In marrying wives from surrounding nations, he has disobeyed the direct command of the Lord and fallen into idolatry. As such is the case, the Lord vowed to take the kingdom away from Solomon’s family after he is gone. Sadly, the wisdom that Solomon had passed on to his sons doesn’t take root, and the foolishness of his son Rehoboam causes a revolt and a division in the nation of Israel. Today, we’ll be introduced to Jeroboam, a man who Ahijah prophesies will rule over ten tribes of Israel. If Jeroboam walks in the ways of the Lord, God promises that he will be with him and build a lasting dynasty for him. Sadly, Jeroboam attempts to establish a center for worship outside of Jerusalem that is not ordained by God.

1 Kings 11:26 - 1:10 .

1 Kings 12 - 5:05 .

1 Kings 13 - 13:04 .

Psalm 116 - 20:36 .

Psalm 117 - 22:51 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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Solomon is not only a king, he is a king among kings, whose wisdom and splendor became well known. As such, the queen of Sheba pays him a visit to see his kingdom. Not only that, but the text tells us that “all the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.” The 2 Chronicles passage concludes with Solomon’s death, but 1 Kings gives us other details about the end of Solomon’s life before concluding. In his old age, Solomon was not wholehearted in his devotion to the God of Israel, and his many wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. As such, the Lord tells Solomon he will tear the kingdom away from him.

2 Chronicles 9 - 1:07 .

1 Kings 10 - 7:22 .

1 Kings 11 - 14:00 .

Psalm 115 - 19:25 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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We’re concluding the book of Ecclesiastes today which was written by King Solomon. Keep in mind that we are reading the Old Testament chronologically, and when we’ve finished this book, we’ll be back in 2 Chronicles and 1 Kings, covering the rest of Solomon’s life. As you may have already heard, two major themes of the book of Ecclesiastes are the ideas of futility and humility. Though Solomon had almost every resource at his fingertips, he could not do all the things he wanted and though he could find pleasure, he could not find ultimate fulfillment in the things of earth. In all his searching, he ultimately concludes that men should enjoy life, fear God and keep his commands.

Ecclesiastes 8 - 1:03 .

Ecclesiastes 9 - 4:36 .

Ecclesiastes 10 - 9:44 .

Ecclesiastes 11 - 12:31 .

Ecclesiastes 12 - 14:17 .

Psalm 114 - 17:15 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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As we continue our chronological reading of the Old Testament, we’re spending some time in the book of Ecclesiastes which was written by King Solomon. With all of his wealth, fame and wisdom, Solomon discerned that these things could not ultimately extend one’s life or even necessarily make it better. No matter what a person may accomplish, one day he will die. In today’s reading Solomon considers the rhythms of life, the nature of death and eternity, justice and injustice, authentic religion, and wealth. Our reading concludes with wise sayings in chapter 7, including proverbs, meditations on moderation, and the limitations of wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 3 - 1:04 .

Ecclesiastes 4 - 4:32 .

Ecclesiastes 5 - 7:24 .

Ecclesiastes 6 - 12:21 .

Ecclesiastes 7 - 14:49 .

Psalm 113 - 19:41 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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Today, we’re going to be in four different books of the Old Testament, which makes this episode the record-holder in number of places. Don’t worry, though: it’s not any longer than the average episode. In 2 Chronicles and 1 Kings we’ll cover Solomon’s imposition of forced labor over non-Israelites and the initial institution of worship in the Lord’s temple. From there, we’ll transition to the book of Ecclesiastes, a wisdom book written by King Solomon. In it, the king tests the bounds of all that could be seen as valuable to men, and finds them all to be empty without God at the center. Finally, we’ll read a short Psalm.

2 Chronicles 8 - 1:07 .

1 Kings 9 - 4:44 .

Ecclesiastes 1 - 10:47 .

Ecclesiastes 2 - 13:40 .

Psalm 112 - 19:19 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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Solomon has finished the work of building the temple and the ark of the covenant is now in the newly constructed room known as the most holy place. The priests have consecrated themselves and will worship the Lord through music. Solomon prays to the Lord before the nation of Israel, asking God to hear their prayers, reminding the people through his prayer that God resides in heaven, and is not confined to the walls of the temple. At the conclusion of his prayer, the temple fills with a cloud and with the Lord’s glory to such a degree that the priests are not able to continue ministering. The Lord responds to Solomon by reaffirming his commitment to David’s lineage so long as they are faithful to His statutes.

2 Chronicles 6 - 1:03 .

2 Chronicles 7 - 10:48 .

Psalm 111 - 17:00 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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Today’s reading contains the second-longest chapter in all of Scripture, which is 1 Kings chapter 8, and it’s long for a great reason: King Solomon gets excited and is full of prayer and praise as he conducts the first worship gathering at the Lord’s temple. Though the tabernacle existed before the temple, this is the first permanent structure built for the worship of God in a particular geographic location. As you can imagine, it’s a pretty big deal. The party lasts for two full weeks, after which the Lord appears to Solomon a second time echoing both the blessings and curses he gave to Moses before him.

2 Chronicles 5 - 1:05 .

1 Kings 8 - 4:18 .

Psalm 110 - 18:18 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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Today we’ll conclude our readings about the construction of the Lord’s temple and the king’s palace built under Solomon’s rule, stopping short of the dedication of the temple which we’ll begin in our next episode. Remember, before the construction of this temple, Israel had worshipped the Lord under the tabernacle, a mobile worship center comprised of varying poles, beams, curtains, cloths, and furniture that could be packed up and moved from site to site as they traversed the wilderness. This grand temple complex mirrored the layout of the tabernacle but was decidedly more permanent, marking a turning point in Israel’s history.

2 Chronicles 3 - 1:05 .

2 Chronicles 4 - 4:04 .

1 Kings 7 - 7:56 .

Psalm 108 - 16:56 .

:::

Christian Standard Bible translation.

All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.

Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.

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