"And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come
out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif,
which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 6:1).

There can be no mistake in the understanding of this statement. It is very clear. However, when
we look at other Scriptures in the Books of Acts and 1 Kings, we discover that from Egypt to
Solomon there are not 480 but 573 years. Let us read these verses and examine this apparent
contradiction, for 1 believe we shall find blessing in looking into the matter.

In Acts 13:17-22 we read:"The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the
people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought He them
out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered He their manners in the wilderness. . . . And
after that He gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel
the prophet. And afterward they desired a king:and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a
man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when He had removed him, He
raised up unto them David to be their king." This passage shows that a total of 530 (40 + 450 +
40) years elapsed between the exodus from Egypt and the completion of King Saul’s reign. Adding
to this the forty-year reign of King David (1 Kings 2:11) and the three years completed in
Solomon’s reign at the time of 1 Kings 6:1, we have a total of 573 years.

According to the inspired Word of God, there are 573 years between the departure of Israel from
Egypt to the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. Yet we have seen in that same inspired record that
there are 480 years. Where are we going to get light about the 93 years difference?

Let us read several passages in the Book of Judges:"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight
of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves. Therefore the
anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim
king of Mesopotamia:and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years" (Judges
3:7,8).

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord:and the Lord strengthened
Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. And
he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and
possessed the city of palm trees. So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen
years" (Judges 3:12-14).

"And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead. And the
Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; . . . and twenty years
he mightily oppressed the children of Israel" (Judges 4:1-3).

"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord:and the Lord delivered them into the
hand of Midian seven years" (Judges 6:1).

"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them
into the hand of the Philistines forty years" (Judges 13:1).

Summing up these five captivities, we find a total of exactly 93 years!

Job says, "Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?" (Job 31:4). God goes over the
whole history_573 years_and finds 93 years altogether in which his people were away from
Him. He would not count the time when His people were out of their right place, and therefore
in 1 Kings 6:1 the total of 480 years is given. What a solemn lesson for us all!

The lesson reminds us that at the judgment seat of Christ our whole life history will be reviewed.
All of the time in which we have walked at a distance from the Lord will be deducted from our
account at the judgment seat.

A brother said to me once, "1 see now, as 1 have never seen it before that the judgment seat of
Christ is going to be pay day for believers. 1 had been absent from my work two weeks and on
the monthly pay day 1 went down to get my wages. They handed me the slip and there were just
two weeks of time. There was not a word said about the two weeks 1 was away from my right
place. 1 see now that at the judgment seat of Christ it is pay day for the believer."

Every day, every hour, every moment that is spent out of communion with the Lord, He is going
to deduct from your time and you will get no reward for it. How much of our time, dear brethren,
is being spent in the presence of the Lord and to His honor and glory?