100906 1 Kg 4-7

1 Kings 4
4.6  Abda was in charge of forced labour...  Just like Samuel warned.
4.31 he was wiser than Ethan ...  and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol...  I am thinking about a dad who had three sons who were the gold standard for wisdom.  
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1 Kings 5
5.13  drafted forced labor ... 30,000...
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1 Kings 6 
6.11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon...
6.14  So Solomon built...
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1 Kings 7
7.8  for Pharaoh's daughter...  
7.16   two capitals...
7.23  sea of cast metal...
7.27  ten stands of bronze...
7.38  ten basins of bronze...
7.40  pots, the shovels, and the basins...

100908 1 Kings 9-10

1 Kings 9

9.19  The idea of attacking a city and killing a bunch of people for a dowry for your daughter is breath taking.  I just can't imagine.

9.21  unable to devote to destruction...  I am not sure I understand how you can force people to be slaves, but are not able to devote them to destruction.  Curious.

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1 Kings 10

10.8  happy are your servants...  The attitude and temperament of a person's employees and workplace say a lot about him.

10.9  justice and righteousness...  I am thinking about how (משפט mishpat) and (צדקה tsĕdaqah) relate to just (δίκαιος dikaios) and equal (ἰσότης isotēs) in Colossians 4.1.

10.11-25  Part 1 of Solomon's three part downfall.  "excessive gold and silver" De. 17.16-17

10.25-29  Part 2 of Solomon's three part downfall.  "acquire many horses" De. 17.16-17

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100907 1Kings 8

1Kings 8

8.11  for the glory of the Lord filled the house...  God's overwhelming presence.  

8.27  the highest heaven cannot contain you...  I am thinking about how small and manageable we sometimes like to make God.

8.39  hear in heaven Your dwelling place... 

8.31  man sins against his neigbor

8.33  Israel defeated

8.35  heaven is shut up

8.37  famine

8.41  a foreigner

8.44  out to battle

8.46  If they sin against you--for there it no one who does not sin...

8.48  repent with all their mind and all their soul...  This reminds me of 2 Chron. 16.9 where it speaks of a heart that it perfect, loyal, blameless, etc. toward Him.  An undivided heart.

8.57-8  May He not leave us or forsake us that He may incline our hearts toward Him...  This is a great thought.  Why do we want God to stay with us?  Here it is so He will make sure we do not drift from Him and turn toward others.  God keep my heart.

Nehemiah 9 outline ideas

Context:
They kept the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days. On the first day Ezra read the law, gave the sense of the text, and helped them to understand it and told them to be joyful for the day was holy and to go feast. They read from the law every day of the feast. On the 8th day there was a sacred/solemn assembly.
They 
assembled with fasting in sackcloth and dust on there heads,
separated from the foreigners,
stood,
confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers,
stood as the Law was read for three hours,
and confessed sins and worshiped for three hours.
16 men stood on the steps of the Levites and cried out this prayer.