May 5-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:1-4, Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2 He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them. 3 Solomon sent this message to Hiram king of Tyre: “Send me cedar logs as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. 4 Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.
Observe what it is saying.
According to this account of Solomon’s reign, his first act was to start the work on the Temple and his palace. His father, David, had the vision and started the process but was not allowed to build it because he had shed so much blood in warfare. We discover how large this project was with the numerous workers it would take to complete it. In his wisdom, Solomon knew he needed help so he reached out to a neighboring king whom they already had a good working relationship with through King David. Solomon’s divine wisdom is connected to building and dedicating the temple to the Name of the Lord his God. The Name represents everything about the nature and character of God. It was time to have a permanent structure rather than a temporary tent to better create a sacred space for worship. The list of the acts of worship reflects their knowledge of Moses’ instructions for what they were to do to please the Lord. Because the calendar year was centered on the agricultural cycle, they had a regular pattern of worship recognizing they were totally dependent upon on God for all they had.
Relate it to your life
At the heart of worship is praise and thanks for the recognition that all we have is from of the Lord.
Do something.
Father, may I never forget that all I am and have comes from You. Praise to Your Holy Name. Amen.
May 6-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:5-6, “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?
Observe what it is saying.
Solomon desired to build a great temple because he knew his God was greater than all the other so-called gods. In a world where the greatness of gods was identified by their residence, Solomon wanted the world to know that his God stood far above the others. Solomon also understood that because of the vast nature of God, He cannot be contained in a building. He cannot be contained in the universe that He created. How little Solomon knew about how expansive creation really is compared today! It makes his words even more impressive about the magnificent nature of God. Solomon had the right heart and the right understanding in wanting to build, but on the other hand, as he thought about it, he was so humbled that he felt unworthy to do so. He realized that the purpose was not to make a home for God but to provide a space for them to gather to offer their gifts in expressing their love and thanks to God.
Relate it to your life.
Meeting places are essential to help create healthy worshiping congregations.
Do something.
Father, thank You for our lovely church home to worship You. May You find us there often. Amen.
May 7-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:7-10, “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided. 8 “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours 9 to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. 10 I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.”
Observe what it is saying.
In his wisdom, Solomon understood they didn’t have all the resources they needed to fulfill the vision he had been given to build the temple. Humbly, he reached out to his neighbor asking for help. He needed someone to lead his skilled laborers in the fine artistry of the temple appointments. David had already helped his son out by providing the skilled workers, but Solomon saw the need for someone with even greater talent to lead them. Solomon saw the valuable timber that included the cedar tree that was prized for its fragrance and durability as well as its ability to receive a fine finish. Tyre also had the skilled lumberjacks needed to build the magnificent house of worship. We discover just how large this operation was with the vast gifts Solomon offered to Tyre’s workers. The wheat and barley equaled 125,000 bushels each and the wine and oil equaled 120,000 gallons each! What a building project this was!
Relate it to your life.
A godly vision requires godly resources to accomplish it.
Do something.
“Father, forgive us when we fail to believe that with You all things are possible! Amen.”
May 8-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:11-12, Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.” 12 And Hiram added: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.
Observe what it is saying.
Even the king of Tyre understood that God’s favor and blessing was upon Israel and Solomon. He remarkably made the connection that Solomon’s reign as king was a specific act of God’s love. An outsider clearly saw what was happening next door. He was so in awe with what was happening with Solomon’s rise to power that he gave praise to Solomon’s God whom Hiram contributed to being creator of heaven and earth. In these early days of Solomon’s kingship, Hiram was able to see that he was no ordinary king but had the very gifting that Solomon had asked for. Hiram could see that God’s love is more than a theological statement. It is revealed in very specific ways. It shows up in various acts of kindness and goodness throughout our lives. In fact, every good gift we receive is from our Father in heaven. All the blessings that we enjoy are demonstrations that God really does love us, and we must not forget to look to the cross as the most significant sign of all.
Relate it to your life.
All the gifts in my life are vivid signs of God’s love for me.
Do something.
Father, I’m overwhelmed with your goodness and the many ways in which You demonstrate Your love to me. Amen!
May 9-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:13-16, “I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father. 15 “Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil and wine he promised, 16 and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”
Observe what it is saying.
