Month: June 2024

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 9:1-10:29
  Acts 8:14-40
  Psalm 130:1-8
  Proverbs 17:2-3

Dream of Solomon by Luca Giordano

1 Kings 9:2 — Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, was one of only three kings to reign over the United Kingdom. Even though he was a Davidic heir to the throne and reigned for 40 years, God only appeared to him twice. We need to be grateful that we have God’s entire revelation, and that we have direct access to God.

1 Kings 9:4 — Integrity of heart … having a heart attitude of obedience brings blessing (yes, I know you’ve heard this before).

1 Kings 9:7 — We have a prophecy that has been fulfilled, but God in His mercy returned Israel to the land – not just once (Ezra/Nehemiah) but twice (modern state of Israel).

1 Kings 9:11 — From the Pulpit Commentary:

… “king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities” [really they were mere villages. “It is a genuine Eastern trick to dignify a small present with a pompous name” (Thomson). But עִיר is a word of very wide meaning]

“in the land of Galilee.” גּלִיל lit., circuit, region (like Ciccar, 1 Kings 7:46), hence often found as here with the art. = the region of the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1; 1 Macc. 5:15; Matthew 4:15), so called because it was inhabited by Phoenicians (see 2 Samuel 24:7, and Strabo, 16. p. 760), originally designated but a small part of the considerable tract of country later known as the province of “Galilee,” viz., the northern part in the tribe of Naphtali (Joshua 20:7; 2 Kings 15:29; Isaiah 9:1. Cf. Jos., Ant. 5.1.18). It is easy to see why this particular region was surrendered to Hiram.

(1)      It was near his country (2 Samuel 24:7);

(2)      the people were Phoenicians, allied to Hiram, but strangers to Solomon, both in race and religion;

(3)      Solomon could not with propriety alienate any part of Immanuel’s land, or convey to a foreigner the dominion over the people of the Lord. Leviticus 25:23 forbade the alienation of the land; Deuteronomy 17:15 the rule of a stranger.

1 Kings 10:1 — God’s power attracts spectators and causes others to bless the LORD (1 Kings 10:9).

1 Kings 10:22 — Jewish connections to Tarshish have extended for many years. Soon we’ll see a man of Tarshish have an encounter with Jesus!

1 Kings 10:28 — Just when things were going well – Deuteronomy 17:16 specifically warned about going to Egypt to multiply horses.

Acts 8:27 — Speaking of obedience, Philip obeyed the angel that gave him a divine appointment.

Acts 8:31 — Be a guide to someone on how to read the Bible today! Start preaching Jesus (Acts 8:32)!

Psalm 130:4 — Amen!

Proverbs 17:2 — Divine social mobility.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: Luca Giordano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 8:1-66
  Acts 7:51-8:13
  Psalm 129:1-8
  Proverbs 17:1

The Ark Brought to the Temple

1 Kings 8:23 — Mercy upon His servants! Such a great treasure to be thankful for!

1 Kings 8:33 — Turn and confess; repeated in 1 Kings 8:35.

1 Kings 8:41 — In case you hadn’t figured it out, this verse is talking about most of us.

Acts 7:51 — Not exactly a seeker-sensitive invitation.

Acts 7:56 — Normally, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God (Matthew 26:64). This is the only time Jesus is recorded standing at the right hand, perhaps ready to welcome His faithful servant home.

Psalm 129:4 — Near the center of this verse is an eternal truth: The LORD is righteous!

Proverbs 17:1 — Wise words. Peace over displays of worship.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/555-2-chronicles-5/

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 7:1-51
  Acts 7:30-50
  Psalm 128:1-6
  Proverbs 16:31-33

1 Kings 7:1 — 1 Kings 6:38 says Solomon spent seven years building the temple, but we contrast that with how long he spent building his house. The temple was 60x20x30 cubits (1 Kings 6:2), while Solomon’s house was 100x50x30 cubits … approximately 4x the cubic volume.

First Book of Kings Chapter 6 – Solomon’s Temple

1 Kings 7:42 — Why does God give all these details? Remember Exodus 28:2 and Exodus 28:40? For glory and for beauty. God designs beautiful things for us to enjoy and appreciate.

Acts 7:32 — Stephen reiterates the message Peter preached in Acts 3:22 – “… Him shall ye hear.” This is the key messianic prophecy of the early New Testament age; Deuteronomy 18:15 and Deuteronomy 18:18 is the source.

Acts 7:39 — “… would not obey …” is a dominant theme found in the Bible.

Acts 7:41 — Aaron claimed he cast the gold into the fire and “there came out this calf (Exodus 32:24),” but Exodus 32:4 states he fashioned it with a graving tool and made the molten calf. Here Stephen reiterates the disobedience of his people.

Acts 7:45 — Jesus and Joshua are the same name, just transliterated from Greek to Hebrew to English.

