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This week we saw the rise and fall of the world's wisest and wealthiest man. If you missed it, check out the post for 1 Kings 9-11.

As a result of Solomon's sin the kingdom splits. Here are two charts to help you make sense of what's coming up. The first is a sorta timeline, the second a listing of the kings. All the kings of the northern kingdom called "Israel" (10 tribes) were bad. The Northern kingdom went into captivity in Assyria (722 BC) and never returned. Godly people from those tribes would have found their way to the divinely sanctioned temple in "Judah" (2 tribes) known as the Southern kingdom. Judah had a mix of good and bad kings, and eventually went into captivity in Babylon (586 BC) and returned seventy years later.







Chronological Table of the Kings of the Divided Kingdom
Judah
King          Reign                        Character Prophet
1. Rehoboam 931-913 (17 yrs)     Bad       Shemaiah
2. Abijah 913-911 (3 yrs.)             Bad
3. Asa 911-870 (41 yrs.)               Good
4. Jehoshaphat 870-848* (25 yrs) Good
5. Jehoram 848-841* (8 yrs)         Bad
6. Ahaziah 841 (1 yr)                    Bad
7. Athaliah 841-835 (6 yrs)            Bad
8. Joash 835-796 (40 yrs)             Good     Joel
9. Amaziah 796-767 (29 yrs)        Good
10. Azariah/Uzziah 767-740* (52 yrs) Good Isaiah
11. Jotham 740-732* (16 yrs)       Good      Micah
12. Ahaz 732-716 (16 yrs)           Bad
13. Hezekiah 716-687 (29 yrs)    Good
14. Manasseh 687-642* (55 yrs)  Bad        Nahum
15. Amon 642-640 (2 yrs)            Bad
16. Josiah 640-608 (31 yrs.)        Good Habakkuk, 
                                                            Zephaniah
                                                            Jeremiah
17. Jehoahaz 608 (3 mos.)          Bad
18. Jehoiakim 608-597 (11 yrs)    Bad
19. Jehoiachin 597 (3 mos.)        Bad
20. Zedekiah 597-586 (11 yrs)     Bad
(Destruction of Jerusalem and captivity of Judah)


Israel
King Reign                              Character Prophet
1. Jeroboam I 931-910 bc (22 yrs.) Bad    Ahijah
2. Nadab 910-909 (2 yrs.)              Bad
3. Baasha 909-886 (24 yrs.)           Bad
4. Elah 886-885 (2 yrs.)                 Bad
5. Zimri 885 (7 days)                     Bad
6. Omri 885-874* (12 yrs.)             Bad
7. Ahab 874-853 (22 yrs.)              Bad    Elijah, Micaiah
8. Ahaziah 853-852 (2 yrs.)            Bad
9. Joram 852-841 (12 yrs.)             Bad    Elisha
10. Jehu 841-814 (28 yrs.)             Bad
11. Jehoahaz 814-798 (17 yrs.)      Bad
12. Jehoash 798-782 (16 yrs.)        Bad
13. Jeroboam II 782-753* (41 yrs.)  Bad   Jonah, 
                                                               Amos, Hosea
14. Zechariah 753-752 (6 mos.)      Bad
15. Shallum 752 (1 mo.)                 Bad
16. Menahem 752-742 (10 yrs.)      Bad
17. Pehahiah 742-740 (2 yrs.)        Bad
18. Pekah 740-732* (20 yrs.)          Bad
19. Hoshea 732-721 (9 yrs.)           Bad
(Capture of Samaria and captivity of Israel)
* Co-regen

1 Kings 9-11 Wise Guy Washes Out

Psalm 50:16-23 Woe to the Wicked Hypocrites
Ps 50:16 (15 Call on Me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.) 16 “But to the wicked God says, "What right do you have to declare My statutes, that you have taken My covenant on your lips, 17 since you hate instruction, and throw My words behind you? 18 When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have participated with adulterers. 19 "You give your mouth to evil. Your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother’s son. 21 You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes. 22 "Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you into pieces, and there be none to deliver. 23 Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies Me, and prepares/orders his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him."

Observations: 50:1-15 See post on Deuteronomy 12 for vv 1-15, in which God judges His people yet answers the prayers of those who are rightly related to Him.
50:16-23 God defines the “wicked” as those among His covenant people who don't walk the talk. They recite the law, but don't act righteously nor justly. They forget God, and think He doesn't care, but He will rebuke them and tear them to pieces. Scary. Those who have a proper dependent relationship with God will call to Him, have Him answer them (because they are righteous) and they be able to glorify Him. Those who order their ways according to His wisdom (ie, obey) will experience God's salvation/deliverance.

Application: Walk the talk, and worship the God who delivers His people, or face the consequences.

Prayer: God, I thank You that You are the God who answers prayer, and will judge the evil hypocrites who don't obey you, and afflict Your people; I trust in Your justice. Amen.

Proverbs 14:1-4 Building or Blasting?
Proverbs 14:1 “Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands. 2 He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him. 3 The fool's talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.”

Observation: There are no obvious links between most individual verses in this and upcoming Proverbs. The meanings are usually pretty obvious. How would a foolish woman tear down her own house? Would she know she was doing it?

Application: Pick a verse and see how it could apply to your life.

Prayer: God, help me walk wisely and uprightly. Amen.


1 Kings 9-11 Loved, chosen, blessed and prospered by the one and only Creator God beyond anyone else on the planet, Solomon had it all. The whole world respected him, and many came to God because of his wisdom and exaltation. But he wound up serving the third-rate gods that he knew Israel had defeated, and lost the kingdom and God's blessing. What went wrong? Where was his world-class wisdom? If he blew it, what hope is there for the rest of us?

1 Kings 9 Promise and Prosperity
9:1 It happened, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of Yahweh, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do, 2 that Yahweh appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 Yahweh said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. 4 As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances; 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, according as I promised to David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.’
6 But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; 7 then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8 Though this house is so high, yet shall everyone who passes by it be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this land, and to this house?’ 9 and they shall answer, ‘Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold of other gods, and worshiped them, and served them. Therefore Yahweh has brought all this evil on them.’"
10 It happened at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of Yahweh and the king’s house 11 (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him. 13 He said, "What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?" He called them the land of Cabul to this day. 14 Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold.
15 This is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build the house of Yahweh, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it for a portion to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 Solomon built Gezer, and Beth Horon the lower, 18 and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land, 19 and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20 As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel; 21 their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them Solomon raised a levy of bondservants to this day. 22 But of the children of Israel Solomon made no bondservants; but they were the men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. 23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, five hundred fifty, who bore rule over the people who laboured in the work. 24 But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her: then he built Millo.
25 Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to Yahweh three times a year, burning incense with them, on the altar that was before Yahweh. So he finished the house. 26 King Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent in the navy his servants, sailors who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. 28 They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

Observations: 9:1-5 God first appeared to Solomon to give him wisdom, this time it's to give him a warning. God appears to Solomon after the temple dedication (last chapter) to personally let him know that He heard his requests and will put His name/power/glory as well as His eyes and heart at the temple. He also reiterates the Davidic Covenant stipulations to obey. If we're not doing all God commanded, then we lack uprightness and integrity of heart.
9:6-9 God specifically warns Solomon not to depart from serving Him, or God will destroy the people, land, and even the magnificent temple (which unfortunately happens as promised Dt 29:24-29; 2 Kings 25:9; Dan 9:11-14).
9:10-23 Solomon apparently uses twenty cities in Galilee as collateral for a loan from Hiram to fund additional building projects. Leviticus 25:23 prohibited selling the land of Israel. 2 Chronicles 8:2 states that Hiram restored them. The gold he got from Himan equals that from the Queen of Sheba in the next chapter. Solomon places a levy/tax upon Israel for money and labor to carry out the projects. Verses 1 and 19 use a very strong word for desire to refer to Solomon's building projects. In Ecclesiastes Solomon recounts his explorations of what is worth doing “under the sun.” In chapter 2 he explores building projects and concludes:
Ecclesiastes 2:9 “So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor.11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”
Application: Without loyal obedience (hesed) anything we build, even an incredible temple, is vanity.

Prayer: God, my chief desire and greatest is following Your will; may all my other activities fit into that grand objective for my life. Amen.

1 Kings 10 Problem of Prosperity
10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh, she came to prove/test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart. 3 Solomon answered all her questions: there was not anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her. 4 When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Yahweh; there was no more spirit in her. 6 She said to the king, "It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. 7 However I didn’t believe the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it. Behold, the half was not told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom. 9 Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore made he you king, to do justice and righteousness." 10 She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. 11 The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones. 12 The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day. 13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, 15 besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country. 16 King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler. 17 he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays. 20 Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom. 21 All king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 They brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
26 Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance. 28 The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price. 29 A chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means.

Observations: 10:1-13 The Queen of Sheba is given as an example of those who bless Yahweh as a result of His blessing those who are faithful to Him. She was a real truth-seeker, noting everything from the way Solomon's servants were dressed to the love God had for Israel in giving them a king who reigned in righteousness and justice. God blessed Solomon so all the earth would be drawn to Him.
10:14-25 Solomon not only exceeded everyone in wisdom, but also in wealth, amassing unprecedented amounts of gold. He made silver a plentiful as stones.
10:26-29 Ditto for horses and chariots, a symbol of military might. Solomon even got an expensive imported Egyptian sports model (maybe to impress the girls in the next chapter?).
God warned of the danger of prosperity. When a person or people is in need, they rely upon God and are careful to limit their desires in order to do His desire. But when their needs are satisfied, they become independent of God in the pursuit of their own desires. Remember, independence is the essence of sin. If Solomon had built an ice-skating rink, the ice would be very thin.
Deut 8:10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless Yahweh your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 "Beware that you do not forget Yahweh your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,12 lest --- when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them;13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;15 who led you...who brought water for you...that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end ---17 then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' 18 "And you shall remember Yahweh your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget Yahweh your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which Yahweh destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of Yahweh your God.
Application: We keep dependent upon God by daily seeking His will in all we do, and wholeheartedly fulfilling the responsibilities He's entrusted to us.

Prayer: God who blesses, may I never forget that all I am and have comes from You, so that I will continually seek You more than anything You could give me. Amen.

1 Kings 11 Perils of Prosperity
11:1 Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; 2 of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, "You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon joined to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 So he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he didn’t keep that which Yahweh commanded. 11 Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, "Because this is done by you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12 Notwithstanding I will not do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen."
14 Yahweh raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom...23 God raised up an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada. 25 He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief of Hadad: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
26 Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, he also lifted up his hand against the king. 28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he put him in charge of all the labor of the house of Joseph. 29 When Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field. 30 Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces. 31 He said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces; for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you 32 (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel); 33 because that they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did. 34 "’However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant’s sake whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes; 35 but I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it to you, even ten tribes. 36 To his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. 37 I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel. 38 It shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39 I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever.’" 40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, aren’t they written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42 The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

Observations: 11:1-8 Solomon not only built a temple for Yahweh, he built ones for other gods. He married a herd of women and had a flock of concubines, from the peoples God had said: “Stay Away! They'll turn your heart away from Me.” The wives turned his heart away from Yahweh, who had blessed him beyond measure. Note that he didn't turn their hearts toward Yahweh, but they were able to contaminate him. There had to be demonic deception at work for him to go and serve the gods Israel had defeated. Even the world's wisest man can be an idiot. Why did he blow it? Before we answer that, let's look at the consequences.
11:9-13 God is angry at Solomon's sin, even though He let it go on for a while. Eventually (as it always happens) God delivers the judgment. The kingdom will be torn away from Solomon, and given to one of his servants, but not in his lifetime, for David's sake, and not totally, for Jerusalem's sake. The house of David of Judah would have one tribe with them (Benjamin).
11:14-43 Just like God had raised up Israel and David from nothing, now He raises up adversaries against Solomon. God even offers the same covenant he had offered to Solomon to Jeroboam, his servant. If Jeroboam would obey, God would bless him as He had David building him a dynasty. This offer was conditioned upon obedience, we'll see how it turns out. Solomon rather than repenting as David would have, seeks to fight against God's revelation by trying to kill Jeroboam (who flees to Egypt). Sounds a little like Herod.

Question: Why did Solomon sin? If you were paying attention to Deuteronomy 17, you'd know the answer. Solomon didn't have access to DailyTruthbase, uhmmm, I mean, he didn't have a daily quiet/devotional time. How do we know that? Not only was Solomon the world's wisest person, but he had more cash, cars, and cuties than anyone on earth. And that's the key for understanding his failure. Not that those things are necessarily bad, for God had given them to him. But Deuteronomy 17 instructed:
“14 When you come to the land which Yahweh your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,'15 you shall surely set a king over you whom Yahweh your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.16 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.'17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites.19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.”
So there were three explicit commands for the king: don't multiply cars, cuties, nor cash. The king was supposed to write a copy of Deuteronomy and read it every day. When he got to chapter 17, he'd say: “Hmmmm, I wonder what God has to say to me today...Oh, look, there's a passage with my name on it; it says, 'king', that's me: 'Kings shall not multiply cars, cuties nor cash. And they definitey shouldn't get one of those imported Egyptian models.' Drats, I guess I'd better cancel that order. Hey, there's a promise: 'The kingdom will be prolonged for me and my kids.' Good deal.” Unfortunately, Solomon didn't invest daily time in God's word, and his heart turned away from the God who loved him, chose him, and prospered him above all others. There probably wasn't anyone in his life who could challenge him either, neither priest nor prophet nor friend. A wise guy should have known better, and planned not to fail.

Application: If the wisest guy in the world lost out by not investing daily time in understanding and applying God's word, what makes you think you'll succeed by ignoring God's word and commands?

