06/09/2020 DAB Transcript

1 Kings 5:1-6:38, Acts 7:1-29, Psalms 127:1-5, Proverbs 16:28-30

Today is the 9th day of June welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it’s great to be here with you today as we move further into our week, further into the Scriptures. So, we’re working our way into Solomon’s reign as we read through the books of the king’s, first and second Kings, and that’s what we’re reading about, the different reigns of the different Kings of Israel. But we’re kind of at the beginning. We’ve learned of Saul, the first king, we learned of David who is the second king, and now David’s son Solomon is the third king of Israel and we’re learning of Solomon’s wisdom and the way that he organized and governed his people. So, from the Good News Translation, which is what we’re reading this week. First Kings 5 and 6.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of first Kings we see the construction of the temple. This is the first Temple ever in Israel. So, like when we think of the New Testament or even when we think of ancient times, we think about the temple usually. The temple features in a lot of stories. Like it’s the centerpiece because it’s the centerpiece of the Hebrew culture. So, even in the time of Jesus, the temple is the center. Previous to this, it had been the tabernacle, right? When we were in the books of Moses we went exhaustively through the construction of the portable tabernacle right down to the hooks that would hold the curtains, like all of it. And this was the portable tabernacle that’s gonna move around with the people, God among his people. So, this is the first permanent structure where the name of the Lord will dwell. And this template we’re watching being built right now is known as the first temple and the place that we’re in in history in the Bible is the first temple period. Later on, that temple will be destroyed and then later on it will be rebuilt and then later on it will be destroyed again. And will get to that. But right now, this is the first temple. So, what we’re watching happen here is Israel reaching sort of an apex and in their culture and in their existence, a permanent temple for God, a place of identity, a national identity. And we gotta watch close because we reach this apex and then we began to move down the other side so quickly. It’s taken us so long to get to this point where the land is really the Promised Land where prosperity is abounding where peace is all around where happiness is plentiful. We read it and then we move through it so quickly that it’s almost like, “wait…that was a big, big, big moment that we just read through. And, so, I’m just pointing it out now because we’re kind of at this place where things are reaching their culmination. This is the best of the best for the ancient Hebrew people.

Okay. So, then we move into the New Testament, which is in the book of Acts and we read of the diaconate…of deacons or what would become deacons being appointed, helpers, people to help in the ministry, especially to the widows. One of these men was named Stephen and he was captured. He was arrested and there was a bunch of debate. And, so, Stephen has been brought before the high Council to be questioned because, in part, Steven’s being accused of customs and traditions that do not apply to the people that are like new inventions. And, so, Stephen begins today to testify on his own behalf before the Council. And what Stephen is doing in his defense is telling the Hebrew story. For us, reading this now, this is incredible review of the territory that we have, that we have moved through since we began our journey at the beginning of the year. But for Stephen before the Jewish Council, he’s establishing that he is truly a Hebrew, he’s not inventing…like he knows the Hebrew story. So, he’s recounting the Hebrew story in all of its detail because he’s a Hebrew who grew up as a Hebrew. So, let’s watch his story because we’re in the…the church era in the book of Acts, the formation of the early church. We watch his story but while we’re listening to his testimony, we have the opportunity to review back those stories that we moved through in detail as we’ve been moving through the year so far.

Then the book of Psalms, one of my very, very favorite Psalms, one that I keep with me, that…that guides my life. “If the Lord does not build the house the work of the builders is useless. If the Lord does not protect the city it does no good for the sentries to stand guard. It’s useless to work so hard for a living getting up early and going to bed late for the Lord provides for those He loves while they are asleep.” This…this Psalm reminds us that all that we are trying to achieve in our own strength, the things that we’re willing to exhaust ourselves over. We need to look deep inside why we are doing what we are doing because if we are trying to do it without the Lord it’s a waste of time. Yeah…yeah…and I’ve wasted plenty of time…and I …in my life and I just…yeah…when I…this verse has kind of guided me for, man, well over a decade but when I encountered it, which was early on in my relationship with the Bible, it’s kinda stuck with me. And knowing it and living it, you know, those are different things. You can find yourself exhausting yourself in some direction for some reason lots of times, but to remember, “if the Lord doesn’t build the house the labor is in vain.” May we remember that.

And then, as if that weren’t enough for today, we flip the page into Proverbs. “Gossip is spread by wicked people. They stir up trouble and break up friendships.” Gossip. This won’t be the last time that this comes up in the Bible. The things that we say to other people about people who are not present. The little stories that we carry around trying to fill in the blanks for people to kinda…to kinda give ourselves a sense of being in the know of being connected, the things that we can spread around my friends. And are we not acutely aware of how things spread around these days. I mean like isn’t that the world we’ve had to kind of encounter and live in this year trying to avoid this read things. Gossip spreads around and infects things in the same way. The Proverbs say that there end result may not be like pneumonia or something like that. The end result is that they stir up trouble and break up friendships, which is a devastating thing. So, yeah, we’ve learned how to social distance this year better than maybe…well…better than I’ve ever known how to do in my life, more than I’ve ever had to do in my life. But maybe we should consider distancing ourselves from gossip. It’s only going to stir up trouble and break up friendships. Maybe instead of a mask we just bite our tongues and not say that thing and not spread it any further. Nothing good can come from it.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for its instruction and its counsel. It…thank You and that it shows us the way to go. And, so, we acknowledge, unless we are laboring with You, we are laboring in vain. If we are building our own kingdom in some way, we are exhausting ourselves for no reason. It doesn’t matter without You. And we have also taken into heart today that what we say matters. It can break up friendships and stir up trouble when we spread gossip. Help us not to spread gossip any more than we spread anything else that’s destructive. Come into this Holy Spirit, we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it is always home base for the Global Campfire that we share. So, it’s a good place to know, it’s a good place to go, it’s a good place to get connected, a good place to pray for each other.

There are resources that are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop that are specific to the journey that we’re on making our way through the Bible in a year. So, check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. As we move into the warmer months, into the summer months, thank you for your partnership. We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t in this together, as I’ve said so many times, because that has always been true and it’s true now. So, thank you for your partnership. There’s a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

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And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good morning DAB family this is Paula calling from Albuquerque it is Thursday, June 4th. Just finished listening to the podcast and I just love, I just love, I don’t know how to say it…else to say it but every time we have one of these days where the proof of Brian’s words of the rhythm of the Scriptures is so profound. All four areas that we read today were connected, just beautiful. I just love it. So, __ if you will with all of us in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hi this is Teresa from Missouri and this week Brian mentioned the achievements that we get when we finished the Gospels and I noticed I hadn’t gotten mine so I went back to look at previous broadcasts to see which one I had missed and I found myself on January 23rd and I heard Heather from Atlanta. And Heather you are crying because you had wanted to be a missionary or a ministry…to do a ministry and then Satan unleashed all kinds of evil against you and it just made me think of the book of Job. And I wanted to tell you that someone’s still praying for you and let you know that you’re not alone and that we care, and we love you. So, hang in there, girl. And I also heard God’s Smile from England and I love your voice and you talked about having a Nana or that was a not proper Nana that would hold you and read to you. Your voice just sounded like someone that…that would be a Nana that I could go and give you a big hug and sit and we could read to each other. So, I just wanted to tell you that, that you are special to me today too. So, it’s June 4th but I was listening to the January 23rd podcast. Love you guys, have a good day.

Good afternoon DAB family my name it is Vincent from Connecticut and I walk in love or at least I try to. I first found you in January. I can’t believe you’ve been around for so many years. You people are absolutely amazing. I’m asking for your prayers and I’m embarrassed to ask because there’s so many of you that I hear in deep distress and pain suffering and the pain I have is simply in my heart. I believe that I have not because I ask not, and I believe that you seek ye first the kingdom of God and all things else will be added unto you. Well, I love someone, and I’ve loved them for some time. She is a nurse and I am unable to see her now because of the virus or because perhaps her heart has changed. But this pandemic and this violence has made me painfully, painfully alone and I don’t think that’s what God wants for me. God bless you. And as Brian says, I love you.

Hi family this is His little Cherry in Canada and I am just sitting here looking at my pillow ready to go to bed and I wanted to call and pray again for everyone who has sleeping problems. Oh, daddy here we are again and I’m so grateful that I’m not here alone, so grateful that You’re with me. Lord thank You for Your presence. I pray for everyone in this community who dreads going to bed because they have sleeping issues of one kind or another. Lord, please help each one of us who are facing another night of restlessness, insomnia, pain, whatever it might be. Lord, I ask that in Your mercy You would help us to be able to sleep. I pray for those with insomnia that You’d help their minds to slow down and to drift off and to fall into deep restful sleep. I pray for those who have pain. I pray that You would give them relief, that it would lift, that they would be able to sleep. I pray for those who have to get up many times in the night for whatever reason Lord. I just pray for each one of us that You would comfort us, that You would banish fear, that You would speak peace straight into our hearts. Lord, that You would do a miracle for us and give us good restful restorative sleep I ask You for this in the name of Your son Jesus. Amen.

Hey family it’s Jesse from Washington I need prayers…I don’t know…just for so many things. I’ve been putting off calling the last few days just because it’s just so many things but it’s so clear that it just, you know, an attack on…like a coordinated attack on every aspect of…I guess…really mostly my wife through mental health. She is taking to heart rumors that she’s heard from gossiping friends and gossiping people at church. And, I mean, I know in my heart that I didn’t…I didn’t do anything wrong, I haven’t done anything wrong but the thoughts that are coming from this gossip that’s been being absorbed…I can understand why it would cause somebody pain but it’s just…I mean…there’s no accountability from the other side, there’s no…I don’t know….I don’t know how to explain it. I just know…I mean…I can take accountability for being in situations but…and…it…it…I can’t say to my wife, well I haven’t done anything wrong. It drives her crazy and she’s just so angry and like so hurt. So, I mean all I can do is do my best to just take the verbal and emotional stuff and…but I just…I…it’s… it’s difficult. I’m being humble about it but I…I just know I can’t logically explain to somebody…I don’t…I don’t…I don’t know. I don’t know what to say family I really don’t…

Hello DAB family I’m calling today Friday, June 5th my name is Veronica and I’m a first-time caller. I want to thank Brian for this great community. I have struggled to ask prayers for this, but God has been pressing it on my heart for weeks. Please pray for my husband and I as we pursue medical treatment for infertility. We have gone through multiple miscarriages. We have been married for 15 years and we are well into our 40s. Our chances to conceive are very low but God has brought us to a place where medical treatment is within our reach. I’m praying my insurance company will cover this procedure as we are still appealing for this. We have grieved and cried over all our losses and we have prayed for God to take this desire from our hearts, but we still have desire like never before. I ask if it’s His will that this procedure will work, and we will finally bring home a healthy baby. I’m pleading that God will give us a miracle and to give us peace no matter what, but above all I pray for His will to be done and to have His way in the situation. Thank you DAB family for your prayers. Bye-bye.

Hey, my wonderful DAB fam this is Kingdom Seeker Daniel from Chicago. Mr. Brian Hardin, or as one of our dear DABbers refers to you, Pastor Brian Hardin. My friend, my brother, my leader in this incredible ministry, to God be the glory for the great things He has done, is doing, and yet going to do through you, your precious bride, this incredible DAB team behind the scenes and everyone that’s associated to you. I just want to thank you from the very depth of my soul for your candid words of expression but even more so your story. Oh…as a black man, Brian, it was so refreshing hearing you talk about being given a shot coming up in music era that you were by a black man. And, so, that was absolutely awe-inspiring to say the least. So, I just want to say thank you sir. Thank you so, so very much for all that you do, all that you represent, what you stand for, how you lead this incredible ministry. I thank the living God for you, Pastor Brian Hardin. Keep up the great work sir.