Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words. – Proverbs 2:16

Today's Scripture Reading (December 14, 2025): Proverbs 2

I am not sure, in the "Me-too" era, that I am allowed to say this, but our culture often views sexual predation as a one-way street, with the man as the predator and the woman playing the role of the victim. While that is usually true, I am not convinced it is always true; I believe it can sometimes be more of a two-way process than we might want to consider. And once in a while, the woman even takes the lead in such predation. History is littered with women who have seduced their way to power and have been very successful at it.

One of those women was Cleopatra. Cleopatra was the last active Hellenistic Pharaoh of Egypt. She was a Queen who was willing to do anything to protect her Kingdom. Anything included pursuing a relationship with Julius Caesar, the upstart Roman Emperor. She even bore a son with Julius Caesar: Ptolemy XV Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion. Caesarion would be the last Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, though he served only a few days after his mother's death.

After the death of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra pursued a relationship with the man whom she hoped would be the successor to the Roman throne. It is probably the relationship for which Cleopatra is best remembered. The would-be Roman dictator's name was Mark Antony, but Antony would lose the race to lead Rome to Octavian. Cleopatra, with no more cards left to play, would commit suicide, and her son Caesarion would end his rule over Egypt a few days after Cleopatra's death with his execution by Octavian, who would rule over the expanding Roman Empire as Caesar Augustus. Cleopatra made the most of what she had to try to protect her Kingdom. It is not that the men didn't get anything out of the relationship, but there was definitely a two-way street. Other women who seduced their way into power would include Eva Peron, Elizabeth Woodville, and even the famous Anne Boleyn.

It was not what Solomon wanted for his son. The story of Cleopatra is essential to our understanding of this passage because the word we have here, "adulterous," also carries the meaning of "foreigner." An alternate translation of this verse might be, "Wisdom can save you from the female stranger in your midst, from the foreign woman with her seductive words" (Proverbs 2:16 – Garry Mullen). Adulterous is implied by the phrase at the end of the passage, "with her seductive words." But what we shouldn't miss is that this woman is coming to Solomon's heir with the needs of a foreign nation.

Wisdom also protects us from being enslaved to our desires. It demands that we think through our romantic relationships rather than letting our emotions decide for us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3

For giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— Proverbs 1:4.

Today's Scripture Reading (December 13, 2025): Proverbs 1

Solomon addresses this to his son and says that these proverbs are meant to help the simple think through life's issues. The wise can always add their thoughts, but this book is for the simple and the young. And it is not something we like to think about, but here is the truth: we are all simple-minded. More importantly, we all need to hear the messages in this Book of Proverbs, even if we have to struggle and compare its words with the rest of the Bible. One of the advantages of Proverbs is that the book gives us a lot of short, pithy sayings that are easily understood.

Need proof that we need this advice to the simple? Again, let's look at what Paul says about wisdom.

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

I came to you simply, with a simple mind.

A story is told of a church that had a wonderful stained-glass portrait of Jesus at the front of the sanctuary. If you came into the church in the morning, looking toward the front, this image of Jesus glowed as the sun shone through the pieces of colored glass. But the platform was high, and the pastor was a reasonably large man, kind of like me. So, if you wanted to see the glowing Jesus, you had to come into the church when a service wasn't in session; on Sunday mornings, the image was hidden behind the pastor as he delivered his morning message.

One Sunday, the pastor was away, and in his place stood a much smaller man. And as he spoke, this beautiful image of Jesus peeked out over his head.

Amongst the congregation listening to the morning message was a little girl. And as she looked up from her play, she noticed that something was different at the front of the church. Finally, she figured out what it was and cautiously leaned over to whisper a question into her mother's ear. "What happened to the man who usually stands there so that we can't see Jesus?"

It is a challenge for all Christians: how do we reveal Jesus with our lives? More importantly, how do we refrain from hiding him? It was a question that Bob Hartman of Petra asked in the early 1980s.

They don't need no more elevated speeches
We're keeping Jesus just beyond their reaches.
Can't see the forest for all of the trees
They won't see Jesus till we fall on our knees (Lift Him Up, Bob Hartman, 1983).

There seems to be no doubt that Paul was well-trained in the art of making philosophical arguments. He had made them, persuading many, when he was an enemy of the church. Paul knew how a great debater could sway people from one side to the other. He also knew that the best orator is not necessarily the one in a position of truth. As Paul preached to the Corinthians, he wanted to leave that behind. His purpose was not to come as a salesman, selling people on Jesus. He was a witness. He understood that the "Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom" (1 Corinthians 1:22), but Paul was committed to not giving his audience what they wanted. He wanted to be the messenger and not the message. And the message he intended to preach was about Jesus. Paul would do everything within his power to ensure he did not stand in the way of the message. He intended to lift Jesus up and firmly believed that that was all that was necessary.

Hartman agrees. In the chorus of his 1983 song, he writes.

Lift Him up, higher and higher
Lift Him up, set the world on fire
It doesn't take much theology
Just lift Him up so the world can see
Lift Him up, tell the gospel story
Lift Him up, let them see His glory
It doesn't take any Bible degree
Just lift Him up so the world can see (Lift Him Up, Bob Hartman, 1983).

We don't need eloquence, and sometimes, to preach Jesus, all any of us need is a willingness to get out of the way. If the simple can understand, then everyone can understand.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 2

You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. – Psalm 128:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 12, 2025): Psalm 127 & 128

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the middle of a vast Garden. I have admitted that my image of that first Garden as a kid was just a bigger version of the vegetable/flower garden my grandfather had at the time. But that was just a child's understanding. It is more likely that the Garden was more of a wild space, filled with fruit trees and wild vegetables. As a result, Adam and Eve would have been gatherers; there was no need for them to plant, they just moved around the Garden and took what they needed to eat.

Of course, there was one tree from which eating was forbidden. It doesn't seem like much of a limitation considering that everything else in the Garden was clearly edible. We now face more limitations in nature. Sometimes it seems that the majority of what grows wild in the neighborhood is poisonous, and therefore forbidden for us to consume. But maybe that was what made this one tree so attractive; with everything else that was edible in the Garden, why wouldn't this one tree be edible as well?

For a while, Adam and Eve were successful at avoiding the fruit of the poisonous tree. But eventually, with the help of a serpent, they succumbed to the temptation; they ate from the tree.

Adam and Eve didn't get sick, at least, not immediately, but they were poisoned. They had experienced what it meant to go against God's dictates; now they knew, from experience, the meaning of evil. And that experience was going to cost them something, and cost all who came after them. God gave a portion of the penalty to Adam.

Cursed is the ground because of you;
    through painful toil you will eat food from it
    all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
    and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:17-19).

Psalm 128 promises a partial reprieve from the sentence Adam received when he was banished from the Garden of Eden. We will work, but our work won't be in vain; our work won't only produce weeds and thorns. Our labor will support us; we will be able to live off the fruit of our work. It isn't the original Garden in which we were placed at the beginning, but it is as close as we can get after Adam and Eve's failure in that Garden. And it is what God has intended for us, that when we rely on him and give him the labor of our lives, the blessings and prosperity of the Garden of Eden can still be ours.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 1

All Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid until its completion. So the temple of the LORD was finished. – 2 Chronicles 8:16

Today's Scripture Reading (December 11, 2025): 2 Chronicles 8

Administrators are important. Somebody has to have the plan and understand what needs to be done and in what order. It is something I learned as a child at my grandparents' feet. My grandparents were home builders for a portion of their careers. It was an actual "Ma and Pop" operation. My grandmother was a great administrator. My grandfather was a strong, bear-like man and a very hard worker. And, at least from my memories as a kid, the combination was terrific. Grandpa did the heavy lifting with my grandmother's help, but Grandma understood the order and scheduled the outside contractors when needed. And together, they were able to keep to the schedule grandma had set.

