Solomon Builds the Temple

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Solomon Builds the Temple

1 Kings 5–6; 2 Chr. 2–3

September 15, 2024 • 1 Kings 5, 1 Kings 6, 2 Chronicles 2, 2 Chronicles 3

BECAUSE DAVID had been a man of war, the task of building the Temple in Jerusalem fell to his son, Solomon.

This week, we read the accounts of the Temple’s construction, and how Hiram, king of Tyre, provided the timber and craftsmen for the work. We also note that account in 1 Kings records that Solomon built the Temple “for the Name of Yahweh.” We briefly discuss the meaning of “the Name,” which does not refer to God’s reputation, but an embodied person—an important part of the Godhead in ancient Israel.

For more, we recommend Dr. Michael Heiser’s article at the Faithlife Study Bible, “The Name Theology in the Old Testament”: www.bit.ly/name-ot

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

October 13, 2024 • 2 Chronicles 5, 2 Chronicles 6, 2 Chronicles 7, Psalm 136

SOLOMON’S prayer of dedication for the Temple includes a phrase we read often in the Psalms, “steadfast love,” which is sometimes translated “mercy,” “favor,” “loyalty,” or “lovingkindness.” The Hebrew word chesed doesn’t have an exact English equivalent, but it appears 245 times in the Old Testament which means it’s important. 26 of those uses occur in our reading of Psalm 136, which reminded the Israelites—and us—that God’s live is for eternity. Our question of the week: What is the difference between Israel and Judah?

The Prayer of Solomon

October 6, 2024 • 1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 4

SOLOMON’S PRAYER of dedication is a wonderful petition to God, asking Him to listen to the prayers of His people. Solomon notes that repentance, turning from sin, is important, and that “there is no one who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46), a concept we see again in the New Testament (1 John 1:8). Our question of the week: What is Behemoth?

Indictment of the Watchers

September 29, 2024

THE SIN OF THE WATCHERS is framed by the Book of 1 Enoch as a violation of the natural order. Chapter 2 through chapter 5 verse 3 (3:7 in the SEV) detail all of the ways creation follows a pattern established by God. Then the author turns to the rebellious angels, charging them with faithlessness, rebellion, and speaking “proud and hard words” (or “slanderously grave and harsh words”) against God. Their sin, in other words, is not just disobedience; it’s unnatural! It’s clear in chapter 6 that the rebellious Watchers knew that commingling with human women was wrong; their leader, Shemihazah, admitted it in so many words, afraid that he alone would be held accountable for “this great sin.” His colleagues agreed to swear by a mutual oath to proceed. This event was remembered for millennia. Sometime around the beginning of the Christian era, a 6,000-pound limestone stela was left inside a temple on the summit of Mount Hermon, where this oath was sworn (1 Enoch 6:6 [3:5, SEV]), commemorating the event. Dr. Doug Hamp published the first new information derived from the Watcher Stone in more than a century in his book Corrupting the Image II. Here’s the link to https://www.derekpgilbert.com/2022/01/10/the-second-coming-of-saturn-part-18-the-mount-hermon-inscription/ that cites Doug’s new translation. The question is whether the Watchers came to Earth specifically to commit this sin or, as Justin Martyr wrote in his Second Apology (c. 161 AD), they were appointed to watch over humanity by God and decided to transgress after they got here. And, as L. A. Marzulli suggested in a 2022 episode of our program The Bible’s Greatest Mysteries, were they talked into this sin by Satan, who wanted Shemihazah—a powerful rival—out of the way? Next time (October 27, 2024), we’ll discuss the consequences of the transgression of the Watchers. Here is a link to the https://pidradio.com/tag/dr-michael-heiser/page/4/ about Gnosticism and The Da Vinci Code. Here’s the link to the https://youtu.be/5xgdybd_gdm?si=hbxn_60ix_n6ntlx about Satan, Shemihazah, and “the angelic suicide mission” to overthrow God (link opens YouTube video).