O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 11:26 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Wednesday April 8 >1 Kings 7-9 (The Message) > > 1 Kings 7 > 1-5 It took Solomon another thirteen years to finish building his own > palace complex. He built the > Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred and fifty feet long, > seventy-five feet wide, and > forty-five feet high. There were four rows of cedar columns supporting > forty-five cedar beams, > fifteen in each row, and then roofed with cedar. Windows in groupings of > three were set high in the > walls on either side. All the doors were rectangular and arranged > symmetrically. > 6 He built a colonnaded courtyard seventy-five feet long and forty-five > wide. It had a roofed porch > at the front with ample eaves. > > 7 He built a court room, the Hall of Justice, where he would decide > judicial matters, and paneled > it with cedar. > > 8 He built his personal residence behind the Hall on a similar plan. > Solomon also built another one > just like it for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had married. > > 9-12 No expense was spared-everything here, inside and out, from > foundation to roof was constructed > using high-quality stone, accurately cut and shaped and polished. The > foundation stones were huge, > ranging in size from twelve to fifteen feet, and of the very best quality. > The finest stone was used > above the foundation, shaped to size and trimmed with cedar. The courtyard > was enclosed with a wall > made of three layers of stone and topped with cedar timbers, just like the > one in the porch of The > Temple of God. > > > 13-14 King Solomon sent to Tyre and asked Hiram (not the king; another > Hiram) to come. Hiram's > mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was a Tyrian and > a master worker in > bronze. Hiram was a real artist-he could do anything with bronze. He came > to King Solomon and did > all the bronze work. > > 15-22 First he cast two pillars in bronze, each twenty-seven feet tall and > eighteen feet in > circumference. He then cast two capitals in bronze to set on the pillars; > each capital was seven and > a half feet high and flared at the top in the shape of a lily. Each > capital was dressed with an > elaborate filigree of seven braided chains and a double row of two hundred > pomegranates, setting the > pillars off magnificently. He set the pillars up in the entrance porch to > The Temple; the pillar to > the south he named Security (Jachin) and the pillar to the north Stability > (Boaz). The capitals were > in the shape of lilies. > > 22-24 When the pillars were finished, Hiram's next project was to make the > Sea-an immense round > basin of cast metal fifteen feet in diameter, seven and a half feet tall, > and forty-five feet in > circumference. Just under the rim there were two bands of decorative > gourds, ten gourds to each foot > and a half. The gourds were cast in one piece with the Sea. > > 25-26 The Sea was set on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing > west, three facing south, > and three facing east; the bulls faced outward supporting the Sea on their > hindquarters. The Sea was > three inches thick and flared at the rim like a cup, or like a lily. It > held about 11,500 gallons. > > 27-33 Hiram also made ten washstands of bronze. Each was six feet square > and four and a half feet > tall. They were made like this: Panels were fastened to the uprights. > Lions, bulls, and cherubim > were represented on the panels and uprights. Beveled wreath-work bordered > the lions and bulls above > and below. Each stand was mounted on four bronze wheels with bronze axles. > The uprights were cast > with decorative relief work. Each stand held a basin on a circular > engraved support a foot and a > half deep set on a pedestal two and a quarter feet square. The washstand > itself was square. The > axles were attached under the stand and the wheels fixed to them. The > wheels were twenty-seven > inches in diameter; they were designed like chariot wheels. > Everything-axles, rims, spokes, and > hubs-was of cast metal. > > 34-37 There was a handle at the four corners of each washstand, the > handles cast in one piece with > the stand. At the top of the washstand there was a ring about nine inches > deep. The uprights and > handles were cast with the stand. Everything and every available surface > was engraved with cherubim, > lions, and palm trees, bordered by arabesques. The washstands were > identical, all cast in the same > mold. > > 38-40 He also made ten bronze washbasins, each six feet in diameter with a > capacity of 230 gallons, > one basin for each of the ten washstands. He arranged five stands on the > south side of The Temple > and five on the north. The Sea was placed at the southeast corner of The > Temple. Hiram then > fashioned the various utensils: buckets and shovels and bowls. > > 40-45 Hiram completed all the work he set out to do for King Solomon on > The Temple of God: > two pillars; > two capitals on top of the pillars; > two decorative filigrees for the capitals; > four hundred pomegranates for the two filigrees > (a double row of pomegranates for each filigree); > ten washstands each with its washbasin; > one Sea; > twelve bulls under the Sea; > miscellaneous buckets, shovels, and bowls. > > 45-47 All these artifacts that Hiram made for King Solomon for The Temple > of God were of burnished > bronze. He cast them in clay in a foundry on the Jordan plain between > Succoth and Zarethan. These > artifacts were never weighed-there were far too many! Nobody has any idea > how much bronze was used. > > 48-50 Solomon was also responsible for all the furniture and accessories > in The Temple of God: > the gold Altar; > the gold Table that held the Bread of the Presence; > the pure gold candelabras, five to the right and five to the > left in front of the Inner Sanctuary; > the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; > the pure gold dishes, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and > censers; > the gold sockets for the doors of the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of > Holies, used also for the doors of the Main Sanctuary. > > 51 That completed all the work King Solomon did on The Temple of God. He > then brought in the items > consecrated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the > artifacts. He placed them all in > the treasury of God's Temple. > > 1 Kings 8 > 1-2 Bringing all this to a climax, King Solomon called in the leaders of > Israel, all the heads of > the tribes and the family patriarchs, to bring up the Chest of the > Covenant of God from Zion, the > City of David. And they came, all Israel before King Solomon in the month > of Ethanim, the seventh > month, for the great autumn festival. > 3-5 With all Israel's leaders present, the priests took up the Chest of > God and carried up the > Chest and the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that went with the > Tent. King Solomon and the > entire congregation of Israel were there at the Chest worshiping and > sacrificing huge numbers of > sheep and cattle-so many that no one could keep track. > > 6-9 Then the priests brought the Chest of the Covenant of God to its place > in the Inner Sanctuary, > the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim. The outspread wings > of the cherubim stretched > over the Chest and its poles. The poles were so long that their ends could > be seen from the entrance > to the Inner Sanctuary, but were not noticeable farther out. They're still > there today. There was > nothing in the Chest but the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it > at Horeb where God made a > covenant with Israel after bringing them up from Egypt. > > The Temple Finished, Dedicated, Filled > 10-11 When the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled The Temple of > God. The priests couldn't > carry out their priestly duties because of the cloud-the glory of God > filled The Temple of God! > 12-13 Then Solomon spoke: > God has told us that he lives in the dark > where no one can see him; > I've built this splendid Temple, O God, > to mark your invisible presence forever. > > 14 The king then turned to face the congregation and blessed them: > > 15-16 "Blessed be God, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my > father David. Now he has kept > the promise he made when he said, 'From the day I brought my people Israel > from Egypt, I haven't set > apart one city among the tribes of Israel to build a Temple to fix my Name > there. But I did choose > David to rule my people Israel.' > > 17-19 "My father David had it in his heart to build a Temple honoring the > Name of God, the God of > Israel. But God told him 'It was good that you wanted to build a Temple in > my honor-most > commendable! But you are not the one to do it-your son will build it to > honor my Name.' > > 20-21 "God has done what he said he would do: I have succeeded David my > father and ruled over > Israel just as God promised; and now I've built a Temple to honor God, the > God of Israel, and I've > secured a place for the Chest that holds the covenant of God, the covenant > that he made with our > ancestors when he brought them up from the land of Egypt." > > > 22-25 Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took a position > before the Altar, spread his > hands out before heaven, and prayed, > > O God, God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on > the earth below who > unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and relentlessly loves them > as they sincerely live in > obedience to your way. You kept your word to David my father, your > personal word. You did exactly > what you promised-every detail. The proof is before us today! > > Keep it up, God, O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made > to David my father when > you said, "You'll always have a descendant to represent my rule on > Israel's throne, on the condition > that your sons are as careful to live obediently in my presence as you > have." > 26 O God of Israel, let this all happen; confirm and establish it! > > 27-32 Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood? Why, > the cosmos itself isn't > large enough to give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I've built. > Even so, I'm bold to ask: > Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O God, > my God. Listen to my > prayers, energetic and devout, that I'm setting before you right now. Keep > your eyes open to this > Temple night and day, this place of which you said, "My Name will be > honored there," and listen to > the prayers that I pray at this place. > Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive. > > When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and > then comes and repeats the > promise before your Altar in this Temple, listen from heaven and act > accordingly: Judge your > servants, making the offender pay for his offense and setting the offended > free of any charges. > > 33-34 When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they've > sinned against you, but then > turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in > this Temple, > Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sin of your people > Israel, return them to the > land you gave their ancestors. > > 35-36 When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people > have sinned against you, > but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quitting > their sins because you have > scourged them, > Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, > your people Israel. > > Then start over with them: Train them to live right and well; send rain > on the land you gave > your people as an inheritance. > > 37-40 When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or > disease, locust or beetle, or > when an enemy attacks their defenses-calamity of any sort-any prayer > that's prayed from anyone at > all among your people Israel, hearts penetrated by the disaster, hands and > arms thrown out to this > Temple for help, > Listen from your home in heaven. > > Forgive and go to work on us. Give what each deserves, for you know > each life from the inside > (you're the only one with such "inside knowledge"!) so that they'll live > before you in lifelong > reverent and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors. > > 41-43 And don't forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people > Israel but has come from a > far country because of your reputation. People are going to be attracted > here by your great > reputation, your wonder-working power, who come to pray at this Temple. > Listen from your home in heaven. > > Honor the prayers of the foreigner so that people all over the world > will know who you are and > what you're like and will live in reverent obedience before you, just as > your own people Israel do; > so they'll know that you personally make this Temple that I've built what > it is. > > 44-51 When your people go to war against their enemies at the time and > place you send them and they > pray to God toward the city you chose and this Temple I've built to honor > your Name, > Listen from heaven to what they pray and ask for, and do what's right > for them. > > When they sin against you-and they certainly will; there's no one > without sin!-and in anger you > turn them over to the enemy and they are taken captive to the enemy's > land, whether far or near, but > repent in the country of their captivity and pray with changed hearts in > their exile, "We've sinned; > we've done wrong; we've been most wicked," and turn back to you heart and > soul in the land of the > enemy who conquered them, and pray to you toward their homeland, the land > you gave their ancestors, > toward the city you chose, and this Temple I have built to the honor of > your Name, > Listen from your home in heaven to their prayers desperate and devout > and do what is best for > them. > > Forgive your people who have sinned against you; forgive their gross > rebellions and move their > captors to treat them with compassion. They are, after all, your people > and your precious > inheritance whom you rescued from the heart of that iron-smelting furnace, > Egypt! > > 52-53 O be alert and attentive to the needy prayers of me, your servant, > and your dear people > Israel; listen every time they cry out to you! You handpicked them from > all the peoples on earth to > be your very own people, as you announced through your servant Moses when > you, O God, in your > masterful rule, delivered our ancestors from Egypt. > 54-55 Having finished praying to God-all these bold and passionate > prayers-Solomon stood up before > God's Altar where he had been kneeling all this time, his arms stretched > upward to heaven. Standing, > he blessed the whole congregation of Israel, blessing them at the top of > his lungs: > > 56-58 "Blessed be God, who has given peace to his people Israel just as he > said he'd do. Not one of > all those good and wonderful words that he spoke through Moses has > misfired. May God, our very own > God, continue to be with us just as he was with our ancestors-may he never > give up and walk out on > us. May he keep us centered and devoted to him, following the life path he > has cleared, watching the > signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down for our ancestors. > > 59-61 "And let these words that I've prayed in the presence of God be > always right there before > him, day and night, so that he'll do what is right for me, to guarantee > justice for his people > Israel day after day after day. Then all the people on earth will know God > is the true God; there is > no other God. And you, your lives must be totally obedient to God, our > personal God, following the > life path he has cleared, alert and attentive to everything he has made > plain this day." > > > 62-63 The king and all Israel with him then worshiped, offering sacrifices > to God. Solomon offered > Peace-Offerings, sacrificing to God 22,000 cattle, a hundred and 120,000 > sheep. This is how the king > and all Israel dedicated The Temple of God. > > 64 That same day, the king set apart the central area of the Courtyard in > front of God's Temple for > sacred use and there sacrificed the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, > Grain-Offerings, and fat from the > Peace-Offerings-the bronze Altar was too small to handle all these > offerings. > > 65-66 This is how Solomon kept the great autumn feast, and all Israel with > him, people there all > the way from the far northeast (the Entrance to Hamath) to the far > southwest (the Brook of Egypt)-a > huge congregation. They started out celebrating for seven days-and then > did it another seven days! > Two solid weeks of celebration! Then he dismissed them. They blessed the > king and went home, > exuberant with heartfelt gratitude for all the good God had done for his > servant David and for his > people Israel. > > 1 Kings 9 > 1-2 After Solomon had completed building The Temple of God and his own > palace, all the projects he > had set his heart on doing, God appeared to Solomon again, just as he had > appeared to him at Gibeon. > 3-5 And God said to him, "I've listened to and received all your prayers, > your ever-so-passionate > prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is > stamped on it forever; my eyes > are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my > presence as your father David > lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, > attentively obedient to my > guidance and judgments, then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel, make > it a sure thing on a solid > foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I'm giving you: > 'You can count on always > having a descendant on Israel's throne.' > > 6-9 "But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and > judgments, taking up with alien > gods by serving and worshiping them, then the guarantee is off: I'll wipe > Israel right off the map > and repudiate this Temple I've just sanctified to honor my Name. And > Israel will become nothing but > a bad joke among the peoples of the world. And this Temple, splendid as it > now is, will become an > object of contempt; visitors will shake their heads, saying, 'Whatever > happened here? What's the > story behind these ruins?' Then they'll be told, 'The people who used to > live here betrayed their > God, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up > with alien gods, worshiping > and serving them. That's what's behind this God-visited devastation.'" > > > 10-12 At the end of twenty years, having built the two buildings, The > Temple of God and his personal > palace, Solomon rewarded Hiram king of Tyre with a gift of twenty villages > in the district of > Galilee. Hiram had provided him with all the cedar and cypress and gold > that he had wanted. But when > Hiram left Tyre to look over the villages that Solomon had given him, he > didn't like what he saw. > > 13-14 He said, "What kind of reward is this, my friend? Twenty backwoods > hick towns!" People still > refer to them that way. This is all Hiram got from Solomon in exchange for > four and a half tons of > gold! > > > 15 This is the work record of the labor force that King Solomon raised to > build The Temple of God, > his palace, the defense complex (the Millo), the Jerusalem wall, and the > fortified cities of Hazor, > Megiddo, and Gezer. > > 16-17 Pharaoh king of Egypt had come up and captured Gezer, torched it, > and killed all the > Canaanites who lived there. He gave it as a wedding present to his > daughter, Solomon's wife. So > Solomon rebuilt Gezer. > > 17-19 He also built Lower Beth Horon, Baalath, and Tamar in the desert, > back-country storehouse > villages, and villages for chariots and horses. Solomon built widely and > extravagantly in Jerusalem, > in Lebanon, and wherever he fancied. > > 20-23 The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land (Amorites, > Hittites, Perizzites, > Hivites, and Jebusites-all non-Israelites), survivors of the holy wars, > were rounded up by Solomon > for his gangs of slave labor, a policy still in effect. But true > Israelites were not treated this > way; they were used in his army and administration-government leaders and > commanders of his chariots > and charioteers. They were also the project managers responsible for > Solomon's building > operations-550 of them in charge of the workforce. > > 24 It was after Pharaoh's daughter ceremonially ascended from the City of > David and took up > residence in the house built especially for her that Solomon built the > defense complex (the Millo). > > 25 Three times a year Solomon worshiped at the Altar of God, sacrificing > Whole-Burnt-Offerings and > Peace-Offerings, and burning incense in the presence of God. Everything > that had to do with The > Temple he did generously and well; he didn't skimp. > > 26-28 And ships! King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, located > near Elath in Edom on the > Red Sea. Hiram sent seaworthy sailors to assist Solomon's men with the > fleet. They embarked for > Ophir, brought back sixteen tons of gold, and presented it to King > Solomon. > > > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
