All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Family, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Merciful, Protector / Deliverer

Redemption and Forgiveness Highlighted Through Yeshua’s Genealogy

Genealogies are important to YHWH. They are recorded throughout the Bible at times. His people were divided into tribes and families. It is part of our identity and our personal history and what influences us. I find it interesting for Matthew to list the genealogy of Yeshua through Joseph, His earthly father. There is clearly more than simply “bloodlines” that makes it significant, or we would not talk about Joseph’s genealogy. Joseph did not father Yeshua. The Spirit impregnated Mary. Who we are is as much a part of our family history in how we were raised as it is bloodlines.

If we take a look inside the genealogy below, we will see names like Abraham and David, whom we all know. They are fathers of faith, though far from perfect. We also see names like Rahab. She was a prostitute who was not even of Israel, but put her faith in YHWH. We see Ruth, who was widowed and poor. She was not from Israel by blood, but commits to YHWH because of Naomi and is then redeemed by Boaz. We further see the seed of David through Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba started as a great sin before YHWH and even led to David murdering Uriah, her husband. Yet, here YHWH includes that lineage through David for Messiah.

I can only imagine what stories are behind the rest of the names, but we can see in this list a powerful message of redemption and forgiveness… of mercy and grace. These are not perfect people. Quite the contrary. We often learn of their shortcomings and failures quite vividly. But we also see their redemption which culminates through Messiah, who serves as redeemer for all who call upon His name and submit to Him.

Matthew 1:1-17

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

      1The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

      2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. 3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. 4Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. 5Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. 6Jesse was the father of David the king.
David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. 7Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. 8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. 9Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. 10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. 11Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

      12After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. 13Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. 14Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. 15Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. 16Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.

      17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Evidence in Scripture, Holy / Set Apart, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Purposeful / Intentional

The Bible Is an Historical Record and Not a Fictional Story

When I read chapters like 1 Kings 7, I am powerfully reminded that the Bible in large part is an historical record of true events. A writer from that time and culture when this occurred would not write this much detail about a subject if it were simply propaganda or fiction. The detail is amazing. Both Solomon’s palace and the temple would appear to have been magnificent. I am confident there is amazing significance in the details of the temple and in particular if we compare them back to the tabernacle and forward to the concept that our bodies are now the dwelling place and temple for the Holy Spirit. I would encourage those who are willing to take time to study those aspects and you will surely find significant insight.

As “eye catching” as the physical temple must have been, so to in its own way is a life lived according to the ways of our LORD, in which we have prepared our body, mind, and spirit to be holy and set apart and the Spirit in dwells us.

1 Kings 7

Solomon’s Palace

      1Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2He built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was 100 cubits and its width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. 3It was paneled with cedar above the side chambers which were on the 45 pillars, 15 in each row. 4There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three ranks. 5All the doorways and doorposts had squared artistic frames, and window was opposite window in three ranks.

      6Then he made the hall of pillars; its length was 50 cubits and its width 30 cubits, and a porch was in front of them and pillars and a threshold in front of them.

      7He made the hall of the throne where he was to judge, the hall of judgment, and it was paneled with cedar from floor to floor.

      8His house where he was to live, the other court inward from the hall, was of the same workmanship. He also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Solomon had married.

      9All these were of costly stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court.

      10The foundation was of costly stones, even large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11And above were costly stones, stone cut according to measure, and cedar. 12So the great court all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams even as the inner court of the house of the LORD, and the porch of the house.

Hiram’s Work in the Temple

      13Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work.

      15He fashioned the two pillars of bronze; eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of both. 16He also made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17There were nets of network and twisted threads of chainwork for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 18So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. 19The capitals which were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. 20There were capitals on the two pillars, even above and close to the rounded projection which was beside the network; and the pomegranates numbered two hundred in rows around both capitals. 21Thus he set up the pillars at the porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. 22On the top of the pillars was lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished.

      23Now he made the sea of cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and thirty cubits in circumference. 24Under its brim gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast with the rest. 25It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. 26It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold two thousand baths.

      27Then he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was four cubits and its width four cubits and its height three cubits. 28This was the design of the stands: they had borders, even borders between the frames, 29and on the borders which were between the frames were lions, oxen and cherubim; and on the frames there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast supports with wreaths at each side. 31Its opening inside the crown at the top was a cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. 32The four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself. 35On the top of the stand there was a circular form half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its stays and its borders were part of it. 36He engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders, cherubim, lions and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37He made the ten stands like this: all of them had one casting, one measure and one form.

      38He made ten basins of bronze, one basin held forty baths; each basin was four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin. 39Then he set the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.

