July 1, 2025 • 22 mins
Transcript
Today's Bible Translation
Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1 HCSB, Ch. 2-3 NASB, Ch. 4-5 NLT
Executive Producer
John Train
Podcast Introduction
It’s History Tuesday, and we’ll begin the book of 2 Chronicles with chapters 1-5. I’m calling this episode “Solomon’s Missed Opportunity.“
Design: Jason Paschall | Photo: Josh Olalde on Unsplash
Summary
Solomon becomes king and seeks to strengthen his rule. He offers a sacrifice to God and asks for wisdom to lead. God grants him wisdom and blessings. However, Solomon later deviates from God's path. The lesson is that cultivating a love for God is more important than wealth or wisdom.
Support
This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising equals censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, decide how much value it brings to you. Only you can make that determination. Then put a number on the value and donate here: SUPPORT.
The Team
Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise: Transcript CorrectionMichael Haner: Podcasting 2.0 ChaptersScott Snider: Show ArtJason Paschall: Show ArtLifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney: Newsletter Publisher
Transcript
Download .txt file.
Transcript corrected by Sister Denise
Steve Webb 0:00These promises apply to every believer.
Steve Webb 0:10This is the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004, I'm your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. It's History Tuesday and we'll begin the book of 2 Chronicles with a reading of chapters 1 through 5. The website is lifespringmedia.com and I'll have contact information at the end of the show today. Before we read, let's pray. Our heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your Word. We love you, Lord, and we pray that you would bless us as we read today. I pray, Lord, that You would touch our hearts and our minds. Teach us today we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, are you ready? Let's begin.
Steve Webb 0:512 Chronicles, chapter 1. Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom. The Lord his God was with him and highly exalted him. Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel — the heads of the families. Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon because God’s tent of meeting, which the Lord’s servant Moses had made in the wilderness, was there. Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had set up for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem, but he put the bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. Solomon and the assembly inquired of Him there. Solomon offered sacrifices there in the Lord’s presence on the bronze altar at the tent of meeting; he offered 1,000 burnt offerings on it. That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him: “Ask. What should I give you?” And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and You have made me king in his place. Lord God, let Your promise to my father now come true. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people, for who can judge this great people of Yours?” God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and glory, unlike what was given to the kings who were before you, or will be given to those after you.” So Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place that was in Gibeon in front of the tent of meeting,
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Steve Webb (00:00):
These promises apply to every believer.
This is the Lifespring! One YearBible coming to you from
Riverside, California,podcasting since 2004, I'm your
OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. It'sHistory Tuesday and we'll begin
(00:21):
the book of 2 Chronicles with areading of chapters 1 through 5.
The website islifespringmedia.com and I'll
have contact information at theend of the show today. Before we
read, let's pray. Our heavenlyFather, we thank you so much for
your Word. We love you, Lord,and we pray that you would bless
us as we read today. I pray,Lord, that You would touch our
(00:41):
hearts and our minds. Teach ustoday we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen. All right, are you ready?Let's begin.
2 Chronicles, chapter 1. Solomonson of David strengthened his
hold on his kingdom. The Lordhis God was with him and highly
exalted him. Then Solomon spoketo all Israel, to the commanders
(01:04):
of thousands and of hundreds, tothe judges, and to every leader
in all Israel — the heads of thefamilies. Solomon and the whole
assembly with him went to thehigh place that was in Gibeon
because God’s tent of meeting,which the Lord’s servant Moses
had made in the wilderness, wasthere. Now David had brought the
ark of God from Kiriath-jearimto the place he had set up for
(01:27):
it, because he had pitched atent for it in Jerusalem, but he
put the bronze altar, whichBezalel son of Uri, son of Hur,
had made, in front of the Lord’stabernacle. Solomon and the
assembly inquired of Him there.Solomon offered sacrifices there
in the Lord’s presence on thebronze altar at the tent of
meeting; he offered 1,000 burntofferings on it. That night God
(01:50):
appeared to Solomon and said tohim: “Ask. What should I give
you?” And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great and (01:53):
undefined
faithful love to my fatherDavid, and You have made me king
in his place. Lord God, let Yourpromise to my father now come
true. For You have made me kingover a people as numerous as the
dust of the earth. Now grant mewisdom and knowledge so that I
(02:14):
may lead these people, for whocan judge this great people of
Yours?” God said to Solomon,“Since this was in your heart,
and you have not requestedriches, wealth, or glory, or for
the life of those who hate you,and you have not even requested
long life, but you haverequested for yourself wisdom
and knowledge that you may judgeMy people over whom I have made
(02:36):
you king, wisdom and knowledgeare given to you. I will also
give you riches, wealth, andglory, unlike what was given to
the kings who were before you,or will be given to those after
you.” So Solomon went toJerusalem from the high place
that was in Gibeon in front ofthe tent of meeting, and he
reigned over Israel. Solomonaccumulated 1,400 chariots and
(03:00):
12,000 horsemen, which hestationed in the chariot cities
and with the king in Jerusalem.The king made silver and gold as
common in Jerusalem as stones,and he made cedar as abundant as
sycamore in the Judeanfoothills. Solomon’s horses came
from Egypt and Kue. The king’straders would get them from Kue
at the going price. A chariotcould be imported from Egypt for
(03:24):
15 pounds of silver and a horsefor about four pounds. In the
same way, they exported them toall the kings of the Hittites
and to the kings of Aram throughtheir agents.