Prayer: God, don't let me wind up like Solomon; help me keep my heart focused on You and Your word every day. Amen.


Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God wants to bless those whose hearts are wholly His, so others can see His goodness, and acknowledge Him as their God. If He can't bless his chosen and beloved servants, He'll raise up others to bless, and fulfill His promise to curse, afflict and destroy the disobedient. He will bring down even the most loved and exalted if they fail to serve Him exclusively.

Us in a nutshell: We must be a rather dim-witted species if we turn from our source of goodness and blessing to something that is evil and results in cursing. If we fail to wholeheartedly seek the God of the Scriptures and keep His commands and instructions in front of us, we will wind up serving the god of power, or the god of pleasure, or the god of posessions, or the god of status or security, or the whole pantheon of pagan powers that are not Yahweh. If we follow the ways of the pagan nations He's destroyed, He'll destroy us too.


Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net

1 Kings 9-11 (complete text)

1 Kings 9
9:1 It happened, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of Yahweh, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do, 2 that Yahweh appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 Yahweh said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. 4 As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances; 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, according as I promised to David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6 But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; 7 then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8 Though this house is so high, yet shall everyone who passes by it be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, ‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this land, and to this house?’ 9 and they shall answer, ‘Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold of other gods, and worshipped them, and served them. Therefore Yahweh has brought all this evil on them.’"
10 It happened at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of Yahweh and the king’s house 11 (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him. 13 He said, "What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?" He called them the land of Cabul to this day. 14 Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold.
15 This is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build the house of Yahweh, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it for a portion to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 Solomon built Gezer, and Beth Horon the lower, 18 and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land, 19 and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20 As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel; 21 their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them Solomon raised a levy of bondservants to this day. 22 But of the children of Israel Solomon made no bondservants; but they were the men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. 23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, five hundred fifty, who bore rule over the people who laboured in the work. 24 But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her: then he built Millo. 25 Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to Yahweh three times a year, burning incense with them, on the altar that was before Yahweh. So he finished the house. 26 King Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent in the navy his servants, sailors who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. 28 They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

1 Kings 10
10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh, she came to prove him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart. 3 Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her. 4 When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Yahweh; there was no more spirit in her. 6 She said to the king, "It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. 7 However I didn’t believe the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it. Behold, the half was not told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom. 9 Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore made he you king, to do justice and righteousness." 10 She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. 11 The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones. 12 The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day. 13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, 15 besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country. 16 King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler. 17 he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays. 20 Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom. 21 All king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 They brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 26 Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance. 28 The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price. 29 A chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means.

1 Kings 11
11:1 Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; 2 of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, "You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon joined to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 So he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he didn’t keep that which Yahweh commanded. 11 Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, "Because this is done by you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12 Notwithstanding I will not do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen."
14 Yahweh raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom. 15 For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the army was gone up to bury the slain, and had struck every male in Edom 16 (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom); 17 that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child. 18 They arose out of Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him food, and gave him land. 19 Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh. 21 When Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me depart, that I may go to my own country." 22 Then Pharaoh said to him, "But what have you lacked with me, that behold, you seek to go to your own country?" He answered, "Nothing, however only let me depart." 23 God raised up an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 He gathered men to him, and became captain over a troop, when David killed them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and lived therein, and reigned in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief of Hadad: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
26 Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, he also lifted up his hand against the king. 27 This was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he put him in charge of all the labour of the house of Joseph. 29 It happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field. 30 Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces. 31 He said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces; for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you 32 (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel); 33 because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did. 34 "’However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant’s sake whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes; 35 but I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it to you, even ten tribes. 36 To his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. 37 I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel. 38 It shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39 I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever.’" 40 Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, aren’t they written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42 The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

1 Kings 4-8 God Moves To A New House

Psalm 50:1-18 Who Are The Wicked?
Ps 50:1 “The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, speaks, and calls the earth from sunrise to sunset. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. 3 Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before Him. It is very stormy around Him. 4 He calls to the heavens above, to the earth, that He may judge His people: 5 "Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." 6 The heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge. Selah. 7 "Hear, My people, and I will speak; Israel, and I will testify against you. I am God, your God. 8 I don't rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before Me. 9 I have no need for a bull from your stall, nor male goats from your pens. 10 For every animal of the forest is Mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all that is in it. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call on Me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor Me." 16 But to the wicked God says, "What right do you have to declare My statutes, that you have taken My covenant on your lips, 17 seeing you hate instruction, and throw My words behind you?"

