Steve Webb  0:00  
Remember to look to Him.

Steve Webb  0:09  
It's the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California and podcasting since 2004, I'm your OG Godcaster. Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we are reading through the entire Bible in a year. How are you? It's history Tuesday and our reading will be first Kings five through nine. I'm calling this episode steadfast. Before we get started, let's pray. Our loving Heavenly Father How we thank you for this time around your word. I pray God that you would bless this time, open our minds open our hearts teach us as we read, I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. All right, here we go. 

Steve Webb  0:50  
First Kings chapter five. King Hiram of Tyre sent his officials to Solomon when he heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father. Hiram had always been David's friend. Solomon sent word to Hiram by saying, you know that my father David was surrounded by war, he couldn't build a temple for the name of the Lord our God until the Lord let him defeat his enemies. But the Lord my God has surrounded me with peace. I have no rival at no trouble. Now I'm thinking of building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to my father David, your son whom I will put on your throne to succeed you will build a temple for my name. So order men to cut down cedars from Lebanon for me. My workers will work with your workers. I will pay you whatever wages you ask for your workers. You know, we don't have any skilled lumberjacks like those from Sidon. Hiram was very glad to hear what Solomon had said. Hiram responded, may the Lord be praised today. He has given David A wise son to rule this great nation. Hiram sent men to Solomon to say, I've received the message you sent me. I will do everything you want in regard to the cedar and cypress logs. My workers will bring logs from Lebanon to the sea, and I will have them make them into rafts to go by sea to any place you specify. There I will have them taken apart and you can use them. You can pay me by providing food from my palace. So Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and cypress wood he wanted. Solomon gave Hiram 120,000 bushels of wheat and 120,000 gallons of pure olive oil. Solomon paid Hiram this much every year. The Lord gave Solomon wisdom as he had promised, there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made a treaty with one another. King Solomon forced 30,000 men from all over Israel to work for him. He said a shift of 10,000 men to Lebanon for a month they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home at an Iran was in charge of forced labor. Solomon had 70,000 men who carried heavy loads 70,000 Who quarried stones in the mountains, and 3300 foremen who were in charge of the workers. The king commanded them to quarry large expensive blocks of stone in order to provide a foundation of cut stone for the temple. Solomon's workmen, high rooms, workmen and men from Gable quarried the stone and prepared the logs and stone to build the temple. 

Steve Webb  3:23  
First Kings chapter six, Solomon began to build the Lord's temple 480 years after Israel left Egypt. He began building in the month of Ziv, the second month of the fourth year of his reign over Israel. The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. The entrance hall in front of the main room of the temple was the same length as the shorter side of the temple. It extended 15 feet in front of the temple. He also made latticed windows for the temple. He built an annex containing side rooms all around the temple. The Annex was next to the walls of the main building and the inner sanctuary. The interior of the lower storey of the Annex was seven and a half feet wide. The second storey was nine feet wide, and the third storey was 10 and a half feet wide. Solomon made ledges all around the temple so that this annex would not be fastened to the walls of the temple. The temple was built with stone blocks that were finished at the quarry, no hammer, chisel, or any other Iron tool made a sound at the temple construction site. The entrance to the first story was on the south side of the temple. The staircase went up to the middle story and then to the third storey. When he had finished building the walls, he roofed the temple with rows of cedar beams and planks. He built each story of the annex seven and a half feet high alongside the entire temple. Its cedar beams were attached to the temple. The Lord spoke to Solomon saying this concerns the temple your building. If you live by My laws, follow my rules and keep my commands. I will fulfill the promise I made about you to your father David. I will live among the Israelites and never abandoned my people. When Solomon had finished building the temples frame, he began to line the inside walls of the temple with cedar boards. he pedaled the inside of the temple with wood from floor to ceiling. He covered the floor of the temple with Cypress planks. He sectioned off a 30 foot long room at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from the floor to the rafters. He built it to serve as an inner room the Most Holy Place. The 60 foot long room at