2 Chronicles, chapter 2. NowSolomon decided to build a house
for the name of the Lord and aroyal palace for himself. So
(03:45):
Solomon assigned 70,000 men tocarry loads and 80,000 men to
quarry stone in the mountainsand 3,600 to supervise them.
Then Solomon sent word to Huramthe king of Tyre, saying, “As
you dealt with David my fatherand sent him cedars to build him
a house to dwell in, so do forme. Behold, I am about to build
(04:06):
a house for the name of the Lordmy God, dedicating it to Him, to
burn fragrant incense before Himand to set out the showbread
continually, and to offer burntofferings morning and evening,
on sabbaths and on new moons andon the appointed feasts of the
Lord our God, this beingrequired forever in Israel. The
house which I am about to buildwill be great, for greater is
(04:28):
our God than all the gods. Butwho is able to build a house for
Him, for the heavens and thehighest heavens cannot contain
Him? So who am I, that I shouldbuild a house for Him, except to
burn incense before Him? Nowsend me a skilled man to work in
gold, silver, brass and iron,and in purple, crimson and
violet fabrics, and who knowshow to make engravings, to work
(04:51):
with the skilled men whom I havein Judah and Jerusalem, whom
David my father provided. Sendme also cedar, cypress and algum
timber from Lebanon, for I knowthat your servants know how to
cut timber of Lebanon; andindeed my servants will work
with your servants, to preparetimber in abundance for me, for
the house which I am about tobuild will be great and
(05:12):
wonderful. Now behold, I willgive to your servants, the
woodsmen who cut the timber,20,000 kors of crushed wheat and
20,000 kors of barley, and20,000 baths of wine and 20,000
baths of oil.” Then Huram, kingof Tyre, answered in a letter
sent to Solomon (05:29):
“Because the Lord loves His people, He has
made you king over them.” ThenHuram continued, “Blessed be the
Lord, the God of Israel, who hasmade heaven and earth, who has
given King David a wise son,endowed with discretion and
understanding, who will build ahouse for the Lord and a royal
palace for himself. “Now I amsending Huram-abi, a skilled
(05:52):
man, endowed with understanding,the son of a Danite woman and a
Tyrian father, who knows how towork in gold, silver, bronze,
iron, stone and wood, and inpurple, violet, linen and
crimson fabrics, and who knowshow to make all kinds of
engravings and to execute anydesign which may be assigned to
him, to work with your skilledmen and with those of my Lord
(06:14):
David your father. Now then, letmy Lord send to his servants
wheat and barley, oil and wine,of which he has spoken. We will
cut whatever timber you needfrom Lebanon and bring it to you
on rafts by sea to Joppa, sothat you may carry it up to
Jerusalem.” Solomon numbered allthe aliens who were in the land
of Israel, following the censuswhich his father David had
(06:35):
taken; and 153,600 were found.He appointed 70,000 of them to
carry loads and 80,000 to quarrystones in the mountains and
3,600 supervisors to make thepeople work.
2 Chronicles, chapter 3. ThenSolomon began to build the house
of the Lord in Jerusalem onMount Moriah, where the Lord had
(06:58):
appeared to his father David, atthe place that David had
prepared on the threshing floorof Ornan the Jebusite. He began
to build on the second day inthe second month of the fourth
year of his reign. Now these arethe foundations which Solomon
laid for building the house ofGod. The length in cubits,
according to the old standardwas sixty cubits, and the width
(07:19):
twenty cubits. The porch whichwas in front of the house was as
long as the width of the house,twenty cubits, and the height
120; and inside he overlaid itwith pure gold. He overlaid the
main room with cypress wood andoverlaid it with fine gold, and
ornamented it with palm treesand chains. Further, he adorned
(07:41):
the house with precious stones;and the gold was gold from
Parvaim. He also overlaid thehouse with gold—the beams, the
thresholds and its walls and itsdoors; and he carved cherubim on
the walls. Now he made the roomof the holy of holies: its
length across the width of thehouse was twenty cubits, and its
width was twenty cubits; and heoverlaid it with fine gold,
(08:04):
amounting to 600 talents. Theweight of the nails was fifty
shekels of gold. He alsooverlaid the upper rooms with
gold. Then he made twosculptured cherubim in the room
of the holy of holies andoverlaid them with gold. The
wingspan of the cherubim wastwenty cubits; the wing of one,
of five cubits, touched the wallof the house, and its other
(08:26):
wing, of five cubits, touchedthe wing of the other cherub.
The wing of the other cherub, offive cubits, touched the wall of
the house; and its other wing offive cubits was attached to the
wing of the first cherub. Thewings of these cherubim extended
twenty cubits, and they stood ontheir feet facing the main room.
