Not Pleased

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

NOT PLEASED

1 Kings 9:10-14

10 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built these two buildings — the temple of the LORD and the royal palace— 11 King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and pine and gold he wanted. 12 But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. 13 "What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?" he asked. And he called them the Land of Cabul, a name they have to this day. 14 Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold.

NIV

One hundred and twenty talents equal about four and one-half tons of gold, which is a lot of gold by any standard. In today's market, that would equal about five hundred and seventy-six billion dollars, and for that, Hiram was given twenty towns in Galilee, and he was not pleased with his reward. We could never supply our king with any gold, silver, cedar, or anything considered valuable in this world. There is only one thing that we can give to the Lord, and that is ourselves. What could be a problem is that gold is considered pure, whereas we are not pure in ourselves. However, we are washed in the blood of Jesus, which in that sense we are pure, or holy in the sight of God. At the beginning of the treaty between Solomon and Hiram, the agreement was that Solomon would pay Hiram whatever wages he set. Hiram was working for wages, but the reward was on top of that, and he was not pleased with the reward. That will never be a problem for us, as our reward is eternal life. However, we cannot work for it; we cannot do anything that would give us the right to any reward from God. We even have to be careful not to do any acts of righteousness so that people can see how good, holy, or righteous we are, because if we do, Jesus said we will have no reward from our Father in heaven. We can testify to the goodness of God in our lives, but we have to be very careful not give any illusion that His goodness to us is due to how much we do, or how holy or righteous we act. Indeed, we want to do His will, and love is the key. The two greatest commands Jesus gave us were, first, to love the Lord our God with our whole being, heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second was to love everyone else the same way we love ourselves. When we take his definition of love, as given to us through the apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we can understand what it takes to love each other that way. However, we still need to be mindful not to be show-offs or boastful about how much we love God and each other, for that could be seen as doing acts of righteousness before men. However, because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have already received the reward of eternal life, and we are overjoyed by it. How could we be like Hiram and say we are not pleased? 

Integrity of Heart

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

INTEGRITY OF HEART

1 Kings 9:1-9

9:1 When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, 2 the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The LORD said to him: "I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. 4 "As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' 6 "But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 8 And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' 9 People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them — that is why the LORD brought all this disaster on them.'"

NIV

This is the pure history of the events surrounding the completion of the temple that Solomon built. After all the sacrifices and prayers in its dedication, and the blessing of Solomon on the people, God answers. Interestingly, we can apply these words of the LORD to our lives as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who consecrates us. The Hebrew word translated as “consecrate” literally means “to be made clean.” We have used it to apply as being made sacred, but the point is that it was God who made the temple Solomon built clean, or we would say, holy. We would then have to admit that we cannot make ourselves clean, sacred, or holy. We have been washed in the blood of Jesus through the work of God. There is no other way for us to be clean, consecrated, sacred, or holy. The LORD put His name on the temple forever, and He has placed His name on us, for we are His people. It might best be explained as if we own and operate a business when we say that we are His people, owned and operated by God. We wonder how much we look like we have the name of the Lord on us when we try to manage our lives by our own desires. However, God also gave Solomon a warning to remain walking before Him with integrity, or with a complete, whole heart. Solomon was warned not to get involved with other gods, and if the people did take on other gods and worship them, the LORD would cut them off and reject them. That is one of the Ten Commandments, most Christians use as theirs, to have no other gods before me. Yet we wonder whether some things in this world have become a form of god to us. We may not worship like we are supposed to worship the Lord our God, singing praises in church, but is there a difference between how much time and effort we put into the things in this world and the Lord? It comes down to the primary focus of our lives. We know we should not have a divided heart, as Jesus told us we cannot serve two masters. Even if we do not serve any of the things of this world, or make any of them a god, we still have to be careful not to serve ourselves, for then we might be trying to serve two masters, God and self. This may be a fine line, but we have to consider whether we have slipped into serving something or serving ourselves without recognizing it. Jesus told us that he would be with us to the end, but that should not give us the liberty to serve other things or self and try to serve Him. Are we truly seeking Him and His righteousness first? Does that mean we cannot enjoy life? No, in fact, Jesus said he gives us his joy, that our joy may be complete. Let us be careful how we seek enjoyment. Let us walk before him with integrity of heart. 

Hold Nothing Back

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HOLD NOTHING BACK

1 Kings 8:62-66

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD. 64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. 65 So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him — a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the LORD our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

NIV

This was a lot of cattle and sheep, a hundred and forty-two thousand animals killed, slathered, cut up, taking all the fat off the meat to save for another offering. How many priests were needed to do all that butchering, and how long must it have taken?  Solomon was not holding anything back in his dedication of the temple he built in the name of the LORD. He offered so much that he had to move out into the courtyard because the rest of his offerings were too large for the bronze altar to hold. We wonder if we even come close to offering the Lord what He is due in our dedication of the temple of the Holy Spirit. Have we given Him all, or have we held something of ourselves back for our own purposes or plans? Again, it comes down to our focus. Do we focus on the Lord, or do we focus on ourselves, or maybe we try to share our focus between Him and ourselves? It seems we look to fulfilling our own sense of right or wanting our own way in our relationship with the Lord and with other people.  Why do we hold back instead of being all in? Is that our human nature? Are we flawed that much? Indeed, Solomon, being a man, had other moments besides all these offerings to the LORD during the dedication of the temple. Our lives are also filled with daily activities that are not a part of our offering to the Lord, yet we are supposed to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord. How do we become that living sacrifice if we maintain our focus on those daily activities? Should not all we do in life be somehow connected with being a living sacrifice? How do we lose our patience or become upset because of what someone said or did? Why do we get our feelings hurt over the little things in life? Why do we hold back part of our offering to the Lord? How can we have a joyful heart if we are not filled with the joy of the Lord? Let us make a greater effort always to be that living sacrifice, holding nothing back. 

Finding Rest

 DEVOTION

1^ST Kings

FINDING REST

1 Kings 8:54-61

54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying: 56 "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees, and regulations he gave our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. 61 But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."

NIV

These words of Solomon to the people of Israel are packed full of truths that apply to our lives as well. First, He praised the LORD because He was giving rest to his people, Israel. Jesus promised us that if we are ever burdened or get weary, we only need to come to Him and He will give us rest. He further promised that when we take His yoke upon us, that is, walk in step with His leading, and learn from Him, because He is gentle and humble in heart, and by doing that, we will find rest for our souls. How much better can life be than to live with rest within our souls, our hearts, and minds? Stress is a soul killer. Bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, hurts, envy, jealousy, self-righteousness, and gossip are all destroyers of rest and soul killers. Solomon blessed the people with the truth that the LORD would never leave them nor forsake them. The writer of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Spirit, reminds us of Moses' words to the people: God promised that He would never leave them nor forsake them. Jesus told His disciples, which includes us, that He would not leave us as orphans; He would come to us. It does require that we turn our hearts to the Lord God Almighty and walk in all His ways. This may be one of the most challenging truths to apply. We might get distracted by wanting to walk in our own ways, even doing what we think are good things or good deeds. But that may not be His way. He is our Lord, and that means He is in charge of our lives, knowing what is best for us, so we should take Jesus’s yoke upon us, letting Him lead us through life and do what He wants for us. Walking in His ways would also require us to fully commit our hearts to the Lord our God and live by His decrees. In doing so, we will find rest for our souls.

 

Not A Foreigner

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

NOT A FOREIGNER

1 Kings 8:41-53

41 "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm — when he comes and prays toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

44 "When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

NIV

Solomon included the foreigner, or in the case of Israel, any gentile who does not belong to the Lord's people, Israel, in his prayer. These were prophetic in a sense, as Jesus came to Israel as an Israeli, through a Jewish woman, and lived within Israel. However, He came to earth because God so loved the world, even though Israel is considered God's chosen people. The world includes all Gentiles or foreigners. We would have been regarded as a Gentile or a foreigner in the time of Jesus, and in some sense, we still are Gentiles. However, through the inspired letter that Paul wrote to the Jews in Rome, the Lord made it clear that a man is not a Jew, or the chosen people, if his circumcision is only done in the flesh, or outwardly. A man is a Jew if circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, rather than by the written code. What we would conclude is that we are no longer considered foreigners, because the Spirit has circumcised our hearts, and therefore, we are the faithful Israel that is meant when the Lord said that all of Israel will be saved. At one point in our lives, before we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and were baptized by the Spirit, we were foreigners, outsiders, yet when we turn our hearts toward heaven, repenting, changing the way we think about God and His truth, our prayer is heard, and God answers and redeems us. We no longer need to hear about His great Name and His mighty hand and outstretched hand, for now we can experience all of Him. We also no longer need to turn toward any temple built by man to worship the Lord, for He has made us the temple of the Holy Spirit, who has had our hearts circumcised by the Spirit and now lives within the kingdom of God. Because the Holy Spirit is within us, we can worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Once we were foreigners, but no longer. 

He Acts

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HE ACTS

1 Kings 8:31-40

31 "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence. 33 "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers. 35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. 37 "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel — each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple— 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.

NIV

Solomon prays about four areas of life that could happen to Israel. These four are: being in the wrong, being defeated, being in a dry place, and hunger or being hurt. Solomon is praying about things that could happen to Israel and to their land, and all those situations of life can be resolved by turning to the LORD, confessing His name, and listening to Him as He instructs them in the right way to live. Solomon also acknowledges the LORD knows each man’s heart, and asks the LORD to forgive and act, dealing with each man according to all he does. This is where our story fits together with Solomon's prayer. There are times when we do wrong; it is just the way we are, imperfect, unable to keep ourselves from sin.  There are times when we could feel as though we have been defeated by various situations in life, whether in our health, our inability to fix the aches or pains, or some infirmity. There can be times when we may go through a spiritual dryness and hunger to hear from God, and it seems He is silent. Yet, God is always there to listen to our prayers, as He knows our hearts. The joy to know that God is listening and is always ready to forgive us, heal us, bless us, and feed us, both physically and spiritually. Indeed, we also know what is in our hearts, and what afflicts us, our weaknesses, so we lift our hands and our hearts, or spirits toward the Lord, seeking His face, His dwelling place, that His will be done in us as it is in heaven. He listens and acts. He deals with each of us according to what we have done. However, that is not about each of our sins, and how grievous one could be, or how many good deeds we have done, but the want we have done is all about accepting or rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior. On that last day, there are only the sheep on His right side and the goats on His left. The sheep are given the right to enter the kingdom, and the goats are assigned to the lake of burning sulfur. It comes down to being in or out of the kingdom of God, all because of whether we are in or out of Christ. Nothing we have done or not done while living in this body counts toward our entrance into the kingdom, but only the condition of our hearts that are bent toward Jesus. It is not that we should sin anyway we desire, or think that we do so many good things that we get notable accolades or a bigger crown, with more jewels. The only matter is our accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, following Him, listening to His voice, and spreading our hands and hearts toward heaven. He hears and listens, and He forgives and acts. In fact, He already acted on our behalf by sending Jesus to save us from our sins, to redeem us, and give us eternal life. God has and will continue to act. 

He Forgives

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HE FORGIVES

1 Kings 8:22-30

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:

"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below — you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it — as it is today. 25 "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' 26 And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true. 27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

NIV

Once again, we are reminded that the Lord promised and that He kept and will always keep His promise. Now, Solomon adds another dimension to his prayer as he spreads out his hands toward heaven. First, to know there is no God like the God in heaven or on the earth. We know this to be true for who else could have done what the Lord God Almighty has done. Still, we are reminded of the words, “Oh Sovereign, who am I that you have taken me this far?” He is the Lord who keeps His covenant of love with His servants who continue wholeheartedly in His way. Does that mean His servants never fail, never sin, if they are wholehearted, continuing in His way? We do not know of any person who has lived, is living, or will ever live, who has, is, and will not fail and sin. We all have sinned and fallen short of His glory, yet He keeps His covenant of love with us, as we are His servants, and it is our desire to follow Him and His ways with all our hearts. Solomon prayed that the LORD would have His eyes open toward the temple night and day, the place where the LORD said, “My Name shall be there.” The temple has changed from the one made of stone, cedar, gold, and bronze, to the temple God formed with his own hands, us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and His eyes are toward His temple night and day. We are never out of the sight of the Lord. He is not just watching us, but He is watching over us, keeping us within His covenant of love. Of course, the greatest love He showed us is Jesus. Solomon also made it abundantly clear that when we pray, the Lord hears our supplications and in His dwelling place, heaven, and also within our spirits, when He hears, He forgives. Interestingly, there are times when we fail, we also fail to forgive ourselves and carry either shame or guilt, which then interferes with our relationship with the Lord. This broken or damaged relationship is only on our end, or when we confess our sin, He hears, and He forgives. His relationship with us is never broken on His end, for He is the one who established His covenant of love, and He always keeps His promise. Let us never allow sin to disturb our side of this relationship and always, with our whole heart, seek His face, speak our words of confession, and bring our supplications before Him. He will always hear and always forgive. 

He Promised

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HE PROMISED

1 Kings 8:12-21

12 Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; 13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever." 14 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. 15 Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, 16'Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.' 17 "My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 18 But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart. 19 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood — he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.' 20 "The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt."

NIV

The main theme of these words of Solomon is that the LORD promised and He had kept his promise. We too should always have the words, “Praise be to the LORD” except He is not just the God of Israel, but He is also the God of the universe who spoke everything into existence and who formed us with his own hands and breathed life into us as he formed us in the image of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, because He used the words, “in our image”. But it is first the promise, and second, that he keeps His promise. When we take His promise for eternal life to all who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we sometimes say that it is our hope, or our hope is in Jesus. But because He promised, is it really just a hope? Does hope diminish His promise or make it null and void? God promised, and He has always kept His promise, so then the question is whether we believe Him. Jesus promised that He would prepare a place for us, so that where He is we can be also, and that because He prepared a place for us, He would come back to take us there. He promised, and the Lord always keeps His promise. He told Martha that whoever lives and believes in Him will never die, then he asked that great question, “Do you believe this?” He asked the same question of the blind man, when He asked, “Do you believe I can do this?” it always come back to the truth that the Lord promised and He always keeps His promise. So then we could say that we are people of the promise. We live in Jesus, but we also live in His promise. He also made it clear if we want to be in His promise, that is to see the kingdom of heaven, we must be born again, or born from above. That too is a promise, and he always keeps His promise. So then, as a born-again, spirit-filled follower of Jesus, we will see His promise fulfilled in us and to us, because He promised and He always keeps His promise. 

His Glory

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HIS GLORY

1 Kings 8:1-11

8:1 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. 2 All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. 3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, 4 and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, 5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. 6 The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. 10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.

NIV

Interestingly, it would seem there were two tents of meeting, but there would have been only one ark of the covenant in the tabernacle built by Moses under the LORD's instruction. According to this record, the tabernacle was in the city of David, Zion, or Bethlehem, while there was a tent of meeting at Gibeon on a high place where Solomon met with the LORD and was told he could ask for anything; that is where he requested a discerning heart. But the ark was brought from Bethlehem, so we think that is where the whole of the first tabernacle was kept by David until it was time for the temple to be built. The other thought by some is that the original tabernacle was at Gibeon, but David had built a temporary one to house the ark of the Covenant in Zion. Is it that important as to where the ark was, as it is that it was brought up and placed in the Holy of Holies, and then the LORD’s presence filled his temple? This is the truth that brings it home for us. Although we are told that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we do not belong to us, but He, the Holy Spirit, fills His temple. His presence filled the temple that Solomon built, but it is referred to as the glory of the LORD filling his temple. We cannot build ourselves into a temple, for that is the work of Jesus when we, through faith, accept him as our Lord and Savior. Once we made that commitment, then he does the work within us, making us into the temple in which the Holy Spirit comes to dwell. In the case of the temple that Solomon built, it was the glory of the LORD, which does not mean the LORD Himself, that filled the temple. However, it is not just the glory of the Holy Spirit that fills us, but it is the Holy Spirit Himself that fills us, as we are baptized with Him, or immersed in Him, as He fills His temple. We simply offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, and He is the one who makes us holy and pleasing to Himself, the Lord. However, it still comes back to the truth that because we are that temple of the Holy Spirit, who is full of glory, and his glory has filled us, we then are filled with the glory of the Lord, and should reflect His glory, which means we have no glory of our own, but only are filled with His glory. 

Reflection

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

REFLECTION

1 Kings 7:41-51

41 the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; 42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); 43 the ten stands with their ten basins;  44 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;   45 the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. All these objects that Huram made for King Solomon for the temple of the LORD were of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all these things unweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined. 48 Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in the LORD's temple: the golden altar; the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; 49 the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs; 50 the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple. 51 When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated — the silver and gold and the furnishings — and he placed them in the treasuries of the LORD's temple.

NIV

There was so much burnished bronze that it was left unweighted. What would be the purpose of accounting for how much there was? We are also not told how much all the stone, cedar, gold, and silver weighed either, for there was so much, an abundance of everything that was used for the temple of the LORD. Why should it be any other way? However, there was a tremendous amount of details so the temple would be the most magnificent place, the center of life in Jerusalem. Still, it was just a building, and compared to the glories of heaven, it was but a dim reflection. This is the amazing story of our deliverance from the darkness of this world. Jesus, who was before the beginning of time and who created all that was created, lived in the most glorious of glories that is above all else and beyond our abilities to comprehend how incredibly glorious it is, left all that to come to earth in the form of man for the singular purpose to save us from our sins. There was a way to describe the temple, but we cannot truly describe the glories of heaven, or, for that matter, God himself. Yet, Jesus told us that if we have seen him, we have seen the Father. His word gives us enough of His description, or at least of his character, that we do know the Father. But to understand the glory might be more difficult, yet we are supposed to reflect the glory of God in ever-increasing glory. The temple was supposed to reflect the glory of God, and it was full of gold, silver, bronze, and all sorts of preciousness. We do not have the gold or silver or cedar or bronze, but we are full of preciousness in the sight of the Lord. We are precious to him, and he calls us the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that is how we can reflect the glory of God. He dwells within us, shining his light within, and it should be shining so brightly that it shines out of us, reflecting His glory. That is why Jesus told us that we have become the light of the world. Wherever we stand, there can be no total darkness, for our light should be shining so brightly that it reflects the light of God. If we are reflecting that much light, how could we ever appear gloomy or downcast? We wonder if we spend too much time concerned about our physical appearance, or the condition of our physical bodies, thus our countenance is not reflective of God, and we have forgotten that we are to reflect Him. Let us lift up our Lord, and He will lift us up so that we can walk as the light, with the appearance of light, with a shining demeanor, reflecting the glory of God. 