the front of the temple served as the main hall, gourds and flowers were carved into the cedar paneling inside the temple. Everything was covered with cedar, no stone could be seen. He prepared the inner room of the temple in order to put the Ark of the Lord's promise there. The inner room was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. Solomon covered it and the cedar altar with pure gold. He covered the inside of the temple with pure gold. He put golden chains across the front of the inner room, which was covered with gold, he covered the entire inside of the temple with gold. He also covered the entire altar in the inner room with gold. In the inner room, he made 215 foot tall angels out of olive wood. Each wing of the angels was seven and a half feet long. The distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other was 15 feet. Both angels had a 15 foot wingspan. Both had the same measurements and the same shape. Each was 15 feet high. Solomon put the angels in the inner room of the temple. The wings of the angels extended so that the wing of one of the angels touched the one wall and the wing of the other touched the other wall. Their remaining wings touched each other in the center of the room. He covered the angels with gold. He carved angels, palm trees and flowers into the walls all around the inner and outer rooms of the temple. He covered the floor of the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold. He made doors for the entrance to the inner room out of olive wood. The doorposts had five sides. The two doors were made out of olive wood. He carved angels palm trees and flowers into them and covered them with gold. The gold was hammered on to the angels in the palm trees. In the same way he made square doorposts out of all of wood for the temples entrance. He made two doors from Cypress. Each of the doors had two folding panels. on them he carved angels, palm trees and flowers. He evenly covered them with gold. He built the inner courtyard with three courses of finished stones, and of course of finished cedar beams. In the month of Ziff of the fourth year of Solomon's reign, the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid in the month of bull the eighth month of the 11th year of Israel. That temple was finished according to all its plans and specifications. He spent seven years building it. 

Steve Webb  8:07  
First Kings chapter seven. But it took Solomon 13 years to finish constructing his palace and the other buildings that were related to it. He built the palace of the forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long. It was 75 feet wide, and it was 45 feet high. It had four rows of cedar columns. They held up beautiful cedar beams. Above the beams was a roof that was made out of cedar boards. It rested on the columns. There were three rows of beams with 15 in each row. The total number of beams was 45. The windows of the palace were placed high up in the walls. They were in groups of three and they faced each other. All of the doorways had frames that were shaped like rectangles. They were in front. They were in groups of three, and they faced each other. Solomon made a covered area. It was 75 feet long, and it was 45 feet wide. Its roof was held up by columns. In front of it was a porch. In front of that were pillars and a roof that went out beyond them. Solomon built the Throne Hall. It was called the Hall of Justice. That's where he would serve as judge. He covered the hall was cedar boards from floor to ceiling. The palace where he could live was set farther back. Its plan was something like the plan for the hall. Solomon had gotten married to Pharaoh's daughter. He made a palace for her. It was like the hall. All of those buildings were made out of blocks of very fine stone. They were cut to the right size. They were shaped with a saw on the back and front sides. Those stones were used for the outside of each building and for the large courtyard. They were also used from the foundations up to the roofs. large blocks of very fine stone were used for the foundation. Some were 15 feet long. Others were 12 feet long. The walls that were above them were made out of very fine stones. The stones were cut to the right size. On top of them was a layer of cedar beams. The large courtyard had a wall around it. The first three layers of the wall were made out of blocks of stone. The top layer was made out of beautiful cedar wood. The same thing was done with the inside courtyard of the Lord's temple and its porch. King Solomon sent messengers to Tyre, he wanted them to bring him back with him. Hyrum his mother was a widow. She was from the tribe of NAFTA ally Hyrum. His father was from Tyre. He was skilled in working with bronze Hyrum also was very skilled. He had done all kinds of work with bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all the work he was asked to do. You're a made two bronze pillars. Each of them was 27 feet high, and each was 18 feet around. Each pillar had a decorated top that was made out of bronze. Each top was seven and a half feet high. chains that were linked together hung down from the tops of the pillars. There were seven chains for each top. Here a made two rows of pomegranates, they circled the chains. The pomegranates decorated the tops of the pillars. Your M did the same thing for each pillar. The tops on the pillars of the porch were shaped like lilies. The lilies were six feet high. On the tops of both pillars were 200 pomegranates, they were in rows all around the tops. They were above the part that was shaped like a bowl and they were next to the chains. Hyrum set the pillars up at the temple porch. The pillar on the south he named Jaken. The one on the north he named Boaz. The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies, so the work on the pillars was finished. You remade a large metal bowl for washing. Its shape was round. It measured 15 feet from rim to rim. It was seven and a half feet high and it was 45 feet around. below the rim there was a circle of gourds around the bowl. In every 18 inches around the bowl. There were 10 gourds. The gourds were arranged in two rows. They were made as part of the bowl itself. The huge bowls stood on 12 bowls, three of them faced north, three faced West, three faced south and three faced east. The bowl rested on top of them. their rear ends were toward the center. The bowl was three inches thick, its Ram was like the rim of a cup. The Rim was shaped like the bloom of a lily, the bowl held 11,500 gallons of water. Your M also made 10 stands out of bronze, they could be moved around. Each stand was six feet long. It was six feet wide, and it was four and a half feet high. Here's how the stands were made. They had sides that were joined to posts. On the sides between the posts were lions, bulls and Cherubim. They were also on all the posts. Above and below the lions and bulls were REITs that were made out of hammered metal. Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Each one had a bowl that rested on four supports. They had wreaths on each side. There was a round opening on the inside of each stand. The opening had a frame that was 18 inches deep. The sides were 27 inches high from the top of the opening to the bottom of the base. There was carving all around the opening. The sides of the stands were square not round. The four wheels were under the sides. The axles of the wheels were connected to the stand. Each wheel was 27 inches across. The wheels were made like chariot wheels. All of the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were made out of metal. Each stand had four handles on it. There was one on each corner. They came out from the stand at the top of the stand was around band. It was nine inches deep. The sides and supports were connected to the top of the stand Hyrum carved cherubim lions and palm trees on the sides of the stance. He also carved them on the surfaces of the supports. His carving covered every open space. He had also carved reeds all around. That's how we made the 10 stands. All of them were made in the same molds and they had the same size and shape. Then here are made 10 bronze bowls. Each one held 230 gallons. The bowls measured six feet across. There was one bowl for each of the 10 stands. He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple. He placed the other five on the north side. He put the huge bowl on the south side. It was at the south The east corner of the temple. He also made the bowls shovels in sprinkling bowls. So Hyrum finished all the work he had started for King Solomon. Here's what he made for the Lord's temple. He made the two pillars. He made the two tops for the pillars. The tops were shaped like bowls. He made the two sets of chains that were linked together. They decorated the two bowl shaped tops of the pillars. He made the 400 pomegranates for the two sets of chains. There were two rows of pomegranates for each chain. They decorated the bowl shaped tops of the pillars. He made the 10 stands with her 10 bowls. He made the huge bowl, he made the 12 bowls that were under it. He made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Here he made all of those objects for King Solomon for the Lord's temple. He made them out of bronze. Then he shined them up. The king had made them in clay molds. It was done on the flatlands of the Jordan River between Succoth and xiaofan. Solomon didn't weigh any of these things. There were too many of them to weigh. No one even tried to weigh the bronze they were made out of Solomon also made all of the articles that were in the Lord's temple. He made the golden table for the holy bread. He made the pure gold lampstands they were five on the right and five on the left. They were in front of the Most Holy room. He made the gold flowers. He made the gold lamps and tongs. He made the bowls, wick cutters, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and shallow cups for burning incense. All of them were made out of pure gold. He made the gold bases for the doors of the inside room. That's the most holy room. He also made gold bases for the doors of the main hall of the temple. King Solomon finished all of the work for the Lord's temple. Then he brought in the things his father David had set apart for the Lord. They included the silver and gold and all of the articles for the Lord's temple. Solomon place them with the other treasures that were there. 