He made the veil of violet,purple, crimson and fine linen,
(08:50):
and he worked cherubim on it. Healso made two pillars for the
front of the house, thirty-fivecubits high, and the capital on
the top of each was five cubits.He made chains in the inner
sanctuary and placed them on thetops of the pillars; and he made
one hundred pomegranates andplaced them on the chains. He
erected the pillars in front ofthe temple, one on the right and
(09:12):
the other on the left, and namedthe one on the right Jachin and
the one on the left Boaz.
2 Chronicles, chapter 4. Solomonalso made a bronze altar 30 feet
long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feethigh. Then he cast a great round
basin, 15 feet across from rimto rim, called the Sea. It was
(09:34):
7-1/2 feet deep and about 45feet in circumference. It was
encircled just below its rim bytwo rows of figures that
resembled oxen. There were aboutsix oxen per foot all the way
around, and they were cast aspart of the basin. The Sea was
placed on a base of twelvebronze oxen, all facing outward.
(09:54):
Three faced north, three facedwest, three faced south, and
three faced east, and the Searested on them. The walls of the
Sea were about three inchesthick, and its rim flared out
like a cup and resembled a waterlily blossom. It could hold
about 16,500 gallons of water.He also made ten smaller basins
(10:16):
for washing the utensils for theburnt offerings. He set five on
the south side and five on thenorth. But the priests washed
themselves in the Sea. He thencast ten gold lampstands
according to the specificationsthat had been given, and he put
them in the Temple. Five wereplaced against the south wall,
and five were placed against thenorth wall. He also built ten
(10:38):
tables and placed them in theTemple, five along the south
wall and five along the northwall. Then he molded 100 gold
basins. He then built acourtyard for the priests, and
also the large outer courtyard.He made doors for the courtyard
entrances and overlaid them withbronze. The great bronze basin
called the Sea was placed nearthe southeast corner of the
(11:00):
Temple. Huram-abi also made thenecessary washbasins, shovels,
and bowls. So at last Huram-abicompleted everything King
Solomon had assigned him to makefor the Temple of God: the two
pillars; the two bowl-shapedcapitals on top of the pillars;
the two networks of interwovenchains that decorated the
(11:20):
capitals; the 400 pomegranatesthat hung from the chains on the
capitals (two rows ofpomegranates for each of the
chain networks that decoratedthe capitals on top of the
pillars); the water cartsholding the basins; the Sea and
the twelve oxen under it; theash buckets, the shovels, the
meat hooks, and all the relatedarticles. Huram-abi made all
(11:42):
these things of burnished bronzefor the Temple of the Lord, just
as King Solomon had directed.The king had them cast in clay
molds in the Jordan Valleybetween Succoth and Zarethan.
Solomon used such greatquantities of bronze that its
weight could not be determined.Solomon also made all the
furnishings for the Temple ofGod: the gold altar; the tables
(12:04):
for the Bread of the Presence;the lampstands and their lamps
of solid gold, to burn in frontof the Most Holy Place as
prescribed; the flowerdecorations, lamps, and
tongs—all of the purest gold;the lamp snuffers, bowls,
ladles, and incense burners—allof solid gold; the doors for the
entrances to the Most Holy Placeand the main room of the Temple,
(12:26):
overlaid with gold.
2 Chronicles, chapter 5. SoSolomon finished all his work on
the Temple of the Lord. Then hebrought all the gifts his
father, David, had dedicated—thesilver, the gold, and the
various articles—and he storedthem in the treasuries of the
Temple of God. Solomon thensummoned to Jerusalem the elders
(12:47):
of Israel and all the heads oftribes—the leaders of the
ancestral families of Israel.They were to bring the Ark of
the Lord’s Covenant to theTemple from its location in the
City of David, also known asZion. So all the men of Israel
assembled before the king at theannual Festival of Shelters,
which is held in early autumn.When all the elders of Israel
(13:08):
arrived, the Levites picked upthe Ark. The priests and Levites
brought up the Ark along withthe special tent and all the
sacred items that had been init. There, before the Ark, King
Solomon and the entire communityof Israel sacrificed so many
sheep, goats, and cattle that noone could keep count! Then the
priests carried the Ark of theLord’s Covenant into the inner
(13:29):
sanctuary of the Temple—the MostHoly Place—and placed it beneath
the wings of the cherubim. Thecherubim spread their wings over
the Ark, forming a canopy overthe Ark and its carrying poles.
These poles were so long thattheir ends could be seen from
the Holy Place, which is infront of the Most Holy Place,
but not from the outside. Theyare still there to this day.
(13:51):
Nothing was in the Ark exceptthe two stone tablets that Moses
had placed in it at Mount Sinai,where the Lord made a covenant
with the people of Israel whenthey left Egypt. Then the
priests left the Holy Place. Allthe priests who were present had
purified themselves, whether ornot they were on duty that day.
And the Levites who weremusicians—Asaph, Heman,
(14:13):
Jeduthun, and all their sons andbrothers—were dressed in fine
linen robes and stood at theeast side of the altar playing
cymbals, lyres, and harps. Theywere joined by 120 priests who
were playing trumpets. Thetrumpeters and singers performed
together in unison to praise andgive thanks to the Lord.