Cleansed

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

CLEANSED

1 Kings 7:27-40

27 He also made ten movable stands of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.   28 This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. 29 On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim — and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. 30 Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. 31 On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half. Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal. 34 Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. 35 At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand.   36 He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. 37 This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape. 38 He then made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. 39 He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. 40 He also made the basins and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

NIV

These ten carts were 6 feet long and wide and 4 ½ feet high, each a basin that would hold 230 gallons of water. The purpose of these basins is not explained to us in this passage, but it is thought that they were used for several purposes. First, in such an arid place as Israel, except for the fertile plains, water was at a premium. These carts could have been wheeled to water and filled so as to fill the large Sea Basin for the ceremonial washing of the priests. The water in the ten movable stands would also have been used to wash the animal sacrifices or to carry away the blood and waste from the sacrifices. This whole system was designed around the duty of the order of priests that served in the temple of Yahweh, Adoni. Everything and everyone had to be cleansed before the LORD. But all that water could only wash the exterior of the priests as well as the sacrifices. It was said that the Romans, and it appears the Jews, felt that cleanliness was next to godliness. But what good is our cleaning the exterior of our bodies, if the inside is but dead men’s bones?  Jesus accused the Pharisees, chief priests, and teachers of the law of being clean on the outside but having dead men’s bones inside. It was the same as the clean cup on the outside and dirty inside, teaching that he used. Of course, we do not want to walk around dirty on the outside, because we have so many methods of cleansing our bodies. However, if we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, then we need more than a ceremonial washing. We have to be cleansed on the inside, and that is what Jesus has done for us, being the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sins. We do not need those carts either to carry away the waste, for Jesus has carried away all our waste, all our sins, the things within us that are not acceptable as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to the Lord. All we need is Jesus. Because the priests had to wash themselves before serving in the temple, we cannot wash ourselves, but Jesus has cleansed us completely so that we can be the royal priesthood we are meant to be. No matter what symbols or articles were used in the temple and what they were meant for,  all we need is Jesus, and we will be cleansed. 

Preparing

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

PREPARING 

1 Kings 7:25-26

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.  

NIV

The sea, which is not a sea, but a bronze basin with a diameter of 15 feet that was 45 feet in circumference and 7 ½ feet tall. It rested on the hindquarters of 12 bronze bulls, each facing one of the four directions. From the description, the rim was tapered outward, like a lily blossom, and about 3 inches thick in solid bronze. It would hold about 11,500 gallons of water. The size might resemble some of the modern baptismal tanks. From what we can gather, it seems it was used as a place where the priest would ceremonially wash before entering the holy place, the temple, to perform the service to the Lord. But what spiritual significance would apply to our lives? We could use the Hebrew word ‘Yam’, which means to roar, like roaring water, such as a large sea, to resemble or represent the water the Spirit hovered over in the creation account. We could see this as the waters of baptism we should walk through, as we follow Jesus, as he walked through those waters in the Jordon as he was baptized by John. We could view this basin in the way the priests used it as a ceremonial cleansing before entering the presence of the LORD in his temple. Although we are not just ceremonially washed by water, we are cleansed of all our sins by being washed in the blood of Jesus. This large basin would have replaced the brazen laver that stood before the entrance of the tabernacle in the wilderness. This laver was hammered smooth like a mirror to show the dirty feet of the priest, symbolizing sin. The word of God shows or reflects our sins to us and our need to be cleansed before entering the presence of the Lord. We know this is personal and spiritual, but we wonder if we prepare ourselves before we enter the presence of our Lord when we enter the holy sanctuary at church. We know it is just a building, but so was the temple Solomon built. When we come into the sanctuary of the Lord, have we prepared ourselves? Of course, we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, but we have walked in the filth of this world, even if we have not entered into partnership with it. We have not yet attained perfection either, so sin has been somewhere within before we enter the sanctuary of the Lord. Should we not prepare ourselves so that we can truly worship in spirit and in truth? Sometimes it is bothersome to use the church as a meeting place for chatter, even gossip. We have been in some churches that have great coffee bars, donuts, sweets, and places dedicated to this chattering and clamoring about, trying their best to label it fellowship time before entering the sanctuary, if it can be called that, when it looks more like a theater to view a performance. Let us prepare our hearts, our spirits, our minds as we come to worship our Lord, so that we can worship in spirit and in truth. 

Never Ending Story

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

NEVER ENDING STORY

1 Kings 7:13-40

 

13 King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram,   14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was a man of Tyre and a craftsman in bronze. Huram was highly skilled and experienced in all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him. 15 He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits around, by line. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high. 17 A network of interwoven chains festooned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. He did the same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.   22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed.

NIV

This is unclear when there was a transition from describing his palace to describing the items for the temple of the LORD. But we know from all the rest of the things that were made, this was for the temple, not his palace. These two pillars were at the door or in front of the doors into the temple, and they were 27 feet high and 18 feet around. Their tops of their crowns were about 7 feet high. Again, it is difficult to determine if there are any significant truths for our lives from the pillars of any other items in the temple. However, we do know that from the letters to the churches that whoever overcomes, that remains steadfast, Jesus will make a pillar in the temple of God, and the overcomers or pillars will never leave, and they will have his name written on them and the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem. Some day, the Lord will be finished with all his work on the pillars that will stand in the temple of God in that new city of Jerusalem. Interestingly, the pillars were cast or made by a man, but the pillars that will stand in the temple of God, who are those who overcome, are not made by man, but by the work of the Lord. If we are to be those overcomers, we have to come to grips with the truth that it is not up to us to become a pillar. We cannot get there by any effort of our hands or deeds, but it is all about the hand of the Lord at work, casting us into the shape and size he has determined that we all fit together as living stones into the temple of God, or pillars in the temple. The symbolic meaning of being a pillar is that we will have a permanent or eternal place in the realm of God within that new city of Jerusalem, never to leave it. This world only offers temporal things and places for us to have and live in, but there in the temple of the Lord, everything will be forever, eternal, and our presence there will never end. Once we arrive in the new city of God, the new city of Jerusalem, as a pillar, we will have a never-ending story.

 

What Splendor

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

WHAT SPLENDOR

1 Kings 7:9-22

 

9 All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and trimmed with a saw on their inner and outer faces. 10 The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits and some eight.   11 Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the LORD with its portico. 13 King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram,   14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was a man of Tyre and a craftsman in bronze. Huram was highly skilled and experienced in all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him. 15 He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits around, by line. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high. 17 A network of interwoven chains festooned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. He did the same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.   22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed.

NIV

This is a lot of detail about the two bronze pillars that stood at the front of the Palace of Solomon. Why are we told all these details? What is important about these pillars to the spiritual benefit of the reader? We know that all scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for correcting, rebuking, teaching, and training in righteousness, so that we are fully equipped for every good work, but how does this apply? We do wonder just what the new city of Jerusalem looks like and what kind of materials are used to make it. Will God just speak a whole city into existence? We know that Jesus told his disciples, which would include us, that he was going to prepare a place for us and that if he did go and prepare a place for us, he was coming back to take us there. It has been over two thousand years since he went to prepare this place, which could very well mean the new city of Jerusalem, and we would think it has to be done by now. We know it has a lot of gold, streams of water, trees, places to dwell, and the size of the city is fifteen hundred miles wide, long, and high. We envision a mountain for God has used mountains to visit his people; in fact, Jerusalem is built on Mt Moriah. We wonder if there will be pillars of bronze, or maybe of gold, all around, and large dressed stones, with many fine cedar rooms, or dwelling places in our Father’s house. We know Solomon employed the best tradesmen to construct his palace, yet there is none better than Jesus, as he prepared this place where we will be forever. Solomon was but a king, and Jesus is the King of kings, and the palace he has prepared is far superior to anything a man could build. Whatever man builds will fall away, perish in the course of time, no matter what material is used to build it. However, this place Jesus has prepared will last for eternity, and nothing within the city will perish, including all of us who Jesus comes back to get us and take us to that place. There we will have our inheritance, being a co-heir with Jesus. What a glorious day that will be, when we will see our Jesus. How magnificent it will be to walk and talk with him along on some street of gold and sit under a fruit tree, enjoying the never-perishing fruit with Jesus. Then to sit at the great banquet feast, with all the finest of foods, prepared perfectly for our enjoyment. Solomon’s palace, even with all its splendor, could never compare to the splendor of our new palace with Jesus. 

The Palace of Man

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE PALACE OF MAN

1 Kings 7:1-8

7:1 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. 2 He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. 3 It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns — forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. 4 Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. 5 All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.   6 He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide. In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof. 7 He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.   8 And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married.

NIV

It is a little strange that Solomon spent 7 years building the temple for the LORD, and 13 years building his own palace. There was also a big difference in size as the temple was 90 feet long, his palace was 150 feet long, the temple was 30 feet wide, and his palace was 75 feet wide, with both the temple and his palace being 45 feet high. However, the main difference is all the gold in the temple, while his palace was mostly cedar and bronze. Still, what is concerning as we look forward to all the things he had built for his palace, and the ornateness of it all, it has appeared he might have thought more highly of himself than he should. We would think that because God gave him wisdom greater than any man before or after Solomon, he would have had the discernment to know his palace should not overshadow the temple. We also know that Solomon’s life did not end well because of all his wives and their foreign gods, which they brought with them. So we are not surprised this self-edification had already shown us when he made his palace so much larger than the temple he built for the LORD. Yet, in reality, God was not actually living in that temple, nor could He be contained in a building made by man. We do know how much money we spent on the construction and care for the church we worship in, compared to the money and time we spent on our own living spaces. We also know from statistics that it appears only about 20% of believers support the church with tithes, while all believers support their own lives, with all they have. Are we much different than Solomon, spending more time on his bigger home than on the temple built to the LORD? Some churches have fallen into disrepair because of either the lack of interest or funds, to make it a holy place suitable for worship of the Lord. Let us learn from Solomon and not be too concerned about our own lives, or think more highly of ourselves than we should. Let us look to our Lord, and offer him ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him. Although we are now his temple, we still gather together in a place of worship, and it  should be worthy of the Lord God Almighty. 

The Inner Sanctuary

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE INNER SANCTUARY

1 Kings 6:23-38

23 In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits — ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 The height of each cherub was ten cubits. 27 He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. 30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold. 31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood with five-sided jambs. 32 And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold. 33 In the same way he made four-sided jambs of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall. 34 He also made two pine doors, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings. 36 And he built the inner courtyard of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams. 37 The foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it.