Steve Webb  17:07  
First Kings chapter eight. Then King Solomon sent for the elders of Israel. He told him to come to him in Jerusalem. They included all the leaders of the tribes. They also included the chiefs of the families of Israel, Solomon, one of them to bring up the Ark of the Lord's covenant from Zion. Zion was the city of David. All of the men of Israel came together to where King Solomon was, it was at the time of the Feast of Booths. The feast was held in the month of ethnonym. That's the seventh month all of the elders of Israel arrived. Then the priests picked up the Ark and carried it, they brought up the ark of the Lord. They also brought up the tent of meeting and all of the sacred articles that were in the tent, the priests and the Levites carried everything up. The entire community of Israel had gathered around King Solomon, all of them were in front of the ark. They sacrificed huge numbers of sheep and cattle, there were so many that they couldn't be recorded. In fact, they couldn't even be counted. The priests brought the Ark of the Lord's covenant to its place in the most holy room of the temple. They put it under the wings of the cherubs in the cherubims. wings were spread out over the place where the Ark was, they covered the ark, they also covered the poles that were used to carry it. The Poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the holy room in front of the Most Holy room. But they couldn't be seen from outside the holy room. They're still there to this very day. There wasn't anything in the ark except the two stone tablets. Moses had placed them in it at Mount Horeb. That's where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites. He made it after they came out of Egypt. The priests left the holy room, then the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. The priests couldn't do their work because of it. That's because the glory of the Lord filled his temple. Then Solomon said, Lord, you have said you would live in a dark cloud. As you can see, I've built a beautiful temple for you. You can live in it forever. The whole community of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and gave them his blessing. Then he said, I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. With his own mouth, he made a promise to my father David, with his own powerful hand, he made it come true. He said, I brought my people Israel out of Egypt. Ever since I did that. I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel, where a temple could be built for my name. But I have chosen David to rule over my people Israel, with all his heart. My father, David wanted to build a temple. He wanted to do it so the Lord could put his name there. The Lord is the God of Israel. But the Lord spoke to my father David, he said, with all your heart you wanted to build a temple For my name, it is good that you wanted to do that. But you will not build the temple. Instead, your son will build the temple for my name. He is your own flesh and blood. The Lord has kept the promise he made. I've become the next king after my father David. Now I'm sitting on the throne of Israel. That's exactly what the Lord promised would happen. I've built the temple where the Lord will put his name. He is the God of Israel. I've provided a place for the Ark there, the tablets of the Lord's covenant are inside it. He made that covenant with our people of long ago. He made it when he brought them out of Egypt. Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord's altar, he stood in front of the whole community of Israel, he spread out his hands toward heaven. He said, Lord, You are the God of Israel. There is no God like you in heaven above or on Earth below. You keep the covenant you made with us. You show us your love. You do that when we follow you with all our hearts. You have kept your promise to my father, David, he was your servant. With your mouth, you made a promise. With your powerful hand, you have made it come true. And today we can see it. Lord, You are the God of Israel. Keep the promises you made to my father, David, do it for him. He was your servant. You said to him, you will always have a man to sit on the throne of Israel in my sight. That will be true only if your sons are careful in everything they do. They must live in my sight the way you have lived. God of Israel, let your promise to my father David come true. But will you really live on earth? After all, the heavens can't hold you. In fact, even the highest heavens can't hold you. So this temple I've built certainly can't hold you. But please pay attention to my prayer. Lord, my God, show me your favor as I make my appeal to you. Listen to my cry for help. Here the prayer I'm praying to you today. Let your eyes look toward this temple, night and day. You said, I will put my name there. So please listen to the prayer. I'm praying toward this place. Hear me when I asked you to show us your favor. Listen to your people, Israel when they pray toward this place. Listen to us from heaven. It's the place where you live. When you hear us, forgive us. Suppose a man does something wrong to his neighbor. And he is required to take an oath and make a promise. He must come