u/richoka

“Adonai, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep covenant with your servants and show them grace, provided they live in your presence with all their heart."- 1 Kings 8:23

There is one key principle found in Solomon's Temple dedication prayer that goes squarely against a major Christian doctrine.

In verse 23, he declares that God's blessings are dependent on obedience and devotion to Him.

This way of thinking was common throughout the entire Middle East, not just Israel.

That's right.

Even the Gentiles understood that kindness from their gods was linked to how they lived their lives.

Yet for some weird reason, the Christian church has concocted this doctrine that says your behavior plays zero role in how God deals with you.

For them, it's faith in Christ on Sunday and then have fun fornicating Monday through Saturday.

They really believe they have the right to expect nothing less than God's mercy and love no matter what they do.

They've proven this is what they believe by throwing the Torah in the trash and establishing a doctrine that says Christ did away with the Law.

This despite Yeshua declaring...

“Do not think that I have 
come to abolish the Law 
or the Prophets."

I challenge this dangerous doctrine.

I believe it's one of the main reasons the church has lost its power and victory in our day and age.

They're pretty much indistinguishable from the world in diet, sexual practices, and attitude.

Some denominations even conduct gay marriages.

As I said earlier, the Apostle Paul is fully in agreement with what Solomon said in his dedication prayer.

"So take a good look at God's kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God's kindness toward you- provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off!" - Romans 11:22

Keep in mind that Paul is speaking to a group of Gentiles who are already believers.

His point is clear.

You too will be subject to God's discipline if you sin.

And if your sinning gets bad enough, you too will be cut off.

To be cut off means that God Himself has decided to separate you from Him due to your unkosher behavior.

Of course, the relieving aspect of this is that if you repent, you can come back.

The separation doesn't have to be permanent.

Yeshua made this clear in his prodigal son parable.

One thing that needs to be said about God's discipline.

Its purpose isn't just judgment.

Its purpose is to also drive you back to Him.

The Lord punishes you in the hopes you'll come to your senses and stop your hog-wild sinning.

Ya feel me here?

So what's the takeaway here?

There are quite a few actually.

But I'd say the main one is that the theology contained in Solomon's prayer is just as relevant today as it was back then.

And the Apostle Paul, in his writings, reinforces it!

Done.

^(")*Shlomo said, 'Adonai said he would live in thick darkness. But I have built you a magnificent house, a place where you can live forever.*'”-1 Kings 8:12-13

What does Solomon mean when he says the Temple will be Adonai's dwelling place forever?

This brings up a critical point.

The Temple was never meant to be God's permanent earthly residence.

It was the place where God chose to make His presence known to His people.

And where He could meet with them for their benefit.

That distinction is important.

When Scripture speaks about the Temple as a place where God would dwell forever...

Don't be picturing a building of wood and stone sitting in Jerusalem until the end of time.

Why?

Because buildings decay or get destroyed.

Even Solomon's magnificent Temple eventually disappeared.

But God's presence does not disappear.

And Solomon knew that.

Fifteen verses later, he says it himself:

"But will God really live on the earth?
Even the highest heavens can't contain you.
How much less this house I have built."
-1 Kings 8:27

Read that again.

Is Solomon confused here?

No, man.

He built the thing.

He dedicated it.

And now he's standing in front of the whole assembly telling them it can't hold what he built it for.

He knows exactly what he's doing.

The structure was the vessel.

What made that structure the Temple was the divine presence that inhabited it and set it apart as holy.

So when Solomon says God will dwell there forever...

The forever ain't attached to a structure.

The forever is attached to a relationship.

And that's your takeaway for today.

We place way too much importance on exterior things.

We focus too much on the outer vessel...

Rather than the Spirit that inhabits it.

God is not contained by the vessel.

He never was.

What He wants is the relationship the vessel was built to serve.

Ya feeling me here?

Done.

"When the cohanim came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of Adonai, so that, because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of Adonai filled the house of Adonai." - 1 Kings 8:10-11

Several Hebrew words mean "cloud."

But the one used here is ARAPHEL.

Many English Bibles translate ARAPHEL as "thick darkness."

I'm not sure that's accurate.

When you hear the word "darkness," what comes to mind?

Something ominous and fearful, right?

But that's not what's intended here.

The typical Hebrew word for ominous darkness is CHOSHEK.

Recall this was the darkness that the Lord struck Egypt with during the Exodus.

But that term is not used here at all.

So if translating ARAPHEL as "thick darkness" ain't accurate, what is?

Why not just say a "thick cloud" or a "dense cloud"?

The key nuance is that the cloud was so thick, it served as a sort of impenetrable barrier between man and God's presence.

But it wasn't supposed to scare the bejesus out of anyone.

Rather, it was meant to inspire deep reverence.

Recall the Lord often appeared as a cloud during Israel's wilderness journey.

Also, recall Yeshua's post-resurrection ascension.

He ascended into the clouds until he was completely engulfed.

The cloud communicates the intangible nature of God...

And that the Lord is spirit and has no form.

A cloud may be visible.

But it has no shape

Its shape is always shifting.

So it's a good symbol of a being whose attributes are indescribable.

Why do you think God commands us to NOT create images of Him?

It's because he knows no object or animal could ever properly capture His glory and attributes.   

This differs from the Gentiles who fashion their idols after humans and animals.

The takeaway for today is the solemn reminder that God is NOT a man and never will be.

The world is hell-bent on remaking God in its own image.

It wants something it can see, touch, define, contain, and ultimately control.

But the God of Scripture refuses to be reduced to any physical representation.

The cloud in the Temple was a powerful visual reminder of this very truth.

God's presence was real.

His glory was unmistakable.

Yet He remained beyond human comprehension and physical representation.

You could see the cloud, but you could not see God.

And that's the lesson.

The Lord is the Creator.

He is NOT His creation.

Whenever you attempt to remake Him into something you can see and comprehend...

You are reversing this divine prerogative!

You are creating a different god.

And that's idolatry.

Ya feel me?

Done.

"Then Shlomo assembled all the leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra’el, to King Shlomo in Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of Adonai out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon."-1 Kings 8:1

Alrighty, so I'm gonna have to get all Hebrew on your rear end today.

The first verse of chapter 8 lists up all the homies who were invited to the Temple dedication festivities.

We're told, "the leaders of Israel," "the heads of the tribes," and "the chiefs of the paternal clans" showed up.

Different English Bible translations use different terms.

This just invites confusion.

The original Hebrew terms say that the ZAQEN, the ROSH, and the NASI attended.

Who exactly were these dudes?

Well, first we've got the ZAQEN.

The word literally means "old."

So we're talking about the elders of Israel.

These weren't hereditary rulers or some fancy-pants aristocratic class.

They were the respected representatives of the people.

Next up, we've got the ROSH.

ROSH means "head." 

So these were the heads of Israel's families and clans.

And finally, we've got the NASI.

These were the twelve tribal princes.

Unlike the elders or clan heads, these men inherited their positions.

So ZAQEN, ROSH, and NASHI refer to the three main categories of Israel's leadership.

We're talking about the nation's top dignitaries.

However, what's interesting is that in verse 2, we're told that all the ISH of Israel were gathered before King Solomon.

What do we know about the word ISH?

It simply means men in its most generic sense.

This is an area where some scholars start smoking too much marijuana.

Some academic homies will say the ISH here refers to the military.

Others will lump ZAQEN, ROSH, and NASI altogether into one big group.

They're both wrong.

Again, a basic understanding of the Torah dispels these ridiculous misinterpretations.

Remember, I told you all of these festivities were taking place during the seventh month.

You can do a quick review by reading this article I wrote a few days ago.

Later in this chapter, we're gonna be told there was a 7-day celebration immediately followed by another celebration that lasted 8 days.

That should ring a bell if you possess even a rudimentary understanding of Torah.

Of course, this is talking about SUKKOT or the Feast of Tabernacles.

Now what do we know about SUKKOT that is relevant to what we're talking about here?

We know it's one of Israel's pilgrimage festivals.

In other words, every adult male in Israel was expected to make the trip to the Temple, no matter his social standing.

Ya feeling me here?

So verse 1 highlights the nation's leaders.

And verse 2 widens the lens to include the rest of Israel.

So BOTH the dignitaries and the common people showed up.

All male homies gathered for the dedication of the Temple...

