Wed.’s Devo - Solomon Dedicated the Temple

Read: 2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10; Romans 7:14-8:8; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 19:24-25

Solomon stood on a platform he had made to speak to the people at the dedication of the Temple. He reminded them of God’s promise to his lineage that if they walked with the Lord and followed his commands, one of David’s offspring would always reign as king. He acknowledged that God who ruled the heavens and the earth and couldn’t be contained in a building had put his name in this place.

Solomon prayed that all who prayed in this place, God would hear their prayer and grant their request.  He prayed that if they as a nation had sinned against him and they repented and prayed in this howe that God would hear and forgive them. He prayed that if there was drought or famine or plague that if the people repented and prayed toward this house that God would hear their prayer and forgive them and deliver them. 

He prayed that if foreigners come and pray to him in this place that God would hear their prayer. If Israel was in war and prayed toward this city and the Temple that God would hear their prayer. If they sinned and are exiled from the land and pray toward this Temple and repent, that God would hear their prayer and forgive them and bring them back to this place. 

Solomon blessed the Lord to rest in the ark. He blessed the priest to be clothed with salvation and he blessed the people to rejoice in the goodness of God. He prayed that God would remember his love for David and bless him.

As soon as Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple and it was so thick that the priests couldn’t enter it. The people saw all of this and fell down with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord and gave him thanks. 

The people and Solomon offered thousands of oxen and sheep to the sound of praise and music. Solomon consecrated the middle court of the house of the Lord and offered burnt offerings there also. He held the feast for all seven days of Tabernacles. On the eighth day there was a solemn assembly. he people went home with great joy on the ninth day. 

Solomon had completed the building of his house and the Lord’s house. The Lord appeared to him again and told him that he had heard his prayer and would grant it. When the people were in trouble for any reason, if they prayed toward this house and repented, God would hear their prayers and help them. But, if Solomon turned from the Lord to worship other gods then he will pluck them up out of this land and this house that he built would not stand. Everyone will know that it was because they abandoned him.

In the twenty years of Solomon’s reign he had build the house of the Lord, his own house, rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given him and settled people in there. He took Hamoth-zobah and built Tadmor and other store cities. He built fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars and cities for his chariots and horses. He also built buildings in Jerusalem and Lebanon and all over his land. He drafted all the foreigners who he had conquered to do his forced labor. He put 250 men over them to oversee the work. 

In Romans, Paul describes the spiritual war that goes on in our hearts. God has written his law in our hearts and that is the law of the spirit. The written law wages war against it. The written law is religion and it will kill us because we can’t do it. Paul realized that war. He found the answer in Christ Jesus who sets us free from the law of sin and death. Jesus paid for our sin and we can no longer be condemned by it if we put our trust in Jesus. In him we are free to walk by the Spirit and not the law. That is where we find life and peace. 

Lord, thank you for your steadfast love that never ceases. Thank you for your mercies that never run out.  

Tues.’s Devo - The Temple is Completed

Read: 2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11; Romans 7:1-13; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 19:22-23

Solomon made all the vessels for the Temple according to what David had prescribed. Hiram did all the metal work and the carpentry. It was all brought into the Temple along with all the things David had given to go into the treasury. 

Solomon assembled all the elders and leaders in Israel to come to bring up the ark out of the tabernacle and into the Temple. They met during the feast of Tabernacles which celebrates that God dwells with his people. So many sheep and oxen were sacrificed that they couldn’t be counted. The ark was brought into the Most Holy Place and the cherubim covered it. Their wings spread from one end of the room to the other. This was the mercy seat where God’s presence dwelt.

Inside the ark were the two tablets that Moses had been given at Horeb. As the priests and singers and musicians came into the Temple singing that the Lord was good and his steadfast love endures forever, the house filled with a cloud of God’s presence. It was so thick the priests could’t stand to minister because God’s presence filled the Temple.

Solomon blessed the Lord aloud to the people. He explained how God chose Jerusalem to be his city and David to be their king and now has fulfilled David’s dream to build a house for the Lord where his name would be praised. 

In Romans, Paul continues explaining the difference between the law and grace. We were once bound like a marriage contract to the law, but when Christ died, who was the Word, the contract was nullified. Now, we are free to walk in grace instead. Under grace we can bear fruit for God because we are no longer slaves to sin. We can now serve the Lord in Spirit. 

The purpose of the law was to point out what sin was. The penalty for sin was death so all died under the law. But when the law died, we were set free to live. The law is not evil but good, but having to uphold it was death because no one could do it. 

Lord, thank you that we are free from the power of sin and condemnation and are free to worship you out of love for you. We choose to honor and adore you and walk with you. Thank you for your presence that lives in us. 

