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1 Kings 6

1 Kings 6

Verse one, if taken literally, which I do, tells us the Exodus from Egypt began in 1447 B.C. Doing the math, this verse states in the four-hundred eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, which is the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, the Temple was started. Dating the split of the kingdom as 931 B.C., we go back forty years to the beginning of Solomon’s reign (2 Kings 11.42), we have 971 B.C. Since this was in the fourth year, it would be 967 B.C. Adding the 480 years to 967 B.C. we have 1447 B.C. as the date for the Exodus.

Matthew Henry adds:

The time when it began to be built is exactly set down. 1. It was just 480 years after the bringing of the children of Israel out of Egypt. Allowing forty years to Moses, seventeen to Joshua, 299 to the Judges, forty to Eli, forty to Samuel and Saul, forty to David, and four to Solomon before he began the work, we have just the sum of 480.

 When evaluating the dimensions given for the Temple, we surmise it is twice the size of the Tabernacle. The Temple was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet tall. It was divided into two rooms, the sanctuary (the Holy Place) and the inner sanctuary (the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies). The first was two-thirds of the Temple and the latter was the remaining one-third. Built into the Temple on the north, west, and south were threes stories specifically for the priests to use.

The entire purpose of the building of the Temple is explained in verse 13, and it is so God could dwell among His people. John 1 explains this concept in regard to Jesus. Jesus dwelt among us. The word is tabernacled. Later, Jesus would identify His body as being the Temple (John 2.13-21).

The details of this chapter are amazing and would explain why the building of it took such a long time. The Temple was completed, according to verse 38, in the fall of 959 B.C.

If God indwells His Temple so His presence can be with people, what does it mean that we are the Temple of God?

1 Kings 5

Do you see the plans God has made for you and the direction He is taking you by the experiences you have had and the preparation others have made for you?

1 Kings 5

This chapter introduces one of the main reasons for the dividing of the kingdom after Solomon’s death. The reason is found in verse thirteen. It is corvée, which is the mandatory service of Israelites to build the great architectural wonders Solomon developed during his reign. It is the forced enslavement of citizens not outsiders that make this act more heinous than slavery as was found in Egypt or the United States. More on this concept below.

We see ancient near eastern customs in sending delegates to show support for a new regime after the passing of the previous leader in verse one. David did this earlier in 2 Samuel 10. Solomon used this alliance with Hiram to enable him to build the Temple and other buildings. God had this planned before Solomon was even born. Without Hiram of Lebanon there would be no wood to build what God had designed. God will provide what we need to complete the task to which He has called. When we live life with this faith we begin to understand why with God nothing is impossible (Mark 10.27).

The desire of David to build the Temple (2 Samuel 7.13) was finally realized in his son. Although he did not get to see the Temple, much like Moses did not get to walk the Promised Land, like Moses prepared Israel to enter, David did prepare his son to build as he purchased the area (2 Samuel 24) and provided the plans for the Temple and its usage that he received from God (1 Chronicles 28 and 29).

One desire of parents is for their children to claim the God of the Bible as their own. In verses four and five, Solomon does this. He maintains that the God of his father is also his God.

Solomon, in applying the wisdom God gave him (1 Kings 3), agreed to pay Hiram for the material and labor he is supplying for twenty-years (1 Kings 9.10-11). His annual payment is 125,000 bushels of wheat and 115,000 gallons of pure olive oil.

Verse thirteen introduces corvée. Samuel warned the Israelites this would come if they sought a king other than God (1 Samuel 8.11-17) and would become the bane for the northern kingdom (1 Kings 12.4). These workers worked for one month for Solomon in the quarries or in Lebanon and two months at home. This alternated for at least seven years, the amount of time it took to build the Temple. Solomon also had a large group of slave laborers helping with these projects.

For a detailed account on corvée labor, see “Labor Pains: The Relationship between David’s Census and Corvée Labor” by Kyle R. Greenwood.

Do you see the plans God has made for you and the direction He is taking you by the experiences you have had and the preparation others have made for you?

Principles of Proverbs

Proverbs discusses the wise man in his various relationships. A few of the major ones are mentioned below. What is man’s relationship to God? Since the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom, many of the proverbs discuss man’s relationship to God. Two areas the book of Proverbs deal with are divine guidance (3.5-6, 11.14, 15.22, and 16.9), which states that to depend exclusively on one’s own understanding may lead to tragic results and that God gives guidance through godly counselors. And, the avoidance of sin (6.16-19). These proverbs catalog seven sins that God especially hates. The wise man will take note and avoid these.

Another relationship mentioned is man’s relationship to his nation. God has advice regarding two possible relationships of a man to his nation. The first is to the leaders of the nation. Leaders are chosen and controlled by the sovereign God (8.15-16 and 21.1-2). They are to rule with equity (29.4) and are to be especially wary of the snares laid by strong drink and strange women (31.1-9). The second is to the citizenry of the nation. The people who are governed are to remember that God honors righteousness and punishes sin in the nation as a whole (11:11 and 14.34).

A third relationship is man’s relationship to his business. There are two lines of thought that are emphasized in relation to everyday business affairs. The first is having honesty and integrity. These principles are to guide the wise man’s dealings. False weights and balances are condemned (11.1, 16.11, and 20.10). The businessman who cheats his customers cannot expect the blessing of God. The second is to be cautious. In loaning money, the wise man will be especially cautious (6.1-2, 11.15, 17.18, 22.26, and 27.13). To loan money with no security is foolishness, not generosity.

