The One Year Bible for Men - Flipbook - Page 73
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July 23
MISERY LOVES COMPANY || T
hose of us who struggle to do the next right thing
are in good company. Paul says he was miserable over the reality that there was a
power within him at war with his mind. His sinful nature derailed his mind, which
wanted to do what was right. Just like us today, this spiritual giant ended up doing the
very thing he did not want to do, and he failed to do the things he knew were right. It is
miserable to attempt living without the solution. That solution is surrendering to the
power of Jesus.
9:1 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s
fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with
hard questions. She arrived with a large group
of attendants and a great caravan of camels
loaded with spices, large quantities of gold,
and precious jewels. When she met with Sol
omon, she talked with him about everything
she had on her mind. 2 Solomon had answers
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for all her questions; nothing was too hard for
him to explain to her. 3 When the queen of She
ba realized how wise Solomon was, and when
she saw the palace he had built, 4 she was over
whelmed. She was also amazed at the food on
his tables, the organization of his officials and
their splendid clothing, the c up-bearers and
their robes, and the burnt offerings* Solomon
made at the Temple of the Lord.
5 She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I
heard in my country about your achievements*
and wisdom is true! 6 I didn’t believe what was
said until I arrived here and saw it with my
own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of
your great wisdom! It is far beyond what I was
told. 7 How happy your people must be! What
a privilege for your officials to stand here day
after day, listening to your wisdom! 8 Praise
the Lord your God, who delights in you and
has placed you on the throne as king to rule
for him. Because God loves Israel and desires
this kingdom to last forever, he has made you
king over them so you can rule with justice and
righteousness.”
9 Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000
pounds* of gold, great quantities of spices,
and precious jewels. Never before had there
been spices as fine as those the queen of Sheba
gave to King Solomon.
10 (In addition, the crews of Hiram and Sol
omon brought gold from Ophir, and they also
brought red sandalwood* and precious jew
els. 11 The king used the sandalwood to make
steps* for the Temple of the Lord and the royal
palace, and to construct lyres and harps for
the musicians. Never before had such beauti
ful things been seen in Judah.)
12 King Sol
omon gave the queen of She
ba whatever she asked for—gifts of greater
value than the gifts she had given him. Then
she and all her attendants returned to their
own land.
13 Each year Sol
omon received about
25 tons* of gold. 14 This did not include the
J u ly 2 3
2 CHRONICLES 8:11–10:19
Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter,
from the City of David to the new palace he
had built for her. He said, “My wife must not
live in King David’s palace, for the Ark of the
Lord has been there, and it is holy ground.”
12 Then Solomon presented burnt offer
ings to the Lord on the altar he had built for
him in front of the entry room of the Temple.
13 He offered the sacrifices for the Sabbaths,
the new moon festivals, and the three annual
festivals—the Passover celebration, the Festi
val of Harvest,* and the Festival of S helters—
as M
oses had commanded.
14 In assigning the priests to their duties,
Solomon followed the regulations of his fa
ther, David. He also assigned the Levites to
lead the people in praise and to assist the
priests in their daily duties. And he assigned
the g atekeepers to their gates by their divi
sions, following the commands of David, the
man of God. 15 Solomon did not deviate in any
way from David’s commands concerning the
priests and Levites and the treasuries.
16 So Solomon made sure that all the work
related to building the Temple of the Lord was
carried out, from the day its foundation was
laid to the day of its completion.
17 Later Solomon went to Ezion-geber and
Elath,* ports along the shore of the Red Sea*
in the land of Edom. 18 Hiram sent him ships
commanded by his own officers and manned
by experienced crews of sailors. These ships
sailed to O
phir with Solomon’s men and
brought back to Solomon almost seventeen
tons* of gold.
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