Observations: 50:1-7 This is essential Psalm for understanding our relationship with God and identifying the wicked. (Hint: they're closer than you think.)
50:4 God calls heaven and earth as witnesses in the judgment of His people, since heaven and earth were there at the making of the covenant when He gave them the choice of being blessed or cursed.
Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed;"
50:8-13 God doesn't need our stuff; He owns it all anyway. We still need to give, especially in the context of a relationship with Him (v14-15).
50:14-15 People called on God when they were in trouble, often vowing to praise Him at the temple. When He delivered them, they offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and fulfilled whatever vows they made; in doing so they would tell what God did for them (like lots of the Psalms do). This honored God, by exalting Him in the eyes of others so they would trust Him, and deepen their relationship with Him.
50:16-17 We are still in the context of God judging His redeemed people. The wicked are not “the pagan unbelievers out there” but those in the midst of God's people who mouth His words, but don't obey them. You couldn't have access to the Law, and learn it, unless you were part of the covenant community. These are the hypocrites who declare and recite God's truth, but don't apply it to their lives. The rest of the Psalm details their hypocrisy and impending judgment, while graciously calling for their repentance.

Question: Do you know anyone who fits God's definition of wicked?

Application: Religious observance is no substitute for rigorous adherence to God's word, which involves praying for help and proclaiming how He responds, so that He is honored.

Prayer: Gracious Deliverer, thank You for answering when I call, deliver me from external evil and the inner evil of hypocrisy, for Your glory and honor. Amen.

Proverbs 13:21-25 Discourage Sin, Affirm Righteousness
Pr 13:21 “Misfortune pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous. 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous. 23 An abundance of food is in poor people’s fields, but injustice sweeps it away.
24 One who spares the rod hates his son, but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.
25 The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.“

Observations: 13:21-25 Sinners are overtaken by misfortune, and their fortunes are transferred to the righteous. Unjust laws are often used by the greedy to oppress the poor, who suffer hunger as a result. Never mistake legality for righteousness. The fact that something is legal doesn't make it right. God has the highest law. Love requires motivating people to do what is right. Neglect of wrong-doing or affirmation without righteousness is wicked, for it entrenches evil-doers in their sin, making it even harder to eradicate. The indulgent parent who spares the rod/discipline hates their child. They are using indulgence as a means of manipulating the child's affections. They are using the child to meet their own needs for being liked. That's child abuse, because they are turning the child into a monster to build their own self worth. The child will suffer the rest of their life from poor parenting until they learn to re-parent themselves (see bottom of outline The Magic Lamp of Self-Esteem on Truthbase.net for the ABC's of repairing the damage and re-parenting yourself). The parent who truly loves their child will discipline (see TOYL Parenting Principles) so they can be affirmed by others and God for being righteous. Then the righteous will eat and be satisfied, while the undisciplined wicked (hypocrite) will crave affirmation and worth for the rest of their life, and never get it. They will hunger in more ways than one, and go on to abuse their children, perpetuating the sorry cycle.

Illustration: To illustrate (gasp!) the danger of affirming rather than disciplining in the face of obvious unrighteousness consider the message being sent and received in the following scenario: Little Johnny throws a rock at his sister, and misses; it breaks the living room window. He tramples the flower bed to find another, which hits her in the face and bloodies her nose. As he comes into the house, he removes his muddy sneakers before storming off to annoy the cat. The mother says: “Good boy Johnny for taking off your sneakers before coming in the house.” What message gets sent to Johnny? “Good boy!” Where's the rod? We should affirm baby steps in the right direction when the person is trying to do what's right. To affirm outward appearances without disciplining an evil, self-willed heart, is to encourage and entrench the wrong behavior. That's not love.

Application: Love affirms only what is honorable, and provides negative incentives to what is unrighteous.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for being the perfect parent and lover; may I pattern my parenting and interactions with others after Your perfect dealings with me. Amen.


1 Kings 4-8 These chapters detail (and I do mean detail) Solomon's organization and building of the temple. There are some folks who spend hours studying each faucet of the construction looking for clever things to relate to other parts of the Bible. God would be more pleased if we focused on building loyal dependent obedience to God in our own lives and then taught others to obey all that God has commanded (disciplemaking - Matthew 28:19-20). The major meat to eat is in Chapter 8, so spend most of your time there.

1 Kings 4 The Blessings of Wisdom
4:1 King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend; 6 and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to levied labor. 7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year. 8 These are their names...
20 Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal, 23 ten head of fat cattle, and twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides around him. 25 Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27...every man according to his duty.
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were one thousand five. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fish. 34 There came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Observations: 4:1-6 Solomon's officers were David's or their sons.
4:7 The expenses of Solomon's administration were divided among the twelve tribes, with each being responsible for a month.
4:20-27 The prosperity and peace of the nation under Solomon's rule was unparalleled, as was the territory over which he had dominion. Note that each had a vine and fig tree, source of wine and celebratory food. Each person in Solomon's administration had a duty to perform.
4:29-34 The wisdom and understanding God gave Solomon was not just intended to benefit himself or even the nation, but to be a blessing to the whole world as well. People could come to Israel and see the application of God's wisdom in the prosperity of His people. We have excerpts of that wisdom in the book of Proverbs.

