June 10 (1 Kings 9–10; Psalm 129; Hebrews 7–8)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry Episode: June 10, 2025
Scripture Readings: 1 Kings 9–10; Psalm 129; Hebrews 7–8

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Introduction

In the June 10th episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry," hosted by Crossway, listeners embark on a comprehensive journey through significant biblical passages. This episode delves into the latter part of 1 Kings, explores the heartfelt expressions in Psalm 129, and examines the profound theological insights of Hebrews 7–8. The episode seamlessly weaves together Old and New Testament teachings, offering listeners a rich tapestry of biblical wisdom and reflection.

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Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 9–10

1 Kings 9–10 primarily focuses on King Solomon's reign, highlighting both his achievements and the divine assurances and warnings he received from God.

Key Highlights:

• God's Covenant with Solomon (1 Kings 9):
  Solomon completes the construction of the Temple and his own palace. God appears to Solomon, reiterating the covenant made with David. He emphasizes that Solomon's continued prosperity and dynasty are contingent upon his faithfulness. Solomon is reminded that turning to other gods will result in severe consequences for Israel.

  Solomon (00:16): "Have integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you... then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever."
  (00:16)

• Solomon's Achievements and Challenges (1 Kings 9:20–28):
  The chapter details Solomon’s extensive building projects, his alliances, and the labor forces he employed, including interactions with Hiram, king of Tyre. It also touches on Solomon's military endeavors and the prosperity that marked his reign.

• The Visit of the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10):
  The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon to test his wisdom with hard questions. Impressed by his sagacity, wealth, and the grandeur of his kingdom, she blesses him and bestows upon him immense gifts.

  Queen of Sheba (05:35): "Your wisdom and prosperity surpass all that I have heard... Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you."
  (05:35)

• Economic Prosperity and Trade (1 Kings 10):
  Solomon’s wealth is further illustrated through his extensive trade networks, including fleets of ships that bring gold, silver, ivory, and precious stones. His administrative prowess is evident in the organization of chariots, horsemen, and trade operations.

  Narrator (06:49): "Once every three years, the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks."
  (06:49)

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Psalm 129: A Song of Ascents

Psalm 129 is a poignant reflection on enduring affliction and divine justice. It voices the struggles of the oppressed and affirms God's righteousness.

Key Highlights:

• Affliction and Perseverance (Psalm 129:1–4):
  The psalmist recounts persistent persecution from youth but emphasizes that adversity has not prevailed against them.

  Narrator (07:35): "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth. Yet they have not prevailed against me."
  (07:35)

• Divine Justice against the Wicked (Psalm 129:5–8):
  The psalm calls for the downfall of those who oppose Zion, depicting their fate as transient and ignominious.

  Narrator (08:12): "The Lord is righteous. He has cut the cords of the wicked."
  (08:12)

• Blessing and Hope (Psalm 129:9):
  The psalm concludes with a benediction, invoking God's blessings upon the listeners in His name.

  Narrator (08:29): "The blessing of the Lord be upon you. We bless you in the name of the Lord."
  (08:29)

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New Testament Reading: Hebrews 7–8

Hebrews 7–8 offers a theological exploration of Melchizedek's priesthood and the establishment of a new covenant through Jesus Christ.

Key Highlights:

• Melchizedek and His Superior Priesthood (Hebrews 7):
  The author contrasts the Levitical priesthood with that of Melchizedek, highlighting the eternal and superior nature of the latter. Melchizedek's lack of genealogy and his enduring priesthood prefigure Christ's eternal priesthood.

  Narrator (08:58): "He is without father or mother... a priest forever."
  (08:58)

  Solomon (09:00): "This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant."
  (09:00)

• The New Covenant (Hebrews 8):
  The chapter elucidates the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant, emphasizing its superior promises and the internalization of God's laws. The new covenant is portrayed as a fulfillment of God's promises, offering a more profound and direct relationship with Him.

  Solomon (13:39): "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and... I will remember their sins no more."
  (13:39)

  Narrator (13:41): "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete..."
  (13:41)

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Key Themes and Insights

1. Divine Promises and Conditional Covenants:
   Both in 1 Kings and Hebrews, the importance of faithfulness to God's commands is underscored. Solomon's prosperity is directly linked to his adherence to God's statutes, mirroring the New Testament's emphasis on Christ's fulfillment of the law.

2. Eternal Priesthood of Christ:
   Hebrews 7–8 deepens the understanding of priesthood by presenting Jesus as the ultimate high priest, whose eternal nature transcends the temporary Levitical system. This establishes a direct and enduring connection between believers and God.

3. Overarching Sovereignty of God:
   The readings collectively highlight God's sovereignty in establishing kingdoms, covenants, and blessings. Whether through the reign of Solomon or the establishment of the new covenant, God's hand is evident in guiding and shaping the course of history.

4. Interconnectedness of Old and New Testaments:
   The episode effectively bridges Old Testament narratives with New Testament theology, illustrating the continuity and fulfillment of God's plans across the scriptures.

