Solomon tells us that if you try to correct a fool with the Word of God, he will only hate you. But “Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser”.

Later in the Story Matthew will tell us that we have one teacher and that is Jesus. ”Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.” (Matthew 23:10) And John will say that Jesus is the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was written in the Old Testament and He will come on the scene as God in human flesh.

Ok. So since we only have one teacher and He has revealed His teaching through the Word, a wise person reads the Word…it’s a top priority in their life. And if you lack wisdom, ask the Lord for wisdom and He will give it to you if you ask in faith! (James 1:5).

The Christian life is not a lazy, sedentary life. “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” “The wise in heart will receive commands”, “Wise people store up knowledge”, and “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life.” Christ followers work diligently to receive His commands and store up knowledge so that they are walking in the way of life and are a light in the world.

Solomon, Peter and Paul all agree that we must be active to follow the Lord. Peter will say later, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge…For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8) Solomon says about wisdom “…those who seek me diligently will find me”. And later Paul will say “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. (Hebrews 11:6) Solomon and Paul both say to be diligent in your pursuit of the Lord and His teachings; nothing lazy about it!

Let’s continue to diligently seek the Lord and His ways through His Word. Keep reading!

(Proverbs 8:1-10:32)

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We are going to find out in a few days that even the wisest man can make dumb decisions when it comes to women. Solomon, who loves to build, also builds a really large family by acquiring women across the nations. He marries 700 and makes 300 his concubines. 😱 This is in direct disobedience to the Lord’s instructions about not intermarrying with the surrounding nations, and His instruction for kings not to have multiple wives. We will find out soon that his disobedience will have disastrous consequences. With that said…Solomon probably knows a thing or two about women.

Today he warns of immoral women. “For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey…But in the end she is bitter as a wormwood…Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell.” “Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths…Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death.” Since getting involved with an immoral woman = hell🔥, Solomon advises to “rejoice with the wife of your youth. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love”. ❤️

Solomon warns over and over again to follow the Lord’s instructions. Why is this so important? “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin, he shall die for lack of instruction.” Solomon knows that ignoring God’s Word leads to a life full of pain and misery and eventually death.

We also read today that there are 7 things the Lord hates: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. The Lord’s desire is for us to turn from our sin toward following Him and His instructions. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and foresakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13) Instead of forsaking God’s law we should, “Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck…For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life”. So choose life!

More from Solomon tomorrow. Keep reading.

(Proverbs 5:1-7:27)

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Solomon tells us that the purpose of Proverbs is, “To know wisdom and instruction”. He goes on to say, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction”. So the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. What is fear of the Lord? Solomon says, “My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you…Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom”. God has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His Word. To know the Lord you must know the Word. If you receive His Word and obey His commands then you will understand the fear of the Lord.

See, we can‘t just make up our own god and what we think our own god tolerates and doesn’t tolerate. True fear of the Lord comes through the revelation of Scripture that He is the Creator of all, He knows all things past and present, He knows the heart and thoughts of every person, and He will one day judge us all. A person who fears the Lord also knows His grace and mercy for sending His Son to save us from our sinful nature and to transform us so that we desire to walk in obedience to His Word.

Solomon says, “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands”. A person who fears the Lord not only hears and understands the Word of God but also obeys. The fool chooses not to fear the Lord or walk in His ways. “Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them; And the complacency of fools will destroy them”. We can not trust our own thoughts and feelings; we must align all our thoughts and feelings with what God has said is true. “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

Tomorrow Solomon warns of immoral women. Keep reading.

(Proverbs 1:1-4:27)

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“Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.” Solomon is Israel’s third king following Saul and David. Soon in the Story, the kingdom will divide into two kingdoms, Israel (ten tribes) to the north and Judah (and Benjamin) to the south. But for now it is one kingdom under the rule of one wise man, Solomon, “He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also he spoke of trees,…of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.” Everyone came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

The Book of Psalms is divided into five separate “books”. Some say perhaps the five books are an imitation of the Pentateuch written by Moses, which consists of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Therefore, Solomon’s Psalm 72, which is all about the coming Messiah, ends with “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended”. This was the last Psalm in book two.

Ok. One more Bible structure comment. (I know it seems like we are reading everything twice and sometimes the info is slightly different.) The Books of Samuel and Kings were written at the beginning of Israel’s exile—before the Israelites are taken captive (which we will read about later in the Story). This was a time of deep brokenness. The Chronicles were written after the return of exile when the Israelites were trying to re-build and re-establish themselves in the land. So these books were written from different perspectives but were all inspired by God. The Chronicles account track the kingdom of Judah. Judah’s kings all come from the bloodline of King David, the Kingdom that the Messiah will come from as the Lord promised King David.

