Reading for August 7th

 Read 1 Kings 7.1-12. In 7.1-12: Solomon's palace complex. In verse 1: Solomon spent thirteen years on his palace and only seven on the Temple (7.18). But the writer of 1 Kings stresses the Temple by spending much more time on it. Also, in the Hebrew (Masoretic) text the material about Solomon's palace is sandwiched between accounts dealing with the Temple (6.1-38 and 7.13-51). The order of the Greek or Septuagint (LXX) text is different. Whichever placement is original, both Hebrew and Greek versions show that, for the author of 1 Kings, the Temple was of greater importance. In verses 2-5: The House of the Forest of the Lebanon may have derived its name from its rows of cedar pillars. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 6th

 Read 1 Kings 6.14-38. In verses 14-36: The interior of the Temple was lavishly decorated. The various designs of plants and fruits were likely symbols of fertility. The cherubim (plural of cherb, vv. 23-29) were mythical griffin like creatures whose statues often guarded the entrance to temples and palaces in the ancient Near East. In verse 37: This verse refers to v. 1. In verse 38; The month of Bul was in the fall  (October -November). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 5th

Read 1 Kings 6.1-13. In 6.1-38: Temple building. In verse 1: The fourth year of Solomon's reign would be about 960 BCE,  placing the date of the Exodus at 1440. But the four hundred eightieth year is probably an artificial number, perhaps representing twelve generations using the traditional round number of forty years for a generation. The month of Ziv was in the spring (April-May). In verse 2: A cubit was about eighteen inches. In verses 3-5: The basic design of the building with its three main parts-have translated the vestibule, nave, and inner sanctuary was typical of the style of temples in ancient Syria and Phoenicia. In verse 7: Iron tools were forbidden for the construction of altars (Deut 27.5; Josh 8.31).  Something of the same probation may have been at work in the Temple building. In verses 11-13: These verses are in typical deuteronomistic language. They make the promise to David and Yahweh's presence among the people conditional upon Solomon's obedience. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 4th

 Read 1 Kings 5.1-18. In 5.1-18: Solomon prepares to build the Temple.  In verse 1: Tyre was a Phoenician city-state on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel, essentially modern Lebanon. The trees from this area were highly valued in antiquity. King Hiram provided building materials to David for his palace in Jerusalem (2 Sam 5.11-12). In the ancient Near east a god's house was his temple. In verse 3: The house for the name of the Lord is the temple of Yahweh. Since the Lord does not actually reside in the temple it is built for his "name." In verse 4: Rest is an important theme in the the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam 7.1). The Lord promised the people rest when they had entered the promised land and come to the "place" where he would make his name dwell. (Deut 12.10-11). With Solomon the promise of rest is fulfilled so that the Temple can now be built in Jerusalem. This emphasis on rest may be a play on Solomon's name, which sounds like the Hebrew word "shalom," meaning peace (see 1 Chr. 22.9). In verse 6: The Sidonians were people from Sidon, another Phoenician city-state. Here, however, it seems to refer to Phoenicians in general. In verse 13; Solomon's labor force was conscripted from Israel as distinguished from Judah. it is clear from ch. 12 that the use of this conscripted labor continued after the Temple was completed. In verse 18: Gebalites were people from the Phoenician city-state of Byblos (also known as Gebal). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 3rd

 Read 1 Kings 4.22-34. In verses 22-28: A cor (v.22) was about eleven bushels. From Dan to Beer-sheba (v. 25) marked the traditional boundaries of Israel and Judah. The expression all of them under their vine and fig trees was an idiom for tranquility and agricultural prosperity. In verses 29-34: Solomon's legendary wisdom is said to exceed that of the people of the east, which is probably a reference to Mesopotamia (roughly modern Iraq), and of Egypt (v. 30), the two great civilizations of the ancient Near East. Wisdom in the sense used here involved not only wise judgment but also the composition of wisdom literature, such as Proverbs, and the observation of the natural world (vv. 32-33). Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 2nd

 Read 1 Kings 4.1-21. In 4.1-34: Solomon's administration. In verses 1-6: Similar lists are found for David's cabinet in 2 Sam 8.15-18; 20.23-26. In verses 7-19: Solomon reorganized Israel into twelve provinces for purposes of taxation. each province had to provide for the king one month in the year (v. 7). Judah is listed separately (v. 19) because it was exempted from taxation as David's and Solomon's home tribe. In verses 20-21: This is an identical statement, as the revolt immediately after Solomon's death indicates. The extent of his actual rule may also be exaggerated here. Comments or Questions..

Reading for August 1st

 Read 1 Kings 3.16-In 3.16-28: An illustration of Solomon's wisdom. The king served as a kind of "supreme court" and it was his responsibility to see that justice was equitably disbursed in the land. This seemingly impossible case shows Solomon's great wisdom in judgement. Comments or Questions..