Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 3:1-17. Let’s go!

On verses 1-14:  In approximately 966 B.C., Solomon begins building the temple in Jerusalem.   What strikes me as I read these verses is how much Solomon incorporated designs of cherubim (i.e. angels) into the temple.  Solomon carves cherubim into the walls (v7) and works them into the curtain (v14).   Most obvious and impressive of all, in the inner sanctuary of the temple called the Most Holy Place, Solomon erects a pair of massive cherubim whose wings span the entire Most Holy Place from wall to wall (v10-13).  Later on Solomon will place the ark of God under the wings of the cherubim (see 2 Chronicles 5:7), such that whenever the high priest would inquire of God at the ark in the Most Holy Place, huge angels would tower over him, watching over him.

Why does Solomon incorporate so many different representations of angels into the temple?  It was to remind the people of what the Bible teaches, that the spiritual realm is real and that angels are real.  Angels are described as powerful, ministering spirits sent to serve God’s people (Hebrews 1:14), protect God’s people (Psalm 34:7), deliver special messages from God (e.g. Judges 6:11-12) and administer God’s will (e.g. Exodus 12:23; Daniel 10:10; Acts 12:23).  

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 2:1-18.  Let’s go!
 
2 Chronicles 2:7 (NIV) 
7  “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen, whom my father David provided.
 
2 Chronicles 2:13-14 (NIV) 
13  “I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, 
14  whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and with those of my lord, David your father.
 
On verses 1-16:  In 1 Kings 5, we read of the same situation where King Solomon gets ready to build the temple in Jerusalem.  He enlists the help of Hiram king of Tyre, forming an economic partnership with Hiram whereby Hiram would provide cedar and pine logs from Lebanon for the temple and in exchange Solomon would send wheat, barley, wine and olive oil. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of 2 Chronicles and there are many powerful lessons we can learn from today’s passage, 2 Chronicles 1:1-17. Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 1:3-6 (NIV)
3 and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which Moses the LORD’s servant had made in the desert.
4 Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.
5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the LORD; so Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there.
6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

On verses 1-6: Solomon is now the new king of Israel in place of his father David (v1). After speaking with his leaders, Solomon’s first order of business is to go and worship the Lord and inquire of Him. But then here’s a question: where should Solomon go to inquire of God?

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Philemon 1:17-25.  Let’s go!

Philemon 1:17-19 (NIV) 
17  So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
18  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back–not to mention that you owe me your very self.

On verses 17-19:  Earlier in verses 8 to 16 we saw Paul acting as a mediator between Philemon and Onesimus, trying to help Philemon and Onesimus reconcile with one another.  But here in these verses we see Paul going beyond what a typical mediator would do.  For while a mediator’s role is help two warring sides reach an agreement, a mediator normally does not sacrifice himself just so that the two sides can reconcile.  But that’s what Paul does.  Paul writes in verses 17-18, “So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.” To emphasize how serious he is about this, Paul even takes his secretary Timothy’s pen and writes these words himself on the scroll: “I will pay it back” (v19).

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Philemon 1:8-16.  Let’s go!

Philemon 1:8-11 (NIV) 
8  Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,
9  yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul–an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus–

On verses 8-9:  Paul had a special role in Philemon’s life.  For one, Paul was the one whom God used to lead Philemon to Christ (v19).  In this way Paul was like a spiritual father to Philemon.  Not only that, Paul’s disciple Epaphras was the one who started the church in Colosse that met in Philemon’s home and so, like a spiritual grandfather to the Colossian Christians, Paul’s words carried special weight.  Yet instead of throwing his weight around and using his rights and authority to order Philemon to do what he should do (v8), Paul appeals to Philemon gently and meekly “on the basis of love” (v9) – not as an authoritarian apostle, but as “an old man” and as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (v9).   From this I learn an important lesson: