28. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Today’s lesson starts our journey with the temple furnishings. For the next few days, we are about to embark on more
DETAILS about the architect of what was inside the “house of God.”  I’ll keep them short so it want be so overwhelming.

Here is our text:

I Kings 7:13 King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram, 14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was a man of Tyre and a craftsman in bronze. Huram was highly skilled and experienced in all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him. 15 He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits around, by line. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high. 17 A network of interwoven chains festooned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars. He did the same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz. 22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars was completed.

As you can see, Solomon hires a different person to do the work on the inside of the temple.  His name is Huram whose mother was from the tribe of Naphtali and his father was a man of Tyre. 

That is the only detail that I want to point out for memorization.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone.  For those of you that are in other countries that study with me daily, Monday is a holiday for us in America.  It is Memorial Day.  It is a day that we honor our fallen soldiers.  I will not be posting on Monday.  I have a yearly tradition where I go to this place in Atlanta called Stone Mountain and I climb the mountain and walk around it which is an 8 mile journey.   I do it every Memorial Day that I am in town.  

Everyone be safe and have a wonderful holiday weekend. 

See you in web land on Tuesday. 

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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27. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Today’s lesson gives you the details of Solomon’s home.  The text teaches us that Solomon spent 13 years building his palace and one similar for Pharaoh’s daughter in whom he married. 

Here are the details.

Solomon Builds His Palace

1 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace. 2 He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams.

3 It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns–forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. 4 Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. 5 All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other. 6 He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide. In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof. 7 He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge, and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling. 8 And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. 9 All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and trimmed with a saw on their inner and outer faces. 10 The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits and some eight. 11 Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the LORD with its portico.

We will continue our journey on tomorrow.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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26. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Our lesson has some concluding details on the construction of the house of God.

Here is the text:

I Kings 6:27 He placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple, with their wings spread out. The wing of one cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the other touched the other wall, and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. 30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold. 31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood with five-sided jambs. 32 And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold. 33 In the same way he made four-sided jambs of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall. 34 He also made two pine doors, each having two leaves that turned in sockets. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings. 36 And he built the inner courtyard of three courses of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams. 37 The foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it.

As you can see it took Solomon seven years to build the temple. 

We will continue our journey on tomorrow.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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25. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

More details on the house of God. 

Please Read it….  I know it seems like boring stuff, but we’re almost  finished with the intricate details of the building.

Here is our text:

11 The word of the LORD came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. 13 And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.” 14 So Solomon built the temple and completed it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine. 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen. 19 He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary. 23 In the inner sanctuary he made a pair of cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing five cubits–ten cubits from wing tip to wing tip. 25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits, for the two cherubim were identical in size and shape. 26 The height of each cherub was ten cubits.

Our text opens with a promise.  While building, Solomon has an encounter with God where he hears the word of the Lord speaking to him about being obedient and the promises given to his father David would be fulfilled. 

I’ll try to keep the building texts short so you can stay motivated to reading them.  (lol)

See ya tomorrow.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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24. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Welcome back from the weekend. 

Today’s lesson has specific details concerning the “building of the house of God.” 

These are the type of scriptures that people ignore because they have so many details but read them carefully.   I’ll only included a few verses so it want be so overwhelming.

I Kings 6: And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. 2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. 3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. 4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights. 5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about: 6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. 7 And the house, when it was in building , was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building . 8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. 9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. 10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

To help you with your understanding of measurement, I have defined cubit for you and threescore is sixty.   One score is 20 in biblical terminology.

A cubit is the first recorded unit of length and was one of many different standards of measurement used through history. It was originally based on measuring by comparing to one’s forearm length.

Cubits were employed through Antiquity, the Middle-Ages up to the Early Modern Times, especially for measuring cords and textiles, but also for timbers, stone and volumes of grain.

The beginning of the temple is also dated.  It took place 480 years after the children of Israel came out of Egypt and in the 4^th year of Solomon’s reign in his second month.

We will continue our journey on tomorrow.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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21. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

We will close out this week’s study by showing you in our text how massive the building project for the house of God was.  Solomon had thousands of men working in the fields of Lebanon getting the most costly stones and materials available to man at the time.  Here is our text:

I Kings 5:13 And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. 15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains; 16 Beside the chief of Solomon’s officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. 17 And the king commanded , and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. 18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

Thought I would keep it short today.  I know sometimes the scriptures are lengthy but I try to break them off in increments that are easy to follow with starting and finishing points.   (That’s for you Tracy in Australia) She says that I am sometimes lengthy…. (lol)

Have a great weekend everyone.  I love you all and you all are in my prayers.  I am grateful for the many friends that I have made over the web and I am humbled that after two years, you are still tuning in daily.

God bless you all.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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20. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

In our text today, we begin Solomon’s journey with him building the house of God that David desired but could not build.  If you recall, from studying David’s life, you will remember that one day David looked around and saw how he was living and the fine house that he had but there was no place to house the “ark of the covenant” which represented the presence of God.  David had a strong passion to build God a house.   David took his dream to the prophet Nathan and at first Nathan told David to do what was in his heart but then God appeared to Nathan that night and instructed him to tell David that the dream of building a house for God would happen in his son’s lifetime and not his.  

During David’s administration, he collected resources for the house of God but was never able to build, because his hands had shed blood and God’s temple would be built by Solomon who would experience a reign of piece.

Here is our story:

I Kings 5: 1 And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. 2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying , 3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side , until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. 5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying , Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name. 6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint : for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. 7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said , Blessed be the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people. 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying , I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. 9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. 10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. 11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. 12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

As you can see from our text, Solomon is now settled in his kingdom.  He has killed all the traders from his father’s administration and he has established his own staff and God has blessed him with wealth, wisdom and has made his name great.

His first order of business now that he is established to carry out the dream of his father to build a temple for God.

Solomon consults Hiram, king of Tyre for the trees of Lebanon.  Solomon was going for the best.  Scripture often talks about the cedar and trees of Lebanon in their splendor and glory. 

Hiram was a lover of David and agrees with no problem and the process begins.

Building the temple… so example… I love these stories.

We will continue our journey on tomorrow. 

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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19. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Our text for today is as follows:

I Kings 4:20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking , and making merry. 21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, 23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much , and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30 And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. 32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. 33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

I want to bring your attention to a phrase that is in the first line.  “Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude.”  This particular phrase reminds me so of the faithfulness of God in fulfilling promises.   If you recall, when God called Abraham he promised him that his seed would be innumerable just as the sand is.   God spoke this promise to Abraham when his wife Sarah was barren.   Can you imagine, God promising a man whose wife could not have children that one day he would have more heirs than he could count. 

So, I was just tickled and excited when I saw that phrase.  It made me smile at God.  

The next point that I would like you to observe is how wealthy Solomon was.   The following sums up his provisions (food) for just one day to take care of his staff.

30 measures of flour

30 measures of meal

10 fat oxen

20 oxen out of the pastures

100 sheep plus harts, roebucks, fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.

Wow,,, remember this is per day.

Our text closes with emphasizing the wisdom that God gave Solomon.  It teaches us that he was wiser than all the men of the earth and it is specific to say than all the men of Egypt.   Egypt was known for its wisdom. 

The text also teaches us that Solomon wrote 1005 songs and 3000 proverbs.  We also learn that in his writings he spoke of trees, beasts, fowl, creeping things and fish.  Solomon was a student of nature and was often reflected in his writings.

Our text ends with teaches us that his fame spread among the nations and that people came from all over to seek out his wisdom even kings of other nations. 

We will continue our journey on tomorrow.  This topic makes me want to study proverbs as our next topic.   Uhhhhhhhhhmmm…  we’ll see.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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18. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Please forgive me for not posting today but they got me again.   Over the weekend, my air conditioning units were stole from my spa and I have spent the day talking to alarm people, welders, etc tying to find a more secure way to keep them protected.

When it happens on the weekend, I loose so much business because the weekend is our busiest day.

I want him caught.   Please pray with me that this man would be caught.  I know that if he has done it to me that he has also done it to others and in this declining economy, it is already hard enough for small business owners without the drama of dealing with the unexpected and unnecessary costs of the damage caused by thieves.

Will resume our study on tomorrow.

Take care and stay encouraged.

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17. May 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Welcome back from the weekend.  In today’s lesson, we are given a bunch of names.  I know for most of us, When we come to name sections in the bible, we skip over them until the the story picks up again.    In today’s lists of names,  it gives us the administrative staff of Solomon.  I will post it and then try to outline it in an easy format for you.  These will be the people that will be closely working together with Solomon.

Here is our text:

I Kings 4: 1 So king Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, 3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes ; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder . 4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers : and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend: 6 And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute. 7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision . 8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: 9 The son of Dekar , in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan: 10 The son of Hesed , in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: 11 The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: 12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam: 13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead ; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars: 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim: 15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife: 16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth: 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: 18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin: 19 Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.

Scribes                                                      Azariah,  Elihoreph, Ahiah

Recorder                                                   Jehoshaphat

Captain of the Hosts(Army)                  Benaiah

Priests                                                       Zadok and Abiathar

Over Officers                                           Azariah

Principal Officer & King’s Friend                  Zabud

Over Household                                     Ahishar

Over tribute (money)                             Adoniram

Twelve Officers  which were over all Israel in which each man had a month out of the year to make his provisions.

Out of these twelve offices, two of them married daughters of Solomon- son of Abinadab  who married Taphath and Ahimaaz who married Basmath.

I know…………….  Boring stuff….  Today but not to me..   I love knowing and learning the names.

Take care.. See ya tomorrow.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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