I have a friend who was in a similar business for a while. Rather than building homes, they were flipping them. Often, that meant buying an older house that needed a little tender loving care and fixing it up so it could be resold, ideally at a healthy profit. At least from the outside, the problem with the business was administrative. The company was a partnership between friends, but neither partner seemed to have a clear plan for what needed to be done. As a result of this lack of an administrator, schedules were rarely met, and outside contractors had to be delayed and rescheduled. Frustrations boiled over because financial commitments couldn't be met, and profit margins narrowed as a result. It is all stuff that makes for an exciting home renovation show on television, but in real life, it produces a lot of stress that we just don't need.

The New International Version translates this passage, arguing that "All Solomon's work was carried out." The King James says, "Now all the work of Solomon was prepared." The intention of the verse seems to be that there was an order or design to the task of building the Temple. It was not just putting people to work. Someone had a design and knew exactly what needed to happen first, and what should be next on the schedule. It was the task of a good administrator.

So, this passage tells us that there was a good administrator at work in the Temple. Maybe that administrator was the King himself, but it was more likely one of the many Israelites on Solomon's capable staff. But someone good at administrative tasks was given the job. And as a direct result of that unknown person, the Temple of the Lord was finished. And worship could begin at the more permanent Temple in Jerusalem rather than at the seemingly temporary Tabernacle in Gibeon.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 127 & 128

Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. – Psalm 136:2-3

Today's Scripture Reading (December 10, 2025): Psalm 136

In his closing addresses to Israel, Moses tries to set before Israel the things that would be important for their spiritual survival. It was likely a moment of great anxiety for Moses. The prophet knew that his time at the helm of Israel was coming to a close. He had trained Joshua to replace him. But the people of Israel were stubborn; they had tried Moses's patience, and he was afraid that Joshua might not be up to the task of leading such a group of wanderers. So, Moses tried to think of anything that needed to be stressed to Israel in his final days as leader of the nation. Part of this essential message included these words.

To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes (Deuteronomy 10:14-21).

The message is clear. The Israelites' Egyptian masters believed that their gods were superior to those of any other people in the world. But through Moses and Aaron, the God of Israel had proved that the gods of Israel were no match for Him. Of course, there was a reason. The gods of Egypt weren't real. They were nothing more than imperfect reflections of the God that does exist, as all gods are. Gods of our creation and gods designed to serve our needs will always fall short of the real thing. It was something Israel needed to always remember, but a fact Israel seemed continually to forget.

The Psalmist picks up this theme from Moses and Israel's history. The God of Israel will always be the God of gods and the Lord of lords because he is the only God. But the truth is that he is also bigger than our imaginations. Nothing and no one is equal to the God to whom we give our praise.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 8

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. – Psalm 135:3

Today's Scripture Reading (December 9, 2025): Psalm 135

I love the story of Benedict Arnold. I know, it is a strange thing to say. But here is the story of a great American General. Sometimes I think that we forget that. Before he became our favorite traitor, Benedict Arnold was a successful General. He was entrusted with a campaign against Quebec City during the Revolutionary War. Although he failed and didn't achieve the goal, we sometimes forget that his failure was primarily due to faulty intelligence and inclement weather. The march on Quebec City shared many characteristics with Napoleon's attempt to defeat Moscow. However, Arnold stayed in the area, hoping for a second chance to conquer the city before spring brought reinforcements to the city on the thawing St. Lawrence River. A smallpox epidemic further reduced his chances of defeating the city. Benedict stayed until circumstances beyond his control finally forced him to remove his soldiers from the area.

But then something happened. Experts still dispute why Arnold changed sides. American author W. D. Wetherell attempts to paint the circumstances surrounding his decision to change from American to British. Wetherell argues that Arnold is … 

… among the hardest human beings to understand in American history. Did he become a traitor because of all the injustice he suffered, real and imagined, at the hands of the Continental Congress and his jealous fellow generals? Because of the constant agony of two battlefield wounds in an already gout-ridden leg? From psychological wounds received in his Connecticut childhood when his alcoholic father squandered the family's fortunes? Or was it a kind of extreme midlife crisis, swerving from radical political beliefs to reactionary ones, a change accelerated by his marriage to the very young, very pretty, very Tory Peggy Shippen (W. D. Wetherell).

