Allright, now we are getting into the story of the Kings! I really like this portion of the Bible. I am fascinated by the back-and-forth stories and timelines of the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judah. The one very unfortunate thing you will notice over and over are verses like 1 Kings 14 verse 22: “During Rehoboam’s reign, the people of Judah did what was evil in the LORD’s sight, arousing his anger with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors.” Or verses like 1 Kings 15 verse 3: “Abijam committed the same sins as his father before him, and his heart was not right with the LORD his God, as the heart of his ancestor David had been.” And we will read far too few verses like verse 11 as we read about the Kings of Judah and Israel: “Asa did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, as his ancestor David had done.” I think what is interesting to note in all of these verses – and in the verses to come about future Kings we will read about – is that it really didn’t much matter what the Kings “did” in their reigns. Their wars or their building of cities or whatever really didn’t matter compared to did they sin against God or not? Did they lead Israel or Judah into sin or not? Did they love God or not? And I think this is the same for our lives today. God does not so much care what our careers are or what our social status is or how many friends or how much money we have. God cares whether we love Him with all of heart, mind, soul and strength. God cares whether we are sinning against Him or not. As Jesus tells us: “seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all of these things will be yours as well.” So, yes, God ultimately does care about our lives and careers and friends and such too – but he first wants us to seek a right relationship with Him – and then everything else will flow from our relationship with God. Someone should have let some of these Kings of Israel and Judah know this!
Okay, a good overview of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah at this point in our readings in First Kings is this image below:
Below is an image for 1 Kings 14 verses 25 & 26 – “In the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace and stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.”
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of the song “Lord, I need you” by Matt Maher, sung here by Lauren Daigle:
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Well, Jeroboam didn’t last very long before worshipping other gods! Keep in mind Jeroboam’s name as we continue to read through the book of Kings – you will continue to hear about “Jeroboam’s sin” and “the sin Jeroboam caused Israel to commit” many times in our upcoming readings – even long after he is dead. Not a legacy one would want to leave behind… Here is an image of Jeroboam leading the Israelites into the sin of worshiping a golden calf:
Interesting story about the man of God from Judah prophesying against the altar at Bethel. The man of God delivers his prophecy and then shuns Jeroboam’s invite to go to his palace for food and a gift. The man of God appears very strong. And then later… he lets down his guard. And he falls prey to the lie of the old prophet. Now why on earth the old prophet decided to pursue the man of God and tell this lie is beyond me. If anyone has insights on this, please post up in the Comments below. I think the lesson here for us today is this – we cannot let down our guard when it comes to spiritual matters. I think sometimes we think we can – but we simply cannot! If we do let down our guard, then we often stumble. And thanks to God’s grace we can recover from that stumble. But, there is always the dangerous risk that our stumble could be very severe, as it certainly was for the man of God in today’s readings…
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminds me of the Jason Gray song “More Like Falling in Love:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Wow… things go south in today’s readings big time for Solomon! Why? Simple. 1 Kings 11 verses 5 & 6 tell us: “Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. Thus, Solomon did what was evil in the LORD’s sight; he refused to follow the LORD completely, as his father, David, had done.” This is sad stuff to read. Solomon had a great life, great relationship with God and he plain and simple fumbled the ball. He knew God and knew he was not to worship other gods. And he did so anyway? Why? Well, yeah, maybe having 1,000 wives & concubines was a bit of a distraction – but I don’t blame them per se. It was Solomon that decided to marry outside of Israel and it was Solomon that decided to have all those wives and concubines (and polygamy is not God’s plan – God’s plan since Adam & Eve was one man, one woman – not one man, many women). And it was Solomon that decided to worship other gods. He was running a strong race early on – but stumbled. Fumbled. This all reminds me of Paul’s wisdom in 1 Corinthians 9 verses 25 through 27: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Paul wisely realized that even with all of his preaching to others, he still had to be diligent to make sure that he himself would not be disqualified! Incredible wisdom… Think Solomon could have learned from these words of Paul? Think you and I can learn from these words of Paul? And can we learn not to repeat Solomon’s mistakes? How are you running the race? Are you running in such a way as to get the prize?
Below is an image for these sad verses of 7 & 8: “On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, Solomon even built a shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.”
