Solomon-The Lord Spoke to Me in the Night

By Mary Vee
I Kings 9 and II Chroncles

From Solomon's Scrolls

The day was done. I'd eaten my supper and was ready to go to bed. The end of years of building. 

First, the temple for the Name of the Lord. And it turned out to be such a magnificent building. It stirs my heart even thinking about it right now and causes me to sing praises to God.

And second, my palace. A three building structure. One building for my living quarters, one for my work as a judge and king, and the third for my wife, Pharaoh's daughter.

I walked out to the balcony of my room to look at the night stars. There the Lord appeared to me and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple of sacrifices.

When I prevent rain from falling on the ground, or command locust to devour the land, or send a plague among my people, then if my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

I’ve listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I’ve sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. 

As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I’ve set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I’ll back your kingly rule over Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I’m giving you: ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.’

 “But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving and worshiping them, then I’ll remove from my land which I have given them and reject this Temple I’ve just sanctified to honor my Name. And Israel will become nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world. And this Temple, splendid as it now is, will become an object of contempt; visitors will shake their heads, saying, ‘Whatever happened to this land and temple?’ Then they’ll be told, ‘The people who used to live here betrayed their God, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up with alien gods, worshiping and serving them. That’s is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”  

And then he left.

I want to respect and obey the Lord as He said to do. I pray my sons and their sons will do the same.

During the time that I had the temple and my palace built I gave twenty villages in Galilee, a city to the north, to Hiram king of Tyre in additional compensation to what I had given him before for all the cedar, pine, and gold he supplied me for the temple and palace.

Apparently Hiram visited the cities and was not pleased. He sent me a message, "What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?" Yes, this is what I had given him in exchange for the 120 talents of gold.

My next project, rebuild the cities of Israel.

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Photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com Translations used today: The Message and NIV.

1.  Solomon had finished the first projects he planned. Who visited him?

2.  God said to Solomon, If my people, who are called ______

3.  will _________ themselves and _______ and _____, and turn _________

4.  then I will ______ and will __________ and will heal ____________

5.  What did Solomon give Hiram? Was it a good gift?

6.  What did Solomon plan to do next?