The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. – Proverbs 9:10

Today's Scripture Reading (December 21, 2025): Proverbs 9

I am continually amazed by what we think we know. It is sometimes a challenging task for us to admit that we don't know something. For one thing, our own personal pride seems to be on the line. If we really don't know what we need to do, we may come to believe we are without value as people. One way to become indispensable is to possess the knowledge we think is essential for the job we are doing. And most employers seem to want that kind of head knowledge. So, it is no wonder that universities specialize in imparting that kind of knowledge.

The problem with knowledge is that it creates an unteachable spirit within us. I don't need to learn what it is I think I already know. A few weeks ago, I ran into a problem and needed an answer. So, I sought out someone who might know the answer to my problem. I found the person who had the knowledge, but the problem was that while the person I found had an answer, it wasn't the right one. But because he had an answer, he couldn't see the correct solution to my problem. It is a scenario that I see being replayed all around us with increasing frequency.

The writer of Proverbs gives us this warning: knowledge begins with knowing who we address as God. We serve a creative God. For him, absolutely anything is possible. Knowledge is something we shouldn't be afraid of, but it isn't something we should think we have. Actual knowledge starts with God, who can do anything in our lives and our midst.

Sometimes, as Christians, we hold things to be true out of a misapplied sense of knowledge. And that sense of incorrect information can create a conflict with science and human expertise that just isn't necessary.

The think Solomon might say it this way, hold what you think you know, even about God, loosely. Seek knowledge, but don't let it lead you down a false path. Because knowledge starts with God, and God has a habit of surprising us, and he can do whatever he wants.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 10

See also Proverbs 1:7

My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. – Proverbs 8:7

Today's Scripture Reading (December 20, 2025): Proverbs 8

Wisdom is always true. It can't be anything else if it starts with God.

A story is told about a man who had a donkey to help him transport goods for his business. The donkey was loyal, but he was also lazy. The man's donkey often found ways to cut corners at work, sometimes causing his master's business significant losses. 

One day, the donkey was tasked to carry sacks of salt on his back to town. One of the paths along the way required the donkey to cross a river. As they were crossing the river, the donkey slipped on a rock and fell into the water. His master immediately helped him up, but to the donkey's great surprise, the load on his back suddenly felt lighter. The water had washed away some of the salt inside the sacks. 

For the next few days, the donkey would "slip" and fall into the water. The donkey's master, who was not a stupid man, noticed that his donkey seemed to be falling intentionally. The donkey's behavior frustrated the master because the salt he was supposed to sell kept getting damaged. So, the master decided to teach the donkey a lesson to prevent this loss of salt from happening again. 

On their next trip, he filled the sacks with cotton. Not knowing there had been a change in cargo, the donkey again fell into the water. However, this time the cotton absorbed some of the water, making the sacks much heavier instead of lighter. The packs on the donkey's back grew so heavy that the pack animal could not get up at all!

His master then came to help him, and from there, the donkey learned his lesson. 

Maybe the moral of this story is that there is a way that might seem like the truth to us, but it isn't. Psychiatrist Scott Alexander wrote, "All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity [are] easy. Stay away from easy" (Scott Alexander). Wisdom keeps us from the easy way, and it is more valuable than gold or silver, because wisdom not only keeps us in the right place now, but it keeps us right in the future.

I have called myself a reluctant pacifist. I admit that sometimes, at least to my understanding, war seems to be necessary. However, wisdom says that wars should never be fought because wisdom starts with God and the idea of loving God with our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves. Wisdom begins with "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Do these things, and your worries will shrink. Do these things, and maybe the peace that we speak about at Christmas can be a real thing all year long.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 9

Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. – Proverbs 7:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 19, 2025): Proverbs 7

Phrases are wonderful things. Most of the time, we read them without considering their meaning. And sometimes, the meaning can change over time. Every time I see an English phrase in the Bible, I wonder about its original meaning, including the phrase used here, "apple of your eye." The English usage of the phrase extends back to an English translation of the Latin book "Cura pastoralis" (The Book of Pastoral Rule). "Cura pastoralis" is a treatise that expounds on the task set before the clergy and was written by Pope Gregory I shortly after he was elected as Pope in 590 C.E. The translation, and the first appearance in English of the phrase "the apple of my (your) eye," is attributed to King Alfred the Great (849-899). And in English, the apple of your eye is something that you cherish. But the earliest appearance of the phrase in English was written almost 2000 years after King Solomon used it in Proverbs. So, a huge question, at least for me, is: does it mean the same thing in Hebrew as it does in English?

The simple answer to the question is maybe. In Hebrew, the "apple of my eye" is literally the "pupil of my eye." That black spot in the middle of your eye was called the apple. And it was understood that without the apple, sight was impossible. Anything that threatened the pupil or the apple of the eye threatened the individual's vision, but it also threatened the person's ability to live.

