Gilbert House Fellowship

ANOTHER WARNING of the spiritual consequences of adultery is the theme of this week’s study. As we noted last week, there are two layers to this fatherly warning against dallying with prostitutes or the wives of other men: On the one hand, it’s a path to disgrace, ruin, and death; and on the other, ritual sex was common among the pagans around ancient Israel, and it was forbidden. So, the path to Sheol was not simply a metaphor, it was a warning of the ultimate end of those who reject this wise counsel. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio.

WE RETURN to our regularly scheduled reading this week with proverbs that are paternal calls for wisdom—and a warning against communing with spirits of the dead. Contrary to some who seen in these chapters a female deity named Wisdom, perhaps even the consort of Yahweh, the mundane explanation is simply that the word chokhmah (“wisdom”) is a feminine noun. Grammatical gender has nothing to do with biological gender. So, attempts to see in Proverbs a feminine spirit named Wisdom are misguided—an example of eisegesis, reading a desired, predetermined meaning into the text, rather than exegesis, drawing the intended meaning from the text. We also dig deep into Proverbs 2:18: [F]or her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; We find in the passage what may be a reference to the cult of the dead that surrounded the Israelites. First, the word translated “departed” is rephaim, the spirits of the Nephilim destroyed in the Flood. This is confirmed by the Greek Septuagint, translated about 200 ye

IRAN ATTACKED ISRAEL late last night, the first time the Islamic Republic has struck at Israel directly. The sight of missiles over the Temple Mount is startling, evoking images of the end times. We discuss the events of the last 24 hours and what may come in the days ahead, and we look at prophecies from Jeremiah and Zechariah about the role of Jerusalem and the Jewish people—no, God is not done with Israel yet—in the end times. The title of this week’s study comes from the Septuagint translation of Zechariah 12:2, which reads in the ESV: Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. In other words, at some point in the future, Israel’s neighbors will be so overcome with hatred that they will behave irrationally, as though they are drunk. What we have seen since October 7, 2023, is just prelude. Here is a link to the online books by 19th century author and clergyman H. Clay Trumbull, author of The Threshold Covenant, The Blood Covenant, and The Covenant of Salt.

IT’S APPARENT why the Song of Solomon is not often preached in church.  It is a beautiful and poetic description of the love and desire felt by a husband and wife, but the euphemisms that describe physical intimacy between Solomon can raise awkward questions from children in the congregation! But if you have been blessed with a loving marital relationship, you know. We also begin the proverbs of Solomon this week. Chapter 1 emphasizes the importance of wisdom, which begins with the fear of (or reverence toward) God. We also explain why the personification of Wisdom in Proverbs 1, and later in Proverbs 8, does not mean that there is a feminine aspect to the godhead, nor does it mean that God has a “wife.” Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org

THE SONG OF SOLOMON has layers of meaning. On the surface, it’s a beautiful depiction of the intimate relationship between a husband and wife. At a deeper level, it’s a picture of the mutual love between Christ and his church. We discuss the first five chapters and note the bride’s description of herself as “very dark, but lovely,” which is not based on racial characteristics but implies one whose skin is darkened by the sun—a laborer, one of lower social status than her husband. Nonetheless, the husband, who may be Solomon, is clearly in love with his bride. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the

SOLOMON’S PRAYER for wisdom pleased God, who honored Solomon’s wish and granted him more besides. 2 Chronicles picks up the story of Solomon from the beginning of his reign around 971 BC. At this time, the tabernacle of Moses was still at Gibeon, a city in the territory of Benjamin just north of Jerusalem, although the ark of the covenant was in Jerusalem. The wealth of Solomon is legendary. It’s possible that the political situation in the eastern Mediterranean after the Bronze Age Collapse around 1200–1175 BC left a power vacuum that was filled by the kingdom of David and Solomon, but the hand of God was in all of the events. We detour briefly into the history of the era and how such seemingly unconnected events like the Trojan War (c. 1200 BC) may have created some of the political entities, like Kue (probably Mycenaean Greeks) mentioned in 2 Chr. 1:16, with which David and Solomon had dealings. We also discuss Psalm 72, a prayer for the new king, and note the interesting connection made by the Jewish s

