1 Kings 6 – 480 years after leaving Egypt, 4 years into Solomon’s reign, they start on the Temple. It was 60 by 20 cubits, 30 cubits high [or 90’ by 30’ and 45’ high]. It’s interesting how exact the biblical account is on the dimensions. It is similarly précised when it describes the Ark Noah was told to build [450’ by 75’ by 45’] and the Ark or Covenant Box that was built to contain the “words” or “commandments” of God [45” by 27” by 27”]. The stone used was finished with precision…

1 Kings 5 – Hiram of Tyre (a great friend of David’s) sent his servants to help Solomon build the temple David had planned for but not built.  Solomon explains to Hiram that David never had the peace he needed to build the Temple; there were endless threats on his borders. But Solomon now has the peace needed to devote himself to the task. They get their timber from Lebanon – cedar and cypress. The king had it made into rafts and sent by sea.  In return, Solomon will provide food to…

1 Kings 3 – Solomon takes one of the Pharaoh’s daughters in marriage.  [Asimov says the 21^st Dynasty in Egypt was in a state of decline They “ruled only the Nile delta, while upper Egypt was under the domination of the priests of Ammon, who ruled as virtual monarchs from Thebes,” 323] People in Israel are still sacrificing “at the high places . . .because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord” (3:2). The king sacrifices in Gibeon, “the principal high place”…

1 Kings 2 – Before he dies David tells his son, “Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statues, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do. . .Then the Lord will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: ‘If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul,…

Introduction to Kings:  The two books called Kings open in the year 973, the last year of David’s reign. The book reached its final form 400 years after Solomon (6^th C). Lawrence Boadt, in his book Reading the Old Testament tells us that the books tell us the story of the line of kings established around 1000 BC down through the conquest of Judah in the 6^th c. BC. The focus is on the level of faithfulness each demonstrates to the covenant made with David…

2 Samuel 24 – The Lord gets angry at Israel and incites David to take a census - always a bad thing in Israel. It's interesting to ponder why it was seen as a bad thing, something "satan" would put into David's head. Numbering of people in one's "land" was tied with military service, and the whole concept of "state sovereignty," or organization of a people under the rule of a monarch was not something that flowed easily from Hebrew monotheism. Samuel warned against it…

2 Samuel 23 – David’s last words—an oracle:

The spirit of the Lord speaks through me,

     his word in upon my tongue.

The God of Israel has spoken,

     the Rock of Israel has said to me:

One who rules over the people justly,

     ruling in the fear of God,

     is like the light of morning,

     like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,

     gleaming…

2 Samuel 22 – A hymn of praise and thanks attributed to David for delivery from his enemies. It is Psalm 18 with some small differences:

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my

      God, the rock, in whom I take refuge. . .

He reached from on high, he took me, he drew me out of

      mighty waters. . .

He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those…