Tomorrow we read the first of eight days in the book of Proverbs. Solomon is going to teach us how to live wisely, so keep reading!

(1 Kings 4:1-34, Psalm 72, Psalm 127)

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After Solomon builds the temple and his palace he keeps building, and building, “and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion”, well, he builds! “Now when the queen of Sheba heard the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.” “So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her.” When she saw his wealth and wisdom with her own eyes she professes “Blessed be the Lord your God!”

Later in the Story Jesus will rebuke religious leaders with this story of the queen of Sheba when they ask Him to do a sign to prove Himself. In response, Jesus will say “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign… The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here”. (Matthew 12:38-42) We read about Solomon’s greatness today. “So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.” But Jesus is declaring to be even greater than Solomon because He is! He is God! The religious leaders do not believe this even after Jesus has already performed numerous miracles. Their request for a sign was just another attempt to pin something on Jesus to bring Him down and He knew this. The story of the queen of Sheba points out the fact that a pagan queen traveled from far away to see what all the Lord has done and she believed and proclaimed the Lord’s Name. Jesus, the Son of God in the flesh, is standing right in front of these religious leaders’ faces and yet they do not believe and they will be condemned for it.

Soon we will read the wise teachings of Solomon and hear his wisdom for ourselves like the Queen of Sheba. We also have a choice, believe like the Queen of Sheba or refuse like the proud religious leaders. So keep reading.

(2 Chronicles 8:1-18, 1 Kings 9:15-10:13, 2 Chronicles 9:1-12, 1 Kings 10:14-29, 2 Chronicles 9:13-28, 2 Chronicles 1:14-17)

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Solomon dedicates the temple 11 months after its completion and at the time of the Feast of Booths (also called the Feast of Tabernacles). During this annual feast the Israelites live in shelters or booths for 7 days as the Lord instructed the people in Leviticus 23:33-43. This is a great celebration for the Israelites where they give thanks to the Lord for his current provision and remember His deliverance from Egypt and His provisions during the 40 years wilderness journey. In the wilderness, the Lord told Moses to tell the people that the reason for the Feast of Booths was “that your generation may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt”. (Lev 23:43) The Lord wants His people to remember that He is the One who provides for them. He provided their salvation from Egypt, He will provide their daily needs, and He is providing a way for their eternal salvation through the coming Messiah.

Solomon says “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses”. God never breaks a promise; starting with that promise He made back in the garden with Adam and Eve when He promised to send a Savior who would crush the head of Satan. (Gen 3:15) Then God promised Abraham that through his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. (Gen 12:3) And He told the children of Israel that He would be sending a prophet like Moses. (Deut 18:18) This prophet is going to be the perfect Prophet who will provide our ultimate rest. He made a covenant with King David that this perfect Prophet, this greater King was coming through his bloodline. (2 Samuel 7)

So here we are with David’s son Solomon. Nothing is going to stop God’s plan of sending the Savior but the Israelites will make this a difficult journey for themselves by constantly slipping into sin and idolatry and turning from the Lord. The Lord warns Solomon that when the people turn from Him, He will cut them off. But God doesn’t leave them without hope. He goes on to say “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land”. Our hope is always found in the Lord and His promises. Tomorrow Solomon gets a visit from the Queen of Sheba. Keep reading.

(1 Kings 8:54-66, 2 Chronicles 7:1-10, 1 Kings 9:1-9, 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, 1 Kings 9:10-14)

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Today the priests bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, which contains the 2 stone tablets Moses placed in there at Horeb, to the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place. Then a cloud fills the house of the Lord; “for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord”. Solomon says in his prayer “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” Solomon knows that God can not be limited by a place. His presence fills the heavens and the earth. The Lord is working His plan to bring the Savior that He promised back in the garden. He chose to work His plan through the Israelites and this temple is built for His name.

Solomon prays to God “that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,” that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. And may you hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people, Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive”. Later in the Story, when the Iraelites are taken into captivity by the Babylonians, Daniel will risk his life believing this is true. King Darius approves an ordinance that anyone who worships any god or man besides him for 30 days would be thrown into the den of lions. “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” (Daniel 6:11) Daniel believes that the Lord will hear the prayers of those who pray toward His temple and that He will deliver them and Daniel is correct! When he is thrown into the lions den “…no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in God”. (Daniel 6:23) And God receives all the glory bc King Darius then writes a new decree “that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God, enduring forever.” (Daniel 6:26) And even later in the Story, the Lord will pour the Holy Spirit onto His people making their bodies the temple, but before we get to all that, tomorrow there is a dedication to the temple so keep reading.