King Hiram revealed the specific person he would send based upon Solomon’s request. He had the exact skills that Solomon asked for. His name was included in our Holy Scriptures for all of history to know who would lead this great endeavor. We find out that Huram-Abi's mother was by tribal descent from Israel, but his father came "from Tyre" which gave him a combined Phoenician-Hebrew background. This was no accident because it enabled him to deal both linguistically and culturally with the two nationalities of workmen who would be responsible to him. God had prepared him throughout his life for this specific holy work. Paul said in Philippians, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Every believer has a place in the kingdom of God. Our gifts and skills are God-ordained for serving the purposes of God. We need to be careful that we don’t despise or deny what God has placed in our hands to be used for His glory. Instead, may we give thanks and diligently use what God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Relate it to your life.
It is an incredible thought that long before I was born, God created a purpose for my life in His kingdom.
Do something.
Father, I choose to accept and live out the mission You have created for me in Your kingdom. Amen.
May 10-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:17-18, Solomon took a census of all the foreigners residing in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.
Observe what it is saying.
The chapter ends as it began speaking about the number of laborers and foremen who were responsible for the stonecutting in the nearby hills for building the impressive temple. The stones were prepared in quarries of white limestone and transported to the Temple site, ensuring a silent construction process, as the temple was considered too sacred to permit the noise of construction during its erection. This second listing of the number of stone cutters and carriers emphasizes once again how magnificent this building project was. Solomon’s gifted and wise leadership is revealed through his organizational skills. Strong leaders who see and direct the large picture are needed to carry out God’s work. We also discover everyone has a place in the project: master craftsmen, skilled labor, laborers, and foremen. We have been gifted by the Holy Spirit for a particular role in building God’s temple today- the body of Christ. Consider how God has gifted you to: lead, organize, serve, support, give, counsel, teach, preach, evangelize, etc. in the loving name of Jesus for the glory of God.
Relate it to your life.
I have been gifted and equipped by the Holy Spirit to participate in building the temple of Christ’s body.
Do something.
Father, don’t let me fail in my gifting to make disciple-makers of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:1-4, Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2 He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them. 3 Solomon sent this message to Hiram king of Tyre: “Send me cedar logs as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. 4 Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.
Observe what it is saying.
According to this account of Solomon’s reign, his first act was to start the work on the Temple and his palace. His father, David, had the vision and started the process but was not allowed to build it because he had shed so much blood in warfare. We discover how large this project was with the numerous workers it would take to complete it. In his wisdom, Solomon knew he needed help so he reached out to a neighboring king whom they already had a good working relationship with through King David. Solomon’s divine wisdom is connected to building and dedicating the temple to the Name of the Lord his God. The Name represents everything about the nature and character of God. It was time to have a permanent structure rather than a temporary tent to better create a sacred space for worship. The list of the acts of worship reflects their knowledge of Moses’ instructions for what they were to do to please the Lord. Because the calendar year was centered on the agricultural cycle, they had a regular pattern of worship recognizing they were totally dependent upon on God for all they had.
Relate it to your life
At the heart of worship is praise and thanks for the recognition that all we have is from of the Lord.
Do something.
Father, may I never forget that all I am and have comes from You. Praise to Your Holy Name. Amen.
May 6-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:5-6, “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?
Observe what it is saying.
Solomon desired to build a great temple because he knew his God was greater than all the other so-called gods. In a world where the greatness of gods was identified by their residence, Solomon wanted the world to know that his God stood far above the others. Solomon also understood that because of the vast nature of God, He cannot be contained in a building. He cannot be contained in the universe that He created. How little Solomon knew about how expansive creation really is compared today! It makes his words even more impressive about the magnificent nature of God. Solomon had the right heart and the right understanding in wanting to build, but on the other hand, as he thought about it, he was so humbled that he felt unworthy to do so. He realized that the purpose was not to make a home for God but to provide a space for them to gather to offer their gifts in expressing their love and thanks to God.
Relate it to your life.
Meeting places are essential to help create healthy worshiping congregations.
Do something.
Father, thank You for our lovely church home to worship You. May You find us there often. Amen.
May 7-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:7-10, “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided. 8 “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours 9 to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. 10 I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.”
Observe what it is saying.
