▪️ The Lord said to Abram to leave his country to the land that He will show him. Abram came from a family of idol worship and he did not know God. But God chose him. God will make his name great and he will be a blessing. And God will make him a great nation
▪️ Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. He had no child with Sarai
🍁 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran
(Genesis 12: 1-4)
▪️ God promised Abram a son. And he believed the Lord
🍁 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness
(Genesis 15: 3-4, 6)
▪️ Many years passed and Sarai was old. She was still without a child. So she gave her Egyptian servant, Hagar to Abram as wife and she conceived
▪️ This was a very wrong decision they made as it was not according to the will of God. This was the plan between Abram and Sarai. God was not please with Abram and He did not speak to Abram for the next 13 years
▪️ Now disharmony arise in the house of Abram
Hagar looked with contempt on her mistress
This upset Sarai and she brought up her grievous state to Abram; It displeased Abram but allowed Sarai to do as she wished
Obviously, Sarai dealt with her harshly and Hagar fled from her while she was conceived with child
Later the angel of the Lord told her to return to her mistress Sarai and be submissive to her
🍁 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar
So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife
And he went into Hagar, she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress
And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked at me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me. But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her
(Genesis 16: 1, 3-6)
▪️ The Lord appeared again to Abram when he was 99 years of age and changed his name to Abraham. God made a Covenant with him that all male shall be circumcised
▪️ The Lord change Sarai name to Sarah
▪️ God will give her a son next year and his name shall be called Isaac. The Lord will establish His covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him
▪️ Abraham laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?
▪️ As for Ishmael, the Lord will bless him. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation
🍁 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised
And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name
I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?
And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!
God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him
As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation
But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year
(Genesis 17: 1, 5, 10, 15-21)
▪️ Sarah gave birth to a son; and she saw Ishmael was laughing at her baby son
▪️ She brought her anger to Abraham and wanted to cast out Hagar and her son. Abraham was not happy on account of his son Ishmael
▪️ So God appeared and said to Abraham: Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you; and because Ishmael is also your son, the Lord will make him a great nation
▪️ The following morning, Abraham sent them away with provisions
🍁 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing
So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac
And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son
But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named
And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring
So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba
(Genesis 21: 2, 9-14)
▪️ Ishmael married an Egyptian wife
So Ishmael became the forefather of the Arab tribe
🍁 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt
(Genesis 21: 21)
▪️ Ishmael has 12 princes. God said this even before Ishmael was born
▪️ They settled in present day called Saudi Arabia; and Ishmael was the forefather of the Arabic tribes
▪️ They settled in different land and later the Islamic faith originated from the Arab tribes
🍁 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes
They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen
(Genesis 25: 16, 18)
▪️ Even in Rebecca’s womb Esau and Jacob were having a conflict
The Lord told Rebecca that 2 nations in your womb will be divided
🍁 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord
And the Lord said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger
When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb
The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau
Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them
(Genesis 25: 22-26)
▪️ Esau went to Ishmael and married his daughter; so Esau was close to the Ishmaelites
Later his grandson Amalek was at odd with Israel; He has great hatred for Israel
🍁 Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth
(Genesis 28: 9)
▪️ Esau grandson was Amalek
The Amalekites are seen to be the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau
Esau had his birthright stolen from him by his younger brother Jacob, who later became Israel
Amalek, who grew up in Esau’s household, was very aware of the resentment his family felt against the children of Israel
🍁 Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah
(Genesis 37: 12)
▪️ After Israel crossed the Red Sea from Egypt, Amalek attacked them
🍁 Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God
(Deuteronomy 25: 17)
▪️ During the rule of the Persian Empire over Israel, Haman was the chief minister to the king
He was also the descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites
He wanted to destroyed all the Jews in the kingdom
See! The Amalekites are the descendants of Esau. Later God wipe them out of existence
🍁 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus
(Esther 3: 6)
▪️ We have had war after war and are still on going. Famine and Earthquakes are happening around the world
▪️ Since the re-establishment of Israel many wars were fought between Israel and the Arab countries
▪️ Israel ~ Arab war (1948 – 49)
Suez war (1956)
Six days war (1969 – 70)
War of Attrition (1973)
Kipper war (1982)
Gulf war (1991)
Israel – Hamas ( 2023)
🍁 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places
(Matthew 24: 6-7)
▪️ The present day conflict between Israel and the Arabic countries started long time ago since Abraham and Sarah made the wrong decision to have a son from the Egyptian maid, Hagar
▪️ Jesus is Jewish; Yet they crucified Him on the cross; and don’t believe that He is their Messiah; and they are still waiting for their Messiah to save them; Their Messiah has already come
▪️ The Jews will suffer through war and tribulations; Sufferings will wake them up; Only the remnants left are saved
🍁 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.” It is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah (Romans 9: 27-29)
▪️ We should not be overly concerned about all that is happening in the world
▪️ But take to heart that this is a wake up call that the Coming of our Lord Jesus is very near
Save yourselves while the door is still opened
▪️ Only God knows the number of gentiles are yet to be fulfilled
▪️ This is the mystery
The grace will be given to the gentile first until the number is fulfilled; Then the door of salvation for the gentiles will be closed; It is just like God shutting the door of the Ark. No one can go in after that
🍁 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in
