First Kings 8

God’s message to me: God’s plan is to have all the world turn to Him in love, worship, thanksgiving and to fulfill their needs. This has been His plan from the beginning. For this cause He did great works that the entire world would know Him and His Power and recognize that He is God.

Promises: God hears our prayers and responds. He is not contained so that he can dwell in a building. He is Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent. He knows all, can do all and is everywhere at the same time. He may take actions to make his presence known in one particular place but He is everywhere, always listening and waiting for our prayer.

Commands: Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. This is not in the text you read today but it is a clear command repeated in the bible. This is the City in which God placed His name and in which he set the throne of His Kingdom and that of Israel. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and understand that true peace can only come when it once again belongs completely to Israel and is the Capital of that nation. Until the Jews can enter the Temple Mount without fear of reprisal there will not be true peace in Jerusalem.

Timeless principles: Jehovah is not the God of any one people. He is King of kings, Lord of lords, Alpha and Omega, I AM, The Uncaused Cause, He is the one true God and Creator of the Universe. He placed his name in Jerusalem because it was there that He established the Throne of His Kingdom and the Seat of His Rulership over the earth. Even Solomon, at a time when few outside of Israel recognized The Lord, knew that He was the God of everything and that anyone in all the earth who turned to Him deserved His reply. Solomon knew that God had done all He had done in Israel in order that the world would know He Is Lord. He knew that all the great miracles and acts of God leading up to that day and beyond would be known, not only in the surrounding countries, as it already was, but throughout the world. That Gentiles of all nations would turn their hearts to the One True God.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: First, God is God to all people in all lands and desires that all come to him. It is true that many will never turn to Him and will be lost in their sin. This does not change that fact that God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to die for our sins. God did this so that all who Believe in Jesus and accept His gift of Salvation can be saved and come to Jehovah as their own God.

Second, Jerusalem is the place where God placed His name. It is the place He chose to be the Capital of Israel and, when He returns, the capital of his Earthly kingdom. Jerusalem should not be divided. Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel. Jerusalem does belong to the Jews. The temple mount is the place where God put his name and it is the rightful place of the Temple of God built first by Solomon, and rebuilt several times since and will be built again. The Dome of the Rock has no place there. The Al Aqusa Mosque is in Mecca, you need only look at maps of that region, ask those who have been there or ask someone there if you visit and they can show you to and into the Al Aqusa Mosque. The Dome of the Rock is not the true Al Aqusa Mosque and no one ever tried to claim it was until Israel became a nation and they needed an excuse to try and remove God’s chosen people from the City of Jerusalem which they always knew was the Capital of the Jews and the place where God placed his name.

more to learn for in-depth study: As with the Tabernacle of Meeting the sign that the Temple of God was accepted by God was His presence. As soon as the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies The cloud, which had led the Israelites through the wilderness, filled the temple and it shown with the Glory of God so that the Priests could not minister inside the temple. This had been the way that God would dwell in the Tabernacle of Meeting as the Israelites traveled to the Promised land. When He entered the Tabernacle in this way Moses could go to the door of the Tabernacle to speak with Him.

tomorrow: First Kings 9-11

First Kings 5-7

God’s message to me: Honor God. The construction and decoration of the temple show a great deal of glory and honor being given to God. It should be understood that we are dealing with the King of kings when we decide how we will honor our Lord. We, as Christians, are given the honor of being granted an Audience with the Creator and Ruler of the universe any time we desire one through prayer. All to often we take this for granted and treat it far to lightly and casually. It isn’t necessary to dress up for church every time but how would you dress if you knew the President of the United States was going to be there? It isn’t required that we clean and polish everything to perfection but how would you like your church to look if Jesus Christ were going to preach this Sunday?

Promises: God doesn’t ask for things He doesn’t provide. David obtained the treasures used to decorate the temple during his conquest of the enemies that came against him and Israel. Solomon obtained the materials from allies who gladly sold them out of friendship with both David and Solomon.

