Tuesday

21-May

1 Kings 7-8; Ps 65; Romans 1

1 Kings 7: Compare the size of Solomon’s palace and the Temple.  What is the sea and what was it to be used for?

1 Kings 8: What did Solomon have brought to the Temple?  What was inside? When Solomon prays to the Lord at the dedication of the Temple, how does he refer to himself?

Romans 1: Today we begin the epistles.  Paul probably wrote this epistle from Corinth or Cenchrea. For what reason does Paul thank God for the believers in Rome?  What must we include with our faith as apostles of Christ? How many times has Paul been to Rome?

Why are ‘they’ (the unrighteous) without excuse?  (v. 20) And what is the result?

Journal Prompt: Solomon refers to himself as a servant. Do you have this perspective when praying before the Lord? If you don’t what would your prayers look like if you did?

Answers:

1 Kings 7: Solomon’s palace was four times larger than the Temple.  The sea was a huge water basin, probably used for ceremonial cleansing and supplying water to the other basins.  They probably needed a lot of water since this is the area near the altar where animals were sacrificed.

1 Kings 8: Solomon had the priests and Levites bring the ark of the covenant to the Temple.  Inside were the tablets with the commandments that the Lord had given to Moses.  There is no mention of Aaron’s staff or the manna.  (But I’m not sure how anyone could actually look inside the ark without dying.)  Solomon refers to himself as a ‘servant’ of the Lord.

Romans 1:  Paul thanks God for their faith which is proclaimed throughout the world.  Obedience must go hand in hand with our faith. (v. 5). 
This is a trick question!  Paul has never been to Rome (v. 13).

The unrighteous are without excuse, because God has revealed Himself through creation and they choose to not believe but to create for themselves idols to explain the creation.

The result of their choosing unrighteousness over belief in God is that God gave them up to their own selfish desires and passions.  In other words, He allowed them free will.