      40Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the LORD: 41the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; 42and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; 43and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; 44and the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea; 45and the pails and the shovels and the bowls; even all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the LORD were of polished bronze. 46In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; the weight of the bronze could not be ascertained.

      48Solomon made all the furniture which was in the house of the LORD: the golden altar and the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; 49and the lampstands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, of gold; 50and the cups and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold.

      51Thus all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things dedicated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional

Preparing a Place for YHWH to Dwell Among Us

Preparing a place for YHWH to dwell is not something to be taken lightly. Solomon took his time to get it right when building the temple. But part of the preparation was not just about the building. It was about Solomon and the people and their hearts and obedience toward YHWH.

In the midst of 1 Kings 6, in which Solomon is physically building the temple, we also see YHWH speak to him in verses 11-13 about the relationship they will have. Don’t miss this one, as it applies to all of us. If we want YHWH to dwell among us, then we must walk in His statutes, ordinances and commandments. To make a point, He cares about our obedience to His ways. It is important and we should not assume, like many teach today, that He does not care what we do so long as we claim Him in name. That is not what grace is about (Romans 6:1-2).

In fact, if we now understand that our bodies as followers of Yeshua are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), then this is even more personal. If we want the LORD to dwell among us, then we should obey His statutes and commands, which means we have to read and study them to understand them. We should each take this very seriously and prepare our bodies to be a temple that the Spirit will want to dwell in. We should take great time and care to live our lives in a way in which the Spirit will want to dwell among and in us.

Perhaps it is an interesting perspective to consider more broadly. Let us be in a hurry to begin what YHWH calls us to do, but let us not be in a hurry to finish. To accomplish something truly magnificent and worthy of YHWH will often take time. For Solomon, this applied to building the Temple. For each of us, it may apply to whatever YHWH calls us to to. It could be ministering to a certain person or establishing a ministry or anything really. It certainly applies to how we prepare our minds and bodies to be a place for the Spirit to dwell with us.

1 Kings 6

The Building of the Temple

      1Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons 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, that he began to build the house of the LORD. 2As for the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, its length was sixty cubits and its width twenty cubits and its height thirty cubits. 3The porch in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits in length, corresponding to the width of the house, and its depth along the front of the house was ten cubits. 4Also for the house he made windows with artistic frames. 5Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the nave and the inner sanctuary; thus he made side chambers all around. 6The lowest story was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around in order that the beams would not be inserted in the walls of the house.

      7The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

      8The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9So he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. 10He also built the stories against the whole house, each five cubits high; and they were fastened to the house with timbers of cedar.

      11Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon saying, 12“Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13“I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”

      14So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15Then he built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the ceiling he overlaid the walls on the inside with wood, and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16He built twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling; he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, even as the most holy place. 17The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long. 18There was cedar on the house within, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, there was no stone seen. 19Then he prepared an inner sanctuary within the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 20The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar. 21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

      23Also in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. 25The other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of the same measure and the same form. 26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. 27He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the wings of the cherubim were spread out, so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. So their wings were touching each other in the center of the house. 28He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

      29Then he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inner and outer sanctuaries. 30He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inner and outer sanctuaries.

      31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and five-sided doorposts. 32So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

      33So also he made for the entrance of the nave four-sided doorposts of olive wood 34and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two leaves of the other door turned on pivots. 35He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the engraved work. 36He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

      37In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Guide, Provider, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Use the Gifts our Creator Gives You to Accomplish His Plans

Solomon clearly was able to benefit in accomplishing YHWH’s work by use of the gift of wisdom that YHWH granted him. We should each seek to do the same… to use our gifts and really focus on what YHWH wants us to do with it rather than what we want to do.

I do find the forced labor of Israelites to be intriguing. My first reaction is to assume this was not good, but there is not indication to that end in scripture. It may be in keeping with a king’s authority as he pursues YHWH’s mission. I like that he gave them time at home more than time on the road. It seems to show some understanding of the value of their lives and families. It would be curious to understand whom he forced. Perhaps they were not folks that already had businesses and farms and such and were available to work. I don’t know.

1 Kings 5

Alliance with King Hiram

      1Now 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 had always been a friend of David. 2Then Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3“You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. 4“But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5“Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ 6“Now therefore, command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

      7When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. 9“My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place where you direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” 10So Hiram gave Solomon as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. 11Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year. 12The LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant.

Conscription of Laborers

      13Now King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men. 14He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in relays; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home. And Adoniram was over the forced laborers. 15Now Solomon had 70,000 transporters, and 80,000 hewers of stone in the mountains, 16besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief deputies who were over the project and who ruled over the people who were doing the work. 17Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. 18So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timbers and the stones to build the house.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Provider, Submitted / Servant

Our Father Can Take Care of Us. Submit to Him. Focus on Pleasing Him.