Commands: Honor God as God wishes to be honored. The design of the Tabernacle and the Temple were both divinely inspired. Remember what happened to the sons of Aaron when they offered incense outside of the boundaries of the ceremonies commanded by God. God expects nothing less and nothing more than that we fulfill his commands. Doing less is wrong. Going beyond is wrong.

The most humble mission can be used more mightily than the most beautiful cathedral but each should reflect the best we are able to give to our God.

Timeless principles: Churches are all different and some have more resources than others. Taking into account the resources available to your congregation, who’s house is nicer, yours or Gods? The people of Israel built the Tabernacle of Meeting and the Temple of God out of the best and most costly materials available. They Layered everything they could in gold and decorated with gemstones. For those things that needed more durability they used bronze which is similar in color and easily polished to great beauty. How do you honor God’s house?

How can I apply what I’ve learned: God is the King of kings and Lord of lords. It makes no sense to give Him anything but the best. Not only was the temple layered in Gold and the furnishings made from the best woods and metals, the best artisans were brought in to create the items so that they would be artistically and architecturally the best.

more to learn for in-depth study: It’s been a while since I did an in depth study of end times prophecy so I can’t remember the verse reference to back this. Egypt and Lebanon will turn to God and join with Israel against the Anti-Christ in the Tribulation. These two nations were allies of Israel under Solomon as well. Lebanon had a mostly Christian population with a large Jewish component and a minority Muslim group which was not militant prior to the nations takeover by Hezbollah and Hamas. The Muslims who took over the country were Shiite Iranians and the large Muslim contingent in Lebanon today is Iranian and not Lebanese. Since the Peace treaty with Egypt Israel has had little or no state sponsored trouble from that nation. While they are hardly swayed to side with Israel at this time, they are becoming less of a threat. It isn’t difficult to see the work of prophecy in the news.

480 years after the Israelites left Egypt, Solomon has been on the throne 4 years, it is the second month of the year and The Temple of God, sometimes called the temple of Solomon begins to be built. As we have dated things before this we can see that the Temple began to be built about 3148 years after the creation of the earth. It took 7 years to build it so that it would have been finished in about the year 3155 after creation.

I can’t find my notes and book on the Tabernacle of meeting right now but I’ll try to give you a comparison later. The temple was 90 feet long 30 feet wide and 45 feet high. The vestibule extended another 15 feet in front. It is interesting to note the details but I will only comment on 3.

The stones used to build it were finished at the quarry so that there would be no sound of hammers in the temple while it was being built. They would have to be transported carefully to ensure no damage after finishing and they would have to be carefully measured and accurately constructed in order to fit perfectly together when they arrived. The interior walls were covered in wood so that no stone was visible from inside the temple. Like the Tabernacle, furnishings were made of wood and covered in gold. While fine wood was used to make the walls and decorations they did not show within the temple. Every surface including the floors, ceilings, walls, doors and door frames were covered in gold.

When people talk about the lost treasure of Israel it has to do with this temple. The Temple itself, along with all that was in it was worth a fortune. King David made certain that there was treasure set aside for the construction of this richly appointed building. In fact there was much more than enough. Solomon, in turn, built the temple and added to the treasure so that, if something were to happen, there would be enough to rebuild it. This treasure was hidden well and portions used several times in the history of Israel then replaced, sometimes quickly and other times not for many decades. This secure treasure has been maintained throughout history and is believed to still be stored where it always has been. The Ark of the Covenant is believed to also be there.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of several theories on where the Ark is now but the important thing to note is that no sacrifices were continued at the Temple or the Tabernacle unless the Ark was there. The blood of the sacrifice had to go to the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant and so the sacrifice at the temple would not make sense without it. The end times prophecies tell us that sacrifices will have returned before the tribulation begins. This tells us we can look for the return of the Ark of the Covenant as one of the last things to occur before the Rapture. On the other hand, it is not marked as a sign of the Rapture so it may happen after the Rapture. The bible is unclear on the time table but the Rapture occurs a short time before the tribulation begins. This could be hours, days, months or potentially years. Given the rapid timetable of those times I expect it would be less than a year and the resulting mayhem that will occur when every Born Again Christian suddenly disappears will be a great opening for the anti-Christ who is described as a powerful world leader. Political power and popularity is most easily gained in time of crises. Note how many politicians have said things like “never waste a crisis” since the recession began.

tomorrow: First Kings 8

Second Samuel 4-7

God’s message to me: God blessed Israel and promised to make them His people forever. Replacement theology ignores this oath which was established as a blood oath to Abraham and repeated throughout the generations.

Promises: God fulfills his promises. It doesn’t take our action to make it happen. God promised to make David king of all Israel. While forced to fight Abner and his army because the general kept starting fights, David never attempted to use force to bring the kingdom together. When god’s timing was ready David was made king over the entire nation at the age of 30 and ruled for 40 years including the 7 and a half years he ruled in Hebron over the part of the kingdom that accepted him first.

Commands: Keep your promises. But be careful about what you promise. Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son. As David Promised to watch over Jonathan’s household as his own, he took in Miphibosheth to honor his friend and fulfill his promise. David did a lot of nice things to those who were his enemies or would become his enemies. While it’s good to be a nice guy, his actions and promises served to ensure he spent his entire life fighting and running.

God’s commands are not optional. The ark was not to be touched. Even when carried it was designed to be carried on poles and not touched. Uzzah only sought to keep the ark from falling when the Oxen stumbled but was killed instantly for touching the ark.

Because of Uzzah’s death David feared to take the ark further and left it in the house of Abed Edom. When he heard the household had been blessed for having the ark he thought it might be safe to continue. When the men bearing the ark made it six steps without incident David celebrated and sacrificed to the Lord. then brought the ark to Jerusalem.

Timeless principles: murder is not the way to reward. When Ishbosheth’s general was murdered his captains sought to get on David’s good side by murdering Ishbosheth and bringing his head to the king. Ishbosheth may have been a puppet but he had done nothing wrong and the captains were more guilty of murder than the Amalakite who claimed credit for Saul’s death. At least Saul had died in battle.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Learn to listen to God’s command. The Philistines came against Israel in the valley of the Rephaim giants. David asked God if he should go against them and God said yes. Israel won the battle. When the Philistines came back to the same spot for another fight God told David not to go directly against them but to circle around and come at them from the forest when he heard marching in the tops of the trees. He did so and the Lord went out before him to attack the Philistines and they drove them out of the land from Geba(Gibeon) to Gezer.

Dignity is not required when worshiping the Lord. David’s wife, Michal, felt it was undignified for him to dance around so wildly before the Lord. David responded by saying he was happy to be undignified for God and to be humbled while God was exalted.

more to learn for in-depth study: David was the one who finally lead Israel in capturing Jerusalem. The mountain of Zion and the City of David which was to be the capital of Israel had been left since the Israelites entered the promised land because the people lacked the will to take it. David led the army to take it from the Jebusites who believed themselves superior to Israel, their king and God.

tomorrow: Second Samuel 8-11

First Samuel 4-7

God’s message to me: God is not mocked. The Philistines took the ark and put it in the temple of the false god Dagon. The next morning they found their Idol face down on the floor pointed toward the Ark as in Worship. The set up the Idol and the next day it was in the same position again with it’s hands and head broken off and just the torso lying there. They decided it might be a good idea to send the Ark elsewhere after that. Despite that, their offense against God was repaid with a plague of tumors and rats. Some think it might refer to the bubonic plague. Those who didn’t die were plagued by the tumors.

They sent it to Ekron where everyone panicked and said the people of Ashdod (where it had first been sent) were trying to kill them. They too, had the same plague and demanded the lords of the Philistines send the ark away.

The Philistines held the ark for 7 months during which time the plague did not let up. These leaders didn’t forget where the Ark came from or what God had done for His people. While the Israelites routinely turned from God and failed to give Him credit for all His miracles, the Philistines remembered the stories of every curse, plague, lost battle and miraculous destruction God had brought against Israel's enemies from the captivity in Egypt to that day. They had no intention of being as stupid as Egypt and continuing to keep the ark after it was clear God was punishing them for doing so.

Finally back in Israel at the Ark rested in Beth Shemesh. The locals had immediately broken the cart for firewood and used it to make a burnt offering to God out of the cows pulling the cart. Unfortunately for them, they decided to inspect the contents of the Ark. none but the High priest was supposed to do this and then only under certain rare circumstances. 50,000 people of Beth Shemesh died as a result of the offense and they demanded the ark be taken from them. It was there for 20 years.

It was taken to a neighboring city called Kirjath Jearim where they placed it in the house of Abinadab and consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.

Promises: Just as sin will bring destruction, Obedience will bring salvation. By putting away their false gods and turning back to the one true God, the Israelites were taken out from the oppression of the Philistines and their cities and land they had lost to them was returned.

Commands: Implied rather than explained. Our faith should be in God not in objects, even if they are of God. False worship and false gods including false versions of Jehovah are a surefire way to find destruction for yourself. Remember the first commandment.

Timeless principles: Once again there is a test of God. The false priests and diviners of the Philistines were no doubt inspired by God to give the answer they did when asked what to do about the ark. Two milk cows who had never been yoked would mean two milk cows(not the usual choice for pulling a wagon)who had never been hitched to anything(and wouldn’t easily accept the yoke let alone go somewhere on their own) and had their young locked in the barn(where instinct alone would make them want to go to the barn as well) and left to make their own path. Every rule of nature says these cows would head for the barn and probably overturn the cart in the process because they weren’t trained to pull one. Instead, as predicted, they headed strait for Israel and returned the Ark of the Covenant to God’s chosen people.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Trust in God alone for my needs for only He can provide. Separate myself from anything that works towards false religion so that I do not offend God.

more to learn for in-depth study: one of the roles played by the Ark of the Covenant was weapon. More precisely it was a bit of a super-weapon. God had ordered it to be taken into battle on occasion and in each case it had been the direct cause of a great many enemy deaths. This particular occasion was something like the battle of the Alamo. The Israelites lost the battle in a way that was a lot more damaging to the Philistines than to Israel.

Not ordered to do so, the Israelites decided they needed the Ark in battle because they knew what had happened in the past. They were placing their faith in a thing rather than in God directly. they had already lost 4,000 in battle and with the Ark on the battlefield they lost another battle along with the lives of 30,000 Israeli soldiers and the two sons of Eli who had taken the Ark to the battlefield. When word was brought to Eli about what had happened he didn’t have much reaction to the loss of his sons but “fell over” when he heard the ark had been taken. When he fell his neck broke and he died at 98 years old.

News of the defeat drove the wife of Eli’s son Phinehas into early labor. She gave birth to a son she named Ichabod because the ark had been captured, Eli and her husband and brother in law were all dead and she said, “the glory has departed from Israel for the ark of God has been captured.”

tomorrow: First Samuel 8-11

Exodus chapters 25-28

The temple This first temple was completely mobile and designed to be put up wherever His people camped and taken down for transport when they moved.

God’s message to me: Give with a willing heart.

Commands: Give with a willing heart.

Promises: God doesn’t ask for anything He didn’t give you. The Israelites left Egypt with piles of precious metal, precious stones, valuable fabrics and skins, and clothing. God requested some of it be donated to build a temple for him so that he would have a dwelling place among them.

Timeless principles: God asks that our offerings be given with a willing heart and not out of obligation. No one was forced to give the gifts that were used to make the temple. Moses was told to request the supplies from those who were willing.

more to learn for in-depth study: The temple is an in-depth study of it’s own and holds detail that I lack room to go into. I recommend anyone who wants to learn more should check the library and the internet for more info. SEEING CHRIST IN THE TABERNACLE by Ervin N. Hershberger is a 100 page book you can probably find at the bible bookstore which studies the construction and the items in the temple to explain how they apply in prophecies of the Messiah.

Fun Facts: The ark of the covenant was 45inches long 27 inches wide and 27 inches high. That’s 3ft 9in by 2 ft 3 in by 2ft 3in. It was made from acacia wood( a thorny shrub found all over the world.) and covered in gold inside and out. This passage also describes the lamp stand with 3 branches on each side.