One Year Bible Readings and Commentary Saturday, June 11th "Solomon Builds His Own Palace and Finishes the Temple" "Stephen is the First Christian Martyr and Philip Preaches in Samaria"
1 Kings 7 (yesterday's lesson)
Solomon Builds His Own Palace
Solomon also built a huge palace for himself. Solomon spent 7 years building the Lord's temple and 13 years building his own. Hmmm...
1 Kings 6:38 tells us that Solomon spent 7 years building the temple, but here we learn that he spent 13 years building his own house. The temple was glorious, but it seems that Solomon wanted a house that was more glorious than the temple. - Guzik
It does show the place which his own personal comfort and luxurious tastes had come to occupy in the life of Solomon… It is often by such simple, and unexpected tests, that the deepest facts of a human life are revealed.” (Morgan)
Furnishings for the Temple
Now back to Solomon's work on the temple of the Lord. Solomon hired a man named Huram who was from Tyre and also a descendant of Israel on his mom's side. This man was highly skilled and extremely talented at working with bronze.
The great pillars were given names like Jakin and Boaz.
“In practical terms the pillars were to be an ever-present reminder to each successive king of the fact that he was ruling by God’s appointment and by his grace, and that in God lay his strength. Just so ought believers today to be ever mindful of God’s grace in their lives and of their utter dependence on him.” (Patterson and Austel)
God told David that he could not build the temple, but David still collected furnishings and treasures for the temple that his son Solomon would build (1 Chronicles 29). Guzik
As Stephen finishes his testimony to the Jewish leaders, he doesn't mince any words. He isn't afraid to rebuke them when he says,
“You stubborn people! You are heathen[a] at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you." 7:51
They went into rage when he accused them of killing the prophects who predicted the Messiah, and the Messiah himself. We often get the most mad when someone brings the truth against us. It is a form of denial. Unlike the Jewish leaders, Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, as he looked up into heaven and saw the heavens parted, and Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.
When they heard this, they dragged him out of the town and stoned him. Ironically they laid their coats at the feet of a man named Saul, who we know later would become Paul, the apostle. But at this time he was rounding up and persecuting Christians zealous for the Jewish cause.
The council was angry, but because Stephen’s message had hit the target. They could not dismiss or ignore what he said. The Sanhedrin reacted with rage instead of submission to the Holy Spirit. - Guzik
Lord, do not charge them with this sin: God answered Stephen’s prayer, and used it to touch the heart of a man who energetically agreed with his stoning – even though the man didn’t know the prayer was being answered. When we get to heaven, we should thank Stephen for every blessing brought through the ministry of Saul of Tarsus. God heard Stephen’s prayer, and Paul is the evidence of it. We have no idea how greatly God can use us in our times of suffering. Augustine said, “If Stephen had not prayed, the church would not have had Paul.” - Guzik
Stephen was the first Christian martyr. The term martyr means "witness". Stephen witnessed to the truth of the Good News of Christ even though it cost him his life. Oh, that we would have such courage to make this kind of stand for our Lord nad Savior.
Persecution Scatters the Believers
The persecution spread the believers out of Jerusalem into Samaria. Though the Jewish leaders meant it for bad, God used it for good to spread the gospel outside of Jerusalem and into Samaria. Notice two other things. The apostles did not leave Jerusalem, and it mentions Saul was going from house to house rounding up both men and women believers and throwing them into the prison.
The resulting good of the spread of the gospel leads some to see this persecution as being the will of God. God can and will use pressing circumstances to guide us into His will. Sometimes we have to be shaken out of our comfortable state before we do what God wants us to do. - Guzik
Philip Preaches in Samaria
Philip was one of the first to leave Jerusalem under persecution to preach the Good News in Samaria. Philip not only preached the gospel but also did many miraculous signs, including casting out evil spirits. The demons delivered from these people screamed as they left them. Also, those who were lame and paralyzed were healed. And there was great joy in the city.
There was even a man named Simon, who was a sorcerer. He did so many acts of magic, they began idolizing him. This reminds us that in the dark world of sorcery there is power, though it is not of God but of the evil one and his demons. But Simon too heard the Good News and realized what he was doing was counterfeit. He believed, was baptized, and became a follower of Jesus! When he saw Philip doing miracles, he was astounded because he knew they were the real deal.
In the Bible sorcery is associated with occult, magical practices – and often with the taking of mind and mood altering drugs. Whatever real power Simon had, it was from Satan, not God. Guzik
Those who had previously been astonished by Simon and his sorceries now believed Philip and what he preached. He brought the message of the gospel and they believed it. - Guzik
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