Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 9

God came to Solomon again, like He did in Gibeon, and He told Solomon, “I have heard your prayer and I am pleased with your words. If you will continue to walk in my statutes, and if your children continue to follow me and walk in my laws, I will be happy to place my heart in that house you have built for me. And I will continue to live among you and I will establish you and your posterity on the throne of Israel forever. But, if you at all turn from my laws and seek other gods, or other ways, I will take the land from them that I have given them, and Israel will be nothing more than a dead legend, a lesson for the world to look back on.”

To repay Hiram, the king of Tyre for all he had done to help him, Solomon gave him twenty cities in Galilee. When Hiram came to see the cities, he was not happy with the gift, and he called the cities Cabul.

When the Pharoah conquered Gezer, he gave it to his daughter as a present. So Solomon developed the cities there.

All of the people who were not Israelites that still lived under King Solomon’s rule had to pay a bondservant’s tribute (or tax). They had to work in the domestic affairs of the land, and only the Israelites served in the military affairs. Solomon even built a navy.

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Solomon did everything he could to protect Israel and give the Lord his respect. Because of this, he continued to prosper in everything he did. Israel became a powerful nation under God and Solomon.

If we follow the direction of Joshua 1:8, where God tells us to learn the law and obey it and in return He would make us successful and prosperous, we can be as Solomon was in our daily lives. But, we must remember that God doesn’t do things for us and not expect to be treated well for it. He wants your time, your trust, your obedience and your love.

Notice how Solomon married the Pharoah of Egypt's daughter. Just about a hundred and so years before, that would have been impossible. Israel was fleeing from Egypt. God has the power to turn everything around.

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