NIV

This is the best description we have of the interior of the temple Solomon built. It is difficult to imagine these two cherubim that are 15 feet tall with a total wingspan of 15 feet. This inner sanctuary, the holy of holies, was 30 by 30 feet and 30 feet high. If the one wing tip touched the one side wall with its other wing 15 feet away, that would mean they filled the whole 30 feet of width, wingtip to wingtip, and the ark would then be in the middle of the room between or under the two touching wingtips of the cherubim. Once again, we are faced with how much forethought was put into the design and building of this temple, which took 7 years to complete. We cannot imagine the amount of gold that was used to cover the entire interior of the temple, as well as the cherubim and the doors. We have to come back to the temple that God calls us, and we wonder how much thought we put into our design of what it is to look like. Although Solomon was able to complete his temple in a limited amount of time, we also have a limited amount of time to work on the temple of the Holy Spirit, our inner selves, yet we do have a lifetime from the moment we were reborn, or born again, which is also born from above. How much time do we spend on the construction of the temple? Again, this is not about how we look on the outside, as the world does, but what we look like inside, within our inner selves. How much detail are we paying attention to? Solomon poured much detail into the carvings in the interior and on the doors and covered them with gold, the doors with hammered gold. Our bodies, as the temple of the Holy Spirit, must have that kind of detail within. Our spirit needs to be carved by the hand of God, to be made beautiful and overlaid with gold, so our inner being is precious to the Lord. We may have had a door to our hearts, but when God knocked on that door, we opened up and allowed him to enter into the inner sanctuary of our hearts. Again, this is not about being religious or having a religion, but about our spirit and spiritual life, which ultimately reflect how we walk the path he has laid out for us. Let us pay attention to how the Lord works on the carvings within our hearts, making them a proper inner sanctuary for His Spirit.  

More Precious Than Gold

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD

1 Kings 6:14-22

14 So Solomon built the temple and completed it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine. 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen. 19 He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

NIV

The entire interior of the temple was overlaid with gold. We can imagine how that looked as the candles reflected off the gold. The Holy of Holies was 30 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 30 feet high. It was lined with gold, and Solomon put the ark of the covenant in the inner sanctuary. We have nothing like that today, although some have built ornate churches, and we have been in St Peter's, where there are many places that are overlaid or are pure gold. Some of the more orthodox churches of the past and present have made the altar the central place, and some still have gold inlaid portions. Although gold is a precious metal and our current culture has tried to establish the sale of gold as a form of financial security, we have something more precious than gold, much pure gold. First, the blood of Jesus is precious to us because it holds the key to our salvation. He is the precious cornerstone of our faith. David sang that song about the law, statutes, precepts, commands, and the ordinances of the LORD are more precious than gold, than much pure gold, and sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. Solomon adorned the interior of the temple to reflect the glory of God. We wonder if we have adorned the temple of the Holy Spirit so that we reflect the Lord’s glory in ever-increasing glory. We cannot line our bodies with gold, but we can make the temple, our bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to the Lord. We know it is not about making our bodies holy in the sense of what we eat or drink, but it is about the condition of our hearts. It is from the heart that comes out of our mouths, which can either defile the temple or reflect his glory. Because we consider Jesus, the cornerstone, who is precious to the Father, more precious to us than all the gold in the world, we should live accordingly. His word is more precious than anyone’s word, for His is the Word of God, and the rest is nothing but words of men. People might have many good words to say, but none are like the perfect Word of God, which is more precious to us than gold, much pure gold. Let us lift up Jesus, who is more precious to us than gold, than much pure gold. 

Not Abandoned

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

NOT ABANDONED

1 Kings 6:11-13

11 The word of the LORD came to Solomon:   12 "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."

NIV

God’s promise not to abandon His people Israel was contingent upon Solomon following the LORD’s decrees, carrying out all the LORD’s regulations, and keeping all the LORD’s commands and obeying them. That is a lot to expect of Solomon, but then the LORD expected that of all who believed Him. It is good that these conditions were within the realm of the Old Covenant, and we are no longer held to those standards as a provision for our Salvation, nor is the Lord abandoning us. However, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and that would mean that we need to be born again. Nicodemus had a difficult time understanding that phrase, but Jesus explained it thoroughly so that we also know our spirits were dead in our sins, and our spirits needed to be reborn from above. This would mean we became a new person in the inner self of our being. God also promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us, yet Jesus told us that we do need to stand firm to the end. Jesus warns us that when times get tough or difficult times come, many will turn away from the faith. He also warned there would be false prophets and they would deceive many people, and that because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. This is not an easy truth to deal with, as we can see so much of that happening in our current culture. Too many people have fallen prey to those silver-tongued purveyors of the gospel of prosperity to grow a following of givers so that the false prophet lives in prosperity. We are warned to stand firm in our faith no matter our situation in this life, for as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, Jesus will make sure we have enough. However, the greatest blessing is that He will not abandon his people as long as we do not abandon him, but stand firm until the end.

 

The Temple

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE TEMPLE

1 Kings 6:1-10

6:1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the LORD. 2 The temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.   3 The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple. 4 He made narrow clerestory windows in the temple. 5 Against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary he built a structure around the building, in which there were side rooms. 6 The lowest floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits and the third floor seven. He made offset ledges around the outside of the temple so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. 7 In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third. 9 So he built the temple and completed it, roofing it with beams and cedar planks. 10 And he built the side rooms all along the temple. The height of each was five cubits, and they were attached to the temple by beams of cedar.

NIV

Having translated from cubits to feet, we find the temple to be 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. There are many more details given, but the idea is that this was the temple Solomon built for the LORD. There are many visual depictions of the temple, and this is not about picturing what it looks like, but more about its purpose. This temple was to represent the presence of the LORD among his people. It was a place thought to be where God resides. We know that the Lord cannot be contained within a building constructed by man, yet it was a place where men served, worshipped, and sacrificed offerings to the LORD. It was a holy place, especially the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed. Today, people have built various versions of temples, although we call them churches, as a place to come and worship the Lord. Over the years, some have been extremely ornate, with some having been given names, such as “The Crystal Cathedral”. Some edify the builder more than the Lord. Some have built entire campuses with the design to express their importance, rather than to enhance the worship of the Lord. But the idea still comes down to the simple truth that we, our very beings, are the temple of the Holy Spirit. This brings us to the truth that we should not edify ourselves, or make ourselves look important, or build ourselves up. It is also not about our physical appearance, although the world promotes that our appearance is most important; in fact, billions of dollars are spent annually on beauty products. Some believers think that we should not defile the temple of our Lord, developing a list of things we should not do ingest, mostly about smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, but rarely include over-eating, or gluttony. Jesus said that it is not what we consume into the body that defiles it, but what comes out of our mouths, for our words come from our hearts, that defile us. This temple is more than our bodies; it is our minds, souls, or spirits. This temple is our very selves, who we are, our inner being. We are the people whom the Lord knit together in our mother’s womb. He knew us before we were born. Although the temple Solomon built had specific dimensions, we do not. Solomon’s temple could not expand beyond its walls, but we can expand in our spiritual lives through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within. Let us resist too much concern for the physical, although that might be of some importance, but let us truly focus on our spiritual being, the temple, as we worship in spirit and in truth. 