Mon.’s Devo - Solomon’s Request

Read: 2 Chronicles 1:1-3:17; Romans 6:1-23; Psalm 16:1-11; Proverbs 19:20-21

Solomon became great because God was with him. He had all the leaders and commanders meet him in Gibeon to worship the Lord at the tabernacle. The bronze altar was still there even though the Ark had been brought to Jerusalem by David. 

On the bronze altar, Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord which got God’s attention. That night, the Lord came to Solomon and asked him what he wanted him to give him. Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to know how to rule all these people he had been put over. 

God was so pleased with Solomon’s answer that he told him he would give him everything he asked for and would add to it riches, possessions, and honor like no other king had been given before him.

God did bless Solomon with wisdom, understanding, riches, possessions and honor. He acquired horses and chariots from Egypt. He began the building of the Temple and his own royal palace. He used all the supplies David had stored up and the blueprints he had given him for the Temple. He sent a letter to Hiram in Tyre asking for a man who was skilled in working with metals and fabrics to come and help his workers. Hiram was pleased to send Huram-abi as their craftsman. Hiram would also send timber from Lebanon on rafts. 

Solomon assigned the aliens living in Israel to do the hard work. He began the work on the temple on Mount Moriah at the threshing floor of Ornan. The temple was built of cedar and overlaid with gold. Everything in it was to represent the garden of Eden with trees, flowers and cherubim. The pillars in front of the temple were set up one on the south called Jachin and one on the north called Jachin. Together these pillars mean “he will establish quickly with his power.”

In Romans, Paul continues his sermon on grace. He explains that grace is not a license to sin but a reason why not to sin. We died with Christ along with our sins and are raised with him to be righteous. Our old self was crucified on the cross with Jesus and now we are raised to walk as a new creature in Christ. 

It is our choice not to let sin reign in our bodies and be used as instruments of unrighteousness. We are now instruments of righteousness. Sin no longer has any power over us because we are not under the power of sin but under grace.

If we choose to sin then we become slaves to sin. We can choose to obey the Lord and be free from the power of sin and became slaves to righteousness which will lead to our sanctification. Sanctification leads us to receive the gift of eternal life. 

Lord, may we remember that we are slaves to righteousness and that sin has no power over us. May we walk in the freedom of this truth. Thank you for the gift of eternal life in Christ.

Sun.’s Devo - The Free Gift of Salvation

Read: 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30; Romans 5:6-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 19:18-19

David assembled all the leaders of the tribes, commanders, stewards who worked for him and his seasoned warriors together. He told them that it was in his heart to build God a house of worship, but the Lord told him that since he was a man of war and had shed so much blood, he would not be the one to build it. God had chosen him to be the king and had chosen his son, Solomon to build the Temple. God promised if Solomon continues to keep God’s commandments, he will establish his kingdom forever. David admonished them to observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord so that they may possess the land and leave it as an inheritance to their children. 

*** David addressed Solomon and told him to serve the Lord with his whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 

*** David then gave Solomon all the blueprints for everything he would need for the Temple and access to enough supplies to do everything in the plan. He told him not  to be afraid or anxious about the enormity of it but to be at peace because David had arranged people to do everything on the list. They would help him build the Temple.

*** After he had explained what it would take to build the Temple, David blessed the Lord aloud so all could hear. He praised the Lord and his name and then blessed the people. They offered sacrifices to the Lord and had a great feast. 

*** Solomon sat on the throne in Davids’ place from then on and he prospered. All of Israel pledged their allegiance to him. David had reigned over Israel 40 years - seven years were in Hebron and 33 were in Jerusalem. He died happy and prosperous, having lived a full life. 

*** In Romans, Paul was still preaching about salvation by faith. He explained the immensity of what Christ did for us. Not many people would give their lives for another person, no matter how great that person was, but Christ gave his life for sinners. He justified us by his blood and saved us from the wrath of God. He did this while we were enemies of God. He reconciled us to God by his death and we are saved by his life. What a thing to rejoice about! 

*** Sin entered the world through Adam and death came with sin. This happened before the law was given which made us accountable for our sins. All before Christ died in their sin because of what Adam did. Now all who believe will live by the free gift of grace through Jesus’ death. 

*** We are no longer condemned to death through what Adam did, but and justified and free to live, not die, through what Jesus did. 

*** Lord, thank you for the free gift of grace through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Sat.’s Devo - David's Kingdom

Read: 1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34; Romans 4:13-5:5; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 19:17

David’s kingdom was a picture of how the body of Christ should function. Everyone had their assignments. They served hard for a month, then had the rest of the year to spend with their own families and working their own land. It took 24,000 men working throughout the year to maintain David’s kingdom. Some were gatekeepers and ministers in the house of the Lord. Others were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the Lord. Others acted as officers and judges and had oversight of the tribes west and east of the Jordan. 

