God visits Solomon a second time

1 Kings Chapter 9

After Solomon had finished the Temple and his palace, the Lord appeared to him a second time. The Lord told Solomon that he heard his prayer and requests and had set the Temple apart so the name of the Lord would be honored there forever. Again God stated that his commands must be obeyed. But this time he added that if any of Solomon's descendants abandon God or disobey his laws, he would reject the Temple and make Israel a mockery of ridicule among the nations. In addition, God told him the Temple would become an appalling sight and people would ask why God did such terrible things to his land and his Temple. And the answer would be "because his people forgot the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters upon them."

At the end of twenty years, Solomon gave twenty towns in the land of Galilee to King Hiram of Tyre as payment for all the cedar and cypress lumber and gold he furnished for the construction of the buildings. But when Hiram came to see the towns, he was not pleased with them and called them worthless.

With forced labor, Solomon built the Temple, palace, harem quarters, wall of Jerusalem and cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. Gezer had previously been burned down by the king of Egypt, but gave the land to his daughter as a wedding gift. So Solomon rebuilt it and also several other towns. He used some towns as supply centers and constructed cities where his chariots and horses could be kept.

Now there were still people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Amorites,Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. They were descendants of nations that Israel did not completely destroy. So Solomon used these people in his labor force and saved the Israelites as fighting men, government officials and army.

Later, Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, a port near Elath in the land of Edom along the Red Sea. Hiram sent experienced crews of sailors to sail the ships with Solomon's men. They sailed to Ophir and brought back sixteen tons of gold.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Was Solomon unfair to Hiram? It is not clear whether or not these towns were collateral until he could repay Hiram for the gold he borrowed or not. But it was likely Hiram preferred to obtain land near the coast which was more suitable for trade. In the end, Hiram was repaid many times over through his partnership with Solomon, because Phoenicia was dependent on Israel for grain and oil. So Hiram probably did not want to risk a feud with Solomon.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Most interesting is the fact that the Lord visited Solomon a second time. This time his commands were more defined and he detailed what he would do to the Temple and the land if his laws were not obeyed. Can you imagine how awesome a visit from the Lord would be? Even a king would be humble. This chapter also shows how many non-Israelites were living in the kingdom. This is highly important because they would not worship the same god. And this would be the downfall of Solomon's descendants. In today's world you live among people who do not worship your Lord. Yet God is giving you the opportunity to spread his word. Difficult? Yes, but necessary. Converting even one person should be our goal.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, and Arlene’s nephew David. Pray for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer. Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS. Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who was given 14 months to live with cancer, but has made it six years. The pain has returned and she needs our prayers.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has 90 percent of her speech back and is home from the hospital and having rehab for the paralysis on one side of her body. Continue to pray for her recovery.
Pray for Robert Sargent with lung cancer and Marthaline Sargent with serious health issues. Update on Stella: She has shed the feeding tube and is taking formula on her own! But breathing problems are still with her, though improving all the time. She continues to have a long road, so prayers are still needed. She has been moved to a St. Louis hospital.
Pray for Carolyn’s friend Margaret and her husband who were in a car accident. As elderly drivers they may face a life change which may cost them their independence. Let’s all raise our voices to God to hear our prayers.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake,those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.