Solomon is writing to his son, and, by extension, to his other children and to all who would read his proverbs. The wise King tells them that keeping the commands in this document is like protecting their sight. The only way you can see the world as it is is by keeping these commands and understanding the world through these proverbs. The phrase "and you will live" relates directly to guarding the apple or pupil of your eye. Sight and the eye were considered required for life.

Of course, that also means that that kind of sight is also to be cherished, because without it, life doesn't continue, or it becomes an inferior copy of what it could be.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 8

How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? – Proverbs 6:9

Today's Scripture Reading (December 18, 2025): Proverbs 6

There is a theory surrounding World War II that argues that Hitler always wanted a war with Britain. Hitler was a man who respected Britain, yet he knew that to accomplish his goals, he would have to defeat Britain on the battlefield. Hitler also believed that if everything had been equal during the First World War, Germany would have won that conflict. The only reason Germany lost the war was that its friends betrayed it. Germany should have won the Great War, and Hitler was sure it would win the conflict that followed.

The plan was to goad Britain into the fight and then sweep through France, for which Hitler felt no respect. So, Hitler set out to goad Britain to declare war, but Britain, through its Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, refused to take the Commonwealth of Nations into war. Chamberlain was convinced that the people who elected him to office were against war. And so, Hitler continued to expand Germany's presence by declaring war against the neighboring nations. The German move that proved too far for Chamberlain and the ruling Conservatives in Britain was Germany's invasion of Poland. Britain had a treaty with Poland, and Chamberlain had decided that the violation of Poland's borders would be a red line. When Hitler moved his troops into Poland, Chamberlain immediately issued a letter to Germany to leave Poland, or he would have no option but to declare war one more time on the German nation. Of course, since Hitler felt that war with Britain was unavoidable, the sooner they started, the sooner Britain could be defeated. Then Germany could complete its vision of restoring the Holy Roman Empire in Europe.

Germany did not get out of Poland, and on September 3, 1939, Neville Chamberlain informed Britain and the Commonwealth that they were at war with Germany – kind of. Chamberlain was still convinced that a shooting war was unnecessary. He believed that Germany could be brought to its knees economically through a blockade. What followed journalists called "The Bore War" before they finally settled on "The Phoney War."

There were some in Britain, and probably Hitler in Germany, who wanted to know how long Britain would sleep. Winston Churchill would sweep into power and begin to ask the United States the same question. How long will you sleep before you do what is right? How long will you let immorality reign? Proverbs insists that the longer we are trapped by inaction, the poorer we will be. There is a time to act, to wipe the sleep from our eyes and get to the task that is set before us. I don't want this to sound too easy, because it isn't. And the temptation to remain inactive just a little longer will always be there. But if it is right and moral, then we need to set ourselves against the task and, in the process, make this world a better place.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 7

My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight. – Proverbs 5:1

Today's Scripture Reading (December 17, 2025): Proverbs 5

Sometimes, my mind wanders. It is an old affliction. It happened a lot when I was in school. The teacher would be droning on about some subject or other, and my mind would gradually drift off to other things that I would rather be doing. Of course, then the teacher would ask a question, and I would discover that I had no idea what was being discussed.

Many years ago, I wrote a song called "Change My Name."

            Change my name, O Lord, I am not who I used to be.

            Because of You, I am becoming the one You intended me to be.

            Change my name, O Lord. I need You to carry me with You.

            And you can use this broken life, restored as only You can do (Garry Mullen).

Once I was asked where the inspiration comes from for songs or stories. And the truth is, the muse comes in many different ways and circumstances. In the case of "Change My Name," the inspiration came from a Sermon by the Lead Pastor (Dr. Larry Dahl), whom I happened to be serving under at the time. He started preaching on the story of Jacob when God changed his name to Israel, and my mind wandered. By the time he finished preaching, ninety percent of the song had been written. I tidied up the rest of the song that afternoon in my office with my trusty guitar in hand. I told Dr. Dahl the story of the song's inspiration, but I don't think he was very impressed; after all, my mind had wandered during his sermon. 

Often, I wonder if Rehoboam had a habit of letting his mind wander. I mean, twice in two chapters, Solomon asks his son to pay attention. The first time is in Proverbs 4.

Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
    pay attention and gain understanding (Proverbs 4:1).

 And then again, here in Proverbs 5;

My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words of insight (Proverbs 5:1).

I don't know the circumstances around these instructions to his children. Part of me can imagine a teenage Rehoboam who doesn't really believe that his Dad knows anything (I think we all went through that stage of development). And Dad begs his sons to give him a chance and listen to what he has to say.

Solomon pleads with his sons not to allow their minds to wander; pay attention to the wisdom that I have learned in life so that you will have an advantage in life over those who refuse to listen to the voice of wisdom. Unfortunately, I think Solomon's sons let their minds wander despite their father's pleading.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 6

Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. – Proverbs 4:25

Today's Scripture Reading (December 16, 2025): Proverbs 4

Several years ago, on a Saturday in March, I took off to visit my own little desert. It was a beautiful day, and the experiment was to take place at a small church just south of the city. I had arrived with some friends to spend the day in silence. We arrived just before nine in the morning. We greeted each other and sat down in the small sanctuary. Our mentor, the one who was going to be our guide through this journey, led us in singing an old hymn. There were no instrumentalists; we just used our voices to offer this prayer.

Open my eyes that I may see

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free

Silently now I wait for Thee

Ready my God, Thy will to see

Open my eyes, illumine me

Spirit Divine

Open my ears that I may hear

Voices of truth Thou sendest clear

And while the wave notes fall on my ear

Everything false will disappear

Silently now I wait for Thee

Ready my God, Thy will to see

Open my ears, illumine me

Spirit Divine (Clara H. Scott)

And there we stopped singing. The next verse says open my mouth, but for the next few hours, our mouths were closed for business.

It is incredible the dialogue that goes on even when our mouths are closed. The practice of silence is anything but easy. Voices continue to ring in our minds through the silence. It sometimes seems almost impossible to stop them. Lists are made, the mind remains active, and all of this continues to drown out the voice of God. I took to doing some journaling. I recalled the story of another pastor who had suffered a burnout experience and stopped everything to spend some time in a monastery where the monks had taken a vow of silence. He told the story of how he filled yellow legal pads with his writing, just trying to get his thoughts out. By Thursday, he needed some contact, so he left the monastery for a few hours to visit an internet café, where he emailed everyone he knew, desperate for human contact. Then he returned to the monastery and took his place among the monks once more. Later, someone asked him if he had gotten in trouble for leaving the monastery, and he remarked, "Nobody said anything." There is a joke there that you might get in a few minutes.

Late that afternoon, we gathered again and shared silent communion. It was an intriguing experience, pantomiming the whole communion liturgy, lifting up the bread, breaking it, saying thanks for it, and then sharing it with each other. Then, pouring the cup out into small glasses, but still much larger than the ones we usually use for communion, once again thanking God for the cup and then taking and drinking. Finally, our voices once again penetrated the silence.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Amen

And it might not have been until the silence was broken that I became acutely aware of how much I needed the silence. And how much more I needed to bring silence into my life.

I love the words of Chuang Tzu, a Taoist philosopher. He writes this;

The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten. The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten. The purpose of the word is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten. Where can I find the man who has forgotten words? He is the one that I want to talk to.

He is also the one to whom I want to speak.

Sometimes the best way to keep our mouths free from perversity and free of gossip and slander is just to be silent. To be that person who has forgotten words, unless there are new and vital ideas that must be grasped.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 5

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart. – Proverbs 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (December 15, 2025): Proverbs 3

Here is our reality. The generation gap has always been there. We often don't see things the way that our parents did. As a result, we tend to complain about what our parents tell us. However, if I can make a suggestion, Moms and Dads all over the world tell us the things they do not to annoy us, but because they love us and want the best for us. The instruction that they give to us consists of something that they honestly believe will make our lives better, not to destroy all of our fun.

Sometimes we disagree, and sometimes mom and dad are even wrong, although I have to admit that, in my experience, they are right a lot more than I might want to admit. But how much different would it be in those moments of unwanted advice if we just took a step back and tried to understand that everything mom and dad choose to tell us is intended to make our lives better.

Experts tend to argue over the words "my commands." What is Solomon trying to tell Rehoboam? Should all of Dad's commands be followed, or is Solomon's purpose limited to just the laws of God about which Solomon is speaking? And a number of the voices that I trust fall on the side of God's law. But I think I disagree. Solomon is speaking of God's law, but he is also referring to experiences that have taught him important lessons beyond the Bible.

The theme of Proverbs is a plea to Solomon's audience, beginning with his son, to order their lives in such a way that they are on the best footing for the future. He believes that if Rehoboam follows the things that Dad believes are important, his life will be structured positively, and he will be in a place where he can succeed. If you order your life well, you have a chance for success. Success is what Solomon means when he says, "they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity" (Proverbs 3:2). But success is a byproduct of how you live your life and the things that you believe.

I believe that this is the main task of a parent. If you are a parent, our job is to get our kids ready for the world. Some of it is in the Bible. But other elements might not be, but they are still important. There is a list of things that we know will bring order to our lives. It is because of these things that we are in a position to succeed. And if our children will just follow our example, these things will bring success to their lives as well.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 4

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