Thematic Bible: State superior to religion
Thematic Bible
Church and state » State superior to religion » David, in organizing the priests and levites in courses, and appointing musicians, instruments, and other details of religious services
and prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David, king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon, his son.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Manasseh, in subverting, and afterward restoring, the true religion
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the Gentiles, whom the LORD had cast out before the sons of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah, his father, had broken down, and he raised up altars for the Baalim and made groves and worshipped all the host of the heavens and served them. He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. read more.
He likewise built altars for all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the sons of Hinnom; he also observed times, used enchantments, and was given over to witchcraft, consulting with spiritists and with diviners; he multiplied in doing much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. In addition to this, he set a graven image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen over all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever; neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers under the condition that they take, keep, and do all that I have commanded them, the whole law, the statutes and the rights by the hand of Moses. So Manasseh deceived Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do more evil than the Gentiles, whom the LORD had destroyed before the sons of Israel.
He likewise built altars for all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the sons of Hinnom; he also observed times, used enchantments, and was given over to witchcraft, consulting with spiritists and with diviners; he multiplied in doing much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. In addition to this, he set a graven image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen over all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever; neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers under the condition that they take, keep, and do all that I have commanded them, the whole law, the statutes and the rights by the hand of Moses. So Manasseh deceived Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to do more evil than the Gentiles, whom the LORD had destroyed before the sons of Israel.
Likewise, he took away the strange gods and the idol out of the house of the LORD and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem and cast them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of the LORD and sacrificed upon it sacrifices of peace and of praise and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Josiah, in exercising the function of the priests in the temple
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people, great and small; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and that they would keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and with all their soul to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. read more.
And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the lands that pertained to the sons of Israel and made all that were present in Israel serve the LORD their God only. And all his days they did not depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the lands that pertained to the sons of Israel and made all that were present in Israel serve the LORD their God only. And all his days they did not depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Jeroboam, in subverting the jewish religion
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David if this people go up to sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem; for the heart of this people shall turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam, king of Judah. And having taken counsel, the king made two calves of gold and said unto the people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. read more.
And he set the one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan. And this became an occasion for sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made a house of high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Then Jeroboam ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah; and he sacrificed upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. He also ordered in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he sacrificed upon the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month which he had devised of his own heart, and made a feast unto the sons of Israel; and he climbed up on the altar to burn incense.
And he set the one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan. And this became an occasion for sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made a house of high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Then Jeroboam ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah; and he sacrificed upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. He also ordered in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he sacrificed upon the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month which he had devised of his own heart, and made a feast unto the sons of Israel; and he climbed up on the altar to burn incense.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Ahaz, in transforming the altars
And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser, King of Assyria, and saw the altar that was at Damascus; and king Ahaz sent to Urijah, the priest, the fashion of the altar and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship of it. And Urijah, the priest, built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus; so Urijah, the priest, made it while King Ahaz returned from Damascus. And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king came near to the altar and offered upon it. read more.
And he burnt his burnt offering and his present and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, next to the altar. And the brasen altar which had been before the LORD, he caused to be moved in front of the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and he put it beside the altar towards the Aquilon. And King Ahaz commanded Urijah, the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening present and the king's burnt sacrifice and his present, and likewise the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their present and their drink offerings, and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice; and the brasen altar shall be mine to enquire by. Thus did Urijah, the priest, according to all that King Ahaz commanded him.
And he burnt his burnt offering and his present and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, next to the altar. And the brasen altar which had been before the LORD, he caused to be moved in front of the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and he put it beside the altar towards the Aquilon. And King Ahaz commanded Urijah, the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening present and the king's burnt sacrifice and his present, and likewise the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their present and their drink offerings, and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice; and the brasen altar shall be mine to enquire by. Thus did Urijah, the priest, according to all that King Ahaz commanded him.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Solomon, in thrusting abiathar out of the high priest's office
And unto Abiathar, the priest, the king said, Go to Anathoth, unto thine own inheritance, for thou art worthy of death; but I will not put thee to death today because thou didst bare the ark of the Lord GOD before David, my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Jehoash, in supervising the repairs of the temple
And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the sanctified things that is brought into the house of the LORD, the money of the redemptions of each one that passes the account, the money of each soul according to the estimation of each one, and all the money that comes into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD, let the priests receive it, each man of his kinsmen; and let them repair the breaches of the house, wherever any breach shall be found. But it was so that, in the year twenty-three of King Jehoash, the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. read more.
Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada, the priest, and the other priests and said unto them, Why do ye not repair the breaches of the house? Now, therefore, receive no more money of your kinsmen, but deliver it to repair the breaches of the house. And the priests consented to receive no more money from the people, neither to be responsible to repair the breaches of the house. Then Jehoiada, the priest, took an ark and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar, on the right side of the entrance to the house of the LORD; and the priests that kept the door put all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD in it. And when they saw that there was much money in the ark, the king's scribe and the high priest came up and counted the money that was found in the house of the LORD and guarded it. And they gave sufficient money into the hands of those that did the work and of those that had the responsibility of the house of the LORD; and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders that repaired the house of the LORD, and to the masons and hewers of stone and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. But of that money that was brought into the house of the LORD, they did not make bowls of silver nor snuffers nor basins nor trumpets nor any vessels of gold or vessels of silver for the house of the LORD because they gave it to the workmen and repaired the house of the LORD with it. Moreover they did not require accounts from the men into whose hands they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen, for they dealt faithfully. The guilt money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD, for it was the priests'. Then Hazael, king of Syria, went up, and fought against Gath and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem. And Jehoash, king of Judah, took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated and his own holy things and all the gold that was found in the treasury of the house of the LORD and in the king's house and sent it to Hazael, king of Syria; and he went away from Jerusalem.
Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada, the priest, and the other priests and said unto them, Why do ye not repair the breaches of the house? Now, therefore, receive no more money of your kinsmen, but deliver it to repair the breaches of the house. And the priests consented to receive no more money from the people, neither to be responsible to repair the breaches of the house. Then Jehoiada, the priest, took an ark and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar, on the right side of the entrance to the house of the LORD; and the priests that kept the door put all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD in it. And when they saw that there was much money in the ark, the king's scribe and the high priest came up and counted the money that was found in the house of the LORD and guarded it. And they gave sufficient money into the hands of those that did the work and of those that had the responsibility of the house of the LORD; and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders that repaired the house of the LORD, and to the masons and hewers of stone and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. But of that money that was brought into the house of the LORD, they did not make bowls of silver nor snuffers nor basins nor trumpets nor any vessels of gold or vessels of silver for the house of the LORD because they gave it to the workmen and repaired the house of the LORD with it. Moreover they did not require accounts from the men into whose hands they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen, for they dealt faithfully. The guilt money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD, for it was the priests'. Then Hazael, king of Syria, went up, and fought against Gath and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem. And Jehoash, king of Judah, took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated and his own holy things and all the gold that was found in the treasury of the house of the LORD and in the king's house and sent it to Hazael, king of Syria; and he went away from Jerusalem.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Hezekiah, in reorganizing temple service
And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD. The king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings was the morning and evening burnt offerings and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the solemn feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD. Moreover, he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. read more.
And as soon as the commandment burst forth and multiplied, an abundance of firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field was multiplied unto the sons of Israel; and likewise, they brought in the tithe, of all things in abundance. Also the sons of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, gave in the same manner the tithe of the cows and the sheep, and the tithe of that which was sanctified of the things which had been promised unto the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps. In the third month they began to found those heaps, and they finished them in the seventh month. And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel. Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. And Azariah, the high priest of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and been satisfied and have had an abundance left over; for the LORD has blessed his people, and that which is left is this great store. Then Hezekiah commanded that they prepare chambers in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them and brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully, over which Cononiah, the Levite, was ruler and Shimei, his brother, was second. And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah, the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. And Kore, the son of Imnah, the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things. And at his hand were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to faithfully give their brethren their parts according to their courses, to the great the same as to the small. Besides that which is counted for the males from three years old and upward, unto all that entered into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their ministry in their charges according to their courses; both to those numbered among the priests by the house of their fathers and among the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses; and likewise unto those of their generation with all their little ones, their wives, and their sons and daughters, through all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness. Likewise, to the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in all the cities, the men that were expressed by name, gave portions to all the males among the priests and to all the lineage of the Levites.
And as soon as the commandment burst forth and multiplied, an abundance of firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field was multiplied unto the sons of Israel; and likewise, they brought in the tithe, of all things in abundance. Also the sons of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, gave in the same manner the tithe of the cows and the sheep, and the tithe of that which was sanctified of the things which had been promised unto the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps. In the third month they began to found those heaps, and they finished them in the seventh month. And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel. Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. And Azariah, the high priest of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have eaten and been satisfied and have had an abundance left over; for the LORD has blessed his people, and that which is left is this great store. Then Hezekiah commanded that they prepare chambers in the house of the LORD, and they prepared them and brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully, over which Cononiah, the Levite, was ruler and Shimei, his brother, was second. And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah, the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. And Kore, the son of Imnah, the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most holy things. And at his hand were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, to faithfully give their brethren their parts according to their courses, to the great the same as to the small. Besides that which is counted for the males from three years old and upward, unto all that entered into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their ministry in their charges according to their courses; both to those numbered among the priests by the house of their fathers and among the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses; and likewise unto those of their generation with all their little ones, their wives, and their sons and daughters, through all the congregation, for in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness. Likewise, to the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in all the cities, the men that were expressed by name, gave portions to all the males among the priests and to all the lineage of the Levites.
Church and state » State superior to religion » Solomon » Building » Temple
And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard that which thou didst send to tell me, and I will do all thy desire concerning the timber of cedar and concerning the timber of fir.