In the end, Wetherell concludes that the best explanation for Arnold's decision is that he married the wrong person. But historians disagree about the character of Benedict Arnold. In the United States, ask anyone for the name of a historical traitor, and I am sure most will name either Judas Iscariot, from the story of Jesus's crucifixion, or Benedict Arnold; I am not sure which man will come out on top. Ask the same question in Britain, and I believe the answer would be Judas, Brutus (Marcus Junius Brutus), the betrayer of Julius Caesar. but more likely, the name of the most infamous traitor in Britain would be Guy Fawkes, associated with the "Gunpowder Plot" of 1605. Why the different answer? Because Benedict Arnold is a traitor in America, and I admit, probably in all of North America, but he is a hero in the United Kingdom.

The Psalmist says that God is good; period. It doesn't matter who you are; God is good. He cannot be anything else. I am not saying that we always get God right. But if something is evil, it is always us and never God. Sometimes, we misunderstand what God is instructing us to do. God is always good, always love, and always moral. Good is God's nature, and He cannot be anything else. We are closest to the character of God if we can remember that. And because these are the essential attributes of God, it is always a pleasant experience to praise Him as the Psalmist instructs.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 136

When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace. – 2 Chronicles 7:11

Today's Scripture Reading (December 8, 2025): 2 Chronicles 7

Vision is important; without it we have no idea of where it is that we will end up. Whenever I go on a trip, especially if I am planning on driving, I spend some time with a map and plan out where I am going to go, which stops I want to make, and how far I feel I need to go before I stop for the night. Vision isn’t much different from my trip planning. Vision is always about the future. It is a plan for where it is that we need to go. Vision sets the destination as well as the plan to get us there. And without vision, according Solomon, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). A compelling vision for the future is the driving force that takes us into the future. Without vision, the future holds no attraction and there is nothing to bring us toward it.

This is only one verse in Solomon’s life, but I wonder if this is the point that Solomon’s life went wrong. The writer of Chronicles simply states that he had “succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind.” It is probably a time in our lives that we think would be good to experience. But in reality, it is the point where we lose the vision that we need to walk into the future. It is the place where we begin the death process; a moment when we have achieved everything and we lose our need for our vision. Without the need for a vision, we perish.

So, what exactly is your vision? What is it that drives you or attracts you to the future? Having a vision for the future isn’t optional, it is essential for life. Without it, our lives will spiral down out of control.

We don’t need a vague feeling that there is something in the future for us. We need to hear God’s invitation into purpose and into a specific vision of our future. Our lives are worth the effort of making sure that the vision is clear. So, what is your vision?

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 135

Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. – 2 Chronicles 6:21

Today's Scripture Reading (December 7, 2025): 2 Chronicles 6

In what direction should you pray? Admittedly, for me, it is a strange question and one I have not given much thought to. Many years ago, I taught a class on Islamic Prayer, and at the end of the evening, I offered those who attended the opportunity to pray facing east. My suggestion was that, while Muslims in my part of the world traditionally face east toward Mecca, we could face east toward Jerusalem. We did, but it was not a lasting tradition. Most often, I pray in the direction that I am sitting, standing, or driving (I promise, I keep my eyes open when I pray and drive).

Some argue that we should pray toward the west, not the east, because the Shechinah, the Presence of God, resides there. The Talmud, a central text that includes the teachings, opinions, and debates of thousands of rabbis, instructs that we should pray to the south for wisdom and to the north for wealth. Expanding on this teaching, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi (220-250 CE) taught that "One should always face south because from becoming wise, one will become rich."

The author of Chronicles writes that Solomon believed in praying toward the Temple: "Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place." What that means is that if you are living outside of Israel, then pray in the approximate direction of Israel (from where I live, that means praying toward the east). If you are inside Israel, then pray in the general direction of Jerusalem. And if you are in Jerusalem, pray toward the Temple. Today, many Jews come to the "Wailing Wall" or the "Western Wall," a retaining wall that draws many for prayer, believing it was part of the Second Temple, which became known as Herod's Temple. While today Christian and Jewish prayer is prohibited on the Temple Mount, we can still pray toward it, recognizing its history.