And then stayed to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

The takeaway for today is pretty much the same one I had a couple of days ago.

The Torah is the rock-solid foundation for everything that comes after it, including the New Testament.

If you get your theology on the Torah wrong, your theology on the New Testament is gonna be doubly wrong.

Ya feel me?

Done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Do not think that I have come* 
*to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them
but to fulfill them.
For truly I tell you, 
until heaven and earth disappear, 
not the smallest letter, 
not the least stroke of a pen, 
will by any means disappear 
from the Law until everything 
is accomplished.”
-Matthew 5:17-18

I dunno if you realize it, man.

But 1st Kings 8 represents a major cosmic turning point in Israel's salvation history.

What do I mean by "major cosmic turning point?"

What I'm saying homie...

Is that Israel is the means through which God brings salvation to mankind.

I've talked about how the Temple was completed and was about to be dedicated for service.

I've also discussed how the construction of Solomon's personal palace was underway, though it would be a few years before it would be completed.

Well, here's the thing a lot of folks don't get.

And definitely something your pastor, preacher, or Bible teacher is clueless about.

The Temple and Palace, when put together, symbolize two things.

First, the spiritual relationship between these two awesome pieces of architecture is shown.

Second, the establishment of the Temple and Solomon's palace marked the end of Israel's long period of instability.

Recall that for the past three to four hundred years, any form of priestly service was conducted in what was left over from the original Wilderness Tabernacle.

This was called the MISHKAN in Hebrew.

Originally, it was meant to be a mobile sanctuary for the God of Israel until Israel was permanently settled in the land.

That permanent place turned out to be Jerusalem in the Land of Canaan inside the tribal territory of Yehuda.

This is the place where the Lord would choose to establish His Holy Name for eternity.

So here's the point a lot of homies don't get.

This combination of the land and sanctuary is what Scripture refers to as the "Kingdom of God."

It's geographically specific, man!

It ain't some abstract, ephemeral lovey-dovey, butter and maple syrup over a pile of pancakes, Beach Boys good vibrations idea that the Christians preach about.

It's ERETZ-ISRAEL (the land of Israel) and Temple together.

That's the Kingdom of God, man!

Ya feeling me here?

Here's another thing a lot of pastors and preachers are smoking too much marijuana about.

Through this combo of land and sanctuary, God is letting us know that it's His Will to administer justice over His earthly kingdom through an earthly king.

Ya know the Book of Judges or SHOFETIM, right?

Well, contrary to popular misunderstanding, the whole purpose of that book was for God to demonstrate to Israel (and greater mankind) that His People cannot function properly without a king.

I know the gentile church universally preaches the opposite.

Well, they are universally WRONG with a capital "W."

I've said this about a billion times already, but the issue was never whether or not Israel should have a king.

The issue was what KIND of king Israel should have.

And WHO would ordain him.

Ya feeling me here?

We see this Biblical model of a theocracy represented by King Solomon, his palace, and the Temple.

This IS the Kingdom of God.

And it was starkly different from your typical Oriental, Middle Eastern, or European style of rulership.

Man-based government operates more like a dictatorship.

The King who serves in the Lord's Kingdom was to be a servant whose purpose was to carry out God's Will.

God intended for Israel's covenants to be faithfully protected and upheld by the king under His authority.

And what are Israel's covenants?

They are the unchanging agreements that lay out God's plan to save humanity through Israel as His chosen instrument

That's why Solomon's palace was built right next to the Temple. 

It wasn't just a matter of convenience or royal prestige. 

Its location symbolized the unique relationship between God and Israel's king.

And that's your takeaway for today.

The King of Israel existed to uphold God's covenants.

Everything else was secondary.

Not to sit around eating royally approved Cheetos all day.

Ya feel me?

Done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“But I tell you,
do not swear an oath at all:
either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
or by the earth, for it is his footstool;
or by Jerusalem, 
for it is the city of the Great King."
-Matthew 5:34-35

"The Lord God will give Him*
*the throne of David His father.
He will reign over the house
of Jacob forever. His Kingdom
will never come to an end."
— Luke 1:32–33

"I confer on you a Kingdom,
just as My Father conferred
one on Me, so you may
eat and drink at My table
in My Kingdom, and sit
on thrones judging the twelve
tribes of Israel."
— Luke 22:29–30

"You have come to Mount Zion,*
*to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem..."
— Hebrews 12:22

*"*The kingdom of the world
has become the Kingdom of
our Lord and of His Messiah,
and He shall reign forever and ever."
— Revelation 11:15

"I saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God...
God's dwelling place is now
among the people."
— Revelation 21:2–3

At the conclusion of yesterday's post, Josiah was sitting on the throne of Judah.

As I explained, he was considered a righteous king from the Lord's perspective.

He took his turn among the kings of Judah at restoring the Temple. 

And afterward, he even returned the Ark of the Covenant to its rightful place.

This is actually the point in history where the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant begins.

From this point onward until the prophecy in Jeremiah 3, there is no mention of the Ark's whereabouts.

Jeremiah makes it clear that at some point in the future, when all the nations of the world acknowledge that Jerusalem is the throne of Yahweh, then the Ark shall resurface.

Let's take a look at that passage:

"In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, 'people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.  At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts." - Jeremiah 3:16-17

However, these verses lead to the question of where in the world is the Ark located today?

Theories abound.

Some folks say the Roman Vatican is hiding it (I doubt that).

Others say it's in Ethiopia.

Some believe it's buried under the Temple Mount.

Others say it was destroyed.

I believe that's the least plausible theory of all.

From everything I know about Torah protocol regarding God's holiness, I just can't see how one could destroy the holiest object on earth, if not the universe.

The Bible never says the Ark of the Covenant was destroyed. 

Not once.

And no trustworthy historical record outside the Bible says it was destroyed either.

Think about it, man.

If the biblical writers knew the Ark had been destroyed, don't you think they would have told us?

That's why I believe the Ark is still out there somewhere.

And if Jeremiah 3 means what I think it means, we may not have to wait much longer before it shows up again.

This leads to today's takeaway.

When Scripture says something is gonna happen...

Have faith it's gonna happen, homie!

And don't fall for a bunch of wild conjecture or theories speculating otherwise.

A perfect example of this was the years when Israel ceased to exist as a nation.

We're talking about a period of about 1,813 years.

After Rome crushed the Bar Kokhba Revolt in A.D. 135, Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina, and Jewish national rule came to an end. 

It wasn't until May 14, 1948, that Israel was reborn as a sovereign state.

However, during this period, the church didn't know what to do with all of the Biblical prophecies that assumed the existence of the nation of Israel.

They wondered how these prophecies could make sense literally when Israel wasn't even in existence.

That's when they fell for a bunch of allegorizing nonsense and started to claim the gentile church had replaced Biblical Israel.

Boy, did they have a rude awakening in 1948.

The lesson here is crystal clear.

When God makes a clear promise...

Take it literally, man!

This includes the promises He has made to you as a believer.

Forget about all of this metaphorical or allegorical nonsense.

Ya feeling me here?

Scripture makes it clear that, despite ceasing to exist for many centuries, Israel would be resurrected from the dead.

It was.

Scripture also says it will bring Ephraim-Israel (the ten northern tribes) back to the land.

This is happening right now...literally.

Scripture says the 3rd Temple will be rebuilt.

It's gonna happen.

Finally, Scripture says the Ark will be discovered and restored to its rightful place.

It will be!

I think I've made my point.

See ya all next time.

We continue our journey through the history of Solomon’s Temple and all the kings who ruled Israel.

So, picking up from yesterday, after Manasseh, his son Amon took the throne.

But his reign was as short-lived as a New Year's resolution.

Amon was soon murdered by his own servants.

We're not really given a lot of detail as to why.

Ancient Near Eastern courts were always full of a bunch of palace conspiracies. 

Amon may have lost the support of key officials or military leaders who wanted someone else on the throne.

Anyway, onward.

After Amon, his son Josiah took the throne, and from the Lord's perspective, this lad bore much good fruit.

And the homie was young.

He started his reign at the age of 8, and then from the age of 16, he began to seek after the Lord's will

Let's cross-reference with 2nd Chronicles to see some of the good works he accomplished.

"Josiah became king at only eight years old.
He reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one faithful years.
He did what pleased the Lord always.
He followed the ways of his ancestor David.
He never turned right or left astray.

