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January 1 - 1 Kings 4 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello, friends. It's Sean.
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  Here it is Wednesday. It is the beginning of a new
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  year. A pinch and a punch for the
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  first day of the year. Is that a thing?
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  A shout and a cheer for the first day of the year, perhaps?
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  Welcome to 2025. So lovely that you and I get to
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  start this year together, friend.
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  Yeah, that's what we're doing, reading God's word at the start
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  of this year. I hope that 2025 is going to
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  open up with so much possibility, so much opportunity
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  for you to experience God's provision, God's love, and God's
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  presence in your life. And I'm so grateful that you are
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  sharing this journey with me in this little way that we have
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  each day, with a little bit of God's incredible word shaping
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  you and shaping me as we go about our lives.
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  I hope that today is a day of recovery and rest and thinking
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  about what is to come as we begin this new chapter of our
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  lives. Not just Chapter 4, First Kings,
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  but this new chapter of this year and this month.
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  And of course, we are going to keep on reading First Kings.
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  And we today hear about Solomon's prosperity and his
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  wisdom as he goes on living this incredibly successful life.
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  Before we get to that, we've got a list of names that I will read
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  as best I can and then we will go from there.
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  Our friend. Great to have your company.
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  Let us read together this chapter first.
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  Kings, chapter 4. King Solomon now ruled over all
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  Israel and these were his high officials.
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  Azariah, son of Zadok was the priest Eli Whoref and Elijah,
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  the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries.
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  Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilid, was the royal historian.
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  Banaya, son of Jehoiada, was commander of the army.
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  Zadok and Abiatha were priests. Azariah, son of Nathan, was in
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  charge of the district governors.
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  Zabid, son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted advisor to the
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  king. Ahisha was manager of the palace
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  property. Adaniram, son of Abda, was in
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  charge of forced labour. Solomon also had 12 district
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  governors who were all over Israel.
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  They were responsible for providing food for the King's
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  household. Each of them arranged provisions
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  for one month of the year. These are the names of the 12
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  governors Ben Hur in the Hill Country of Ephraim, Ben Decker
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  in Maccas, Shalbim Beth Shemesh and Ilon, Bethanan Ben Hesed in
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  Araboth, including Soko and all the land of Hefa Ben Abinadab in
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  all of Nephoth Dor. He was married to Tafeth. 1 of
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  Solomon's daughters, Baina son of a hylid in Tarnak and Megido,
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  all of Bethshan near Zarathan below Jezreel, and all the
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  territory from Bethshan to Abel. Mahola and Ova Jokmim Ben Gibber
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  in Ramoth. Gilead, including the towns of
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  Jaya, named for Jaya of the tribe of Banasa in Gilead, and
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  in Aghab region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified
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  towns with bronze bars on their gates.
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  Ahinadab son of Ido in Mahaneem, Ahimaz in Naftali.
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  He was married to Basimath. Another of Solomon's daughters,
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  Bana son of Hushai in Asha and in Aleth, Jehoshaphat son of
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  Pura in Issachar, Shimei son of Ilah in Benjamin, Gaber son of
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  Uri In the land of Gilead, including the territories of
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  King Saihon of the Amorites and King OG of Bashan.
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  There was also one governor over the land of Judah.
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  The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on
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  the seashore. They were very contented with
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  plenty to eat and drink. Solomon ruled over all the
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  kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land
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  of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the South.
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  The conquered people of those lands sent tribute money to
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  Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.
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  The daily food requirements for Solomon's palace were 150
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  bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal.
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  Also 10 oxen from the fatting pens, 20 pasture fed cattle, 100
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  sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, Roe deer and choice
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  poultry. Solomon's dominion extended over
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  all the kingdoms West of the Euphrates River from Tipsa to
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  Gaza and there was peace on all his borders.
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  During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in
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  peace and safety, and from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the
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  South, each family had its own home and garden.
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  Solomon had 4000 stalls for his chariot horses and he had 12,000
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  horses. The district governors
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  faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court.
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  Each made sure nothing was lacking during the month
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  assigned to him. They also brought the necessary
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  barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.
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  God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding and
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  knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.
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  In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the
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  East and the wise men of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else,
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  including Ethan, the Ezraite, and the sons of Mayhol, Hemen,
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  Calcot and Dada. His fame spread throughout all
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  the surrounding nations, and he composed some 3000 proverbs and
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  wrote 1005 songs. He could speak with authority
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  about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to
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  the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall.
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  He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures
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  and fish. And kings from every nation sent
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  their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
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  Ah, Lord, we just see a glimpse of your splendour in what you
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  have given Solomon. You are not a God who is living
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  through wartime rations. No, you are a God of lavish rule
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  and love and provision for your children.
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  And we live with such great anticipation for the day when we
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  will see you face to face and you will invite us to live with
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  you in your restored creation, where you will lavish your
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  goodness and Your provision on us without the context of this
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  broken world around us. How you are a good and loving
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  God. And we thank you that we live,
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  exist and move in the palm of your hand, and that every day we
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  come one day nearer to that day, when we come finally into our
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  eternal rest in your arms, Your lavish arms of love, acceptance
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  and forgiveness. So we just praise you, our
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  magnificent God, and pray all of these things in the name of your
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  Son Jesus, Amen.