So, in which direction should we pray? I am not sure that it matters. God is everywhere, and maybe the most important thing that we need to recognize is that God continues to live in you and me. Paul's famous warning about taking communion is actually a reflection of this concept. "For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves" (1 Corinthians 11:29). The Body of Christ that Paul is referring to is Christ in you and Christ in me. And when we are together, even just two or three of us, we make up the contemporary Temple. When we pray, recognizing the Christian community that surrounds us, the Temple is here, and we pray recognizing that the Temple and Christ are in us, shaping us to be more like Him. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 7

Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. – 2 Chronicles 5:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 6, 2025): 2 Chronicles 5

There is a difference between the way that you value yourself and the way that others view you. My family often shapes my sense of self-worth. I am a husband, father, son, brother, grandfather, and uncle, among many other familial designations, to the various important people in my family. And I love to play those roles. But that is not how most of my friends see me. To the community, I am a pastor, counselor, spiritual leader, and, sometimes, a friend. One friend went even further and declared that when he calls me Garry, he is approaching me as a friend. But when he addressed me as Pastor Garry, or sometimes as Padre, he was looking to me as a spiritual leader. So, I needed to listen closely to the way that I was addressed. However, I know there is a significant difference between my internal view of myself and the way the community sees me and the expectations that they have of me.

Passages like this can be confusing. Often, Zion and Jerusalem seem to be used interchangeably. So, how can something be brought up from Zion to Jerusalem? However, we do need to understand the impact of the move. For a couple of generations, the Altar and the Ark had been separated, existing in different locations. But with the completion of the Temple, finally, the Ark could be reunited with the Altar and the rest of the Temple furnishings. Until the Ark was brought to the Temple and set in the Holy of Holies, the Temple could not fully operate. The Ark was a crucial part of the Temple.

So, the author of Kings includes this note: the Ark had to be brought up from Zion to the Temple in Jerusalem. The comment makes about as much sense as saying that something had to be brought up from Manhattan to New York City. Aren't they essentially indicting the same place?

In Jewish thought, there was a difference between Zion and Jerusalem. Zion and Jerusalem might refer to the same location, but also different aspects of that locale. Zion is a place of internal significance. Zion is what makes the Jewish people distinctive. For years, the Ark had dwelt in a tent in Zion. Priests attended to the Ark, but it was a place where the Jews worshiped, and only the Jews. It was from this place of internal significance that the Torah emerged. The Torah, or the Law, always comes from Zion, a place of special importance for the Jews.

But now, things were changing. The Temple was going to bring Judaism to the attention of the known world. Jerusalem was beginning its life as a spiritual center, not just for the Jews, but for all the nations. While the Law comes out of Zion, the message of God's Word, telling of his love for all of the people of the earth, emerges out of Jerusalem. And at this moment, the Ark was being transported from a tent of internal significance to the Jews to a place of external importance on the World Stage, because the Temple would become a place of worship for all the people of the earth.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 6

He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. – 2 Chronicles 4:1

Today's Scripture Reading (December 5, 2025): 2 Chronicles 4

The Cambodian Civil War ended in 1975. After five years of fighting, it should have been a joyous moment for the nation. Our hope is always that the end of a war means peace, but the end of the Cambodian Civil War might be an example of a terrifying era that followed the end of a war, a result that definitely was not peace. At the close of the civil war, the Communist Party of Kampuchea took control of the South Asian nation. The Communist Party of Kampuchea became more popularly known as the Khmer Rouge.

The end of the Cambodian Civil War was the starting point for the Cambodian Genocide. Over the next four years, more than 1.3 million people would be executed and buried by the Khmer Rouge. The regime arrested and executed anyone who was suspected of having a connection with either the former government of Cambodia or with foreign governments. Those who were ethnically Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, and the Champa people, along with Christians and Buddhist Monks, became targets for Khmer Rouge persecution. The leader of the Khmer Rouge was a man named Pol Pot, and he has been called a "Genocidal Tyrant.

On January 7, 1979, Vietnam overthrew the Khmer Rouge, ending the genocide. Dith Pran, a Cambodian Journalist, escaped from Cambodia and subsequently called the places where the 1.3 million people had been killed, including 50 members of his own family, the "Killing Fields." It is a name that has stuck and become permanently associated with the genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

The author of Chronicles tells his readers about a bronze altar used in the priest's area of the Temple. But the real meaning of altar here is "Killing Place." This piece of furniture was not a symbolic space of death, but the actual place where the animal sacrifices were carried out. Our image of the altar should not be of a gleaming, polished piece of furniture. It was a large platform that was crusted with the blood of the animals that met their end at this "Killing Place."

I grew up in a series of churches that had an altar at the front of the sanctuary. Often, these places were decorative rails where people came to pray. The janitors had polished them to a deep shine. And often it was easy to forget that these wooden rails were still "Killing Places," because it was at these altars that worshippers came to echo Paul's words.

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:19-21)!

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 5

The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide (using the cubit of the old standard). – 2 Chronicles 3:3

Today's Scripture Reading (December 4, 2025): 2 Chronicles 3

If you visit my house, there are places where you will be welcome to go, but there are other areas that are strictly off-limits. I found this out in the early days of our marriage because I didn't understand this rule at first. I would have shown my friends the whole house. In fact, when we bought our first house, I showed the entire house to some friends who stopped by to see our new purchase. I quickly found out that some areas were definitely outside the tour, at least according to my wife. Essentially, the out-of-bounds areas are the bedrooms. Those are private spaces. My office might also be considered a private space. I admit I don't understand all the rules yet, but after more than forty years, I am learning.

As for why these rules are in place, that too is something of which I am unsure. Maybe it comes from some friends who didn't enforce these rules and had some unfortunate rumors creep up about these private spaces. What followed was tours of the private spaces to prove the rumors false. It was all done in fun, but if you don't admit people into these spaces, maybe you can avoid the problem.

The Temple was composed of public and private spaces, divided into courts and places. The outermost part of the Temple complex was the Court of the Gentiles. Most of the stories that we read in the Bible that are described as taking place in the Temple occur here in the Court of the Gentiles. When the woman who is caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus in the Temple (John 8), the event took place in the Court of the Gentiles.

As you moved through the Court of the Gentiles, you would come to the Court of Women. Here, everyone who is part of Israel was welcome. The Gentiles were not welcomed into this part of the Temple unless they had converted entirely to Judaism. Next was the Court of Israel, where the men of Israel were welcomed. Inside the Court of Israel was the Court of Priests, where the altar stood, and the animals brought to the Temple were sacrificed.

Then comes what we might call "The Places of the Temple." These "Places" existed behind the walls of the Temple Proper. The largest of these "Places," or rooms, was the "Holy Place." It was where the priests and Levites performed many of the tasks assigned to them in the Law of Moses. A smaller room, walled off by a heavy curtain, was called "The Most Holy Place." Here, only the High Priest could go, and only on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

As Solomon lays the foundation of the Temple, this would include only the space that would house the "Places" of the Temple: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. It did not include all the space required to House the various Courts, which would be added after this portion of the Temple was completed.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 4

Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the LORD our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel. – 1 Chronicles 2:4

Today's Scripture Reading (December 3, 2025): 2 Chronicles 2

One of the dangers of religion is that it can set us up to try to take actions that God never intended for us to do. I am convinced that the terrorist attacks that have become a standard part of our contemporary experience are not born out of any God. No God is sitting up in heaven at the moment of an explosion who exclaims that "the ones who planted that bomb, they're my people and I am so proud of them." If there are moments when God cries, I think these moments of violence are among the times that bring tears to God's eyes. God is not proud of our protests or our hate. He is the one who has commanded us to love. Every time we burn a holy book or trash someone whose lifestyle is different from ours (even if we would say that their lifestyle is sinful), I think that those actions make God sad. We want to believe in those moments that we are doing the work of God, but the reality is that we are not; we are simply fulfilling our own selfish desires.

So, Solomon makes this pronouncement and he places the command in the voice of God; Solomon believes that God has told him to build him a Temple, a place where the Name of God could live on the Earth. The problem is that we cannot confirm the command, and, in many ways, it seems out of place. It is not that God did not use the Temple throughout the nation's history; we know he did. But often, as is evidenced in the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4, the Temple also became a source of pain and division. Some experts have gone so far as to say that the concept of God desiring a physical Temple was entirely conceived in Solomon's mind. I think they are probably wrong. If the dream of the Temple was not conceived of in the mind of God (by the way, the tabernacle was conceived of in the mind of God, and the Temple was really just an extension of that tabernacle), the idea for a Temple was definitely present in the mind of Solomon's father, David. If it was not the concept of Solomon's heavenly father that Solomon was following, the Temple was most definitely the dream of his earthly father.

One of the things that makes us wonder if this is really the will of God is that Solomon used slave labor of the conquered peoples and the forced labor of his own people to build the Temple. He even went into debt to finance the task. And one of the questions we are left with is: Does that sound like something God would want us to do?  All of this to build a building that we are not sure God really wanted.

Stephen, in his final speech before his death, notes that all the powerful things God did for Israel occurred before the Temple was built. And then Solomon built the Temple. In his final speech before those who had been designated as the keepers of the Temple, Stephen makes this comment: "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands" (Acts 7:48). What David and Solomon possibly both missed was that God's plan has always been that His dwelling place here on Earth was to be inside of us; those who chose to follow him. That in dwelling in us, he would be all that we could ever need. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 3

See also 1 Kings 5:5

Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these peoples remaining in the land—whom the Israelites could not exterminate—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. – 1 Kings 9:21

Today's Scripture Reading (December 2, 2025): 1 Kings 9

Maybe one of the more disturbing developments in the past 50 years is our willingness to walk back into a slave state. Slavery has a different look in the 21^st Century, but it is still slavery. It is one of the reasons why there is a tremendous amount of turmoil over the existence of illegals in contemporary culture. The problem is not necessarily the Illegals themselves, but that they are a source of cheap labor that we do not want to give up. Some might want to convince you that they are all criminals, but very few fit that description. What the Illegals among us have become are the poster images for modern-day slavery. But it doesn't just stop there. Income inequality and massive personal debt load on people existing in the lower economic strata have essentially developed a new class of enslaved people. We may not serve just a single slave master, but that doesn't mean that we aren't enslaved. For many of us in various parts of the world, getting sick for any extended period means the end of our dreams and the repossession of our assets. If we stop playing the game, then we might as well die. Too many of my friends have given up on dreams like retirement because they can't afford to stop working. The upper classes thank us for our persistence; our work and our money make their extravagant lifestyle possible. Essentially, that is just another picture of modern-day slavery. We work, but not for our own advancement. Today, we are enslaved by low wages and high debt. And the fruit of our labor goes to someone else. It is a story that many don't want to hear.

Slavery has been a constant in human history, basically because it is to the advantage of someone in power. And so, the rich and powerful work to keep enslaving the poor and weak. It is an interesting perspective on our current illegal immigration debate. The real reason why some don't want to do anything about it is that these individuals are, or their friends and constituents are, essentially, the enslavers. They don't want anyone to take away their cheap labor.

Solomon enslaved thousands of people. Originally, he conscripted them to build the Temple. But when the Temple was complete, he refused to release them. They became servants and waiters for the wealthy. They were the enslaved of the culture.

James Burton Coffman, among others, has argued that this was Israel's real longing for centuries afterward: to return to the days of Solomon, when Israel had her slaves. And it was one of the fundamental reasons why Jesus's message was ultimately disregarded. Jesus was not going to work toward that goal. In fact, everything that Jesus and the Early Christian Church did worked against that goal and toward a recognition that we are all equal, regardless of skin color or any other difference we might use to separate ourselves. This radical equality was the real power behind Paul's words: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).

