles contains the history of Judah that was begun in First Chronicles. It deals with the glory of Solomon's reign, with a special emphasis being placed upon the glory of the temple. This emphasis is made because a priest point of view pervades the book. The remaining kings of Judah are discussed, with a stress upon how the religious affairs of the nation were going. Hezekiah is given mention because during his reign an extended revival took place. The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people to Babylon are described, and the book ends with the Persian king's decree to let the people return home. Theme: Judah's history is described from a religious point of view in this book. The righteous kings are commented on and the evil kings are named so that all can see who is responsible for the rise and fall of the nation. The religious leaders and their ultimate failure to remain true to God added to the sin of Judah - until God allowed his own chosen people to plunge themselves into ruin, as an example for all time that God will not tolerate sin. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers "The One Year Bible Companion" pp. 7-8) More commentary on Second Chronicles is at this link.
Today in 1 Kings we read about Adonijah's request to marry Abishag. You'll recall from yesterday's readings that Abishag took care of David in his old age. She was a virgin, but still considered part of David's harem. And, in those days, to inherit the harem was to inherit the kingdom. (I know, strange stuff to talk about harem's... it was the way it was back then - even though God's plan from Genesis with Adam & Eve was 1 man & 1 woman - not 1 man & many women... us humans - even David - do not always pay attention to God's plans...) So, Adonijah's request to marry Abishag was essentially his attempt to gain back the kingdom again. Hence, Solomon got upset...
Joab proved the maxim of "those who live by the sword, die by the sword." David knew Joab had killed Abner and Amasa and passed on his disdain for Joab to Solomon. Solomon knew Joab was in cahoots w/ Adonijah. Joab was seeking sanctuary at the altar - and there was indeed sanctuary in the Law for those who accidentally killed someone else. There were sanctuary cities. However, Joab's killings of Abner and Amasa could in no way be viewed as accidental. His attempt at sanctuary at the altar did not stand up in Solomon's eyes. Below is a fascinating piece of artwork of Joab running for the altar - with what appears to be a shadow of a person running in the background... As if Joab's past was haunting him & pursuing him? I'm not sure, but an interesting piece of art here on this Joab scene in any case!
It is an interesting thing to read about the blood and deaths caused by some of our fathers of our faith - David & Solomon and the list will go on. I think the thing I take away from all of this is that in the B.C. age, "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" ruled the day. People "got what they deserved" so to speak... It essentially kept the peace in a barbaric age. But, we were fortunate to have Jesus Christ come into our world and be the final sacrifice and change the rules. Jesus died on a cross. Jesus got what WE deserved. He changed the whole eye for an eye Law to a higher law of love & grace. We deserve condemnation. Thanks to Jesus, we are given eternal life through the free gift of faith in his life, death and resurrection. I think it is always important for us to remember that Jesus got what we deserved... this is why Jesus is called Savior!
Today in 1 Kings chapter 3 we read about King Solomon asking for wisdom from God! It is of note that Solomon is estimated to be about 20 years old in this chapter - he was born about half way through David's 40 year reign. So, he is a very young king. In verse 5 we read these words from God to Solomon – “Ask for whatever you want me to give you." In verses 7 through 9 we will read this amazing response from Solomon to God – “O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" Solomon could have asked God for anything – more wealth, more power, more strength, more whatever, but he simply asked for wisdom. Why? Because he wanted to govern God’s people well and distinguish between right and wrong. Amazing. How would you or I answer this question today? What if God came to you today and said the same thing to you from verse 5 - “Ask for whatever you want me to give you." What would you ask for? Would you ask for Wisdom? If so, God offers this to you and me now. Where? I believe wisdom is offered to us through study of the Bible and by living in a loving and right relationship with God. We can receive the gift of God’s wisdom today! If we would answer this question from God differently – maybe wanting more money, or power, or whatever – do you think we might forfeit gaining wisdom? So, again, what if God were to say to you right now this same statement he said to Solomon? “Ask for whatever you want me to give you." What do you ask for? Below is a wonderful portrait by artist Guy Rowe of the young King Solomon praying for wisdom:
Worship God: Today's readings in 1 Kings 3 reminded me of Paul Colman's song "One Thing:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." 1 Kings 3:5 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that you show wisdom like Solomon did in 1 Kings 3, and ask God for wisdom. Don't ask God for riches or power, but pray for discernment in your life.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Psalm 79 verse 13 stood out to me today - "Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will thank you forever and ever, praising your greatness from generation to generation." I like that imagery of being sheep in God's pasture. And Jesus, of course, is our Good Shepherd. Are you content with the idea of being a sheep in God's pasture?
