June 4, 2026; 1 Kings 4

Daily Dose of Hope June 4, 2026   Scripture: 1 Kings 4   Prayer:  Almighty God, As we move into our Thursday, we pray that today will be a day that we see glimpses of your glory.  We need you, we yearn for you.  Lord, help us set aside our distractions and settle our scattered thoughts so we can focus on you and you alone.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers... In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Daily Bible reading plan.  This summer, we are digging into 1 and 2 Kings. One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that, throughout these readings, we will be joined by Emmy Roberts, our youth lead.  Every Friday (that's tomorrow), she will join me for additional discussion.  I'm really looking forward to this and think it will offer us new insights and depth.   Today's reading is 1 Kings 4.  The events of this chapter take place in the early to middle years of Solomon's reign (he reigned a total of forty years).  Solomon was king over a huge amount of territory, from the Euphrates River to the north to the border of Egypt on the south, and there was a large population for him to oversee.    The first section of the chapter lists Solomon's religious and civic leaders.  I always find it interesting when specific names are mentioned in lists throughout Scripture.  These were real people.  They had jobs, families, and a place in their community.  If you get a chance, go back and look at some of the names.  The names may sound unusual to us, but try to imagine what it might be like for these individuals to live during the reign of King Solomon and be in service to him.    The second part of the chapter focuses more on Solomon's wealth and wisdom, particularly in regard to the prosperity of the nation.  The prosperity of the nation was completely connected to God's blessing.  As long as Solomon and Israel were in obedience to the law, the blessing would continue.  This was a time of unparalleled peace for the Hebrews as well.  They were well-fed and they weren't fighting anyone.  Many scholars say this time in Israel's history is actually a foretaste of the happiness and peace we will experience in heaven.  Kind of an interesting thing to think about.   This chapter also mentions the Proverbs that Solomon wrote.  This book of wisdom literature make it clear their purpose – to help people walk in wisdom or one might say to live well.  And the main ingredient in doing so is right relationship with God: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33).  But as we read the proverbs, we will begin to see how these "wise words" are really intended to build good character, to foster traits like honesty, integrity, hard work, and self-control.  They address basic areas of human life.  They might not be super interesting reading but they do make sense to people.  If you have some extra time today, be sure to read through some of the Proverbs.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki