June 3

Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, [40] and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. [41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat

[46] And Mary said, 

    “My soul magnifies the Lord, 

    [47]     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 

    [48] for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

        For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 

    [49] for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

        and holy is his name. 

    [50] And his mercy is for those who fear him

        from generation to generation. 

    [51] He has shown strength with his arm;

        he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 

    [52] he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

        and exalted those of humble estate; 

    [53] he has filled the hungry with good things,

        and the rich he has sent away empty. 

    [54] He has helped his servant Israel,

        in remembrance of his mercy, 

    [55] as he spoke to our fathers,

        to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

    [56] And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Ephesians 2:1-10

By Grace Through Faith

[1] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—[3] among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—[6] and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Psalm 119:17-24

Gimel

    [17] Deal bountifully with your servant,

        that I may live and keep your word. 

    [18] Open my eyes, that I may behold

        wondrous things out of your law. 

    [19] I am a sojourner on the earth;

        hide not your commandments from me! 

    [20] My soul is consumed with longing

        for your rules at all times. 

    [21] You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,

        who wander from your commandments. 

    [22] Take away from me scorn and contempt,

        for I have kept your testimonies. 

    [23] Even though princes sit plotting against me,

        your servant will meditate on your statutes. 

    [24] Your testimonies are my delight;

        they are my counselors.

1 Kings 4

Solomon’s Officials

[1] King Solomon was king over all Israel, [2] and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; [3] Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; [4] Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; [5] Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend; [6] Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.

[7] Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for one month in the year. [8] These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; [9] Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; [10] Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); [11] Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); [12] Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam; [13] Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); [14] Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; [15] Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); [16] Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; [17] Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; [18] Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; [19] Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. And there was one governor who was over the land.

Solomon’s Wealth and Wisdom

[20] Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. [21]  Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

[22] Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, [23] ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. [24] For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. [25] And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. [26] Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. [27] And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. [28] Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.

[29] And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, [30] so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. [31] For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. [32] He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. [33] He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. [34] And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

1 Kings 5

Preparations for Building the Temple

[1]  Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David. [2] And Solomon sent word to Hiram, [3] “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. [4] But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. [5] And so I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ [6] Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

[7] As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” [8] And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. [9] My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” [10] So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, [11] while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. [12] And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

[13] King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. [14] And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the draft. [15] Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, [16] besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work. [17] At the king’s command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. [18] So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.