During his eighth year as king, still young,
He began seeking the God of David.
In his twelfth year, reforms truly began.
He cleansed Judah and Jerusalem from idolatry.
High places were completely torn down everywhere.
Asherah poles were destroyed without mercy.
Idols were smashed into countless tiny pieces.
Baal altars were demolished under his command.
Incense altars were chopped into fragments.
Idol dust covered the worshipers' graves below.
The priests' bones were burned on altars.
Thus Judah and Jerusalem were purified again.

He traveled through Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon.
He continued as far as Naphtali's territory.
Even ruined towns received his attention.
Altars were torn down throughout the land.
Asherah poles were completely cut apart.
Idols were crushed into fine powder everywhere.
Every incense altar throughout Israel was destroyed.
Then Josiah returned again to Jerusalem."
-2 Chronicles 34:1

Now, during this time of inspiring restoration, an amazing discovery was made.

The High Priest Hilkiah discovered the Book of the Law among the debris.

When I say the "Book of the Law," I ain't talking about all five Books of Moses.

In that era, the "Book of the Law" was the book we call Deuteronomy today.

No doubt Hilkiah found the book in the Holy Place because only High Priests were allowed in that area.

What probably happened was that when the Ark was removed years earlier to save it from being defiled by King Manessah, this Deuteronomy scroll was overlooked and left behind.

Remember, the Book of the Law was placed outside the Ark, NOT inside with the stone tablets that had the Ten Commandments engraved on them.

So it wouldn't have traveled with the Ark when it went into hiding.

Let's stop here and switch over to the takeaway.

Today's lesson is connected to the detail that the Book of the Law was placed right next to the Ark, which was the holiest object in all of Israel.

Heck, come to think about it.

The Ark wasn't just the holiest object in all of Israel.

It was the holiest object in the whole freakin' universe!!!

Ya feeling me here?!

And the Book of the Law was placed right next to it!

What does that tell you about the Book of the Law?

What does that tell you about the Lord's commandments?

And the importance of observing them?

Ya see what I'm getting at here?

I think I made my point.

See ya all next time.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

"Do not think I came to abolish the Law.*
I came to fulfill, not abolish it.
Whoever relaxes the least command, teaches likewise,
Will be called least in heaven's kingdom.
Whoever practices and teaches these commands faithfully,
*Will be called great in heaven's kingdom."
—Matthew 5:17–19

"Not everyone saying, 'Lord, Lord," enters heaven.
Only those doing my Father's will enter."
—Matthew 7:21

"If you want to enter eternal life,
Keep the commandments."
—Matthew 19:16–17

"If you love me, keep my commandments."
—John 14:15

*"*Whoever keeps my commandments truly loves me."
—John 14:21

"Keep my commandments* and remain in my love.
*Just as I kept my Father's commandments."
—John 15:10

"The hearers aren't justified before God alone.
The doers of the Law are justified."
—Romans 2:13

"Do we overthrow the Law through faith?
Absolutely not—we uphold the Law instead."
—Romans 3:31

*"*Love fulfills the Law by keeping commandments.
Love does no wrong to neighbors."
—Romans 13:8–10

Circumcision means nothing,
uncircumcision means nothing.
Keeping God's commandments is what matters."
—1 Corinthians 7:19

*"*Be doers of the word always.
Not hearers who deceive themselves only."
—James 1:22

*"*Keep the royal law found in Scripture.
Break one command, guilty of all.
Speak and act by freedom's perfect law."
—James 2:8–12

*"*We know Him by keeping commandments.
Who claims otherwise is not truthful."
—1 John 2:3–4

*"*We receive because we keep commandments.
And do what pleases Him always."
—1 John 3:22–24

*"*This is love for God indeed.
That we keep His commandments faithfully.
His commandments are not burdensome."
—1 John 5:2–3

"The dragon pursued God's faithful people.
They keep God's commandments and Yeshua's testimony."
—Revelation 12:17

"Here is the saints' patient endurance.
They keep God's commandments and Yeshua's faith."
—Revelation 14:12

*"*Blessed are those doing His commandments.
They receive access to the tree of life.
They enter through the city's gates."
—Revelation 22:14

Alrighty, so we come to the next King of Judah, following the wicked Ahaz.

It was Hezekiah, Ahaz's son.

And as I said yesterday, fortunately, the apple fell far from the tree in his case.

Hezekiah reversed his father's syncretism and reopened and purified the Temple.

He also removed the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and notably destroyed the bronze serpent Moses had made (Nehushtan), because people had started burning incense to it. 

That's a striking detail if you think about it.

Even a legit Mosaic relic gets destroyed once it becomes an idol. 

He also held a massive Passover, inviting the remnant of the northern tribes after Israel's fall in 722 BC.

This was a deliberate move to position Jerusalem as the center for all of Israel.

Now, here's an important point that flies over a lot of folks' heads.

Hezekiah became king of Judah around 725 B.C.

What a lot of homies overlook is that this was the same period when the northern tribes (Ephraim-Israel) were getting crushed by Assyria.

Don't let this fact casually fly over your head.

This is key to understanding everything that happens next in the Bible.

Including prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

Assyria was the monster empire of its day. 

They were already strangling the northern kingdom with a siege.

That's why Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, was so accommodating toward Assyria.

Ahaz concluded, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." 

So instead of fighting Assyria, he cut a deal with their king, Tiglath-Pileser that basically turned Judah into a servant nation.

Sure, Ahaz kept his throne.

But what did it matter?

His kowtowing to Assyria led Judah straight into idolatrous hell.

Who knows what would've happened if his son Hezekiah hadn't stepped in to reverse things.

There are two takeaways here.

One is one I've broached already.

When Ahaz invited Assyria as protection against the north (when Ephraim and Aram were attacking him), his decision was guided by fear, not faith.

He let Assyria's overwhelming power shape his calculations, and he shouldn't have.

That's why the prophets (Isaiah 7 especially) treat his move as such faithlessness.

Heck, even when Isaiah stood in front of him and told him to trust God (the famous virgin birth prophecy), Ahaz refused.

So that's your first lesson.

Don't let outside circumstances dictate your decisions in life.

If your decision isn't based on faith, it's a wrong decision, period.

Second, Hezekiah is proof that even if your family is wicked and godless as all hell, you can still break away from them.

You don't have to follow in their idolatrous footsteps.

It was like that for me.

My father has always mocked my faith.

And my mother was steeped in tarot card-New Age BS idolatry.

She also fornicated with other married men that she'd bring to our apartment.

Not to mention, leaving explicit Playgirl magazines lying around the living room.

Definitely not the healthiest environment for a young kid to grow up in.

But thank God, by the Lord's grace, I broke away.

This was the most important thing that happened to me.

So while a bad upbringing and faithless fathers and fornicating mothers can affect you...

They don't have to have the last word.

You can break away.

And you can break away big time.

Hezekiah is proof of that.

Alrighty, that does it for today.

See ya next time.

Alrighty, so when we last left off, we were talking about Uzziah's reign.

This king lived when the prophets Amos and Isaiah were doing their thing.

Now, if you've read the Biblical books written by these prophets, you know one thing.

These homies both prophesied a major earthquake.

Well, that earthquake just happened to take place during Uzziah's last year on the throne.

And it was a big one, baby!

The quake didn't just severely damage the structure of the Temple...

It rocked the whole freakin' foundation down to its core!

This brings another significant Biblical prophecy to mind.

Recall Zechariah's prophecy that there would be another earthquake so devastating that the Mount of Olives would literally split in half!

Let's take a look at that Scripture for a sec:

"On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies to the east of Yerushalayim; and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, to make a huge valley*. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and half of it toward the south."-*Zechariah 14:4

So, the $64,000 question that arises is: 

Whose feet are gonna be standing on the Mount of Olives?

Most typical Christian theology says it will literally be the feet of "Jesus."

I gotta problem with that interpretation.

Why?

Because Zechariah is unambiguous that it is...

יהוה who fights against the nations (Zechariah 14:3).

The feet of יהוה who stands on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).

יהוה will come, and all the holy ones with him (Zechariah 14:5).

יהוה will be king over all the earth (Zechariah 14:9).

Here's the thing.

Scripture NEVER conflates the Father's personal name Yahweh with the son.

That would be blasphemy.

I know Trinitarians get all giddy when they come across passages like this.