Acts 7:49 — Why the mention of the temple? Because the charge was of destroying the Temple (Acts 6:14). Stephen shows that the Old Testament allowed the Temple but did not command a Temple.

Psalm 128:1 — Next time, I’m going to keep track of how many times we’re reminded to obey the Lord, walk in His ways, etc.

Proverbs 16:33 — The control of the Virginia House of Representatives in 2017 was settled by a coin toss. Read in USA Today how people are relegating important decisions to “chance” today, but remember that even “chance” is of the Lord.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 5:1-6:38
  Acts 7:1-29
  Psalm 127:1-5
  Proverbs 16:28-30

1 Kings 5:7 — How great is it that your father’s friends will bless the LORD, and that your father’s legacy is continued!

1 Kings 6:1 — This is the anchor dating passage for the Old Testament. Four hundred eighty years from the Exodus to the construction of the Temple. That connects 1446 (date of the Exodus) to 966 BC.

Model of Solomon’s Temple

1 Kings 6:7 — Amazing! A massive construction project but no sound of jackhammers, axes, or iron tools while it was under construction!

1 Kings 6:12 — What does the LORD say is the one condition for Solomon to have a successful reign? Obedience! Have we heard this before?

1 Kings 6:38 — How is that for an impressive project? Tens of thousands of people working for seven years!

Acts 7:2 — Stephen, a man willing to wait on tables, was able to preach and recite Hebrew history. We see here that Genesis and the early Exodus history is summarized in twenty-eight verses. The Torah is very relevant to the New Testament.

Psalm 127:1 — Great reminder of Proverbs 19:21, James 4:13-16, and Luke 12:16-21.

Psalm 127:3 — Children are a blessing and are important to society:

The United States is in the midst of what some worry is a baby crisis. The number of women giving birth has been declining for years and just hit a historic low. If the trend continues — and experts disagree on whether it will — the country could face economic and cultural turmoil.

Washington Post

Proverbs 16:28 — Are you a uniter or a divider?

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit SalemOptix, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 3:3-4:34
  Acts 6:1-15
  Psalm 126:1-6
  Proverbs 16:26-27

1 Kings 3:9 — May we pray for wisdom as well! Too often people pray only for health, wealth, and prosperity. God wants to give us all that, but He first wants to give us wisdom. Also, if we don’t walk in God’s ways, we’re not getting the fringe benefits (1 Kings 3:14).

1 Kings 4:21 — Solomon’s reign seems impressive but … as Samuel warned in 1 Samuel 8:14-15 … the king will take your fields, your vineyards, your olive groves, your grain, your vintage, and more! While prosperity is fun, it is also expensive (1 Kings 12:4).

1 Kings 4:25 — This verse contains one of George Washington’s favorite phrases: “Every man under his vine and under his fig tree.” George Tsakiridis explains:

“Under their vine and fig tree” is a phrase quoted in the Hebrew Scriptures in three different places: Micah 4:4, 1 Kings 4:25, and Zechariah 3:10. George Washington used this phrase multiple times in correspondence throughout his life, and one can find Washington reference it almost fifty times …

The phrase refers to the independence of the peasant farmer who is freed from military oppression. In the biblical passage there is a juxtaposition of the simple life with that of royalty or the state. Thus, it would seem that Washington’s use of “vine and fig tree” in its full context would be an appropriate message in the setting of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States.

www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/vine-and-fig-tree/

1 Kings 4:26 — Solomon is violating Deuteronomy 17:16.

Acts 6:10 — Stephen’s job description was to “serve tables” (Acts 6:2), but he spoke with wisdom and the Spirit. They charged him (Acts 6:14) with the same charge they attacked Jesus with in Mark 14:58.

Copy of the Handwritten Psalm Given to Vice President Pence and Signed by the 3 Freed Prisoners

Psalm 126:1-3 – From former Vice President Mike Pence:

It was an amazing moment I’ll never forget… when three Americans stepped onto the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews and gave me a signed personal note with Psalm 126 on the back.

“When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion … The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

To these men of faith and courage – God bless you and welcome home!

Psalm126:6 — Spurgeon has a great outline:

• A sojourning: “He that now goeth on his way.”
• A sorrowing: “weeping.”
• A sowing: “and beareth forth good seed.”

In the regress, there are three opposites to these:

• Returning: “He shall doubtless come again.”
• Rejoicing: “with joy.”
• Reaping: “and bring his sheaves with him.”

