Week 17. April 26. Honest Intent.

Week 17.  April 26

This past week, we read about the grand temple that Solomon built.  It must have been a beautiful building, and everything was covered with gold.  

I love the fact that David had been given all the instructions and the design for the temple by God.  (1 Chronicles chapter 28, especially verse 19.)  Even though he didn't get to build it, or live to see it, David must have spent many hours thinking about it, and drawing the blueprints and drawing models and planning.  And it was amazing to read about all the preparations and ordering all the materials: the cedar logs and the metals, & hiring all the craftsmen and artisans who did the work… and he also planned carefully for the administration of all the money and property, and the organization of the perpetual work of the temple.  

Did you catch that the priests were divided into groups who served in the temple for 2 weeks a year. This plan was still being used when Jesus was living; see Luke chapter 1, verses 5 and 8-10.    (by the way, in the middle of that long list of priests names on page 453, I liked the name “Happizzez” (verse 15)  (it’s a happy name)

The insight in the section we read on April 20 was interesting to me.  Sounds like the temple was re-built or re-modeled several times over history.  And how interesting it is, that the site of Solomon’s temple was the same place where Abraham and Isaac went to make the sacrifice when God provided the lamb (instead of Isaac).  Our scriptures this week called the site the threshing floor of Araunah, which is the same as Mt Moriah.  (Reference Genesis 22:2, 1 Chronicles 21: 18, and 2 Chronicles 3:1.)  

In Chronicles we finally got to see the psalms being used in worship.  I wonder what the music sounded like then, with all the musicians and all the instruments. 

David was not a perfect man, but he had a close relationship with God.  David is the one who said: “The Lord searches every heart and understands every thought and every desire.”  (1 Chronicles 28: 9)  

And “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.”   And he said he had handed everything over to Solomon willingly and with “honest intent” 

Honest intent…  Since God knows our heart, He also knows the intent of our heart.  That is a lot to ponder.

Keep reading, till next week….Audrey 

Week 16. April 21. The remnant remains strong.

Week 16.   I’m a few days behind in writing.  We have just finished 2 Kings and read the book of 1 Chronicles in the past week. 

I must say that the end of 2 Kings was very interesting.  And also very sad to read about how everything fell apart.  God kept telling them not to worship other gods, but they slowly drifted away… 

I had a surprise at 2 Kings 1:5 when King Hezekiah broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made because the Israelites had been burning incense to it.   Wow, I don’t remember ever knowing that fact before.  Amazing, isn't it, to think that they had been carrying it around for about 800 years!  (You could write an entire book about it)

Another verse that kinda stuck in my mind was 2 Kings 19:4.  “…pray for the remnant that still remains.”   It makes me think of the little pockets of common people here and there who were still faithful and who had a relationship with the living God, in the midst of a culture that had forgotten.  Life was terrible all around them, but God knew who they were, and where they were.  After reading chapter 23 of 2 Kings, I wondered how we are gradually accepting false gods and practices today in our modern culture.  And maybe we don’t even realize it.  And Chapter 25 is a very sad chapter.  Almost made me cry.  The Babylonians destroyed the beautiful temple that Solomon built.  ‘’’so Judah went into captivity, away from her land.”

But now, we get to read new books: Chronicles.  It’s a re-telling of the same history again, but written 500 years later.  It’s amazing how much some of the stories are identical down to the little details.  

Did you notice right there in the middle of all the names and names and names, there was that verse about the prayer of Jabez: (I Chronicles 4: 9,10.) 

I like reading about King David…David’s mighty warriors must have been really amazing, and I love the references to “The Three”.  Wonder what they were like.  And then David decides to bring the ark to Jerusalem…what a fascinating story…and such joy and happiness when it finally arrived.  

“For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise, he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place”. (1 Chronicles 16: 25 – 27.)

Did you notice that King David’s gold crown weighed about 75 pounds?  Wow.

I have always love architecture and design, so I really like to read the chapters that describe the temple and all the materials that were used for the building and all the craftsmen and artisans that worked on the building.  Here is a  wonderful image from the Rose Book of Solomon's temple.   It would have been breathtaking, with all the gold.  wow.  

We will keep reading till next week….Audrey 

Week 15. April 12. Undivided Heart or Divided Heart?

Week 15.  Wow, it’s hard to believe that we have been reading for more than 100 days this year! I still look forward to reading and listening each morning.  But honestly, I have not enjoyed this past week of reading in 1st and 2^nd Kings.  It’s awful to read about the killing, beheading, killing pregnant women, sacrificing children, dogs eating bodies, etc, etc, etc. And it seems to go on and on.  If it were any book other than the Holy Bible, I would have stopped this week. 

I know the main point is that the Lord God wants our obedience and total allegiance… an undivided heart.  That is still our challenge today. 

One thing that I thought of several times this week was that there are some expressions in 1 and 2 Kings that sound contemporary.  It was obviously written by a different author than the previous book.  I noticed that 1 and 2 Samuel were written about 1000 - 930 BC.  But 1 and 2 Kings were written in the 500’s BC.   Reading several chapters daily, and in order, helps me to grasp the Old Testament in a new way. 

We recently purchased the “Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines. 

It’s helpful.  We look at it almost every day as we read to help us understand the timeline of History.  It is really full of great information.   It helps me to remember that what we are reading about right now took place during the Iron Age.  

We get to start reading 1 Chronicles this week and it will be better.  Back to good ol’ David. 

Hang in there, well get through these difficult chapter and we get to read the Psalms in June.  Something to look forward to.  And we keep reading…

Week 14. April 5, Easter Sunday.

To celebrate Easter, I am posting this prayer by Peter Marshall instead of the usual comments.
Peter Marshall was the Chaplain of the US Senate for several years until he died suddenly in 1949 from a heart attack at age 46.

EASTER 
by Peter Marshall

"We thank Thee for the beauty of this day, 

for the glorious message that all nature proclaims: 

the Easter Lilies with their waxen throats eloquently singing the good news; 

the birds, so early this morning, impatient to begin their song; 

every flowering tree, shrub, and flaming bush, a living proclamation from Thee.  

O open our hearts that we may hear it, too!

Lead us, we pray Thee, to the grave that is empty, 

into the garden of the Resurrection where we may meet our risen Lord.  

May we never again live as if Thou were dead!

In thy presence restore our faith, our hope, our joy. 

Grant to our spirits refreshment, rest, and peace.  

Maintain within our hearts an unruffled calm, 

an unbroken serenity that no storms of life shall ever be able to take from us.

From this moment, O living Christ, we ask Thee to go with us wherever we go; 

be our Companion in all that we do.  

And for this greatest of all gifts, we offer Thee our sacrifices of thanksgiving.  

Amen."

...Reading the Old Testament this  year is giving me a new appreciation for what God did for us through Jesus.  We are free!  And we have a beautiful future to look forward to no matter what is going on in our lives right now.  And we have His companionship right now. 

Happy Easter!  

Audrey

and we are walking...