Accompanied by trumpets,cymbals, and other instruments,
(14:34):
they raised their voices andpraised the Lord with these
words (14:37):
“He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” At that
moment a thick cloud filled theTemple of the Lord. The priests
could not continue their servicebecause of the cloud, for the
glorious presence of the Lordfilled the Temple of God.
Well, Solomon has now begun hisreign as king. It seems that his
(14:59):
first order of business was tostrengthen his hold on the
kingdom. In I Kings, chaptertwo, we read that shortly before
his father, David, died, he gaveSolomon instructions on what he
should do to accomplish this.And it looks like Solomon wasted
no time. We read in chapter onethat God was with him and highly
exalted him. God seems to bepleased with how Solomon began
(15:20):
his reign, Solomon brought allof Israel together to make a
very special sacrifice of athousand burnt offerings to God.
And this seems to have been toshow that he would seek God as a
leader of the nation. That's agood thing, right? Well, that
night, God came to Solomon in adream. And he said, "Ask. What
shall I give you?" Of course,the implication is that he would
(15:40):
have given Solomon anything thathe asked for right? Can you
imagine anything? Wow! Wouldn'tit be great if God made that
kind of offer to you? What wouldyou ask for? But wait, he has
made that offer. Don't believeme? Well, how about Matthew 7:7.
"Ask and it will be given toyou, seek and you will find,
(16:01):
knock and it will be open toyou." And John 15:7, "If you
abide in Me and My words abidein you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done foryou." I John 5:14, "Now this is
the confidence that we have inHim, that if we ask anything,
according to His will, He hearsus." Beloved, these promises
(16:23):
apply to every believer. Thequestion is, have we availed
ourselves of them? We all knowwhat Solomon's request was. He
asked for wisdom and knowledgeto lead Israel. Take note that
he asked for both wisdom andknowledge. Knowledge without
wisdom can be a very dangerousthing. For instance, it's one
thing to know how to use a gun.But if I don't have the wisdom
(16:46):
to know when to use it, thatcould be bad news. And after his
request, God said, "Since thiswas in your heart, and you have
not requested riches, wealth, orglory, or for the life of those
who hate you, and you have noteven requested long life, but
you've requested for yourself,wisdom and knowledge that you
may judge my people over whomI've made you king, wisdom and
(17:09):
knowledge are given you. I willalso give you riches, wealth and
glory, unlike what was given tothe kings who were before you,
or will be given to those afteryou." So Solomon made a good
request, don't you agree? Butdid he make the best request?
Let's think about this. Did heask for a deep and abiding love
(17:29):
for God and the desire to followHim and lead the people in how
to be devoted to God as hisfather had? Wouldn't this have
been even better? Surely, aswe've seen, David was a flawed
man, but his love of God neverwaned. David ended his life
still in love with God. As weshall see, this was not how
Solomon ended his days. Solomonis thought to have been between
(17:54):
20 and 25 years old when he tookthe throne. Tell me what
generally happens to youngpeople when they attain great
wealth? Quite often, it ruinsthem. Perhaps it would have been
better if Solomon had asked fora heart devoted to God, maybe
that would have been the bestrequest. Adam Clarke who lived
from 1762 to 1832, was aMethodist theologian and Bible
(18:17):
scholar, and he wrote thesewords about Solomon: "Instead of
being the wisest of men, did henot become more brutish than any
man? Did he not even lose theknowledge of his Creator and
worship the abominations of theMoabites, Zidonians and so
forth? And was not such idolatrya proof of the grossest
stupidity? How few proofs doeshis life give that the gracious
(18:41):
purpose of God was fulfilled inhim? He received much, but he
would have received much morehad he been faithful to the
grace given. No character in thesacred writings disappoints us
more than the character ofSolomon." Yes, God gave Solomon
great blessings. But as isalways the case, Solomon had to
(19:03):
decide to follow God and makeright decisions in his life.
Tragically, he often chosewrongly. Beloved, we may not
have the greatest riches, themost wisdom, or the deepest
knowledge. But if we asked forand cultivated continual thirst
to know and love God, when wereached the end of our days, we
(19:23):
will have run the race well.What are your thoughts? You have
comments or questions? Contactinformation is at the end of
today's show. Tomorrow will bePsalms Wednesday and we'll read
chapters 111 through 113. We'llhave an Essentials segment and
praises and prayer requests.Send in your praise or prayer
(19:44):
request right now while you'rethinking about it at
prayer.lifespringmedia.com.
John Train came in today withhis monthly $50 donation making
him today's Executive Producer.Thank you so much, John. God
bless you. Boostagram. AndFountain user number @2558 came
(20:06):
in today with a boostagram onthe "Numbers 21-24: Balaam’s
Eager Disobedience" episode andthey said, "Thank you." Well,
thank you again. God bless you.Beloved, value-for-value is
really what helps to pay thebills around here. For more
information on how you canpartner with me, this is the
place to go:
Jingle (20:24):
Lifespringmedia.com/support
Steve Webb (20:28):
I'll thank you and I believe that God will bless you.
