Year in the Bible Week 21

Solomon’s Wisdom in a Dream by Luca Giordano (1693-1695)

This week we finished psalms of David, Asaph, and others in the time of David’s reign, and then we moved on to the beginning of Solomon’s time on the throne. The early days of Solomon included a consolidation of power, the death of Solomon’s brother, and the killing of Joab in a very holy place. I had to look up how it was possible forJoab to be killed in tabernacle, and the answer was in Exodus 24:14 and Numbers 35:31-33. Unrepentant murderers are not given sanctuary, and they can be dragged from the altar and killed. Brutal, but legal.

Solomon made treaties with other nations, and the Israel was at the height of prosperity and influence during this time.

The temple and palace, as described in the Bible, were almost too fabulous to be true. You might have noticed that the capacity of the Sea was different in the Kings account versus the Chronicles. Looking it up, we see a few possible explanations: The most popular explanation is that one indicates total volume, and one indicates usable volume.

• 1 Kings 7:26: Notes it "held" (contained) 2,000 baths.

• 2 Chronicles 4:5: Uses language indicating it "received and held" (could contain) 3,000 baths

There are a few other possible explanations for the difference, so make sure you ask about it when you get to heaven! Also, it looks like one “bath” measurement is five gallons of water. That would be a pretty small bathtub!

This coming week we will get the glorious story of the ark brought to the temple and its dedication, and we will finish the week in Proverbs. Proverbs is a treaure trove of memory verses and tidbits of wisdom for living. Text me or email me your favorite proverbs and I’ll try to include them next week!