In his wisdom, Solomon understood they didn’t have all the resources they needed to fulfill the vision he had been given to build the temple. Humbly, he reached out to his neighbor asking for help. He needed someone to lead his skilled laborers in the fine artistry of the temple appointments. David had already helped his son out by providing the skilled workers, but Solomon saw the need for someone with even greater talent to lead them. Solomon saw the valuable timber that included the cedar tree that was prized for its fragrance and durability as well as its ability to receive a fine finish. Tyre also had the skilled lumberjacks needed to build the magnificent house of worship. We discover just how large this operation was with the vast gifts Solomon offered to Tyre’s workers. The wheat and barley equaled 125,000 bushels each and the wine and oil equaled 120,000 gallons each! What a building project this was!
Relate it to your life.
A godly vision requires godly resources to accomplish it.
Do something.
“Father, forgive us when we fail to believe that with You all things are possible! Amen.”
May 8-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:11-12, Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.” 12 And Hiram added: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.
Observe what it is saying.
Even the king of Tyre understood that God’s favor and blessing was upon Israel and Solomon. He remarkably made the connection that Solomon’s reign as king was a specific act of God’s love. An outsider clearly saw what was happening next door. He was so in awe with what was happening with Solomon’s rise to power that he gave praise to Solomon’s God whom Hiram contributed to being creator of heaven and earth. In these early days of Solomon’s kingship, Hiram was able to see that he was no ordinary king but had the very gifting that Solomon had asked for. Hiram could see that God’s love is more than a theological statement. It is revealed in very specific ways. It shows up in various acts of kindness and goodness throughout our lives. In fact, every good gift we receive is from our Father in heaven. All the blessings that we enjoy are demonstrations that God really does love us, and we must not forget to look to the cross as the most significant sign of all.
Relate it to your life.
All the gifts in my life are vivid signs of God’s love for me.
Do something.
Father, I’m overwhelmed with your goodness and the many ways in which You demonstrate Your love to me. Amen!
May 9-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:13-16, “I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father. 15 “Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil and wine he promised, 16 and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”
Observe what it is saying.
King Hiram revealed the specific person he would send based upon Solomon’s request. He had the exact skills that Solomon asked for. His name was included in our Holy Scriptures for all of history to know who would lead this great endeavor. We find out that Huram-Abi's mother was by tribal descent from Israel, but his father came "from Tyre" which gave him a combined Phoenician-Hebrew background. This was no accident because it enabled him to deal both linguistically and culturally with the two nationalities of workmen who would be responsible to him. God had prepared him throughout his life for this specific holy work. Paul said in Philippians, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Every believer has a place in the kingdom of God. Our gifts and skills are God-ordained for serving the purposes of God. We need to be careful that we don’t despise or deny what God has placed in our hands to be used for His glory. Instead, may we give thanks and diligently use what God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Relate it to your life.
It is an incredible thought that long before I was born, God created a purpose for my life in His kingdom.
Do something.
Father, I choose to accept and live out the mission You have created for me in Your kingdom. Amen.
May 10-Solomon’s Story
Write out the Scripture.
2 Chronicles 2:17-18, Solomon took a census of all the foreigners residing in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.
Observe what it is saying.
The chapter ends as it began speaking about the number of laborers and foremen who were responsible for the stonecutting in the nearby hills for building the impressive temple. The stones were prepared in quarries of white limestone and transported to the Temple site, ensuring a silent construction process, as the temple was considered too sacred to permit the noise of construction during its erection. This second listing of the number of stone cutters and carriers emphasizes once again how magnificent this building project was. Solomon’s gifted and wise leadership is revealed through his organizational skills. Strong leaders who see and direct the large picture are needed to carry out God’s work. We also discover everyone has a place in the project: master craftsmen, skilled labor, laborers, and foremen. We have been gifted by the Holy Spirit for a particular role in building God’s temple today- the body of Christ. Consider how God has gifted you to: lead, organize, serve, support, give, counsel, teach, preach, evangelize, etc. in the loving name of Jesus for the glory of God.
Relate it to your life.
I have been gifted and equipped by the Holy Spirit to participate in building the temple of Christ’s body.
Do something.
Father, don’t let me fail in my gifting to make disciple-makers of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals