Does this not seem excessive? Does this sea serve no other purpose than as a public display of Solomon's wealth and abundance? Perhaps if one needs to store cast metal, why not store it in a pleasing way? What does the Bible actually say about wealth? Quite a few things, including, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38, BSB) Solomon was building for himself, for God, and according to the fact that he built the "Hall of Justice", he even built for the people. God gave him the wealth to build all these things. For me, personally, I know many of the Scriptures about finance, wealth, poverty, prosperity, and giving, but I struggled to understand how to properly balance it all. I am so thankful that my attention was brought to some of the teachings of John Wesley; "... What way, then, (I ask again) can we take, that our money may not sink us to the nethermost hell? There is one way, and there is no other under heaven. If those who 'gain all they can,' and 'save all they can,' will likewise 'give all they can;' then, the more they gain, the more they will grow in grace, and the more treasure they will lay up in heaven." It always seems to need to have a reminder added, as they're not often presented directly together, " He emphasizes restrictions on exploiting others or gaining from the pain and suffering of others or of oneself" while gaining all we can. God has given us His Word, though much of it continues to include mystery. Some mystery so that we may always have need to continue to pursue Him, and some so that we can learn and grow together. It would be overwhelming if we had all wisdom or knowledge, all at once, and then we might become stagnant. God's design for our lives really, truly is amazing.
"He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it." ( 1 Kings 7:23, NIV)
Does this not seem excessive? Does this sea serve no other purpose than as a public display of Solomon's wealth and abundance? Perhaps if one needs to store cast metal, why not store it in a pleasing way? What does the Bible actually say about wealth? Quite a few things, including, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38, BSB) Solomon was building for himself, for God, and according to the fact that he built the "Hall of Justice", he even built for the people. God gave him the wealth to build all these things. For me, personally, I know many of the Scriptures about finance, wealth, poverty, prosperity, and giving, but I struggled to understand how to properly balance it all. I am so thankful that my attention was brought to some of the teachings of John Wesley; "... What way, then, (I ask again) can we take, that our money may not sink us to the nethermost hell? There is one way, and there is no other under heaven. If those who 'gain all they can,' and 'save all they can,' will likewise 'give all they can;' then, the more they gain, the more they will grow in grace, and the more treasure they will lay up in heaven." It always seems to need to have a reminder added, as they're not often presented directly together, " He emphasizes restrictions on exploiting others or gaining from the pain and suffering of others or of oneself" while gaining all we can. God has given us His Word, though much of it continues to include mystery. Some mystery so that we may always have need to continue to pursue Him, and some so that we can learn and grow together. It would be overwhelming if we had all wisdom or knowledge, all at once, and then we might become stagnant. God's design for our lives really, truly is amazing.
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