SOLOMON BEGAN his reign with a prayer for wisdom, a prayer that was answered by God in a dream. We discuss some of the interesting differences in the Septuagint and the Masoretic Hebrew text, which is the basis for our English language Old Testament translations. It appears the Masoretes made minor changes to make David and Solomon appear even more powerful and wise than in the older Hebrew text that was translated into the Greek Septuagint. We talk about a concept we’ve discussed before, “the Name.” This is a term used often in the Old Testament, but it’s not well understood. Jews today use the phrase ha-shem (“the name”) to avoid saying Yahweh, but since YHWH appears some 7,000 times in the Old Testament, that clearly wasn’t a problem for the Hebrew prophets. Nor is the Name of Yahweh His reputation; it’s another aspect of the personhood of God, often described as dwelling with the Angel of Yahweh, who is Yahweh in human form. A more accurate translation of 2 Samuel 6:1–2, acknowledging the lack of a pre

WE OFTEN WISH that God would show us the road we’ll travel for the rest of our lives. That’s not the sense of His promise in Psalm 119:105. The Hebrew word translated “lamp,” ner, is a small clay lamp with a single wick. In other words, it illuminates enough of the path to see that our next step or two is safe, but after that we have to trust that He’s leading us where we need to go. The overall theme of Psalm 119 is that those who follow God’s directions will ultimately be blessed, even though present circumstances may not be pleasant. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started

PSALM 119 is sometimes called the Mount Everest of psalms. Not only is it long, its length is due to its unique construction: It’s an extended alphabet acrostic divided into 22 stanzas, one for each of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Further, each of the eight verses in every stanza begins with that Hebrew letter. For example, the eight verses of the first stanza all begin with alef, the verses of the second stanza with bet, and so on. The overarching theme of the psalm is a contrast between following the ways of Yahweh and the way of wickedness, with elements of a lament as the author, possibly David, cries out for God’s help in the face of persecution. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to

It’s tempting, when looking at the state of the world, to conclude that God has abandoned us to the wolves—evildoers who think nothing of enriching themselves at the expense of everyone else. The psalms in this week’s study are a reminder that God has not forsaken us, and that those who trust in Him will ultimately be rewarded while for those who do not things will not end well. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the

The succession of Solomon to the throne of David wasn’t secure even through the final days of the old king’s life. Like his brother Absalom before him, Adonijah declared himself king over Israel before the death of David. The difference is that Adonijah’s insurrection took place after David publicly named Solomon his heir and successor. We discuss the political machinations of Adonijah and why Solomon had him killed for asking to have David’s concubine Abishag for a wife. In a nutshell, Adonijah’s request was a not-very-subtle play to show Israel that he, not Solomon, was the true king by demonstrating that he’d inherited the old king’s harem. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies p

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING is at the heart of this week’s collection of psalms. From the awesome power of God and His mastery over the sea to His protection during times of distress, our God’s chesed, translated “steadfast love,” “loyal love,” “lovingkindness,” “mercy,” and other English words that don’t fully convey the concept, will never end. Our Build Barn Better project is nearly complete! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Vi

THE AMOUNT of precious metal used in the construction of the Temple is astonishing. The gold and silver donated by King David and the leading men of Israel would be valued today at roughly $20 billion! David alone contributed about $7.5 billion worth of gold and silver. The point of this week’s study, however, is not that one can buy God’s favor, but that whatever we have is His, to be used at His discretion and for His purposes. Our Build Barn Better project is nearly complete! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. We’re now producing programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, A

DAVID PREPARED the way for his son, Solomon, to take the throne and build the Temple. As we’ll see in the months ahead, our best laid plans don’t guarantee a smooth, trouble-free life. This week, we read through the divisions of priests, the organization of the military, and David’s farewell address to Israel. It may surprise some, like us, who thought that Solomon designed the Temple. The reading today makes it clear that it was David, guided by God, who was the architect. Our Build Barn Better project is nearly complete! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, along with a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. Wall paneling is going up and we’re beginning to produce programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D.

DAVID EXPERIENCED more during his life than a Hollywood action movie character. It’s remarkable that despite his accomplishments, David recognized that his success was entirely due to God. This week, we study a half-dozen psalms written toward the end of David’s life that explore the king’s relationship to his Creator from birth to “the eternity of the eternity.” Our Build Barn Better project is nearly complete! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, along with a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. Wall paneling is going up and we’re beginning to produce programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Ap

IMAGINE AN ORCHESTRA of 4,000 musicians playing hymns of thanksgiving and praise! That’s what David envisioned when he organized service for the temple that would be built. This week, we read through the detailed description of the plans made by David for temple service. It may seem like a boring section of scripture, but it illustrates the central role of God in the lives of His people—at least for a while. As with people throughout history, and we include ourselves here, distractions, ambition, and the things of this world occupy our attention and take His place at the center of our lives. Our Build Barn Better project is nearly complete! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, along with a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. Wall paneling is going up and we’re beginning to produce programs out there. Thank you for your support! If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly vid

DAVID SAW into the throne room of God—a vision used by Jesus himself to reveal his divinity. Psalm 110:1 reads: [Yahweh] says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Jesus used this verse to teach that “my Lord” (Hebrew adoni) was not David, since David was the author of the Psalm (see Matt. 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42, and Acts 2:34). The conclusion is that the Lord to whom David referred was the Second Power in heaven—Jesus, the Messiah. (The verse is also quoted in 1 Cor. 15:25 and Hebrews 1:13.) We also discuss “the order of Melchizedek,” which the author of Hebrews used to demonstrate the primacy of the priesthood of Jesus, our high priest before the throne of God, to the earthly Aaronic priesthood, and that Jesus was distinct and superior to the angels. See Hebrews 4:14–5:10 and 6:13–8:13. Our Build Barn Better project is nearly complete! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, along with a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service,

A PLAGUE that spread through the kingdom of David led to the consecration of a 35-acre piece of ground that is fought over to this day. This week, we discuss the sin of David in ordering a census of his kingdom. If God “incited” David, why was the census a sin? And why is there is a difference between 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles, which names Satan (or “an adversary”) as the one who incited David to order a census? It’s possible that this was a test of David’s faith to see whether he trusted in God or in his army for security. The account in 1 Chronicles may refer to a human adversary such as a political opponent or an enemy nation rather than Satan, since this is the only place in the Old Testament where the word saitan is not preceded by the definite article (“the satan”). What is clear is that God allowed this test and David failed, resulting in a plague that claimed at least 70,000 lives (probably more, since the text reads “70,000 men”). God stopped the Angel of YHWH, which is the preincarnate Christ, be

A DAY is coming when Jerusalem becomes “a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples.” This is a prophecy of the Day of the Lord, or the Day of Yahweh, which culminates at Armageddon. Zechariah saw the coming of Messiah, and the key verse in our view is Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” In other words, on that day, when Jerusalem is the scene of the final battle of the age, those fighting for Jerusalem will realize that “him whom they have pierced” is the One they were waiting for. The war between Israel and Hamas enters its third week. Aaron Lipkin, CEO of Lipkin Tours, has purchased equipment for the IDF troops defending his community in Samaria (what the world calls the West Bank). If you would like to contribute, go to ht

THE CONFLICT between Israel and Hamas continues with a ground assault of Gaza apparently imminent. We continue our review of scriptures that appear to prophesy a coming destruction of the territory around Gaza that was Philistine from the time of the Judges until the Persian conquest of the region in the 6th century BC.  We learned this week that the chief god of Gaza, Dagon, continued to be worshiped under the Aramaic name Marna (“lord”, similar to Canaanite baʿal and Hebrew adonai) until the 5th century AD. As Derek showed in his book The Second Coming of Saturn, Dagon was the same entity worshiped under the names Saturn, Kronos, El, Enlil, Assur, and Milcom/Molech, all of which were connected to the netherworld and most of which accepted or demanded human—especially child—sacrifice. Our Build Barn Better project is making progress! Our 1,200 square pole barn now has HVAC, along with a new floor, windows, ceiling fans, upgraded electric service, and insulation. Next, we’ll put up wall paneling and inst