John 10:22-42; 2 Chronicles 9; Psalms 74

John 10:22-42

22 Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter.

23 Jesus was walking in the temple complex in Solomon's Colonnade.

24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and asked, "How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

25 "I did tell you and you don't believe," Jesus answered them. "The works that I do in My Father's name testify about Me.

26 But you don't believe because you are not My sheep.

27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish-ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.

29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

30 The Father and I are one."

31 Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him.

32 Jesus replied, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?"

33 "We aren't stoning You for a good work," the Jews answered, "but for blasphemy, because You-being a man-make Yourself God."

34 Jesus answered them, "Isn't it written in your law, I said, you are gods ?

35 If He called those whom the word of God came to 'gods'-and the Scripture cannot be broken-

36 do you say, 'You are blaspheming' to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God?

37 If I am not doing My Father's works, don't believe Me.

38 But if I am doing them and you don't believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father."

39 Then they were trying again to seize Him, yet He eluded their grasp.

40 So He departed again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and He remained there.

41 Many came to Him and said, "John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true."

42 And many believed in Him there.

2 Chronicles 9

1 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind.

2 So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her.

3 When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built,

4 the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord's temple, it took her breath away.

5 She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true.

6 But I didn't believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard.

7 How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom.

8 May the Lord your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on His throne as king for the Lord your God. Because Your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness."

9 Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 In addition, Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.

11 The king made the algum wood into walkways for the Lord's temple and for the king's palace and into harps and lyres for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked-far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.

13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons,

14 besides what was brought by the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of hammered gold went into each shield.

16 He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about eight pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

19 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

20 All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon's time,

21 for the king's ships kept going to Tarshish with Hiram's servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom.

23 All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

24 Each of them would bring his own gift-items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules-as an annual tribute.

25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt.

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

28 They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries.

29 The remaining events of Solomon's [reign], from beginning to end, are written about in the Events of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years.

31 Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place.

Psalms 74

1 Why have You rejected [us] forever, God? Why does Your anger burn against the sheep of Your pasture?

2 Remember Your congregation, which You purchased long ago and redeemed as the tribe for Your own possession. [Remember] Mount Zion where You dwell.

3 Make Your way to the everlasting ruins, to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary.

4 Your adversaries roared in the meeting place where You met with us. They set up their emblems as signs.

5 It was like men in a thicket of trees, wielding axes,

6 then smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.

7 They set Your sanctuary on fire; they utterly desecrated the dwelling place of Your name.

8 They said in their hearts, "Let us oppress them relentlessly." They burned down every place throughout the land where God met with us.

9 We don't see any signs for us. There is no longer a prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.

10 God, how long will the foe mock? Will the enemy insult Your name forever?

11 Why do You hold back Your hand? Stretch out Your right hand and destroy [them]!

12 God my king is from ancient times, performing saving acts on the earth.

13 You divided the sea with Your strength; You smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the waters;

14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.

15 You opened up springs and streams; You dried up ever-flowing rivers.

16 The day is Yours, also the night; You established the moon and the sun.

17 You set all the boundaries of the earth; You made summer and winter.

18 Remember this: the enemy has mocked the Lord, and a foolish people has insulted Your name.

19 Do not give the life of Your dove to beasts; do not forget the lives of Your poor people forever.

20 Consider the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of violence.

21 Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame; let the poor and needy praise Your name.

22 Arise, God, defend Your cause! Remember the insults that fools bring against You all day long.

23 Do not forget the clamor of Your adversaries, the tumult of Your opponents that goes up constantly.