The Work

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE WORK

1 Kings 5:13-18

13 King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel — thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, 16 as well as thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the project and directed the workmen. 17 At the king's command they removed from the quarry large blocks of quality stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple. 18 The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and the men of Gebal cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.

NIV

That is a whole lot of men to cut timbers and stones, as well as the craftsmen who dressed the stone, or chiseled it into flat surfaces so it would all fit together. The idea presented to us within this passage is that it takes everyone involved to do their assigned task in order for the temple to be built. We also see Solomon as the visionary of what this temple should be like and how it is to be built. Although Solomon is being inspired by the LORD, as He is the ultimate visionary and gives the directions or inspiration for His plans. However, we should see that no one person can do everything, and so we each have our part within the body to accomplish the plan the Lord has for us as a church. We doubt if any, or at least only a few, churches could boast the numbers that Solomon had working toward building the temple. The major difference between the men that Solomon had was that they were forced laborers, or as the Hebrew voices it, a levy, or tax in the form of labor, and we serve our Lord from the love in our hearts. The Lord does not conscript us or force us to do anything. He will, however, inspire us or motivate us to accomplish his desires in our lives and in the life of the church. Another difference is that Solomon’s labors had supervisors and were told outright what each one’s task was. The Lord inspires us, but we must be diligent to hear his still small voice, instructing us in the way we should go. They did not have a choice as to how they should do what their instructions were, as we could make some changes by interjecting some of our “Good” ideas, although they would not be the perfect ideas of the Lord to accomplish the work. 

Peace on all Sides

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

PEACE ON ALL SIDES

1 Kings 5:8-12

8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon:

"I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and pine logs. 9 My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household." 10 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted, 11 and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths  of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. 12 The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

NIV

That is about one hundred and twenty-five thousand bushels of wheat and one hundred and fifteen thousand gallons of olive oil, year after year. Solomon was indeed a generous king, although all that was also supplied to him by each of the twelve tribes year after year. Nevertheless, this treaty between Harim and Solomon, although made by men, was the LORD's doing, so that Solomon could complete the building of a temple in the name of the LORD. We know from the gospel according to Luke that no word from the Lord will ever fail. We also know that it was Solomon who would build this temple, and so the beginning of what will be one of the greatest temples built in the name of the LORD. When it comes to doing something for the Lord, how can it be anything but the best? That should give us our story as to how we are to approach our service to our Lord. He gave us His very best, Jesus, who came to teach and show how to live under the authority of the Father, then gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, taking them all upon Himself. How could we not give ourselves fully to the service of our Lord? How could we even try to live with a divided heart, or divided interests? Why do we still try to serve our own interests? Of course, we are living in this world, and need the normal things to sustain our lives, and we must work. If we take the lesson that God gave Adam, that he was to labor by the sweat of his brow all the days of his life, then how do we find ways to store up enough to stop working and sit back doing nothing, as the world has established as the way of life? We know we cannot give up being in service to our Lord, no matter what the world considers the way of life. Solomon wanted the best for the LORD’s temple, and as we are now the Lord’s temple, he is transforming us into his design and filling us with the Holy Spirit, who is all we need to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Just as there was peace between Harim and Solomon, there is now peace between God and us, peace on all sides. 

Honoring One Another

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HONORING ONE ANOTHER

1 Kings 5:1-7

5:1 When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. 2 Solomon sent back this message to Hiram: 3 "You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. 4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. 5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, 'Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.' 6 "So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians." 7 When Hiram heard Solomon's message, he was greatly pleased and said, "Praise be to the LORD today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation."

NIV

And so the beginning of the first temple to be built in the name of the LORD in the city of Jerusalem. This will be a magnificent temple that Solomon will build. Although this record indicates that Solomon contacted the king of Tyre about the Cedars, according to the record in Chronicles, David had already set aside many cedar logs, gold, silver, stones, and other supplies to build articles of worship for the temple that he was not allowed to make because he was a man of war, a man of blood. Now Solomon secures more from Harim the king of Tyre, by first praising him and his men as the greatest at cutting down the great cedar trees of Lebanon. King Hiram responds well to the praise he receives, as we believe all people would. Solomon, gifted with the wisdom of God, knows that he will get a favorable response from honey, rather than a sword. We should learn that lesson, for that is also the wisdom of God. The Lord God Almighty does not bring or did not bring us a message of wrath to get a favorable response from us and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Instead, the Lord showed us His love, grace, and forgiveness of our sins, because we responded to his kindness and promise of eternal life. We need to see this as how he intends us to be with each other. We are told to love each other, and if we use all the definitions of love given to us in the letter to the Corinthians, we would be living in peace and harmony, giving praise for what others can do and are doing for the kingdom of God. Because we honor each other, being thankful for all they do, the relationship within the body of Christ will be extraordinarily beneficial to the kingdom. When we honor each other, the Lord is pleased, and he will bless the church beyond measure. However, if we cannot abide by love, and we allow ourselves to fall prey to feelings of unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, gossip, bitterness, or any other ill feelings toward others, the result within the church will be suffering, lack of harmony, and love, and without the blessings of the Lord. Let’s learn this lesson from Solomon, and honor one another,  and praise the gifts the Lord has given to others. 

