Basically, 1 Kings 7, 2 Chron. 7-8, 1 Kings 9, 1 Kings 4, 1 Kings 10, Psalm 72
Ryan: What gripped me the most in today’s reading was the description of Solomon’s throne room. From one perspective, we read this passage (1 Kings 10:14-21, et al.) and think about how magnificent the throne room was and imagine what it must have been like to walk amongst all the cedar and gold. We read that there were carved lions, and a throne of ivory and gold. As wonderful as all of that sounds, read the passage again (on p. 609 of the Daily Bible) and then immediately read the description of God’s throne room in heaven in the book of Revelation (Rev. 4:1-11). Solomon’s puny throne room pales in comparison. I believe that the Holy Spirit includes the description of both throne rooms so that we can understand the difference between man’s splendor and that of the Lord. Where Solomon’s throne room had only six steps (one short of the perfect seven), God’s throne had seven huge lampstands. Solomon had 12 stationary carved lions atop those six steps, but God had twenty-four elders with crowns who never stopped saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 4:8). Solomon had pillars of cedar, but God had a sea that looked like glass, “clear as crystal.” Even Jesus himself referenced “Solomon in all his splendor,” but then proceeded to say how his (Solomon’s) splendor was nothing compared to even the lilies of the field. God and his creation will always be far superior to anything man can create.
Samantha: As much as I want to talk about the architecture of Solomon’s palace or his unbelievable riches or his fascinating breadth of knowledge (describing plant life? teaching about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish? wow!), a small, seemingly out-of-place verse cued my memory:
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).
When I heard this verse I immediately remembered how, after Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 happened, several prominent “Christian” preachers spoke out saying that these disasters were a direct result of America’s sins against God. I was very angry with these men for taking scriptures such as this one out of context. It is true that in the Old Testament salvation depended on obedience; without obedience God said he really would withhold rain and send plagues. And he did, many times. However, God does not operate in this way under the new covenant. Because of Jesus, salvation comes from the grace of God and not from anything we have done to attain it (Eph. 2:8). In addition, when someone sinned in the OT it often affected the entire Israelite nation (the 10 spies, for example). In the new covenant, sin is now a personal issue between the sinner and God–not the entire nation. This may sound harsh, but the United States of America is not God’s chosen nation. That was Israel in the OT. Today, God’s chosen people are Christians, who belong to every nation on earth.