John Hume

Proverbs 16:26 — From Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible:

He that laboreth – literally, as in the margin, i. e., “The desire of the laborer labors for him” (or, helps him in his work), “for his mouth urges him on.” Hunger of some kind is the spring of all hearty labor. Without that the man would sit down and take his ease. So also, unless there is a hunger in the soul, craving to be fed, there can be no true labor after righteousness and wisdom (compare Matthew 5:6).

www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/proverbs-16.html

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: https://www.christianpost.com/news/freed-americans-give-mike-pence-note-quoting-psalm-126-after-returning-from-north-korea.html

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 2:1-3:2
  Acts 5:1-42
  Psalm 125:1-5
  Proverbs 16:25

King David Statue

1 Kings 2:3 — King David gives his most important advice to Solomon. Be a man (1 Kings 2:2), but most importantly obey the LORD thy God. David’s charge to Solomon here uses language from Psalm 119. Ways (6x in Psalm 119), statutes (22x in Psalm 119), commandments (22x in Psalm 119), judgments (22x in Psalm 119), testimonies (23x in Psalm 119), and Law (25x in Psalm 119). 120 times in Psalm 119 he uses these six words to refer to the requirements of God. Why?

“… that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest …” Prosperity is the dominant desire of America for the last hundred plus years. One of the more interesting characters promoting this idea is Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich (1937), one of the 10 bestselling self-help books of all time. We need to follow the LORD, and we can prosper – without having to buy any other books!

1 Kings 2:5 — Joab is a man that has stood out in the passages we have read. David has not forgotten his deeds to Abner and Amasa. Because Joab was loyal to David, David had to deal tactfully with Joab, so David lets Solomon tend to the problem. We see David has a good memory of his friends (Barzillai) and his enemies (Shimei).

1 Kings 2:17 — Such a simple request, but it was a request that cost him his life (1 Kings 2:25). From The Bible Knowledge Commentary:

Solomon in his wisdom realized that the people would regard Abishag as a concubine and therefore would interpret Adonijah’s marriage to her as a claim to the throne. Also since Adonijah was older (v. 22) than Solomon (cf. 2 Sam. 3:4 with 2 Sam. 5:13–14) the people would assume that he had more right to be king than Solomon.

Thomas L. Constable, “1 Kings,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 492.

1 Kings 2:39-40 — While not exactly applicable, the principle of Deuteronomy 23:15 does apply.

1 Kings 3:1 — Leviticus 18:3 warned against the doings of the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 17:16 warned about causing the people to return to Egypt.

Acts 5:5 — God has the power to bring the dead to life and to take the living to death. Not all signs (Acts 5:12) were positive situations for rejoicing.

Acts 5:21 — John on the Isle of Patmos records some of the last words of Jesus to us: “I have set before thee an open door.” (Revelation 3:8) The door was opened so that we could go, stand, and preach!

Acts 5:33 — The same God who broke up Adonijah’s war party with intense fear, allowed Gamaliel to be the tool to spare His servants and to further their ministry.

Acts 5:42 — From Earl Martin:

Psalm 125:1 — The promise of 1 Kings 2:3 has just been expanded to all that trust in the LORD. This promise applies to you – IF you trust and obey!

Proverbs 16:25 — Does God want you to follow your heart? No, He just wants you to follow Him!

Share how reading thru the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: Alexander Dyomin (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/6846446753)

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 1:1-53
  Acts 4:1-37
  Psalm 124:1-8
  Proverbs 16:24

We are now in 1 Kings! Fourteen books of the Bible done! Great job staying
faithful to God’s Word!

1 Kings 1:4 — Interesting comparison to Esther. In 1 Kings 1:2, the suggestion is almost identical “Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin” to Esther 2:2 “Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king.” Abishag was “very fair” (1 Samuel 1:2), while Esther was “fair and beautiful.”

1 Kings 1:5 — Note the similarity between this verse and Absalom in 2 Samuel 15:1. Lest you think this is an outdated tradition, be sure to go to your local 4th of July Parade!

Quick Parade Tips for Political Candidates

Paul Ryan for Congress (2011)

1 Kings 1:7 — Joab was also instrumental in bringing back Absalom (2 Samuel 14:22-23).

1 Kings 1:41 — For some reason Joab is sticking out to me as I read. Interesting that he is caught unprepared. Joshua also heard an unexpected noise of what he thought was war (Exodus 32:17).

1 Kings 1:49 — Instead of another war for the kingdom, God blessed Solomon by putting fear into the hearts of his opponents, neutralizing his opposition.

Acts 4:12 — 

No other name but the name of Jesus,
No other name but the name of the LORD,
No other name but the name of Jesus,
Is worthy of glory, is worthy of honor,
And worthy of power and all praise!

Acts 4:24 — Some may say that understanding creation isn’t an important issue. But if God didn’t make the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that in them is, then God has no authority to dictate to them. But the Creator does have the authority, and He has given us power to speak His Word with boldness (Acts 4:31)!

Psalm 124:8 — Speaking of the Creator, enjoy this song by Earl Martin, “Our Help Is in the Name”:

Proverbs 16:24 — Make some honey today!

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

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Image Credit: Susan Jacobson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/11625607@N04/6118231882/in/photostream/)