The divisions don't exist. We are still all one.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 2

And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. – 1 Kings 8:11

Today's Scripture Reading (December 1, 2025): 1 Kings 8

I used to like to play basketball. My problem wasn't that I didn't play the game very well. Actually, I can get even more specific. My problem with basketball is not that I can't shoot or pass; it is just that I play a little too physical (in other words, I foul a lot). In a pick-up game playing schoolyard rules where anything goes, I play okay. But in an organized game, I am a liability because I tend to foul out early. Of course, I may not like the foul call, but that is the responsibility of a referee; it is what they are supposed to do. They are the ones who get to translate the rules written on paper into the actions taking place on the court. The ref's job is to call fouls or penalties whenever the rules have been violated. The referee gives order to the game.

The best games are always the ones where the players play by the rules and the refs are wise enough just to let them play. There is nothing worse than watching your team score and have the points taken off the board because of an offensive charging foul, or, in American Football, watching that long runback after a punt or kickoff called back because of a hold or an illegal block. But the rules for our sports are there for a reason, and those rules need someone whose job is not to cheer for a given team, but rather to make sure the game is played according to the rules. In sports, that unenviable job goes to our referees.

In religion, we have the same need. We have our holy books, but most of them need someone to interpret what they contain. In ancient Israel, that job went to the priests and the prophets, the experts in the law. They were the ones given the job of interpreting the writings and translating them into actions in the real world, the world where people live every day of their lives. But the reality is that we crave those times when God simply speaks and no one has to interpret His words. Those moments might be rare, but they do happen, and when they do, we know it.  

As Solomon's Temple is finished and the Ark of the Covenant is moved into its new home, God's glory descends on the temple. The author of Chronicles writes that because the cloud of the Lord filled the temple, the priests could not perform their duties. But the reality might be a little different: the priests were just not needed; the presence of God was tangibly evident in that holy place.

I hope that there are times in all of our lives when the presence of God is simply present; a time when all of us who are priests and pastors are not required. My prayer every time I step up to speak or to lead in the music portion of a service is that I can somehow disappear, leaving nothing but God's presence in that place. On the other side of the equation, I hope, as teachers and worship leaders, we have enough integrity to recognize a move of God, and, as we recognize God's move, be willing to simply get out of His way.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 9

See also 2 Chronicles 5:14

He then made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. – 1 Kings 7:38-39

Today's Scripture Reading (November 30, 2025): 1 Kings 7

Several years ago, I was involved in a bottle drive for a Christian organization. I had been involved in other similar drives, but this one came with some extra rules. The organization had made a stand against alcohol. The thought process wasn't that they somehow believed that drinking was against what the Bible taught, but that alcohol had become a real problem in our culture. In essence, their message was that drinking in moderation may not be a problem, but in our culture, excess and abuse were more likely to be the norm. Under those circumstances, abstinence seemed to be the better choice. However, they took that line of thought one step further. They didn't even want to profit from it, which, for the bottle drive, would mean no beer bottles (or any alcohol bottles) could be collected for our fundraiser.

While the policy seemed extreme, it actually had biblical precedent. The example came out of the temple ceremonial washings. The priest had to be clean to offer the sacrifice, and for that purpose, there was the massive metal sea. But there were also smaller basins that lined each side of the temple. It was in these basins that the other things used in the sacrifice would be cleansed, including the sacrifice itself.

We often understand the message that we need to be clean. It is the thought behind the sentiment that we need to "clean ourselves up before we can go to church." But what we forget is that the cleanliness of the offering is also essential. It isn't what is left over that God requires; it is our best. So, the giver and the gift both need to emerge from clean hands and clean hearts, or clean intent. For the bottle drive, those in power had decided that bottles from alcoholic beverages, which may have damaged the lives of many of those from whom we were collecting them, could not be considered a clean offering.

It is so easy to give God what is easy to give, and to give it without a thought. Maybe that is why the temple was designed to provide more thought to the sacrifice, ensuring it was both perfect and clean.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 8

See also 2 Chronicles 4:6