Psalm 80 verse 19 today is powerful - "Turn us again to yourself, O LORD God Almighty. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved." I like that opening - "turn us again to you God." I don't believe that God turns himself away from us - but that we do indeed turn ourselves away from God. And like the Psalmist, maybe sometimes we literally need to pray that God will turn us back toward him. I kind of come up with the imagery of us maybe sometimes being like pouty kids with our arms folded and our backs toward God - and God is looking at us lovingly - all we simply need to do is turn our face toward God and his grace will heal that pout and whatever is troubling us immediately... If you need to, will you turn yourself again toward God?
I always like reading verses like 1 & 2 in Psalm 81 today - verses that speak of music & God - "Sing praises to God, our strength. Sing to the God of Israel. Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play the sweet lyre and the harp." Do you sing praises to God? Is God your strength? I'll go off on a tangent here, which is always a risky thing to do... :) I'll admit that I am a music junkie. Really. I have loved music immensely ever since I was a pre-teen and heard K-TEL's Hit Explosion with such songs as Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger." :) Well, ever since then music has played an interesting role in my life - both positive and negative. Bottom line is that I think God used music to bring me to Him. Seven years ago I ended up at a rock & roll postmodern evangelical church where I really first heard songs about Jesus in a rock song! It was a paradigm shifter for me... I ended up accepting Jesus as my Lord & Savior at that church two months later - thanks in large part to an amazing pastor there at the time and thanks in large part to the rock & roll worship. I have to confess that I do love any opportunity I can get to flat out worship God in a rock & roll worship way! :) I do realize the risks of high energy rock music... it can propel people to do very dumb things. But I think it can also propel people toward Jesus. Maybe music is like anything else - it's a double edged sword. I will share with you that a buddy of mine shared with me how he threw out every single one of his worldly / secular rock & rap CD's after becoming a Christian. He said he didn't want to be fed by that garbage anymore. I tried following his lead on this - and actually threw a few CD's in the trash... but I pulled them out before taking them to the dumpster. :) I'm starting to think though that I have a few CD's that need to get to that dumpster here sooner rather than later... I don't listen to them. But why keep them around at all? Hope you don't mind this long tangent. Does anyone else have any music / God experiences that you would be up for sharing with us all? Please post up in the Comments section below! (And please forgive me for this image below... I couldn't resist... :)
I love Psalm 82 verses 3 & 4 - "Give fair judgment to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people." I realize these verses were spoken to Israel's judges. But, I think they can speak to you and I today as well. Particularly, "rescue the poor and helpless" stands out to me today. What are some ways you are rescuing the poor and helpless in your life today? How are you delivering them from the grasp of evil people? This actually reminds me of a couple of friends of mine who are so passionate about rescuing young girls from the sex slave industry in some Asian countries - I think Thailand is where they do most of their work. Clearly, young girls that have to sell their bodies in this type of situation are under the grasp of evil people. And I am so humbled by my friends' work toward delivering girls from this grasp. My friends are only able to do this really well because of their relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the true rescuer - first of my friends and now through my friends to these young girls. But, wow, it makes me wonder if I am truly allowing Jesus to rescue the poor and helpless through me? How about you?
Worship God: Psalm 79:13's discussion of praising God from generation to generation reminded me of the importance of loving our children well and modeling for them life in Christ. This reminded me of the great song by Steven Curtis Chapman about his daughter called "Cinderella:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. " Psalm 82:3 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are defending the weak and the fatherless. Pray that you are upholding the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Pray for more opportunities in your life to defend the weak and the fatherless.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