and do it in front of your altar in this temple. When he does listen to him from heaven. Take action. Judge between those people punish the one who was guilty due to him what he has done to his neighbor, tell everyone that the one who hasn't done anything wrong is free from blame. That will prove he isn't guilty. Suppose your people Israel have lost the battle against their enemies. And suppose they've sinned against you. But they turned back to you and praise your name. They pray to you in this temple. And they asked you just show them your favor. Then listen to them from heaven. forgive the sin of your people, Israel, bring them back to the land you gave to their people who lived long ago. Suppose your people have sinned against you. And because of that, the sky is closed up and there isn't any rain. But your people pray toward this place. They praise you by admitting they've sinned, and they turn away from their sin because you have made them suffer. Then listen to them from heaven. forgive the sin of your people Israel, teach them the right way to live. Send rain on the land you gave them as their share. Suppose there isn't enough food in the land, and a plague strikes the land. The hot winds completely dry up our crops, or locusts or grasshoppers come and eat them up. Or an enemy surrounds one of our cities and gets ready to attack it or trouble or sickness comes. But suppose one of your people prays to you. He asks you to show him your favor. He is aware of how much his own heart is suffering, and he spreads out his hands toward this temple to pray. Then listen to him from heaven. It's the place where you live, forgive him, take action, deal with him in keeping with everything he does, you know his heart. In fact, you are the only one who knows every human heart. Your people will have respect for you. They will respect you as long as they are in the land you gave our people long ago. Suppose there are strangers who don't belong to your people Israel, and they have come from a land far away. They've come because they've heard about your name. When they get here, they will find out even more about your great name. They'll hear about how you reached out your mighty hand and powerful arm. So they'll come and pray toward this temple. Then listen to them from heaven. It's the place where you live. Do what those strangers ask you to do. Then all of the nations on earth will know you. They will have respect for you. They'll respect you just as your own people Israel do they'll know that your name is in this house I've built. Suppose your people go to war against their enemies. It doesn't matter where you send them. And suppose they pray to you toward the city you have chosen. They pray toward the temple I've built for your name, then listen to them from heaven. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them, when they ask you to show them your favor. Stand up for them. Suppose your people sin against you. After all, there isn't anyone who doesn't sin. And suppose you get angry with them, you hand them over to their enemies, they take them as prisoners to their own land. It doesn't matter whether it's near or far away. But suppose your people change their ways in the land where they are held as prisoners. They turn away from their sins, they beg you to help them in the land of those who won the battle over them. They say, We have sinned, we've done what is wrong. We've done what is evil. And they turn back to you with all their heart and soul. Suppose it happens in the land of their enemies who took them away as prisoners. There, they pray to you toward the land you gave their people long ago. They pray toward the city you have chosen, they pray toward the temple I built for your name. Then listen to them from heaven. It's the place where you live. Listen to their prayer. Listen to them, when they ask you to show them your favor. Stand up for them. Your people have sinned against you. Please forgive them. Forgive them for all the wrong things they've done against you. And make those who won the battle over them, show mercy to them. After all, they are your people. They belong to you. You brought them out of Egypt, you brought them out of that furnace that melts iron down and makes it pure. Let your eyes be open to me when I asked you to show us your favor. Let them be open to your people Israel when they ask you to show them your favor. Pay attention to them every time they cry out to you. After all, you chose them out of all the nations in the world. You made them your very own people. You did it just as you had announced through your servant Moses. That's when you brought our people out of Egypt. You are our lord and king. Solomon finished all of those prayers. He finished asking the Lord to show His favor to his people. Then he got up from in front of the Lord's altar. He had been down on his knees with his hands spread out toward heaven. He stood in front of the whole community of Israel. He blessed them with a loud voice. He said, I praise the Lord. He has given peace and rest to His people Israel. That's exactly what he promised to do. He gave his people good promises through his servant Moses, every single word of those promises has come