It’s such a joy to blog through the Bible, to soak up His Word each day, and to know that what we put in place here today will be available for years ahead. While the one who is meant to read it might not make it to this post on the day it’s published, God’s timing is always perfect! Today, we find out about Solomon and the building of the temple.
In Case You Missed It!
I closed out the book of 2nd Samuel HERE.
Angela has covered 1 Kings 1 & 2 HERE.
Check out Tammy’s post on 1 Kings 3 & 4 HERE.
1 Kings Chapter 5, Solomon & Hiram
Hiram was the King of Tyre at the time of David’s death. When he heard that Solomon had received the anointing as king in David’s place, he sent servants to Solomon.
Solomon sent a message back to Hiram, reminding him of how David had wanted to build a house to God’s Name, but couldn’t. God had told David that since he was a man of war, that job would become Solomon’s.
Solomon’s message included the fact that he had peace on every side and had chosen to build the house. He wanted Hiram’s servants to help hew the timer to do so since his own people did not have that particular skill.
Hiram is Happy to Help Solomon
Hiram rejoices at the wisdom of David’s son, since he had cared so much for David to begin with. He agreed to help in any way to provide cedar and fir trees for the building of the temple.
Hiram’s pay was 20,000 measures of wheat for food, as well as twenty measures of oil. Solomon sent this year after year.
During the course of the work, Solomon “drafted” 30,000 men from Israel to work in the building of the temple. He sent 10,000 men per month so that each group worked a month, then got to spend two months at home.
For the foundation, large, costly hewn stones were used, and both Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders worked in timber and stone.
1 Kings Chapter 6
Solomon started building the temple in the fourth year of his reign. It measured 90 feet long, by 30 feet wide, by 45 feet tall. He added a porch that was 30 feet long, narrow windows and walls with chambers all around.
All the building materials were made ready before being brought into the house so that no hammers, axes, or any other tools were needed. As Solomon finished building the house, the word of the Lord came to Solomon…
Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel
1 Kings 6:12-13
The Glory of the Temple Solomon Built
Solomon spared no expense in building God’s house. The cedar inside was carved with open flowers and ornamental cuttings. In the oracle portion of the temple, which would house the ark of the covenant, he overlaid everything, including the ark itself, with pure gold. He created a partition of hanging chains that were also made of gold.
Everything in the house was overlaid with gold. Inside the oracle, he made two cherubims out of olive wood, each of them 15 feet tall. Each wing of the cherubim was 7 1/2 feet long.
He had them made this size so that the wing of one cherub would touch the wall, and the other wing would touch the other cherubims wing so that the entire width of the room was covered. Then he covered them in gold as well.
All the walls were intricately carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, all around. All the floors, the covered in gold, inside and out.
He finished building in the eleventh year of his reign, which meant he had spent seven years building it.
Discussion Questions
What must it have been like to be in charge of building GOD’S HOUSE? The intricacy, the sheer amount of labor necessary, and the Word of the Lord that came in the midst of the building. It must have really been something!
Just look at the fine details in Solomon’s building. Look at the extreme reverence he showed toward God in such things as not allowing a tool of any kind to be used inside the house for building purposes. Do we treat God’s temple today – our bodies, as 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 9:13; 2 Corinthians 6:16 – with even a fraction of that kind of reverence?
Scripture Notes
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the tings of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
1 Corinthians 9:13
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2 Corinthians 6:16
Father, help us to remember that WE, now, are your temple! Help us to live every second of every day understanding that if we have received the Holy Ghost Baptism, that you dwell on the inside of us and that we should act like it.
You blow me away with this. Thank you. I am touched deeply.
Praise the Lord, Tammy, thank YOU <3