Application: When we are loyal to God He blesses with peace and prosperity, so others will seek His wisdom.

Prayer: Lord, guide me in living according to Your wisdom so others will be attracted to You. Amen.

1 Kings 5 Lumber and Levy for the Temple
5:1 Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. 2 Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 3 "You know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of Yahweh his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence. 5 Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon. My servants shall be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you shall say. For you know that there is not among us any who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians." 7 It happened, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, "Blessed is Yahweh this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people." 8 Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message which you have sent to me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. 9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you shall receive them. You shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household."
10 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire. 11 Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a treaty together.
13 King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to the levied labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains; 16 besides Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work. 17 The king commanded, and they cut out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone. 18 Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

Observations: 5:1-12 Out of love for David and respect for the wisdom (and flattery) of Solomon, Hiram makes a treaty to supply lumber for the temple for God's name. Solomon could have conquered Tyre, but then would have had the expense of the war, and been deprived of the skill of the woodcutters. Free trade is better than conquest.
5:13-18 Solomon conscripts laborers from each tribe, one month in Lebanon, and two months back home. The ration of supervisors to workers was about 1:55, which implies the people were willing, self-motivated workers.

Solomon says: “Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes stronger through common sense and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of facts” Proverbs 24:3-4 The Living Bible

Application: Good organization and wise, mutually beneficial alliances ensure success.

Prayer: Lord, help me see how working strategically with others better accomplishes Your purposes. Amen.

1 Kings 6 Temple Built
6:1 It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel...he began to build the house of Yahweh. 2 The house which king Solomon built for Yahweh, its length was sixty cubits, and its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits...9 So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.
11 The word of Yahweh came to Solomon, saying, 12 "Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel." 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
19 He prepared a sanctuary in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. 20 Within the sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the sanctuary; and he overlaid it with gold. 22 The whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the sanctuary he overlaid with gold. 23 In the sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside. 30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and outside. 38 So was he seven years in building it.

Observations: 6:1-9 After establishing his administration over the land, Solomon begins the task for which God raised him up, taking seven years to do it (6:38). It is also the purpose for which God raised up Israel, to manifest His glory to the world. The temple follows the general pattern of the tabernacle, although not enough details are given to make an exact replica.
6:11-14 God gives Solomon encouragement with a conditional promise to bless him if he makes knowing and obeying God's revelation a priority. Then God will dwell in the midst of His people, which leads into the next description of the Holy of Holies.
6:15-30 Like the tabernacle, everything is overlaid with Gold to reflect the glory of God. The temple will eventually be destroyed because of Israel's unfaithfulness. Sigh.

Application: An observant, dependent, and obedient relationship with God is the requirement for Him dwelling in our midst, not a building.

Prayer: God, You dwell with those who abide in Your word, to do it; make my heart, Your home. Amen.

1 Kings 7 Furnishings for the Temple
7:1 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2 For he built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was one hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits...13 King Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. He came to king Solomon, and performed all his work. 45... and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in the house of Yahweh, were of burnished brass. 46 The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: the weight of the brass could not be found out.
48 Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of Yahweh: the golden altar, and the table whereupon the show bread was, of gold; 49 and the lampstands, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 and the cups, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, of the temple, of gold. 51 Thus all the work that king Solomon worked in the house of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh.

Observations: 7:1-2 Solomon takes 13 years to build his own house, after first building God's. The grandeur of it was designed to be greater than any had seen, to reflect the greateness of God and His servants.
7:13-51 Like Bezaleel in Exodus 36, God gave Hiram from Tyre (different guy than the king) to oversee the artistic work for the temple.

Application: God gives skill and gold to honor Him, use them both accordingly.

Prayer: God, You are worthy of the best that I have and do. May I never use my talents nor treasure for anything other than Your will. Amen.

1 Kings 8 Dedicating the Temple
8:1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. 4 They brought up the ark of Yahweh, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these the priests and the Levites brought up. 5 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 When the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.
12 Then Solomon said, "Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 13 I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever." 14 The king turned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood. 15 He said, "Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying...19 Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’ 20 Yahweh has established his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 21 There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt." 22 Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; 23 and he said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keep covenant and hesed/loyal love with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart; 24 who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day. 25 Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ 26 "Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.
27 But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28 Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you this day; 29 that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there’; to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place. 30 Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.
31 "If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swear before your altar in this house; 32 then hear in heaven, and do, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
33 "When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house: 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers. 35 "When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them: 36 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance. 37 "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; 38 whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: 39 then hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;) 40 that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. 41 "Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for your name’s sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name, and of your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43 hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.
44 "If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name; 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 46 If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47 yet if they shall repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly’; 48 if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name: 49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling place, and maintain their cause; 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are your people, and your inheritance, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); 52 that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you. 53 For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh."
54 It was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. 55 He stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 "Blessed be Yahweh, 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 by Moses his servant. 57 May Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us; 58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. 59 Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require; 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh, he is God. There is none else. 61 "Let your heart therefore be perfect with Yahweh our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day."
62 The king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before Yahweh. 63 Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, two and twenty thousand head of cattle, and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh. 64 The same day the king made the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahweh; for there he offered the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too little to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings. 65 So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David his servant, and to Israel his people.

Observations: 8:1-11 The ark and vessels are brought up to the temple and God's glorify visibly fills the temple in the form of a cloud.
8:12-26 Solomon attributes his completion of the temple to the fulfillment of God's promises to David (in the first part of the Davidic Covenant 2Sam 7), and then turns attention to the covenant which is in the ark, in the most holy place of the temple, which is reflected in the second part of the Davidic Covenant, blessing for continued obedience.
8:27-32 Solomon asks God to hear his prayers and those of His people when they pray and to forgive them when they sin; justify or vindicate the righteous when they are contending with the wicked.
8:33-43 Solomon also asks God to hear, forgive and relent from judgment when people are reaping the consequences of their sin, and they repent, confess, and pray. He also asks God to teach them the way to avoid judgment. In short to render to everyone according to their ways (8:39) so they may fear Him all their days. He makes a similar request for foreigners, so that all might know and fear the God of Israel.
8:44-53 Solomon even asks God to hear the prayers of repentance by His people when their sin is so repeated that are being disciplined by being removed from the land, according to the curses of Deuteronomy 29.
8:54-66 Solomon blesses the assembly and God and asks that He incline/stretch out their hearts toward Him (by His blessings) so that they will walk in His ways, so all the earth might know that He is the one and only God.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God is worthy of the best we can give Him. He always fulfills His promises so we will have our hearts turned toward Him and will walk in His ways. His plan for bringing all peoples of the earth to Himself hinges upon the obedience of His people. He not only wants to dwell in their midst, but He will always hear the prayers of people who repent, turn from their sin and turn to Him wholeheartedly, even when being disciplined for their sin. God's goal is not that we wallow in our sin, but that we confess and forsake it, and get back in His good graces. He teaches His people to follow His ways if their hearts are rightly related to Him (that means we fear and wholeheartedly seek His will).

Us in a nutshell: Blessing His people is God's plan to reveal Himself to the world. Our sin, springing from a heart set on the wrong things, stymies the process. When we repent, confess, and pray to God, He forgives and relents from our discipline, so we will walk in His ways. Fearing God is necessary, serving Him with all our heart and soul. As Solomon said:
1 Kings 8:57 "May Yahweh our God be with us 58 that He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments 59 that He may maintain the cause of (bless) His people 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh, He is God. There is none else. 61 "Let your heart therefore be perfect with Yahweh our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments."

Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net

1 Kings 4-8 complete text
1 Kings 4
4:1 King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend; 6 and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor. 7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year. 8 These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben Deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; 13 Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him belonged the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the land.
20 Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal, 23 ten head of fat cattle, and twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides around him. 25 Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 Those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon’s table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they to the place where the officers were, every man according to his duty.
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were one thousand five. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fish. 34 There came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

1 Kings 5
5:1 Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. 2 Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 3 "You know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of Yahweh his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence. 5 Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon. My servants shall be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you shall say. For you know that there is not among us any who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians." 7 It happened, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, "Blessed is Yahweh this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people." 8 Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message which you have sent to me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. 9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you shall receive them. You shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household."
10 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire. 11 Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a treaty together. 13 King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains; 16 besides Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work. 17 The king commanded, and they cut out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone. 18 Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

1 Kings 6
6:1 It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh. 2 The house which king Solomon built for Yahweh, its length was sixty cubits, and its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits. 3 The porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was its length, according to the breadth of the house. Ten cubits was its breadth before the house. 4 For the house he made windows of fixed lattice work. 5 Against the wall of the house he built stories all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the sanctuary; and he made side rooms all around. 6 The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house. 7 The house, when it was in building, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 8 The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third. 9 So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. 10 He built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
11 The word of Yahweh came to Solomon, saying, 12 "Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel." 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15 He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir. 16 He built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling: he built them for it within, for a sanctuary, even for the most holy place. 17 In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits. 18 There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen. 19 He prepared a sanctuary in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. 20 Within the sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the sanctuary; and he overlaid it with gold. 22 The whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the sanctuary he overlaid with gold. 23 In the sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. 25 The other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. 27 He set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside. 30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and outside. 31 For the entrance of the sanctuary he made doors of olive wood: the lintel and door posts were a fifth part of the wall. 32 So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim, and on the palm trees. 33 So also made he for the entrance of the temple door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part of the wall; 34 and two doors of fir wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 He carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work. 36 He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams. 37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Yahweh laid, in the month Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all its parts, and according to all its fashion. So was he seven years in building it.