true. May the Lord our God be with us just as He was with our people who lived long ago? May He never leave us. May He never desert us. May he turn our hearts to Him, then we will live the way he wants us to will obey the commands, rules and directions he gave our people. I've prayed these words to the Lord our God. May He keep them close to him day and night. May he stand up for me. May He also stand up for his people Israel. May He give us what we need every day, then all of the nations on earth will know that the Lord is God. They'll know that there isn't any other god. But you must commit your lives completely to the Lord our God. You must live by his rules. You must obey His commands, you must always do as you were doing now. Then the king and the whole community of Israel offered sacrifices to the Lord. Solomon sacrificed friendship offerings to the Lord. He sacrificed 22,000 head of cattle. He also sacrificed 120,000 sheep and goats. So the king and the whole community set the temple of the LORD apart to him. On that same day, the king set the middle area of the courtyard apart to the Lord. It was in front of the Lord's temple. There Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings in grain offerings. He also sacrificed the fat of the friendship offerings there. He did it there because the bronze altar in the front of the Lord was too small. It wasn't big enough to hold all of the bread offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the friendship offerings. At that time, Solomon celebrated the Feast of Booths. The whole community of Israel was with him. It was a huge crowd. People came from as far away as libo, Hayworth and the wadi of Egypt. For seven days they celebrated in front of the Lord our God. The feast continued for seven more days. That made a total of 14 days. On the following day, Solomon sent the people away. They asked the Lord to bless the king, then they went home. The people were glad their hearts were full of joy. That's because the Lord had done so many good things for his servant David and his people Israel. 

Steve Webb  30:01  
First Kings chapter nine, Solomon finished building the Lord's temple and the royal palace. He had accomplished everything he had planned to do. The Lord appeared to him a second time. He had already appeared to him it Gibson, the Lord said to him, I've heard you pray to Me, I have heard you ask me to show you my favor. You have built this temple, I have set it apart for myself, my name will be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. But you must walk with me just as your father David did. Your heart must be honest, it must be without blame. Do everything I command you to do. Obey my rules and laws, then I will set up your royal throne over Israel forever. I promised your father David, I would do that. I said to him, you will always have a man on the throne of Israel. But suppose all of you turn away from me, or your sons turn away from me. You refuse to obey the commands and rules I've given you and you go off to serve other gods and worship them. Then I will cut Israel off from the land. It is the land I gave them. I will turn my back on this temple. I will do it even though I've set it apart for my name to be there. Then Israel will be hated by all of the nations. They will laugh and joke about Israel. This temple is now grand and beautiful, but the time is coming when all those who pass by it will be shocked. They will make fun of it. And they will say why has the Lord done a thing like this to this land in temple? People will answer because they have deserted the Lord their God. He brought their people out of Egypt, but they have been holding on to other gods. They've been worshipping them. They've been serving them. That's why the Lord has brought all of this horrible trouble on them. Solomon built the Lord's temple at Royal Palace. It took him 20 years to construct those two buildings. King Solomon gave 20 towns in Galilee to Hiram. That's because Hiram had provided him with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted. He had also provided him with all the gold he wanted. Hiram was king of Tyre. Hiram went from Tyre to see the town Solomon had given him, but he wasn't pleased with them. My friend he asked, What have you given me? What kind of towns are these? So he called them the land of cable, and that's what they are still called to this very day. Hiram had sent four and a half tonnes of gold to Solomon. King Solomon forced people to work hard for him. This is a record of what they did. They built the Lord's temple in Solomon's palace. They filled in the low places, they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. They built up Hazor Megiddo and geezer. Pharaoh the king of Egypt had attacked geezer and captured it. He had set it on fire. He had killed the Canaanites who lived there. Then he had given Giza as a wedding gift to his daughter. She was Solomon's wife, Solomon rebuilt geezer he built up lower Beth Horon, and bailiff. He built up Tadmor in the desert. All of those towns were in his land. He built up all of the cities where he could store things. He also built up the towns for his chariots and horses. He built anything