 *** When we give God, our king, our best to maintain his kingdom - our month of service, he provides all we need for our families and our well-being. *** Every month had a different leader to command the workers of that month. Some of these were of David’s army officers. These men had to be gifted and honest men of integrity. Some kept the vineyards and the fields and were stewards of David’s property.  

*** Two men counseled David’s sons and Ahithophel was David’s counselor. Hushai was David’s friend and Joab commanded his army. 

 *** In Romans, Paul continued his sermon on faith. Abraham was promised his heir because of his righteousness. He didn’t even have the law then. Trusting in adherence to the law brings God’s wrath, but having faith brings the promise to life. 

 *** Abraham was made the father of many nations and he brought us righteousness by faith. When God told him he would make him a father of nations he never wavered in that promise. We must not waver in our faith over the promises God has given us. Abraham was our example of what faith looks like. It helps us be able to endure our sufferings and even rejoice in them knowing that our promise is on the other side. Suffering produces endurance which produces character, which givens us hope and God makes sure that our hope is not in vain. 

 *** Lord, thank you for reminding us that our faith is a process that shapes us to be able to handle the promise. May we let our waiting shape us into the vessel that can hold the promise.

Fri.’s Devo - The Divisions of the Priests

Read: 1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11; Romans 4:1-12; Psalm 131-6; Proverbs 19:15-16 Aaron had four sons but two of them Nadab and Abihu had died when they offered strange fire to the Lord. Neither of them had children. The two left were Eleazar and Ithamar. Zadok helped organize the priests into divisions. Eleazar had more chiefs among his sons than Ithamar so 16 of the chiefs came from the sons of Eleazar and 8 came from the sons of Ithamar. It was determined by lot which division of the 24 they would take. During their determined time they were to perform the duties of service in the house of the Lord. *** The rest of the sons of Levi served under them and their month of service was determined by lot also. David set apart some of them who prophesied with music under his direction. One of them was Asaph who wrote some of the songs we have recorded in the book of Psalms. Asaph received the first lot. There were 288 who were trained in singing to the Lord. *** The gatekeepers were also determined by lot and Obed-edom was one of them who had 8 sons who were blessed with great abilities. It was his house that the Ark had rested for three months. *** In Romans, Paul explained that Abraham was not justified before God because he did good, but because he believed in God. A man who works gets a wage because it is due him. It is not a gift. A person who tries to earn eternal life with his works will perish in his sin because no one can live a perfect life. But, the person who believes and confesses his sins and is forgiven and is given the gift of eternal life. *** Abraham’s circumcision did not make him righteous. It was given to him after he believed in God as a seal of his covenant with God. We are given the seal of the Holy Spirit after we believe. *** Lord, thank you that you make it so simple and easy to become your child. Thank you for opening our eyes to this wonderful truth of salvation. You have set us free from the bondage of sin and given us your Spirit to walk in righteousness and truth.

Thurs.’s Devo - Davids Commission to Solomon -

Read: 1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 19:13-14 David provided everything Solomon would need to build the Temple to the Lord down to the nails. He had accumulated a supply of cedar for wood, silver, gold and everything Solomon would need to build it. David had workmen and artisans ready to do the work. *** David didn’t wait till he was dead to let Solomon reign. He equipped him and appointed him king while he was still living and let him rule. He surrounded him with godly men who would assist him in building the Temple because he understood that this would be a daunting assignment for Solomon. *** David told Solomon why he was not building the Temple himself. He had shed too much blood in war but Solomon would have peace during his term. God had told David he would have a son and his name would be Solomon and he would be given peace and prosperity as long as he followed the Lord with all his heart. He would be the one to build him a Temple. *** When David made Solomon king he also assembled all the leaders of Israel, the priests and the Levites. He had 24,000 men to work on the house of the Lord. Six thousand would be officers and judges, 4,000 would be gatekeepers, and 4,000 would be on the worship team. David organized the Levites according to their families and they would keep charge of the sanctuary and attend to the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord. *** In Romans, Paul made it clear that the Jews had no advantage over the Gentile. They were all sinners. The purpose of the law was to let us know what sin was. Now, righteousness is obtained through Christ and it is available to all. We all come to salvation the same way - through repentance and confession in Jesus. *** Lord, thank you that when you died, you had trained your disciples to do your work just like David had prepared Solomon to build his Temple. You are building your Temple in the earth through us. You have equipped us to do your work and show forth your power through our faith in you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that leads us to do your will.