Announcer (20:36):
Please leave a message.
Steve Webb (20:37):
I'd love to hear from you. If you have a comment,
a question, a prayer request, ora praise, here's how to reach
me. To leave a voice messagecall the Lifespring Family
Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. Orif you prefer to type your
message for prayer requests andpraise reports go to
prayer.lifespringmedia.com andfor comments or questions go to
(21:00):
comment.lifespringmedia.com.Also, boostagrams are a fast and
easy way to do any of thosethings. And last, my email
address issteve@lifespringmedia.com. My
cataract surgery is scheduledfor today and Bryan Duncan's
wife Cassie is having hersurgery for trigeminal neuralgia
today as well. Your prayers arevery much appreciated. And
(21:23):
thanks to Sister Denise, MichaelHaner, Scott Snider, Jason
Paschall, and Sister Brittaney.The team. Today's show art is by
Jason Paschall. Thank you somuch, Jason. And, Beloved, thank
you for spending some time withme today. Shall we do it again
tomorrow? Until then, may Godbless you richly. My name is
(21:44):
Steve Webb. Bye.
Lifespring! Media, bringing themessage of hope, love, and good
news since 2004.
These promises apply to every believer.
This is the Lifespring! One YearBible coming to you from
Riverside, California,podcasting since 2004, I'm your
OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. It'sHistory Tuesday and we'll begin
(00:21):
the book of 2 Chronicles with areading of chapters 1 through 5.
The website islifespringmedia.com and I'll
have contact information at theend of the show today. Before we
read, let's pray. Our heavenlyFather, we thank you so much for
your Word. We love you, Lord,and we pray that you would bless
us as we read today. I pray,Lord, that You would touch our
(00:41):
hearts and our minds. Teach ustoday we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen. All right, are you ready?Let's begin.
2 Chronicles, chapter 1. Solomonson of David strengthened his
hold on his kingdom. The Lordhis God was with him and highly
exalted him. Then Solomon spoketo all Israel, to the commanders
(01:04):
of thousands and of hundreds, tothe judges, and to every leader
in all Israel — the heads of thefamilies. Solomon and the whole
assembly with him went to thehigh place that was in Gibeon
because God’s tent of meeting,which the Lord’s servant Moses
had made in the wilderness, wasthere. Now David had brought the
ark of God from Kiriath-jearimto the place he had set up for
(01:27):
it, because he had pitched atent for it in Jerusalem, but he
put the bronze altar, whichBezalel son of Uri, son of Hur,
had made, in front of the Lord’stabernacle. Solomon and the
assembly inquired of Him there.Solomon offered sacrifices there
in the Lord’s presence on thebronze altar at the tent of
meeting; he offered 1,000 burntofferings on it. That night God
(01:50):
appeared to Solomon and said tohim: “Ask. What should I give
you?” And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great and (01:53):
undefined
faithful love to my fatherDavid, and You have made me king
in his place. Lord God, let Yourpromise to my father now come
true. For You have made me kingover a people as numerous as the
dust of the earth. Now grant mewisdom and knowledge so that I
(02:14):
may lead these people, for whocan judge this great people of
Yours?” God said to Solomon,“Since this was in your heart,
and you have not requestedriches, wealth, or glory, or for
the life of those who hate you,and you have not even requested
long life, but you haverequested for yourself wisdom
and knowledge that you may judgeMy people over whom I have made
(02:36):
you king, wisdom and knowledgeare given to you. I will also
give you riches, wealth, andglory, unlike what was given to
the kings who were before you,or will be given to those after
you.” So Solomon went toJerusalem from the high place
that was in Gibeon in front ofthe tent of meeting, and he
reigned over Israel. Solomonaccumulated 1,400 chariots and
(03:00):
12,000 horsemen, which hestationed in the chariot cities
and with the king in Jerusalem.The king made silver and gold as
common in Jerusalem as stones,and he made cedar as abundant as
sycamore in the Judeanfoothills. Solomon’s horses came
from Egypt and Kue. The king’straders would get them from Kue
at the going price. A chariotcould be imported from Egypt for
(03:24):
15 pounds of silver and a horsefor about four pounds. In the
same way, they exported them toall the kings of the Hittites
and to the kings of Aram throughtheir agents.
2 Chronicles, chapter 2. NowSolomon decided to build a house
for the name of the Lord and aroyal palace for himself. So
(03:45):
Solomon assigned 70,000 men tocarry loads and 80,000 men to
quarry stone in the mountainsand 3,600 to supervise them.