The fourth relationship is man’s relationship to his friends. The author of these proverbs stresses two thoughts in regard to friends. The first is that friendships are valuable, and it is important to remember that a man wins friends by being friendly himself (18.24). Friendships can be of great spiritual benefit. The right kind of friend is faithful (18.24), tactful (27.14), and helpful (27.6). The second is that friendships are vulnerable. People who entice to sin are to be shunned (1.10-19). Some friendships are based on wrong things, such as money (19.4). Like any other good thing, friendships may be misused (16.28 and 17.9).

The fifth relationship is man’s relationship to his family. This involves both his wife and children. A wife is a gift and blessing from God (18.22). This is true only if she is a good wife, i.e., sensible (19.14), capable (31.10), and a stabilizing influence in the home (14.1). The wrong kind of wife is quarrelsome and nagging (21.19, 25.24, and 27.15-16). It is the responsibility of parents to provide direction for the child (22.6) and also to administer discipline (13.4, 22.15, and 23.13-14).

The sixth and final relationship presented here is a man’s relationship to himself. The book of Proverbs discusses personal habits. it contains a series of contrasting personality traits which are accompanied be a description in which the virtues or limitations are clearly stated. Some of the more significant ones are: diligence and laziness (20.13 and 24.33-34), speech and silence (15.1-2, 20.19, and 26.20), pride and humility (15.25, 16.18-19, and 21.4), joy and sorrow (17.22), drunkenness and sobriety (23.29-32).

Approaching Proverbs

Two critical approaches to the book will be discussed. The one not taken by this author is the liberal approach and the other, which is held by this author, is the conservative approach. Liberals take the evolutionary approach to Proverbs. That is, the late model. In so doing they deny most, if not all, proverbs as ascribed to Solomon as his. They date the writing to be around 800 BC. To refute this we point to Date and Authorship.

Conservatives say the style of Proverbs agrees with Ugaritic epics. There are at least forty word parallels between Proverbs and these epics. One such is I Aqht I,1:13 when compared to Proverbs 27.2. The liberals also say that the author of Proverbs copied from The Wisdom of Amenemope. However, recent studies prove this to be reversed.

Dating and Authorship of Proverbs

Solomon is the chief author as stated in 1.1, 10.1, and 25.1. First Kings 4:32 gives more insight into this. The verse explains that Solomon was the author of more than 3,000 proverbs and 1,500 songs. If he was famous for all these proverbs, he must have written a few. Proverbs contains 915 verses and at least as many proverbs.

Other authors include Agur who is the author of the chapter thirty. While 31.1-9 was authored by Lemuel and 31.10-31 was by an unknown author.

Introduction to Proverbs

The name of the book of Proverbs is a play on words with the author of many of the proverbs the book contains. The word “Proverb” is משל (taken from mashal meaning “parable or proverb”). Solomon’s name is שלמה (shelomah, i.e. Proverbs of Solomon).

The main purpose of Proverbs is to instruct in principles of wisdom. There are three “types” of wisdom mentioned in the book. The basic word “wisdom” means to grasp the basic issues of life, which is to discern between good and evil. As we look across America today, we see little of this. We are more concerned with people feeling accepted than with actual good and evil. The word “understanding” is discerning between what appears to be real and what actually is real. The third word or phrase is “abiding success,” which is insight into spiritual or psychological truths.

The book of Proverbs contains a balanced antithesis. That is the two sides of a truth are presented in clearest opposition for didactic purposes. This leaves the reader with a clear-cut choice with no possible compromise. It is not a philosophy of life which is circular and man-centered, which is the philosophy of ancient Greece. It is linear and God centered, which is more Hebraic. It prepares those who desire wisdom and not philosophy for day to day living.

Be definition, a proverb is universal in that it applies to all times and all places. It has little historical background in Israel. Historical situations do not occur in the book of Proverbs. All proverbs are not applicable to all situations. Different circumstances require a different proverb.

Song of Solomon 1.2-3.5

Song of Solomon 1.2-3.5

Act I: The Courtship

Solomon owns a vineyard in the land of Ephraim which he placed under the care of family consisting of a mother, two brothers, an older daughter (a Shulamite, who is the heroine), and her younger sister. The Shulamite works in the vineyards and cares for flocks. She is the epitome of Proverbs 31. Although she is beautiful, she had little time for personal care and has become quite tanned by the sun.

Some have proposed this beautiful young woman is none other than Abishag. Abishag was a beautiful young woman who spent her youth working in the fields and vineyards. From our studies of 1 Kings 1, we remember she was chosen to lie beside the elderly King David to keep him warm and to be his nursemaid as he lay dying. The text is clear that her virginity was not taken away by the elderly King David (1 Kings 1:4). Her ministry to him was completely a matter of physical care, not sexual pleasure.

She came from an area called Shunam, which is thought to be in Galilee. It seems as though Solomon, who was part of the household at that time, became deeply attached to her. When his brother Adonijah tried to get his mother’s approval for taking Abishag to be his wife, Solomon was enraged that he was attempting to use Abishag to usurp the throne. He then had Benaiah, his executioner, kill Adonijah (1 Kings 2:21-25).

Abishag was not a lady of the courts, but she was a country girl (much like Esther). She worked in the fields under the hot sun, was not used to expensive clothes, and the extravagances of nobility. She was beautiful in character, charm, and looks.

One day, a handsome young man visits the vineyard and wins the heart of the young maiden. He leaves, but promises to return some day. She dreams of the young man, not knowing he is Solomon.