[1] Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: [2] “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. [3] The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, [4] he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. [5] “For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? [6] But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; [7] but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.” [8] These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. [9] And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. [10] He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. [11] And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. [12] But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory. [13] And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. [14] David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. [15] And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” [16] Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the Lord [17] and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. [18] Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three. [19] He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three. [20] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two ariels of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. [21] And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. [22] These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men. [23] He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. [24] Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, [25] Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, [26] Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, [27] Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, [28] Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, [29] Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, [30] Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, [31] Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, [32] Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, [33] Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, [34] Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Gilo, [35] Hezroof Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, [36] Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, [37] Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, [38] Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, [39] Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
2 SAMUEL 23: 1-39
🍁 2 Samuel 23: 1-7 David’s Last Words
Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth
For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire
🍁 2 Samuel 23: 8-39 David’s Mighty Men
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time
And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain
And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory
And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim
David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem
And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate! Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David But he would not drink of it He poured it out to the Lord and said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it These things the three mighty men did
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them and won a name beside the three He was the most renowned of the thirty and became their commander, but he did not attain to the three
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds He struck down two ariels of Moab He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen And he struck down an Egyptian, a handsome man The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and won a name beside the three mighty men He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three And David set him over his bodyguard
Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Gilo Hezroof Carmel, Paarai the Arbite Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all
[1] Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” [2] So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.” [3] But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” [4] But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel. [5] They crossed the Jordan and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer. [6] Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went around to Sidon, [7] and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beersheba. [8] So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. [9] And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000. [10] But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” [11] And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, [12] “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” [13] So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” [14] Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.” [15] So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. [16] And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. [17] Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.” [18] And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” [19] So David went up at Gad’s word, as the Lord commanded. [20] And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. [21] And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be averted from the people.” [22] Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. [23] All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” [24] But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. [25] And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.
2 SAMUEL 24: 1-25
🍁 2 Samuel 24: 1-9 David’s Census of Israel and Judah
Again, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah
So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people
But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing? But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel
They crossed the Jordan and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley, toward Gad and on to Jazer Then they came to Gilead, and to Kadesh in the land of the Hittites; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went around to Sidon, and came to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites; and they went out to the Negeb of Judah at Beersheba
So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000
🍁 2 Samuel 24: 10-25 The Judgment on David’s Sin
But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly
And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer saying, Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you Choose one of them, that I may do it to you So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land?
Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me
Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man
So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men
And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite
Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house
🍁 2 Samuel 24: 18-25 The Altar on the Threshing Floor
And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite So David went up at Gad’s word, as the Lord commanded And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground
And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant? David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be averted from the people
Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel
Thank the Lord We have concluded reading 24 chapters of 2 Samuel
Second Samuel continues where 1 Samuel left off. Although David is a significant figure in 1 Samuel, that book focuses on Israel’s last judge, Samuel, and Israel’s first king, Saul.