Then Solomon sent word to Huramthe king of Tyre, saying, “As
you dealt with David my fatherand sent him cedars to build him
a house to dwell in, so do forme. Behold, I am about to build
(04:06):
a house for the name of the Lordmy God, dedicating it to Him, to
burn fragrant incense before Himand to set out the showbread
continually, and to offer burntofferings morning and evening,
on sabbaths and on new moons andon the appointed feasts of the
Lord our God, this beingrequired forever in Israel. The
house which I am about to buildwill be great, for greater is
(04:28):
our God than all the gods. Butwho is able to build a house for
Him, for the heavens and thehighest heavens cannot contain
Him? So who am I, that I shouldbuild a house for Him, except to
burn incense before Him? Nowsend me a skilled man to work in
gold, silver, brass and iron,and in purple, crimson and
violet fabrics, and who knowshow to make engravings, to work
(04:51):
with the skilled men whom I havein Judah and Jerusalem, whom
David my father provided. Sendme also cedar, cypress and algum
timber from Lebanon, for I knowthat your servants know how to
cut timber of Lebanon; andindeed my servants will work
with your servants, to preparetimber in abundance for me, for
the house which I am about tobuild will be great and
(05:12):
wonderful. Now behold, I willgive to your servants, the
woodsmen who cut the timber,20,000 kors of crushed wheat and
20,000 kors of barley, and20,000 baths of wine and 20,000
baths of oil.” Then Huram, kingof Tyre, answered in a letter
sent to Solomon (05:29):
“Because the Lord loves His people, He has
made you king over them.” ThenHuram continued, “Blessed be the
Lord, the God of Israel, who hasmade heaven and earth, who has
given King David a wise son,endowed with discretion and
understanding, who will build ahouse for the Lord and a royal
palace for himself. “Now I amsending Huram-abi, a skilled
(05:52):
man, endowed with understanding,the son of a Danite woman and a
Tyrian father, who knows how towork in gold, silver, bronze,
iron, stone and wood, and inpurple, violet, linen and
crimson fabrics, and who knowshow to make all kinds of
engravings and to execute anydesign which may be assigned to
him, to work with your skilledmen and with those of my Lord
(06:14):
David your father. Now then, letmy Lord send to his servants
wheat and barley, oil and wine,of which he has spoken. We will
cut whatever timber you needfrom Lebanon and bring it to you
on rafts by sea to Joppa, sothat you may carry it up to
Jerusalem.” Solomon numbered allthe aliens who were in the land
of Israel, following the censuswhich his father David had
(06:35):
taken; and 153,600 were found.He appointed 70,000 of them to
carry loads and 80,000 to quarrystones in the mountains and
3,600 supervisors to make thepeople work.
2 Chronicles, chapter 3. ThenSolomon began to build the house
of the Lord in Jerusalem onMount Moriah, where the Lord had
(06:58):
appeared to his father David, atthe place that David had
prepared on the threshing floorof Ornan the Jebusite. He began
to build on the second day inthe second month of the fourth
year of his reign. Now these arethe foundations which Solomon
laid for building the house ofGod. The length in cubits,
according to the old standardwas sixty cubits, and the width
(07:19):
twenty cubits. The porch whichwas in front of the house was as
long as the width of the house,twenty cubits, and the height
120; and inside he overlaid itwith pure gold. He overlaid the
main room with cypress wood andoverlaid it with fine gold, and
ornamented it with palm treesand chains. Further, he adorned
(07:41):
the house with precious stones;and the gold was gold from
Parvaim. He also overlaid thehouse with gold—the beams, the
thresholds and its walls and itsdoors; and he carved cherubim on
the walls. Now he made the roomof the holy of holies: its
length across the width of thehouse was twenty cubits, and its
width was twenty cubits; and heoverlaid it with fine gold,
(08:04):
amounting to 600 talents. Theweight of the nails was fifty
shekels of gold. He alsooverlaid the upper rooms with
gold. Then he made twosculptured cherubim in the room
of the holy of holies andoverlaid them with gold. The
wingspan of the cherubim wastwenty cubits; the wing of one,
of five cubits, touched the wallof the house, and its other
(08:26):
wing, of five cubits, touchedthe wing of the other cherub.
The wing of the other cherub, offive cubits, touched the wall of
the house; and its other wing offive cubits was attached to the
wing of the first cherub. Thewings of these cherubim extended
twenty cubits, and they stood ontheir feet facing the main room.
He made the veil of violet,purple, crimson and fine linen,
(08:50):
and he worked cherubim on it. Healso made two pillars for the
front of the house, thirty-fivecubits high, and the capital on
the top of each was five cubits.He made chains in the inner
sanctuary and placed them on thetops of the pillars; and he made
one hundred pomegranates andplaced them on the chains. He
erected the pillars in front ofthe temple, one on the right and
(09:12):
the other on the left, and namedthe one on the right Jachin and
the one on the left Boaz.
2 Chronicles, chapter 4. Solomonalso made a bronze altar 30 feet
long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feethigh. Then he cast a great round
basin, 15 feet across from rimto rim, called the Sea. It was
(09:34):
7-1/2 feet deep and about 45feet in circumference. It was
encircled just below its rim bytwo rows of figures that
resembled oxen. There were aboutsix oxen per foot all the way
around, and they were cast aspart of the basin. The Sea was
placed on a base of twelvebronze oxen, all facing outward.
