Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from 1 Kings 7
-8. Chapter 7 But Solomon took thirteen years
to build his own house, so he finished all his
house. He also built the house of the forest
of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits,
its width fifty cubits, and its height 30 cubits
with four rows of cedar pillars and cedar beams
on the pillars and it was paneled with cedar
above the beams that were on 45 pillars 15 to
a row there were windows with beveled frames
in three rows and window was opposite window
in three tiers and all the doorways and door
posts had rectangular frames and window was opposite
window in three tiers He also made the hall of
pillars, its length was fifty cubits, and its
width thirty cubits, and in front of them was
a portico with pillars, and a canopy was in front
of them. Then he made a hall for the throne,
the hall of judgment, where he might judge, and
it was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling.
And the house where he built had another court
inside the hall of like workmanship. Solomon
also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh's
daughter, whom he had taken as wife. All these
were of costly stones, cut to size, trimmed with
saws, inside and out, from the foundation to
the eaves, and also on the outside to the great
court. The foundation was of costly stones, large
stones, some ten cubits and some eight cubits,
and above were costly stones hewn to size, and
cedar wood. The great court was enclosed with
three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar
beams. So were the inner court of the house of
the Lord and the vestibule of the temple. Now
King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre.
He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali,
and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker.
He was filled with wisdom and understanding and
skill in working with all kinds of bronze work.
So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.
And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen
cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured
the circumference of each. then he made two capitals
of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars
the height of one capital was five cubits and
height of the other capital was five cubits he
made a lattice network with wreath of chain work
for the capitals which were on top of the pillars
seven chains for one capital and seven for the
other capital so he made the pillars and two
rows of pomegranates above the network all around
to cover the capitals that were on top and thus
he did for the other capital The capitals, which
were on top of the pillars in the hall, were
in the shape of lilies, four cubits. The capitals
on the two pillars also had pomegranates above,
by the convex surface which was next to the network.
And there were two hundred such pomegranates
in rows on each of the capitals all around. Then
he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the
temple. He set up the pillar on the right and
called its name Jashin. And he set up the pillar
on the left and called its name Boaz. The tops
of the pillars were in the shape of lilies, so
the work of the pillars was finished. And he
made the sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from
one brim to the other. It was completely round.
Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty
cubits measured its circumference. Below its
brim were ornamental buds encircling it all around,
ten to a cubit, all the way around the sea. The
ornamental buds were cast in two rows when it
was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, three looking
toward the north, three looking toward the west,
three looking toward the south, and three looking
toward the east. The sea was set upon them, and
all their back parts pointed inward. It was a
hand -breadth thick, and its brim was shaped
like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom.
It contained two thousand baths. He also made
ten carts of bronze. Four cubits was the length
of each cart, four cubits its width, and three
cubits its height. And this was the design of
the carts. They had panels, and the panels were
between frames. On the panels that were between
the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. And
on the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the
lions and oxen were wreaths of plated work. Every
cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze,
and its four feet had supports. Under the laver
were supports of cast bronze beside each wreath.
Its opening inside the crown at the top was one
cubit in diameter, and the opening was round,
shaped like a pedestal, one and a half cubits
in outside diameter. And also on the opening
were engravings, but the panels were square,
not round. Under the panels were the four wheels,
and the axles of the wheels were joined to the
cart. The height of a wheel was one and a half
cubits. The workmanship of the wheels was like
the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axle
pins, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs
were all of cast bronze. And there were four
supports at the four corners of each cart. Its
supports were part of the cart itself. On the
top of the cart, at the height of half a cubit,
it was perfectly round. And on the top of the
cart, its flanges and its panels were of the
same casting. on the plates of its flanges and
on its panels he engraved cherubim lions and
palm -trees wherever there was a clear space
on each with wreaths all around thus he made
the ten carts all of them were of the same mould
one measure and one shape then he made ten lavers
of bronze each laver contained forty baths and
each laver was four cubits on each of the ten
carts was a laver And he put five carts on the
right side of the house and five on the left
side of the house. He set the sea on the right
side of the house toward the southeast. Huram
made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls.