In 2 Samuel, the attention is on David and his relationships with the Lord and with other people. God establishes a covenant with David, promising that his throne will be established forever (2 Sam 7).
Even when David commits horrendous sins, the covenant stands. Throughout 2 Samuel, as all others fail, the Lord’s faithfulness is profoundly seen, as are the painful effects of sin on sinners, those around them, and those they lead.
Here are the contents we have read in the Book of 2 Samuel
The Report of Saul’s Death The Song of the Bow David Anointed King of Judah Ishbosheth Made King of Israel Israel and Judah at War Sons of David Abner Joins Forces with David Joab Murders Abner David’s Mourning for Abner Ishbosheth Is Murdered David Reigns over All Israel The Conquest of Jerusalem The Philistines Defeated The Ark Brought to Jerusalem God’s Covenant with David David’s Thanksgiving to God David’s Further Conquests David’s Administration David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated David, Bathsheba, and Uriah Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession The Death of David’s Son Solomon Is Born Rabbah Is Captured Amnon and Tamar Absalom Murders Amnon Absalom Flees to Geshur Absalom Returns to Jerusalem Absalom’s Treason David Escapes from Jerusalem Mephibosheth’s Servant Shimei Curses David The Advice of Ahithophel The Advice of Hushai Hushai Warns David to Escape Absalom’s Defeat and Death David Hears of Absalom’s Death David’s Mourning for Absalom David Returns to Jerusalem David and Mephibosheth Meet David’s Kindness to Barzillai The Quarrel About the King The Rebellion of Sheba David’s Government Officers David Avenges the Gibeonites Philistine Giants Destroyed Praise for God’s Deliverance David’s Last Words David’s Mighty Men David’s Census of Israel and Judah The Judgment on David’s Sin The Altar on the Threshing Floor
Praise the Lord
We shall continue to read 1 chapter a day with the book of 1 King We encourage all members to tread on this journey together and explore further the events that follow and what we can learn from it
May the Lord guide and enlightened us along the way
[1] Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. [2] Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.” [3] So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. [4] The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not. [5] Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. [6] His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. [7] He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. [8] But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah. [9] Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, [10] but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother. [11] Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? [12] Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. [13] Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ [14] Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.” [15] So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). [16] Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” [17] She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ [18] And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. [19] He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he has not invited. [20] And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. [21] Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.” [22] While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. [23] And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground. [24] And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? [25] For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ [26] But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited. [27] Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” [28] Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. [29] And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, [30] as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” [31] Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” [32] King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. [33] And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. [34] And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ [35] You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” [36] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so. [37] As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” [38] So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. [39] There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” [40] And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. [41] Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” [42] While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” [43] Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, [44] and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king’s mule. [45] And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. [46] Solomon sits on the royal throne. [47] Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king bowed himself on the bed. [48] And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’” [49] Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. [50] And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. [51] Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” [52] And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” [53] So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
Introduction The book of 1 Kings provides an account of the death of David and the reign of his son Solomon The decline and division of the Kingdom of Israel after Solomon and many of his successors turned to idol worship
King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, established the worship of Baal throughout the Northern Kingdom
The Lord preserved Elijah and eventually led him to a widow in Zarephath, who fed him for many days
The prophet Elijah sealed the heavens, causing years of drought
It also recounts the ministry of the prophet Elijah among the northern ten tribes of Israel
1 Kings 1:1-53
[1] Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. [2] Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.” [3] So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. [4] The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not. [5] Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. [6] His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. [7] He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. [8] But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah. [9] Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, [10] but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother. [11] Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? [12] Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. [13] Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ [14] Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.” [15] So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king). [16] Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?” [17] She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ [18] And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. [19] He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he has not invited. [20] And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. [21] Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.” [22] While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. [23] And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground. [24] And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? [25] For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ [26] But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited. [27] Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” [28] Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. [29] And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, [30] as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” [31] Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” [32] King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. [33] And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. [34] And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ [35] You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.” [36] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so. [37] As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.” [38] So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon. [39] There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” [40] And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. [41] Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?” [42] While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” [43] Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, [44] and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And they had him ride on the king’s mule. [45] And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. [46] Solomon sits on the royal throne. [47] Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king bowed himself on the bed. [48] And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’” [49] Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. [50] And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. [51] Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” [52] And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” [53] So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
1 KINGS 1: 1-53
🍁 1 Kings 1:1-27 Adonijah Presumes to Be King
Now King David was old and advanced in years And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service
Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king
The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not
Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him
His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so? He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom
He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest And they followed Adonijah and helped him But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah
Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother
Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it?
Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then is Adonijah king? Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words
So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king) Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?
She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne
And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it
He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he has not invited
And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders
While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet
And when he came in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest
And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he has not invited Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
🍁 1 king 1: 28-53 David Proclaims Solomon King
Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king
And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day
Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever
King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada So they came before the king And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon
And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon! You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David
So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon There Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon
Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon! And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise
Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean? While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news
Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king, and the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites And they had him ride on the king’s mule
And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar This is the noise that you have heard Solomon sits on the royal throne
Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne And the king bowed himself on the bed
And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it
Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way
And Adonijah feared Solomon So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword
And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die
So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house
[1] When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, [2] “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, [3] and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, [4] that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ [5] “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. [6] Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace. [7] But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother. [8] And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ [9] Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.” [10] Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. [11] And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. [12] So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. [13] Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peacefully?” He said, “Peacefully.” [14] Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Speak.” [15] He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord. [16] And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Speak.” [17] And he said, “Please ask King Solomonhe will not refuse youto give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” [18] Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.” [19] So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. [20] Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” [21] She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” [22] King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” [23] Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! [24] Now therefore as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today.” [25] So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died. [26] And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father’s affliction.” [27] So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. [28] When the news came to Joabfor Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported AbsalomJoab fled to the tent of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar. [29] And when it was told King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” [30] So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, I will die here.” Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” [31] The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father’s house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. [32] The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. [33] So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the Lord forevermore.” [34] Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. [35] The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. [36] Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. [37] For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your blood shall be on your own head.” [38] And Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. [39] But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei’s servants ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, “Behold, your servants are in Gath,” [40] Shimei arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants. Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. [41] And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, [42] the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I will obey.’ [43] Why then have you not kept your oath to the Lord and the commandment with which I commanded you?” [44] The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the Lord will bring back your harm on your own head. [45] But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” [46] Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
1 KINGS 2: 1-46
🍁 1 Kings 2: 1-9 David’s Instructions to Solomon
When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, I am about to go the way of all the earth Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel
Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace
But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother
And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol
🍁 1 Kings 2: 10-12 Death of David
Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established
🍁 1 Kings 2: 13-25 Solomon Executes Adonijah
Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon And she said, “Do you come peacefully? He said, “Peacefully
Then he said, “I have something to say to you She said, “Speak
He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me She said to him, “Speak
And he said, “Please ask King Solomon, he will not refuse you to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife
Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king
So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you
She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife
King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! Now therefore as the Lord lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died
🍁 1 Kings 2: 26-35 Abiathar Exiled, Joab Executed
And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father’s affliction So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh
When the news came to Joab, for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar
And when it was told King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar,” Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down
So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come out But he said, “No, I will die here
Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me
The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father’s house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah So shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever But for David and for his descendants and for his house and for his throne there shall be peace from the Lord forevermore
Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar
🍁 1 Kings 2: 36-46 Shimei Executed
Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die Your blood shall be on your own head
And Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days
But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei’s servants ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath And when it was told Shimei, “Behold, your servants are in Gath Shimei arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I will obey Why then have you not kept your oath to the Lord and the commandment with which I commanded you? The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father So the Lord will bring back your harm on your own head But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever
Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon
[1] Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.
[2] The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
[3] Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.
[4] And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
[5] At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”
[6] And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
[7] And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
[8] And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.
[9] Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
[10] It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
[11] And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
[12] behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.
[13] I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.
[14] And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
[15] And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
[16] Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
[17] The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.
[18] Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house.
[19] And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.
[20] And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.