His Reputation

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HIS REPUTATION

1 Kings 4:26-34

26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.   27 The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king's table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses. 29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite — wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

NIV

Solomon also became the wealthiest king in all Israel, as the LORD had promised him. No one was ever like Solomon, and there would never be anyone like him. Just to consider the number of horses is staggering. The amount of barley and straw and men to tend to that number of horses is more than we can imagine. Yet, when we consider the size of most modern governments, the need for funds to feed and house all the people employed is staggering. However, the story here is about the vast amount of wisdom God gave to Solomon. He was given more wisdom than any man who had ever been considered to be wise. His wisdom was greater than that of any other man. He spoke three thousand proverbs and described many plants and taught about animals and birds, reptiles, and fish. He did not have the wisdom of men, but from God. There is not a person who ever lived, or will ever live, who will have that amount of wisdom that Solomon had, in accordance with what God told him. However, we have already dealt with the fact that we are told if we lack wisdom, we are to ask the Lord, and he will give generously without finding fault. Still, that means we do not have to live in the darkness of human thought or understanding. First, we have the complete word of God, as his word lacks nothing, and thus nothing can be added to it. His word contains God’s wisdom, and he has given us the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all the truth of God’s word, which is the ultimate definition of wisdom. Although Solomon’s reputation spread all over many nations, we also know that Solomon was not flawless, as he was still a man. We know from the end of his story, he did not live in accordance with the wisdom of God. We will get to all that, but for now, let us consider that we can ask God, and he will give us that understanding of his truths through the working of the Holy Spirit within us. However, let us also remember to remain humble or contrite in spirit, for who are we, O Sovereign Lord, that you have even taken us this far, both in understanding and in stature. Who are we that you have called upon us to do what you have asked of us? You, O Lord, are more generous to us than we deserve, yet we praise you and thank you for all you have done for us, in us, and are doing through us. Continue to guide our steps, and inspire our minds and spirits to see and understand you and your wonderful truths. Thank you, Lord, for the wisdom and understanding you have given to us. Although our only reputation is being your servants, friends, and children, that is more than enough. Yet we are also called upon to reflect your reputation or your glory,  yet no one is ever close to your reputation. 

Reigning King

 DEVOTION

REIGNING KING

1 Kings 4:20-25

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. 21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon's subjects all his life. 22 Solomon's daily provisions were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25 During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.

NIV

Although we passed by the lists of names and positions they held in the court of Solomon, such as priests, secretaries, recorder, commander-in-chief, in charge of district officers, personal advisor, in charge of the palace, and the one in charge of forced labor. Then there were 12 district governors, each responsible for bringing supplies to the king for one month. So, we now jump ahead to see that the people of Israel were happy. They were living in peace for the first time in a while, and now they could drink and be happy. Under the rule of Solomon, all was well, and he lived as large as any man could. He must have fed his whole court every day with a feast beyond opulence. There  was a total of thirty whole cows devoured each day, along with one hundred goats and sheep. That had to feed hundreds of people in his palace, and how could they do anything else but drink, eat, and party on, because they also enjoyed both deer and male deer, the roebucks, gazelle, and choice fowl. But the point of all this was the reign of Solomon, and that all of Israel lived in safety, with each man under his own vine and fig tree. Of course, that did not mean each man owned his own vineyard, but the idea was that the people no longer had to live within a fortified city, and they could spread out and cultivate their land and eat the fruit of their own labor. This is the premise each person should live by, eating from the fruit of their own labor. Sadly, we have had leaders who would rather have people dependent on the government instead of their own labor. Greed is a killer of all people, but mostly the takers in life. Of course, we follow Jesus, and we are completely dependent on Jesus for life, and we are told to look to Jesus for all our needs. Under the reign of Christ, we can live in peace, enjoy the fruit of our labor, and cultivate our own land. For us, that may not mean becoming farmers, but to cultivate the word of God, the seed into the soil of this land, people. With the parable that Jesus taught about the four kinds of ground, not all that we cultivate will develop into a believer, but some will; but the point is, we need to sow the seed. If we just hang out with our own, then what are we doing? That’s a hard question, and we should ponder this more. How can we enjoy the fruit of our own labor? How can we sow the seed? Is just turning the lights on at church enough? Jesus said that he would build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail, so we should look to Jesus and sow that seed. What does Jesus lead us to do because he is our reigning King? 

Wisdom

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

WISDOM

1 Kings 3:16-28

16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. 19 "During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son — and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne." 22 The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king. 23 The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'" 24 Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." 26 The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" 27 Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." 28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

NIV

This is a well-known story of the two women arguing over one baby. Although that seems to be the main plot, the real story is about the wisdom or the discerning heart the LORD gave Solomon and how he delivered his verdict in the case of the one baby and two women. Of course, there is also the truth of a mother's love for her child, as that is how Solomon was able to determine the true mother. But that also takes us to what the true love of the Father is for his children. The mother was willing to give up her child before letting Solomon have it cut in two. The Father was willing to send his Son to be treated with hatred, having some hate him so much that they wanted to kill him. Although Jesus did die on that cross, no man killed him, for he gave his life as a ransom for many. Jesus decided that the moment he would take his last breath, it would be in his hands, his will, not the will of men. It was also the will of the Father to raise Jesus up so that we have a living Savior. This is true love at its finest. The mother demonstrated enough love to give up her child so it would live. But this wisdom of Solomon, who the LORD said no one was ever like him, or would ever be, yet we are told that if we lack wisdom, we are to ask and the Lord will give it to us generously without finding fault. We can have wisdom, and the implication is that it would be the wisdom of God. That would seem really far-fetched to think we could have the wisdom of God, but surely we would not be as wise as God, or have an equal amount of wisdom, for our minds are not capable of that level of wisdom. Yet are they? If we are created in the image of God, and they made us in their image, we should be capable of anything he designed us to be, and desires us to be. He would not have given us all those commands to get rid of certain traits and behaviors if we were not able to comply. The same goes for all the traits, attitudes, and behaviors we are to take on. Although everything is about our faith in Jesus, and not in our works, or being perfect. However, at the same time, we can have wisdom and a discerning heart so we know right from wrong. We also have far more of the word of God than Solomon had, and we have the work of Jesus, which Solomon did not. Yet he still serves to show us that if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us.