Shalom,


Psalm 3 is a Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom. He began by calling out to God with his problems, then encouraged himself in the Lord by saying this in verse 3:


3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.


This was the way David operated! He would notice the problem, cry out to God, remind himself of the promise of God's protection, provision and safety, and then praise Him for the answer! Psalm 3 is also a song that we heard many times. Here is a version you may not have heard performed by the Sons of Korah!

Matthew 3 brings John the Baptist on the scene, preparing the way of the Lord! It ends with John baptizing Jesus! Here is an excerpt from The Visual Bible - Matthew that covers the last part of chapter 2 from yesterday, and chapter 3:

1 Kings 9-10 cover the finishing of the building of the Temple and of Solomon's house. It also covers the visit of the Queen of Sheba, who couldn't believe that all of the stories she had heard of Solomon's wisdom and wealth could possibly be true. She had this to say in verses 6-9:


6 She said this to the king, It was a true report I heard in my own land of your acts and sayings and wisdom. 7 I did not believe it until I came and my eyes had seen. Behold, the half was not told me. You have added wisdom and goodness exceeding the fame I heard. 8 Happy are your men! Happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, hearing your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the LORD your God, Who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he made you king to execute justice and righteousness.


Everything that the Queen of Sheba said was TRUTH! What is noticeably absent from this conversation is Solomon giving any credit to the LORD Who had, indeed, been the source of ALL of his riches, honor and wisdom! This may be the first recorded sign of the downfall of Solomon. I saw this footnote on the online Bible version I used:


1 Kings 9:19 Once on the throne Solomon became a thoroughgoing despot. All political power was taken out of the hands of the tribal sheiks... and placed in the hands of officers who were simply puppets of Solomon. The resources of the nation were expended not on works of public utility but on the personal aggrandizement of the monarch. In the means he took to gratify his passions he showed himself to be little better than a savage (James Orr et al., eds., The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia). The division of the nation at Solomon's death with all the weakness and misery that it caused [idolatry, ignoring God, captivity, exile, the loss of the ten tribes] through the coming centuries was the direct outgrowth of Solomon's unholy self-indulgence (Amos R. Wells, Bible Miniatures). Because of his extensive building program and his extravagant expenditures in the maintenance of his luxurious court, he resorted to forced labor and heavy taxation. Bitter opposition to his rule thus engendered the division of the united kingdom after his death (The New Jewish Encyclopedia).


Shalom in Him!