Surprise of the Day

Ezra 6:14-15;  Nehemiah 1:1-3

  Fact Of the Day

S-The temple had been completed in 516 BC. Jerusalem still had not been rebuilt in 445, 71 years later.

Oops of the Day

God never authorized use of musical instruments to worship him. 

I Chronicles 25:1;  II Chronicles 29:25-30;  II Chronicles 30:21;   II Chronicles 34:12-13;   Nehemiah 12:27-28, 36;  Ephesians 5:19

Fact Of the Day

No! God told Gad David’s seer and Nathan the prophet, to have choirs and a small orchestra in temple worship. But only certain instruments were authorized: Lyres, harps and cymbals. Further, they were to only be played by Levites and had to be played  all day every day during sacrifices at the temple. And the Levites had to be paid enough to live on.  All this was in Old Testament worship.

In Christians worship all Christians (not just Levites) are told to pluck the strings of one instrument – our heart. How beautiful.

 

Oops of the Day

After Jerusalem was destroyed, the people immediately rebuilt the temple and then the city walls.

Ezra 6:14-15 and Nehemiah 1:1-3

Fact Of the Day

No! After the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem, the Jews were taken to Babylon as captives.  They stayed 70 years.  Then, he temple was rebuilt in 516 BC.   Jerusalem still had not been rebuilt in 445, BC. 71 years later.

 

Oops of the Day

The ten tribes that made up the Northern Kingdom called Israel were all captured and taken to Assyria forever.  They became known as the “Lost Tribes of Israel”.

II Kings 17:21-23 and II Chronicles 30:1,6, 10-11

Fact Of the Day

No! When King Hezekiah of the Southern Kingdom restored the Passover decades after the Assyrian invasion, he sent couriers to Ephraim, Manasseh, Zebulun, and Asher – all part of the former northern kingdom – to invite them to the Passover in Jerusalem also.

 

Oops of the Day

God was mean to not protect the northern kingdom of Israel and southern kingdom of Judah from being taken captives to Assyria and Babylon.

Leviticus 18:28;   II Kings 16:3;   II Kings 17:7-20;    II Chronicles 30

Fact Of the Day

No! God had warned the Jews that, just as the people in their Promised land “were vomited out” because of their sins, the land would vomit out the Jews if they ever sinned the same way.  It happened.  Both were warned by prophets, but sinned anyway. (II Kings 17:12).

“They made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah [pornographic fertility] pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal/Molach. ¹⁷ They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil.”  Even at the end, King Ahaz, King of Judah, offered his sons as sacrifices to the god Moloch as did others. This was legalized child killing.  Further, the pornographic asherah poles and worship involving temple priest & priestess prostitutions to the fertility goddess created legalized pornography and prostitution. 

 

Surprise of the Day

When the Aramean (Syrian) army surrounded a city to destroy it, Elisha saw angelic chariots of fire covering the mountain to defend them in the city.

II Kings 6:8, 14-17;   II Kings 2:11

Fact Of the Day

Elisha’s teacher and mentor had been Elijah.  Elijah never died.  Instead, he went to heaven in a chariot of fire.  Not too long after that, God sent an angelic army riding chariots of fire to defend his people against the enemy Syrians.  Did Elijah possibly lead the angelic chariots of fire that went to defend the city against the Syrian army?  We do not know, but it is an interesting thought.  Don’t you think so?

Oops of the Day

When Solomon said in his prayer he was just a child, it was just an expression.

I Kings chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & Song of Solomon

Fact Of the Day

No! Solomon was only 18 years old when he became king. These are the events after Bethsheba becomes pregnant with Solomon in (I Kings chap. 11):
1 year – war with Ammonites (chap. 12)
2 years – Dtr Tamar raped by son Amnon and Absalom’s revenge (chap. 13)
3 years – Absalom exiled by father (chap. 13)
2 years – Absalom back in Jerusalem still rejected (chap. 14)
4 years – Absalom judges people when David not making self available (chap. 15)
1 year – Absalom finally makes self king (chap. 15-19)
1 year – Sheba rebels (chap. 20)
3 years – Famine (chap. 21)
1 year – Census & plague (chap. 24) & dies (I Ki. 1-2)
18 years of events after Bathsheba becomes pregnant with Solomon
David dies at age 70 after reigning 40 years. Solomon is crowned on his wedding day (Song of Solomon), reigns 40 years and dies. His son, Rehoboam, became king when he was age 41. So, Solomon was around age 18 or maybe 19 when he became king.

Oops of the Day

Absalom was a rebellious son who never loved his father, David. But David was always the loving father anyway. 

II Samuel chapters 13-15 and II Samuel 19

Fact Of the Day

Absalom’s brother raped his sister, Tamar but their father did not punish the rapist  (II Samuel 13:14, 21, 23).   2 yrs later, Absalom had his rapist brother killed, then was banished for 3 years (II Samuel 14:13; 28-32).  A prophet convinced David to allow Absalom to return to Jerusalem.  But David refused to see him for another 2 yrs).  After another 4 years, Absalom finally rebelled (II Samuel 15:7). For 11 years, David all but disowned Absalom.

 

Oops of the Day

Poor crippled, orphaned Mephibosheth, forced to live out his life in desolate deserted LoDebar.

II Samuel chapter 9;   I Chronicles 7:14-15;   II Samuel 7:27

Fact Of the Day

No!  LoDebar was on the edge of a major trade route between China and Europe and 10 miles from the Sea of Galilee.  He was the son of Crown Prince Jonathan and adopted by Machir, a descendant of Joseph in Egypt, who later also hid King David in his home.   When grown, he moved into the palace and ate with King David’s sons.  Further, he was given the palace and agricultural land of his grandfather, King Saul, and all the income from the land.

 

Oops of the Day

The crippled son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, Mephibosheth, was a shriveled up little man.

II Samuel 9:12;   I Chronicles 8:34;   I Chronicles 9:40 

Fact Of the Day

No!  His grandfather, King Saul, was the tallest (probably 7 feet) and most handsome man in the kingdom. His father was a mighty man. Therefore, Mephibosheth probably was tall and handsome and strong despite his handicap.  Oh, and he married and had two sons.  I doubt she was attracted to a shriveled up old man.  A tall, handsome, crippled man won her heart.