King Rehoboam’s bad decision making in 1 Kings 12 is an excellent example of why we should respect our elders… Rehoboam blew off the advice of his elders and instead heeded the foolish advice of the young men around him. And then the kingdom was divided. Of course, this turn of events was the will of God. But, still, a good example I think of why we should listen to and respect our elders….
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminds me of the Selah song “Unredeemed:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Well, we can gather from today’s First Kings readings that Solomon was clearly wise and rich! I have to confess… when I was reading today’s readings I briefly thought to myself, “well, it was just inherited wealth from his father David…” 🙂 How wrong was this thinking! Yes, David was certainly wealthy and Solomon inherited the throne if you will. But Solomon had to administer the Kingdom, including the building of the Temple and the Palace, which were no small tasks! He was able to do this successfully I think because he asked God for wisdom – rather than riches or wealth – earlier in First Kings. Solomon sought God first and asked for wisdom, and I do think God blessed him with riches too. You’ll recall that Jesus referred to “Solomon’s splendor” in the Sermon on the Mount when he talked about the lilies of the field and his teachings on not worrying, from Matthew 6:29: “Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Below is a painting of Solomon in all of his splendor in “The Queen of Sheba before Solomon” by Nicolas Knupfer, c. 1640:
These are very interesting readings today. The thing that I’m thinking about now, after reading about Solomon’s wealth and wisdom – and also thinking back to David’s warrior skills – is that it is not surprising to me that many people in Jesus’ day were expecting a differing kind of Messiah. When Jesus came on the scene, people were reading these sacred texts of King David and King Solomon. They were reading about how wise and wealthy and what great warriors these Kings were. And these Kings were shown great favor by God. So – surely the coming Messiah would be all of this and more! Right?? Well… no. As we know Jesus was not a Warrior-Messiah. He did not come to set free the Jews from the Roman rule by the sword. Jesus did not come into the world with wealth – he came into the world in a stable with animals nearby. Now – in terms of wisdom, yes, obviously Jesus was wiser than David or Solomon of course. But in terms of being wealthy and being a warrior – Jesus was neither – on this earth. However – in the heavenly realm Jesus is obviously wealthy beyond all comprehension. And he is a warrior for you and for me. He is battling for the souls of men and women. He leads a legion of angels against a legion of darkness. Jesus is not meek. Nor is he eternally poor. But… what an interesting contrast of how Jesus was not a warrior nor wealthy during his time here on earth – and he warned us against both of these trappings. What to make of all of this? I’m not sure. I’m full-on going stream of consciousness writing here. 🙂 I think the take-away for me is this – Solomon rightly sought after wisdom above all else. (He wrote many of the Proverbs!) And Jesus was of course wise beyond all measure. So, I think for you and I the key to life is first and foremost to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior – this is the wisest decision we will ever make. And after we have accepted Jesus, then we need to actually follow him. Follow his teachings. Follow his wisdom. And as we follow Jesus, we really should not be concerned about being wealthy or being a warrior. Perhaps these things will be part of our Walk in some regard. But they should not be the focus. Jesus should be the focus. Godly wisdom should be the focus. What is the focus in your life? Is it Jesus? Is it godly wisdom? Are you following Jesus with all that you are? Are taking up your cross daily? Are you following Jesus all the way up that hill?
Okay, back to today’s readings. I do think map’s can often give us a great overview / understanding of what we’re reading about in the Bible. I think now is a good time to show a good map of Solomon’s Kingdom compared to modern day Israel, below. Take a few minutes to really study this map and reflect upon places you recognize from today’s readings and previous day’s readings:
At the very end of First Kings chapter 9 today we read these interesting verses 26-28: “Later King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, a port near Elath in the land of Edom, along the shore of the Red Sea. Hiram sent experienced crews of sailors to sail the ships with Solomon’s men. They sailed to Ophir and brought back to Solomon some sixteen tons of gold.” You will see the port of Elath in the map above. Then, the big question I had today was where is Ophir? Well, it turns out that Ophir was likely in the land of “Sheba” from whence Queen Sheba comes to visit Solomon! So, it is interesting to see how these last 3 verses in chapter 9 lead us to First Kings 10 today we read about the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon. Below is about the best map I could find with the land of Sheba, and Ophir, in comparison to Israel. The Queen obviously traveled quite a distance in those days to visit Solomon! And I think we can now understand how she learned of Solomon – he built a fleet of ships and sailed them to her land!
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of the Casting Crowns song “Does Anybody Hear Her”:
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What was your reaction today to reading about “Solomon’s splendor” in First Kings? Did you view this wealth of Solomon’s as a blessing from God or perhaps as excess? What’s your reaction to seeing this level of wealth of Solomon’s versus Jesus’ lack of wealth while walking the earth? What about in today’s world – is there such a thing as too much wealth? Should we seek material wealth for our lives? Or should we be seeking other things? Should we seek to be like Solomon? Or like Jesus? Or perhaps like both? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
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 Video: Today’s readings in First Kings about the Ark of the Covenant being brought to the Temple reminds me of the Build 429 song “Where I Belong:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today we read about the building of King Solomon’s Palace! 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 remind me of Tauren Wells’ terrific song “Hills and Valleys:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
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 Video: Today’s readings remind me of the For King & Country song “The Proof of Your Love:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
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:
We then 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 – “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:
As we read 1 Kings 4 verses 29, 32 & 33 I am reminded that some say Solomon was the last person on earth (well besides Jesus of course) who knew everything there was to know about any and all subject’s of the day – “God gave Solomon great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge too vast to be measured. He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.” Solomon was obviously one wise person. What do you think the wisest thing about Solomon was? I think it was this – he was in relationship with God. That was the #1 wisest decision Solomon ever made. And it’s the #1 wisest decision you or I could ever make – to be in relationship with God through his son Jesus. From this wise decision flows all other wisdom in our lives. But this decision is of primary importance… Are you as wise as Solomon in this regard? Does your heart belong to God?
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of JJ Weeks Band’s song “Let Them See You:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Dramatic readings in First Kings today! David’s final instructions to Solomon include some strong words about how Joab & Shimei should die. And later in today’s readings, these words come to fruition. An image is below for David giving his final instructions to Solomon in today’s readings:
In verse 10 in today’s readings, we read this simple verse that concludes our readings of David’s life (for now… we’ll read more about David later in the Bible this year) – “Then David died and was buried in the City of David.”
Today 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!
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of Colton Dixon’s song “Made to Fly:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today we begin First Kings! First Kings is an amazing book of the Bible. We’ll be diving into David’s son Solomon’s reign and the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem. You’ll recall that Solomon wrote many of the Proverbs, and in chapter 3 of First Kings this week we will learn why Solomon had the wisdom to be able to write such amazing proverbs that have stood the test of time for some 3,000 years! Below is an image of King Solomon dictating his wise Proverbs:
Book: First Kings Author: Unknown Date: Sixth century B.C. Content: First and Second Kings form one book in the Hebrew Bible and are considered to be prophetic literature, probably because a prophet put the books together. The two books cover a period of approximately 350 years, when kings ruled the land, hence the name of the book. First Kings begins with the death of David, followed by a description of Solomon’s reign, including the building of the first Temple in Jerusalem. The split of the kingdom into Israel (North) and Judah (South) is described, ending with the great conflict between Elijah the prophet, and Ahab, the king of Israel. Theme: The fact that a history book is considered to be prophetic is important. It shows that God speaks to us from the past, as well as from the present experience of others. These events are recorded so that we will not make the same mistakes again. The conflict between Elijah and Ahab shows God’s immediate involvement in human life and his concern for human affairs. First Kings particularly shows the disastrous effects of social evil upon the spiritual life of a nation. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 6) More commentary on First Kings is at these 3 links – https://bible.org/article/introduction-books-first-and-second-kings https://bible.org/seriespage/reign-solomon (Introduction to Solomon) https://bible.org/seriespage/1-introduction-and-historical-setting-elijah (Introduction to Elijah)
First Kings chapter 1 is quite a chapter today! David is old! Adonijah claims the throne! David makes Solomon King! Quite a dramatic chapter, eh? Adonijah was David’s 4th oldest son, and probably the eldest son living at this time. First son Amnon was killed by Absalom. Second son Daniel was probably not living at this time. Third son Absalom was killed in his rebellion. So, fourth son Adonijah thought now was his moment to shine. Well, as Paul Harvey would say, “now for the rest of the story…” The chapter tells us the story well. Solomon was clearly God and David’s choice for the kingship. Below is the artist Raphael’s take on verses 39 & 40 today: “There Zadok the priest took a flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and poured it on Solomon’s head. Then the trumpets were blown, and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” And all the people returned with Solomon to Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound.”
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of Phil Wickham’s song “What an Awesome God:”
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!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