In their marijuana-induced state of highness, they just have to insist that the answer to the question of whose feet will stand on the Mount of Olives is their Jesus.

They literally consider Jesus to be God the Father Himself.

So, no big surprise that's how they interpret this passage.

The only problem is their theology hits a brick wall called the "Hebrew Bible."

The pronoun "His" in Zechariah 14:4 points back to the subject introduced in the previous verse. 

And, as I've just said, that subject is יהוה (YHWH). 

So, while many English translations render the name simply as "the LORD"...

The underlying Hebrew is the covenant name of God.

If that's the case, then the one whose feet stand on the Mount of Olives...

And whose presence causes the mountain to split in two...

Is יהוה...

And not someone else introduced into the passage.

Again, I get that historic Christian theology asserts that Jesus is YHWH incarnate...

And therefore identifies the returning figure in Zechariah 14 with their Christ. 

But again, I think that conclusion arises from smoking too much marijuana rather than anything Zechariah explicitly states.

Look, Christianity always assumes that whenever God appears or interacts with humanity in some visible, physical way, it's some pre-incarnate Christ popping up all over the place in the "Old" Testament.

So, of course, they're gonna say the figure in Zechariah 14 is Jesus coming back to tap dance on the Mount of Olives, causing some gargantuan earthquake.

As I just said, I think they're reading their doctrinal assumptions into the text.

This is eisegesis as opposed to exegesis.

Look those words up if you don't know what they mean.

So let me put this to rest right now for all time and forever.

Here's the key question you gotta ask yourself:

Is Zechariah describing a literal event in which YHWH physically stands on the Mount of Olives, or is the language symbolic?

Read that question again because it really does get to the heart of the matter.

Why?

Because determining whether Zechariah is speaking literally or figuratively is the key to properly interpreting that passage.

To drive my point home, let's cross-reference with other Scripture.

For example, check out this passage from Isaiah 66:

"Heaven is my throne," says Yehoveh "and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house could you build for me? What sort of place could you devise for my rest?" - Isaiah 66:1

So Isaiah 66 says that heaven is God's throne and the earth is His footstool. 

Does that mean God is literally sitting on a giant chair with His feet resting on the earth while chomping on Cheetos and drinking a Diet Coke? 

Most Bible teachers, including Christian pastors and preachers, would properly say no.

They get that Scripture is speaking metaphorically here. 

So then, why aren't they consistent in seeing metaphors elsewhere in Scripture?

When it says that YHWH's feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, why do they gotta insist on interpreting that passage literally?

Especially when elsewhere, they're interpreting other parts of Scripture metaphorically?

Ya feel me here?

Can't this just be a powerful metaphorical way of saying that God Himself (Yahweh, NOT Jesus) has stepped into history to act?

Sure, if you smoke enough marijuana, a case can be made that the passage is talking about Jesus.

But the chapter freakin' says it's YHWH Himself who causes the Mount of Olives to split... 

Not because He literally stomped on it with a pair of physical feet.

No homie on planet earth, scholarly or otherwise, will argue about that.

Exactly how God will manifest His presence when this incredible event happens is something Scripture simply doesn't make clear.

So I ain't gonna engage in speculation on parts that aren't clearly articulated.

God has told us WHAT will happen...

But He hasn't told us everything about how He will do it.

When this earthquake occurs, by the way, we're told it's gonna be so devastating that a new river will be created, flowing all the way down to the Dead Sea!

The Dead Sea sits about 4,000 feet lower than Jerusalem. 

So that's perfectly plausible.

Alright, this ran kinda long.

So I'm gonna end it here without getting into some long-winded takeaway.

If there is a takeaway, it can be summed up in this statement:

The New Testament NEVER explicitly identifies Zechariah 14 as being fulfilled by Jesus.

That's just eisegesis gone hog wild outta control with a lot of snorting white powder added to the mix.

And by the way, Zechariah 14 is one of the strongest passages in the Hebrew Bible that clearly asserts YHWH Himself comes to the Mount of Olives.

The only way to argue that this passage is about Jesus is by pulling a bunch of scattered New Testament texts together.

The Bible never plainly says, "Zechariah 14 is about the Messiah."

That distinction is important, homies.

You can read another article I wrote about it HERE.

See ya all next time.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

"And when he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up;
and a cloud received him
out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven
as he went up, behold,
two men stood by them
in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen him
go into heaven.
Then returned they unto Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet,
which is from Jerusalem
a sabbath day's journey."
-Acts 1:9-12

We continue with our study of the history of the Temple.

When we last left off, Y’hoshaphat was sitting on the throne of Judah.

At the same time, in the north, Ahav was the King of Ephraim-Israel.

Y’hoshaphat decided to ally with Ahav by having his son marry Ahav's daughter.

The two kings combined their armies and marched against Aram to retake the Israelite city of Ramoth-Gilead, which the Arameans held.

During the battle, Ahab disguised himself while Jehoshaphat wore his royal robes, so the Aramean chariot commanders (who had orders to target only the king of Israel) mistook Jehoshaphat for Ahab and closed in on him. 

He cried out, God diverted them, and he escaped. 

Ahab, despite the disguise, was killed by a random arrow.

When Jehoshaphat got home, the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, met him and said:

"Should you help the wicked 
and love those who hate the LORD? 
Because of this, wrath has gone out 
against you from the LORD."
-2 Chronicles 19:2

After this warning, Jehoshaphat went into a panic.

He responded to the rebuke by going hog wild with another round of religious reforms in Judah.

He built a new courtyard next to the Temple. 

He also had his workers reshape the hill of Moriah. 

The hill had small dips and low spots around it. 

Workers cut dirt from the nearby ridges and used it to fill in the low spots. 

This transformed the rough terrain into flat ground where they could put up new buildings and defensive walls to protect the city.

After Y’hoshaphat passed away, the several kings who came after him might as well have been spawns of satan, so despicably evil was their behavior.

We don't have time to get into the details of their unkosher behavior in this post.

But trust me, it was horrific!

Onward.

After Jehoshaphat died, his son Jehoram became king. 

He ruled for about eight years. 

His son Ahaziah came next, but that homie only lasted about one year. 

Then Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah, grabbed the throne.

She held on to power for about six years.

Now, this woman was a pure demon on steroids.

Jezebel was her mama, and boy, the apple sure didn't fall far from the cursed tree in this case.

In fact, the apple rolled downhill and accelerated like a boulder greased with pig fat rolling straight toward the house of David.

Under Athaliah's reign, her sons broke into the Temple and stole its treasures for themselves. 

These undisciplined boys even donated some of the holy items to the temple of Ba'al. 

And yes, the Temple in Jerusalem stayed open through all of this. 

Man, I can only guess how horrific it must have been for the priests who had to serve while this wicked queen and her family paid homage to their evil inclinations daily.

Alrighty, that's enough detail for today.

Let's bring this to a close with an interesting takeaway.

It all has to do with Jehoshaphat allying with the wicked King Ahav.

He nearly paid with his life for standing shoulder to shoulder with Ahab, and the prophet Jehu called him out for that.

The lesson here is...

Be cautious of whom you decide to partner with.

Jehoshaphat was a good king. 

He loved the Lord. 

He cleaned up idol worship in Judah.

So he was doing well until he partnered with the wicked Ahav.

Tragically, that alliance didn't make Ahav better. 

It made Judah worse!

That's how it always turns out.

When good partners with evil...

The evil doesn't improve. 

The good gets dragged down.

Because of this one ungodly alliance...

Jehoshaphat nearly took an arrow meant for another man. 

His son married into the house of Jezebel. 

That marriage brought Athaliah into Judah. 

And Athaliah nearly wiped out the entire line of David. 

That's the line of the Messiah, man!

Jehoshaphat probably thought he was being smart.

"This is my chance to obtain peace with the north.

Team up with a stronger army...

And establish a united front against Aram."

So, politically speaking, the deal made all the sense in the world.

But the prophet Jehu didn't ask him if the deal made sense. 

He asked him one question: 

"Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?"

That's the question we need to ask ourselves before we sign anything, join anything, or marry into anything. 

Not "is this a good opportunity?"

But "who in the world am I yoking myself to?"

Because you don't just partner with a person. 

You partner with everything attached to that person. 

Jehoshaphat didn't just get Ahav. 

He got Jezebel. 

He got Athaliah. 

He got the whole freakin' cursed package!

So be careful who you stand shoulder to shoulder with, homies. 

From a worldly perspective...

The deal might look sweet. 

But if the man (or woman) is wicked...

You ain't getting a partner.

You're getting a plague.

Ya feel me?

Done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT

"Do not become unequally yoked*
*together with unbelievers.
For what partnership has righteousness
with lawlessness?
Or what fellowship has light
with darkness?
What harmony has Messiah
with Belial?
Or what does a believer
share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has God's Temple
with idols?
— 2 Corinthians 6:14–15

"Adulterers!
Don't you know
that friendship with the world
is hostility toward God?
Therefore, whoever chooses
to be a friend
of the world
makes himself
an enemy of God."
— James 4:4

"Let no one deceive you with empty words.
Because of these things God's wrath comes
upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore, do not become partners with them.
For once you were darkness, but now you are light
in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
For the fruit of light consists of all goodness,
righteousness, and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless deeds
of darkness, but instead expose them."
— Ephesians 5:6–11

We continue with our study of the history of the Temple.

When we last left off, Y’hoshaphat was sitting on the throne of Judah.

At the same time, in the north, Ahav was the King of Ephraim-Israel.

Y’hoshaphat decided to ally with Ahav by having his son marry Ahav's daughter.

The two kings combined their armies and marched against Aram to retake the Israelite city of Ramoth-Gilead, which the Arameans held.

During the battle, Ahab disguised himself while Jehoshaphat wore his royal robes, so the Aramean chariot commanders (who had orders to target only the king of Israel) mistook Jehoshaphat for Ahab and closed in on him. 

He cried out, God diverted them, and he escaped. 

Ahab, despite the disguise, was killed by a random arrow.

When Jehoshaphat got home, the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani, met him and said:

"Should you help the wicked 
and love those who hate the LORD? 
Because of this, wrath has gone out 
against you from the LORD."
-2 Chronicles 19:2

After this warning, Jehoshaphat went into a panic.

He responded to the rebuke by going hog wild with another round of religious reforms in Judah.

He built a new courtyard next to the Temple. 

He also had his workers reshape the hill of Moriah. 

The hill had small dips and low spots around it. 

Workers cut dirt from the nearby ridges and used it to fill in the low spots. 

This transformed the rough terrain into flat ground where they could put up new buildings and defensive walls to protect the city.

After Y’hoshaphat passed away, the several kings who came after him might as well have been spawns of satan, so despicably evil was their behavior.

We don't have time to get into the details of their unkosher behavior in this post.

But trust me, it was horrific!

Onward.

After Jehoshaphat died, his son Jehoram became king. 

He ruled for about eight years. 

His son Ahaziah came next, but that homie only lasted about one year. 

Then Ahaziah's mother, Athaliah, grabbed the throne.

She held on to power for about six years.

Now, this woman was a pure demon on steroids.

Jezebel was her mama, and boy, the apple sure didn't fall far from the cursed tree in this case.

In fact, the apple rolled downhill and accelerated like a boulder greased with pig fat rolling straight toward the house of David.

Under Athaliah's reign, her sons broke into the Temple and stole its treasures for themselves. 

These undisciplined boys even donated some of the holy items to the temple of Ba'al. 

And yes, the Temple in Jerusalem stayed open through all of this. 

Man, I can only guess how horrific it must have been for the priests who had to serve while this wicked queen and her family paid homage to their evil inclinations daily.

Alrighty, that's enough detail for today.

Let's bring this to a close with an interesting takeaway.

It all has to do with Jehoshaphat allying with the wicked King Ahav.

He nearly paid with his life for standing shoulder to shoulder with Ahab, and the prophet Jehu called him out for that.

The lesson here is...

Be cautious of whom you decide to partner with.

Jehoshaphat was a good king. 

He loved the Lord. 

He cleaned up idol worship in Judah.

So he was doing well until he partnered with the wicked Ahav.

Tragically, that alliance didn't make Ahav better. 

It made Judah worse!

That's how it always turns out.

When good partners with evil...

The evil doesn't improve. 

The good gets dragged down.

Because of this one ungodly alliance...

Jehoshaphat nearly took an arrow meant for another man. 

His son married into the house of Jezebel. 

That marriage brought Athaliah into Judah. 

And Athaliah nearly wiped out the entire line of David. 

That's the line of the Messiah, man!

Jehoshaphat probably thought he was being smart.

"This is my chance to obtain peace with the north.

Team up with a stronger army...

And establish a united front against Aram."

So, politically speaking, the deal made all the sense in the world.

But the prophet Jehu didn't ask him if the deal made sense. 

He asked him one question: 

"Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD?"

That's the question we need to ask ourselves before we sign anything, join anything, or marry into anything. 

Not "is this a good opportunity?"

But "who in the world am I yoking myself to?"

Because you don't just partner with a person. 

You partner with everything attached to that person. 

Jehoshaphat didn't just get Ahav. 

He got Jezebel. 

He got Athaliah. 

He got the whole freakin' cursed package!

So be careful who you stand shoulder to shoulder with, homies. 

From a worldly perspective...

The deal might look sweet. 

But if the man (or woman) is wicked...

You ain't getting a partner.

You're getting a plague.

Ya feel me?

Done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT

"Do not become unequally yoked*
*together with unbelievers.
For what partnership has righteousness
with lawlessness?
Or what fellowship has light
with darkness?
What harmony has Messiah
with Belial?
Or what does a believer
share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has God's Temple
with idols?
— 2 Corinthians 6:14–15

"Adulterers!
Don't you know
that friendship with the world
is hostility toward God?
Therefore, whoever chooses
to be a friend
of the world
makes himself
an enemy of God."
— James 4:4

"Let no one deceive you with empty words.
Because of these things God's wrath comes
upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore, do not become partners with them.
For once you were darkness, but now you are light
in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
For the fruit of light consists of all goodness,
righteousness, and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless deeds
of darkness, but instead expose them."
— Ephesians 5:6–11

We continue with our study of the history of the Temple.

So when we last left off, Rehoboam was ruling over southern Judah.

He was succeeded by a dude named Asa, who reigned over Judah for about 40 years until 868 B.C.

His dad, Aviyah, urged him to replace all of the gold and silver instruments that Shishak had stolen when he ransacked the Temple years earlier.

Yet within a short time, Asa traded away those precious temple treasures to hire Ben-hadad, the Syrian king, as a paid ally against Baasha, who had taken the throne of Ephraim-Israel.

Scripture also hints that Asa dipped into the Temple's holdings to fund government business when it served his political interests. 

After Asa passed away, the crown went straight to his son Y'hoshaphat, who ruled Judah for the next two decades. 

Now, this homie was a popular and well-regarded monarch.

The people showered him with costly gifts. 

Many of these were put toward replacing the Temple treasures that had been given away. 

Y'hoshaphat also put forth an honest effort to restore godly living among his subjects. 

To that end, he dispatched priests and Levites throughout the clans of Judah to teach them Torah.

The text says they carried "the Law" with them.

That's probably referring to the book of Deuteronomy. 

Why Deuteronomy? 

Because it was the Book of Deuteronomy that was kept beside the Ark of the Covenant rather than within it.

Note I said, the scroll of Deuteronomy was kept beside, NOT inside the Ark of the Covenant.

Only the two stone tablets from Mt. Sinai were stored inside.

That's an important point.

Why?

Because that meant lending the scroll out for a time wouldn't have caused the High Priest much anxiety.

So there's an important takeaway here I just couldn't overlook.

What did Y'hoshaphat decide to do when he wanted to restore godly living in the Kingdom?

He made an effort to spread the knowledge of Torah.

That's a telling point, don't you think?

He didn't just issue decrees banning idolatry. 

He sent teachers out to the clans with the actual text of the Torah so people could understand why they should live a certain way. 

This reminds me of the issue I often have with the Christian churches.

What changes after they've accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?

The answer is usually nothing.

They still eat unclean foods.

Observe none of the Biblical holidays.

And any ideas of holy living are based on pure subjectivity, "guided by the Holy Spirit," as they say.

That's what happens when you have a theology that says the Law has been done away with.

I leave you with these words from the Torah.

