Bible

Today in the Bible room reading in the book of 1 Kings continues.  Here is Part 2 of the summary, chapters 8 through 14.

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Chapter 8. Ceremony

From a tent to a temple, the Ark of the Covenant is moved:

• A great festival marks the dedication of the new temple;
• The Ark is moved with ceremony and sacrifices;
• Many thousands of people attend the festivities;
• The Levites carry the furnishings into the new temple;
• The Ark of God’s Presence is covered in pure gold;
• Is set between the cherubim in the Most Holy Place;
• Two 500-year-old stone tablets occupy the Ark;
• At this time nothing more is in the Ark;
• Solomon pronounces blessings on all those assembled;
• He prays the prayer of dedication of the buildings:
• “Your servant is praying before you today:  That your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, . . .that you said, ‘My name shall be there,’. . . And may you hear the supplication of your servant and of your people . . . and when you hear, forgive.”
• Solomon orders a fourteen-day feast, everyone participates;
• Thousands of animals are sacrificed to the Lord;
• On day fifteen the celebration ends, all go home.

Chapter 9. Reigning

Solomon is reigning under the authority and blessing of God:

• Twenty years into his reign, Solomon finishes building;
• The Lord speaks, gives his assurance, blessing to his reign;
• Solomon borrows over four tons of gold from Hiram;
• As collateral, Hiram receives twenty towns in Galilee;
• Solomon rebuilds many cities previously destroyed;
• He places all non-Israelites into forced labor occupations;
• Solomon builds ships, men from Hiram are hired to sail;
• Shipping lanes are established along the Red Sea coasts;
• Sixteen tons of gold are the profits from shipping.

Chapter 10. Visitor

The Queen of Sheba is an impressive visitor; likewise, she is impressed by Solomon, his kingdom, his wisdom, and his wealth;

• A wealthy queen from the South hears of Solomon’s fame;
• She visits Solomon bringing him a caravan of gifts;
• Solomon is impressed by this woman; impression is mutual;
• She sees his government of 500 officials, food, robes, gold;
• The palace is stunning, his wisdom is overwhelming;
• He answers all her deep and thoughtful questions;
• She says his fame abroad is barely half the reality;
• She praises the God of Israel for all Solomon’s blessings;
• She leaves with a caravan of gifts from Solomon;
• Very wealthy herself, she is overwhelmed by his riches;
• Foreigners pay Solomon annual fees of 25 tons of gold;
• Revenue pours in from shipping and Arabian trading;
• His throne is mostly gold, nothing like it in the world;
• A fleet of merchant ships makes three-year trading voyages;
• They bring gold, ivory, all manner of costly goods;
• Kings from afar bring costly gifts, seek counsel;
• Horses from Egypt are sold for profit along trading routes;
• Solomon is wealthier than all the world’s kings combined.

Chapter 11. Women

Solomon’s love for women becomes his downfall:

• Foreign women; 700 wives; 300 concubines;
• Women turn his heart away from the God of Israel;
• To please his foreign wives, he builds altars to their gods;
• Willfully disobedient, Solomon defies God’s law;
• For David’s sake, Solomon keeps his throne until his death;
• Afterwards, God will allow the kingdom to be torn apart;
• A public official, Jeroboam, plans to lead a rebellion;
• He is to take ten of the twelve tribes, rule over them;
• Hearing of this, Solomon plots to execute Jeroboam;
• Escaping to Egypt, Jeroboam waits until Solomon’s death;
• After a forty-year reign, Solomon dies, buried in Jerusalem;
• Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, becomes king.

Chapter 12. Divided

The struggle begins for the divided throne in Israel;

• Rehoboam becomes king; Jeroboam returns from Egypt;
• Uncertain of his leadership, Rehoboam consults his people;
• They complain about Solomon’s harsh rule;
• But Rehoboam says he will rule even harsher;
• Israelites living in Judah stay with Rehoboam as leader;
• All other Israelites decide to follow Jeroboam in rebellion;
• Rehoboam reigns as king over Judah at Jerusalem;
• Jeroboam becomes king of Israel at Shechem;
• The kingdom is torn apart, divided, as God told Solomon;
• Rehoboam talks of making war against Jeroboam;
• However, the Lord gets word to Rehoboam to desist;
• Jeroboam worries about losing his followers to Jerusalem;
• He sets up two golden calves, distant from Jerusalem;
• Urges worship of these idols as being nearer to homes;
• He sets up shrines, holds festivals to build his power base.

Chapter 13.  Intractable

Challenged by a man of God, Jeroboam is intractable:

• An unnamed man of God goes to Jeroboam at Bethel;
• Jeroboam is busy offering false sacrifices at a pagan altar;
• The man of God challenges Jeroboam over his actions;
• Jeroboam makes the wrong gesture, his hand withers;
• The man of God prays, the hand is restored;
• The king invites the man to come eat with him;
• The man says “for half your kingdom I would not;”
• Jeroboam is intractable, continues in rebellion;
• Further still, he names anyone who wants to be a priest;
• His evil increasing, Jeroboam will not repent.

Chapter 14.  Disaster

Persistent disobedience leads to judgement, disaster:

• Jeroboam’s continued idolatry, pagan worship, disaster;
• Rehoboam’s idolatry, pagan worship, leads to disaster;
• Both Israel and Judah fall into ungodly disobedience;
• Jeroboam’s young son becomes ill, dies;
• Every male in Israel is stricken, dies young;
• Jeroboam’s twenty-two-year reign is full of wars, evil;
• Following his death, Nadab succeeds him as Israel’s king;
• In Judah, Rehoboam reigns seventeen years;
• He allows Judah to fall into idolatry, pagan worship;
• Egypt attacks Jerusalem, takes furnishings from the temple;
• Continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam;
• Rehoboam precedes Jeroboam in death.
• Abijah, son of Rehoboam, succeeds him as king in Judah.

END OF 1 KINGS – PART 2