(09:54):
Three faced north, three facedwest, three faced south, and
three faced east, and the Searested on them. The walls of the
Sea were about three inchesthick, and its rim flared out
like a cup and resembled a waterlily blossom. It could hold
about 16,500 gallons of water.He also made ten smaller basins
(10:16):
for washing the utensils for theburnt offerings. He set five on
the south side and five on thenorth. But the priests washed
themselves in the Sea. He thencast ten gold lampstands
according to the specificationsthat had been given, and he put
them in the Temple. Five wereplaced against the south wall,
and five were placed against thenorth wall. He also built ten
(10:38):
tables and placed them in theTemple, five along the south
wall and five along the northwall. Then he molded 100 gold
basins. He then built acourtyard for the priests, and
also the large outer courtyard.He made doors for the courtyard
entrances and overlaid them withbronze. The great bronze basin
called the Sea was placed nearthe southeast corner of the
(11:00):
Temple. Huram-abi also made thenecessary washbasins, shovels,
and bowls. So at last Huram-abicompleted everything King
Solomon had assigned him to makefor the Temple of God: the two
pillars; the two bowl-shapedcapitals on top of the pillars;
the two networks of interwovenchains that decorated the
(11:20):
capitals; the 400 pomegranatesthat hung from the chains on the
capitals (two rows ofpomegranates for each of the
chain networks that decoratedthe capitals on top of the
pillars); the water cartsholding the basins; the Sea and
the twelve oxen under it; theash buckets, the shovels, the
meat hooks, and all the relatedarticles. Huram-abi made all
(11:42):
these things of burnished bronzefor the Temple of the Lord, just
as King Solomon had directed.The king had them cast in clay
molds in the Jordan Valleybetween Succoth and Zarethan.
Solomon used such greatquantities of bronze that its
weight could not be determined.Solomon also made all the
furnishings for the Temple ofGod: the gold altar; the tables
(12:04):
for the Bread of the Presence;the lampstands and their lamps
of solid gold, to burn in frontof the Most Holy Place as
prescribed; the flowerdecorations, lamps, and
tongs—all of the purest gold;the lamp snuffers, bowls,
ladles, and incense burners—allof solid gold; the doors for the
entrances to the Most Holy Placeand the main room of the Temple,
(12:26):
overlaid with gold.
2 Chronicles, chapter 5. SoSolomon finished all his work on
the Temple of the Lord. Then hebrought all the gifts his
father, David, had dedicated—thesilver, the gold, and the
various articles—and he storedthem in the treasuries of the
Temple of God. Solomon thensummoned to Jerusalem the elders
(12:47):
of Israel and all the heads oftribes—the leaders of the
ancestral families of Israel.They were to bring the Ark of
the Lord’s Covenant to theTemple from its location in the
City of David, also known asZion. So all the men of Israel
assembled before the king at theannual Festival of Shelters,
which is held in early autumn.When all the elders of Israel
(13:08):
arrived, the Levites picked upthe Ark. The priests and Levites
brought up the Ark along withthe special tent and all the
sacred items that had been init. There, before the Ark, King
Solomon and the entire communityof Israel sacrificed so many
sheep, goats, and cattle that noone could keep count! Then the
priests carried the Ark of theLord’s Covenant into the inner
(13:29):
sanctuary of the Temple—the MostHoly Place—and placed it beneath
the wings of the cherubim. Thecherubim spread their wings over
the Ark, forming a canopy overthe Ark and its carrying poles.
These poles were so long thattheir ends could be seen from
the Holy Place, which is infront of the Most Holy Place,
but not from the outside. Theyare still there to this day.
(13:51):
Nothing was in the Ark exceptthe two stone tablets that Moses
had placed in it at Mount Sinai,where the Lord made a covenant
with the people of Israel whenthey left Egypt. Then the
priests left the Holy Place. Allthe priests who were present had
purified themselves, whether ornot they were on duty that day.
And the Levites who weremusicians—Asaph, Heman,
(14:13):
Jeduthun, and all their sons andbrothers—were dressed in fine
linen robes and stood at theeast side of the altar playing
cymbals, lyres, and harps. Theywere joined by 120 priests who
were playing trumpets. Thetrumpeters and singers performed
together in unison to praise andgive thanks to the Lord.
Accompanied by trumpets,cymbals, and other instruments,
(14:34):
they raised their voices andpraised the Lord with these
words (14:37):
“He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” At that
moment a thick cloud filled theTemple of the Lord. The priests
could not continue their servicebecause of the cloud, for the
glorious presence of the Lordfilled the Temple of God.
Well, Solomon has now begun hisreign as king. It seems that his
(14:59):
first order of business was tostrengthen his hold on the
kingdom. In I Kings, chaptertwo, we read that shortly before
his father, David, died, he gaveSolomon instructions on what he
should do to accomplish this.And it looks like Solomon wasted
no time. We read in chapter onethat God was with him and highly
exalted him. God seems to bepleased with how Solomon began
(15:20):
his reign, Solomon brought allof Israel together to make a
very special sacrifice of athousand burnt offerings to God.
And this seems to have been toshow that he would seek God as a
leader of the nation. That's agood thing, right? Well, that
night, God came to Solomon in adream. And he said, "Ask. What
shall I give you?" Of course,the implication is that he would
(15:40):
have given Solomon anything thathe asked for right? Can you
imagine anything? Wow! Wouldn'tit be great if God made that
kind of offer to you? What wouldyou ask for? But wait, he has
made that offer. Don't believeme? Well, how about Matthew 7:7.