So Huram finished doing all the work that he
was to do for King Solomon for the house of the
Lord. The two pillars, the two bowl -shaped capitals
that were on top of the two pillars, the two
networks covering the two bowl -shaped capitals
which were on top of the pillars. four hundred
pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of
pomegranates for each network to cover the two
bowl -shaped capitals that were on top of the
pillars, the ten carts and ten levers on the
carts, one sea and twelve oxen under the sea,
the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. All these
articles which Huram made for King Solomon for
the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze.
In the plain of Jordan, the king had them cast
in clay molds between Sukkot and Zaretan. And
Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because
there were so many. The weight of the bronze
was not determined. Thus Solomon had all the
furnishings made for the house of the Lord, the
altar of gold, and the table of gold, on which
was the showbread, the lampstands of pure gold,
five on the right side and five on the left,
in front of the inner sanctuary, with the flowers
and the lamps and the wick trimmers of gold,
the basins, the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles,
and the censers of pure gold. and the hinges
of gold, both for the doors of the inner room,
the most holy place, and for the doors of the
main hall of the temple. So all the work that
King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord
was finished, and Solomon brought in the things
which his father David had dedicated, the silver
and the gold, and the furnishings. He put them
in the treasuries of the house of the Lord. Chapter
8 Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel
and all the heads of the tribes. the chief fathers
of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in
Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of
the covenant of the Lord from the city of David,
which is Zion. Therefore all the men of Israel
assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the
month of Etenim, which is the seventh month.
So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests
took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark
of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all
the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle.
The priests and the Levites brought them up.
Also King Solomon and all the congregation of
Israel who were assembled with him were with
him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen
that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.
Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant
of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary
of the temple, to the most holy place under the
wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread
their two wings over the place of the ark, and
the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.
The poles extended so that the ends of the poles
could be seen from the holy place, in front of
the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen
from outside, and they are there to this day.
Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets
of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when
the Lord made a covenant with the children of
Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
And it came to pass, when the priests came out
of the holy place, that the cloud filled the
house of the Lord, so that the priests could
not continue ministering because of the cloud.
For the glory of the Lord filled the house of
the Lord. Then Solomon spoke. The Lord said he
would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely
built you an exalted house and a place for you
to dwell in forever. Then the king turned around
and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while
all the assembly of Israel was standing. And
he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who
spoke with his mouth to my father David and with
his hand has fulfilled it, saying, Since the
day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt,
I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel
in which to build a house, that my name might
be there. But I chose David to be over my people
Israel. Now it was in the heart of my father
David to build a temple for the name of the Lord
God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father
David, Whereas it was in your heart to build
a temple for my name, you did well that it was
in your heart. Nevertheless, you shall not build
the temple, but your son, who will come from
your body, he shall build the temple for my name.
So the Lord has fulfilled his word which he spoke,
and I have filled the position of my father David,
and sit on the throne of Israel. as the Lord
promised. And I have built a temple for the name
of the Lord God of Israel, and there I have made
a place for the ark, in which is the covenant
of the Lord which he made with our fathers when
he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Then
Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in
the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and
spread out his hands toward heaven, and he said,
Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven
above or on earth below like you, who keep your
covenant and mercy with your servants, who walk
before you with all their hearts. You have kept
what you promised your servant David my father.
