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: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 10:47 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Thursday April 9 >1 Kings 10-12 (The Message) > > 1 Kings 10 > > The Queen of Sheba Visits > 1-5 The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and his connection with the > Name of God. She came to put > his reputation to the test by asking tough questions. > She made a grand and showy entrance into Jerusalem-camels loaded with > spices, a huge amount of gold, > and precious gems. She came to Solomon and talked > about all the things that she cared about, emptying her heart to him. > Solomon answered everything > she put to him-nothing stumped him. When the queen of > Sheba experienced for herself Solomon's wisdom and saw with her own eyes > the palace he had built, > the meals that were served, the impressive array of court > officials and sharply dressed waiters, the lavish crystal, and the > elaborate worship extravagant > with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at the steps leading up to > The Temple of God, it took her breath away. > > 6-9 She said to the king, "It's all true! Your reputation for > accomplishment and wisdom that > reached all the way to my country is confirmed. I wouldn't > have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself; they didn't exaggerate! > Such wisdom and > elegance-far more than I could ever have imagined. Lucky the men > and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear > your wise words firsthand! > And blessed be God, your God, who took such a liking > to you and made you king. Clearly, God's love for Israel is behind this, > making you king to keep a > just order and nurture a God-pleasing people." > > 10 She then gave the king four and a half tons of gold, and also sack > after sack of spices and > expensive gems. There hasn't been a cargo of spices like > that since that shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon. > > 11-12 The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with > tremendous loads of fragrant > sandalwood and expensive gems. The king used the sandalwood > for fine cabinetry in The Temple of God and the palace complex, and for > making harps and dulcimers > for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood > has been seen since. > > 13 King Solomon for his part gave the queen of Sheba all her heart's > desire-everything she asked > for, on top of what he had already so generously given > her. Satisfied, she returned home with her train of servants. > > 14-15 Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold in tribute annually. This > was above and beyond the > taxes and profit on trade with merchants and assorted > kings and governors. > > 16-17 King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered > gold-seven and a half pounds > of gold to each shield-and three hundred smaller shields > about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of > Lebanon. > > 18-20 The king built a massive throne of ivory accented with a veneer of > gold. The throne had six > steps leading up to it, its back shaped like an arch. > The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. Lions, twelve of them, > were placed at either end of > the six steps. There was no throne like it in any > of the surrounding kingdoms. > > 21 King Solomon's chalices and tankards were made of gold and all the > dinnerware and serving > utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold-nothing > was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap. > > 22 The king had a fleet of ocean-going ships at sea with Hiram's ships. > Every three years the fleet > would bring in a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, > and apes and peacocks. > > 23-25 King Solomon was wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth-he > surpassed them all. > People came from all over the world to be with Solomon and > drink in the wisdom God had given him. And everyone who came brought > gifts-artifacts of gold and > silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, > exotic spices, and horses and mules-parades of visitors, year after year. > > 26-29 Solomon collected chariots and horses: fourteen hundred chariots and > twelve thousand horses! > He stabled them in the special chariot cities as well > as in Jerusalem. The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as > common as the fig trees in the > lowland hills. His horses were brought in from Egypt > and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king's agents. Chariots from Egypt > went for fifteen pounds of > silver and a horse for about three and three-quarter > pounds of silver. Solomon carried on a brisk horse-trading business with > the Hittite and Aramean > royal houses. > > 1 Kings 11 > 1-5King Solomon was obsessed with women. Pharaoh's daughter was only the > first of the many foreign > women he loved-Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, > and Hittite. He took them from the surrounding pagan nations of which God > had clearly warned Israel, > "You must not marry them; they'll seduce you into > infatuations with their gods." Solomon fell in love with them anyway, > refusing to give them up. He > had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines-a > thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. As Solomon > grew older, his wives > beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful-he > didn't stay true to his God as his father David had done. Solomon took up > with Ashtoreth, the whore > goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible > god of the Ammonites. > > 6-8 Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his father David's > footsteps. He went on to > build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, > and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of > Jerusalem. He built similar > shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted > the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices. > > 9-10 God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the > God who had twice appeared > to him and had so clearly commanded him not to fool > around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God's orders. > > 11-13 God said to Solomon, "Since this is the way it is with you, that you > have no intention of > keeping faith with me and doing what I have commanded, > I'm going to rip the kingdom from you and hand it over to someone else. > But out of respect for your > father David I won't do it in your lifetime. It's your > son who will pay-I'll rip it right out of his grasp. Even then I won't > take it all; I'll leave him > one tribe in honor of my servant David and out of respect > for my chosen city Jerusalem." > > 14-20 God incited Hadad, a descendant of the king of Edom, into hostile > actions against Solomon. > Years earlier, when David devastated Edom, Joab, commander > of the army, on his way to bury the dead, massacred all the men of Edom. > Joab and his army stayed > there for six months, making sure they had killed every > man in Edom. Hadad, just a boy at the time, had escaped with some of the > Edomites who had worked for > his father. Their escape route took them through Midian > to Paran. They picked up some men in Paran and went on to Egypt and to > Pharaoh king of Egypt, who > gave Hadad a house, food, and even land. Pharaoh liked > him so well that he gave him the sister of his wife, Queen Tahpenes, in > marriage. She bore Hadad a > son named Genubath who was raised like one of the royal > family. Genubath grew up in the palace with Pharaoh's children. > > 21 While living in Egypt, Hadad heard that both David and Joab, commander > of the army, were dead. > He approached Pharaoh and said, "Send me off with your > blessing-I want to return to my country." > > 22 "But why?" said Pharaoh. "Why would you want to leave here? Hasn't > everything been to your > liking?" > > "Everything has been just fine," said Hadad, "but I want to go home- > give me a good send-off!" > > 23-25 Then God incited another adversary against Solomon, Rezon son of > Eliada, who had deserted from > his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah. After David's > slaughter of the Arameans, Rezon collected a band of outlaws and became > their leader. They later > settled in Damascus, where Rezon eventually took over > as king. Like Hadad, Rezon was a thorn in Israel's side all of Solomon's > life. He was king over > Aram, and he hated Israel. > > Adversaries Arise > 26 And then, the last straw: Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the > king. He was an Ephraimite > from Zeredah, his mother a widow named Zeruah. He served > in Solomon's administration. > > 27-28 This is why he rebelled. Solomon had built the outer defense system > (the Millo) and had > restored the fortifications that were in disrepair from the > time of his father David. Jeroboam stood out during the construction as > strong and able. When > Solomon observed what a good worker he was, he put the young > man in charge of the entire workforce of the tribe of Joseph. > > 29-30 One day Jeroboam was walking down the road out of Jerusalem. Ahijah > the prophet of Shiloh, > wearing a brand-new cloak, met him. The two of them were > alone on that remote stretch of road. Ahijah took off the new cloak that > he was wearing and ripped > it into twelve pieces. > > 31-33 Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten of these pieces for yourself; > this is by order of the God > of Israel: See what I'm doing-I'm ripping the kingdom > out of Solomon's hands and giving you ten of the tribes. In honor of my > servant David and out of > respect for Jerusalem, the city I especially chose, he > will get one tribe. And here's the reason: He faithlessly abandoned me and > went off worshiping > Ashtoreth goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh god of the Moabites, > and Molech god of the Ammonites. He hasn't lived the way I have shown him, > hasn't done what I have > wanted, and hasn't followed directions or obeyed orders > as his father David did. > > 34-36 "Still, I won't take the whole kingdom away from him. I'll stick > with him through his > lifetime because of my servant David whom I chose and who did > follow my directions and obey my orders. But after that I'll remove the > kingdom from his son's > control and give you ten tribes. I'll leave one tribe to > his son, to maintain a witness to my servant David in Jerusalem, the city > I chose as a memorial to > my Name. > > 37-39 "But I have taken you in hand. Rule to your heart's content! You are > to be the king of > Israel. If you listen to what I tell you and live the way > I show you and do what pleases me, following directions and obeying orders > as my servant David did, > I'll stick with you no matter what. I'll build you > a kingdom as solid as the one I built for David. Israel will be yours! I > am bringing pain and > trouble on David's descendants, but the trials won't last > forever." > > 40 Solomon ordered the assassination of Jeroboam, but he got away to Egypt > and found asylum there > with King Shishak. He remained in exile there until Solomon > died. > > 41-43 The rest of Solomon's life and rule, his work and his wisdom, you > can read for yourself in > The Chronicles of Solomon. Solomon ruled in Jerusalem > over all Israel for forty years. He died and was buried in the City of > David his father. His son > Rehoboam was the next king. > > 1 Kings 12 > > Rehoboam > 1-2 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to > inaugurate him as king. Jeroboam > had been in Egypt, where he had taken asylum from King > Solomon; when he got the report of Solomon's death he had come back. > > 3-4 Rehoboam assembled Jeroboam and all the people. They said to Rehoboam, > "Your father made life > hard for us-worked our fingers to the bone. Give us a > break; lighten up on us and we'll willingly serve you." > > 5 "Give me three days to think it over, then come back," Rehoboam said. > > 6 King Rehoboam talked it over with the elders who had advised his father > when he was alive: > "What's your counsel? How do you suggest that I answer the > people?" > > 7 They said, "If you will be a servant to this people, be considerate of > their needs and respond > with compassion, work things out with them, they'll end > up doing anything for you." > > 8-9 But he rejected the counsel of the elders and asked the young men he'd > grown up with who were > now currying his favor, "What do you think? What should > I say to these people who are saying, 'Give us a break from your father's > harsh ways-lighten up on > us'?" > > 10-11 The young turks he'd grown up with said, "These people who complain, > 'Your father was too > hard on us; lighten up'-well, tell them this: 'My little > finger is thicker than my father's waist. If you think life under my > father was hard, you haven't > seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with whips; > I'll beat you bloody with chains!'" > > 12-14 Three days later Jeroboam and the people showed up, just as Rehoboam > had directed when he > said, "Give me three days to think it over, then come back." > The king's answer was harsh and rude. He spurned the counsel of the elders > and went with the advice > of the younger set, "If you think life under my father > was hard, you haven't seen the half of it. My father thrashed you with > whips; I'll beat you bloody > with chains!" > > 15 Rehoboam turned a deaf ear to the people. God was behind all this, > confirming the message that > he had given to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah > of Shiloh. > > 16-17 When all Israel realized that the king hadn't listened to a word > they'd said, they stood up > to him and said, > Get lost, David! We've had it with you, son of Jesse! Let's get out of > here, Israel, and fast! > From now on, David, mind your own business. > > And with that, they left. But Rehoboam continued to rule those who > lived in the towns of Judah. > > 18-19 When King Rehoboam next sent out Adoniram, head of the workforce, > the Israelites ganged up on > him, pelted him with stones, and killed him. King Rehoboam > jumped in his chariot and fled to Jerusalem as fast as he could. Israel > has been in rebellion > against the Davidic regime ever since. > > Jeroboam of Israel > 20 When the word was out that Jeroboam was back and available, the > assembled people invited him and > inaugurated him king over all Israel. The only tribe > left to the Davidic dynasty was Judah. > > 21 When Rehoboam got back to Jerusalem, he called up the men of Judah and > the tribe of Benjamin, a > 180,000 of their best soldiers, to go to war against > Israel and recover the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon. > > 22-24 At this time the word of God came to Shemaiah, a man of God: "Tell > this to Rehoboam son of > Solomon king of Judah, along with everyone in Judah and > Benjamin and anyone else who is around: This is God's word: Don't march > out; don't fight against > your brothers the Israelites; go back home, every last > one of you; I'm in charge here." And they did it; they did what God said > and went home. > > 25 Jeroboam made a fort at Shechem in the hills of Ephraim, and made that > his headquarters. He also > built a fort at Penuel. > > 26-27 But then Jeroboam thought, "It won't be long before the kingdom is > reunited under David. As > soon as these people resume worship at The Temple of > God in Jerusalem, they'll start thinking of Rehoboam king of Judah as > their ruler. They'll then kill > me and go back to King Rehoboam." > > 28-30 So the king came up with a plan: He made two golden calves. Then he > announced, "It's too much > trouble for you to go to Jerusalem to worship. Look > at these-the gods who brought you out of Egypt!" He put one calf in > Bethel; the other he placed in > Dan. This was blatant sin. Think of it-people traveling > all the way to Dan to worship a calf! > > 31-33 And that wasn't the end of it. Jeroboam built forbidden shrines all > over the place and > recruited priests from wherever he could find them, regardless > of whether they were fit for the job or not. To top it off, he created a > holy New Year festival to > be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month to > replace the one in Judah, complete with worship offered on the Altar at > Bethel and sacrificing > before the calves he had set up there. He staffed Bethel > with priests from the local shrines he had made. This was strictly his own > idea to compete with the > feast in Judah; and he carried it off with flair, a > festival exclusively for Israel, Jeroboam himself leading the worship at > the Altar. > > > 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. 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