(1 Kings 8:1-11, 2 Chronicles 5:1-14, 1 Kings 8:12-21, 2 Chronicles 6:1-11, 1 Kings 8:22-53, 2 Chronicles 6:12-42)

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Solomon really loves to build! Today we read about how he takes 13 years to build an elaborate palace for himself. He also builds all new furniture for the temple. He hires a bronze expert, Huram (or Hiram but this is not the same person as King Hiram). Huram makes 2 bronze pillars named Jachin and Boaz at the entrance of the temple. There are differing views on why the pillars are named but here is some info I gathered. 1) Boaz means “in him is strength”. Boaz is also the name of one of Solomon’s sons and the name of King David’s great grandfather who married Ruth. So the name could represent the bloodline of the tribe of Judah. 2) Jachin means “He will establish”. This name is also in the bloodline of Judah. He is a son of Simeon and a grandson of Jacob who was with the 70 Israelites that went to Egypt during a famine. The name was also mentioned as one of the priests that returned from exile. Ok, that’s all I’ve got on that.

Huram also builds the Sea of cast bronze which is a massive and decorative basin for the priest to wash before entering the sanctuary. So Huram makes the pieces in the tabernacle that are bronze and then Solomon makes the rest out of gold. “Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold on which was the showbread; the lampstands of pure gold….” Once the work of the temple is complete, Solomon brings in all the things his father, King David, dedicated to the house of the Lord. Tomorrow the glory of the Lord enters His new home so keep reading.

(1 Kings 7:1-51, 2 Chronicles 3:15-4:22)

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Solomon’s wisdom shines today when two harlots come to him with a dispute. One harlot rolled over her baby during the night killing the baby. Then she switched the baby with the other harlot’s baby. Both are claiming to be the mother of the alive baby. Solomon has an idea! He says cut the baby in half and give each woman half of the baby. 😱 Wise Solomon knew this idea would flush out the liar. So the real mom was identified bc she was the one that pleaded for her baby’s life. Solomon returned the child to her “And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.” So God uses a dispute between two harlots to bring all of Israel together in agreement over their new king. The Lord wastes nothing and uses the unlikely to accomplish His purposes! 🙌

Solomon then builds a relationship with Hiram, king of Tyre, as his father, King David, had done. He arranges a business deal w Hiram for cedar and cypress logs from Lebanon and then Solomon gets to building. In seven years the temple will be complete! 🎉 Solomon continues building tomorrow so keep reading.

(1 Kings 3:16-28, 1 Kings 5:1-18, 2 Chronicles 2:1-18, 1 Kings 6:1-13, 2 Chronicles 3:1-14, 1 Kings 6:14-38)

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Solomon is now on the throne and his brother Adonijah has a request. We read about Adonijah on May 5th when he tried to take the throne for himself and David quickly gave it to Solomon. Adonijah then feared Solomon but Solomon said nothing would happen to him if he proved to be a worthy man. Well, today Adonijah proves not to be a worthy man as he asks to marry Abishag, the lovely woman who cared for King David in his old age. This was another shot at the kingdom bc back then men would make claims to the throne by sleeping with the king’s concubines like Absalom did in 2 Samuel 16. Solomon sees right through to Adonijah’s true motives and has him killed.

Then Solomon punishes Abiathar because of his support of Adonijah by removing Abiathar as priest. Solomon also has Joab and Shimei killed per David’s final instructions in 1 Kings 2. Solomon places Benaiah over the army in place of Joab and Zadok as the priest in place of Abiathar.

After Solomon cleans house, he makes a treaty with the king of Egypt and marries his daughter. “And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statues of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.” Several things are wrong here:
1) making a treaty with Egypt (Deut 17:16)
2) marrying foreign women who worship false gods (Deut 7:3-4)
3) worshipping at high places where nations around them worship false gods (Deut 12, Num 33:52, Lev 26:30).
Solomon seems to be slipping from some of the Lord’s commandments. Commingling with foreign nations will have consequences but his first huge corporate worship was pleasing to the Lord. Although it was on a high place at Gideon, it is where the tabernacle of the Lord was located. King David also worshiped the Lord in this same location. (1 Chronicles 16:39) After the temple is built and Solomon moves the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant to the temple, the worship at Gideon will not be acceptable. The temple will become the one place that the Lord chooses for His people to worship Him. But today there is a huge celebration of the Lord at Gideon with 1,000 burnt offerings made.

The Lord then appears to Solomon in a dream and asks him, “What shall I give you?” Solomon knew the job of king was too much for him to handle on his own so he asks for wisdom from the Lord. This request pleases the Lord so much that He not only gives Solomon wisdom but also riches and honor. Tomorrow Solomon puts his wisdom into action so keep reading. 🤓

(Psalm 83, 1 Chronicles 29:23-25, 2 Chronicles 1:1, 1 Kings 2:13-3:4, 2 Chronilces 1:2-6, 1 Kings 3:5-15, 2 Chronicles 1:7-13)

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