he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and all of the territory he ruled over. There were still many people left in the land who weren't Israelites. They included Amorites, Hittites, parasites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They were the children of the people who had lived in the land before the Israelites came. Those people had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. But the Israelites hadn't been able to kill all of them. Solomon had forced them to work very hard as his slaves, and they still work for Israel to this very day. But Solomon didn't force any of the men of Israel to work as slaves. Instead, some were his fighting men. Others were his government officials, his officers and his captains. Others were commanders of his chariots and chariot drivers. Still others were the chief officials who were in charge of his projects. There were 550 officials in charge of those who did the work. Pharaoh's daughter moved from the city of David up to the palace Solomon had built for after that he filled in the low places near the palace. Three times a year of Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. He sacrificed them on the altar he had built to honor the Lord. Along with the offerings he burned incense to the Lord. So he carried out his duties for the temple. King Solomon also built ships at easy on deburr it's near elf in Edom. It's on the shore of the Red Sea. Hiram set his men to serve on the ships together with Solomon's men, Hiram sailors knew the sea. All of them sailed to over they brought back 16 tonnes of gold, they gave it to King Solomon. 

Steve Webb  34:54  
At the end of chapter eight, we read that wonderful prayer of Solomon's after the work was completed on it Temple. And in the beginning of chapter nine, we read that God appeared to Solomon for the second time. And he said to Solomon, I have heard you pray to Me, I have heard you asked me to show you my favor. You have built this temple, I've set it apart for myself, my name will be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. My first reaction to this is, wow, how cool would it be if after I prayed God would appear to be and say, I've heard you, Steve. My second reaction is, well, maybe I need to step up my prayer life because Solomon's prayer was much better than anything I've ever prayed. But of course, King Solomon was much wiser and much more intelligent than I am. But then I'm reminded that even Solomon's wisdom and intelligence is nothing in comparison to God. So I'm okay just being me. After all, God looks at the heart and not our words. Beloved, don't you think that when God appeared for a second time to Solomon after this prayer that his heart must have been full of joy? I can't imagine it not being. But then God followed up his wonderfully uplifting words with some equally sobering ones. He told Solomon that in order for all these things to remain true, Solomon and his people must remain faithful to God in all their ways. And if they don't, God would take his hand from them, and he would leave them in this now beautiful temple will be a source of shock and wonder, do you see God knew how forgetful people are, and that they needed to be constantly reminded of who their source of strength and well being was? They are God's chosen people, not because they're special, but because he is a God of grace. It is His goodness in love that brought them out of Egypt, not anything they did. It was his might, that brought them into the Promised Land, and not their military prowess. And on and on that list could go. God wanted the people to look at him, not this beautiful building that they built according to his very specific instructions. And now, beloved, let me ask you a question. As God used you in some way. Don't forget who did that. God did it through you. Remember to look to him? Sure, you can look back at what was done, but remember that it was actually accomplished by God. He wants us to steadfastly rely on Him and live lives that are pleasing to Him. What are your thoughts? Do you have comments or questions? Call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1-951-732-8511 Or comment via boostagram or send me an email at steve@lifespringmedia.com dot com. Tomorrow will be Psalms Wednesday, and we're going to read chapters 66 through 68. And tomorrow, we'll also have a time of praise and prayer requests. If there is a prayer request or a praise that you'd like to share with the Lifespring family, let me know at prayer.lifespringmedia.com or call the Lifespring family hotline. And something else we'll do tomorrow is I will introduce a new segment to the show. It'll be something that I've never done in 18 plus years of podcasting, I sure hope you'll join me.

Jingle  38:15  
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Steve Webb  38:26  
Our show art for today is once again from Scott Snider. Thank you, Scott. And Thanks to Sister Denise and Michael Haner, and Jason Paschall and Brittaney these are the team and I rely on them for so much. Thank you guys. God bless you. Until tomorrow. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day. May God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai