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First Reading: 1 Kings Chapter 3 and 41 Kings 3
3:1 Solomon Requests Wisdom
(2 Chron 1:2-13)
Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's
daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building
his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall all around Jerusalem.
2 Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house
built for the name of the LORD until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD,
walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned
incense at the high places.
4 Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high
place: Solomon offered 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
shall I give you?"
6 And Solomon said: "You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my
father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness
of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and 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 instead of my father David, but I am 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 numerous to be
numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart
to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able
to judge this great people of Yours?"
10 The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 Then God
said to him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long
life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life
of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,
12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise
and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you,
nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also given you what you
have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like
you among the kings all your days. 14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My
statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen
your days."
15 Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem
and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, offered up burnt offerings,
offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Solomon's Wise Judgment
Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. 17 And
one woman said, "O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and
I gave birth while she was in the house. 18 Then it happened, the third day
after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together;
no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. 19 And this
woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 So she arose in the
middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept,
and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when
I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined
him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne."
22 Then the other woman said, "No! But the living one is my son, and the
dead one is your son."
And the first woman said, "No! But the dead one is your son, and the living
one is my son."
Thus they spoke before the king.
23 And the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son, who lives, and your
son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! But your son is the dead one,
and my son is the living one.'" 24 Then the king said, "Bring me a
sword." So they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said,
"Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the
other."
26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with
compassion for her son; and she said, "O my lord, give her the living child,
and by no means kill him!"
But the other said, "Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him."
27 So the king answered and said, "Give the first woman the living child,
and by no means kill him; she is his mother."
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they
feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer
justice.
1 Kings 4
4:1 Solomon's Administration
So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were his officials: Azariah
the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes;
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,
over the army; Zadok and Abiathar, the priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan,
over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king's friend;
6 Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor
force.
7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the
king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year. 8
These are their names: Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; 9 Ben-Deker, in
Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth;
to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; 11 Ben-Abinadab, in all the
regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 12 Baana the
son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan
below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of
Jokneam; 13 Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged the towns of Jair the
son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged the region of Argob in Bashan
sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars; 14 Ahinadab the son
of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter
of Solomon as wife; 16 Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat
the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; 19 Geber
the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites,
and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.
20 Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon's Reign
Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating
and drinking and rejoicing. 21 So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the
River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought
tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 Now Solomon's provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour, sixty
kors of meal, 23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred
sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl.
24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah
even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had
peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each
man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days
of Solomon.
26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve
thousand horsemen. 27 And these governors, each man in his month, provided food
for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon's table. There was no
lack in their supply. 28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place,
for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness
of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the
wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was
wiser than all men than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda,
the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke
three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. 33 Also he
spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs
out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and
of fish. 34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had
heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
John 8
8:1 Jesus the Light of the World
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people
came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees
brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the
midst, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery,
in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned.
But what do You say?" 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have
something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground
with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them,
"He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."
8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard
it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with
the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing
in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman,
He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned
you?"
11 She said, "No one, Lord."
And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
13 Jesus Defends His Self-Witness
The Pharisees therefore said to Him,"You bear witness of Yourself; Your
witness is not true."
14 Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself,
My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you
do not know where I come from and where I am going. 15 You judge according to
the flesh; I judge no one. 16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for
I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 It is also written
in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness
of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."
19 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"
Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me,
you would have known My Father also."
20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and
no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.
21 Jesus Predicts His Departure
Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me,
and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come."
22 So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go
you cannot come'?"
23 And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are
of this world; I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you will
die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your
sins."
25 Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"
And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me
is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."
27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you
will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught
Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not
left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." 30 As He
spoke these words, many believed in Him.
31 The Truth Shall Make You Free
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word,
you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free."
33 They answered Him,"We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been
in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"
34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits
sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but
a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free
indeed.
37
"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because
My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and
you do what you have seen with your father."
39 They answered and said to Him,"Abraham is our father."
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works
of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth
which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your
father."
Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father
God."
42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for
I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent
Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen
to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father
you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in
the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because
I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin?
And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears
God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."
48
Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You
are a Samaritan and have a demon?"
49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you
dishonor Me. 50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.
51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see
death."
52 Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham
is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never
taste death.' 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the
prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?"
54 Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father
who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 55 Yet you have not known
Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like
you; but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to
see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have
You seen Abraham?"
58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was,
I am."
59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went
out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
I KINGS
Part 1 of 2
The books of the Kings continues the history of the Kingdom of Israel started in I & II Samuel. The story in I Kings begins when King David is old and ready to die. After some difficulties, Solomon, David's son with Bathsheba, is made king. The book of I Kings describes the golden age of Solomon with all his riches and wisdom:
King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. I Kings 10:23-25
Solomon also built a temple for God as David had wanted to do. Solomon's down fall came from his many wives--he married many women from foreign countries with foreign gods. Solomon was influenced by these women and we are told that his heart was not true to his God.
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