You have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled
it with your hand, as it is this day. Therefore,
Lord God of Israel, now keep what you promised
your servant David my father, saying, You shall
not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne
of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their
way, that they walk before me as you have walked
before me. And now I pray, O God of Israel, let
your word come true, which you have spoken to
your servant David my father. But will God indeed
dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven
of heavens cannot contain you, how much less
this temple which I have built. Yet regard the
prayer of your servant and his supplication,
O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the
prayer which your servant is praying before you
today, that your eyes may be opened toward this
temple night and day, toward the place of which
you said, My name shall be there, that you may
hear the prayer which your servant makes toward
this place. And may you hear the supplication
of your servant and of your people Israel, when
they pray toward this place, here in heaven your
dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. When
anyone sins against his neighbor and is forced
to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath
before your altar in this temple, then hear in
heaven and act, and judge your servants, condemning
the wicked. bringing his way on his head, and
justifying the righteous by giving him according
to his righteousness. When your people Israel
are defeated before an enemy because they have
sinned against you, and when they turn back to
you and confess your name, and pray and make
supplication to you in this temple, then hear
in heaven and forgive the sin of your people
Israel, and bring them back to the land which
you gave to their fathers. When the heavens are
shut up and there is no rain because they have
sinned against you, when they pray toward this
place and confess your name and turn from their
sin because you afflict them, then hear in heaven
and forgive the sin of your servants, your people
Israel, that you may teach them the good way
in which they should walk, and send rain on your
land which you have given to your people as an
inheritance. When there is famine in the land,
pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers,
When their enemy besieges them in the land of
their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness
there is, whatever prayer, whatever supplication
is made by anyone or by all your people Israel,
when each one knows the plague of his own heart
and spreads out his hands toward this temple,
then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive
and act and give to everyone according to all
his ways, whose heart you know, for you alone
know the hearts of all the sons of men. that
they may fear you all the days that they live
in the land which you gave to our fathers. Moreover
concerning a foreigner who is not of your people
Israel, but has come from a far country for your
name's sake, for they will hear of your great
name and your strong hand and your outstretched
arm. When he comes and prays toward this temple,
here in heaven your dwelling place, and do according
to all for which the foreigner calls to you,
that all peoples of the earth may know your name
and fear you, as do your people. Israel, and
that they may know that this temple which I have
built is called by your name. When your people
go out to battle against their enemy, wherever
you send them, and when they pray to the Lord
toward the city which you have chosen and the
temple which I have built for your name, then
hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication
and maintain their cause. When they sin against
you, for there is no one who does not sin, and
you become angry with them and deliver them to
the enemy, and they take them captive to the
land of the enemy, far or near, Yet when they
come to themselves in the land where they were
carried captive, and repent and make supplication
to you in the land of those who took them captive,
saying, We have sinned and done wrong, we have
committed wickedness. And when they return to
you with all their heart and with all their soul
in the land of their enemies who led them away
captive, and pray to you toward this land which
you gave to their fathers, the city which you
have chosen and the temple which I have built
for your name. Then hear in heaven your dwelling
place their prayer and their supplication, and
maintain their cause, and forgive your people
who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions
which they have transgressed against you. And
grant them compassion before those who took them
captive, that they may have compassion on them.
For they are your people and your inheritance,
whom you brought out of Egypt, out of the iron
furnace, that your eyes may open to the supplication
of your servant and the supplication of your
people Israel. to listen to them whenever they
call to you. For you separated them from among
all the peoples of the earth to be your inheritance,
as you spoke by your servant Moses when you brought
our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God. And so
it was when Solomon had finished praying all
this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that
he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from
kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up
to heaven. Then he stood and blessed all the
assembly of Israel with a loud voice saying,
Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his
people Israel according to all that he promised.
There has not failed one word of all his good
promise, which he promised through his servant
Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as he
was with our fathers. May he not leave us nor
forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to
himself. to walk in all his ways, and to keep
his commandments and his statutes and his judgments,
which he commanded our fathers. And may these
words of mine, with which I have made supplication
before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day
and night, that he may maintain the cause of
his servant and the cause of his people Israel,
as each day may require, that all the peoples
of the earth may know that the Lord is God, there
is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal
to the Lord our God. to walk in his statutes
and keep his commandments as at this day. Then
the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices
before the Lord. And Solomon offered the sacrifice
of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord.
22 ,000 bulls and 120 ,000 sheep. So the king
and all the children of Israel dedicated the
house of the Lord. On the same day, the king
consecrated the middle of the court that was
in front of the house of the Lord. For there
he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings,
and the fat of the peace offerings. Because the
bronze altar that was before the Lord was too
small to receive the burnt offerings, the grain
offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.
At that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel
with him a great assembly, from the entrance
of Hamad to the brook of Egypt, before the Lord
our God. Seven days and seven more days, fourteen
days. On the eighth day he sent the people away,
and they blessed the king, and went to their
tents joyful and glad of heart, for all the good
that the Lord had done for his servant David,
and for Israel his people. I hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as I did and I look forward
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey. God bless you and have a great day.