"Ask and it will be given toyou, seek and you will find,
(16:01):
knock and it will be open toyou." And John 15:7, "If you
abide in Me and My words abidein you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done foryou." I John 5:14, "Now this is
the confidence that we have inHim, that if we ask anything,
according to His will, He hearsus." Beloved, these promises
(16:23):
apply to every believer. Thequestion is, have we availed
ourselves of them? We all knowwhat Solomon's request was. He
asked for wisdom and knowledgeto lead Israel. Take note that
he asked for both wisdom andknowledge. Knowledge without
wisdom can be a very dangerousthing. For instance, it's one
thing to know how to use a gun.But if I don't have the wisdom
(16:46):
to know when to use it, thatcould be bad news. And after his
request, God said, "Since thiswas in your heart, and you have
not requested riches, wealth, orglory, or for the life of those
who hate you, and you have noteven requested long life, but
you've requested for yourself,wisdom and knowledge that you
may judge my people over whomI've made you king, wisdom and
(17:09):
knowledge are given you. I willalso give you riches, wealth and
glory, unlike what was given tothe kings who were before you,
or will be given to those afteryou." So Solomon made a good
request, don't you agree? Butdid he make the best request?
Let's think about this. Did heask for a deep and abiding love
(17:29):
for God and the desire to followHim and lead the people in how
to be devoted to God as hisfather had? Wouldn't this have
been even better? Surely, aswe've seen, David was a flawed
man, but his love of God neverwaned. David ended his life
still in love with God. As weshall see, this was not how
Solomon ended his days. Solomonis thought to have been between
(17:54):
20 and 25 years old when he tookthe throne. Tell me what
generally happens to youngpeople when they attain great
wealth? Quite often, it ruinsthem. Perhaps it would have been
better if Solomon had asked fora heart devoted to God, maybe
that would have been the bestrequest. Adam Clarke who lived
from 1762 to 1832, was aMethodist theologian and Bible
(18:17):
scholar, and he wrote thesewords about Solomon: "Instead of
being the wisest of men, did henot become more brutish than any
man? Did he not even lose theknowledge of his Creator and
worship the abominations of theMoabites, Zidonians and so
forth? And was not such idolatrya proof of the grossest
stupidity? How few proofs doeshis life give that the gracious
(18:41):
purpose of God was fulfilled inhim? He received much, but he
would have received much morehad he been faithful to the
grace given. No character in thesacred writings disappoints us
more than the character ofSolomon." Yes, God gave Solomon
great blessings. But as isalways the case, Solomon had to
(19:03):
decide to follow God and makeright decisions in his life.
Tragically, he often chosewrongly. Beloved, we may not
have the greatest riches, themost wisdom, or the deepest
knowledge. But if we asked forand cultivated continual thirst
to know and love God, when wereached the end of our days, we
(19:23):
will have run the race well.What are your thoughts? You have
comments or questions? Contactinformation is at the end of
today's show. Tomorrow will bePsalms Wednesday and we'll read
chapters 111 through 113. We'llhave an Essentials segment and
praises and prayer requests.Send in your praise or prayer
(19:44):
request right now while you'rethinking about it at
prayer.lifespringmedia.com.
John Train came in today withhis monthly $50 donation making
him today's Executive Producer.Thank you so much, John. God
bless you. Boostagram. AndFountain user number @2558 came
(20:06):
in today with a boostagram onthe "Numbers 21-24: Balaam’s
Eager Disobedience" episode andthey said, "Thank you." Well,
thank you again. God bless you.Beloved, value-for-value is
really what helps to pay thebills around here. For more
information on how you canpartner with me, this is the
place to go:
Jingle (20:24):
Lifespringmedia.com/support
Steve Webb (20:28):
I'll thank you and I believe that God will bless you.
Announcer (20:36):
Please leave a message.
Steve Webb (20:37):
I'd love to hear from you. If you have a comment,
a question, a prayer request, ora praise, here's how to reach
me. To leave a voice messagecall the Lifespring Family
Hotline at +1-951-732-8511. Orif you prefer to type your
message for prayer requests andpraise reports go to
prayer.lifespringmedia.com andfor comments or questions go to
(21:00):
comment.lifespringmedia.com.Also, boostagrams are a fast and
easy way to do any of thosethings. And last, my email
address issteve@lifespringmedia.com. My
cataract surgery is scheduledfor today and Bryan Duncan's
wife Cassie is having hersurgery for trigeminal neuralgia
today as well. Your prayers arevery much appreciated. And
(21:23):
thanks to Sister Denise, MichaelHaner, Scott Snider, Jason
Paschall, and Sister Brittaney.The team. Today's show art is by
Jason Paschall. Thank you somuch, Jason. And, Beloved, thank
you for spending some time withme today. Shall we do it again
tomorrow? Until then, may Godbless you richly. My name is
(21:44):
Steve Webb. Bye.
Lifespring! Media, bringing themessage of hope, love, and good
news since 2004.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.