Solomon pleased the LORD with his request for wisdom to lead the people, and the LORD blessed Solomon richly in return. It is good to be pleasing to the LORD. He will not bless all of us in the same way He blessed Solomon, but we can be confident that He can take care of us and provide what we need. Whether He provides for us as He did Solomon or as He did for Yeshua’s disciples (not wealth, but what a powerful relationship with Him) let us trust in Him.

1 Kings 4

Solomon’s Officials

      1Now King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2These were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; 4and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the deputies; and Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest, was the king’s friend; 6and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor.

      7Solomon had twelve deputies over all Israel, who provided for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in the year. 8These are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9Ben-deker in Makaz and Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh and Elonbeth-hanan; 10Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh was his and all the land of Hepher); 11Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor (Taphath the daughter of Solomon was his wife); 12Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam; 13Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead were his: the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars were his); 14Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also married Basemath the daughter of Solomon); 16Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only deputy who was in the land.

Solomon’s Power, Wealth and Wisdom

      20Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance; they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

      21Now Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

      22Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of meal, 23ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, a hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24For he had dominion over everything west of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River; and he had peace on all sides around about him. 25So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 27Those deputies provided for King Solomon and all who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they left nothing lacking. 28They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where it should be, each according to his charge.

      29Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. 32He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 33He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. 34Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

Blessed, Help / Serve Others, Wise

The Wisdom of Solomon, a Gift from YHWH to the People

It is easy to look at a very familiar story and lose sight of exactly how wise Solomon was because we are so familiar with the outcome. To really appreciate it we must imaging ourselves in his place, not knowing who’s child it was. Would we imagine such a bluff as to say we would cut the child in two?

I am also intrigued to think a level deeper. These are two harlots. That is someone steeped in sexual sin… a prostitute. Solomon did not put them both to death for their sin, perhaps it did not even come up. He remained focused on the matter at hand and judged wisely for the best interest of the child. The point is that he took time to guide justice for all, not just wealthy or righteous.

Solomon used his gift of wisdom not just for personal gain but for the benefit of YHWH’s people. We should use our gifts likewise, whatever they may be.

I will admit as a side note, I would like to have seen the woman who was lying be held accountable for her deception. It is not mentioned here. Perhaps she was. It may just be it is not really the point of the story.

1 Kings 3:15-25

Solomon Wisely Judges

      16Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17The 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“It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. 19“This woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it. 20“So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. 21“When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne.” 22Then the other woman said, “No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.

      23Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’” 24The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” 27Then the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” 28When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Humility, Learning To Pray Effectively, Proverbs (Wisdom & Folly), Submitted / Servant, Wise

Solomon’s Unselfish Prayer

Solomon in is early days serves as a model for humility and a right attitude about his role as king. He clearly identifies himself as servant, submitted to YHWH, and responsible to lead His people well. As such, when YHWH approaches him for a gift of Solomon’s choosing, Solomon chooses a gift that will help him honor YHWH and serve His people.

Let us learn from Solomon in our prayers as we ask YHWH for help. Look beyond selfish, short term desires and longer term to be able to serve and honor YHWH more effectively and fulfill whatever ministry He has chosen for us.

1 Kings 3:5-15

5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer

      6Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7“Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8“Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9“So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

God’s Answer

      10It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13“I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14“If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”

      15Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant

Truly Loving the LORD Translates to Obeying His Statutes as Best we Can

Young Solomon, when taking over the throne of David, loved the LORD. Notice what immediately follows in the text that goes hand in hand with loving the LORD… “walking in the statutes of is father David”. If we love our Father, we obey Him and His ways.

We can see in this scripture that Solomon did have a problem in that he was sacrificing in the high places. There was no house built for the name of the LORD yet. It is noted that this was an exception to following the statutes, but then immediately reconciled as not having a proper place to do the sacrifices at that time. It was not a matter of rebellion in Solomon.

In fact, YHWH met him at Gibeon, where he went to perform these sacrifices. It would appear that YHWH was very pleased by Solomon. We will see as we continue to read on later in 1 Kings that YHWH becomes even more pleased with Solomon because of his attitude toward his responsibility as king and a servant of YHWH.

1 Kings 3:1-5

Solomon’s Rule Consolidated

      1Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. 2The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

      3Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Submitted / Servant

Let Us Be Loyal to the YHWH, Our King

The Bible is an amazing book. It is the inspired word of YHWH which guides us in our relationship with Him. It is also a detailed historical record. Further it is an exciting story line which has more drama than any Hollywood movie… and it’s all based on a true story.

In 1 Kings 1, we read about some family (and national) drama within Israel as some positioned to name the king who would follow when David died, but without including David. They were found out and David and his allies put Solomon on the throne. We could clearly see the value of having loyal and wise advisors to help the king. Of course any one of us benefits from having these kind of loyal supporters and advisors.

In 1 Kings 2, we now see David’s charge to Solomon as he transitions power and Solomon’s first moves as king to consolidate power and bring judgment on some who crossed David when he was king.

Joab in particular is an interesting story. He seemed fiercely loyal to David, but still sometimes took decisions upon himself that were contrary to King David’s instructions. He also clearly went against the king as recorded in 1 Kings 1 in plotting to install a new king without David’s consent.

The kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon through these actions. He set himself firmly in place as king. Those who rebel against his authority could not be tolerated, or it leads to more rebellion.

There is an important thread we can learn from this as well about YHWH’s kingdom. He can not establish His kingdom by allowing those who are called by His name to rebel against Him and His authority. There must be accountability. We all face that accountability before  our Creator and Father. Sometimes we face it quickly, and sometimes we face it after long delay, like some of the men identified in 1 Kings 2 who crossed David but only faced judgment at a later time when Solomon became king.

Take care not to cross our King and Father. Let us submit to Him and His will. We are to seek to be His loyal and faithful servants, even when others around us who we thought were also His servants are plotting against His will.

1 Kings 2

David’s Charge to Solomon

      1As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2“I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. 3“Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

      5“Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet. 6“So act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace. 7“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table; for they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother. 8“Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to 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 let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.”

Death of David

      10Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 11The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. 12And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

      13Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peacefully?” And he said, “Peacefully.” 14Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Speak.” 15So he said, “You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel expected me to be king; however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother’s, for it was his from the LORD. 16“Now I am making one request of you; do not refuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.” 17Then he said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” 18Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”

Adonijah Executed

      19So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set for the king’s mother, and she sat on his right. 20Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” 21So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” 22King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him also the kingdom—for he is my older brother—even for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!” 23Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, “May God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life. 24“Now therefore, as the LORD lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today.” 25So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.

      26Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth to your own field, for you deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” 27So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Joab Executed

      28Now the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall upon him.” 30So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, “Thus the king has said, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.” 31The king said to him, “Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. 32“The LORD will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: 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 return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the LORD forever.” 34Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness. 35The king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

Shimei Executed

      36Now the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any place. 37“For on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.” 38Shimei then said to the king, “The word is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

      39But it came about at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Behold, your servants are in Gath.” 40Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish to look for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned. 42So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word which I have heard is good.’ 43“Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD, and the command which I have laid on you?” 44The king also said to Shimei, “You know all the evil which you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore the LORD shall return your evil on your own head. 45“But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever.” 46So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him so that he died.
Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Help / Serve Others, Peace / Rest, Strife, Wise

Politics in the Family or at Work? Seek Godly Trusted Advisors.

We are not promised peace in this world, even as followers of YHWH, even submitting to Yeshua. We may experience “politics” in our family and our workplace. 1 Kings 1 records an example of this type of complexity that King David faced in his old age.  Previously we saw a rebellion with Absalom. Now we see another son claiming the place of king, replacing David. The family is all stirred up and so are many others. People are picking sides. David is helped by wise advice and quick action on the part of some close advisors. It is good to have godly counsel we can rely on.

1 Kings 1

David in Old Age

     1Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 2So his servants said to him, “Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm.” 3So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not cohabit with her.

      5Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. 6His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom. 7He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

      9Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.

Nathan and Bathsheba

     11Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12“So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13“Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14“Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”

      15So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, “What do you wish?” 17She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, ‘Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18“Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 19“He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20“As for you 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 about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders.”

      22Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23They told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. 24Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25“For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26“But me, even 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 done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

      28Then King David said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29The king vowed and said, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 30surely as I vowed to you by the LORD the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day.” 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever.”

      32Then King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” And they came into the king’s presence. 33The king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. 34“Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, and blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35“Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! Thus may the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say. 37“As the LORD has been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

Solomon Anointed King

      38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest then 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!” 40All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise.

      41Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “Why is the city making such an uproar?” 42While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.” 43But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44“The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45“Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard. 46“Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. 47“Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’ And the king bowed himself on the bed. 48“The king has also said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”

      49Then all the guests of Adonijah were terrified; and they arose and each went on his way. 50And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51Now it was told Solomon, saying, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, for behold, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” 52Solomon said, “If he is a worthy man, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.” 53So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and prostrated himself before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.