1 Kings 7
7:1 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2 For he built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was one hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. 3 It was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams, that were on the pillars; fifteen in a row. 4 There were beams in three rows, and window was over against window in three ranks. 5 All the doors and posts were made square with beams: and window was over against window in three ranks. 6 He made the porch of pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits; and a porch before them; and pillars and a threshold before them. 7 He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. 8 His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the like work. He made also a house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch. 9 All these were of costly stones, even of cut stone, according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. 11 Above were costly stones, even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood. 12 The great court around had three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams; like as the inner court of the house of Yahweh, and the porch of the house.
13 King Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. He came to king Solomon, and performed all his work. 15 For he fashioned the two pillars of brass, eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them about. 16 He made two capitals of molten brass, to set on the tops of the pillars: the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars; and there were two rows around on the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars: and he did so for the other capital. 19 The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits. 20 There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows around on the other capital. 21 He set up the pillars at the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz. 22 On the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished. 23 He made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it. 24 Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea: the buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 25 It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set on them above, and all their hinder parts were inward. 26 It was a handbreadth thick: and its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it held two thousand baths. 27 He made the ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height. 28 The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges; 29 and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30 Every base had four bronze wheels, and axles of brass; and the four feet of it had supports: beneath the basin were the supports molten, with wreaths at the side of each. 31 The mouth of it within the capital and above was a cubit: and its mouth was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its mouth were engravings, and their panels were foursquare, not round. 32 The four wheels were underneath the panels; and the axles of the wheels were in the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. 33 The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axles, and their rims, and their spokes, and their naves, were all molten. 34 There were four supports at the four corners of each base: its supports were of the base itself. 35 In the top of the base was there a round compass half a cubit high; and on the top of the base its stays and its panels were of the same. 36 On the plates of its stays, and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around. 37 In this way, he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. 38 He made ten basins of brass: one basin contained forty baths; and every basin was four cubits; and on every one of the ten bases one basin. 39 He set the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, toward the south. 40 Hiram made the basins, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he worked for king Solomon in the house of Yahweh: 41 the two pillars, and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; 43 and the ten bases, and the ten basins on the bases; 44 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea; 45 and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in the house of Yahweh, were of burnished brass. 46 The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: the weight of the brass could not be found out.
48 Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of Yahweh: the golden altar, and the table whereupon the show bread was, of gold; 49 and the lampstands, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 and the cups, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, of the temple, of gold. 51 Thus all the work that king Solomon worked in the house of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh.

1 Kings 8
8:1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 All the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 They brought up the ark of Yahweh, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these the priests and the Levites brought up. 5 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 6 The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. 8 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the sanctuary; but they were not seen outside: and there they are to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.
12 Then Solomon said, "Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 13 I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever." 14 The king turned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood. 15 He said, "Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ 17 "Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 18 But Yahweh said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’ 20 Yahweh has established his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 21 There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."
22 Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; 23 and he said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart; 24 who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day. 25 Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ 26 "Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father. 27 But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28 Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you this day; 29 that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there’; to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place. 30 Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. 31 "If a man sins against his neighbour, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swear before your altar in this house; 32 then hear in heaven, and do, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. 33 "When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house: 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers. 35 "When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them: 36 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance. 37 "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; 38 whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: 39 then hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;) 40 that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. 41 "Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for your name’s sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name, and of your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43 hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name. 44 "If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name; 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 46 If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47 yet if they shall repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly’; 48 if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name: 49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling place, and maintain their cause; 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are your people, and your inheritance, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); 52 that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you. 53 For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh."
54 It was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. 55 He stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 "Blessed be Yahweh, 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 by Moses his servant. 57 May Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us; 58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. 59 Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require; 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh, he is God. There is none else. 61 "Let your heart therefore be perfect with Yahweh our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day."
62 The king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before Yahweh. 63 Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, two and twenty thousand head of cattle, and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh. 64 The same day the king made the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahweh; for there he offered the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too little to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings. 65 So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David his servant, and to Israel his people.