"When all Israel comes to appear 
before the Lord your God 
at the place he will choose, 
you shall read this law 
before them in their hearing.
Assemble the people—
men, women and children, 
and the foreigners residing in your towns—
so they can listen and learn 
to fear the Lord your God 
and follow carefully all the words of this law.
Their children, who do not know this law, 
must hear it and learn to fear 
the Lord your God as long as you 
live in the land you are crossing 
the Jordan to possess.”
-Deuteronomy 31:11-13

There are a couple more details about the ten bronze lavers Hiram made that I wanna go over.

The first detail deals with a common misunderstanding.

These pots were NOT used for ritual cleansing.

In other words, the priests did NOT wash their hands and feet in them.

That's what the Molten Sea was for.

Ya feel me?

These pots of living water were transported to and fro around the courtyard so the sacrificial animals could be ritually washed.

The bottom line is that there was a constant flow of people arriving to have their sacrifices tended to, so they had to be spread out across the entire Temple courtyard.

That's why the bronze lavers had to be mobile.

Each of these big water pots held about 220 gallons. 

Actually, probably more than that.

When nobody was using them, they were parked in two neat rows in front of the Temple entrance...5 pots on one side of the door and 5 on the other. 

Now, where were these bronze monstrosities actually constructed? 

Some of them were created in the Jordan River Valley (in an area between Tzartan and Succoth). 

Others were probably made in a region called Timna, over by the Dead Sea.

But nobody can pinpoint exactly where each pot was built.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that these pots were super heavy

I'm talking heavy metal, man!

So I doubt they were constructed on the east side of the Jordan.

Can you imagine lugging these big, heavy things across the river?

Alrighty, let's close with the takeaway.

So here's the thing.

Contrary to popular misunderstanding....

The priests were NOT responsible for everything when it came to the ritual sacrifices.

The worshippers bringing the sacrifices had their part to play.

They were responsible for laying hands on the animal, slaughtering it, skinning it, and cutting it into pieces.

The priest's exclusive domain began with the blood *(catching it, splashing it against the altar)*and everything that happened on the altar itself, since only priests could approach it. 

The lesson here is that making yourself right with God was a collaborative process.

You did your part.

And the priests did their part.

And no, I ain't preaching some works over grace thing here.

So don't get bent outta shape over what I just said.

God's salvation happens based on our response to the grace He offers.

Salvation has always been a cooperative effort with God.

Abraham was considered righteous.

But that's because he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

So his faith and his actions were working together.

The Lord saved Noah and his family.

But Noah still had to expend a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to build the Ark.

God gave the Israelites the Promised Land.

But they still had to go to war for it.

Ya feel me?

This idea that you walk down the aisle at some evangelical event, mumble some sinner's prayer, and then head right back to your fornicating lifestyle without having to make any changes is preposterous as all hell, homie.

Ya feel me?

Done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Not everyone who says to me, 
‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the 
Kingdom of Heaven, 
only those who do what 
my Father in heaven wants."
-Matthew7:21

"For we are God’s co-workers; 
you are God’s field, 
God’s building."
- 1 Corinthians 3:9

"Indeed, just as the body 
without a spirit is dead, 
so too faith without 
actions is dead."
-James 2:26

"He made ten bronze trolleys, 
each one seven feet long, 
seven feet wide, 
and five-and-a-quarter feet high."
- 1 Kings 7:38

We continue to look at the work Hiram, the skilled Hebrew craftsman, continued to do for Solomon's Temple.

Keep in mind, in one way or another, his work involved using bronze for all of the furnishings.

In verse 38, we're told he built ten laver stands made out of bronze.

The purpose was to have pots of living water that could easily be transported from one place to another inside the inner courtyard.

They consisted of a top and bottom half.

The bottom part had wheels attached to it, called MEKONAH in Hebrew.

MEKONAH doesn't mean wheels, though.

It means more "base" or "foundation."

The upper part was called the laver (a basin) and was called KIYYOR in Hebrew.

Now, you'll notice in many English Bibles, including the Complete Jewish Bible, that these big mobile kettle pots are translated as "trolleys."

That's because any foundation with wheels is essentially a "trolley" in Western thought.

These big basins also had elaborate decorations carved into them.

There were engravings depicting Cherubim, along with lions, oxen, and palm trees.

These transportable pots were also quite large.

But there is disagreement about the quoted measurements,

The Bible gives us a measurement of 4 cubits (that's about 7 feet).

But what part of the basin does that number describe?

Was it describing the width or height of the water bowl?

Nobody seems to know for sure.

Are you feeling me here?

The Complete Jewish Bible asserts that the figure is referring to the width.

I think that's correct.

The cart itself was 7 feet long and 7 feet wide.

So a bowl the same size would sit nicely and steadily on top with no tipping over when pushed.

But most rabbis have said the 4 cubits was the bowl's height, not its width. 

I think that interpretation creates a problem.

Why?

Well, think about it, man.

The rolling cart was already about 5 and a half feet tall. 

If you stacked a 7-foot-tall bowl on top of that, the rim would be 11 or 12 feet in the air! 

No priest could reach the water up there. 

He'd need a ladder just to wash his hands.

So I'd say the bowl was about 7 feet across in width...but it was quite shallow.

More like a giant dish instead of a deep barrel. 

That way, a priest could dip right in. 

At most, he might need a little step stool to reach the edge.

So what takeaway can we extract from this?

Here's what's coming to me.

We're told Hiram was a bronze specialist.

And he was so skilled at crafting things with this particular type of metal that he was appointed by the King of Israel to perform work for the holiest piece of architecture in the Promised Land.

There's a lesson there about the importance of having a niche, don't you think?

Find your particular area of strength, and go all in on it!

Don't try to be a jack of all trades.

Specialize and command the attention of kings!

Done.

"His own living quarters, in the other courtyard, set back from the Hall, were similarly designed. He also made a house like this Hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Shlomo had taken as his wife." - 1 Kings 7:8

Back in chapter 3, we heard that Solomon took Pharaoh's daughter to be his wife.

Well, she makes another appearance here in Chapter 7.

In verse 8, we're told Solomon built a special house for her.

In those days, men and women, even if married, were usually kept apart in separate quarters.

This was especially convenient for royalty given their multiple wives and concubines.

Now, from a human, worldly perspective,  Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter was a brilliant diplomatic move.

It allied Solomon with Egypt, one of the most powerful kingdoms at the time.

This gave Israel international prestige and security and opened the door to increased trade.

However, spiritually speaking, this was a big no-no.

In His Torah, the Lord had instructed His People that they were never to return to Egypt in any way, shape, or form.

We can see that Solomon completely ignored these instructions.

When I say "completely," I ain't exaggerating, homie.

He was basically bending over backwards to ensure Pharaoh's daughter's every need was met luxuriously.

She wasn't officially called a queen.

But given how Solomon treated her, she might as well have been one.

Ya feel me?

Alrighty, the takeaway here should be pretty clear.

There is the world's way of doing things.

This way often seems to be the most practical and socially approved way of doing things.

And then there's God's way of doing things.

This way often doesn't make sense and seems impractical.

However, as worshippers of the God of Israel...

We are called to obey the Lord's commands...

No matter how politically incorrect...

No matter how impractical...

And no matter how inconvenient.

Ya feel me?

This seems to be the biggest challenge the body of believers has faced in every era.

That's why Israel has always been hated by the GOYIM (gentile nations).

Because they are a nation the Lord has marked as different.

Separation, not assimilation, has always been one of the Lord's chief guiding principles.

I'll just leave it at that for today.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

"If you belonged to the world,* 
it would love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world, 
but I have chosen you out of the world. 
*That is why the world hates you."
-John 15:19

Alrighty, so we are continuing our slog through the details of Solomon's palace.

I hope you're beginning to realize that this was an unprecedented work of architecture never before seen and possibly never to be seen again.

So, picking up from where we left off yesterday, verse 6 speaks of a building called *"The Hall"*or "Pillar Hall."

It was located in front of the Lebanon section that we talked about yesterday.

It was basically a transitional space you had to pass through to get to the main structure.

So it was an entrance hall.

Onward.

Next, verse 7 describes the 3rd wing of the palace, called the "Hall of the Throne," or the "Judgment Hall." 

This was where Solomon's throne was located.

And according to the rabbis...

This was also where the Sanhedrin likely gathered.

You know what the Sanhedrin is, don't you?

It was the supreme Jewish council and court of ancient Israel.

Its 71 members were made up of chief priests, elders, and scribes (legal scholars) and were led by the High Priest.

In terms of construction, it was layered over with cedar paneling, which means it was built out of stone.

So we may have an interesting connection here.

Solomon's Hall of the throne was where judgment was doled out.

And if rabbinic tradition is correct, this was where the Sanhedrin met.

If that's the case, then centuries later, ain't this the same institution that tried Yeshua for blasphemy?

Homies!

That's pretty meaningful if you think about it.

The hall where justice was dispensed in Solomon's time...

And the council that grew out of that tradition...

Eventually became the body that condemned Yeshua!

Same institution, very different chapter of history.

There's a takeaway here that I wanna run with.

The physical Hall of Judgment that Solomon built is long gone.

But the institutional DNA it represented gave birth to the Sanhedrin that put the Messiah on trial.

That makes the moment of Yeshua's trial quite historically weighty, don't you think?

It also puts to rest those ridiculous assertions from those who say, "Yeshua never existed."

The Sanhedrin is a historically validated institution, and Yeshua was judged by it.

This wasn't some random court.

Depending on your theological perspective, that moment was either the institution fulfilling its mandate or profoundly failing it.

I know I'm wading into dangerous territory here.

So lemme just say this.

Understand that Solomon's palace complex ain't just ancient architecture, homies.

It's the foundation of institutions that shaped some of the most pivotal moments in biblical history!

The buildings may be long gone.

But their legacy carries all the way into the New Testament.

Now, if that ain't the coolest thing you read about this week, I don't know what is.

Ya feel me?

Done.

^(")Inside the sanctuary,* 
*he made two k’ruvim of olive wood, 
each seventeen-and-a-half feet high."
-1 Kings 6:23

In verse 23, we're told about the creation of two mysterious creatures called K'RUVIM or CHERUBIM in English.

Now I've got a news flash for you homies.

CHERUBIM are NOT angels.

Yes, cherubim are heavenly beings.

But Scripture never calls them angels.

I know many Christian homies willy-nilly label cherubim as angels because they serve God in heaven.

But when you look closely at the Bible, you'll notice they're presented as a separate category of heavenly creatures.

What do I mean?

FIRST, cherubim are never directly called angels.

The Bible mentions angels (Hebrew: malak, meaning "messenger"), but cherubim are described separately.

For instance:

In Genesis 3:24, God places cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life.

In Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10, cherubim are described as extraordinary living creatures supporting God's throne.

In Exodus 25:18-22, cherubim are represented on the Ark of the Covenant.

Yet, none of these passages calls them angels.

SECOND, cherubim have a unique appearance.

The cherubim described by the prophet Ezekiel are very different from the angels who appear to humans as messengers.

Ezekiel's cherubim have four faces, four wings, hands beneath their wings, and they are closely associated with God's throne.

By comparison, angels sent to people often appear as men and can sometimes be mistaken for ordinary humans.

THIRD, seraphim and cherubim appear to be different groups.

In Isaiah 6, the seraphim are described around God's throne.

They have six wings and seem to be dedicated to praising God's holiness.

Again, Scripture does not identify them as angels, but as a separate class of heavenly beings.

FOURTH, the word "angel" describes a function.

The Hebrew word for angel means "messenger."

Not every heavenly being is described as a messenger. 

Cherubim are primarily shown guarding holy places, supporting God's throne, or manifesting God's glory.

So even if cherubim belong to the heavenly host, their role differs from that of angels who deliver messages.

FINALLY, Satan may have originally been a CHERUB.

In Ezekiel 28:14, the "anointed cherub that covers" is mentioned. 

There is debate over whether this passage refers only to the king of Tyre or also has a secondary reference to Satan. 

Those who see a reference to Satan often point out that he is called a cherub, not an angel.

If that's the case, the SATAN (or the "adversary" in Hebrew) ain't a fallen angel after all!

Which seems to be the prevalent notion in Gentile thought.

Anyway, back to the text.

Now, this wasn't the first time God's people used cherubim.

Recall that the lid of the Ark of the Covenant had two cherubim on it.

But Solomon decided to take things to the next freakin' level.

Instead of small cherubim on the Ark, he had two giant cherubim sculpted and placed inside the Most Holy Place.

Each cherub had a wingspan of 10 cubits from one tip to the other.

This was half the width of the Most Holy Place.

The two cherubim were set up so their wings touched in the middle. 

One outer wing touched one wall, the other outer wing touched the opposite wall, and their inner wings met in the center.

Then verse 29 zooms out from the Most Holy Place and talks about the Temple as a whole. 

It turns out that Cherubim weren't only found in the inner room. 

Carvings of cherubim were also worked into the wood panels throughout the Temple.

They were all over the freakin' place!

There's an important takeaway here.

Don't you find it interesting that the Cherubim became the main attraction of the room instead of the Ark of the Covenant?

This is kind of bordering on idolatry, don't you think?

It's kind of how Christians make their Jesus God in place of the Father.

It's easier than we think to let something take God's place in our lives.

We may tell ourselves we're doing it for God, but little by little, that thing becomes more important than God Himself.

It could be a career, a house, a hobby, a spouse, or even our kids that we love to show off to the world whenever we attend social events.

Don't get me wrong.

Those things can be blessings from God. 

The problem starts when we make those things more important to us than the One who gave them to us.

Ya feel me?

So don't make the horse before the cart!

Did I use that phrase right?

Ah, who cares?

Done.

"In the inner part of the house
he set up the sanctuary, 
so that the ark for the covenant of
Adonai could be placed there.
This sanctuary was thirty-five feet long,
wide and high;
and it was overlaid with pure gold.
In front of it he set an altar,
which he covered with cedar."
-1 Kings 6:19-20

From verse 19, we're given instructions about how the sanctuary was set up.

This was patterned after the original sanctuary erected in the wilderness during the Israelites' time in the desert.

Now, note the part where it says the "inner part" of the house where the sanctuary was built.

The original Hebrew term here is DEBIR, which is related to the root word DABAR.

Do you remember what DABAR means?

It means "word" or "speech."

Actually, some Bible translations more accurately translate DEBIR as "oracle."

For example, the King James Version says the following:

"And the oracle he prepared in the house within, 
to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord."
-1 Kings 6:19

But here's what most folks don't know.

In these verses, the word DEBIR is being used as a technical term for the awesome Holy of Holies here.

Betcha you didn't know that now, did you?

Recall the dimensions of the Holy of Holies were 20 x 20 x 20 cubits.

Or 35 x 35 x 35 feet.

In other words, it was a perfect cube.

And true to the original pattern, a lot of gold was utilized for the decorations inside.

Now, what's up with all the cedar wood mentioned?

.This is referring to the Altar of Incense.

You recall what the Altar of Incense is, don't you?

What's that?

You don't remember?

Well, let me jog your memory here a bit.

The Altar of Incense was the small gold-covered altar inside the Tabernacle's Holy Place (not the Holy of Holies) where priests burned a special blend of incense every morning and evening. 

It symbolized prayer rising up to God.

This picture was also carried into the Psalms and later into Revelation. 

Blood was applied to it once a year on the Day of Atonement.

So what takeaway can we extract from all of this?

There are actually quite a few takeaways I could get into.

Pointing to the perfect cube dimensions of the Holy of Holies, I could talk about how the God we worship is a God of order and precision.

Or I could show you how the closer you get to God, the more valuable things become.

I'm referring to how, as you moved deeper into the Tabernacle, from the outer court inward, the materials got progressively more precious, culminating in pure gold everywhere.

However, what I find most inspiring is the fact that the Holy of Holies has a name that actually means "word" or "speech" in Hebrew.

This tells us that God speaks from the innermost place.

That ain't a coincidence, homie.

When you pray and draw close to God, you're stepping into the very place where He speaks.

If this ain't the coolest thing you've heard this week, I dunno what is.

Alrighty, I'll leave it at that for today.

See ya all next time.

"Shlomo had 70,000 men to carry loads and another 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, besides Shlomo’s 3,300 supervisors who were in charge of the people doing the work." - 1 Kings 5:29

Alrighty, so when we last left off, we were in the midst of discussing how Solomon had conscripted a ton of laborers from his kingdom.

The purpose was to assist King Hiram's men with the work of cutting and transporting the large number of trees needed to build the house for God.

There's actually a parallel account of this contained in 2nd Chronicles:

"Shlomo took a census of all the foreigners in the land of Israel, following the pattern of the census of David his father; they were found to number 153,600.  He appointed 70,000 of them to carry loads, 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to assign the people their work." - 2 Chronicles 2:16-17 

So it turns out these 153,600 men were gentile homies.

The original Hebrew is ENOSH HA'GERIM.

Enosh (אֱנוֹשׁ) = mankind, human beings, people.

Ha-gerim (הַגֵּרִים) = the sojourners, resident aliens, foreigners living in the land.

So this literally translates to "mankind from the Gentiles" or something like that.

A smoother translation would be "the people who were resident foreigners in Israel."

Now, one thing to keep in mind is that a GER in the Tanach ain't necessarily a tourist or a passing traveler. 

A GER is usually a foreigner who has settled in Israel and lives under Israel's authority. 

Depending on the context, such a person might be very integrated into Israelite society, but the word itself does not automatically mean "full convert" or "proselyte."

However, there's something interesting in the next verse I wanna point out.

In both 1 Kings 5 and 2nd Chronicles, it says that supervisors were sent to look over these "people."

The Hebrew term for "people" being used here is AM.

This is a term very often used for God's covenant people.

In other words, Israel. 

In fact, one of the most common expressions in the Bible is "My people" ('ammi), where God refers to Israel as His people.

Some examples include:

"Let My people go..." (Israel)

"I will be their God, and they will be My people."

"Hear, O My people..."

My point is that these ENOSH HA'GERIM were considered part of Israel.

Even some modern translators have started to reflect this nuance by using the term "proselyte." 

They've hit the nail on the head with that one, baby!

These were non-Hebrew homies who had moved to Israel and had pledged allegiance to Israel's God. 

But like most immigrants throughout history (and honestly, like most immigrants today), they still hung out mostly with their own kind. 

They hadn't tried to fully blend into Hebrew culture, and they weren't born Israelites. 

That made it a lot easier politically for Solomon to assign them the backbreaking work of quarrying stones for the Temple. 

Picking native-born Hebrews for that job would have caused a much bigger uproar. 

Still, these 150,000 men weren't slaves or outsiders. 

They had chosen to become part of Israel. 

They were official Israelites...just not born that way.

So here's the takeaway.

Solomon viewed these foreigners as a separate category...even though they were still officially part of Israel legally, spiritually, and covenantally.

Was it ideal?

No.

But seriously, are things ever gonna be ideal this side of heaven?

So yeah, Solomon still saw these guys as a separate category when it was convenient for him. 

That part's uncomfortable.

But here's what's also true.

These men were in. 

They were part of Israel. 

And to me, that's actually a beautiful picture of what happens when a gentile gets grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. 

You ain't a second-class citizen in God's eyes. 

You're just...in.

I say that from personal experience.

There was a season in my life when I had an inferiority complex around Jewish people.

This was when I was attending a Messianic Congregation in San Francisco.

I lied about being Jewish during that time.

But after a period of deep immersion in Torah, I don't know exactly when and how it happened, but the complex dropped.

Again, there was no lightning bolt moment or something.

Just one day, the realization that I was a full-fledged member of HaShem's kingdom just set in, and I no longer felt inferior.

My identity as a child of God had solidified healthily.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of gentile believers who still have a severe inferiority complex towards Jews.

You know the type I'm talking about.

I'm referring to Gentile believers who deliberately attend Messianic Congregations or even regular shuls simply because they wanna be around Jews.

They'll even wear Kippahs outside of worship services to flaunt just how Jewish they've become.

Inwardly, they think it's cool because "I'm part of God's chosen people now."

This used to be me, by the way, so if you feel called out, I ain't attacking you.

Or then you have Gentile believers who have Jewish spouses.

Man, this is a whole separate category in and of itself.

Because they have become one flesh with another Jew, they suddenly think God Himself has elevated them above every other Gentile in existence, whether on planet earth or otherwise.

Things get particularly bad when they hold leadership positions at their congregations.

But again, this is just the same inferiority complex manifesting in a different form.

At the end of the day, a superiority complex is just a cover-up for deep-seated feelings of inferiority.

This actually reminds me of a dude, who we'll just call Ben (since that's what his name is), who claimed to be a Jew simply because his papa was half Jewish.

So that would make the homie 25% Jewish.

Man, he was hanging onto that 25% Jewish DNA for dear life.

I could just feel the condescending vibes of superiority seething out of his being towards me when we interacted.

But as I just said, feelings of superiority towards others are nothing more nor less than a cover-up for identity insecurities.

That's why I believe the chief cause of anti-Semitism in the world boils down to feelings of inferiority towards God's chosen people, period.

You grow to hate the person or people group that serves as a constant reminder of your inferiority.

But those feelings of inferiority are your problem, man.

It all comes down to not being comfortable with who you are.

You still haven't accepted who God created you to be.

If God created you a Wong, stop trying to be a Weinstein.

If he made you a Gonzales, stop trying to be a Goldberg.

If he made you a Smith, stop trying to be a Shapiro...

And stop embracing retarded white supremacist theology that claims Jesus was a descendant of white Europeans who migrated to the Middle East.

What a bunch of bogus bull crap!

Jesus was a Jew, and didn't look anything like the blue-eyed, pale-skinned caricatures that exist in churches all over the Western world.

The bottom line is, until you fully accept who God created you to be, warts and all, you're always gonna struggle with feelings of inferiority.

Whether you're a Jew or a gentile.

Black or white.

Short or tall.

Or whatever.

Ya feel me?

Done.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

*"*There is neither Jew nor Gentile,
neither slave nor freeman,
neither male nor female;
for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, 
you are all one.
Also, if you belong to the Messiah, 
you are seed of Avraham and 
heirs according to the promise."
-Galatians 3:28-29

^(")King Shlomo conscripted 30,000 men from all Israel for forced labor.* *He sent them to the L’vanon in monthly relays of 10,000; they would stay a month in the L’vanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor."-1 Kings 5:27

In verse 27, we're told that Solomon sent 30,000 men from Israel to Lebanon to assist in cutting and transporting the cedar trees.

Apparently, they were to put to work in shifts of 10,000 men, one month at a time.

Now, I gotta question for you.

Don't you find this troubling?

Think about what's really happening here, homies.

Solomon is starting to behave like a heathen, uncircumcised gentile king.

Just like all the horses he was piling up...

He's now forcing his own people to work against their will.

This isn't how a Godly Shepherd should treat his flock.

Solomon was acting like a tyrant.

Reminds me of some egotistic congregation leaders I've rubbed shoulders with in the past.

Solomon's behavior shouldn't surprise us, by the way.

Check out these verses from 1st Samuel and note the parts I've highlighted.

"Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.  He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.  Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.  He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.  He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.  Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys, he will take for his own use.  He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.  When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.'”-1 Samuel 8:10 – 18

Well, there you have it, homies.

 The Prophet Samuel warned Israel that this is EXACTLY what a king would do to them. 

It's all right there in 1st Samuel 8.

Samuel's warning was coming true through Solomon's behavior...literally word for word!

There's an interesting takeaway coming to me today.

First of all, I find it interesting that even though both King David and Solomon started with the best of intentions...

They still ended up falling off the rails in terms of obeying God's Torah.

This perfectly mirrors my faith walk with God.

And I think many other believers as well.

We all begin with the best of intentions.

But without consistent exposure to God's Word...

Slowly but surely, the insidious nature of sin takes over.

And we find ourselves doing the very things we hate...as the Apostle Paul lamented.

I think this phenomenon is also evidence that the Torah is indeed God's Word.

The fact that it is so hard to obey is evidence that our fleshly desires are at war against God's Will.

The Scriptures are like a flashlight or a magnifying glass that exposes where we fall short.

Not just in terms of our behavior.

But in terms of our inner thoughts and mental state as well.

We're gonna see the same tendency in most of the kings whose lives we'll be examining moving forward.

Things will start off on an optimistic note.

But over time, the cracks and leaks of sinful human nature will begin to emerge.

I'll leave it at that for today.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

*^(")*All Scripture is God-breathed and 
is useful for teaching, rebuking, 
correcting and training in righteousness
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly 
equipped for every good work."
-2 Timothy 3:16

*^(")*We know that the law is spiritual;
but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do I do not do, 
but what I hate I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do,
I agree that the law is good."
-Romans 7:14-16