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Notable Quotes with Attribution

• Solomon on Obedience and Divine Favor:

  "If you will walk before me as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness... then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever."
  (00:16)

• Queen of Sheba's Admiration:

  "Your wisdom and prosperity surpass all that I have heard... Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you."
  (05:35)

• Reflection on Melchizedek:

  "This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant."
  (09:00)

• Promise of the New Covenant:

  "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities... I will remember their sins no more."
  (13:39)

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Conclusion

The June 10th episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry" offers a profound exploration of Solomon's reign, the heartfelt laments of Psalm 129, and the theological depths of Hebrews 7–8. By intertwining historical narratives with theological discourse, the episode provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of biblical covenants, priesthood, and God's unwavering sovereignty. Whether delving into the grandeur of Solomon's temple or the eternal priesthood of Christ, the episode invites believers to reflect on the continuity of God's promises and the transformative power of His word.

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This summary encapsulates the key elements and discussions from the June 10th podcast episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who may not have listened to the full session.

Transcript

[Narrator]

A reading from the book of 1 Kings.

[Solomon]

As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king's house and all that Solomon desired to build, the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.

[Narrator]

And the Lord said to him, I.

[Solomon]

Have heard your prayer and your plea which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. And. And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David, your father, saying, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel. But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them. And the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight. And Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house? Then they will say, because they abandoned the Lord, their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them. At the end of 20 years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king's house, and Hiram, king of Tyre, had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress, timber and gold, as much as he desired. King Solomon gave to Hiram 20 cities in the land of Galilee. But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon had given him, they did not please him. Therefore he said, what kind of cities are these that you have given me, my brother? So they are called the land of.

[Narrator]

Cabal to this day.

[Solomon]

Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold. And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the Lord and his own house and the millo and the wall of Jerusalem. And Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire and had killed the Canaanites who lived in the city and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and Lower Beth Horon and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness in the land of Judah. And all the store cities that Solomon had. And the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen. And whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion. All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of the people of Israel, their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction. These Solomon drafted to be slaves. And so they are to this day. But of the people of Israel, Solomon made no slaves. They were the soldiers. They were his officials and his commanders, his captains, his chariot commanders and his horsemen. These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work 550 who had charge of the people who carried on the work. But Pharaoh's daughter went up from the city of David to her own house that Solomon had built for her. Then he built the millo. Three times a year Solomon used to offer up burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he built to the Lord, making offerings with it before the Lord. So he finished the house. King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants, seamen who were familiar with the sea, together with the servants of Solomon. And they went to Ophir and brought from there gold, 420 talents. And they brought it to King Solomon. Now, when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue with camels, bearing spices and very much gold in precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials and. And the attendants of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her. And she said to the king, the report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom. But I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpassed a report that I heard. Happy are your men, happy are your servants who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom. Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord loved Israel forever. He has made you king that you may execute justice and righteousness. Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almec wood and precious stones. And the king made of the almag wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almig wood has come or.

[Narrator]

Been seen to this day.

[Solomon]

And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked, besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants. Now, the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land. King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold. 600 shekels of gold went into each shield, and he made 300 shields of beaten gold. Three Minas of gold went into each shield, and the king put them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon. The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. The throne had six steps and the throne had a round top. And on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the armrests, while 12 lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom. All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold. And all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. For the king had a fleet of.

[Narrator]

Ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram.

[Solomon]

Once every three years, the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put into his mind. Every one of them brought his present articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses and mules. So much year by year. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone. And he made cedar as plentiful as.

[Narrator]

The sycamore of the shephilah.

[Solomon]

And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt, and kiwi. And the king's traders received them from kiwi at a price. A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150. And so, through the king's traders, they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Assyria.

[Narrator]

A reading from the Book of Psalms. A song of ascents. Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth.

[Solomon]

Let Israel now say.

[Narrator]

Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth. Yet they have not prevailed against me.

[Solomon]

The plows plowed upon my back, they made long their furrows.

[Narrator]

The Lord is righteous. He has cut the cords of the wicked. May all who hate Zion be put.

[Solomon]

To shame and turned backward. Let them be like the grass on the housetops which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not.

[Narrator]

Fill his hand, nor the binder of sheaves his arms.

[Solomon]

Nor do those who pass by say.

[Narrator]

The blessing of the Lord be upon you. We bless you in the name of the Lord. A reading from the Book of Hebrews. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. And to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first by translation of his name, King of righteousness. And then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

[Solomon]

He is without father or mother or.

[Narrator]

Genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God. He continues a priest forever. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils. And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man, who does not have his descent from them, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who hath the promises? It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case, tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Now, if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe, Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For on the one hand a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath, for those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath. But this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office. But he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Consequently he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priestholy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests. But the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a son who has been made perfect forever. Now the point in what we are saying is we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now, if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all. Since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law, they serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, see that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain. But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord, I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

[Solomon]

For I will be merciful toward their.

[Narrator]

Iniquities, and and I will remember their sins no more. In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete, and what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.