[21] When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.”
[22] But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.
[23] Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’”
[24] And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king.
[25] And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”
[26] Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.”
[27] Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.”
[28] And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
1 KINGS 3: 1-28
🍁 1 Kings 3: 1-15 Solomon Requests Wisdom
Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you
And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child I do not know how to go out or come in And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days
And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants
🍁 1 Kings 3: 16-28 Solomon’s Wise Judgment
Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne
But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine Thus they spoke before the king
Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other
Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him
Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother
And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice
I would have the Savior with me So that I am not alone I would feel His presence and His arm around me
Though my faith is weak His words of comfort, no other voice can speak
My life go on through the tempest and sunshine In the battle and the strife
The way, the Lord will guide Till I reach the valley of Jordan On the other side
Then my soul shall fear no ill Let Him lead me where He will I will go without a murmur And His footsteps follow still
Joshua 1: 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Psalms 32: 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
2 Thessalonians 3: 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Psalms 118: 6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
2 And these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok—the priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud—recorder;
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada—commander in chief; Zadok and Abiathar—priests;
5 Azariah son of Nathan—in charge of the district governors; Zabud son of Nathan—a priest and adviser to the king;
6 Ahishar—palace administrator; Adoniram son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.
7 Solomon had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.
8 These are their names: Ben-Hur—in the hill country of Ephraim;
9 Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;
10 Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his);
11 Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);
12 Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;
13 Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars);
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);
16 Baana son of Hushai—in Asher and in Aloth;
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar;
18 Shimei son of Ela—in Benjamin;
19 Geber son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.
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 Euphrates 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[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors[b] 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 Euphrates 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, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
26 Solomon had four[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.[d]
27 The district governors, 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 people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol 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 spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.
34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
1 Kings 4: 1-24
🍁 1 Kings 4: 1-19 Solomon’s Administration
King Solomon was king over all Israel And these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army Zadok and Abiathar were priests Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend Ahishar was in charge of the palace And Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor
Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household Each man had to make provision for one month in the year These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher) Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife) Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars) Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife) Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan And there was one governor who was over the land
🍁 1 Kings 4: 20-34 Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign
Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea They ate and drank and were happy Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life
Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl
For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates And he had peace on all sides around him And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon
Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each one in his month They let nothing be lacking Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom
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.”
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 juniper logs.
9 My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea, and I will float them as 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 juniper 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.
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 workers.
17 At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of high-grade stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple.
18 The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and workers from Byblos cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.
1 Kings 5: 1-18
🍁Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David And Solomon sent word to Hiram You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet
But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side There is neither adversary nor misfortune
And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name
Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians
As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people
And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber
My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household
So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 cors of beaten oil Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year
And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty
King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home Adoniram was in charge of the draft Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work At the king’s command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came 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 windows high up in the temple walls.
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.[g] 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.
11 The word of the LORD came to Solomon:
12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws 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.”
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 juniper.
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[i] 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.
23 For the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim out 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 to the inner sanctuary he made doors out of olive wood that were one fifth of the width of the sanctuary.
32 And on the two olive-wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold.
33 In the same way, for the entrance to the main hall he made doorframes out of olive wood that were one fourth of the width of the hall.
34 He also made two doors out of juniper wood, 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.
1 KINGS 6: 1-38
🍁Solomon Builds the Temple
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house And he made for the house windows with recessed frames
He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary And he made side chambers all around The lowest story was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built The entrance for the lowest story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third
So he built the house and finished it, and he made the ceiling of the house of beams and planks of cedar He built the structure against the whole house, five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar
Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel
So Solomon built the house and finished it He lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress He built twenty cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls, and he built this within as an inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long The cedar within the house was carved in the form of gourds and open flowers All was cedar; no stone was seen
The inner sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold He also overlaid an altar of cedar And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold
In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house And he overlaid the cherubim with gold
Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms
For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the lintel and the doorposts were five-sided He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers He overlaid them with gold and spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in the form of a square, and two doors of cypress wood The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work
He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and one course of cedar beams
In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications He was seven years in building it
